Manchester United target Gleison Bremer decides to stay put at Juventus as he agrees to sign a new contract.
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Bremer decides to stay at JuventusMan Utd wanted the Brazilian defenderSet to have a €60m (£51m) release clauseWHAT HAPPENED?
The Red Devils were heavily linked with a move for the Brazilian centre-back throughout the summer, however, the player has now decided to extend his stay in Turin by signing a new contract that will be valid until June 30, 2029, the club confirmed on Monday. The new deal will also include a €60m (£51m) release clause.
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United had roped in young French defender Leny Yoro from Lille earlier this summer, however, the teenager broke his metatarsal in only his second appearance for the club against Arsenal in the pre-season which ruled him out for at least three months.
WHAT GLEISON BREMER SAID
The 27-year-old had earlier hinted that he would consider staying back in the Serie A as he had told Fabrizio Romano last month, "I’m already at a top club, I’m already at Juventus. We’ll make great things next season, Thiago Motta is an excellent manager and a very good choice."
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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR MANCHESTER UNITED?
With Bremer set to sign a new Bianconeri contract and Yoro out with an injury, the Premier League giants are expected to go all out for Bayern Munich and Dutch defender Matthijs de Ligt.
West Ham could have a real opportunity to complete an "ambitious" transfer swoop for Brentford star Ivan Toney, as talkSPORT share a development this week.
Toney set to leave Brentford as Premier League clubs circle
The England international is set to be one of this summer's major talking points, as a host of top sides register their interest in signing him.
West Ham looking at signing centre-back who silenced Kylian Mbappe recently
The Hammers need centre-back reinforcements.
ByEmilio Galantini Mar 26, 2024
Toney's contract is set to expire next year and Bees boss Thomas Frank has already admitted that his star striker is far more likely than not to be on the move very soon.
“It is relatively obvious that Ivan Toney will probably be sold this summer,” Frank said to Danish media, via Tipsbladet.
Brentford 3-2 Nottingham Forest
8.18
Wolves 0-2 Brentford
7.65
Tottenham 3-2 Brentford
7.57
Brentford 1-4 Liverpool
7.45
Arsenal 2-1 Brentford
7.15
“We also know what he is worth. I don’t think there are many strikers in the world who are better than him right now. He is a really skilled striker who is in his prime football age. Personally, as a coach, I would prefer to keep Toney but one day it could be fun to see him on a top team.
“This winter we actually had no offers for him, but it will surprise me if there aren’t a lot of clubs that will be interested in him.”
The 28-year-old certainly won't be short of suitors, as Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham and Man United have all been credited with a serious interest in signing Toney later this year. Lately, and in a surprise twist, West Ham have been plunged into the race for Brentford's star man.
Brentford's Ivan Toney
"Some clubs are already taking steps to try and get in pole position to land the player," one source told The Sun last week. "It’s well-known that Chelsea and Spurs both need a number nine and Toney would fit the bill for both clubs. But West Ham are now interested too.
“The club think Toney could be a real statement signing and help take the team to the next level. West Ham are crying out for a centre-forward who can help turn them from a good side into one that can genuinely challenge for the Champions League."
Door opens for West Ham to sign Toney after development
Sharing an update on David Moyes' pursuit of the forward, talkSPORT and journalist Alex Crook have an interesting bit of news.
The broadcaster claims that the door could open for West Ham to complete an "ambitious" Toney deal as fellow signing contenders Arsenal decide to prioritise a move for Sporting Lisbon star Viktor Gyokeres.
Interestingly, they add that the Irons actually once turned down a chance to bring in Toney, as well as Gyokeres. Chairman David Sullivan will surely be ruing that decision given the striker's exceptional form over the last two seasons, and it will be intriguing to see if they can now tempt Toney given the clamour for his services.
Of course, part of the fun for any football fan is putting yourself in the situation of a manager, picking your starting XI and going to war against your friends when the Premier League fantasy football season kicks off, regardless of which league the team you support is in.
However, the first and crucial step to making any fantasy team is coming up with a team name that stands out from the rest. Unlike professional teams, this is the stage where football fans can get an extra laugh out of their mates and work colleagues, as having the funniest team name almost gets you extra brownie points before the league has even begun.
So without further ado, we have come up with what we believe are the best and funniest Fantasy Premier League team names for 2024, as well as chucking in FPL team names for Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United.
Chelsea have finally got their hands on Estevao 'Messinho' Willian and the Palmeiras wonderkid has shown just why the Blues wanted him.
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Chelsea-bound Willian scores stunner
Helps Palmeiras in 2-0 win over Bahia
Set to join the Blues in the summer of 2025
WHAT HAPPENED?
Last month it was announced that Chelsea had signed Willian on a long-term contract. The deal for the 17-year-old includes a €34 million (£29 million/$36 million) upfront payment to Palmeiras, with an extra €23 million (£20 million/$26 million) contingent on performance. Playing in his last season at the Brazilian side, Willian has been setting the Brazilian Serie A alight and he showed his quick movement and finishing prowess to score the opener against Bahia.
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Willian will make the move to Stamford Bridge in the summer of 2025 after he turns 18 as it is currently illegal for European clubs to make signings of foreign under-age talents. For Palmeiras this season, the 17-year-old has made 15 appearances scoring five goals and providing three assists so far.
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WHAT NEXT FOR WILLIAN?
The 17-year-old will likely be a starter yet again for Palmeiras when they take on Atletico GO on Thursday, July 11 as they will hope to go atop the Brazilian Serie A table over Flamengo and Botafogo.
Australia have managed Hazlewood’s workload carefully to ensure he was in peak condition at Lord’s
Daniel Brettig at Lord's15-Aug-2019For years, “fit to play” the key phrase for a fast bowler, or any cricketer for that matter, who pulled on the baggy green cap. Ricky Ponting used to talk about wanting Australia’s players to be able to look him in the eye and tell him, niggles or injuries or not, that they were fit to play. Famously, Nathan Hauritz missed the 2009 Oval Test on a tinder dry pitch because he could not.Plenty of days passed where pacemen in particular showed visible discomfort on the field, only to have the public assured that they were “fit to play”. Only later, at the end of a match or series, would the truer picture emerge, of injuries carried, ailments ignored, surgeries deferred.In 2019, about eight years after Cricket Australia entered the conversation about being a little more nuanced when it comes to managing fast bowlers, a different phrase is being used a lot: cherry ripe. Australia wanted James Pattinson to be “cherry ripe” for Edgbaston, and he was spelled from Lord’s to ensure he would be “cherry ripe” for Leeds.In the meantime, the tourists had the luxury of recalling a “cherry ripe” Josh Hazlewood for the second Test, and after Tim Paine sent England in to bat, he aptly demonstrated the advantage of upgrading the team’s expectation of him from “fit to play”. The opening spells delivered by Hazlewood and Pat Cummins, later to be augmented by a sustained, brutal burst of short stuff from the latter, underlined the value of having bowlers who are not only of high quality, but also carefully managed to be in peak physical condition for the battle at hand.Four years ago, there was plenty of variety to the Australian pace battery’s angle of attack to England. Partly this was because plans changed as the pitches did, but it was also to do with the fact that the bowlers were both physically and mentally geared for knockout victories rather than more subtle approaches.ALSO READ: Hazlewood’s economy leaves Starc on the periphery at Lord’sHazlewood summed this up most of all, leaving him with a bit of thinking to do about his bowling in England once he was left out of the team for the final Test at the Oval. He had bowled full and tried to swing the ball in that series, occasionally getting it right but also struggling at times to control the swing. He would also float the ball up into the driving zones of the England batsmen, easing any pressure that he had been trying to build up.This time around, Hazlewood has made no secret he is concentrating on bowling a good length, not too full, and working the seam of the ball rather than trying to swing it. It’s a method he demonstrated in Southampton during the internal trial match and then at Worcester between Tests. Against England batsmen wanting to feel the bat on the ball, it is an ideal blueprint, as his Lord’s opening spell figures of 2 for 5 from six overs amply demonstrated.He was helped, much as Pattinson and Nathan Lyon had been in Birmingham, by the fact that Jason Roy simply cannot resist either feeling for the ball outside his eye line or trying to assert himself with a tone setting shot or two early. He did both in the space of Hazlewood’s first three balls of the Test, swishing at his first ball, beaten by his second and wretchedly edging his third. This not only provided Hazlewood with a triumphal return to Tests, but also rather backed up his pre-series assertion that Roy was, if the experiences of Aaron Finch last summer were anything to go by, pushing the proverbial excrement up hill in trying to become a Test opener from a white-ball foundation.Australia’s slip cordon start to celebrates as Jason Roy is caught behind•Getty Images
Joe Root, too, gave Hazlewood some help by continuing his recent trend of becoming an lbw candidate. Running a few balls away from Root down the Lord’s slope then nipping one back would have been very close to the top of Hazlewood’s plans for the England captain, and he achieved it much more quickly than Root would have preferred.When he took his cap from the umpire at the end of his sixth over, Hazlewood had cause to feel a little happier about all the waiting he had been made to do throughout the World Cup and then the first Ashes Test, for his physical and mental states were such that he had been able to land the ball on something like a sixpence throughout. How he had wished to do that in 2015.If the wickets did not fall quite as quickly thereafter, the Australian attack still combined artfully in a variety of spells that showed how the Dukes ball could be utilised at various stages of its age. For not only are Australia’s three pacemen all offering variations in height, line and trajectory, they can also bowl contrasting spells that end up proving complementary.After lunch, with the ball starting to swing more than it had done in the morning session, Hazlewood and Peter Siddle delivered spells from the Pavilion End that gained appreciable away movement, drawing the batsmen forward and reaping the wicket of Joe Denly then a dropped chance from Paine off Rory Burns’ outside edge.At the other end, Cummins delivered a brutish, bang it in spell that forced the batsmen back where Hazlewood and Siddle brought them forward. The mixing up of footwork this created was to be rewarded when Burns jumped back to fend off a ball rearing up towards his hip and armpit, wonderfully held by Cameron Bancroft at short leg. Siddle’s reward came when he found Jos Buttler’s outside edge, and after Ben Stokes had been done on the sweep by Lyon, Cummins bent his back once again to winkle out Chris Woakes.There was not much friendly about this line of attack, short and sharp with a fine leg, deep square leg, square leg, leg gully and short leg – going as close to a Bodyline field as it is possible to do under the game’s present laws – but nor was it low energy. Bouncers take extra effort, and fatigued fast men undoubtedly push themselves closer to the limit of injury when asked to bowl heaps of them. But if Cummins had more bowling at Edgbaston than Hazlewood, he was still fresh enough to bang it in for Woakes, Jofra Archer and Stuart Broad.A final England tally of 258 was more a reflection of three dropped catches from the Australians than it was of the quality of much of the bowling, which was lifted by the aspiration for the touring pacemen to be “cherry ripe” rather than merely “fit to play”. A six-pack of fast men, rotated through a series to ensure their best or near it is consistently on offer, may very well be something for Australia and their opponents to get used to.
The unthinkable – unfathomable – has become very real indeed for Liverpool supporters across the globe: Jurgen Klopp will end his illustrious tenure at the end of the season.
The German has completed the ultimate transformation at Anfield, yielding godlike status after lifting a battered outfit from the rubble of a shadowed spell in its distinguished history and securing silverware in abundance.
Jurgen Klopp: Trophies Won at Liverpool
Competition
Season
Premier League
(2019/20)
Champions League
(2018/19)
FA Cup
(2021/22)
Carabao Cup
(2021/22)
FIFA Club World Cup
(2019)
UEFA Super Cup
(2019)
FA Community Shield
(2022/23)
Source: 90min
But as the hackneyed phrase goes: all good things come to an end, and Liverpool know that the curtain will drape with so many fond memories, joyous occasions, and silver-laden successes to adorn the Anfield corridors forever.
Of course, it's not over yet; Liverpool are currently five points clear at the top of the Premier League (though second-placed Manchester City have a game in hand), awaiting Chelsea in the Carabao Cup final, hosting Norwich City up next in the FA Cup and favourites to clinch the Europa League.
A glorious conclusion is very much within reach and the Liverpool squad, resurgent and brimming with talent, will be fuelled with extra fervour to achieve these goals and hand an iconic figure a fitting end to an unforgettable journey.
Possible Jurgen Klopp replacements at Liverpool
While few of a Liverpool persuasion will want to think about a successor right now, Klopp informed FSG of his decision back in November and there has undoubtedly been movement in the background and a list of replacements will have been drawn up.
Bayer Leverkusen manager Xabi Alonso is a clear favourite for the position, having produced some utterly sensational performances for his German side this season and completing 210 appearances for Liverpool as a player.
According to German outlet SPORT BILD, Alonso has a clause in his contract with the Bundesliga table-toppers that would facilitate a summer transfer to one of Liverpool, Bayern Munich, or Real Madrid – the Spaniard's most prominent teams during his glittering playing career.
The 42-year-old was questioned on the revelations at Liverpool in a press conference and said: "What's going to happen in the future I don't know."
Xabi Alonso's season in numbers
When the news pervaded social media platforms this morning, it's safe to say that a frisson of fear coursed through Liverpool and all of its supporters, but the side have rebounded this year after falling by the wayside during the 2022/23 campaign, with Klopp himself praising "Liverpool 2.0", having overhauled the engine room.
Alas, Klopp's vision does not feature his person at the helm but the foundation has been paved for lasting success at the forefront of the European game, and a rising manager in Alonso could be the perfect appointment.
Bayer Leverkusen manager Xabi Alonso.
Alonso joined Leverkusen in October 2022 after previous boss Gerardo Seoane was dismissed following poor results across the board, languishing second from bottom in the league, and enjoyed much success in guiding the club to a sixth-placed finish, qualifying for the Europa League.
This season, the 2010 World Cup winner has transcended belief at the BayArena and has engineered a, frankly, astounding opening half of the season, with Leverkusen four points clear of second-placed Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga with 15 wins and three draws from 18 fixtures.
Furthermore, Die Werkself dominated their Europa League group with six wins from six and will prove one of Liverpool's most dangerous antagonists in the clash for the trophy, also awaiting VFB Stuttgart in the DFB Pokal quarter-finals, with Bayern, RB Leipzig, and Borussia Dortmund felled already.
This shows that he has the managerial chops to outwit top teams to secure crucial results for his side, rather than being a flat-track bully against teams with lesser resources.
Alonso evidently has the trappings of an elite manager in the future and has been described as a "serial winner" by Paul Dalglish, and while all of this aforementioned seasonal success is exciting, it is Alonso's tactical approach that confirms that, yes, here is the man to succeed Klopp at Liverpool.
Xabi Alonso's style of management
Back when Alonso was a player for Real Madrid, then-manager Jose Mourinho proclaimed that: "He has the quality that a 'metronome' must have. I'm sure that when he hangs up his boots he'll be a great coach if he wants to be. He reminds me of Pep Guardiola when I had him as a player. He was already a coach on the pitch."
This is incredibly high praise and it now seems that this is ringing true, with Alonso showcasing his faculty as a high-class manager at the top of the European game, improving his side remarkably despite selling Mousa Diaby to Aston Villa for £52m in July.
Granit Xhaka was brought in from Arsenal while Alejandro Grimaldo and Victor Boniface have both emerged as talented players following their summer arrivals, all playing central roles in the feats.
Alonso prefers to field a 3-4-2-1 formation and this is something scarcely seen at Liverpool but could certainly be worked into the club's system, with three central defenders allowing Trent Alexander-Arnold to wreak havoc in a roaming wing-back role.
Dynamic in possession and relentless in recovering the ball from the opponent, Leverkusen are well-balanced and while a blistering attack catches the eye, it is the rock-solid defensive structure that facilitates the success.
Of course, he is not a carbon copy of Klopp and a tactical settling-in period would be inevitable, but this is a risk worth taking for the Reds as they look to sustain the success created over the many years of his tenure.
Alonso knows Liverpool well; he knows all about the demands for major honours. He is still in his infancy as a manager but offers so much promise and must be the man to succeed an adored figure in Klopp.
The Spaniard's ties with the Reds, experience of English football, winning mentality, and impressive record at Leverkusen all combine to make him the dream candidate for FSG to pursue this summer when the German moves on from the club.
Aston Villa face the real possibility of ending a near 30-year trophy drought this season as the club are fighting on three fronts.
Unai Emery has transformed the team, and they are currently enjoying the fruits of their labour. With Europa Conference League progression secured and a place in the fourth round of the FA Cup achieved, Villa could face some fixture congestion over the coming months.
This could lead to the Spaniard bolstering his squad this month by making a new signing or two across a few positions.
One key area which could be improved in the January transfer window is Emery’s forward line, as aside from Ollie Watkins, Villa don’t really have anyone else able to score on a regular basis.
One name that has been linked with a move is Jonathan David, as the striker is looking for a move away from Lille in the near future.
Aston Villa transfer news – Jonathan David
According to a report from Football Transfers earlier this week, Villa are keen on making a move for David during the current January transfer window as Emery looks to strengthen ahead of what could be an important few months ahead.
Jonathan David for Lille.
The Midlands outfit face stiff competition from Manchester United, however, as the Canadian international looks to have his heart set on making the move to the Premier League, despite additional interest from AC Milan.
The forward is currently valued at €44.8m (£39m) according to Football Transfers and with 18 months left on his current contract, this month could represent the final chance for the Ligue 1 side to secure a top offer for their prized asset.
Aston Villa could land a £43m Diaby rival who "loves to score"
Unai Emery is keen to bolster his attacking options.
ByTom Lever Jan 9, 2024
Villa have enjoyed some success by doing their transfer dealings in France recently, with Boubacar Kamara emerging as one of their key players under Emery since making the move to England in the summer of 2022.
Boubacar Kamara has been a success at Aston Villa
Ahead of Steven Gerrard’s first full season in charge, the former Liverpool captain aimed to assert his influence in the squad as he looked for top-tier talent from across the continent.
The likes of Robin Olsen, Leander Dendoncker and Philippe Coutinho were all unveiled as permanent arrivals, yet it was the signing of Kamara – who didn’t cost a penny – that was the most intriguing.
The midfielder arrived with plenty of pedigree, making 170 appearances for Marseille across a six-season spell and, emerging as one of the finest French talents in the process.
This led Gerrard to secure him on a free transfer after his contract expired at the French club, and it has since proven to be a shrewd acquisition indeed.
The 24-year is currently valued at €47m (£40m) which suggests the club could pocket a massive profit should they sell him in the next year or so, but Emery will be keen on keeping one of his prized assets.
Injury problems restricted Kamara to just 26 games in all competitions last season, but he has more than made up for that during the current campaign.
The Frenchman has missed just five games during 2023/24, with four coming due to suspension, and he has impressed when on the pitch.
Indeed, he currently ranks fifth among the squad for accurate passes per game (46), while also ranking first for tackles (2.3) and interceptions (1.1) per game, showcasing his wonderful defensive acumen in the heart of the midfield.
Kamara can dictate the play from deep and, when compared to his positional peers over the previous 12 months, he ranks in the top 11% for pass completion percentage (88.3%) per 90, indicating just where his talents lie.
His importance to the team is critical to any success they go on to have this term and Emery could repeat this blinder by luring David to Villa Park this month.
Jonathan David’s career statistics
The forward began his career and posted decent numbers during the embryonic stages of his professional life in Belgium, scoring 37 goals and chipping in with 15 assists in 83 matches, and this type of form was always going to see him leave Gent.
Lille managed to secure his signature ahead of the 2020/21 campaign, and he has since shone in France, already scoring 68 goals in just 160 matches, working out at a goal every 2.3 matches, and this sort of strike rate could benefit Villa.
The forward has also had a positive impact on Canada, leading them to qualification for just their second-ever World Cup in 2022 and netting 26 goals across just 45 appearances, a wonderful return on the international stage.
His former national team boss, John Herdman, even lauded David, describing him as “fearless” and judging by his recent statistics over the previous couple of years, he is spot on.
Last season, the 5 foot 11 machine ranked first in the squad for goals and assists in the French top flight (28) along with finishing first for shots on target per game (1.5) and goal frequency (a goal every 132 minutes), underlining his importance to the French outfit.
Although his goal output has dropped this season, he still ranks first for goal contributions this term (six), yet he also tops the pile for big chances missed (six) and perhaps this is an area that will need to be improved should he wish to remain clinical if he joins Villa.
Watkins has been in sublime form during 2023/24, contributing to 44% of Villa’s total goals in the Premier League, but should he suffer an injury or dip in form, Villa may struggle.
Their next top goalscorer is winger Leon Bailey, who has nine goals so far this season, but Emery can’t afford to rely on wide players to score on a regular basis.
This makes a move for another centre-forward imperative this month if the club aim to achieve some sort of success and a swoop for David – who has been hailed as a "phenom" by Canadian podcaster Tony Marinaro – makes perfect sense.
He has scored at the highest level and could offer something different in the Villa attack, and he might just be the catalyst from which the club could finally end their nearly three-decade major trophy drought.
O Corinthians encerrou nesta terça-feira (16) a sua preparação para enfrentar o Salgueiro, nesta quarta-feira (17), às 21h30, no estádio Cornélio de Barros Muniz, em Pernambuco, pela primeira fase da Copa do Brasil.
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Após chegar nesta segunda-feira (15) ao Estado nordestino, o técnico corintiano Vagner Mancini comandou a sua única atividade específica para o duelo pela competição nacional, justamente no local onde o jogo acontecerá.
Antes de viajar para a cidade pernambucana, o Timão fez um trabalho regenerativo no CT Joaquim Grava, mas sem os titulares que venceram o São Caetano por 1 a 0, um dia antes, pela quarta rodada do Campeonato Paulista.
Já hoje, com todos os relacionados disponíveis, Mancini comandou um primeiro momento de finalizações e um segundo com um trabalho tático de movimentação.
Isolados pela Covid-19, os meias Xavier, Roni e Ruan Oliveira e o atacante André Luís ficaram em São Paulo, assim como o zagueiro Danilo Avelar, o meia Mantuan e os atacantes Gustavo Mosquito e Léo Natel, que seguem entregue ao Departamento Médico e não estão com o elenco em Pernambuco.
O Salgueiro é o atual campeão pernambucano, mas vive sérias dificuldades financeiras, tendo inclusive cogitado abrir mão de disputar a Copa do Brasil. A primeira fase da competição é disputada em jogo único, com mando do time menor rankeado na CBF, nesse caso o Carcará do Sertão, mas com vantagem do empate ao time visitante.
Nashville's Gary Smith was the first MLS manager to go this season, could others follow suit? GOAL takes a look…
The first sacking of the year is in the books, as Nashville SC parted ways with longtime manager Gary Smith last week after seven seasons with the club. The Eastern Conference side have struggled in 2024, and their front office deemed it was time for change.
However, Smith wasn't – and isn't – the only coach in hot water in 2024. A handful of MLS sides are actively underperforming, despite having the talent on their rosters to compete in their respective conferences.
Atlanta United, the New England Revolution, CF Montreal, Portland Timbers and the Chicago Fire are all in similar situations.
Nashville were the first MLS team to move on from their manager, could others follow suit?
GOAL examines …
USA Today ImagesCaleb Porter | New England Revolution
Where do we even start here?
Caleb Porter is a very good coach who is doing a very bad job at managing the New England Revolution. Both of those things can be true.
Right now things are a disaster. The Revs are bottom of MLS with seven points through 12 matches, the worst goal-differential in the league and an absolutely dysfunctional locker room.
At the conclusion of matchday 15, a 3-0 loss to the Philadelphia Union, there was reportedly chaos. Tommy Quinlan of the radio show reported that Team owner Jonathan Kraft was snubbed by Porter postgame and that in the locker room, players and coaches were arguing after the match.
Revs defender Ryan Spaulding was sent off for a straight red card offense early in the match, and Porter reportedly confronted him postgame about it – and then feuded with defender Nick Lima in the tunnel after the final whistle, as well.
Porter allegedly shouted “Don’t ever disregard my f*cking handshake again," at Lima – who avoided shaking hands with his boss after being subbed off.
To add to it, after the game Porter snapped at media member Sam Minton, who posted the exchange on X.
Things aren't going well for the two-time MLS Cup champion in the northeast.
AdvertisementUSA Today ImagesGonzalo Pineda | Atlanta United
There are expectations with an organization like Atlanta United. You have a World Cup-winning midfielder on your roster who has been linked with some of the best clubs in the world in Thiago Almada.
Yet, somehow, Atlanta sits 12th in the Eastern Conference on just 13 points. Winless in eight-straight league matches, they're in free-fall.
Gonzalo Pineda is struggling to make anything work, and the 2018 MLS Cup winners look like a team that can't even compete for a fringe playoff spot. Poor showings against fellow struggling sides Nashville SC and Chicago Fire in recent weeks won't help Pineda's case, either.
There is too much talent on this Atlanta side for them to be underperforming the way they are, and if things don't change soon, Pineda could be on his way out.
USA Today ImagesFrank Klopas | Chicago Fire
Nobody wants to see Frank Klopas fail as the manager of the Fire. A club legend, a true stalwart of professional soccer in Chicago, he's a longtime servant for the Fire organization.
But it has to be said: the Fire are bad – like, really not good.
They're on 10 points through 14 matches with a -13 goal-differential. and this comes despite investing $12m in DP striker Hugo Cuypers and securing the signature of coveted free agent Kellyn Acosta in the offseason.
Mind you, it's an attack with USYNT budding star Brian Gutierrez and 2x UEFA Champions League winner Xherdan Shaqiri.
Klopas is out of his depth and the Fire project is one that seems too big of a hurdle. Handing him the full-time reigns after taking over as interim manager in 2023 appears to have been a mistake.
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GettyPhil Neville | Portland Timbers
Neville joined the Timbers in 2024 after being sacked in June 2023 by Inter Miami. The Englishman struggled to keep the Herons afloat prior to Lionel Messi's arrival, and was removed as a result.
In Portland, the same struggles have arrived under Neville. Leaky defense, inconsistent attacking and more than anything., no sign of progress.
In Neville's defense, the Timbers are only 14 matches into the season, but they are not improving under his leadership.
He seems to be losing traction within the organization, too. In their lone victory since March 9, a 4-2 comeback win over 10-man San Jose Earthquakes on May 15, an Apple TV hot mic caught a Timbers radio broadcaster saying "you want to come coach this team? You want to come coach this team? Can't be any worse," as they went into halftime of the match down 2-0.
The Timbers sit 11th in the Western Conference, averaging less than one point per game. They have a -3 goal differential with just three wins on the season.
With a narrow victory over relegation-threatened Burnley on Saturday afternoon, Aston Villa have continued their unlikely Premier League title pursuit. However, four points from the last available nine show that head coach Unai Emery still has a lot of work to do.
It seems as though the Villans are limping into 2024 but Emery will be glad to know that the January transfer window is less than 24 hours away which offers him the chance to strengthen his squad ahead of the second half of the campaign.
The Spanish coach is already reportedly eyeing up some targets and is said to be keen on bringing one player to the club to bolster his attacking department.
Aston Villa transfer news – Cyril Ngonge
According to a report from Tuttomercatoweb last week, Aston Villa have been keeping tabs on Hellas Verona frontman Cyril Ngonge ahead of the winter window. The outlet are claiming that the 23-year-old is currently priced at £13m by the Italian club and that Villa have scouted the player numerous times already this season.
Ngonge moved to Verona last January and despite joining the club halfway through the campaign, ended the season as the top goalscorer with five goals, scoring two in the relegation playoff against Spezia back in June to keep I Gialloblu in Serie A for another season.
Having played as both a second striker and a winger, the Belgian is the Italian outfit's top scorer once more this term, bagging five goals to complement his two assists as Marco Baroni's side sit merely one place above the relegation zone on goal difference.
In fact, Ngonge has scored 33.3% of Verona's total league goals this campaign but the Serie A strugglers could lose him in January, with Villa interested in securing his services.
Cyril Ngonge's stats this season
Injuries and suspensions aside, Emery's starting lineup has been quite consistent this season. However, the one area that has been tweaked quite a few times by the manager has been the position beside centre-forward Ollie Watkins.
Sometimes, Emery has deployed a two-man frontline, with Moussa Diaby, Jhon Duran or Leon Bailey partnering with Villa's talisman. Other times, Youri Tielemans or Nicolo Zaniolo have sat as a number '10' in the hole behind the striker.
Bailey has undoubtedly been the most successful alternative attacker to Watkins, having scored nine goals and recorded eight assists in all competitions. However, his best position has been off the right, having bagged six goals and two assists on the wing.
Diaby has been Emery's third-most prolific forward this term, with five goals and four assists but the Frenchman has managed to find the net only twice in his last 13 appearances. Meanwhile, rotation options Tielemans and Zaniolo have three goals between them in a combined total of 44 matches.
As Bailey has to regularly fill the void alongside Watkins, as a result of Diaby's inconsistency, Matty Cash has often been used as a right-winger but has looked uncomfortable doing so. The Poland international last played in that position during Villa's late 2-1 win over Brentford two weeks ago but was whipped off after 65 minutes, having been handed a 5/10 match rating by the Birmingham World for his display.
Bailey should continue to play off the right in his best position and the spot beside Watkins could easily be filled by Ngonge. The only other alternative is to hand Duran a run of games in the team but Ngonge has been outperforming the 20-year-old Colombian this season in several key attacking metrics – as can be seen in the table below.
Goals
5
2
Expected Goals
4
0.8
Assists Per 90
0.14
0
Expected Assists Per 90
0.11
0.06
Progressive Passes Per 90
2.43
1.67
Progressive Passes Received Per 90
7.07
6.11
Shots Per 90
2.71
4.44
Shots On Target Per 90
0.93
1.71
Key Passes Per 90
1.43
1.11
Stats via FBref
As a result, Ngonge could be just what Watkins needs alongside him, having contributed to 40% of Villa's Premier League goals this season and given he is available for so cheap, this is a deal that Emery won't want to pass up in January.