Disappointed England stars landed at home on Monday after yet another European Championship final defeat, against Spain.

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England stars reached the UK from BerlinWent down 2-1 against SpainSouthgate could leave England jobWHAT HAPPENED?

A disheartened English side returned to the UK from Berlin on Monday after going down in yet another European Championship final. After failing to lift their first-ever Euros title in 2021 at Wembley, Gareth Southgate's side had one more opportunity to end their decades-long trophy drought as they reached the final of Euro 2024, however, they went down 2-1 against Spain on Sunday.

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The Three Lions faced criticism right from the beginning of the tournament due to their poor style of play. Despite having one of the strongest squads in the competition, their performance on the pitch did not live up to the expectations. From Harry Kane to Phil Foden and Kyle Walker, all the big English stars failed to deliver when it mattered the most.

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There have been speculations over Southgate's future as England boss and according to talkSPORT, the manager is considering leaving his role after eight years in charge. Newcastle boss Eddie Howe and former Chelsea coach Graham Potter are being considered as possible replacements for the outgoing manager.

It hasn't been the best of seasons for Newcastle United this year.

Eddie Howe's side have been decimated by a slew of injuries and have struggled to compete domestically and in Europe.

That said, there have been some bright spots for the Toon, notably Swedish striker Alexander Isak, who continues to wow fans and pundits alike.

However, the fan favourite was actually outscored by a former Newcastle flop last year.

Alexander Isak's Newcastle career in numbers

Newcastle signed Isak from La Liga side Real Sociedad in August 2022 for a club-record fee of £63m, and while that's certainly a lot of money, it's been well spent.

Described as a "different level" by U23 scout Antonio Mango, the former Borussia Dortmund star took no time at all to get up to speed with life in the Premier League, scoring his first goal for the club on his debut, which just happened to be at Anfield.

While injuries certainly disrupted his first season with the Magpies, a final haul of ten goals and three assists in just 27 games is rather impressive for a striker's first year in the league.

The 24-year-old has had to deal with yet more injury problems this year. However, despite that and the team's overall poor form, the Sweden international has still scored 16 goals in 29 appearances for the club, giving him a seriously impressive average of 0.55 goals per game and fully justifying his hefty £120k-per-week wage.

Alexander Isak's Newcastle United career

Season

2022/23

2023/24

Appearances

27

29

Goals

10

16

Assists

3

0

Goal Involvements per Match

0.48

0.55

All Stats via Transfermarkt

However, as impressive as Isak has been since moving to Tyneside, a former Toon flop actually outscored him last season.

What Yoshinori Muto cost Newcastle

The player in question is Japan international Yoshinori Muto, who joined the Magpies in a £9.5m transfer from Bundesliga side Mainz in the summer of 2018.

The former FC Tokyo ace had a relatively successful spell in Germany, racking up 23 goals and 11 assists for the team in just 72 appearances. Unfortunately for the Toon, he didn't get anywhere near this rate of return in England.

In total, the Setagaya-born attacker, who was earning £54k-per-week at the time, scored just two goals in his 28 appearances for the club, which amounted to a grand total of 943 minutes of football.

After two years of poor performances, he was sent on a season-long loan to Spanish outfit SD Eibar, where he continued to underwhelm, scoring three goals and providing two assists in 28 appearances.

He was finally moved on in 2021 after returning from his loan spell, meaning that he cost the club around £5.6m in wages, or around £15.1m, when his transfer fee is considered.

Therefore, he cost the Magpies a whopping £7.5m-per-goal, £541k-per-appearance, or £16k-per-minute.

The finances of Yoshinori Muto's Newcastle career

Transfer Fee

£9.5m

Total Wages

£5.6m

Total Cost

£15.1m

Appearances

28

Cost per Appearance

£541k

Minutes

943'

Cost per Minute

£16k

Goals

2

Cost per Goal

£7.5m

Stats via Transfermarkt & Wages via Capology

Yoshinori Muto's record after leaving Newcastle

With how badly his spell in the northeast went, fans might have expected the 5 foot 10 attacker to continue to disappoint at his next club, but that couldn't have been further from the truth.

In all, Muto has scored 23 goals and provided 23 assists in 86 appearances for Vissel Kobe, and his return of 11 goals and 12 assists last season is better than what Isak could muster in black and white, albeit in a much tougher league.

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In the current day, the striker has played two matches in the J-League which has just kicked off, failing to score yet from 129 minutes of action.

Although now performing rather away from St James', signing Muto from Mainz in 2018 proved to be one of Newcastle's worst transfers in recent memory, and one the new ownership probably wouldn't have made.

There is something special about the FA Cup, something that sets it apart from the countless national cup competitions that can be found in our great game.

Whether it’s the 151-year history that comes along with it, the thrilling finals it has produced in the past, or the fact that it so often pits footballing giants against non-league minnows – and that the latter can sometimes be the ones to come out the other side.

The magic of the cup is undeniably real, and the proof of that is the countless fairytale runs that non-league sides have been on in the past. With that in mind, Football FanCast has created a list of the best FA Cup runs by non-league sides.

For this list, we’ve noted some of the deepest runs into the competition by teams outside the Football League, though we’ve also factored in the number of games played (excluding replays) into the rankings.

Rank	Team	Round(s) Reached	League(s)	Season(s)
1	Tottenham Hotspur	Winner	Southern League	1900/01
2	Blyth Spartans	Fifth Round	Northern League	1977/78
3	Maidstone United	Fifth Round	National League South	2023/24
4	Lincoln City	Quarter Final	National League	2016/17
5	Southampton	Final	Southern League	1899/00, 1901/02
6	The Wednesday	Final	Football Alliance	1889/90
7	Marine	Third Round	Northern Premier League Division One North West	2020/21
8	Crawley Town	Fifth Round	National League	2010/11
9	Sutton United	Fourth/Fifth Round	Conference, National League	1988/89, 2016/17
10	Yeovil Town	Fifth Round	Southern League	1948/49
11	Hereford United	Fourth Round	Southern League	1971/72
12	Wrexham	Fourth Round	National League	2022/23

13

Wrexham

Fourth Round 2022/23

Wrexham: FA Cup results 2022/23
Round	Result
Fourth qualifying round	Blyth Spartans 1-1 Wrexham
Fourth qualifying round replay	Wrexham 3-2 Blyth Spartans
First round	Wrexham 3-0 Oldham
Second round	Wrexham 4-1 Farnborough
Third round	Coventry 3-4 Wrexham
Fourth round	Wrexham 3-3 Sheffield United
Fourth round replay	Sheffield United 3-1 Wrexham

The first run on the list features Hollywood’s new favourite football team, Wrexham AFC.

As if being taken over by Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney and winning promotion to the Football League wasn’t enough, the Welsh side also enjoyed a miraculous run in the FA Cup last year.

The Red Dragons entered the competition in the fourth qualifying round and progressed to the first round proper with a 3-2 replay win over Blyth Spartans, which was broadcast in the States on ESPN. Yes, really.

They beat fellow National League side Oldham Athletic before breezing past non-league Farnborough in the second round. In the third round, things finally got interesting for the Disney stars, as they were drawn against Championship high-flyers Coventry City, who they beat 4-3.

The fourth round brought more Championship opposition in the form of Sheffield United, who played out a thrilling 3-3 draw at the Racecourse before ending the Hollywood story in the replay, winning 3-1.

12

Hereford United

Fourth Round 1971/72

Hereford United: FA Cup results 1971/72
Round	Result
Fourth qualifying round	Hereford 3-0 Cheltenham
First round	King’s Lynn 0-0 Hereford
First round replay	Hereford 1-0 King’s Lynn
Second round	Hereford 0-0 Northampton
Second round replay	Northampton 2-2 Hereford
Second round replay	Hereford 2-1 Northampton
Third round	Newcastle 2-2 Hereford
Third round replay	Hereford 2-1 Newcastle
Fourth round	Hereford 0-0 West Ham
Fourth round replay	West Ham 3-1 Hereford

In the 1971/72 season, Hereford United managed to reach the fourth round of the FA Cup as a Southern League club.

They were given a bye to the fourth qualifying round, where they beat Cheltenham Town 3-0 to secure a first-round proper tie against King’s Lynn, who took them to a replay, which Hereford eventually won 1-0.

They played and beat fourth-tier side Northampton Town 2-1 after taking them to two replays before they were given the impossible task of beating First Division side Newcastle United in the third round.

Well, it looked impossible, but Hereford managed to come away from the tie as 2-1 winners after holding the Toon to a 2-2 draw at St James’ Park. Their fourth-round opponents were another First Division side, West Ham United.

Hereford were the home team for the tie, and as they had with every other opponent thus far, they forced their opposition into a replay.

Unfortunately, they couldn’t quite manage another giant-killing, but the Irons only managed three goals at Upton Park, and as a sign of respect, the team and fans clapped Hereford off the pitch due to their Herculean efforts.

11

Yeovil Town

Fifth Round 1948/49

Yeovil Town: FA Cup results 1948/49
Round	Result
Fourth qualifying round	Lovells Athletic 2-3 Yeovil
First round	Yeovil 4-0 Romford
Second round	Weymouth 0-4 Yeovil
Third round	Yeovil 3-1 Bury
Fourth round	Yeovil 2-1 Sunderland
Fifth round	Manchester United 8-0 Yeovil

We’re going back to the 1940s for this one, and down to Somerset’s finest – we think – Yeovil Town.

At the time, the Glovers were playing in the Southern League and had fought their way through qualifying and the early stages to reach the fourth round, where they would come up against their biggest test: First Division outfit Sunderland.

At the time, the Black Cats were one of the best teams in the country and were colloquially known as the ‘Bank of England Club’ for their lavish spending on players. In contrast, Yeovil were a team of part-timers, school teachers and electricians.

It was a total mismatch in every way, and yet, with their home fans behind them, the men in green and white emerged victorious, with a place in the fifth round – just one game away from the quarter-finals.

However, let’s just say their fifth-round game against Manchester United didn’t exactly go to plan, as they ended up losing 8-0.

10

Sutton United

Fourth Round 1988/89, Fifth Round 2016/17

Sutton United: FA Cup results 2016/17
Round	Result
Fourth qualifying round	Sutton 2-1 Forest Green
First round	Dartford 3-6 Sutton
Second round	Sutton 2-1 Cheltenham
Third round	Sutton 0-0 AFC Wimbledon
Third round replay	AFC Wimbledon 1-3 Sutton
Fourth round	Sutton 1-0 Leeds
Fifth round	Sutton 0-2 Arsenal

Sutton United have quite the FA Cup pedigree. While now a Football League club themselves after being promoted in 2021, the Us first made serious waves in the late 1980s with one hell of an underdog triumph.

At the time, the south London club were playing in the Conference, the fifth tier of English football, and as such, were given a bye into the fourth qualifying round, where they beat Walton & Hersham 3-0 in a replay to secure their place in the first round proper.

From there, they dispatched both Dagenham and Aylesbury United before being given the intimidating draw of First Division side Coventry City in the third round.

The Sky Blues had won the competition only 18 months prior, so to describe this match as a David vs Goliath affair wouldn’t be far off.

However, with their confidence high from the first two rounds and raucous home support, the men in yellow put Coventry to the sword and emerged 2-1 victors, with a place secured in the fourth round.

Unfortunately, Norwich City blew the plucky part-timers away in the next game and won 8-0.

They were at it again some 18 years later, when an impressive six-game run came an end against the competition’s most successful club, Arsenal. After beating Forest Green Rovers 2-1 in the fourth qualifying round; they were drawn in the first round proper against non-league Dartford – who they beat 6-3.

The second round brought with it a 2-1 win over Cheltenham Town, followed by a 3-1 replay victory over AFC Wimbledon, after which came an impressive 1-0 win over Championship side Leeds United.

Unfortunately, this is where their fairytale would end; despite putting up a good fight at home to the Gunners, they would come away from the game 2-0 losers.

However, the game will always be remembered for the trouble that goalkeeper Wayne Shaw got in for eating a pie in the dugout.

9

Crawley Town

Fifth Round 2010/11

Crawley Town: FA Cup results 2010/11
Round	Result
Fourth qualifying round	Newport 0-1 Crawley
First round	Guiseley 0-5 Crawley
Second round	Crawley 1-1 Swindon
Second round replay	Swindon 2-3 Crawley (aet)
Third round	Crawley 2-1 Derby
Fourth round	Torquay 0-1 Crawley
Fifth round	Manchester United 1-0 Crawley

This might be an unpopular entry; after all, FourFourTwo named them the 21st most-hated side in British football, but Crawley Town’s 2010/11 FA Cup campaign is still something to be applauded.

The team were playing in the National League at the time, and following their fourth-round qualifying win over Newport County, they prepared to take on non-league Guiseley, who they dispatched 5-0.

Their second-round opponents, Swindon Town, put up more of a fight and a replay was required to progress, whereas Derby County fell to a 2-1 defeat at the first time of asking.

Devonshire side Torquay United greeted Crawley in the fourth round, but the national league side once again swept past their opponents with a 1-0 win.

However, the fifth round brought Manchester United to the party, which proved to be one step too many for the non-league side.

That said, Crawley put up a good fight, only losing 1-0 at Old Trafford, and they even had the chance to level the score in the dying moments of the game, but Richard Brodie’s header thundered off the bar.

8

Marine

Third Round 2020/21

Marine: FA Cup results 2020/21
Round	Result
Preliminary round	Marine 2-1 Barnoldswick Town
First qualifying round	Frickley Athletic 0-1 Marine
Second qualifying round	Runcorn Linnets 1-1 Marine (Marine won 4-3 on penalties)
Third qualifying round	Marine 4-1 Nantwich Town
Fourth qualifying round	Chester 0-1 Marine
First round	Colchester 1-1 Marine (Marine won 5-3 on penalties)
Second round	Marine 1-0 Havant & Waterlooville (aet)
Third round	Marine 0-5 Tottenham

Marine currently play in the Northern Premier League, which is the seventh tier of English football, but when they made it to the third round of the FA Cup in the 2020/21 season, they were a part of the Northern Premier League Division One North West, the eighth tier.

The Merseyside club had to win five games just to make it to the first round proper, but when they did, they were rewarded with a tie against League Two side Colchester United, who they beat 5-3 on penalties.

The journey continued into the second round with a win over sixth-tier Havant & Waterlooville before they were drawn into the biggest game in the club’s history: a third-round clash with Premier League outfit Tottenham.

There were 161 league positions between the two sides – the most in the competition’s history – and while Marine ultimately lost 5-0, they created genuine history thanks to their fairytale eight-game run.

7

The Wednesday

Finalists 1889/90

The Wednesday: FA Cup results 1889/90
Round	Result
First round	The Wednesday 6-1 Swifts
Second round	The Wednesday 2-1 Accrington
Quarter-final	The Wednesday 2-1 Notts County
Semi-final	The Wednesday 2-1 Bolton
Final	Blackburn 6-1 The Wednesday

The Football League was in just its second year when The Wednesday – now Sheffield Wednesday – upset the applecart by going all the way to the final in the late 19th century.

Beating the likes of top-flight Notts County and Bolton Wanderers along the way, the Owls would be comprehensively beaten 6-1 by Blackburn Rovers, who had finished third in the 12-team Football League.

So despite the early years of football as we know it and Wednesday’s brief path to the final diminishing the achievement somewhat, going to the showpiece event as a non-league team is still a feat only repeated on three other occasions in the history of the English game.

6

Southampton

Finalists 1899/00, 1901/02

Southampton: FA Cup results 1901/02
Round	Result
First round	Tottenham 1-1 Southampton
First round replay	Southampton 2-2 Tottenham
First round replay	Southampton 2-1 Tottenham
Second round	Southampton 4-1 Liverpool
Quarter-final	Bury 2-3 Southampton
Semi-final	Southampton 3-1 Nottingham Forest
Final	Sheffield United 1-1 Southampton
Final replay	Sheffield United 2-1 Southampton

Southampton may be flying high in the second tier these days, but in the fledgling years of the Football League, the Saints were making waves in the cup as a non-league club.

If we go way back to the 1899/00 season, they competed in the Southern League, which encompasses the seventh and eighth tiers of English football today, though was effectively merely outside the top two divisions that made up the Football League.

Now, a team in Tier 8 would have had to go through the six preliminary rounds before reaching the first round proper. Still, as they had been crowned Southern League champions three years on the bounce, the Saints were given a bye to the first round – they did not join the Football League until 1920.

On their way to the final, they beat Everton, Newcastle United, West Bromwich Albion (all top-flight clubs), and Millwall before coming unstuck against First Division Bury in the showpiece event.

The final was watched by 68,945 fans and ended 4-0 to the Lancashire outfit. However, Southampton had still massively overachieved. Despite this, they repeated the feat just two years later, beating then-holders Spurs, Liverpool and Derby County – as well as exacting revenge on Bury – before being beaten in a replay by Sheffield United.

5

4

Lincoln City

Quarter-finals 2016/17

Lincoln City: FA Cup results 2016/17
Round	Result
Fourth qualifying round	Lincoln 0-0 Guiseley
Fourth qualifying round replay	Guiseley 1-2 Lincoln
First round	Lincoln 2-1 Altrincham
Second round	Lincoln 3-2 Oldham
Third round	Lincoln 1-0 Ipswich
Fourth round	Lincoln 3-1 Brighton
Fifth round	Burnley 0-1 Lincoln
Quarter-final	Arsenal 5-0 Lincoln

Lincoln will now be nervously looking over their shoulders as their FA Cup exploits as a non-league club look to be usurped by Maidstone’s crazy run to the last 16.

Now a League One club, the Imps embarked on one of the most extraordinary non-league FA Cup runs of them all in the 2016/17 campaign.

Lincoln were the surprise package for the FA Cup that year, as despite plying their trade in the National League, they managed to reach the competition’s quarter-finals.

They picked up some big scalps along the way, including Oldham Athletic, Ipswich Town, Brighton & Hove Albion and even Premier League outfit Burnley.

They eventually lost 5-0 to Arsenal in the last eight, but they became the first non-league side to reach that stage of the FA Cup in 103 years, which is a genuinely remarkable achievement in the current era of professionalism and how far the game has come since the days of early-20th-century Southampton.

MatériaMais Notícias

Em partida válida pela 6ª rodada da segunda fase, do Campeonato Cearense, o Forteleza levou a melhor sobre o Ceará no famoso Clássico-Rei, batendo o rival por 2 a 0, na tarde deste sábado, na Arena Castelão.

Com o resultado, o Leão chegou aos 14 pontos assumindo a primeira colocação, entretanto, poderá perder o posto caso o Ferroviário vença o Atlético-CE na rodada. Já o Vozão, por conta do revés, acabou estacionando na 4ª colocação com seus 10 pontos.

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INÍCIO DE JOGO MOVIMENTADO

Com ambos os times buscando a vitória desde o primeiro minuto, era nítida a intensidade dos jogadores em campo. Com direito a uma forte marcação, o juiz sabia que não poderia perder um lance para que o jogo não saísse de seu controle.

Por outro lado, as iniciativas inicialmente partiram do lado do Ceará. Em algumas boas chegadas, a melhor saiu dos pés de Mendoza, porém a bola acabou indo para fora. Na sequência, o Fortaleza tratou de responder na mesma moeda com Matheus Vargas tentando um voleio, mas acabou pegando na defesa do Vozão que, por sua vez, afastou o perigo.

APÓS PARADA TÉCNICA, FORTALEZA CRESCE NO JOGO E MARCA

Com a arbitragem dando uma pausa para a reidratação dos atletas, o Ceará mostrou que não estava afim de levar o placar zerado para os vestiários. Sendo assim, momentos depois deu um susto no sistema defensivo rival quando Felipe Alves acabou afastando a bola de forma errada dentro de sua área.

Entretanto, o Leão não ficou para trás e, querendo também seu tento, foi pra cima. Depois de algumas tentativas frustradas, finalmente abriu a contagem na Arena Castelão com David, após aproveitar a bola cruzada por Messias que, inicialmente seria para Wellington Paulista, mas acabou sobrando para o camisa 17 marcar. 1 a 0.

LEÃO AMPLIA LOGO NA VOLTA PARA A SEGUNDA ETAPA

Com uma troca no intervalo, tirando Fernando Sobral para colocar em seu lugar Yony González, o técnico Guto Ferreira não queria saber de ficar em desvantagem. Porém as coisas não saíram conforme o planejado. Aos 9 minutos, Matheus Jussa arriscou de fora da área e, contando com o desvio em Jordan no meio do caminho, tirou a chance de Richard fazer a defesa. Era o segundo do Tricolor.

GUTO APOSTA EM MAIS MUDANÇAS, MAS SEM SUCESSO

Vendo a diferença no placar aumentar, o treinador do Vozão não quis saber de perder tempo. Promovendo mais algumas substituições, a intenção foi renovar o seu meio-campo colocando Oliveira e Jorginho. Sobretudo, mesmo com os novos jogadores, poucas foram as finalizações contra o gol de Felipe, segurando o resultado parcial até então.

Já pelo lado do Fortaleza, Vojvoda também recuou para seus suplentes. Dando oportunidade a jogadores como Osvaldo, Gustavo Blanco e Ronald, o Tricolor mantinha-se tranquilo apenas administrando o tempo.

VOZÃO QUASE MARCA NO FIM

Já na base do tudo ou nada, o Ceará tentava suas últimas investidas até os acréscimos. Sendo assim, aos 48, Gabriel Dias bem que tentou, mas a bola acabou explodindo na trave de Felipe.

Após o lance, foi a deixa para que o árbitro colocasse um ponto final na partida, com vitória do Fortaleza.

FICHA TÉCNICA
CEARÁ x FORTELEZA – 6ª RODADA DO CAMPEONATO CEARENSE – 2ª FASE
Estádio: Arena Castelão, Fortaleza (CE)
Data: 15 de maio de 2021, às 16h (de Brasília)
Árbitro:Léo Simão Holanda
Assistentes:Nailton Oliveira eRenan Aguiar
Cartões amarelos:Guto Ferreira e Jordan (CEA) / Marcelo Benevenuto, Gustavo Blanco e Robson (FOR)
Cartões vermelhos: –

GOLS: David, 37’/1ºT; Matheus Jussa, 9’/2ºT

CEARÁ (Técnico: Guto Ferreira)
Richard; Gabriel Dias, Messias, Jordan e Bruno Pacheco; Fernando Sobral (Yony González, no intervalo), Charles (Oliveira, aos 17’/2ºT) e Marlon; Mendoza (Rick, aos 37’/2ºT), Lima (Jorginho, aos 17’/2ºT) e Cléber.

FORTALEZA (Técnico: Juan Pablo Vojvoda)
​Felipe Alves; Tinga, Marcelo Benevenuto, Titi e Bruno Melo; Éderson, Matheus Jussa (Ronald, aos 26’/2ºT) e Matheus Vargas (Gustavo Blanco, 17’/2ºT); Robson, Wellington Paulista (Osvaldo, aos 26’/2ºT) e David (Yago Pikachu, aos 30’/2ºT).

Phil Parkinson sent out a stern warning to Wrexham players before jetting off on pre-season tour of North America.

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• Wrexham to fly to the USA for pre-season
• Will play friendlies against Premier League sides
• Parkinson looking to hit top gear before League One starts

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The team’s itinerary includes high-profile matches against Premier League clubs Bournemouth and Chelsea, set to take place on the scenic west coast of the United States in Santa Barbara and Santa Clara. Following these fixtures, Wrexham will make their final stop in Vancouver, the hometown of their Canadian co-owner, actor Ryan Reynolds, to face off against the Vancouver Whitecaps.

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• Getty
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Accompanying the team on this tour are new signings George Dobson and Lewis Brunt, who joined from Charlton Athletic and Mansfield Town, respectively. Arthur Okonkwo, who recently made his move from Arsenal permanent, is also part of the squad. Additionally, Seb Revan and Callum Burton have integrated with the team after their transfers earlier this week.

• WHAT PARKINSON SAID

  As Wrexham prepares for their first season in League One in 19 years, the team is set for rigorous training sessions under the Californian sun.

  “We had a good couple of weeks training at home and this feels a good time to be going away,” said Parkinson in an interview with . “I was very pleased with how the lads came back into the building after the summer. They’d all been doing a lot of work in the off-season.

  “Now, it is about stepping things up. It’s not a holiday. There are three really important games, which will be totally different to Hanley (whom Wrexham beat 5-1 last weekend). If you look at last year and the games against the Premier League sides, you don’t get as much possession as you’d like.

  “But that’s a good exercise as it allows us to work on our out-of-possession shape and organisation, which will both be key going into League One. This is a working trip and we have to come back in as good a shape as we can to be ready for the new season.”

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  However, the team will be without Paul Mullin, Wrexham's top scorer for the past three seasons, as he is recovering from back surgery. "The medical team is travelling with us, but unfortunately, Mulls is not able to join," confirmed Parkinson. Jacob Mendy, who recently underwent hamstring surgery, will also miss the start of the campaign.

For Championship promotion-chasers Leeds United, the emergence of Archie Gray has without doubt been one of the stories of the season. Gray has started 30 out of 34 games under Daniel Farke in the league this season, including Friday's memorable comeback win over the leaders.

Only three Leeds players – Ethan Ampadu (3,060), Islan Meslier (2,843) and Georginio Rutter (2,788) – have played more second-tier minutes for the club than Gray's 2,707, and unsurprisingly, he leads the way for all teenagers in the division. His nearest challenger is Sunderland's Jobe Bellingham, and he's a considerable way back on 2,471.

While Gray broke through as a midfielder, he's mostly played as a right-back this season, lining up there 22 times in all competitions, including in the dramatic win against Leicester on Friday. Leeds had interestingly signed a potential competitor on the final day of the winter transfer window in the form of Burnley's Connor Roberts, who arrived on loan until the end of the season, and the Welshman announced himself in the best way possible against the Foxes, scoring off the bench after replacing Junior Firpo.

Now, some comments from Hay in the build-up to the match have emerged, and it looks like the 49ers ownership group – together with the manager – got their January decision making just about spot on.

Roberts forcing Gray to get "even better" – Hay

Speaking on The Square Ball Podcast before Friday's mania, The Athletic's Phil Hay said that people at the club were conscious of ensuring that Gray's development wasn't obstructed by any January addition. Signing a versatile veteran who can support the teenager rather than compete with him was the objective, and based on what happened on Friday night, they pulled it off to perfection.

“It was one of those things when they were looking for a right-back in January, I remember somebody at the club saying this, they were very conscious of wanting a good right-back, and they got Connor Roberts who is very good, but not wanting that to immediately compromise Gray’s minutes, they still wanted Gray to be in the team and him to be playing.

“Actually if anything, he’s got better since Roberts came in and made it impossible for Farke, it would have to be a fitness thing, to get Roberts into the team.”

Leeds 3-1 Leicester proves 49ers' transfer genius

Farke proved the owners' decision to target experienced support for Gray was an act of genius with what he did on Friday, bringing on the fresh legs of Roberts for Firpo, who was struggling, and shifting Gray over to the other flank.

The two combined to flip the game on its head, and Gray, who also provided an assist in the 4-0 win over Swansea City, has been phenomenal since Roberts arrived, showing precision in possession, knowing when to take risks and winning the vast majority of his individual battles.

Goals

1

Assists

1

Touches

350

Passes attempted

228

Passes completed

187

Pass completion

82%

Dribbles attempted

10

Successful dribbles

6

Dribble success rate (%)

60%

Tackles

12

Ground duels contested

28

Ground duels won

19

Ground duel success rate (%)

68%

In the end, it may be looked back on as the transfer that pushed Leeds on to become genuine challengers to what previously looked like a stroll to the title for the Foxes. With Roberts now fit and firing, the manager is free to use Gray exactly if, when and how he chooses, rather than being forced to run him into the ground week in week out at right-back only.

Thumping victory at Napier gives visitors the edge as Auckland’s short boundaries promise more fireworks

The Preview by Andrew Miller09-Nov-2019Big pictureIt’s all up for grabs now! As if we haven’t found it hard enough to separate England and New Zealand on the field in recent months, so it has fittingly come to pass that the first five-match T20I series between senior Test nations is coming down to a winners-takes-all tie-breaker as well.England 2, New Zealand 2. And only the decider at Auckland to come. You can’t say you haven’t been entertained by these two teams of late.Okay, so it’s not the World Cup final. But there’s a special jeopardy attached to games such as these – with a series on the line and that extra pressure to perform – that will doubtless encourage the matchwinners on either side to tap into their A-games. With the World T20 only a year away, performances in contests such as these may be precisely what both captains are looking for as they finalise their 15s and separate the contenders from the also-rans.And England, all of a sudden, are the team that is seemingly on a roll. Momentum is a fickle and over-rated thing at the best of times, particularly in the shortest format, but the bug-squashing dominance that England’s batsmen exerted on Napier’s short boundaries on Friday was a sight to behold.Watch cricket on ESPN+

New Zealand v England is available in the US on ESPN+. Subscribe to ESPN+ and tune in to the T20I series.

In Dawid Malan, they were presented with a statement performance – a century of stunning power and no little frustration, as a man who has been flitting around the fringes of the white-ball squad for three years seized his chance to shine in the absence of the big three, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler.Remarkably, his innings of 103 not out from 51 balls may not yet be enough to guarantee a starting berth in England’s full-strength line-up. But in taking his T20I record to five fifties and a hundred in nine innings, he is making the sort of unanswerable case that Jonny Bairstow compiled in the 50-over squad prior to the World Cup. And that, more than anything, is what England were looking on this trip.Can they now close it out and seal the silverware that remains the aim of every touring side, regardless of developmental priorities? New Zealand never really regrouped after their beasting in the field on Friday, but just as Malan and James Vince had hinted at their form in the earlier matches, so too do the Kiwis have a raft of players who’ve got their eye in in the course of the first four matches. Martin Guptill is getting there, Colin de Grandhomme can never be discounted, Tim Southee’s savage range-hitting also hit the spot.But on the bowling front, England will have been every bit as encouraged by the progress they have made on this trip. Chris Jordan’s know-how with new ball and old has been a stand-out feature of every game he has played, and while Matt Parkinson’s legspin endured a few lusty blows over the leg-side, Eoin Morgan is sure to have been encouraged by his wicket-taking gumption – five in six overs in his career to date.Auckland’s awkward dimensions promise another batsman’s game – in particular the short fine-leg/long-off boundary that turns any error in line and length into a freebie. And if it’s anything like the tri-series bunfight against Australia 18 months ago – 243 v 245 – we are in for a treat. And for England fans with nothing better to do this weekend, it’s almost worth getting up in the middle of the night to pay attention…Form guideEngland WLLWW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
New Zealand LWWLLIn the spotlightIt’s been a promising first tour from Tom Banton but Malan’s exploits in Napier have raised the bar for those who hope to crack into the full-strength team in time for next year’s World Cup. He is one day shy of his 21st birthday, so to say that time is on his side is an understatement – and a return of 49 runs from 31 balls in two innings is significantly better than par – but as he showed in seizing the Royal London final for Somerset last summer, there’s more to come from this one. No time like the present to show it.Where’s he really at then? Martin Guptill endured a hellish World Cup, not remotely helped by his cruel role in the decisive moment in the Super Over, but in the course of this series, he’s been swinging back into the zone. The runs haven’t come in a torrent, but the tap looks ready to be turned back on again – as his 27 from 14 balls in Napier hinted. His levers can make a mockery of Auckland’s dimensions, given half a chance.Team newsIt was a chastening day at Napier for New Zealand’s bowlers, not least Daryl Mitchell, whose solitary over was dispatched for 25 runs, and the temptation to mix things up will be extreme. But with Lockie Ferguson’s wicket-taking menace now concentrating on red-ball cricket with a view to a possible Test debut, New Zealand may opt for a return to Scott Kuggeleijn’s extra pace, or the crafty all-round seam option of Jimmy Neesham.New Zealand (possible): 1 Martin Guptill, 2 Colin Munro, 3 Tim Seifert (wk), 4 Colin de Grandhomme, 5 Ross Taylor, 6 Jimmy Neesham, 7 Mitchell Santner, 8 Tim Southee (capt), 9 Ish Sodhi, 10 Trent Boult, 11 Blair Tickner /Scott KuggeleijnAfter his second TFC of the series, Lewis Gregory might be sweating on his role as England’s designated finisher, although England may be loath to change a winning side, especially if the circumstances offer a chance to truly test his mettle if an opportunity arises. James Vince probably deserves one more chance to show what he’s got after a couple of classy cameos, but the allure of silverware may limit the tinkering. Malan certainly hoped he had given Morgan a “headache”, having only expected to play in the first four games.England (possible): 1 Jonny Bairstow, 2 Tom Banton, 3 Dawid Malan/James Vince, 4 Eoin Morgan (capt), 5 Sam Billings (wk), 6 Lewis Gregory, 7 Sam Curran, 8 Tom Curran, 9 Chris Jordan, 10 Matt Parkinson, 11 Pat BrownPitch and conditionsKnown locally as the “postage stamp”, Auckland offers another drop-in wicket of indeterminate quality, and little respite for error.Stats and trivia New Zealand have won just one of their last seven T20I matches at Auckland, against Sri Lanka in January. England have won each of their two previous T20Is at the ground too, by 32 runs in 2008, and by 40 runs in 2013, when Eoin Morgan and Jonny Bairstow made 84 runs from 48 balls between them.Tim Southee requires one wicket to become the eighth man to claim 75 T20I wickets.Colin Munro requires five runs to draw level with Kane Williamson’s run-tally of 1,505 for New Zealand in T20Is. Munro has played two more games (59 to 57), though Williamson has batted once more often. Quotes”I don’t think you can let there be any scarring. You don’t completely sweep it under the carpet and you’ve got to learn from these experiences, but also you dust yourself off and there’s a series to be won in Auckland.” New Zealand’s captain, Tim Southee is looking ahead rather than back“That’s probably why I chanced my arm; I thought if this is the last one I’d better make it count. Thankfully it came off, a few mis-hits went for six and a couple of them just landed in gaps so it worked out really well.”

Their first victory of the T20 World Cup qualifier was a convincing one as they beat Bermuda by 45 runs

Peter Della Penna in Dubai21-Oct-2019

Dhiren Gondaria drives down the ground•Peter Della Penna

Dhiren Gondaria’s unbeaten 85 led Kenya to their first win of the T20 World Cup Qualifier as they beat Bermuda by 45 runs in Dubai.After choosing to bat on a wearing pitch, Gondaria lifted his side out of an early hole created by disciplined bowling from Bermuda. Alex Obanda fell on the fourth ball of the match for a golden duck miscuing a straight drive to midwicket off George O’Brien where Delray Rawlins took a splendid leaping catch.Kamau Leverock struck twice in his first two overs, getting Irfan Karim caught at midwicket for 15 before a slower ball foxed Collins Obuya to trap him in front for 4. Rodney Trott then had Rakep Patel nicking off to leave Kenya at 66 for 4 after 12 overs.Gondaria could do little but watch as the top order stumbled all around him but eventually he found a willing ally in the No. 6 batsman Rushab Patel. The pair added an unbeaten 72 across the final eight overs with a mixture of sensible strokeplay and a touch of luck.Gondaria had brought up his 50 off 48 balls in the 16th over, then struck back-to-back fours off Rawlins to begin a late surge. In the following over, he inside edged a heave off Leverock that spun back into the stumps but the bails wouldn’t break. Then, on 71, he was then put down at long-off by O’Brien, once again off Leverock’s bowling, as he made the most of his chances and batted through the innings.Bermuda’s chase got off to a dreadful start when Okera Bascome was caught at short fine leg off the first ball from Elijah Otieno. Captain Dion Stovell’s attempt at a glide to third man resulted in his own stumps being rearranged, and then Terryn Fray ran himself out to make it 7 for 3 after just 13 balls.Rawlins did his best to lead a fightback, reverse sweeping Ngoche for his first boundary in the fifth over before charging Obuya for a trio of straight driven fours. He pulled Rakep Patel for a couple of big hits over the leg side in the 12th over but a third attempt resulted in a top-edge being taken at short fine leg by the wicketkeeper Karim, ending a 58-run stand with Janeiro Tucker.Bermuda crumbled thereafter and were all out for 93 as Rawlins’ wicket sparked a collapse (6 for 12). Obuya did most of the damage, dismissing Tucker at long-on before Leverock top-edged a slog to short third man. A googly trapped Onias Bascome for his third wicket before he ended the match bowling O’Brien after a failed charge. After playing three days in a row, Bermuda now has a day off before taking on Namibia, needing a win to keep their playoff hopes alive.

تحدث محمد مجدي أفشة، لاعب الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بالنادي الأهلي، عن التتويج بالسوبر المصري على حساب الزمالك، بعد الفوز بالمباراة النهائية بركلات الترجيح.

وقال أفشة، في فيديو نشر عبر منصات الأهلي الرسمية: “هذه البطولة رقم 17 لي مع الأهلي وخامس سوبر، وأتمنى أن تكون بداية موسم جيدة للفريق”.

طالع.. كريم نيدفيد: شعرنا بالضغط بعد الخسارة من الزمالك.. والأهلي أظهر رد الفعل

وتابع: “عندما أتيت من بيراميدز للأهلي، كان هدفي صناعة تاريخ، الأرقام ستتحسن مع الوقت، وأنا ما زلت صغيرًا”.

وتابع: “أتدرب وأجتهد، أريد أن أحقق أرقامًا وأسجل أهدافًا، ومن المهم أن تحصد بطولات؛ إذا صنعت أهدافًا وسجلت دون أن تحصد بطولات، فلا فائدة من ذلك”.

وأضاف: “طالما أنك في النادي الأهلي، يمنحك طموحًا وتركيزًا وقوة وطاقة يجب أن تكون لديك مسؤولية لكي تلعب في الأهلي، النادي الأهلي كبير، ويجب أن تكون لديك شخصية داخل الملعب وإرادة ورجولة هذا هو الأهم، وأسعى لتحقيق ذلك”.

وأكمل: “الزمالك كبير وله كل الاحترام بلاعبيه وجماهيره، وهو فريق محترم وقدّم مباراة كبيرة عندما تحصد لقبًا من الزمالك، فهي بطولة خاصة ولها (طعم حلو وفرحة كبيرة)، هذا طبيعي، فالأهلي والزمالك هما أكبر ناديين في إفريقيا والوطن العربي”.

وأتم: “أمامنا مباراة بعد ثلاثة أيام مع العين الإماراتي، وهو فريق كبير، وستكون مواجهة صعبة جدًا، ونحن في انتظار الجماهير لملء الاستاد”.

As Crystal Palace appear destined for another season of mid-table obscurity in the Premier League, Steve Parish looks set to give the Eagles whatever is necessary to take them to the next level.

Palace need a new striker this summer

Ever since Wilfried Zaha's departure from Selhurst Park, the Eagles have struggled to replace the Ivorian's attacking influence. No Palace player has scored more than six league goals this season, with the south London outfit relying heavily on goals to come from midfield and wide areas.

Crystal Palace were rinsed by £170k-p/w signing who earned more than Eze

The highly-rated star cost the clubs millions and offered nothing in return.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Mar 22, 2024

Odsonne Edouard

22

6

0

Michael Olise

11

6

3

Eberechi Eze

18

6

1

Jean-Philippe Mateta

25

5

4

Jordan Ayew

26

4

6

Eberechi Eze and Michael Olise have been Palace's standout performers this season, but have both faced injury problems and have struggled to get on the pitch. Jean-Philippe Mateta and Odsonne Edouard are the closest thing the Eagles have to a traditional number nine, though both have failed to impress during the campaign.

Odsonne-Edouard

With this in mind, there is no wonder why signing a striker is at the top of Parish's shopping list as he looks to back Oliver Glasner in the transfer market.

Eagels set to make swoop for Nketiah

As first reported by Football Insider's Pete O'Rourke, Crystal Palace look set to put in a bid for Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah. The Eagles have been interested in signing the 24-year-old for some time, however, this news is the first mention of the south London outfit putting in an official bid ahead of the summer.

Nketiah has been on the radar of numerous Premier League clubs including Wolves and Brentford, with the Gunners reportedly setting a minimum price tag of £40m for the striker. In a modern game in which young strikers easily fetch north of £100m, signing Nketiah for the figure quoted could represent a major coup for whichever side lands him.

The Englishman has operated on the peripheries of the Gunners' starting XI for much of his senior career, normally limited to appearances in the cup and brief cameos off the bench. Whilst this will have satisfied Nketiah in his early days, the 24-year-old is clearly now itching for regular first-team action.

In his limited appearances this season, the striker has managed to find some success, in particular a first career hat-trick in Arsenal's 5-0 victory over Sheffield United back in October. Speaking after the game, ex-Palace and Arsenal striker Ian Wright was full of praise for Nketiah on Match of the Day, saying of his performance:

"I thought he was fantastic. I like it when he stays in and around the area, and he looked very sharp. The defenders were very poor but, at the same time, he was very sharp."

"It's about having composure and think that is what Eddie has got. He is very aggressive and I don't think Luke Thomas was strong enough to deal with the mood Eddie was in."

With Palace clearly in the market for a new number nine this summer, there would be few better options than snapping up an established Premier League talent like Nketiah.