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On Tuesday night at Lesser Hampden, two days after going head-to-head in the League Cup Final next door, fierce rivals Celtic and Rangers met in the Glasgow Cup Final.

The competition, first contested in 1887, has been a youth tournament since the ’90s, with the city’s big two capturing the trophy every time since Partick Thistle’s triumph all the way back in 1989.

This time, it was Rangers who prevailed 3-2, extending their record with this the 59th time the Glasgow Cup will head to Ibrox.

More than the result, Gers supporters are becoming excited about one of the stars from this victorious side, so could he break into the first team in the near-future?

Rangers' next teen sensation

Born in London, Zak Lovelace began his youth career at Millwall, before joining Rangers’ academy in July 2022.

In The Pipeline

Football FanCast's In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.

Upon his arrival, now-former Sporting Director Ross Wilson described Lovelace as “an exciting young player”.

However, he didn’t exactly make the best first impression to the wider fanbase, sent off for simulation during the 2023 Scottish Youth Cup at Hampden, live on the BBC, a match his side would go on to lose 6-5 to Celtic.

This time however, Lovelace was the hero, scoring a very late winner in Tuesday’s Glasgow Cup Final.

Rangers manager Philippe Clement was in attendance at the City Stadium, with Lovelace one of the players the Belgian was reportedly keeping a close eye on.

The 18-year-old has already featured for the Light Blues’ first team under Clement.

Last year, he came off the bench during Michael Beale’s final game in charge, a miserable 3-1 home defeat at the hands of Aberdeen, before starting a 3-0 victory at St Mirren during Steven Davis’ very brief stint as interim boss.

This season, Lovelace has made his European debut, introduced as a substitute for the final quarter of an hour of the 4-0 Europa League drubbing of Steaua București, although this is the only time he’s appeared for the first team during the campaign thus far.

So, could he start to feature more regularly in the near future?

Where Zak Lovelace could fit into Rangers' team

Writer Kai Watson compared Lovelace’s winner in the Glasgow Cup Final to Daizen Maeda’s goal in the League Cup Final and, given how much the Japanese winger has tormented Rangers in recent seasons, Gers supporters would be delighted if their teen sensation turns out to be even half as good.

Indeed, Maeda – who arrived in Glasgow back in January 2022 – has scored four goals and provided four assists in his 17 Old Firm appearances to date, utilising his lightning speed to terrorise the Gers’ backline.

Perhaps, Lovelace can utilise his similar attributes to return the favour – as he did with his Maeda-esque finish in midweek – having previously been lauded as a “very exciting and quick forward player” by former Head of Academy, Craig Mulholland.

With the aim now for the teenage diamond to force his way into Clement’s plans on a regular basis, here’s a look at how the Light Blues’ current wingers have been performing this season and why Lovelace could start to feature prominently soon.

Statistic

Václav Černý

Nedim Bajrami

Ianis Hagi

Tom Lawrence

Appearances

24

26

12

11

Minutes

1,670

1,761

508

739

Goals

9

3

0

5

Assists

4

1

4

2

Shots

67

49

16

25

As outlined, Václav Černý aside, none of Rangers’ wide-attackers are offering much end-product so far this season, with the Czech international, alongside strikers Cyriel Dessers and Hamza Igamane, the only squad members to have scored more than five goals across all competitions.

Thus, Lovelace could be thrown in, something Rangers have proven themselves not to be afraid of in the past, making Ross McCausland a key figure last season and, while the Northern Irishman’s role has somewhat diminished this time round, he did score a crucial goal off the bench during the Europa League victory in Malmö in September.

Over the festive period and beyond, games come thick and fast for the Light Blues, with 13 fixtures to be played during a 43-day period between this Saturday and 2 February.

In mid-January, just four days before visiting Old Trafford, Rangers host Highland League outfit Fraserburgh, so surely Lovelace is in line for a start when fifth-tier opposition visit Ibrox, if not sooner?

If Clement does turn to his young starlet, he could well have his very own Maeda to call upon moving forward.

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ByDan Emery Dec 17, 2024

Big picture

In the aftermath of two derbies, two different moods. Zimbabwe upset with having had to carry on in the conditions they did against South Africa, but no doubt relieved to have come away with a point. Pakistan, meanwhile, anguished at seeing two points slip away in that wild last over at the MCG against India.In other times, that kind of loss might have felled other Pakistan sides, but there’s something more settled about this one. They may rue not picking a fourth pacer at the MCG, but Mohammad Nawaz was not far from winning it: a little luck with the deflection off the stumps on the free-hit, a little fortune with that no-ball call, and they’re sitting pretty now. In the dressing room after the game, Babar Azam was not letting heads fall, telling Nawaz he was still his match-winner. Imperfect they may be, but they’re more together than most Pakistan sides of modern vintage.Related

• Zimbabwe looking to give as good as they get against Haris Rauf's fire

• Wounded Pakistan still 'feeling the pain and hurting', but morale remains intact

• Houghton furious with umpires for continuing play on wet outfield

• Houghton: 'Real test will be to play fearless cricket against sides like India and Australia'

And at the risk of stating the obvious, they are also still a pretty good T20I side. They have the second highest number of wins and the third best win-loss ratio among Full Members since the last T20 World Cup. They will also take some heart from their middle order managing a competitive total after a rare joint failure of Babar and Mohammad Rizwan. They are also unlikely to come across conditions as tough for batting as they were at the MCG.Zimbabwe will look at all this, however, and recognise a side that they have had the better of twice in white-ball cricket in the last two years. As many as nine who may play in Perth will have beaten Pakistan in the Super Over of a tied ODI in Rawalpindi or a T20I in Harare.A little luck in that last over against India and Pakistan would have been sitting pretty now•Getty Images

Now, under coach Dave Houghton, Zimbabwe have also started taking a more attacking approach. That has crystallised most vividly in the form of Sikandar Raza, arguably the player of the tournament so far. But high-quality pace bowling has tested their batting resources beyond Raza twice now: Alzarri Joseph in the first round and South Africa’s attack in the wash-out.Pakistan have plenty of that.

Form guide

Pakistan LWWLW (last five completed T20Is, most recent first)
Zimbabwe WLWWL

In the spotlight

Shaheen Shah Afridi’s long-awaited, much-anticipated return to international cricket was an underwhelming one. Perhaps that was to be expected, given the nature of the injury and ensuing rehab and the length of time he was out. This was, remember, his first international game in three months. It led to both the Ws, Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis, asking on a TV show whether Afridi had been rushed back before he was fully fit. He didn’t get the kind of sustained swing that might have been expected after India’s opening bowlers did what they did. He wasn’t awful, just a little ordinary, and it was only in his last over when Virat Kohli went at him did his figures take a beating. He narrowly missed his lengths a couple of times in that over, a sure indicator of rustiness rather than anything more terminal. Away from the glare of a big game, against a lesser opponent, might be a good time for him to settle back into his groove.Zimbabwe’s pace attack has served them well in the tournament so far, though none more than Blessing Muzarabani. His height and the extra bounce on most Australian surfaces was always going to be a trump card for Zimbabwe to pull out at the tournament and it hasn’t been disappointing. He has sometimes struggled to hit the right lengths for each situation, but when he has, he has been difficult to keep out. It has come with decent pace as well. And he doesn’t mind Pakistan as opponents – it was his five-for in that Rawalpindi ODI (and two wickets in the Super Over) that secured a memorable triumph. Pakistan often struggle against bounce, and if Muzarabani gets it right, then, well, it could be a battle.Blessing Muzarabani will be Zimbabwe’s trump card•ICC via Getty Images

Team news

There was plenty of talk around Pakistan not playing a fourth seamer at the MCG, though with the definite benefit of hindsight on a surface that did plenty for fast bowlers. They could bring somebody like Mohammad Wasim in and drop one of the perennially under-fire Haider Ali or Asif Ali (especially as Wasim has six-hitting skills) from a deep batting order. But they don’t like changing unless they really have to, and it may not be that stage yet.Pakistan (probable): 1 Babar Azam (capt), 2 Mohammad Rizwan (wk), 3 Shan Masood, 4 Iftikhar Ahmed, 5 Haider Ali, 6 Shadab Khan, 7 Asif Ali, 8 Mohammad Nawaz, 9 Haris Rauf, 10 Shaheen Shah Afridi, 11 Naseem ShahRichard Ngarava’s slip in the rain against South Africa and subsequent ankle injury means Zimbabwe may be forced to disrupt their pace attack. Brad Evans – whom captain Ervine said would likely play if Ngarava is not fit – is not a like-for-like replacement, but he does bring genuine pace.Zimbabwe (probable): 1 Craig Ervine (capt), 2 Regis Chakabva (wk), 3 Sean Williams, 4 Sikandar Raza, 5 Wessly Madhevere, 6 Milton Shumba, 7 Ryan Burl, 8 Luke Jongwe, 9 Richard Ngarva/Brad Evans, 10 Tendai Chatara, 11 Blessing Muzarabani

Pitch and conditions

The forecast in Perth is for partly cloudy conditions but no rain. The pitch has a green tinge and the new ball has swung. While there’s pace and bounce for the fast bowlers, runs can also be scored quickly, especially straight. Spinners often suffer if they bowl too full, but can tie it up in the middle overs by bowling a back of a length and forcing batters to hit to the vast square boundaries with the ground similar to the dimensions of the MCG.

Stats and trivia

• Rizwan, who fell for 4 against India at the MCG, has not been dismissed for successive single-digit scores in T20Is since February 2019.
• Raza is the third highest run-scorer in T20Is this year and has the second-best strike rate – 155.23 – among the top 20 run-scorers this year. Only Suryakumar Yadav has more runs at a higher strike rate.
• Zimbabwe have never beaten Pakistan in an ICC tournament.

Quotes

“The morale of the boys is high. We are trying to prepare for the next game and come back strong and remain in contention for this World Cup.”
“I’m pretty sure Pakistan will be coming hard for us. The first five-six overs with the new ball has been challenging for every team. It’s a key area to get through.”

The Timbers goalkeeper etched his name in record books with two penalty saves against Nashville SC

• Pantemis second goalkeeper in MLS to save two penalties in one half
• Nashville SC win 2-0 despite goalkeeper's heroics
• Timbers face LA Galaxy next in the MLS

• WHAT HAPPENED

  In a thrilling match at GEODIS Park, Portland Timbers goalkeeper James Pantemis made MLS history by saving two penalties in a single half against Nashville SC.

  The Canadian’s remarkable feat puts him in elite company, as he becomes just the sixth goalkeeper in MLS history to save two penalties in the same match – first since 2017. Not only that, he is only the second goalkeeper to save two penalties in a half, joining Tony Meola, who did so in 2002.

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• WHAT PANTEMIS SAID

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Despite Pantemis’ heroics, the Timbers still fell short against Nashville, 2-0.

  The home side earned three points thanks to Ahmed Qasem’s first career MLS goal after Andy Najar’s opening strike. That was despite a stellar performance from Pantemis in goal who made seven saves, aside from the two penalty stops.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT’S NEXT?

  Following the 2-0 loss to Nashville SC, Portland sits 11th on the Western Conference table and are six points behind league leaders Vancouver Whitecaps.

  They host the LA Galaxy next at Providence Park before going on the road to face Colorado Rapids at DSG Park on March 16 and 22, respectively.

da supremo： Liverpool’s 3-2 win over Southampton at the weekend further extended their lead at the top of the Premier League table to a whopping eight points after just 12 games played.

da bet vitoria： The Reds have already amassed an impressive 31 points – a total that has only been reached 10 times in Premier League history. Eight of those clubs went on to win the title.

Here, we recall the 11 best starts to a Premier League season, including Liverpool’s impressive start to life under Arne Slot. In the case of a tiebreaker, we’ve separated teams first by the lead they had at the time, and then by the amount of goals scored.

Related The closest title races in Premier League history

Manchester City and Arsenal have delivered a Premier League title race for the ages – here are some of the tightest from years gone by…

Posts ByStephan Georgiou May 20, 2024 11 Arsenal 31 points, 2022/23

Reigning Premier League champions Manchester City appeared to have made a mistake by letting Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko move to Arsenal in the summer of 2022.

With the pair in their team, the Gunners started the 2022/23 Premier League season with ten wins, one draw and one loss from their first 12 games – form that saw them amass 31 points and a two-point lead over Manchester City at the top of the table.

Ultimately, however, City won the title on the penultimate weekend, somewhat vindicating their decision to let Jesus and Zinchenko move to north London.

Arsenal’s first 12 games (2022/23)

Game

Opponent

Result

1

Crystal Palace (A)

W 2-0

2

Leicester (H)

W 4-2

3

Bournemouth (A)

W 3-0

4

Fulham (H)

W 2-1

5

Aston Villa (H)

W 2-1

6

Man Utd (A)

L 1-3

7

Brentford (A)

W 3-0

8

Tottenham (H)

W 3-1

9

Liverpool (H)

W 3-2

10

Leeds (A)

W 1-0

11

Southampton (A)

D 1-1

12

Nottingham Forest (H)

W 5-0

Related Bukayo Saka's top 11 Premier League goals for Arsenal

Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka is a serious goal threat – here are his best strikes for the Gunners.

Posts ByRoss Kilvington Nov 2, 2024 10 Manchester United 31 points, 2006/07

A 5-1 victory over Fulham on the opening day of the 2006/07 season saw Manchester United instantly claim the Premier League’s top spot.

9 more wins from their next 11 games saw Sir Alex Ferguson’s side, minus a brief two-week slip in September, maintain that position, and by mid-November, they were three points clear of Chelsea at the head of the table.

Man Utd’s first 12 games (2006/07)

Game

Opponent

Result

1

Fulham (H)

W 5-1

2

Charlton (A)

W 3-0

3

Watford (A)

W 2-1

4

Tottenham (H)

W 1-0

5

Arsenal (H)

L 0-1

6

Reading (A)

D 1-1

7

Newcastle (H)

W 2-0

8

Wigan (A)

W 3-1

9

Liverpool (H)

W 2-0

10

Bolton (A)

W 4-0

11

Portsmouth (H)

W 3-0

12

Blackburn (A)

W 1-0

9 Newcastle United 31 points, 1995/96

In 1995/96, Newcastle United, led by manager Kevin Keegan and bolstered by new recruits Les Ferdinand and David Ginola, won nine of their first dozen matches, recording wins over Liverpool, Everton and Chelsea to go five points clear at the top.

Ferdinand scored 14 goals in those 12 games – a record that stood until Man City’s Erling Haaland scored 17 in the same timeframe in 2022/23.

The Magpies stayed top until February, but a run of five defeats in eight eventually saw them concede the title to Manchester United.

Newcastle’s first 12 games (1995/96)

Game

Opponent

Result

1

Coventry (H)

W 3-0

2

Bolton (A)

W 3-1

3

Sheff Wed (A)

W 2-0

4

Middlesbrough (H)

W 1-0

5

Southampton (A)

L 0-1

6

Man City (H)

W 3-1

7

Chelsea (H)

W 2-0

8

Everton (A)

W 3-1

9

QPR (A)

W 3-2

10

Wimbledon (H)

W 6-1

11

Tottenham (A)

D 1-1

12

Liverpool (H)

W 2-1

8 Chelsea 31 points, 2005/06

In what was Jose Mourinho’s second season in charge during his first spell at Chelsea, the Blues got off to a flyer in the Premier League, winning ten, drawing one, and losing one of their first dozen games.

By matchday 12, Mourinho’s side, who had kept six clean sheets in their first six games, were six points clear of second-placed Wigan Athletic (yes, really) at the top of the table.

Chelsea’s first 12 games (2005/06)

Game

Opponent

Result

1

Wigan (A)

W 1-0

2

Arsenal (H)

W 1-0

3

West Brom (H)

W 4-0

4

Tottenham (A)

W 2-0

5

Sunderland (H)

W 2-0

6

Charlton (A)

W 2-0

7

Aston Villa (H)

W 2-1

8

Liverpool (A)

W 4-1

9

Bolton (H)

W 5-1

10

Everton (A)

D 1-1

11

Blackburn (H)

W 4-2

12

Man Utd (A)

L 0-1

7 Liverpool 31 points, 2024/25

Following the departure of long-standing manager Jurgen Klopp in the summer, it was expected that Liverpool would take time to get used to life under successor Arne Slot.

Instead, the Reds have already soared into an eight-point lead in the Premier League after 12 games, having recorded wins over Manchester United, Chelsea and Aston Villa.

Their only defeat has come at the hands of Nottingham Forest, who beat them 1-0 back in September 2024.

Liverpool’s first 12 games (2024/25)

Game

Opponent

Result

1

Ipswich (H)

W 2-0

2

Brentford (H)

W 2-0

3

Man Utd (A)

W 3-0

4

Nottingham Forest (H)

L 0-1

5

Bournemouth (H)

W 3-0

6

Wolves (A)

W 2-1

7

Crystal Palace (A)

W 1-0

8

Chelsea (H)

W 2-1

9

Arsenal (A)

D 2-2

10

Brighton (H)

W 2-1

11

Aston Villa (H)

W 2-0

12

Southampton (A)

W 3-2

6 Manchester United 31 points, 1993/94

No team in Premier League history has had a bigger lead at the top of the table after 12 games than Manchester United in 1993/94.

By late October, the Red Devils were already nine points ahead of second-placed Norwich City, who they had beaten 2-0 on the opening day thanks to goals from Ryan Giggs and Bryan Robson.

Unsurprisingly, United went on to win the title by an eight-point margin.

Man Utd’s first 12 games (1993/94)

Game

Opponent

Result

1

Norwich (A)

W 2-0

2

Sheff Utd (H)

W 3-0

3

Newcastle (H)

D 1-1

4

Aston Villa (A)

W 2-1

5

Southampton (A)

W 3-1

6

West Ham (H)

W 3-0

7

Chelsea

L 0-1

8

Arsenal (H)

W 1-0

9

Swindon (H)

W 4-2

10

Sheff Wed (A)

W 3-2

11

Tottenham (H)

W 2-1

12

Everton (A)

W 1-0

5 Manchester City 32 points, 2018/19

In 2018/19, City won 10 and drew 2 of their opening 12 Premier League games to amass a two-point lead over Liverpool at the top of the table.

Pep Guardiola’s side scored 36 goals in those dozen matches, beating Huddersfield Town and Southampton 6-1, as well as Burnley by five goals. They also enjoyed a 3-1 Manchester derby win over United thanks to goals from David Silva, Sergio Aguero and Ilkay Gundogan.

Man City’s first 12 games (2018/19)

Game

Opponent

Result

1

Arsenal (A)

W 2-0

2

Huddersfield (H)

W 6-1

3

Wolves (A)

D 1-1

4

Newcastle (H)

W 2-1

5

Fulham (H)

W 3-0

6

Cardiff (A)

W 5-0

7

Brighton (H)

W 2-0

8

Liverpool (A)

D 0-0

9

Burnley (H)

W 5-0

10

Tottenham (A)

W 1-0

11

Southampton (H)

W 6-1

12

Man Utd (H)

W 3-1

Related The 9 best derby matches in UK football – ranked

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Posts ByRoss Kilvington Nov 8, 2024 4 Chelsea 32 points, 2014/15

The 2014/15 season was Chelsea’s first since 2000/01 without talisman Frank Lampard, who had joined Man City in the summer.

His absence proved not to matter, as the Blues went undefeated in their first 14 games. After 12, they had amassed 32 points and were six points clear of surprise package Southampton at the top.

Summer signing Diego Costa was their main man, scoring 11 times in his first 10 Premier League games, including in wins over Liverpool and Arsenal.

Chelsea’s first 12 games (2014/15)

Game

Opponent

Result

1

Burnley (A)

W 3-1

2

Leicester (H)

W 2-0

3

Everton (A)

W 6-3

4

Swansea (H)

W 4-2

5

Man City (A)

D 1-1

6

Aston Villa (H)

W 3-0

7

Arsenal (H)

W 2-0

8

Crystal Palace (A)

W 2-1

9

Man Utd (A)

D 1-1

10

QPR (H)

W 2-1

11

Liverpool (A)

W 2-1

12

West Brom (H)

W 2-0

3 Manchester City 34 points, 2011/12

Managed at the time by Roberto Mancini, Man City won a then-record 11 of their first 12 games, most notably thumping rivals United 6-1 at Old Trafford to record their biggest win in the Manchester derby.

During the game, Mario Balotelli unveiled an undershirt that read “Why Always Me?” after opening the scoring, seemingly responding to tabloid stories about his controversial behaviour off the pitch.

Man City’s first 12 games (2011/12)

Game

Opponent

Result

1

Swansea (H)

W 4-0

2

Bolton (A)

W 3-2

3

Tottenham (A)

W 5-1

4

Wigan (H)

W 3-0

5

Fulham (A)

D 2-2

6

Everton (H)

W 2-0

7

Blackburn (A)

W 4-0

8

Aston Villa (H)

W 4-1

9

Man Utd (A)

W 6-1

10

Wolves (H)

W 3-1

11

QPR (A)

W 3-2

12

Newcastle (H)

W 3-1

2 Liverpool 34 points, 2019/20

Liverpool won 11 of their first 12 Premier League games in the 2019/20 season to soar into an eight-point lead over second-placed Leicester City, scoring 28 goals in the process. After that, they won their next 15 on the trot.

Despite a slip in form in the final couple of months of the campaign, the Reds’ near-perfect start was more than enough to see them clinch their first league title since 1990.

Liverpool’s first 12 games (2019/20)

Game

Opponent

Result

1

Norwich (H)

W 4-1

2

Southampton (A)

W 2-1

3

Arsenal (H)

W 3-1

4

Burnley (A)

W 3-0

5

Newcastle (H)

W 3-1

6

Chelsea (A)

W 2-1

7

Sheff Utd (A)

W 1-0

8

Leicester (H)

W 2-1

9

Man Utd (A)

D 1-1

10

Tottenham (H)

W 2-1

11

Aston Villa (A)

W 2-1

12

Man City (H)

W 3-1

James Hildreth, the long-serving Somerset batter, has announced that he will retire from professional cricket at the end of the season, almost 20 years after making his debut for the club.Regarded by some as the best batter of his generation not to have represented England, Hildreth amassed more than 17,000 first-class runs for Somerset, putting him third on the county’s all-time list behind Harold Gimblett and Marcus Trescothick. He currently averages 40.98, with 47 first-class hundreds, but the closest he came to being capped was a handful of Lions appearances more than a decade ago.He is Somerset’s leading run-scorer in T20 cricket, with 3906, and also tallied more than 6000 runs in List A games. Hildreth hit the winning runs when Somerset won the 2005 Twenty20 Cup, aged 20, and then did the same at Lord’s 14 years on to secure the Royal London Cup.Related

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Hildreth will turn 38 next month, and has only managed 256 runs at 25.60 in this year’s County Championship. He was not involved at all in Somerset’s Blast campaign.”It feels like the right time to start a new chapter in my life and I’m excited about what the future holds,” Hildreth said. “I left school at 18 and have spent the last 20 years with the club. It’s been my life and I’ve loved every minute of it.”The club and cricket as a whole has given myself and my family so much over the last 20 years, and I’ve got nothing but fondness and love for the club and that will continue for the rest of my life. I’m looking forward to being a Somerset supporter and to coming down to watch the guys with my family and my children.”The thing I’ll miss most is the pride that you feel when you pull on that shirt to represent the club and the whole of the south west. The Somerset members and supporters have been incredible to me. They’ve always been so supportive, and I’ve always felt that, whether that’s walking through town or being out on the pitch. I’d like to thank them for their support over the years, and hopefully I’ve managed to bring a little bit of enjoyment into their lives with what I’ve done on the pitch.”Hildreth, who was awarded his county cap in 2007 and a testimonial year in 2017, has made 715 appearances for Somerset – more than any other player – and was a central figure as the club regularly pushed for their first Championship pennant during the 2010s, five times finishing as runners-up.Somerset’s director of cricket, Andy Hurry, said: “James Hildreth will go down in history as one of the best players ever to represent this club. His stats speak for themselves, but his contribution to Somerset cricket has been so much more than that.”During his time at the club he has proved himself to be the model professional and he is the perfect role model for any aspiring player. The way that he has conducted himself both on and off the field has been exemplary, and as such he has become one of the most respected players within the domestic game over the last 20 years.”His name will forever be synonymous with Somerset County Cricket Club, and everyone associated with SCCC wishes James and his family well in their future endeavours. On behalf of everyone at the cub both now and in the past, thank you for so many incredible memories.”Somerset’s head coach, Jason Kerr, recalled two of Hildreth’s “outstanding” innings for the club – a 53-ball T20 hundred against Glamorgan in 2012, and his century on one leg during the final game of the 2016 Championship – while Gordon Hollins, the chief executive, described him as one of the finest batters of his era and a “mainstay of the success that this club has achieved over the last 20 years”.Kerr added: “I guess all good things have to come to an end, but James has had an outstanding career and I’m sure that we’ll see a deserving outpouring of best wishes and superlatives for him over the next few weeks. There’s no doubt he’ll be missed, first and foremost as a person, but obviously also as a cricketer. Players of Hildy’s calibre are few and far between.”

Barcelona boss Hansi Flick has urged referees to "speak up" amid Real Madrid's complaints over the standard of officiating in La Liga.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Real make complaint
• Barca boss weighs in
• Urges refs to go public

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Referees have been at the centre of real controversy in Spain, with Real submitting a formal complaint to the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) after their 1-0 loss to Espanyol, asking for VAR audio to be released. La Liga president Javier Tebas hit back, insisting that the Liga giants have "lost their minds".

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• Getty Images
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Now, Flick has suggested that La Liga's officials should be willing to go public when it comes to explaining decisions. Barcelona have had their own issues with officials, and are continuing to fight the so-called 'Negreira case', although they no longer stand accused of bribing officials.

• WHAT HANSI FLICK SAID

  Flick told reporters: "Sometimes it would be nice if the referees spoke up. It could be an option, but their job is very hard. If they want to change something, I would be open to it."

• Getty Images
  

  WHAT NEXT?

  Barcelona face Sevilla away from home on Sunday evening.

Manchester United fan Luke Littler believes his beloved team can still win a trophy this season despite a torrid campaign so far.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Man Utd struggling this season
• Littler still believes in Red Devils
• Back them to win trophy this season

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The 2025 PDC World Championship winner has backed the Red Devils to lift the Europa League trophy this season, while also discussing the positives and negatives of playing in the competition next term.

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• Getty Images
  

  WHAT LUKE LITTLER SAID

  He told : "I think if we get Europe it’s a good thing, but if we don’t it’s a good thing too. You’ve seen the likes of Chelsea do really well with no European football, so if United don’t get it this season they will be really fresh because they won’t have to play as many midweek games. I do have high hopes for us in the Europa League this season, though. I think we can win it."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Ruben Amorim's side sit 13th in the Premier League and are well off the pace in the hunt for European football in 2025-26. However, they can still play on the European stage next term if they either win the Europa League or FA Cup in the coming months.

• Getty
  

  WHAT NEXT?

  United will hope to progress to round five of the FA Cup when they host Leicester City on Friday night.

Recruitment in county cricket has never been tougher, as evidenced by Sussex’s decision to sign a fifth overseas player for their T20 Blast campaign in Obed McCoy.The pandemic’s effect on the Future Tours Programme has seen countless postponed tours rearranged at short notice, leaving counties in the dark as to who will be available when. Some players have also faced visa issues due to a Home Office backlog.Counties can register up to three overseas players simultaneously but only field two in a single playing XI and Sussex had initially planned to split their slots for the Blast between Mohammad Rizwan and Rashid Khan.But it became apparent on the day Rizwan’s signing was confirmed that things would not be that straightforward, with Pakistan announcing new dates for their ODI series against West Indies right in the middle of the Blast’s schedule.Related

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• Tim Seifert signs for Sussex's Blast campaign in wicketkeeper merry-go-round

Sussex initially signed Josh Philippe as a partial replacement but his availability was then limited by an Australia A tour to Sri Lanka. That prompted the recruitment of Tim Seifert as a third keeper-batter for a short stint in the middle of the season.But Rashid’s involvement in the IPL knockout stages – his Gujarat Titans side are in Sunday’s final – and an Afghanistan tour to Zimbabwe means he will only play the final six group games. That means McCoy, the West Indies fast bowler, will join for around four games as a replacement – albeit hardly a like-for-like one.Sussex have remained upbeat publicly with a club statement declaring they were “delighted” to announce McCoy’s arrival. However, the preparation of an infographic outlining which of their five recruits will be available for which match underlines the sense of chaos – not least with an asterisk reminding supporters that their plans were subject to change.”Obed will be a fantastic addition to our team,” James Kirtley, their T20 head coach, said. “He is an up-and-coming world class T20 cricketer. Fresh off a very successful IPL, he can bowl with pace and has great skills at the death.”Sussex started the season with a defeat at home to Glamorgan on Thursday night in front of a crowd of just 2,209 at Hove, suggesting the involvement of big-name overseas players has done little to help ticket sales. They travel to Bristol on Friday night to play Gloucestershire.

da bwin： Manchester United have spent heavily under Erik ten Hag during his tenure of two and a quarter years. He has spent a whooping £616m according to Goal, and has made 20 signings in that time, with several of them being familiar players who played under him at Ajax.

da mrbet： The most expensive player he has signed during his Old Trafford tenure is Antony. He cost an outrageous £81.3m, although has not really had the return which United would have hoped. The Brazilian has scored just 12 goals and has five assists to his name in 86 games.

Incredibly, the player who has been a revelation for the Dutchman over the past two seasons was someone who cost nothing, Jonny Evans.

Man Utd's "crazy" signing

Bringing Evans back to Old Trafford eight years after he left for West Brom was certainly a curious move from United. A graduate from the esteemed Carrington academy, the Northern Irish stalwart initially joined the club for a short-term deal with a view of helping maintain fitness whilst finding a new club.

As it happened, that club happened to be the 13-time Premier League champions, of which Evans won three of them. The club confirmed the deal following the 2023 summer transfer window, amongst something of an injury crisis.

It is fair to say that there was a mixed response from United fans when the club confirmed that the 36-year-old had rejoined the club. Mark Goldbridge, presenter for Red Devils fan channel The United Stand, explained that it would “terrify me” if the Old Trafford side made the signing permanent, which, of course, they did.

He also took to X to call the deal “crazy”, largely blaming the Red Devils now minority owners – the Glazers – for bringing the former Northern Ireland international, who recently retired from international football, back to the club.

However, it is fair to say that Evans has been impressive during his second spell at the club, earning himself a new one-year deal and has become a player Ten Hag can rely on in crucial moments.

Evans' record under Ten Hag

Having been a part of the hugely successful United sides of the late noughties and early 2010s under the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson, Evans now finds himself in a far different environment. United are languishing in 14th in the Premier League having won just once.

Despite his age, which of course has some effects on his game, such as making him slower along the ground, the former Leicester City man has been superb. He has played 36 times across his second spell at the club, having initially left with 198 games under his belt.

The United academy graduate has been a player for the big occasion under Ten Hag, and although he is slower physically, he is as sharp as ever mentally. The Dutchman has relied on him in some huge games, with Evans starting away to rivals Manchester City and Liverpool. He helped to keep a clean sheet at Anfield.

However, arguably his finest hour during his second spell at Old Trafford came during the last game against Aston Villa. He was a surprise starter but put in a stellar performance, which earned him Sky Sports’ Player of the match award, to help United keep a clean sheet and get a valuable point.

Evans stats vs. Villa

Stat

Record

Touches

54

Pass accuracy

86%

Passes completed

36/42

Ground duels won

6/7

Aerial duels won

5/5

Tackles won

4/4

Clearances

3

Stats from Sofascore

It was that game which led United fan and social media presence Jay Motty to call the Northern Irishman “Ten Hag’s best signing”. Given he did not cost a penny, that might be a surprising claim, although he has been superb since his return to the club.

Ten Hag will be hoping the United veteran can keep up his impressive form as the Red Devils look to turn around their poor start to the season, having already left Goldbridge – and others – eating humble pie.

Related Goldbridge thinks it's "stupid": Man Utd could hire perfect Ten Hag upgrade

The Red Devils could look to make a managerial change over the next week or so…

Posts ByRobbie Walls Oct 9, 2024

Everton are now believed to be looking to bring in a “fantastic” manager to replace Sean Dyche as the Friedkin Group close in on a takeover from Farhad Moshiri.

Everton takeover latest

The Blues are still without a win in the Premier League this season, although Saturday’s 1-1 draw away to Leicester City did at least see them get their first point on the board. There was an element of disappointment about the result again however, considering Everton were leading through Iliman Ndiaye’s goal and because they were up against a team who were playing Championship football last term.

This terrible start to the campaign has understandably meant that there is huge pressure on Dyche to keep his job, with the Englishman seemingly losing admirers by the week among the Goodison Park faithful and a potential takeover sure to change his status as well.

On that note, it appears John Textor has taken too long trying to sell his stake at Crystal Palace, as it is now the Freidkin Group closing in on a deal, with reliable reporter Mark Douglas revealing on Monday that an Everton takeover is “very close” and Friedkin is plotting “significant” investment and an “immediate review of football operations” – something which may place Dyche’s position in danger.

Moyes favourite to be new Everton manager

A new report from Football Insider claims that Everton are now looking to bring David Moyes back to Goodison, should they decide that Dyche is no longer the right man for the job. The Scot is considered a “popular appointment” by both “the boardroom and the fans”, having enjoyed such an impressive stint in charge first time around, although it is unclear how much of that support is from the potential new investors.

Opinion may be divided among Everton fans when it comes to a Moyes return, with some no doubt happy about the potential for it happening, and others perhaps feeling that a younger option is needed. He enjoyed a good second spell at West Ham, not least because he won the UEFA Europa Conference League back in 2022/23, but has ironically struggled against Dyche in his career, barely averaging over a point per game against the 53 year-old and winning only 3 of 11 head to heads.

Legendary centre-back Martin Keown lauded him during his last stint with the Hammers, saying: “I think David Moyes deserves credit because you know he’s at the back end of his career but I think he’s getting ever-better. He’s actually showing improvements. Fantastic work they’re doing in Europe, and he seems to be relishing the battle right now.”

Moyes is known for adopting a 4-2-3-1 formation, and while not necessarily the most attack-minded manager around, he could arguably play better football than has been on show under Dyche, with entertainment value severely lacking under his management and only four goals scored in the league so far this season.

West Ham

230

1.53

West Ham

31

1.19

Sunderland

43

0.72

Real Sociedad

42

1.21

Man Utd

51

1.73

Everton

518

1.54

Preston North End

211

1.72

Moyes’ vast experience could help Everton get themselves out of this current hole, in a period where avoiding relegation from the Premier League this season is paramount ahead of the move to Bramley Moore Dock.