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It looked as if it would go right down to the wire, but Wrexham would clinch automatic promotion out of League One with a game to spare in the end.

The match that would finally seal their unbelievable leap up to the Championship was an unforgettable 3-0 win over Charlton Athletic, with the opening goalscorer on the day being midfield maestro Oliver Rathbone.

He cemented his place in Red Dragons’ history when powering home a fantastic effort early into the first half, and he will hope he can kick on in a Wrexham shirt even more when the challenge of the Championship officially arrives in North Wales.

That said, one new addition could potentially usurp him in that midfield pecking order…

Latest Wrexham transfer news

This off-season could see the Red Dragons conduct their business in a cutthroat manner, with goalscoring icon Paul Mullin rumoured to be on the move to Wigan Athletic, despite boasting a bumper 105 goals in total at the Racehouse Ground.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Therefore, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Welsh giants move away from solely relying on Rathbone for creativity in the middle of the park, with journalist Graeme Bailey now revealing that Wrexham are monitoring Tom Cairney’s situation as they hunt more second-tier-ready stars.

Bailey does suggest that Cairney’s preference is to stick it out with his long-term employers in Fulham, but Wrexham haven’t buried all their hope just yet when it comes to landing the skilful 34-year-old, knowing full well he would significantly enhance their options in the middle.

Rathbone, in particular, might need to watch out.

Why Cairney would be an upgrade on Rathbone

Wrexham entertained League One audiences all campaign long, as the likes of Sam Smith, Elliot Lee, and Steven Fletcher all stood out in the attacking positions.

Rathbone’s name will also be chucked into the mix as another captivating performer, with the former Manchester United youth product ending his own memorable individual season with eight league goals next to his name, which is the same amount both Fletcher and Lee managed, and was only bettered by 18-goal hero Smith.

Moreover, the 28-year-old would tally up a further three assists as a creative machine in the middle, alongside also showing off his grit and determination by averaging 5.3 successful duels per second-tier contest.

Whilst Rathbone is undoubtedly a gem in the lower reaches of the EFL, he hasn’t been as comfortable when jumping up to the Championship in the past, with just a mediocre eight goal contributions collected from 80 appearances at the level when on the books of Rotherham United. To further pile on the misery, he has also been relegated from the unforgiving division.

As a result, Phil Parkinson might well deem it necessary to seal an upgrade on Rathbone to win his team a more accomplished Championship pro centrally, with Cairney ticking all the right boxes.

After all, unlike Rathbone, Cairney has tasted lots of success at the punishing level in the past, with an unbelievable three promotions coming his way from his mammoth tally of 318 Championship outings.

He might just be what Parkinson’s men need to adjust to their difficult new terrain swimmingly, with the two-time Scotland international amassing a mightily impressive 96 goals and assists combined across his many seasons at the level too.

Hailed as “outstanding” by Scott Parker when the pair were together at Craven Cottage, Cairney has even kicked on to become a Premier League-calibre performer in West London, with two of his 16 goal contributions in the elite league coming about just last season, irrespective of the Fulham veteran now being 34 years of age.

Rathbone won’t be completely chucked to one side, but if it’s a toss-up between the 28-year-old starting or Cairney starting, the reliable Cottagers servant will come out on top every single time, especially as Wrexham aim to consolidate their status as a Championship-capable outfit.

Their next Paul Mullin: Wrexham in talks to sign "clinical" new striker

Wrexham can boost their attacking firepower even more by signing their next version of Paul Mullin.

By
Kelan Sarson

Jun 9, 2025

ICC says tickets will go on sale for the final only after the conclusion of the first semi-final, scheduled on March 4

Nagraj Gollapudi27-Jan-2025Tickets for the 2025 Champions Trophy final, scheduled on March 9, will be available only four days prior to the match. Announcing the sale of tickets on Monday for the eight-team tournament, which begins from February 19, the ICC said tickets for the final will be available after the first semi-final, which is scheduled on March 4.Such a late release of tickets for the final has been necessitated by the hybrid model put in place for the tournament because of India’s refusal to travel to Pakistan for the event. As a result, it was decided India would play all their matches in Dubai, including the knockouts should they reach them. Dubai will host the first semi-final, however, regardless of whether India reach the last four or not. In case India reach the final, that too will be played in Dubai. The second semi-final will be played in Lahore, and should India not make the final, that game will also be played in Lahore.Related

• Gambhir: Kohli and Rohit will have 'massive roles' to play in Champions Trophy

• No captains event or photoshoot before Champions Trophy

• Gaddafi redevelopment picks up pace as Champions Trophy nears

• No clarity yet on Rohit travelling to Pakistan for Champions Trophy captains event

• Hybrid model agreed for Champions Trophy and ICC events from 2024-27

The ICC on Monday said the tickets for the Pakistan leg of the Champions Trophy, comprising 10 matches and the Lahore semi-final, will go on sale from Tuesday (2 pm Pakistan time/1.30 pm IST). Tickets for the Dubai leg are not going on sale yet, the ICC saying, “information would be made available in the coming days” without specifying any date.Tickets for matches in Pakistan are priced from 1000 Pakistan rupees [approx. 3.59 USD] for the general category, while the premium category starts from 1500 rupees [approx. 5.38 USD]. Sumair Ahmad Syed, the tournament director and PCB COO, said the tickets have been made “affordable” to ensure “fans from all walks of life can be part of this historic spectacle, making it a celebration for all generations of cricket lovers.”India and Pakistan are both in Group A, along with Bangladesh and New Zealand. The highly anticipated India-Pakistan group game is scheduled to take place in Dubai on February 23.The PCB is currently racing to have its stadiums ready for the event. All three venues in Lahore, Karachi and Rawalpindi have been undergoing varying degrees of renovation but the Pakistan board remains confident that they will be ready ahead of time. Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore and Karachi’s National Stadium are due to host a short triangular ODI series with New Zealand and South Africa before the Champions Trophy.The 2023 ODI World Cup in India was also hampered by a late release of tickets, with the first batch going on sale 41 days before the opening game.

Agony and ecstasy were experienced, and then exchanged, as Australia scripted a fab come-from-behind win

Annesha Ghosh24-Sep-2021It’s supposed to be the final ball of the match.A world-record 26th straight ODI win is on the line for Australia. The opportunity to extend their lead to four points over India in the multi-format series beckons. Three runs off the delivery and they would be ticking both boxes.India, for their part, are hoping their score of 274 is one run too many for Australia. One run better than the tally of an opposition that has yet again exposed their shortcomings as a fielding unit, the limitations of their largely untested attack under lights in dewy conditions and, most tellingly, laid bare the difference a well-run domestic set-up can make to a team’s approach to tight finishes.It’s supposed to be the final ball of the match. And India are convinced it is.Nicola Carey swats a full toss straight to midwicket where Yastika Bhatia, playing only her second game for India, pouches it and is mobbed by her team-mates who come scurrying in from all over. The bowler, Jhulan Goswami, arms spread, roars and rushes in, clutching Bhatia in a delirious embrace. Pats on the back for the pair come thick and fast. As do high-fives, grins… and a look relief on many faces.Related

• Tahlia McGrath and Nicola Carey show value of experiencing pressure

• Beth Mooney: Anyone in the Australia team can win us a game from anywhere

• No-ball drama, Beth Mooney's 125*, Australia's epic victory

• How the final over of madness in Mackay played out

By now, Carey has crossed over to the non-striker’s end. She wears a look of disbelief and trudges back towards her partner, Beth Mooney, on the other side of the pitch to where India have huddled.”India win. The streak is over,” a commentator says. The verdict, he thinks, is straightforward enough.But, hang on. The on-field umpires, suddenly, seem… unsure. What is it?Surely that appeared to be a clean catch by Bhatia. Surely Carey’s swat off the full toss was fatal. But… there… a full toss. The devil starts to surface from that one detail.Was the delivery waist-high or above upon contact with Carey’s bat? Did she hang too deep in her crease against the dipping projectile? Or did the stride she had taken forward, after taking a step back, before connecting with the ball, change things? How tall is Carey anyway? How tall does Carey’s natural batting stance make her look on television? Hang on. Why is she even playing this match? Had it not been for an elbow injury to Rachael Haynes, who struck 93 not out in Australia’s win in the first ODI, would Carey have even been subjected to this agonising wait?The on-field umpires, Eloise Sheridan and Claire Polosak (standing in for the injured Bruce Oxenford), had not called no-ball. But they’ve reviewed the ball. Over to the third umpire, Philip Gillespie.It’s supposed to be the final ball of the match. You know that by now. But try telling that to Carey or Goswami or Bhatia or the commentators. Or to the sizeable crowd that have turned up for the day-night fixture at Harrup Park and remained on the edge of their seat ever since Australia’s vaunted line-up lost Alyssa Healy, Meg Lanning and Ellyse Perry for 0, 6, 2 in the powerplay.Try telling that to Meghna Singh who, along with Goswami, did that to Australia’s top order, with incisive opening spells of swing bowling. Or to Smriti Mandhana, whose 94-ball 86 underpinned India’s 274.It’s supposed to be the final ball of the match. But there is no sense of finality here.A seemingly endless loop of television replays is on. Then, at long last, Gillespie, arrives at a decision. He relays his call to Polosak, who nods her head and stretches her right hand out, parallel to the ground. No-ball. It is not the final ball of the match after all.India cannot believe their luck. Bhatia buries her face in her hands. The camera catches a poker-faced Raj, setting the field, before cutting to Goswami, who, realising she’ll have to re-bowl that delivery, walks up to Polosak to make polite enquires. She had already bowled a waist-high no-ball earlier in the over, but after Polosak explains that Goswami’s second no-ball was “away from the body” and, therefore, not deemed dangerous, she is allowed to finish the over. Shaking her head, she eventually makes her way to the start of her run-up.Agony has replaced ecstasy in the Indian dugout. Australia’s non-playing personnel are up on their feet in their corner, rejoicing, albeit nervously. “It goes from a win [for India] to a run off the last ball [for Australia to tie],” a commentator says as Carey, on 37, and Mooney, on 125, confer with the umpires to confirm the specific requirements of the new ball.And the final over read…•ESPNcricinfo LtdMooney explained what that chat was about, after the game. “I’ve been talking with some people on the sideline,” she said. “They said it was a clear no-ball. I wasn’t sure [of how many were needed off the additional ball] because of everything that was happening but, essentially, we were trying to work out whether we got a run for the run that we took, who was on strike and things like that. So, obviously, it was a pretty tight call in the end.”Mandhana spoke of a similar sense of confusion. “We haven’t really seen the ball yet as a team,” she said. “We were on the field, so on the field it’s very hard to judge if it’s a waist-high no ball or it isn’t. It’s still too early for us to go and see and really be unhappy about it. Definitely we’ll have a look at it but, those things… when they go in your favour you’re really happy. But I wouldn’t add to the controversy part about anything. I seriously haven’t looked at the ball yet.”The women’s game had its first-ever Super Over in ODIs only earlier this week. Now, the possibility of a second in quick succession isn’t out of the question.It’s a free hit, so the batters can only be run out. Carey is back on strike and Mooney ready to sprint for her life. Her 125 runs may have constituted her best century in the format yet, but they still will not amount to much for her team if she and Carey do not ace this one last delivery.And so the final ball of the night, finally, lands. Literally, this time. Fullish. Tailing in close to Carey’s feet. She digs it out into the leg side and sets off. The fielder, Jemimah Rodrigues, substituting for Shafali Verma, gets around to the ball quickly, running in from cow corner, but isn’t quick enough to keep the batters from crossing for the second.The throw reaches Goswami at the non-striker’s end and she breaks the stumps, but Mooney has long made her ground. Raising her left hand, punching the air, she signals the end to an extraordinary night.Goswami’s first over produced the ball of match, when she bowled Healy for a duck with a superb inswinger. Her final over on the night orchestrated what could remain etched in cricketing lore as one of the game’s the most chaotic – and memorable – finishes ever.

The 31-year-old's summer transfer saga appears to be reaching a conclusion, and will end with a return to New England

• Lyon to purchase Turner from Forest for €8m
• Will loan goalkeeper to New England Revolution
• The 31-year-old is seeking minutes ahead of World Cup

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  U.S. men's national team goalkeeper Matt Turner is set to finalize his transfer from Nottingham Forest to Lyon in France, and then be loaned out from the Ligue 1 side to the Revolution, sources confirmed to GOAL.

  Lyon will finalize Turner’s €8 million transfer from Forest and loan him to the Eastern Conference MLS side, as they are unable to void ex-owner John Textor’s deal to sign him from Nottingham Forest, according to

  The Revs will cover Turner's salary, and he will remain TAM eligible. It is determined to be a one-year loan. Turner's deal with Lyon would be a three-year contract.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Lyon were initially relegated to Ligue 2 by the French Financial Police (DNCG) for financial irregularities in June, but were reinstated on appeal. American investor John Textor stepped down from his day-to-day duties with the club as a result, but remains a co-owner. Michele Kang now runs daily operations for the club.

  New management is focused on stabilising finances to avoid future irregularities. They deemed the pre-agreed deal for Turner costly, leading them to hire lawyers in an attempt to cancel the transfer. However, Forest owner Angelos Marinakis refused to allow the agreement to be terminated.

  Now, Turner is reportedly on track to return to the Revolution, the club he left in 2022 when he signed for Arsenal in the English Premier League.

  Turner, 31, has 52 caps with the USMNT.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Turner spent last season on loan at Crystal Palace, featuring in four matches. He is now seeking regular game time to keep his spot in the USMNT squad for the 2026 World Cup.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT NEXT?

  Lyon start their 2025-26 campaign in roughly three weeks' time. Neither deal has been finalized yet; as things stand, Turner is still a Forest player until they put pen to paper.

The presence of Snoop Dogg at Swansea is expected to help them compete with Ryan Reynolds and Tom Brady for Premier League promotion.

• More famous faces in the Championship
• Taking aim at top-flight football
• Benefits to be found on & off the pitch

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Championship will be loaded with famous investors in 2025-26, with Reynolds and McElhenney having guided Wrexham into the second tier of English football on the back of three successive promotions.

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• Amazon Prime Video/Getty
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Birmingham continue to spend big in the transfer market, after shattering League One records last year, and NFL legend Tom Brady forms part of the board at St Andrew’s. Rap star Snoop Dogg has now joined the party at Swansea.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  He has acquired a minority stake in the Welsh club, having formed part of their 2025-26 kit release, and joins Ballon d’Or-winning Real Madrid legend Luka Modric as part of the Swans’ ownership group.

• (C)Getty Images
  

  WHAT FINANCE EXPERT SAID

  Snoop will help Swansea to build their brand off the pitch, but football finance expert Rob Wilson has told of benefits that can also be found on the field: "I think what we're seeing generally in the Championship with some of these celebrity buyers is that their cultural capital outweighs their capital investment.

  "It's about the brand of the artist and the additional benefit that that brings to really kind of promote and extend the Swansea City brand, particularly in the North American market which he is obviously very, very well recognised.

  "The North American market is mature from a commercialisation perspective but immature in terms of the followership of British clubs. So outside of Manchester United, Liverpool and to a lesser extent Chelsea, nobody's really capturing that market from a UK perspective, which is why Wrexham would be in the top 10.

  "So this is an opportunity for Swansea to increase that kind of global footprint, the marketing, the sponsorship, the advertising, to increase the longer term exposure and therefore increase the kind of the ongoing revenue generation for the football club, which then might have a medium term impact on squad size and transfer fees and then ultimately potentially getting to the Premier League as well."

Liverpool love to get their business done nice and early in the transfer window, and that ethos has proved no different this summer.

Whereas last year, an August attempt to sign Real Sociedad’s Martin Zubimendi, who is now set for Arsenal, fell through, this summer FSG are fully settled into their new infrastructure and are attacking the market with menace.

There will be something of a pause over the next days though, with the market slamming shut this evening until next Monday, prematurely opened due to exceptional circumstances because of the Club World Cup.

However, this won’t mean sporting director Richard Hughes will freeze his negotiating, having already signed Jeremie Frimpong to replace Trent Alexander-Arnold and pushing to close deals for Milos Kerkez and Florian Wirtz, both of whom are expected to play for Liverpool next season.

But with the likes of Darwin Nunez, Federico Chiesa and Luis Diaz’s futures uncertain, there’s only so much the Reds can do.

Indeed, with interest fierce for Colombian winger Diaz, Liverpool may need a new star to complement Mohamed Salah on the opposite flank.

Why Liverpool need new forwards

If Liverpool manage to pull off the signing of Wirtz, he would more likely than not take the number ten spot, which would push Dominik Szoboszlai into a deeper, eight-type role.

And if Diaz is sold, with Barcelona and Al-Nassr among the 28-year-old’s admirers, the urgency for a new left-sided forward would only be heightened.

Mohamed Salah, after all, can’t do it all on his own once again next season. The Egyptian King was the leading man through Arne Slot’s successful first season on Merseyside, winning the Premier League.

He might have signed a new two-year contract at the club, but Salah turns 33 in a few days and will need some more support.

That’s why, if Diaz goes, Liverpool are ready to sign one of the most exciting wide forwards playing in English football.

Liverpool chasing new winger

As per Football Insider, Newcastle United’s Anthony Gordon is at the top of Liverpool’s shopping list this summer, with FSG warming to the idea of signing a new winger.

Though AC Milan’s Rafael Leao has also been added to the list, it’s Gordon who Liverpool hope to give priority in the event of Diaz’s departure, though Arsenal are believed to be interested too.

Valued at £80m, the England international clearly wouldn’t come cheap, but he was profiled by Liverpool’s chiefs last summer and is of a long-standing interest to the Premier League champions.

What Anthony Gordon would bring to Liverpool

When Gordon transferred from Everton to Newcastle for £45m in January 2023, he was a talented prospect, sure, but perhaps not one who justified such a heavy outlay.

Fast-track to the present, and the 24-year-old’s stock has ballooned almost twofold, having been crowned Newcastle’s 2023/24 Player of the Season after notching 28 goal involvements.

Declaring himself a “nightmare for anyone” he comes up against, Gordon didn’t reach the same heights last season even as his side went from strength to strength, winning the Carabao Cup and restoring their place in the Champions League, but he still contributed toward the team’s success.

Ferocious when striding forward, powerful with his shooting and clever with his passing, Gordon has the full package of qualities at his core, and could find himself reaching a new level in his development, if charged by Salah.

Long renowned as one of the deadliest goalscorers on the continent, Salah has tailored his game to a new level of playmaking over the past few years, with Father Time casting furtive glances his way.

As per FBref, the winger ranked among the top 1% of positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues last term for assists, the top 14% for goal-creating actions and the top 4% for carries into the penalty area, emphasising his peerless ability to drive into dangerous positions and make things happen.

With Gordon overlapping on the alternate flank, finding space of his own, Salah might just find the perfect man to arc his crisp, threaded cross-box passes toward.

Though Liverpool’s main man is getting on a bit, he’s hardly going to fall from a proverbial cliff at the start of the 2025/26 season, especially after reaching such astronomic heights in a new role, intensity reduced, under Slot’s wing.

However, he will need support, and Gordon – essentially a right-footed version of the Reds star – proved across the 2023/24 term that he can produce almighty hauls across both goalscoring and creative metrics to drive his team toward success.

With an athletic style, improvements across the past two years under Howe’s coaching, and indeed a desire to return to Merseyside having been released from Liverpool’s academy aged 11, boyhood Red Gordon would be a credit to Liverpool’s team.

For now, we will have to wait and see what happens with Diaz, but if Saudi suitors pay the big bucks for Liverpool’s experienced star, who better to bring into the fold, giving Salah a new partner to work with, than the Prem-proven Gordon?

Outscored Isak & Ekitike: Liverpool open talks to sign "monster" new Suarez

Liverpool are looking to sign a new striker this summer.

2

By
Angus Sinclair

Jun 10, 2025

The exploits of the eight Indian players at the Women’s Big Bash League this week

Annesha Ghosh29-Oct-20211:39

Sophie Molineux: ‘To have Harmanpreet Kaur standing at mid-off is pretty handy’

Jemimah Rodrigues
A new week brought two new opening partners and a maiden WBBL fifty for Melbourne Renegades opener Rodrigues, who smashed a scintillating 75 not out, the third-highest score of the season, to sink Sydney Thunder. Having made 33, 14, and 13 in her three previous appearances, Rodrigues reached her half-century in 37 balls, adding 84 for the opening stand with Josephine Dooley. Shuffling across her crease, sweeping with ease, and often making room to free her arms, Rodrigues struck nine fours in her 56-ball knock, propelling Renegades to a winning total of 142 in a fixture that saw four Indians locked in a battle of one-upmanship.Related

• Indians at the WBBL: Shafali Verma blows hot and cold, and Poonam Yadav rediscovers her mojo

Harmanpreet Kaur
A batter historically susceptible to lbw owing to the iffy nature of her front-foot defense, Renegades’ in-form No. 4, Harmanpreet, was trapped in front in a copybook dismissal, having added just three in a 14-run stand with Rodrigues against Thunder. Failure with the bat, however, didn’t deter the allrounder from making an impact on the game, for she knocked the wind out of Thunder’s innings by bowling set batter Smriti Mandhana in a critical phase of their chase and also helped effect the run-out of the middle-order batter Anika Learoyd.That Renegades had won their previous game was also down to Harmanpreet’s all-round brilliance. Her 4-0-17-2 against Sydney Sixers included the wickets of Ashleigh Gardner and Alyssa Healy. She was involved in the dismissal of Shafali Verma as well. And when it was her turn to bat, she capitalised on a lifeline received when she was 20 and pummeled back-to-back sixes in the 17th over to seal Renegades’ 119 chase.Player of the Match Harmanpreet Kaur has a light moment with her India team-mates Radha Yadav (L) and Jemimah Rodrigues (R)•Sarah Reed/Getty ImagesSmriti Mandhana
Three single-digit scores preceded a maiden half-century in Thunder colours for Mandhana even as the defending champions remained winless after five matches this season. Early dismissals to pace meant the opener had to depart for 9 and 3 in chases against Perth Scorchers and Melbourne Stars, before a change of personal fortunes came about, in Thunder’s quest of 143 against Renegades. Though her 44-ball 64 featured an array of trademark lofted shots and a deceptively effortless assortment of pulls, it wasn’t quite enough as her team fell short by nine runs.Deepti SharmaThunder shunted Deepti between Nos. 5 and 8, and she responded with a run-a-ball 20 against Scorchers, 44 not-out off 48 against Stars (a personal best at WBBL), and an unbeaten 10-ball 23 against Renegades. In all three innings, Deepti was either the side’s top-scorer or second most successful batter, but in the absence of sustained support at the other end, her efforts often went in vain. With the ball, the offspin-bowling allrounder picked up two wickets in her three outings this week.Richa Ghosh top-scored for Hobart Hurricanes•Getty ImagesRicha GhoshSlotted below her designated position throughout the opening week, Hurricanes batter Ghosh made 4 and 24 not out at No. 5 and 22 at No. 6. The highest of those scores came in a chase of 145 against Stars. Four fours, including the match-sealing one, underpinned her 16-ball innings. With 119 runs in six innings at an average of 23.80, she holds the eighth position on the highest run-scorers list, three places below Rodrigues.Ghosh also had her first brush with the gloves in the WBBL this week, stepping in for the injured Rachel Priest one over into Heat’s chase, and picking up a smart, low catch to dismiss opener Georgia Redmayne.Poonam Yadav
The wristspinner remained wicketless in her two outings this week. In the rain-curtailed 11-overs-a-side contest against Adelaide Strikers, she leaked 19 off just two overs, 13 of which were plundered by Dane van Niekerk alone. Two days later, Poonam, operating in two spells outside the powerplay, kept the leash on the Hurricanes with 11 dots in 3.4 overs that cost only 16. But the final two deliveries of her spell sullied her figures a touch as Ruth Johnston carted her for a six and a four.Radha Yadav
In Sixers’ only completed game of the week, against Renegades, Radha could have forced the opposition into a tough spot even in a chase of 119 if Healy had not botched a stumping. Harmanpreet, the eventual match-winner, was enticed out of her crease by a flighted delivery in the 16th over but the wicketkeeper failed to collect it cleanly. One ball later, Radha took a return catch to dismiss Courtney Webb and finished with 1 for 12 off two overs. She also helped effect the run out of Rodrigues with a throw from the deep.Shafali Verma
Sixers opener Shafali stumbled to a second straight duck in the WBBL as her oscillation between two extremes continued this week. Her scores so far in the tournament: 0, 0, 57 and 8.

The wheels are in danger of coming off for Chelsea this season, if they haven’t already.

Enzo Maresca’s side have looked a shadow of the team that demolished Barcelona over the last week or so.

First, they lost to Leeds United, then drew with Bournemouth, and then, to make matters even worse, they threw away a one-nil lead and lost to Atalanta on Tuesday night in the Champions League.

It’s a run of form that should see the board reflect on who is and isn’t good enough to represent Chelsea, and there is one player who has been even worse than the underwhelming Jamie Gittens and therefore shouldn’t play another minute this season.

Chelsea's poor performers vs Atalanta

Unfortunately for Maresca, although he bears a great deal of responsibility for the loss, more than a handful of Chelsea players were seriously poor against Atalanta on Tuesday night.

Chalkboard

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

Gittens, for example, once again put in a performance that should seriously worry fans as he was utterly ineffective against the 12th-placed Serie A side.

Somehow, the former Borussia Dortmund gem remained on the pitch for the full 94 minutes, despite doing nothing of any note on or off the ball.

For example, he registered a combined expected goal and assists figure of just 0.26, lost seven of his ten duels, failed to take a single shot on target and played just a single key pass.

To say it was an underwhelming showing from the Englishman would be an understatement, and therefore the 5/10 match rating he received from the Standard’s Dom Smith was more than justified.

The journalist gave Benoit Badiashile the same rating, and it’s hard to disagree.

Sure, the French centre-back made a few good interceptions and tackles in the first half, but he was partly responsible for Charles De Ketelaere’s winner, as he kept backing off from the Belgian before he shot.

It was also a really disappointing night for Enzo Fernández.

The World Cup winner has been crucial for the Blues at times this season, and a source of goals from the middle of the park.

However, against the Bergamo outfit, he was hugely frustrating, as while he did get into dangerous positions on more than one occasion, he either fluffed his lines or made the wrong decision.

Now, there is an argument that all three of these players should be dropped for this weekend’s game, but there is another player in the squad, someone who’s been worse than Gittens, who should probably never play for the club again.

The Chelsea flop who cannot play another minute for Maresca

While there are a few Chelsea players who need to be sold in the upcoming transfer window, the first one out the door should be Tosin Adarabioyo.

Now, it should be said that he was far from the worst player on the pitch on Tuesday night, but he still managed to disappoint in the 18 minutes he spent on the pitch.

For example, he lost 100% of his ground duels, committed a foul, lost the ball four times and didn’t even make a tackle, despite the hosts pushing more in the closing minutes.

However, the defeat to Atalanta is not the sole reason the 28-year-old should no longer be getting any minutes for the team, as he has cost the side on multiple occasions this season.

The most recent example of this came in the game against Leeds United.

It was at Elland Road that, under very little pressure, he lost the ball in the Blues’ penalty area, which led directly to the hosts scoring, and content creator Tom Overend calling him “utterly embarrassing.”

Moreover, the statistics from his season overall do not make for pleasant reading.

In the four Champions League appearances he’s made this season, the former Fulham star has averaged just one point per game and conceded eight goals.

Then, in the Premier League, he has averaged just 1.78 points per game across nine appearances, five of which have been starts.

Finally, FBref have ranked him in just the top 38% of centre-backs in the league for tackles won per 90, but the top 13% for tackles attempted, meaning he simply isn’t winning enough of them.

Ultimately, Gittens has been disappointing this season, but he’s still young and could come good.

However, Tosin is an experienced defender who has directly cost Chelsea points and, given he was signed for free, should be sold as soon as possible.

Watch out Delap: Chelsea set sights on "one of Europe's most in-form CFs"

The free-scoring forward could spell the end of Liam Delap at Chelsea.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

2 days ago

AC Milan and Juventus legend Andrea Pirlo will mark his return to football management with a stint at second-tier Emirati club Dubai United.

• Pirlo set to return to management
• Has been appointed head coach of Dubai United
• Aims to guide club to UAE Pro League promotion

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Pirlo is set to mark his return to football management less than 11 months after his last job. The legendary midfielder has been announced as the new head coach of UAE's second-tier side United FC, more commonly known as Dubai United. In his last job, he was the coach of Serie B side Sampdoria from July 2023 to August 2024.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The Italian manager will be tasked with guiding the Emirati outfit to promotion to the top flight, UAE Pro League, which has been the club's goal since its foundation in 2022. Pirlo will try to put aside the disappointment of his time at Sampdoria, which ended on 29 August 2024 due to his dismissal following the Blucerchiati's poor start to the league season.

  Two years ago, his stay in Turkey at the helm of Fatih Karagumruk ended prematurely with the termination of his contract three games before the end of the Super Lig. His first-ever job was with Juventus in the 2020-21 season.

• WHAT HAS BEEN SAID

  "United FC is delighted to officially announce the appointment of Andrea Pirlo as the new head coach of the first team," a press release from the club read.

  "We are proud to welcome Andrea to the United FC family. He embodies the values and ambitions of our club, and we believe he will be a key figure in taking us to the next level," president Ilie Cebanu stated.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR ANDREA PIRLO?

  Pirlo is already in Dubai where, in the coming days, he will begin preparations for the new season with the team. The UAE First Division League kicks off on September 19, with Dubai United playing away against Al Thaid the following day.

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