It remains difficult to piece together just where the blame lies for Celtic’s current slump – is it the board, is it Brendan Rodgers, or is it a period of dismal recruitment?

Of course, it is likely a mixture of all of those factors, with the latter point particularly key. Indeed, of those signed amid Rodgers’ return in the summer of 2023, only Paulo Bernardo and Yang Hyun-jun remain part of the current first-team squad.

Far too many deals have backfired over the past two years, although that’s not to say that the departed coach is himself free of criticism, having not exactly got the best out of those at his disposal.

You only have to look at the case of Callum Osmand, a player largely ignored by the Northern Irishman, to see where Rodgers was misguided. While now cruelly struck down by injury, the Wales youth international was the hero at Hampden, before winning a penalty during his lively, albeit brief cameo at FC Midtjylland.

Although Rodgers’ return did see two further Premiership titles secured, prior to him walking away for the second time, the magic of his first spell in charge didn’t appear to be there.

The Hoops, hopefully, will be targeting a figure who can replicate that first version of the former Liverpool boss at Parkhead.

Celtic's ongoing manager search

A clear frontrunner has yet to truly emerge with regard to Celtic’s managerial vacancy, with a romantic return for Ange Postecoglou having been deemed ‘very unlikely’, despite the Greek-Aussie now out of work following his dismissal from Nottingham Forest.

Interim boss Martin O’Neill does remain an option to see out the season, alongside Shaun Maloney, although such a decision would likely be a last resort considering the 73-year-old last took on a top job back in 2019, following his own brief stint at the City Ground.

The nature and timing of Rodgers’ shock resignation has no doubt complicated matters, although with the international break now to come, it presents the perfect time to finally nail down a preferred pick.

Manager Focus

Who are the greatest coaches in the land? Football FanCast’s Manager Focus series aims to reveal all.

According to Football Insider, one of the current frontrunners is Ipswich Town boss, Kieran McKenna, with the 39-year-old deemed to be the “number-one target”, albeit with a potential obstacle likely to be his “big compensation package”.

As the report notes, it is believed that it would take a fee of around £5m to prise McKenna from Portman Road, with it yet to be seen whether the Glasgow side would be willing to fork out such a figure to get their man.

McKenna, for what it’s worth, did not wholly shut down talk of the move when quizzed on the speculation in recent weeks, having described Celtic as a “really big club”, amid suggestions that he is a rumoured Hoops supporter.

Why Celtic could be targeting the next Brendan Rodgers

An exciting young Northern Irish coach with a potential affinity to the Scottish champions – that certainly sounds familiar?

Yes, there are certainly real similarities between McKenna and his compatriot Rodgers, with Celtic no doubt hoping that the in-demand Ipswich coach can replicate the success that the latter man enjoyed following his first move to Parkhead in 2016.

While the ex-Swansea City, Liverpool, Watford and Reading boss had garnered far more experience at the time of his move north of the border, he had made the first major stride of his coaching career in the youth ranks at Chelsea, having been given the backing of Jose Mourinho at Stamford Bridge.

McKenna – who initially worked in the youth ranks at Tottenham Hotspur – was also something of a favourite of Mourinho at Manchester United, having eventually become an assistant to the Portuguese coach in 2018.

Like Rodgers, the rising star had seen his own playing career cut short by injury, with the pair seemingly following in Mourinho’s footsteps by trying to make up for that on-field disappointment by shining in the dugout – as McKenna himself has admitted:

While Rodgers first truly made a name for himself by steering Swansea into the Premier League, the 4-2-3-1 coach has enjoyed similar success in the EFL with his current club, having claimed back-to-back promotions in what is his first managerial role.

Days in charge

1419

Games

187

Wins

87

Draws

50

Losses

50

Points per game

1.66

Players used

81

Promotions

2

Relegations

1

Although the Tractor Boys’ stay in the top-flight was short-lived, that hasn’t stopped interest mounting in this “incredible” coach – as hailed by Ipswich’s Wes Burns – with former club Man United believed to have been considering him in the summer of 2024.

That would’ve been like Rodgers’ own Anfield switch, although perhaps McKenna can skip a step and head straight to Celtic instead, with the Glasgow outfit no doubt in need of an exciting, young and fresh voice to try and reinvigorate the current first-team crop.

For all the frustration over his decision to twice leave his post at Celtic Park, it’s worth remembering the glittering success that Rodgers has achieved when at the helm, namely overseeing that invincible domestic season in 2016/17.

With a raft of promising young talents, and with an attractive, front-foot style of play, the now 52-year-old was just what was needed to breathe new life into the club, amid the mixed stint of Ronny Deila.

Now, again, Celtic need to be revitalised. Can the next bright young manager, McKenna, be the man to do just that?

O'Neill upgrade: Mjallby tells Celtic which manager is "the perfect fit"

Former Celtic star Johan Mjällby has told the club which manager would be the perfect fit for the club.

ByDan Emery Nov 8, 2025

From a young girl who loved to bat, she’s transformed into a legspinner and is a key part of Gujarat Giants’ run into the playoff

Daya Sagar12-Mar-20254:30

Priya Mishra: I feel batters are not able to read my googly

In 2005, Sandeep Mishra came to Baljeet Nagar, a locality in West Delhi, from Allahabad (now Prayagraj). The neighbourhood was home to daily-wage labourers from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Back home, he was fed up with the unprofitable returns in farming and, having learnt the work of an electrician, had come to find some work in a big city.At the time, the expansion of Delhi’s metro network was on and the Delhi Metro Railway Corporation needed electricians, so Sandeep, a 30-year-old high-school dropout, found a job. He was blessed with a daughter just months before he came to Delhi, and brought her and the family along two years later. It was not long before that she started playing cricket in the street with the boys.That irked the neighbours and relatives, who used to taunt Sandeep. But it had little effect on Sandeep, who looked at it as a way for her daughter to get a government job via the sports quota, if nothing else. Like most of his time, Sandeep longingly looked at government jobs for the security they provided. He used to play state-level kabaddi for getting a government job using the sports quota but when that did not work, he dreamt of the same for his children.Related

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That girl now has an India cap and a WPL contract to her name. Priya Mishra, 20, made her international debut last year and has 15 wickets in nine ODIs at an average of 26.60 and a strike rate of 27. She has picked up six wickets in eight league-stage matches of WPL 2025 where Gujarat Giants (GG) have made the playoffs for the first time.”When I played cricket in the streets, I did not think of it as a career prospect; I used to play with the boys just for fun,” Mishra tells ESPNcricinfo. “People used to tease me, saying I am playing with the boys for nothing, as I will have to take care of the house [get married and be a housewife] eventually. But my family, especially my father, supported me a lot.”The Gujarat Giants players gather around Priya Mishra after a wicket•BCCIThe turning point in Mishra’s life came when her sports teacher at Salwan Girls Senior Secondary School, Priya Chandra, saw her playing cricket. Chandra, a former state-level player, advised her to go to Shravan Kumar, who has coached Ishant Sharma, Harshit Rana, Simran Dil Bahadur and Pratika Rawal among others.”When an 11-year-old Priya came to me in 2015, she loved batting,” Shravan says. “She came to the academy on foot and was also fond of medium-pace bowling. But since she was not tall, I suggested her to bowl spin, because she got the ball to spin sharper than the boys did. It did not take long for her to develop a googly, which is her main weapon now.”Most of Mishra’s international wickets have come with the googly, as have all of her six wickets in WPL 2025 so far – Tahlia McGrath, Grace Harris, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Hayley Matthews, Deepti Sharma and Yastika Bhatia. Mishra maintans that the googly is just to deceive the batters and her stock ball is still the legbreak.”I take wickets from the googly because batters can’t read me,” she says. “I try to set batters up using legspin, try and attack their feet as much as I can. This makes batters think I can only bowl the legspin, which is when I bowl a googly to pick up wickets.”Shravan Kumar suggested Priya Mishra to bowl spin instead of medium pace•Priya MishraAfter enrolling in an academy, Mishra had to travel to various parts of, and sometimes outside, Delhi to play school-, district-, state-level and age-group matches. Since she was young, Sandeep used to accompany her for those, even when he did not get leave from work.”Irrespective of what happens at work, if Priya had a game to play, I used to always go with her,” Sandeep says. “As she progressed in the sport, my seniors became accommodating and I used to get more leaves. That aside, Shravan sir also never took money for coaching and cricketing equipment, which, at that time, was difficult for us to afford.”Mishra made it to the Delhi Under-19 team at the age of 13. She picked up wickets in bundles for two seasons, which meant she made it to Delhi Under-23 team at 15, and then to the senior team at 18. Since then she has 78 wickets in 35 List-A appearances at an average of 16.48 and a strike rate of 21.79. She also has 22 wickets in 26 T20 matches at an economy of a mere 6.85. In August last year, Mishra was part of India A’s tour of Australia, where she picked up six wickets in the unofficial Test including four in the first innings. She also returned a five-for in the only unofficial ODI she played.”I took about 26-27 wickets in nine Under-19 matches in a season and was confident of going to the next level. But there is a big difference in the level of international cricket and domestic cricket,” Mishra, who considers Shane Warne her idol, says. “Balls that are a good option in domestic cricket are easily played by international players, so I try and attack the stumps now.3:53

Mithali Raj impressed with Priya Mishra’s talent

“T20 cricket is such that you have to think before every ball because batters are there to hit every ball. You have to think about the line that will trap the batter. For now, I am trying to bowl in line of the stumps as much as possible. By doing that, you don’t give batters much room and increase your chances of picking up wickets.”At GG, Mishra works with spin-bowling coach Pravin Tambe, who makes her undergo single-wicket drills for a long time. She also exchanges notes with Deepti in the India team.”I constantly talk to Deepti and I consider her my second guru. She helps me as much as she can. If she is at slip, she tells me what ball I should be bowling and where I should be bowling. Even Harman tells me not to be nervous and do what I have been doing thus far.”For now, Mishra is happy she does not have to live on rent in Baljeet Nagar. With her WPL earnings from last year and savings from domestic cricket, she bought a house and a car in 2024. Now her dream is to play long for India and help them win a World Cup on home soil.

They are turning Ahmedabad into a fortress, where they have beaten Mumbai Indians four out of four times

Sidharth Monga29-Mar-20251:40

Pujara: Good to see Prasidh developing variations

Gujarat Titans (GT) have now beaten Mumbai Indians (MI) in all their four matches at home in the IPL. A young team beating one of the most successful T20 franchises so regularly is impressive in itself, but what’s even more impressive is that they have always had sound theories on how to beat their western-Indian neighbours.The first two wins came in IPL 2023, when GT managed to win four Ahmedabad matches out of seven when batting first. Despite dew, they did so through an early window of movement for fast bowlers. They had Mohammed Shami to exploit it. Both their wins against MI that year were on red-soil pitches where they scored 200-plus when asked to bat first and broke the game open with the new ball when defending. GT could play that way because MI didn’t have Jasprit Bumrah or a fast bowler to exploit these conditions.GT won the title in their debut season and came within one good ball of defending it next year. MI, of course, went shopping and took away their captain Hardik Pandya in 2024. They also put together a side full of big hitters. Bumrah was also fit. This time GT switched to a lower par-score pitch. Now they defended 168 successfully through change-up bowlers Rashid Khan, R Sai Kishore and Mohit Sharma.Related

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Titans off the mark with a thumping win over Mumbai Indians

Sai Sudharsan, Prasidh Krishna consign MI to big defeat

Cut to their fourth encounter against MI at home. Even though captain Shubman Gill said their choice of a black-soil pitch was not specific to the opposition, Parthiv Patel, the assistant coach, said during a spot interview that they wanted to play MI on a black-soil pitch. Not only would it neutralise the threat of Trent Boult and Deepak Chahar with the new ball, it would also take MI away from the comforts of red-soil pitches that they are used to at the Wankhede.It also turned out that GT have a side more suited to under-200 games rather than the 240 one they ended up losing against Punjab Kings (PBKS). They have the most efficient anchor batter in all T20 cricket in Jos Buttler, and also B Sai Sudharsan, who capitalises on the powerplay and can anchor in the middle overs. The core of their batting is good enough to adapt to slightly difficult batting conditions.Most of all, GT have tall, into-the-pitch fast bowlers who can make use of variable pace and bounce in a surface. The pitch looked like the one used for the 2023 ODI World Cup final, played like it, and brought back memories of tall bowlers stifling batters. Only Mumbai Indians, not Indian.Apart from displaying that GT know how to win at home, this win showed the synergy between the franchise and the ground authorities. Given the short duration of the contest, T20 matches can turn on events as small as losing a wet ball with a six that goes out of the stadium. The only way to come close to guaranteeing consistent success is to maximise the home advantage.Chennai Super Kings (CSK), who hardly ever miss the IPL playoffs, do so because they win twice as many matches as they lose at home, comfortably the best win-loss ratio at home among IPL teams. Kolkata Knight Riders’ (KKR) dominant run came when they could use their spinners on low-scoring home surfaces. As early as the first IPL, Shane Warne turned Sawai Mansingh Stadium into a fortress for Rajasthan Royals (RR), winning all seven matches at home. It is no surprise that GT have become a formidable team in their short existence: they hold the second-best win-loss ratio at home overall.1:06

Pujara: Siraj looks fired up again

Because of excessive dew and small grounds, MI and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) can’t quite set out to maximise home advantage. This makes MI’s five titles an impressive feat. Outside them, the teams that generally struggle in the IPL are the ones without a stable home base, and can’t build their teams for specific conditions.Strange events are taking place in IPL 2025. CSK and KKR have gone on record about apparent tension with curators at Chepauk and Eden Gardens not maximising their home advantage. They are both set up for under-200 games for their spinners to come into their own, but the surfaces have denied them that. With administerial turmoil in Rajasthan Cricket Association and with the Jaipur stadium being under the government, and thus not looked after throughout the year, RR are now playing some of their games away from Jaipur, losing out on a home base and conditions they can dominate.In a sport as reliant on conditions as cricket is, home advantage is a valid tactic. That’s why winning away has always been special. However, IPL is a unique case. These franchises don’t keep the grounds running all year round. They are just tenants for a couple of months. They can’t feel entitled to the kind of co-operation a Ranji Trophy team might. The groundsman is well within his rights to ask the franchises to select according to the general conditions. They aren’t out to get the home side, they just loathe having to change the nature of the square.It pays to have a management and team leadership that can build good relations with the state association and the ground staff. All this makes CSK’s case particularly curious because their state association and their IPL franchise have had the closest links. Eden Gardens and Chepauk will be two grounds to watch out for in the coming games. Watch out also for GT’s use of different soils for different teams. Chances are, CSK will not get the black one.

Visitors take 10 points to virtually confirm safety going into final round of Championship season

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay18-Sep-2025

Essex 325 for 5 (Allison 98, Pepper 54*) drew with WarwickshireEssex virtually secured their Rothesay County Championship Division One status as their match with Warwickshire ended in a rain-ruined draw at Edgbaston. No play was possible due to rain on the final day, meaning that three of the four days were completely blank.Essex collected ten points from the draw, putting them pretty much safe from relegation as two of the teams below them – Yorkshire and Durham – meet in next week’s final round of games. It would now take an extraordinary combination of results and bonus points to drag Essex through the trapdoor with Worcestershire.It was a sodden and sorry scene at Edgbaston as Warwickshire’s home season came to an anti-climatic close. After high winds prevented play on the first day and rain did so on the third, persistent drizzle overnight and on the fourth morning again left conditions unplayable. Essex were denied the chance to resume from the 325 for 5 that they build on the second day.Tom Westley’s side at least took a solid ten points from the draw – a more productive return than from the drawn encounter between these teams in their inaugural Championship meeting at Edgbaston in 1895. After three days of hard work and effort, the points gained from that game, in which, incidentally 21 players made their Championship debuts, were Warwickshire 0 Essex 0.

“Leave the football before the football leaves you.” That was the sentence Jamie Carragher reserved for a certain Manchester United player by the name of Casemiro back in May 2024.

It’s safe to say that the Brazilian, once a football legend, a serial winner at Real Madrid, had seen his powers wane.

He was making countless mistakes, looked like he was running through treacle and was the shadow of a player who had featured on 336 occasions for Madrid.

18 months on and Casemiro looks like a legandary player again. He may not be capable of featuring for a period of 90 minutes but the 2025/26 campaign has arguably been his best since moving to Old Trafford.

The 33-year-old is making a huge impact, notably scoring on three occasions and registering an assist. He’s finally come good in United colours.

However, the fact that he can’t last 90 minutes is the problem. His backup in the shape of Manuel Ugarte continues to struggle.

Why it's time for Ugarte to leave Man Utd

In the summer of 2024, INEOS spent a great deal on bringing the bullish Uruguayan to Old Trafford, as much as £42m.

He was seen as the heir to Casemiro, someone who could fix their lack of energy and tenacity in the middle of the park.

The big Brazilian was floundering and the more minute Ugarte was here to fix the problem. Yet, he has been more of a hindrance, particularly as Casemiro has returned to form.

So far this term, the midfield veteran has only completed one 90 minutes in the Premier League and in a bid to see out the game, Ruben Amorim has usually tried to rely on Ugarte. However, the South American has been anything but reliable.

Arsenal

65

Fulham

53

Burnley

72

Man City

Did not start

Chelsea

45

Brentford

Suspended

Sunderland

85

Liverpool

58

Brighton

70

Nott’m Forest

Was not subbed

Spurs

72

With the 24-year-old out of the team, the Red Devils have scored 15 goals at a rate of twice per 90 and have conceded eight times, once per 90 minutes.

However, with Ugarte in the team, Amorim’s side have scored just four times, 1.3 per 90 minutes and have shipped ten goals, a whopping 3.2 per 90.

The data is clear; United are a poorer side when the big-money midfielder is in the team. While he has come on and helped his teammates to victories over Chelsea, Sunderland, Liverpool and Brighton, he has also come on and been a hindrance.

When he entered the action at the weekend in the 2-2 draw with Spurs, it was 1-0 to United at the time. In the 3-1 defeat to Brentford, he came on at 2-1. During the 1-1 draw with Fulham, Amorim’s charges were leading 1-0 when Ugarte was brought off the bench. To make matters worse, he also started the 3-0 loss to rivals Manchester City.

So, why do things go so wrong when he’s on the field? Well, his inability to break up the play and anticipate what happens on the field is a huge issue. That was seen during the draw with Spurs on Saturday when Ugarte simply let Wilson Odobert breeze past him in the build-up to Mathys Tel’s equaliser.

With Kobbie Mainoo on the bench, it does beg the question, why Ugarte? While the Uruguay international is the more traditional holding midfielder, they need more energy and legs when Casemiro heads to the bench. Mainoo would bring that in abundance.

Saying that, the academy graduate isn’t the only Ugarte solution up Amorim’s sleeve. Another future superstar at Carrington is getting ready to make an impact.

Man United's surprise Ugarte replacement

Cutting their losses on the former PSG player would be disastrous from a business point of view but it really does feel as though United need a refresh in midfield.

Chalkboard

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

Casemiro has made great improvements this term but he is not getting any younger and if INEOS are planning to spend big in the future then it must be in a central area.

Players like Brighton superstar Carlos Baleba and Nottingham Forest’s Geordie midfielder, Elliot Anderson, have both been linked with a move. They would be fabulous signings too.

Yet, a ready-made solution could present itself at Carrington. In the form of 19-year-old Sekou Kone, United may well have already signed their dream replacement for Ugarte.

Kone arrived at Man United in the summer of 2024. He was not a marquee arrival, far from it. There was very little fanfare for a teenager who had signed in a £1m deal from Malian side Guidars FC.

An exciting midfield player, the youngster had attracted the attention of United scouts during Mali’s run to the semi-finals of the U17 World Cup in 2023. Since then, he has failed to earn any senior game time under Amorim but he looks like a mighty fine prospect.

Kone featured on 14 occasions for the U21s last season but his prospects of football in 2025/26 have so far been dampened by a fractured eye socket. He has played just one match in the opening exchanges of the ongoing campaign but he is now back in training and first-team training at that. Amorim has already shelved plans of a loan spell, such is the potential in this young midfield player.

So, what’s he all about? Well, a defensive midfielder by trade, he is “uber composed on the ball and so press resistant” in the words of Como scout, Ben Mattinson.

Mattinson continued: “He’s got a tight turn radius and rides challenges well when carrying the ball.” On that evidence, he certainly sounds more promising than Ugarte.

He possesses an exciting ball-winning prowess and has an enormous physical ceiling that Mattinson suggests “is something Manchester United need more of in order for Amorim’s man-to-man press to work effectively.”

On that evidence, it’s hardly a surprise that fellow scout, Antonio Mango, has explained that Kone has “the skillset to be a beast under Amorim.”

This is a player who doesn’t just look capable of ending Ugarte’s career at Old Trafford, but potentially also Casemiro’s.

Texoma FC rejects the idea of “self-relegation,” yet their drop to USL League Two and surprise second club have pushed them into an unexpected multi-club future.

The phrase Ben Watson keeps hearing is “self-relegation.” 

He can’t stand it. The owner of the now former-USL League Two club Texoma FC insists that his team, which announced it was moving down a division on Oct. 28, is not an early version of the promotion-relegation model soon to come to USL. 

Instead, Watson asserts, Texoma saw where the soccer landscape in Texas was going and simply realigned. The reality is perhaps a little more complex. But whatever your interpretation may be – strategic realignment or a noble sort of demotion – Texoma is now an amateur club in USL League Two. 

And in addition, Watson has unveiled a second team altogether. He now owns “Rodeo SC” which is set to debut in 2027. It’s in a new city, Celina – a 30-minute drive down the road from his current side. It operates in a fresh market, with a different vibe altogether. 

Somehow, accidentally, Watson and his fellow investors have fallen into what is effectively multi-club ownership in USL. 

“We were the first ones to do what we did. So we've definitely pioneered it. But I would say, yeah, it's unique in nature, because you have a League One team that has a League Two affiliate, but they're not in the same market,” Watson told GOAL.

Texoma FC'Thinking pro-rel'

This is a complicated thing that requires balance. Texoma struggled in their first season of play. Their potential as a long-term investment – and that’s what soccer clubs are – is limited. But they can also be part of a multi-club system in North Texas, Watson argued. 

“It's two completely different identities, two different communities that really can latch on to that community club feel, but they still can feed to the same place,” Watson said. 

His solution, then, is to keep Texoma chugging along in its current market, and also establish a bigger club in a bigger area – with a more distinct identity – that can push for genuine relevance as promotion and relegation come into the fold. 

“I think it's safe to say all the clubs in the USL are thinking pro-rel route. All of us know it's coming. We're all making moves to figure out how we realign, or how we position ourselves long term to be successful,” Watson said. 

More broadly, the hope is that it can all be one ecosystem. Watson’s vision is that of shared academies, a talent pool that both teams can dip into, and, at its best, a fully fleshed-out system that can allow a duo of franchises to thrive.

AdvertisementChris Linscott'USL League One was too high of a league for us'

It is worth, first, acknowledging that Texoma, in its inaugural season of existence, simply failed to hit the heights that the owners expected. On the pitch, the product wasn’t great. They finished 12th in the league, just six points off the bottom. 

And off the field, things were perhaps just a little miscalculated. Texoma is based in Sherman, Texas, a city with few sporting credentials and a population of just over 50,000 (it is admittedly rising). Attendance was poor. They had the third-lowest average in the league, with just over 1,200 routinely showing up to games. At one point, they had just 216 fans in the stands (although that was after a number of rain delays in mid-July). 

Even those in the stands knew that there was something wrong. 

“I actually felt that from pretty early on in the season that USL League One was too high of a league for us,” Richard McKibbin, a regular attendee at games, told GOAL. “I’m realistic. I saw the crowds that we were getting in Sherman and knew that the long-term viability of a professional team in Sherman was questionable at best.” 

More broadly, though, Texoma had one glaring problem: the market could not sustain a soccer team. Watson had to accept that. 

“I think we realigned to fit the community better. The Texoma community is a smaller market. It fits extremely well with the USL League Two,” Watson said. 

Texoma's owners had known that harsh reality for a few months before they announced anything. For six months, they were seriously looking at new markets for a fresh franchise, while admitting that their current team wouldn’t be in USL League One for long. 

“You look at a club like Portland Hearts of Pine. We were the same year as them, Year 1 to Year 1.. You're like, they're doing something right. So from our shoes, we look at it and go, 'Okay, well, what can we do to create something that people want to be a part of?'” Watson said.

IMAGNFall festivals and high school football games

Their solution has been a new brand in a new city. Watson studied the market extensively once he knew that Texoma wasn’t going to sustain a professional team long term. He found that the most successful USL clubs come in places with a distinct culture, a market looking for a sports team, and, long term, the potential to build a stadium. 

“We spent about six, seven months in season, working through ‘Does this make sense? Are the city leaders interested? Is there a long-term potential here to build a venue?’ All those conversations took place,” Watson said. 

Celina, Texas, is, mathematically, a better market. Right now, it’s roughly the same size as Sherman by population. But it’s also a 30-minute drive away, and part of the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area. Eight years ago, 7,000 people lived there. City leaders are preparing for a boom that will leave the city with around 300,000 – such is the rapidly expanding population of the Dallas area. And in those numbers, Watson sees potential. 

“We know this community has grown. We know it's a great place. We really like the city leadership, and so all these things kind of allude to this can be a successful franchise,” Watson said. 

There’s also already a sporting culture in Celina (albeit with a different kind of football). They pack the stands for high school football games. And people just gather for pretty much anything. 

"They do a lot of downtown things where 15-25,000 people will show up in a day to one event. Their high school football games are sold out. We went to their homecoming game the other day, and they had to bring in extra bleachers to the stadium,” Watson said.

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Getty Images Sport'They're going to dress up in overalls'

They are already calling themselves the “Rodeo Clowns.” Within 24 hours of announcing the brand, Rodeo SC had their first three supporters. 

“They're going to dress up in overalls and a cowboy hat, and they're gonna have the full thing. When you start to hear it, you're like, ‘that is the most Texan American thing you can ever think of’,” Watson said. 

They were sold on the vision immediately. The name is a slightly dorky thing, but also an homage to the West. This is a place of cattle and rodeos and cowboys. The Jerry Jones-owned NFL team nearby – the clue is in name – became one of the biggest brands on earth by leaning into where they’re from. Rodeo SC are doing the same. 

“Texas has a lot of rodeo heritage, and Celina is known for the Longhorn cattle. It's got a whole identity around that side. We're like, man, we could lean into this. We could create this concept where it's fun, almost gimmicky, but, like, obviously, it's still football,” Watson said. 

It works on multiple levels. The first, of course, is the uniqueness. But the second is the idea of entertainment associated with the name. Soccer franchises can no longer be only about the game on the field – or what happens in 90 minutes. Rodeo SC, then, are about the matchday experience. While some have backed away from their roots and just put out a team, Watson wants to lean into theirs – to a fault. 

“The cool part is, if you come in town from Maine, or you come in from Washington, Florida – wherever you're coming from, even internationally – you're gonna come and go, ‘I want to experience Texas.’ We want you to leave and go, 'yes, that was Texas', and that's Rodeo Soccer Club,” Watson said.

Arsenal have now discovered where they stand in the race to sign Malick Fofana, according to recent reports, and the winger has made his mind up on a move to Barcelona.

Despite how impressive the Gunners have been so far this season, their left-hand side remains their biggest weakness. The form of Martinelli remains inconsistent and he remains sidelined, whilst Leandro Trossard is now 30 years old and not a long-term option. After addressing their striker problem by signing Viktor Gyokeres in the summer, Arsenal must do the same on their left-hand side.

Arteta must drop 5/10 Arsenal star who lost the ball every 4 passes

Arsenal were uncharacteristically ropey against Sunderland on Saturday.

By
Matt Dawson

Nov 9, 2025

That said, given that they sit top of the Premier League with an excellent defensive record and set-piece threat, those in North London will be in no urgent rush to panic buy any potential improvements.

Their 2-2 draw against Sunderland on Saturday was the first time that Arsenal have dropped points in the Premier League since September and they’ve not lost a game in all competitions since August. Everything is pointing towards major silverware at long last for Mikel Arteta.

In an ideal world for those at The Emirates, Arsenal will march towards Premier League glory and then find themselves in the perfect opportunity to welcome any other improvements.

Already, the champions-elect have been linked with moves for the likes of Javi Guerra in what would see another La Liga talent arrive and he’s not the only one on their reported shortlist.

Recent reports have also shared Arsenal’s interest in Lyon’s Fofana, who is one of the most-wanted wingers around European football. Those same reports even revealed where the Gunners stand in the race to secure his signature.

Fofana dream revealed as Arsenal find out transfer position

According to Sport in Spain, Arsenal are now the most interested side in signing Fofana alongside Chelsea in a frustrating blow for Barcelona. The Belgium star has made his desire to complete a move to the Premier League no secret, with his agent admitting earlier this year that he dreams of moving to Liverpool.

Whilst that may seem like a blow for the likes of Arsenal, it is reportedly the Gunners who are at the front and centre of the race to secure his signature and not the Reds. Potentially with the Premier League title in hand, those in North London stand every chance of swaying Fofana, who has his sights set on English football instead of a move to Barcelona.

Fofana’s agent, Bobo Fofana, said back in March: “The choice of the heart would be Liverpool. He has the potential to become a regular, and above all, we’d like to see him succeed African legends such as Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mané, and Elhadj Diouf.”

A player who’s been described as “explosive” by Como scout Ben Mattinson, Fofana is not a talent that Arsenal will want to miss out on, especially if it is to title rivals Liverpool.

Arteta has Arsenal's best finisher since Van Persie & it's not Gyokeres

Middlesex fell 42 short as Hampshire progress to face Yorkshire in the semi-finals

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay 28-Aug-2025Ali Orr’s second century of the tournament guided Hampshire into the Metro Bank One Day Cup semi-finals as they saw off Middlesex in their play-off at Radlett.The left-hander struck 108, batting through most of the innings to underpin Hampshire’s recovery from 95 for 5 as they set their opponents a target of 230 with paceman Henry Brookes taking four for 53.Liam Dawson then stifled Middlesex’s reply with his spell of 4 for 33, supported by fellow left-arm spinner Andrew Neal (1 for 30) as the Seaxes were bowled out for 187 in 45.3 overs.Sam Robson top-scored with 48 and Toby Roland-Jones’ late unbeaten cameo of 39 prolonged the contest, but it was not enough to deny Hampshire a semi-final date on Sunday, when they will face Yorkshire at Scarborough.Middlesex made three changes to the side that had clinched a tense win at Lancashire to secure their knockout place, including returns for Roland-Jones and Ryan Higgins who both sent down tidy opening spells.Despite that, Orr and Nick Gubbins built a steady partnership of 45 until Brookes struck with his second delivery, tempting the Hampshire captain into a mistimed pull that sailed straight to midwicket.Fletcha Middleton was next to depart, caught behind nudging at a Brookes outswinger and the seamer soon grabbed his – and Middlesex’s – third wicket when Ben Brown was pinned leg before.Orr batted fluently, timing his shots on both sides of the wicket and steering Brookes to the point boundary to pass 50 for the second time in as many innings, but Middlesex continued to make inroads.Dawson, drafted in for his first appearance of the tournament, fell lbw to Sebastian Morgan, while Zafar Gohar’s miserly stint of one for 29 brought him the wicket of Ben Mayes, caught miscuing a reverse sweep.However, James Fuller’s spirited 42 provided the perfect foil for Orr, with the pair adding 96 from 18 overs before Higgins had the all-rounder caught in the deep.Having advanced to three figures in style by hooking Brookes for six, Orr eventually holed out to long on off Higgins, his departure effectively ending Hampshire’s hopes of clambering above 250.Middlesex rejigged their batting order, promoting Nathan Fernandes to open in the wake of his match-winning 92 at Old Trafford and the left-hander continued in similar vein with two sweetly-struck straight drives to the rope off Kyle Abbott.Although Josh de Caires fell to Fuller’s diving catch around the corner, the batting side still looked reasonably comfortable at 66 for 1 before they were decisively pegged back by the Hampshire spinners.Fernandes’ innings of 42 came to an end when he was pinned leg before by Neal and Dawson then removed Ben Geddes in the same manner before having Higgins taken low at slip.Along with seamer Eddie Jack, the spin duo smothered their opponents’ scoring rate in the middle overs and it fell to Robson to dig in, take advantage of rare stray deliveries and attempt to take the game deep.Joe Cracknell launched a brief counter-attack, clubbing a six and two fours from one Fuller over to reach 22 from as many balls, but the bowler took his revenge by dismissing both Cracknell and Gohar in the space of three deliveries.Brown’s neat stumping to remove Robson brought Hampshire a third wicket with the score unchanged and that appeared to signal the end of Middlesex’s challenge, but Roland-Jones went on the offensive, battering Abbott for a trio of off-side boundaries.He added 45 for the ninth wicket with Morgan, but Hampshire were not be denied and Dawson sealed victory by bowling last man Brookes in the 46th over.

تُوّج فريق أهلي طرابلس بقيادة المدير الفني المصري حسام البدري، بلقب كأس ليبيا بعد الفوز على نظيره الأهلي بنغازي بثلاثة أهداف دون مقابل، في المباراة النهائية التي أُقيمت مساء اليوم الخميس على استاد القاهرة.

وكان من المقرر إقامة المواجهة مساء الأربعاء، قبل أن يتم تأجيلها بسبب أزمة تقنية تتعلق بكاميرات البث التابعة للقناة الناقلة. 

طالع.. رئيس البنك الأهلي يكشف لـ”بطولات” حقيقة بيع ياو أنور إلى أهلي طرابلس الليبي

في الدقيقة 67 افتتح عزو المريمي أهداف اللقاء برأسية بعد ارتداد الكرة من القائم بينما في الدقيقة 89 سجل البديل عمران سالم الهدف الثاني بعد استقبال عرضية متقنة من الجهة اليسرى.

وفي الدقيقة 95 تمكن الأنجولي كريستوفر مابولولو من تسجيل هدف احتسبه الحكم بعد العودة إلى تقنية الفيديو.

وتمكن حسام البدري من قيادة فريقه لتحقيق الثنائية هذا الموسم بعد الفوز سابقًا بلقب الدوري الليبي الممتاز.

يذكر أن أهلي بنغازي يقوده فنيا المدرب المصري طارق مصطفى، وطارق يحيى مديرا رياضيا. 

MatériaMais Notícias

O Palmeiras recebe o Athletico neste domingo (12), pela 6ª rodada da Série A do Brasileirão 2024. A bola vai rolar a partir das 16h (de Brasília), na Arena Barueri, com transmissão da TV Globo e do Premiere.

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✅FICHA TÉCNICA
PALMEIRAS X ATHLETICO – 6ª RODADA – SÉRIE A

Data e horário: domingo,12 de maio de 2024, às16h(de Brasília)

Local: Arena Barueri
Onde assistir: TV Globo e Premiere
Arbitragem: Braúlio da Silva Machado (SC). Ele será auxiliado por Luanderson Lima dos Santos (BA) e Henrique Neu Ribeiro (SC). O VAR estará sob o comando de Wagner Reway (ES).

PROVÁVEIS ESCALAÇÕES

Palmeiras: Weverton, Mayke, Luan, Gustavo Gómez e Piquerez; Zé Rafael, Richard Ríos e Raphael Veiga; Lázaro (Estêvão), Endrick e Flaco López.

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Athletico: Bento; Léo Godoy, Kaique Rocha, Gamarra e Esquivel; Fernandinho, Erick e Zapelli (Felipinho); Canobbio, Julimar (Cuello) e Pablo (Mastriani).

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