Bruce could be seen in his new team colours at the Cricket World Cup League 2 matches in the Canada leg starting August 27

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Aug-2025Tom Bruce has shifted his loyalties from New Zealand to Scotland, and will be seen in action for his new team later this month, when Scotland take part in the Cricket World Cup League 2 matches in the Canada leg, starting August 27.Bruce, who qualified to play for Scotland because of his Edinburgh-born father, represented a Scotland Development side in 2016, before moving to New Zealand. A top-order batter, Bruce played domestic cricket for Central Districts since 2014, and represented New Zealand in 17 T20Is between 2017 and 2020. He was most recently in action for Central Districts at the Global Super League in Providence, Guyana.In a Cricket Scotland statement, Bruce said, “There’s a long Scottish history within my family and I know they will be incredibly proud that I am representing Scotland on the world stage. I’ve been fortunate enough to play for New Zealand five years ago, and I want to continue to showcase my skills on the world stage, and help the Scotland team achieve success, as I know the group is capable of achieving success and continuing to grow as a team.Related

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“I was involved briefly in the set-up back in 2016, and it was an awesome experience. I played alongside and against a lot of the current group of Scotland players, and it’s been great following their development through the years and I’m looking forward to linking up with them again.”For me, I want to help the team in any way shape or form to play some consistent quality cricket and ultimately help get us to a World Cup.”Now 34, Bruce made a name for himself first when he hit 223 runs at a strike rate of 140.25 for Central Districts in the 2015-16 Super Smash. An innovative hitter, he had another good run at the following Super Smash, and that earned him a call-up to the New Zealand squad for a T20I series against Bangladesh. Success was elusive at that level, though, as Bruce scored a total of 279 runs at a strike rate of 122.36 from his 17 T20I innings with two half-centuries.”I’m very excited about Tom joining the group, not only is he a world-class cricketer, he brings a whole range of experience, he’s played a lot of 50-over and T20 cricket,” Doug Watson, the Scotland men’s head coach, said. “He’s going to add massive value both on the field and off the field in the years ahead, and I’m looking forward to getting him amongst the group, and I’m sure he’ll fit in perfectly well.”Scotland squadRichie Berrington (capt), Tom Bruce, Matthew Cross, Brad Currie, Josh Davey, Jasper Davidson, Chris Greaves, Jack Jarvis, Michael Leask, Finlay McCreath, Brandon McMullen, George Munsey, Safyaan Sharif, Charlie Tear, Mark Watt

Jeremy Doku always had the ability to do something extraordinary on the football field, but what he lacked was the sense of when and how to pull off his magical tricks. He had stood out for possessing a unique footballing talent as young as 15, but on Sunday against Liverpool, the club who wanted to sign him before he turned 16, Doku emerged as the player many knew he could become.

Doku's scintillating performance in Manchester City's 3-0 routing of the Reds was an increasingly rare case of one player utterly dominating a top-level fixture. This was not a player producing one moment of genius to decide a game, rather Doku weaving magical move after magical move, creating havoc every time he picked up the ball. It was one of the great individual displays in a Premier League game, certainly one of this magnitude. 

It could be filed alongside Thierry Henry's hat-trick for Arsenal against Liverpool in 2003-04, David Silva's virtuoso display in City's 6-1 hammering of Manchester United in 2011-12 or Mark Viduka's treble for Leeds United against Liverpool in 2001.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Emulating Hazard

  In statistical terms, no one had put a similar stamp on a Premier League game since Doku's compatriot and short-time Belgium team-mate Eden Hazard back in 2019. Hazard was the last player to win at least seven duels, complete seven dribbles, create three chances and have three shots on target in a single English top-flight game, but that was against a mid-table West Ham, not the reigning champions who had beaten Real Madrid a few days earlier.

  While many top players freeze when the world is watching, Doku seemed to revel in the occasion. "In big games, there is always more exposure and more beauty," he told .

  The former Anderlecht wideman had been threatening to put in a performance like this after making an imposing start to the season. He was outstanding in the 3-0 win over Manchester United in September, ripped Burnley apart a few weeks later and he had warmed-up for Sunday's game with an important display against Borussia Dortmund.

  Doku is now handsomely paying off the £55.5 million ($73m) City paid Rennes to sign him in 2023, and if he keeps this level up he will soon feel like a bargain. There were, however, a few questions over the past two seasons regarding his transfer fee and his suitability to a City team that can often be metronomic, which can lead to the Etihad being a difficult place for individually brilliant players to thrive.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Super-sub reputation

  Doku did not take long to make an impression on City fans. He got plenty of bums out of seats during his home debut against Fulham, while he found the net next time out at West Ham. Just two months into his City career, meanwhile, he made Premier League history in a 6-1 drubbing of Bournemouth, becoming the youngest player to produce five goal involvements in one game (four assists and one goal), as well as the first City player to provide four assists in 90 minutes.

  However, that incredible display against the Cherries was followed by a barren spell, not helped by six weeks out with a muscle injury. Doku went 10 games without a goal contribution and he was barely trusted in the Champions League, starting just one game. He was seen as a super-sub more than anything, which was summed up by him coming off the bench to spark a goal for Kevin De Bruyne against Real Madrid and then Bernardo Silva's winning strike in the FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea.

  In his first two seasons at City, Doku averaged three goals and seven assists in the league, not exactly the numbers you would expect from a £55m player at one of the best teams in the division.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Earning Pep's trust

  Then again, Doku had never been a player whose goals and assists made you sit up and take notice. In his best season with Rennes he only managed six goals and two assists in Ligue 1, something which Guardiola reminded everyone of on Sunday.

  "I think he will never be a top scorer, to be honest," the coach said. "But he’s demanding himself to be better, he listens, and has special attributes of dribbling. He was aggressive with and without the ball. We tried to help him and he played an outstanding game."

  Guardiola has not always been so effusive about Doku. After a 4-0 thrashing of Brighton in the run-in towards winning the title in 2024, he gave the winger a public dressing down for giving the ball away a couple of times after coming off the bench. Last season, meanwhile, Guardiola criticised Doku's performance against United at Old Trafford, and it was only towards the end of the campaign, after a good display in a win at Everton, that the coach admitted he had been "unfair" on the winger by not playing him more. 

  Indeed, Doku was at the risk of being phased out of the team as Guardiola preferred to flood the central midfield and look to full-backs Nico O'Reilly and Matheus Nunes to provide width. Now, though, he is one of the first names on the team sheet, playing in 16 of City's 17 games in all competitions this term, starting 11 of them, including all four Champions League fixtures.

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  Seeing the bigger picture

  Doku would not be the first player who needed an adaptation period under Guardiola. Jack Grealish, Josko Gvardiol and Nico Gonzalez all needed the best part of their first season to get to grips with the coach's style. Doku essentially needed two, but he seems to have mastered the art of what Guardiola wants from him. And unlike Grealish, his stardust remains intact. 

  The difference is that he has now worked out how to make the most of his skillset, even if Guardiola was keen to stress that only Doku was responsible for his turnaround in form by saying: “I know I'm good, but don't overestimate me. The players do it themselves. We have to give them a good environment and make good connections. I don't teach Doku how to dribble; that is natural talent."

  Indeed, watch videos of Doku as a child and he is instantly recognisable from his style of dribbling. Doku honed his unique way of dribbling on a concrete pitch in his home city of Antwerp, spending endless hours there with his brother Jefferson and his friends. He enrolled in the academy of Belgian giants Anderlecht at the age of 10, but a professional education could not curb his tendency to keep his head down and play for himself rather than his team-mates. 

  Henry worked with Doku as assistant coach to Roberto Martinez in the Belgium national team. and when he was still a Rennes player he raved about his dribbling ability. But last week the Arsenal legend admitted that Doku still had to work on his in-game intelligence.

  "He has zero limits but he needs guidance," Henry said on . "When you explain something to someone, if there is no thought process behind it, they're not going to comprehend what needs to happen. We all know that he can finish, but sometimes you need to slow down and re-accelerate to see the big picture."

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has now approved a move for AC Milan winger Rafael Leao, with a huge opening bid in the works.

The Blues retain an interest in the left-winger despite signing both Alejandro Garnacho and Jamie Gittens in the summer transfer window, with the latter finally getting off the mark in front of goal in the 4-3 EFL Cup triumph against Wolverhampton Wanderers last week.

At 21-years-old, however, both the former Borussia Dortmund man and Garnacho are still in the infancy of their careers, with Paul Merson making it clear he believes the west Londoners need to bring in players with more experience.

The former Arsenal man said: “The team is too young. The oldest player there is 23, 24?”

“When you get a young team, you’re up and down, they have wingers who are very inconsistent. [Pedro] Neto on his day will be outstanding, the next minute…

“There’s no 7/10s all the way through, it’s either eight, nine or fives. They can’t win the Premier League like that.”

Chelsea making strong push to sign Rafael Leao

According to a report from Spain, Chelsea are now looking to bring in a forward with a lot more top-level experience, with it being revealed they are making a strong push to sign Leao, having emerged as frontrunners in the race for the winger’s signature.

Maresca has personally approved a move for the Portuguese forward, and the Blues would be willing to pay around €120m (£105m) to get a deal over the line, which could be enough to tempt the Italian club into a sale.

The 26-year-old is a priority target, having proven himself as one of the most dangerous attackers in Europe on his day, and the left-winger could be the cornerstone of Maresca’s project.

The Almada-born forward has been impressing in Italy for a number of years, having reached double figures for Serie A assists in each of the last four seasons.

Season

Serie A appearances

Assists

2021-22

34

10

2022-23

35

10

2023-24

34

10

2024-25

34

10

Having chipped in with a whopping 74 goals in 267 appearances for the Italian club, there is every sign the Portugal international could be capable of taking Maresca’s forward line to the next level.

Scout Ben Mattinson has also waxed lyrical about the AC Milan star in the past, singling him out for very high praise on X earlier this year.

Leao could be a top signing for Chelsea, but Maresca may have to offload one of his current wingers before signing him, given that the manager already has a plethora of options in attacking areas.

Rafael Leao has been named as one of the best wingers in the world The Best 15 Wingers in World Football Ranked (2025)

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ByCharlie Smith Nov 28, 2025

MatériaMais Notícias

Com a saída de Luis Suárez, um outro uruguaio foi oferecido ao Grêmio, segundo o “ge”: Edinson Cavani. A direção gremista ainda avalia a negociação.

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➡️ Siga o Lance! no WhatsApp e acompanhe em tempo real as principais notícias do esporte

Os valores cobrados pelo uruguaio são considerados viáveis para o Grêmio, mas a equipe gaúcha ainda não iniciou conversas para acertar com o atacante. Os dirigentes estão analisando cuidadosamente a situação do jogador, já que na última temporada Cavani marcou apenas cinco gols e deu uma assistência em 36 jogos.

➡️ Saiba como Suárez convenceu Grêmio a reduzir tempo de contrato

Cavani tem contrato com o Boca Juniors até o fim de 2024. O uruguaio acompanhou o clube argentino até a final da Copa Libertadores detse ano. Além disto, já passou por times como o Valencia, da Espanha; o Manchester United, da Inglaterra; e o Paris Saint-Germain, da França.

England moved within touching distance of unprecedented World Cup qualifying history after a composed 2-0 victory over Serbia at Wembley maintained their flawless defensive record. With Thomas Tuchel's side yet to concede in the campaign, a clean sheet against Albania would make them the first European nation ever to complete an eight-game qualifying cycle without letting in a single goal.

England beat Serbia in penultimate qualifier

England cruised to another victory as they defeated Serbia 2-0 at Wembley on Thursday, stretching their perfect record in the 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign. Bukayo Saka opened the scoring on the half-hour mark with a crisp volley, before Eberechi Eze came off the bench to curl home a superb late finish and seal a seventh straight win.

The match followed a familiar pattern in this qualifying cycle, with England asserting dominance early and forcing Serbia to defend deep for long spells. Harry Kane’s movement, Saka’s incisiveness and Declan Rice’s control ensured Serbia were rarely able to build sustained attacks, while England’s defence remained largely untroubled aside from isolated counterattacks.

England’s clean sheet was also significant, extending their run to seven games without conceding, already a rare feat in UEFA World Cup qualifying. Serbia created a handful of half-chances but were kept at bay through Jordan Pickford’s alert positioning and the strong recovery defending of Ezri Konsa and John Stones. With the win, England closed in on a piece of history never before achieved in a European qualifying group of eight matches.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportThree Lions closing in on a World Cup qualifying record

The victory places England on the brink of an unprecedented defensive milestone, one that would underline the transformative impact Tuchel has had since taking charge. Should the Three Lions avoid conceding in their final qualifier against Albania, they would become the first European nation ever to complete an eight-game World Cup qualifying campaign without letting in a goal. It would surpass even the great England side of 1990, which finished a six-game campaign without conceding.

Getty Images SportTuchel's side maintain flawless campaign

Beyond the clean sheet streak, England’s qualifying journey has showcased the depth and discipline required to thrive under Tuchel’s demanding standards. Pickford has now kept ten consecutive competitive clean sheets, supported by a defensive line that has remained calm under pressure and excelled at denying opponents high-value opportunities. Stones, Konsa and Rice have all played crucial roles in sustaining England’s impeccable defensive record.

This campaign has also highlighted Tuchel’s insistence on competition for places, with no player guaranteed a starting role regardless of club form or reputation. Tuchel has repeatedly stressed that his focus is on building collective unity, and England’s ability to rotate without losing fluidity underscores how deeply the squad has bought into his approach.

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Albania trip last up in qualifying

England now travel to Tirana for their final World Cup qualifier to take on Albania, where the chance to make history may serve as a major motivational factor despite the game being a dead rubber. Top spot in the group is already secured and Albania are locked into second place.

Should England secure the clean sheet, they will step into the 2026 World Cup not only as qualifying history-makers but also as one of the tournament’s most tactically complete and defensively formidable sides.

يستعد محمد صلاح نجم ليفربول للانضمام إلى منتخب مصر لقيادته في كأس الأمم الإفريقية نهاية العام ويطمح لتحقيق أول ألقابه الدولية.

ويتزايد الغموض حول مستقبل هارفي إليوت والذي غادر ليفربول خلال سوق الانتقالات الصيفية الماضية ليكمل انتقاله على سبيل الإعارة إلى أستون فيلا.

ونشرت “ليفربول إيكو” أن إليوت غادر ليفربول بحثاً عن فرص أكثر للمشاركة بانتظام مع الفريق الأول وقد اتخذ هذا القرار بعد تعاقد الفريق مع فلوريان فيرتز في الصيف الماضي.

وعزز آرني سلوت صفوف ليفربول بضم عدة لاعبين مثل هوجو إيكيتيكي وألكسندر إيزاك وجيريمي فريمبونج وميلوس كيركيز وجورجي مامارداشفيلي وجيوفاني ليوني وفريدي وودمان.

وقد وافق ليفربول على رحيل إليوت في اليوم الأخير من سوق الانتقالات ولم تسر الخطوة وفقاً للخطة منذ رحيل اللاعب صاحب الـ22 عاماً من ملعب أنفيلد.

أقرأ أيضاً.. ميرفي: ما يفعله محمد صلاح يهدد ليفربول.. ولا أصدق ما أراه

وشارك إليوت في ثلاث مباريات فقط في الدوري الانجليزي لكنه بدأ في مباراة واحدة فقط وكانت آخر مباراة له في 28 سبتمبر، ولم يستدعيه آيمري في قائمة أستون فيلا آخر ثلاث مباريات ولم يتمكن اللاعب من المشاركة ضد ليفربول الشهر الماضي بسبب قواعد الإعارة في المسابقة.

ووضع ليفربول شرطا إلزاميا لشراء إليوت في صفقة إعارته لأستون فيلا مقابل 35 مليون جنيه إسترليني، ولن يحدث ذلك إلا إذا شارك في 10 مباريات مع الفريق.

وتدور تكهنات نتيجة لذلك حول إمكانية عودة إليوت في يناير حيث يبدو أن أستون فيلا لا يرغب بمنحه دقائق لعب منظمة، ويملك ليفربول هذا الخيار في بداية العام الجديد.

ومع ذلك فإنه في حال شارك لاعب منتخب إنجلترا تحت 21 عاماً في خمس مباريات أخرى مع أستون فيلا قبل ذلك فإن عودته لملعب أنفيلد لن تكون ممكنة وهناك قاعدة أيضاً تمنع اللاعبين من اللعب لأكثر من ناديين في موسم واحد حيث لا يمكنه الانضمام لنادي آخر في يناير.

وسيراقب ليفربول موقف وتطور إليوت خلال فترة إعارته مع أستون فيلا حتى يتم تفعيل بند إلزامية الشراء، ويجب على النادي أن يضع في اعتباره أن محمد صلاح لن يكون متاحاً لجزء كبير من الموسم بسبب انضمامه للعب في كأس الأمم الأفريقية خلال شهري ديسمبر ويناير.

وسيترك ذهاب محمد صلاح ليفربول بدون لاعب أساسي في خط الهجوم لعدة أسابيع، وقد يغيب لـ11 مباراة إذا قام منتخب مصر باستدعاء اللاعب للمعسكر قبل لقاء الإمارات والأردن ونيجيريا في 6 و9 و14 يناير استعداداً لبطولة كأس الأمم الإفريقية.

وكان ليفربول اعتمد على إليوت في مركز الجناح الأيمن خلال فترة وجوده مع ليفربول وكان خياراً لتعويض صلاح لو كان لا يزال في أنفيلد، وقد يكون من الممكن استدعاء اللاعب من جانب آرني سلوت لتغطية غياب النجم المصري في حال استمر غياب إليوت عن اللعب مع أستون فيلا.

Manchester United and Sir Jim Ratcliffe are now ready to take drastic action to move Jadon Sancho on from the club in 2026.

Sancho struggling on loan at Aston Villa

The Red Devils winger is under contract until the end of the season, although there is an option to extend that by a further 12 months to protect his value after joining for £70m.

Sancho has not played in the Premier League for Man Utd since 2023 and has had loan spells at Borussia Dortmund, Chelsea and now Aston Villa, where he is for the 2025/26 season.

However, the 25-year-old has struggled to make an impact at Villa Park, playing just 69 minutes of top flight football in the current campaign.

Sancho did come on for Villa in the first half in the recent 1-0 win against Man City, although he was then substituted in the closing stages by Unai Emery, who said it was “embarrassing” for the attacker.

Yet to start for Villa in the Premier League, Man Utd will soon have a decision to make, extend Sancho’s contract until 2027 or allow him to leave for free.

Man Utd ready to let Sancho leave for £0

As reported by talkSPORT, Man Utd and Ratcliffe are resigned to losing Sancho for free in 2026 instead of triggering the clause in his contract to protect his transfer value.

The Red Devils are willing to cut their losses on Sancho one year ahead of schedule, saving £200,000-a-week in wages which works out at more than £10m for the 2026/27 season.

Of course, that means United won’t receive a transfer fee next year for the “crazy talent”, bringing to an end what has been a woeful Old Trafford stint.

Sancho has scored 12 goals in 83 appearances for Man Utd, registering six assists and playing just over 5,000 minutes in a Red Devils shirt.

Earlier in 2025, Ratcliffe called Sancho a “thing from the past” alongside the likes of Antony, Andre Onana and Rasmus Hojlund, players who INEOS were still “buying” after their transfers under the Glazers.

“If you look at the players we are buying this summer, that we didn’t buy, we’re buying Antony, we’re buying Casemiro, we’re buying Onana, we’re buying Hojlund, we’re buying Sancho. These are all things from the past, whether we like it or not, we’ve inherited those things and have to sort that out.

“For Sancho, who now plays for Chelsea and we pay half his wages, we’re paying £17m to buy him in the summer. It takes time for us to move away from the past into a new place in the future.”

Fergie said Man Utd flop would reach Neville's level but he left for £2.5m

Glasgow Rangers have officially confirmed the appointment of Danny Rohl after youth team manager Steven Smith led the side out at Ibrox at the weekend.

Smith oversaw a 2-2 draw with Dundee United in front of the home support at Ibrox after being placed in interim charge, two weeks after the club decided to part ways with Russell Martin.

The former Light Blues boss, as shown in the graphic above, endured a dismal time in the dugout in Glasgow after joining in the summer as the first appointment of the new ownership.

Five wins and 24 goals conceded in 17 matches was nowhere near good enough and it was not a surprise to see the board opt to remove him from his post after the draw with Falkirk before the break.

Now, Rohl has been confirmed as the new head coach at Ibrox and will lead the team out against Brann in the Europa League on Thursday night.

Why Danny Rohl can bring success back to Ibrox for Rangers

Supporters, after what happened with Martin, may look at Rohl and be unimpressed by another manager coming up from English football and the Championship, which is understandable.

The 36-year-old head coach finished 20th and 12th in his two seasons in the second tier managing Sheffield Wednesday, who had “never-ending” problems behind the scenes, per chairman of the Sheffield Wednesday Supporters’ Trust Ian Bennett.

Even though progressing the Owls from 20th to 12th with ‘never-ending problems’ was an impressive achievement, it may not provide supporters with hope that he can turn Rangers into a winning machine.

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However, his time as an assistant manager at the very top level suggests that he knows exactly what it takes to coach an elite team to win trophies on a consistent basis, as he was Hansi Flick’s assistant for two seasons with Bayern Munich.

Rohl won seven trophies in those two seasons, including the treble in the 2019/20 campaign, winning the Champions League, the DFB Pokal, and the Bundesliga, per Transfermark, which is why he could bring success back to Ibrox.

Sheffield Wednesday

Manager

89

Germany national team

Assistant manager

25

Bayern Munich

Assistant manager

101

Southampton

Assistant manager

24

RB Leipzig

Assistant manager

83

RB Leipzig

Video analyst

15

RB Leipzig U17s

Assistant manager

29

As you can see in the table above, Rohl has worked at some top teams, including Leipzig, Bayern, and Germany, as well as impressing in difficult circumstances at Sheffield Wednesday, and can bring a winning mentality to Glasgow that Martin could not.

TalkSPORT noted that Rohl, as one of the coaches at Bayern, helped Robert Lewandowski to score 55 goals in 47 matches in the 2019/20 campaign, as the Poland international led the team to a treble, per Transfermarkt.

The legendary marksman also scored 48 goals in 40 matches in all competitions for Bayern under Flick and Rohl’s coaching in the 2020/21 campaign, per Transfermarkt.

Lewandowski scored 41 Bundesliga goals in that season with Rohl as one of his coaches, and he has never scored more in a single league season in his career, before or since.

This suggests that the Rangers manager has coaching ability to get the best out of a clinical number nine, albeit he was working alongside Hansi Flick as his assistant at the time. At the very least, he knows how to coach a team to create chances for a striker on a consistent basis.

With this in mind, Rohl could unearth his next version of Lewandowski at Ibrox by getting the best out of summer signing Bojan Miovski this season, and beyond.

What Rohl needs to do to get Miovski firing at Rangers

Rangers swooped to sign Miovski from Spanish side Girona in the summer transfer window to bolster their options at the top end of the pitch, 12 months on from his move to Spain from Aberdeen.

Unfortunately, though, the Macedonia international has struggled for form at Ibrox since his move back to Scotland. Per Sofascore, he has scored one goal in five matches in the Scottish Premiership under Martin and Smith to date.

One of the issues that Miovski has had since his move to Rangers has been that the team have not created enough chances for him in front of goal.

The left-footed star has only had four ‘big chances’ to find the back of the net in five appearances, and only averaged 0.6 shots on target per game, per Sofascore, which shows that he is getting a lack of service into the box.

Celtic

32

11

Hibernian

24

14

Hearts

19

19

Dundee United

18

14

Falkirk

18

10

Kilmarnock

17

11

Motherwell

16

12

Aberdeen

15

5

Rangers

13

8

St Mirren

11

5

Livingston

11

10

Dundee

8

8

As you can see in the table above, Rangers rank ninth in the Premiership for ‘big chances’ created, illustrating exactly what Rohl needs to improve to get Miovski firing.

The German head coach’s Sheffield Wednesday side created 98 ‘big chances’ in 46 games in the Championship last season, per Sofascore, the fifth-most in the division despite spending less than £5m on new signings after finishing 20th the previous campaign, per Transfermarkt.

This shows that Rohl, who predominantly plays a 4-2-3-1 formation, can coach a team to excel in the final third as a creative unit, even with limited resources, which is further backed up by his work as an assistant in Lewandowski’s best league season of his career.

Miovski, who was hailed as a “complete” player by journalist Josh Bunting, has the potential to be the manager’s next lethal centre-forward, given his impressive form for Aberdeen in the past.

The Rangers forward, as shown in the graphic above, has proven that he can score goals on a regular basis in Scotland, but it is down to Rohl to put together a team that creates enough chances for him to thrive.

If his work with Lewandowski at Bayern Munich and with Sheffield Wednesday in the Championship is anything to go by, Rohl has the coaching ability to turn Miovski into a goalscoring machine at Ibrox.

Rohl won't like him: Rangers must drop Ibrox star with "big potential"

It’s unlikely Smith will persist with this Rangers underperformer.

Oct 20, 2025

The New York Yankees had a simple formula for getting free agent pitcher Max Fried to sign with them. They added someone he knew to the mix, then offered the most money.

After missing out on re-signing Juan Soto, New York pivoted to one of the best players left on the free agent market and convinced Fried to head to the Bronx on an eight-year, $218 million deal. The New York Post's Joel Sherman reports the Yankees weren't Fried's top choice, but they convinced him after a Zoom meeting and contract negotiations.

The Yankees put nine members of their organization on a video call with Fried and his team. General manager Brian Cashman, pitching coach Matt Blake, and manager Aaron Boone were the headliners, but a familiar face also joined. Yankees special advisor Omar Minaya was on the call and he and Fried have crossed paths before. Minaya was senior vice president of baseball operations for the San Diego Padres when they selected Fried with the seventh pick in the 2012 MLB draft.

Minaya wasn't the Yankees' only tool in negotiations, they also brought a large checkbook with them. The Boston Red Sox and Texas Rangers had reportedly offered Fried seven years and $190 million, while the Yankees were at eight years and $210 million Fried had wanted the extra year added to the deal. Eventually, Fried's team asked for a largely symbolic financial push.

Fried's reps reportedly told the Yankees that if they went to eight years and $218 million the bidding would be over. The number would set the record for the largest contract ever given to a left-handed pitcher by $1 million, eclipsing the seven-year, $217 million the Boston Red Sox gave David Price in 2015.

The Yankees agreed and the deal was consummated. In the end, they outbid the Rangers by $20 million.

Fried, whose 2.81 ERA over the last five seasons is the lowest by an MLB pitcher who has thrown at least 500 innings, will join a loaded rotation that already features Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodon, Rookie of the Year Luis Gil, Nestor Cortes, and Clarke Schmidt.

The Yankees moved on from Soto and used every trick at their disposal to land Fried.

When the dust settled on the 2024 World Series, few would argue against the notion that the Los Angeles Dodgers completely outclassed the New York Yankees. It's true that the Yankees nearly pushed the Dodgers to a sixth game after going down 3–0, but Los Angeles emerged victorious.

However, according to Chicago Cubs (and ex-New York) third baseman Jon Berti, the Dodgers' trash talk after finishing off their title crossed a line.

"I don't know if I've ever heard a World Series-winning team talk as badly as they did about the World Series-losing team," Berti said on Wednesday's edition of . "It felt like we were being disrespected to the point of we didn't even belong in the World Series."

Benefitting from a down year in the American League, the Yankees downed the Kansas City Royals and Cleveland Guardians in the ALDS and ALCS, respectively. Berti slashed .182/.250/.182 in 11 postseason at-bats, managing a run in Game 4 of the ALCS.

"We won a lot of games last year. We won our division," Berti said. "We went and took care of Kansas City and took care of Cleveland. So we deserved to be there, unfortunately we didn't perform at our best."