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Brooklyn Beckham has broken his silence on the feud that has supposedly ripped an iconic sporting family apart. The eldest child of Manchester United legend David and former Spice Girls popstar Victoria has seemingly severed ties with his mother, father and siblings. Brooklyn was a notable absentee when his ex-England captain dad celebrated turning 50 in May 2025.

Getty Images EntertainmentAre Brooklyn & David Beckham on speaking terms?

Booklyn formed no part of the lavish parties thrown by David Beckham, who is now working with eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi as a co-owner of MLS side Inter Miami. His brothers Romeo and Cruz were involved, along with sister Harper. Questions were being asked before that point of whether all is well in the Beckham family unit. It is claimed that Brooklyn is no longer on speaking terms with his famous parents.

There have also been reports to suggest that he has blocked his brothers on social media, meaning that no communication takes place there either. Brooklyn did wish a happy birthday to Harper when seeing her turn 14 in July. His wife, Nicola Peltz, also passed on a message. The American actress has found herself at the centre of much of the Beckham feud rumour and gossip. Brooklyn and Nicola recently renewed their wedding vows without inviting David, Victoria and Co to that ceremony.

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Brooklyn is focused on his own life for now, with the 24-year-old forming part of the pre-Ryder Cup activities in New York – ahead of that epic golfing showdown between Team USA and Team Europe taking place at the iconic and notoriously difficult to navigate Bethpage Black course. Beckham lined up for an A-list European side against American opposition in a celebrity event.

Brooklyn was inevitably quizzed on the apparent breakdown in his relationship with David, Victoria, Romeo and Cruz, but was quick to shrug off that probing and play down the intense speculation that he continues to generate. He told the : “There's always going to be people saying negative things but I have a very supportive wife. Me and her, we just do our thing, we just keep our heads down and work. And we're happy.”

Brooklyn went on to say, while pointing out that he “never” worries what people outside of his close circle of friends have to say in the global media and online: “Everyone is always going to say rubbish. I just try and do this, play some golf with some friends. It's good fun.”

GettyBeckham taunted by fans at 2025 Ryder Cup event

Brooklyn and his family were last pictured together on Boxing Day 2024. He does not appear to have rubbed shoulders with them since, instead choosing to focus on his own work and lifestyle commitments.

He paired up with former NBA star Toni Kukoc at the Ryder Cup event, as they faced off against comedian Colin Jost and Super Bowl-winning ex-New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning. Unsurprisingly, Beckham found himself becoming an easy target for those in the crowd – not that he has any issue with that.

He said of attracting taunts on the tee box and fairways: “I feel like they didn't like me at all – but it was amazing. They gave me a bit of rubbish but I kind of expected it – being in New York, going against Eli… they were just laughing. But it is what it is, I was having fun out there. I did the best I could. It was honestly just really fun. Honestly, it was really nerve-wracking… but it was such a cool experience – I couldn't say no. It was amazing.”

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What does Brooklyn Beckham do for a living?

Brooklyn said he is now planning to head back to Los Angeles, rather than hang around on the east coast, with his wife being left at home in California with their four dogs. He also stated that he needs to “get back to work”.

Beckham worked as a model and a photographer before building a hot sauce brand called Cloud 23. That number offers a nod towards the shirt that his father wore when representing Real Madrid and first moving to the United States and joining the LA Galaxy.

Deepti Sharma turned in a superb all-round performance to help India seal the ODI series 3-0 in Vadodara. She first took 6 for 31 as West Indies folded for 162. Then with India in choppy waters, Deepti provided a calming influence with an unbeaten 39 to the team home by five wickets.While Deepti dug in for the hard grind, aided with luck when she was dropped by Hayley Matthews at slip on 21, Richa Ghosh lent the finishing touches. Having walked in to bat with India 129 for 5, Ghosh allayed fears of a collapse by hitting one four and three sixes in her brisk 11-ball 23. This included back-to-back sixes off legspinner Afy Fletcher to see off India’s chase.Under leaden skies, and on a surface that got progressively tougher to bat on with the odd ball keeping low and turning big, West Indies were left to rue another poor batting performance. Barring Chinelle Henry and Shemaine Campbelle, who put together 91 for the fourth wicket, there was little else of note from the batting unit.The collapse began in the very first over when Renuka Singh removed Qiana Joseph, with a faint tickle down leg, and the in-form Matthews with a superb in-ducker four balls later. When Deandra Dottin was bowled attempting a hack into the leg side to Renuka, the visitors were 9 for 3 in the fifth over. Renuka with finish with a four-for eventually, coming back later to clean up the lower order amid the Deepti show.Under the shadow of a collapse, Henry, playing her first ODI of the series, rebuilt the innings. She struggled to get bat to ball early on, pottering to 3 off 17. Then from nowhere, she brought out a release shot for six off debutant left-arm spinner Tanuja Kanwar to get going.Renuka Singh picked up four wickets•BCCI

During the course of her third half-century, Henry played some neat little cuts and glides. At the other end, Campbelle showed positivity against spin. She took the attack early to legspinner Priya Mishra, hitting her for three boundaries in her second over. After using her feet to launch into two stunning drives – one down the ground and the other through cover – she rocked back to pull Mishra for a third as she dropped short.This 91-run stand for the fourth wicket appeared to have revived the visitors as much as it frustrated India. This is when Deepti came into the game and made a telling contribution.Campbell was consumed by a rush of blood as she was lulled into the big shot by Deepti, only for Pratika Rawal to take a comfortable catch at long-on. In the following over, Zaida James was caught superbly at slip by Harmanpreet as Deepti had her driving from the rough.It could’ve been a triple-strike for India but for Renuka dropping the simplest of return catches via a leading edge to reprieve Aaliya Alleyne on 0. Alleyne would make only 21, though, falling to a tame chip to short midwicket. Alleyne’s wicket came hot on the heels of Henry’s dismissal for a third ODI half-century when she was out bowled by a straighter one. West Indies went on to lose their last 5 wickets for 21.India’s reply began in nervous fashion as they lost Smriti Mandhana and Harleen Deol early in the power play against the moving ball. Pratika Rawal too missed out on a great opportunity to build on a solid foundation from her first two ODIs when she holed out to mid-on in an attempt to hit out against Matthews’ offspin.India captain Harmanpreet then picked the pieces up and put together a fantastic exhibition of cover driving. Having begun with two fours off her first five deliveries, she went on to pierce a packed off-side ring to hit Dottin for three fours in the ninth over to quickly take to 23 off 13.Harmanpreet looked in rip-roaring form when she played back to be bowled by a skidder from Afy Fletcher. The wicket briefly galvanised the visitors, but India weren’t to be denied as Deepti, Jemimah Rodrigues and Ghosh all played neat hands to see them home.

Kylian Mbappe delivered once again for France, scoring high praises from coach Didier Deschamps after as Les Bleus beat Iceland 2-1 on Tuesday.

Mbappe scores penalty and provides assistDeschamps praises captain’s effort and mindsetFrance stay top with perfect Group D startFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

French hero Mbappe once again delivered when it mattered most as France edged Iceland 2-1 in a tense World Cup 2026 qualifier. The Madrid forward equalised from the penalty spot late in the first half, a strike that lifted him to second on France’s all-time scoring list, behind only Olivier Giroud. He then turned provider, setting up Bradley Barcola for the decisive goal just past the hour mark.

Iceland, however, made France sweat in the match on Tuesday, Andri Lucas Gudjohnsen capitalised on a sloppy back pass from Michael Olise to put the visitors in front after 17 minutes, before later believing he had snatched a dramatic equaliser in the closing stages. His finish was chalked off after VAR spotted a shirt pull on Ibrahima Konate, sparing France’s blushes.

The hosts also had to survive the final 20 minutes with 10 men after Aurelien Tchouameni’s red card, but Didier Deschamps’ men held firm to claim three points. The result leaves France top of Group D with six points from two matches, three clear of Iceland, as their perfect start to qualifying continues.

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This was a performance that highlighted France’s dependence on Mbappe’s brilliance. Missing attacking options like Ousmane Dembele and Desire Doue due to injury, France struggled at times to break down a disciplined Iceland side. Yet Mbappe’s ability to not only score but also create ensured Deschamps’ team maintained control of their qualifying campaign.

France’s unbeaten home record in World Cup qualifiers now stretches to over three decades, with Spain the only nation to have defeated them in that span. The reliance on Mbappe, however, remains striking, his involvement in both goals underscoring his role as captain and talisman, which was also highlighted by the national team's coach. 

WHAT DESCHAMPS SAID

Speaking after the match, Deschamps was effusive in his praise for his captain: "He's in a good mood. He's got the legs, he's putting in a lot of effort and coming up with a lot of solutions. He's effective because he scored in both matches.. He's the leader. He's selfless, he's comfortable in the game, he has freedom, he can drop back and he has a good understanding with Michael [Olise]."

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AFPWHAT NEXT FOR FRANCE?

France’s focus now shifts to their next round of qualifiers, starting with a home fixture against Azerbaijan on October 10 before a tricky away trip to Iceland three days later. With six points already secured, another positive international window could all but cement their control over Group D. For Deschamps, the challenge will be managing squad depth as injuries continue to disrupt his options.

Tottenham Hotspur have completed a shrewd signing indeed with Bayern Munich’s Joao Palhinha, who joins Thomas Frank’s side on a season-long loan deal with a buy option inserted for £26m.

He joins Mohammed Kudus down at N17, and it’s starting to feel like the new era is shaping up, even with skipper Heung-min Son leaving for LAFC in a deal worth £20m.

33-year-old Son’s departure was anticipated, but the loss of James Maddison to a knee injury in pre-season was not part of the script, and Frank is now forced to contend with the absence of one of Spurs’ most important creative forces for a long stretch of the impending campaign.

Spurs considering James Maddison replacements

Tottenham’s fruitless bid to sign Nottingham Forest’s Morgan Gibbs-White last month emphasises Frank’s desire to shore up his Tottenham midfield with a new playmaker.

That need has only been aggravated by Maddison’s agonising setback, having endured such torrid luck on the injury front since leaving Leicester City and joining Tottenham for £40m in 2023.

Expect the Lilywhites to take action, moving for a midfielder who could add some creativity and flair.

And the man potentially arriving might be Manchester City’s Jack Grealish, with Sports Mole revealing that an immediate enquiry was posted to the Etihad Stadium following Maddison’s injury. Antonio Conte’s Napoli are also in the race, although the report suggests that the Serie A side are ‘no longer frontrunners’.

Grealish is expected to leave Man City this summer after falling out of favour, and he’s previously been transfer-listed at £40m, some way below the then British-record £100m fee the Citizens paid Aston Villa for his services in 2021.

Why Spurs should sign Jack Grealish

On a personal level, Grealish has fallen by the wayside at Manchester City.

But the Three Lions man remains a “magician” of a player, as he has been called by former Premier League star Ashley Cole, and he might even prove to be an upgrade on Maddison, should he rediscover his finest form away from City.

Grealish has won the gamut in sky blue, but he’s only scored 17 goals and laid on 23 assists across 157 matches for the club. Never billed as a prolific wide player, he has still struggled for purchase too often in recent years, limited to just 17 Premier League starts across that period.

The 2024/25 campaign was hardly one of success for either midfielder on an individual basis, but Maddison thrived during his debut year with Tottenham (albeit he was still blighted by injuries), while Grealish operated at an absurd level with Villa, attracting City’s attention.

Matches (starts)

26 (24)

28 (26)

Goals

6

4

Assists

10

9

Shots (on target)*

1.9 (0.7)

2.1 (0.8)

Big chances missed

4

4

Pass completion

83%

87%

Big chances created

14

11

Key passes*

3.2

2.4

Dribbles*

2.5

1.1

Tackles + interceptions*

1.7

1.7

Total duels (won)*

8.9 (61%)

5.1 (57%)

There are some intriguing similarities between the Englishmen, but, as you can see above, Grealish is capable of more impressive and complete displays when on his A-game.

Even though Grealish has endured some difficulties in Pep Guardiola’s squad over the past couple of years, he remains a hardy and fleet-footed player. A maverick, he’s unplayable when at his best.

As per FBref, the 29-year-old ranked among the top 1% of positional peers in the Premier League last season for progressive carries, the top 2% for shot-creating actions, the top 3% for pass completion and the top 5% for progressive passes per 90, highlighting his deep-seated elite quality.

Frank could rekindle his fire and allow him to bounce back toward that once remarkable level. Tottenham, for sure, could hit the jackpot by signing Grealish for a cut-price fee.

Tom Haines and James Coles both scored centuries as Sussex clinched the second division title on a day of celebrations at Hove.Haines made 105 – his third hundred of the season – and Coles hit an unbeaten 132 as Sussex finished the season undefeated at the 1st Central County Ground after drawing with Middlesex.They began the final day on 112 for two, needing to reach 250 and a fourth bonus point to ensure promotion as champions.There was a slight sense of anti-climax shortly after lunch when Luke Hollman overstepped and the two no-balls took Sussex to 250, but the celebrations out in the middle, where Coles and skipper John Simpson embraced warmly, and on the pavilion balcony showed what it meant as Sussex returned to Division One after a nine-year absence.Sussex finished 20 points clear of Yorkshire, having won eight of their 14 games.There had still been a bit of work to do at the start before the celebrations could begin and Haines and Tom Alsop settled any nerves by putting on 123 in 35 overs for the third wicket with few alarms. Alsop passed fifty for the eighth time this season and must have fancied his chances of converting it into a first hundred, only to mistime a pull off Josh De Caires to deep midwicket.Haines reached a chanceless hundred – the 12th of his career – with a cut through backward point off Hollman for his 13th boundary only to fall just before lunch when he bottom-edged into his stumps to reward Hollman’s perseverance.Once Sussex had achieved their objective the cricket not surprisingly lost any intensity. Ryan Higgins bowled off breaks instead of his usual medium-fast seamers, Luis du Plooy gave his left-arm tweakers an airing as Middlesex employed nine bowlers including Mark Stoneman, who sent down seven overs in his final game for the county, and wicketkeeper Jack Davies.Not that Coles or Simpson were complaining too much as they built a fifth-wicket stand of 226 in 46 overs, beating the previous best against Middlesex set of 223 by Simpson and Cheteshwar Pujara when the teams drew at Lord’s earlier in the season.Coles played aggressively, hitting six sixes and nine boundaries, clipping Hollman into the leg side to bring up his first hundred of the season. His unbeaten 132 came from just 150 balls while Simpson took his aggregate to 1197 runs at 74.81 with an undefeated 87.It was fitting that Simpson, whose five centuries as well as his leadership has been so crucial to Sussex’s success, was there when the players shook hands at 4.20pm with Sussex on 459 for 4.A few minutes later the celebrations could begin in earnest when the trophy was presented to him by another former Sussex captain Clare Connor, the managing director of England Womens Cricket.

Newcastle United will play Champions League football once again next season, but Eddie Howe will certainly know that first-team signings are needed if his side are to make headway after an extraordinary year.

Top five was secured, as was the Carabao Cup trophy after an incredible performance against Liverpool, who so dominantly won the Premier League.

Somehow, Howe achieved the feats with limited attacking options, but he’s seeking to rectify that in the summer transfer market.

Newcastle looking at Elanga alternative

Indeed, despite a slow start, The Athletic’s David Ornstein has revealed on Wednesday that the Magpies have seen a £45m offer rejected for Nottingham Forest’s Anthony Elanga.

The Tricky Trees have no intention of selling, and while Antoine Semenyo of Bournemouth and West Ham United’s Mohammed Kudus have been also discussed, there’s another winger on British shores who could move to Tyneside this summer.

As per Football Insider, Celtic are determined to keep Nicolas Kuhn beyond the summer transfer window, although it’s anticipated that Newcastle and German club RB Leipzig will push to swipe his signature.

Brendan Rodgers considers the 25-year-old one of his most valuable players, but offers in and around £20m would likely be accepted by the Scottish champions.

Given the amount of money offered to Forest for Elanga, this might prove an incredibly shrewd piece of business for a Newcastle side boasting the fluent tactical conditions for such a player to flourish.

What Nicolas Kuhn could bring to Newcastle

Kuhn, who played for Ajax and Bayern Munich in his youth, joined Celtic from Rapid Vienna for just £3m in January 2024, and his stock has since risen considerably.

With 42 goal involvements from 68 matches across all competitions, the German winger hasn’t done too badly, even hailed for his “breathtaking” technical quality by Marvin Bartley.

With such sharp pace and dribbling skills, Kuhn fits the bill from a tactical perspective, with Howe questing for such a profile to add competition for the industrious Jacob Murphy on the right flank.

As you can see below, the Celtic star definitely boasts faculties that rival those of Elanga, albeit having performed his duties at a level of lower quality in the Scottish Premiership.

League Stats 24/25 – Nicolas Kuhn vs Anthony Elanga

Stats (* per game)

Kuhn

Elanga

Matches (starts)

32 (24)

38 (31)

Goals

13

6

Assists

9

11

Shots (on target)*

1.9 (0.8)

1.2 (0.6)

Big chances missed

9

6

Pass completion

77%

78%

Big chances created

11

9

Key passes*

1.6

1.3

Dribbles*

1.8

0.7

Tackles*

1.2

0.5

Duels won*

3.5

3.0

Stats via Sofascore

But even so, the winger takes things in his stride and likes to be in the thick of the action, making things happen. Moreover, his tenacious approach has led to impressive defensive metrics, always chipping in with tackles and duels.

He also carries the ball forward with regularity, although it must be said that Elanga’s low average in that regard is largely due to the pragmatic nature of Nuno Espirito Santo’s tactics.

Ultimately, Newcastle could find that they could sign a dynamic forward in Kuhn who is capable of special things, and for a portion of the price that Elanga would be available for.

Given the underlying strengths that point in the Hoops man’s favour, it might not turn out to be a bad thing for a Newcastle side in need of reinforcements across a wealth of positions.

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Posts 1 ByRoss Kilvington Jun 23, 2025

Championship challengers keep the deficit to 12 points ahead of crucial meeting next week

ECB Reporters Network26-Jun-2024Essex 339 (Walter 134, Critchley 53, Potts 4-71) and 208 for 2 (Elgar 120*, Westley 63*) drew with Durham 587 and 184 for 8 dec (Borthwick 71, Harmer 4-75, Porter 3-18)Dean Elgar reaped his 50th first-class century as he and Tom Westley dropped anchor to secure a draw against Durham in the Vitality County Championship.Former South Africa international Elgar batted the whole of day four, almost exclusively with Westley, to make sure Durham didn’t have a sniff of victory.He ended up with 120 after an epically stoic 165 runs, 421 balls and 276 minutes third wicket stand with Westley – who scored 63 not out.Essex are now 12 points behind leaders Surrey ahead of their meeting next week, while Durham remain in the chasing pack having collected 16 points from a match they led throughout.The hosts needed 405 runs to win on the final day, a tough but not impossible task, but made no attempt to secure a fifth victory of the season.The rationale made sense with a draw meaning Essex would fall 12 points behind table-toppers Surrey – but victory at the Kia Oval next week would likely even things back up.Durham’s initial aim had been to see off the night watcher Jamie Porter.They managed to do that in the fifth over as the day when Matthew Potts beat his fellow fast bowler for pace and crashed into his off stump.From then on, Elgar and Westley got their tents and airbeds out to camp out for the day – as Durham couldn’t extract anything from the pitch to aide a wicket.Westley took 19 balls to get off the mark, and when he did, he also ended a 27-ball spell barren of runs.The lack of opportunity or entertainment seemed to get to the Durham team who took to slow clapping the bowler, in a similar manner to a long jumper preparing to leap.Members of the crowd did not take kindly to the jesting and things got testy when a shout of “no ball” went up as Ben Raine was halfway through his run-up. The incident prompted the umpires to chat to Durham captain Scott Borthwick, while angry comments were volleyed between spectators and fielders.Elgar and Westley were unfazed by the shenanigans as they reached lunch with just 54 runs scored in the morning session.Things didn’t change afterwards, but milestones began to appear. The fifty stand came in 168 balls, Elgar reached a half-century in 96 deliveries and the century partnership in 247 balls.As close as Durham came to a wicket was when Elgar tried to clip Borthwick into the leg side but the ball struck Michael Jones at short leg and ballooned up for Ollie Robinson to pouch. But the umpires, and subsequent replays, made it clear it had been a bump ball.It was one of only three appeals against Elgar, with the other two hopeful lbw shouts at best, with technique and temperament coming to the fore.His maiden first-class century had been scored in Bloemfontein for Free State against Limpopo in 2007 as a 19-year-old.Now 37, Elgar has a half-century of them to help Eagles, South Africa A, Knights, Somerset, Titans, Surrey and Northerns, although his most prized will be the 14 Test tons he plundered before retiring from international cricket last winter.This one came up in 170 balls with a pronounced tickle around the corner before he lifted his helmet, clapped the balcony, and earned a hug off Westley.A mere 85 runs came in the afternoon session, and once Westley had reached an 86th first-class fifty in 198 balls – and 17:00 BST had been reached the hands were shaken on a draw.To sum up Elgar and Westley’s solidity, exactly 400 dot balls had been delivered in Essex’s second innings.

Glasgow Rangers have enjoyed the services of several loan players over the years, with the majority being overwhelmingly successful.

Ryan Kent spent the 2018/19 campaign at Ibrox on loan from Liverpool under the watch of Steven Gerrard, and he was excellent at times.

The English forward excited the Ibrox support with his quality at the top end of the pitch, as the forward registered 15 goal contributions – six goals and nine assists.

A few years later, Malik Tillman used his spell at Rangers to seal a move to PSV Eindhoven. The youngster may have struggled at times with the physicality in Scotland, but that didn’t stop him scoring 12 goals and grabbing five assists at Ibrox.

This theme continued last term when Abdallah Sima, on loan from Brighton, showcased his abilities on the left wing regularly for the Light Blues during his temporary spell, with 16 goals in all competitions.

Vaclav Cerny was the annual loan signing last summer, and he produced better numbers than all of those who preceded him at the club, that’s for sure.

Vaclav Cerny has been one of Rangers’ best signings this season

Philippe Clement secured the services of the winger on loan from Wolfsburg last summer, and it looked like a shrewd move.

He scored five times for the German side in just 25 appearances last term and even netted against Celtic back during his days at Ajax. It may have taken a few weeks for him to get out of second gear, but when he did, the Ibrox faithful were in for a treat.

Indeed, across his 51 matches for Rangers, the Czech forward has scored 18 goals and registered nine assists across all competitions.

Comparing Cerny with other Rangers’ loan signings in the Premiership

Metric

Cerny

Tillman

Sima

Goals

12

10

11

Assists

4

4

2

Big chances created

7

12

2

Key passes per game

2.4

1.6

0.8

Successful dribbles per game

1.5

1.5

1.2

Shots per game

2.9

1.7

2.9

Stats via Sofascore

Wonderful numbers, yet it looks as though he will return to his parent club when the season finishes, as it is unlikely Rangers can afford him.

In the January transfer window, Wolfsburg claimed that they would be expecting to recoup the majority of the £8m that they had paid for him should the Gers seek a permanent move.

Even with the 49ers Enterprises closing in on their takeover, a move to sign the winger this summer looks unlikely, especially as a new manager has yet to be appointed.

Rumours are circling that Davide Ancelotti – Carlo’s son – is the frontrunner to take charge at Ibrox ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.

Despite the lack of a full-time manager, the club are still looking ahead to the transfer window as they seek to strengthen.

Why Rangers could get bargain deal for League One winger

Rangers are in the market for several attacking players this summer, which has seen them turn to League One in England for potential signings.

Peterborough United winger Kwame Poku has been on the radar since late last year as the club plan ahead for the future.

His contract is set to expire at the end of the campaign, which opens the door for Rangers. Birmingham City are also keen, but the Scottish club have the advantage as they will only have to pay the cross-border compensation fee and this doesn’t apply to English sides.

“Celtic and Rangers have been at most of our games this season, but I don’t believe Kwame will go to Scotland.” Said Barry Fry recently, and it will be interesting to see what happens over the next few weeks.

Much will depend on just who takes over as the new manager of the Gers, but if it is Ancelotti, then Poku may prove to be a solid signing who could make the club forget about Cerny once his loan is over.

Why Kwame Poku can shine under Davide Ancelotti

Carlo Ancelotti may have won everything there has to be won in the game, especially during his time with Real Madrid, but Davide has played a huge role tactically in his second spell at the club.

Judging by the way Madrid have set up, Ancelotti would likely utilise a 4-2-3-1 or a 4-4-3 system, which could work well with those in the squad.

He would certainly start his teams on the foot, enabling the starting XI to attack high up the pitch. Working under his dad, however, will ensure he can be flexible with his playing style, depending on who the opponent is.

An attacking philosophy could suit someone like Poku, who thrives when his team are attacking in the final third.

This season, the Ghana winger has scored 12 goals and contributed 11 assists across just 31 matches for the Posh. Of course, it may be League One, but it still proves how effective he is in the final third, whether it is scoring or generating chances for his teammates, and shows that he could deliver as much as Cerny at Ibrox.

His manager at the Posh has lauded Poku previously for his starring role in their 2024/25 campaign, saying: “The boy is unplayable at the moment, he’s just so good. He deserves all the plaudits and all the credit.”

It looks as though he is now ready to leave the club and a move to Rangers could be perfect as he seeks to take the next step in his development.

Not only will he challenge for domestic trophies, but Poku will get the chance to play in Europe for the first time.

Across 27 games in the English third tier, Poku has averaged 2.4 shots per game, along with recording a goal conversion percentage of 19%, created nine big chances and averages 1.2 key passes per match for his club.

These are impressive statistics regardless of the league he is playing in, and Poku could be an excellent option for Ancelotti to call upon next season, should he become the new manager.

The next few weeks are extremely important for the club. If Ancelotti is the man set to take charge, he will have to be backed significantly.

While he hasn’t managed before, his ability to think on his feet and help power Madrid to plenty of titles has drawn plaudits. Could he do the same at Rangers?

Only time will tell.

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Posts ByBen Gray May 16, 2025

After earning promotion back to the Championship at the first time of asking, Birmingham City reportedly mean business ahead of what will be a crucial summer transfer window.

Birmingham emphatically return to the Championship

When the Blues were in a position to spend as much as £20m to sign Jay Stansfield last summer, promotion became a must for all involved at St Andrew’s. And to their credit, promotion is exactly what came next. The Blues dominantly raced to the top of the tree, breaking the League One points record by reaching the 108 mark with one more game left to play.

Expressing his delight after breaking such a record, manager Chris Davies told reporters: “For all the people that thought it was going to be easy for Birmingham, you can never take away from this group of players what they’ve done.

“They’ve achieved history and I’ve said to them I don’t think that’ll ever be beaten. To beat Wolves’ record and get 105 points in a season is an incredible achievement. Full credit to everyone, players and staff for what they’ve done. They’ve given so much and they deserve to have an occasion like this.”

Wagner and Brady already in "talks" to sign EFL star for Birmingham City

They’re not alone, though.

1 ByCharlie Smith Apr 11, 2025

Now, with the Championship awaiting, Birmingham will be looking to take things to another level under the ownership of Tom Wagner, which could yet result in more than just survival next season.

The Birmingham chairman took the opportunity to promise those at St Andrew’s that this is just the start of the history created during his tenure, telling fans amid the Blues’ recent title celebrations: “I just want to say a big thank you to all of the supporters.

“We don’t forget that this is your club and it’s an honour to be a Blue. I promise you that this is not the best day that we will enjoy together. It’s not even close.”

Exciting Birmingham transfer plan emerges

According to Sky Sports’ Rob Dorsett, Birmingham are likely to be targeting similar players to Leicester City, Southampton and Ipswich Town this summer, despite only just earning promotion from League One.

It would be a major statement of intent to compete with the three relegated Premier League sides, but as they showed when they splashed out to sign Stansfield last summer, Birmingham certainly have the resources.

Just who arrives is the big question, as rumours begin to emerge. A move to St Andrew’s is no longer one which comes with the fear of relegation – it’s one which should come with excitement over a project that is still in its early days yet already proving to be a success, perhaps even following the tracks of Ipswich last term.

Alongside Wrexham, Birmingham could shake things up in the summer transfer window in the Championship. In previous campaigns, it’s been the relegated sides at the forefront of the big moves, but under rich ownerships, the two promoted teams are reportedly likely to go head-to-head with those at the very top of England’s second tier.

The Bangladesh bowlers have staged recoveries, picked up wickets, and won them games. But where are the batters?

Mohammad Isam17-Jun-20241:28

Tamim: ‘Bangladesh batters need to apply themselves better’

Once again, in the T20 World Cup 2024, Bangladesh’s bowlers stepped up when their batters went missing. They defended the lowest total in men’s T20 World Cup history by bowling out Nepal for 85 in Kingstown. Tanzim Hasan Sakib was the wrecker-in-chief with his astounding figures of 4-2-7-4, but it was overall a strong collective effort from the entire bowling unit.Tanzim’s whippy action, pace and hard lengths put Nepal on the back foot in the powerplay when he took four of the first five wickets. Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto took a risk in giving Tanzim a fourth consecutive over, but Bangladesh needed wickets at every stage of defending 106 runs. Tanzim struck on the very last ball of his fourth over by dismissing Sundeep Jora and vindicated Shanto’s decision. He bowled the most dot balls by a bowler in a men’s T20 World Cup game.Shanto could finish Tanzim early knowing that he had five other bowlers to rely on. Mustafizur Rahman was at his miserly best once again, especially in the death overs, finishing with 3 for 7. His wicket maiden in the 19th over was the first by any bowler at that stage of a chase at a T20 World Cup game.Related

• Tanzim's four, Mustafizur's three take Bangladesh into Super Eight

• Stats – Tanzim's dot-ball masterclass and the lowest total successfully defended at T20 World Cup

Adding Taskin Ahmed’s one wicket, the fast bowling trio finished with figures of 8 for 43 from their 12 overs. They are, till date, the second-best fast bowling attack in the tournament in terms of wickets taken, and the third-best when it comes to economy rate.The trio has picked up 23 wickets in four games, equaling the number of wickets they took in the 2016 and 2021 editions while playing at least seven matches. Bangladesh’s bowling has followed a strict formula. Shanto has used 12 overs from the fast bowlers generally, leaving Rishad Hossain, Shakib Al Hasan and Mahmudullah to share the other eight overs. This plan has kept them alive in this tournament right from the start.They engineered a recovery against Sri Lanka, who raced away to 100 for 3 in 14 overs, to restrict them to 124 in Dallas. They conceded runs at 4.58 against South Africa, exploiting New York’s conditions properly. They supported Rishad very well against Netherlands, particularly when Netherlands put them under pressure at one stage of their 160 chase.ESPNcricinfo LtdShanto said that even though they were bowled out for 106 against Nepal in their last league game, they knew that they had enough to put up a fight.”When we got together at the innings break, we collectively believed that we could defend this total,” Shanto said. “We knew winning was possible. The bowlers made our job easy. Tanzim gave us a good start in the powerplay. He bowled four wonderful overs on the trot. Mustafiz bowled a maiden in the 19th over. It was a very good performance. I also want to credit the fielders. They saved some important boundaries. Rishad took two catches at point. We bowled and fielded well overall.”Shanto further said that when they saw Nepal fast bowler Sompal Kami bowling so well in the Bangladesh powerplay, they got the idea that their quick bowlers too could exploit the conditions.”Their opening bowler (Kami) was seaming the ball, so that was an important bit of information for us,” Shanto said. “Our pacers are using the new ball quite well in the last two years. They kept my belief intact in this game. There was a lot of seam movement with the new ball. We saw a lot of spin in the last couple of matches. The pitch was very hard for the batters.”Despite being 26 for 5, Nepal fought back through a 52-run sixth-wicket stand between Kushal Malla and Dipendra Singh Airee. Shanto said that such was the Bangladesh score that they had little option but to try to bowl out Nepal. That’s why, he said, he finished Tanzim early, and still had a few overs of fast bowling left at the death.”I think those two batters (Airee and Malla) batted beautifully,” Shanto said. “We tried to take some more wickets. They put on some runs on the board. We still believed we could come back, and that’s what the bowlers did later on.”We didn’t score a lot of runs so I had to take a chance. Otherwise we wouldn’t have won this game. I expected my best bowlers to get me wickets while also bowling dot balls. Everything went to plan as the bowlers combined well. It was difficult but they are always ready to take that challenge.”He, however, conceded that the batters need to step up as Bangladesh head into the Super Eight stage, grouped with India, Australia and Afghanistan. Bangladesh’s top seven batters have the lowest collective batting average (16.96) among the teams that have qualified to the Super Eight.”It is not possible for the bowlers to win us games every day, but they have been doing it,” Shanto said. “I hope that they continue in this way. But the batters have the responsibility too. It is not happening for them. Everyone is trying to find out why. It is certainly not acceptable. It was possibly a 140-150 wicket, but we couldn’t get those runs. It is certainly worrying us.”It is clear that it is their bowlers who have bailed out Bangladesh in every game this tournament. Tanzim now has nine wickets, while Taskin, Mustafizur and Rishad have seven each. It is a Herculean effort if you consider that fast bowling and legspin are the most hated aspects of Bangladesh cricket in the last decade. There’s a lesson somewhere for the batters to learn from these bowlers about resilience and dedication.