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Nottingham Forest took the decision to sack Ange Postecoglou on Saturday afternoon. Forest fell to a disappointing 3-0 home defeat to Chelsea to extend their winless run to 10 matches. Postecoglou was only in charge for eight games having replaced Nuno last month and reports suggest that the Tricky Trees are eyeing a former Manchester City boss to succeed the Australian.

AFPPostecoglou struggled in second Premier League job

Forest acted quickly to replace Nuno Espirito Santo last month after the Portuguese boss was relieved of his duties during the September international break. Nuno worked wonders to guide Forest away from danger having succeeded Steve Cooper in December 2023 before delivering a European finish last season.

However, a breakdown in communications between Nuno, owner Evangelos Marinakis and newly-appointed Global Head of Football, Edu, saw the former Wolves and Tottenham boss shown the City Ground exit. Forest acted swiftly to replace Nuno with Postecoglou quickly appointed his successor.

The Australian had been out of work since his Tottenham departure back in June as the north London side opted to axe big Ange despite masterminding a Europa League triumph, ending Spurs' 17-year wait for silverware.

Postecoglou wasn't a popular appointment in the Midlands as Forest lost six of their eight matches under the 60-year-old, which included home defeats to Sunderland and FC Midtjylland in the Premier League and Europa League, respectively, and was subjected to chants of "sacked in the morning" in the 3-2 reverse against the Danish side.

AdvertisementAFPNottingham Forest eye ex-City boss

"Nottingham Forest Football Club can confirm that after a series of disappointing results and performances, Ange Postecoglou has been relieved of his duties as head coach with immediate effect," a statement read on the club's official website. "The Club will make no further comment at this time."

And Forest are looking to make a quick appointment once more with the Athletic reporting that former Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini has been earmarked as a successor for Postecoglou. The Italian has been out of work since October 2024 after leaving his role as head coach of Saudi Arabia.

Mancini, who guided City to the Premier League title in 2012 and Italy to Euro 2020 glory at England's expense, has also managed in homeland Italy, Turkey and Russia.

Dyche still an option for Tricky Trees

Sean Dyche also remains an option for Forest following reports the former Everton boss was identified as a Postecoglou replacement over the international break. Like Mancini, Dyche is also out of work having left his role as Toffees head coach at the start of the year.

The 54-year-old was recently linked with the vacant Rangers job but ruled himself out of the running as he prioritised a Premier League return. However, it now remains to be seen whether Dyche, who has held talks with Forest, will take over at the City Ground.

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New Forest boss has work cut out

The new man at the City Ground helm will have their work cut out, however. Forest have now dropped to 18th in the Premier League after Saturday's 3-0 loss to Chelsea, while Burnley's 2-0 win over Leeds saw the Clarets leapfrog the Midlands side out of the relegation zone.

Next up for Forest is Thursday's welcome of FC Porto in the Europa League, a competition they are winless in having followed up their 2-2 draw at Real Betis with a 3-2 home defeat to FC Midtjylland. Porto are unbeaten in all competitions this season, but did see a winning start to the campaign end prior to the international break as they drew 0-0 with Jose Mourinho's Benfica.

New Porto boss Francesco Farioli has overseen back-to-back wins in European competition as they beat Salzburg in Austria before securing a 2-1 win over FK Crvena Zvezda on home turf earlier this month. Thursday's Europa League tie will mark the first time Forest and Porto have met in their respective history with the Premier League side hoping for a new manager bounce as they look to rescue a doomed campaign. 

Forest then return to league duties next weekend with a testing trip to Bournemouth as they aim to secure a first league win since the opening weekend of the season. The Cherries were twice pegged back by Crystal Palace on Saturday as a late Jean-Philippe Mateta penalty earned the Eagles a point in an entertaining 3-3 draw at Selhurst Park.

It doesn’t take much for the mood to change in football, and Arsenal are the perfect example of that.

Just a few days ago, there was a real sense of optimism around the club following big wins over Nottingham Forest and Athletic Bilbao in the Champions League.

However, their performance against Manchester City left a lot to be desired, and were it not for a late equaliser from Gabriel Martinelli, the Gunners would have lost their second Premier League game of the season.

It was a game to forget for much of the Arsenal team, and while Mikel Merino has received plenty of criticism, there is another star that Mikel Arteta should consider dropping for the game this week.

The Arsenal players who underwhelmed vs City

Now it is important to clarify that few, if any, Arsenal players were genuinely terrible yesterday.

Chalkboard

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

After all, while the result was hugely disappointing, the Gunners would not have earned a point against a team like City if they played terribly.

With that said, there were more than a handful of starters who underwhelmed in a big way, like Leandro Trossard.

The Belgian did little to dispel the idea of him being a better impact player than starter, as in 84 minutes of action, he amassed a combined expected goal and assists figure of just 0.15, failed to complete a single cross, didn’t register a shot on target and was accurate with just 78% of his passes.

Someone who had some pretty impressive numbers for the game, but made one consequential mistake, was Gabriel Magalhães.

The Brazilian stalwart found himself far too high up the pitch and mistimed a tackle in the lead-up to Erling Haaland’s opener, which meant he had no chance of catching the Norwegian.

Finally, it was another outing that showed a midfield of Declan Rice, Martin Zubimendi, and Merino does not work.

Minutes

45′

Expected Goals

0.00

Goals

0

Expected Assists

0.03

Assists

0

Passes

18/20

Crosses

0

Long Balls (Accurate)

1 (0)

Shots on Target

0

Aerial Duels (Won)

2 (0)

Lost Possession

6

The latter was particularly ineffective, completing 18 passes, failing to complete a long ball or cross, losing 100% of his aerial duels, losing the ball six times and generally being more of a hindrance to build up than any sort of help in defence.

It was a game to forget for all of these starters, but there is another who was at the very least just as bad and should therefore be dropped from the team this week.

The Arsenal star Arteta should drop

When it comes to arguably the most ineffective player on the pitch for Arsenal yesterday, it probably won’t surprise many of you that we’re talking about Viktor Gyokeres.

Now, before the pitchforks come out, the Swedish international has had a couple of good games for the club, such as Leeds United and Forest, but yesterday was not one of those.

The former Sporting CP superstar was anonymous for pretty much the entire encounter, as while he held the ball up relatively well at points, he offered little to no threat.

Now, there is an argument to be made that the rest of the team didn’t create enough chances for him; it could also be said that the best strikers help create their own chances.

It might sound like a harsh appraisal, but we aren’t the only ones who were disappointed by his performance.

For example, The Standard’s Simon Collings awarded him a 5/10 match rating at full-time, writing that he ‘could not make an impact.’

Unsurprisingly, his statistics more than back this up, as in his 97 minutes of inaction, the Stockholm-born poacher didn’t take a single shot on target, took just 22 touches, completed six passes, lost 100% of his ground duels, lost the ball 13 times and failed in 100% of his dribbles.

In short, it was a poor showing from the man who is supposed to spearhead this Arsenal side to Premier League glory.

Therefore, Arteta should take him out of the firing line for the game against Port Vale tomorrow night, give him time to rest, and hopefully, he can come back into the side next week rejuvenated and ready to show the fans what he can do.

Gary Neville reveals the only two things you need to get a result v Arsenal

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ByDominic Lund Sep 22, 2025

After a couple of handy knocks since joining CSK this season, Ayush Mhatre took his game up a few notches against RCB on Saturday, smashing 94 from 48 balls

Ashish Pant04-May-20251:11

What makes Ayush Mhatre so effective?

Ayush Mhatre is all of 17 years and 292 days, but already has the makings of a top-drawer T20 cricketer. He looks pleasing to the eye, has shots all around the park, and the power game required for a modern-day T20 batter. But what impressed Chennai Super Kings (CSK) head coach Stephen Fleming the most about Mhatre is the temperament and the composure he displayed at the trials and how he has backed it up at IPL 2025.”He’s got talent. He’s got hand-eye coordination. He’s got a beautiful, silky swing. He’s aggressive. Everything that we like about a modern-day T20 player,” Fleming said about Mhatre at the press conference after CSK lost to Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on Saturday night. “But, to me, it’s the temperament and being able to execute in a trial and then on the big stage. That’s what I’m most impressed with.”It’s one thing to have a lot of shots, but to be able to execute that game plan on a big stage in front of some of the biggest players in the world is what I admire.”Related

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Ayush Mhatre's big night out in the IPL

In a season where very little has gone CSK’s way, Mhatre has been one of the few positives. He came into the team as a replacement for captain Ruturaj Gaikwad, who was ruled out five games into the season with an elbow injury. Mhatre’s season debut was also his T20 debut, in the game against Mumbai Indians (MI). He scored a 15-ball 32 in his first match, followed by a 19-ball 30 against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH).On Saturday, he moved his game up a couple of gears and smashed a 48-ball 94 against RCB, becoming the third-youngest player to score a fifty in the IPL. While his innings did not result in a CSK win, it’s ensured the franchise had a player for the future.”It’s sometimes hard to explain, but there’s just a quality around what he was doing,” Fleming said about Mhatre’s selection as Gaikwad’s replacement. “It’s early days, but we have been very impressed with his skills right from when he trialled and was with us at the early part of the season.

“He was very comfortable right from day one and the team was very comfortable with him. Hopefully, it’s the start of a long relationship”Stephen Fleming on Ayush Mhatre

“We have enjoyed a lot of the shot play from young players in this tournament and we’re delighted that we’ve got one ourselves. So, yes, excited about the future for him.”Despite being with CSK only for the last month or so and despite his young age, Mhatre has fitted into the team well.”We have a pretty relaxed camp, which has always been our style. He has some team-mates [from Mumbai] on the side. [Shivam] Dube, is one that has seen a fair bit of him,” Fleming said. “Again, it comes back to his maturity. He fitted in seamlessly. It’s often not what the team around him does, but it’s just the way that he behaves.”He was very comfortable right from day one and the team was very comfortable with him. Hopefully, it’s the start of a long relationship.”Ayush Mhatre took 26 runs in an over off Bhuvneshwar Kumar•Getty ImagesIn just this last week, IPL 2025 has had two teenagers rip into bowlers of international repute. Vaibhav Suryavanshi, 14, had on Monday become the youngest centurion in men’s T20s, while Mhatre fell six short of a century on Saturday. While being fearless is one thing, Fleming has been impressed by the skills that these teenagers possess, and also a little worried for some of the Under-19 opponents these two will come up against in the near future.”It’s amazing, really,” Fleming said. “It’s extraordinary to watch that fearless approach. But you’ve got to have skills as well. And to have the skills that these young players have and to be able to execute them against some of the best bowlers in the world is quite remarkable.”It doesn’t matter whether you’re 14, 18, 21. The innings that we’ve seen being played, particularly by these two youngsters, is just top class. It shows maturity beyond their years, but it shows a skill set that is quite daunting, I think, particularly for bowlers around the world.”I worry a little bit about the Under-19 opposition. They’ll come up against two pretty handy openers when a World Cup comes around. But it’s amazing how much talent and how composed they are.”

Arsenal are reportedly ready to sell £45 million ($60m) star Gabriel Jesus this coming January, though Gunners fans have been told to "expect a quiet January window" after a spending big money over the summer. When Gabriel Jesus joined the Gunners in July 2022, he was billed as the man to restore Arsenal's firepower and spearhead a new era at the Emirates.

Jesus' uncertain future at Arsenal

It was supposed to be a fairytale move, a proven winner swapping Manchester City’s silverware-laden dressing room for Mikel Arteta’s ambitious Arsenal project. Two years later, that dream appears to be crumbling. Injuries, inconsistency, and a ruthless reshaping of Arteta’s attack have left the Brazilian’s Arsenal future hanging by a thread. Reports from now claim that Jesus’ latest appearance, an FA Cup defeat to Manchester United in January, where he tore his ACL, could be his final one in red and white. 

In his debut season, he made a bright start, scoring 11 goals across all competitions. But that first-season spark soon faded. Persistent knee problems and a damaging ACL injury in January have since derailed his momentum entirely. The Brazilian has not kicked a competitive ball this season and is now facing the grim prospect of being moved on before he ever truly fulfilled his potential in north London.

AdvertisementAFPGyokeres and Havertz push Jesus out of the picture

In football, time waits for no one, and Arsenal’s summer overhaul has made that crystal clear. Viktor Gyokeres’ blockbuster arrival from Sporting has transformed the frontline, while Kai Havertz’s growing confidence as a No.9 has given Arteta tactical flexibility that doesn’t rely on Jesus. Once the guaranteed starter, the 28-year-old now finds himself surplus to requirements. Arsenal’s attack looks sharper, faster, and more unpredictable, all without him. And with the club reportedly open to offers, the writing appears to be on the wall for Jesus’ Emirates career. Interest is already mounting from Brazil, with Flamengo and Palmeiras both said to be keen on bringing him home. Meanwhile, Everton are said to be weighing up a bold January swoop for the out-of-favour forward. Jesus remains tied to Arsenal until June 2027, but with no sign of a contract renewal and the club looking to balance their books after a lavish summer, a parting of ways seems increasingly inevitable.

'Quiet' winter transfer window looming

According to the report, Arsenal will be taking a conservative approach to the winter window following their £250m ($332m) summer outlay. That record-breaking spending saw eight new faces arrive at London Colney, giving Arteta unprecedented squad depth. But it’s also left the club with a bloated wage bill and little room for manoeuvre under financial fair play regulations and PSR. The Gunners are believed to be focused on consolidating, trimming where possible, and making full use of the talent they already have. Reiss Nelson, Jakub Kiwior, and Albert Sambi Lokonga were all moved out over the summer to ease congestion, but Jesus’ potential departure would be by far the biggest name to go. Selling him could also generate crucial funds to reinvest in next summer’s plans.

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Arsenal look to the future

Even as the club prepares for potential departures, Arsenal’s long-term planning machine keeps whirring. The Gunners have wrapped up the signing of Victor Ozhianvuna, a 16-year-old prodigy from Shamrock Rovers. The Irish teenager, already capped at U15 and U18 level for the Republic of Ireland, will officially join Arsenal in January 2027 when he turns 18. Originally a wing-back, Ozhianvuna’s versatility has drawn rave reviews. 

With Brendan Rodgers’ future still up in the air, a fresh update has dropped regarding the situation and Celtic’s board, courtesy of an ex-CEO.

Rodgers delighted after dramatic Celtic win

The Hoops left it very late to win 2-1 away to Kilmarnock in the Scottish Premiership on Sunday afternoon, with new signing Kelechi Iheanacho scoring the winning goal from the penalty spot in stoppage time.

Speaking after the game, Rodgers couldn’t hide his delight at the result, as Celtic’s winning mentality shone through, like it so often does.

“It’s a great feeling. It’s been a long two weeks, so to get back out on to the football field – and this is always a tough game here – I’m so pleased for the players.“We weren’t quite in the right fluidity in the first-half. We got into some good areas but we weren’t feeding the wide guys well enough. But I thought in the second half we were much better.

“We started the half really well, got in front, and we had control of the game and had other good chances. They made some really good blocks.

“At 1-0 it can always be in the balance, no matter how much dominance you have, and we got punished from a corner and then they had a wee bit of momentum then with not so long to go. But we stuck at it, we defended the box when he had to, we were really strong and had that Celtic spirit.”

New update on Rodgers' Celtic future

Away from a huge win, though, Rodgers’ future is still a key talking point, and speaking to Football Insider, former Aberdeen chief executive officer Keith Wyness claimed that Celtic’s board will cause huge anger among the fanbase if the manager leaves.

“Now, what I’m hearing from my Celtic contacts is that they’re feeling that the board has become a little bit ivory tower in its view these days. They’re older. They’re used to doing things a certain way, they’re not listening to what they need to do to change, they’re not prepared to change, and there isn’t a hunger and a desire anymore to go forward.

“They’re quite happy with the money in the bank. So that’s what frustrates fans more than anything else when they see their prices going up and they have to fund the season tickets, and they don’t see that being transferred into ambition. It isn’t as though the club’s bust, the very opposite, that’s what frustrates people.

“If Brendan goes, then I think the board will see some real anger, obviously depending on who they bring in. Brendan had managed to win back over a lot of the fans and there’s a lot of sympathy for Brendan in this situation.”

There is no doubt that life under Rodgers isn’t perfect right now, and that he isn’t blameless when it comes to some underwhelming performances, but he still feels like the right man for the job for many fans.

As Wyness alludes to, he wasn’t fully supported financially in the summer transfer window, causing plenty of frustration, so he can only work with the squad he has now.

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Sacking Rodgers would be a big risk by the board, and if that did happen, or if the Northern Irishman leaves, they will have to nail his successor to please the supporters.

New head coach dismisses ‘inspire and entertain’ mantra, with focus on better fitness and more domestic cricket

Valkerie Baynes02-Apr-2025″It’s about winning.” With those three words, uttered 24 hours after being named England Women’s head coach, Charlotte Edwards set out her mission to turn an underperforming team into World Cup contenders within six months.Effectively dispensing with the ‘inspire and entertain’ mantra introduced two years ago by her predecessor, Jon Lewis, Edwards wasn’t afraid to tread into territory that makes some other coaches squeamish. Similarly, she was forthright about the need to hold players accountable for their fitness.”They’ve had this mantra of entertaining and inspiring over the last little bit, and I think it’s probably just changing their focus,” Edwards told reporters at Lord’s on Wednesday. “It’s bottling that entertaining and that aggressive approach, but for me, it’s about their game smarts and their game awareness about winning.”I’m under no illusions. I’ve come into this role, it’s about winning. I think coaches are sometimes too scared to say we want to win. That’s our job. My job is to win games of cricket, and I think it’s how we go and do that now.”That looks different on each given day and I just want to create some intelligent players who win games of cricket for England, and that’s going to be how I’ll go about stuff over the next few weeks, and try and instil that within the players.”Lewis lost his job following the 16-0 Ashes drubbing in Australia in January, which followed a shock group-stage exit at the T20 World Cup last October.Those results brought into question the fitness of some players in the squad, particularly when compared to the fiercely athletic Australian team.”My first week is actually profiling next week, so I’m going to judge for myself about where the team are with their fitness,” Edwards said. “I will make the players more accountable for fitness, so that’s something I’m going to do.”But there’s many aspects to this and I think the results from the winter, although 16-nil, I know that we are closer to that than what that scoreline suggested. I wouldn’t have taken on this role if I didn’t think that, in six months’ time, we could win a World Cup in India. I think we’ve got the playing group to do that.”We’ve got a lot of hard work and we’ve got a lot of honesty in that time before then, but I’m really confident that, given some time with this group, that we can turn things around very quickly.”England’s standards collapsed over the winter, particularly in the T20 World Cup in Dubai•ICC/Getty ImagesThe Ashes proved the final straw for Lewis and Heather Knight, who lost her job as captain, although she will remain available for selection as a player, following a sweeping review into the team’s performances.There had been a sense that Edwards would be reluctant to coach a team containing a core of players she had led as England captain until her retirement in 2016, but she welcomed the opportunity, feeling that enough time had passed.Edwards has stepped down from head coaching roles with Mumbai Indians, Sydney Sixers and Hampshire to fully focus on the England job, having won eight titles in five years at franchise and domestic level.”The great thing now is I’ve worked with them a lot in all the franchise competitions that I’ve worked in,” she said. “They’ve seen a very different person from Lottie the captain to Lottie the coach.”I think I’m a much better coach than I was captain, if I’m honest. There’s been enough time now between me playing with them all and I’m thoroughly looking forward to it. I’ve had some lovely messages from the players over the last 24 hours and I’m just super excited to get there on Monday.”Among Edwards first tasks’ will be to appoint a new captain, which she anticipated doing sooner rather than later after linking up with the team, saying she had a clear idea of her No.1 contender.Related

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In terms of the coaching role, Edwards was the standout candidate, with Clare Connor, Managing Director England Women’s Cricket, confirming that she was appointed without “the normal sort of open-recruitment process” that would be used for a coach at that level.That means the ECB ignored its own pledge to adhere to the Rooney Rule in recruiting head coaches. Under the rule, at least one applicant from black, Asian or minority ethnic backgrounds are to be interviewed.Connor also revealed that, as a result of the review, the ECB would set out in the coming days to recruit a national selector for the first time since the women’s game became professional in England and Wales. That would feed into a commitment to foster greater links and communication with domestic teams.Centrally contracted England players are expected to be available for the first seven rounds of the domestic 50-over competition, starting on April 19, with a strong emphasis on performance for selection in those games.Jon Lewis and Heather Knight paid the price for England’s poor showing this winter•PA Images via Getty ImagesShe also said players’ physical, mental and overall preparedness to compete at the highest level had been examined.”All of that professional standards, we’ve had some really good feedback on,” Connor said. “The domestic game we got feedback from, and from some notable figures in the world game as well.”Going back to our criteria and the appointment of Lottie, no one knows better what those professional standards need to be now. She’s seen it around the world. We’ve seen it for ourselves, obviously, during the Ashes in the starkest sense.”The pace of change in women’s cricket, it’s been fast and it’s been demanding. I think we’ve supported players well through those last few years. I think one of the things around the professionalisation is making sure that we’re challenging as well as being supportive.”That’s our role, to support players, but also challenge them and support them for successful times, and to perform under pressure.”Edwards believes that a focus on performance at domestic level as a benchmark for national selection will go some way to addressing the England team’s shortcomings in pressure situations, as laid bare in their error-strewn T20 World Cup defeat to West Indies and throughout the Ashes.With home series against West Indies and India this summer before the 50-over World Cup in India from late September and a home T20 World Cup next year, getting that aspect of the game right is crucial, with Edwards putting a strong emphasis on improving in the 50-over format.”We’ve got a lot of young players who, for me, haven’t played enough cricket, so I want them to experience playing more cricket, being put in those situations time and time again and earning your England cap,” Edwards said.”The door is not shut to anyone and that’s going to be a strong message coming out today, but hopefully starting with the county season, that’s going to be a really positive thing.”I’m not going to talk too much about the past. For me it’s all about the future and what I see is that we’ve got a really talented squad and I think we’ve got some of the best players in the world, some really talented high-potential young players, which I’m looking forward to working with.”

GOAL ranks the top three soccer players produced by every state in the South, including Dempsey, Richards and Graham Zusi

Welcome to the South. American soccer, traditionally, has been concentrated in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic states, the Pacific Northwest and California. But there are some ballers from down south, too. Texas, in particular, has delivered top-level talent, with Clint Dempsey, Stu Holden and Omar Gonzalez – all seminal figures in the American game – coming from of the Lone Star State.

The South has contributed plenty. Florida, Alabama, Virginia and Maryland – if we're being a little generous geographically – have all had their part to play in the story of American soccer. And what they perhaps lack in number, they more than make up for with a little bit of southern grit. As Dempsey once said: "You don't know where I'm from, dawg."

Some regions in the U.S. have deeper player pools than others, so who is the best of the best? Which state has been the most fertile ground for developing American soccer talent?

GOAL ranks the top three men's soccer players from each of the 50 states. Next up, the South. Previous: Northeast

AFPAlabama: Chris Richards

Hometown: Birmingham

Clubs played for: Bayern Munich, Hoffenheim, Crystal Palace

USMNT caps: 33

Why he’s No. 1: Richards is proof of how finding the right club can change your career. Hyped by American fans when he joined Bayern Munich in 2018, Richards was too raw to make it in Bavaria at first. A middling loan to Hoffenheim followed, but he has since become a standout under Oliver Glasner for an excellent Crystal Palace team. These days, he's a top name on the teamsheet for the USMNT, too. Certainly, a bigger move is on the way for a real talent. 

Runners-up:

2. Tanner Tessmann (Birmingham): Coming into his own at Lyon, but still needs to show he can do it for a full season. 

3. Aron Johannsson (Mobile): A dual-national who rather lost his way, Johannsson had all of the talent, but never quite put everything together. 

AdvertisementGettyArkansas: Thomas Roberts

Hometown: Little Rock

Clubs played for: FC Dallas, North Texas SX, Columbus Crew 2, Stabaek FC, North Carolina FC

USMNT caps: 0

Why he’s No. 1: Arkansas is home to any number of NFL and NBA stars. Soccer really isn't the state's calling card. Thomas Roberts, now of the USL's North Carolina FC, was a youth national, but is on his sixth club at the age of 24. 

Runners-up:

2. Parker Maher (Fort Smith): A brief USL spell but little else for the Missouri State talent. 

3. Central Arkansas (Conway): OK, so not an individual player. But shout out to the Bears as the only Division 1 men's college program in the state.

GettyDelaware: Mark McKenzie

Hometown: Bear

Clubs played for: Bethlehem Steel, Philadelphia Union, Genk, Toulouse

USMNT caps: 22

Why he’s No. 1: Where do you want to start? McKenzie is the epitome of an American homegrown centerback in the modern era. He starred for a number of club teams before moving swiftly through college, MLS and then into Europe. These days, he is a regular for Toulouse and a presumptive starter for the USMNT at the World Cup – assuming he stays fit. 

Runners-up: 

2. Anthony Fontana (Newark): A seasoned journeyman who contributed to a Supporters' Shield win for the Union and flirted with a European career.

3. Rob Smith (Wilmington): One of the original MLS midfielders, Smith played for the Crew and also featured for the U.S. youth national teams.

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GettyFlorida: Graham Zusi

Hometown: Longwood

Clubs played for: Central Florida Kraze, Sporting Kansas City

USMNT caps: 55

Why he’s No. 1: Now we're talking. Florida is a sporting hotbed in general, and it has made a fine contribution to soccer, too. Zusi enjoyed a wonderful MLS career, playing 355 times for Sporting KC, serving as both a winger and right back. His impact at the 2014 World Cup simply cannot be understated, as Zusi provided two assists for a solid USMNT. Seven All-Star appearances, two MLS best XIs, and one of the top assist providers in the league, Zusi had a legendary career. 

Runners-up:

2. Dax McCarty (Winter Park): Could have earned the top spot. McCarty was a fantastic MLS journeyman who slotted in wherever he played. A word, in particular, for his marking of Lionel Messi in Atlanta's win over Miami in the 2024 MLS playoffs.

3. Aidan Morris (Fort Lauderdale): Give it a year or two, and Morris might be higher. He had slipped slightly since joining Middlesbrough, but remains a solid performer for the Championship club. The question is: what's next? 

India captain says their three allrounders gives them a lot of options

Andrew Fidel Fernando19-Feb-20251:12

Harshit or Arshdeep in India’s XI?

So what if it’s overcast in Dubai? And so what if there’s dew, or a little spice in the deck, or some movement in the air? Whatever this venue throws at India, they have the bowling options to deal with it.So said captain Rohit Sharma, ahead of India’s first match of the Champions Trophy against Bangladesh. This is a venue to which India are well-accustomed, having played nine T20Is here since October 2021. They haven’t played an ODI in Dubai since 2018, but the versatility in their likely XI will put them in a good position to adjust on the fly, according to Rohit.”If it’s going to be overcast, we have the bowling arsenal to combat that,” he said. “If there are overhead conditions helping the bowlers, we have the bowlers to exploit that. And if we bat in those overhead conditions, the batters know exactly what to do.”Among the strengths in this India squad, are the presence of “multi-skilled” cricketers, Rohit said. Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, and Ravindra Jadeja could potentially all play in the same XI. Without spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, who was ruled out through injury, these are bowlers Rohit may lean on through the course of the tournament.Related

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“Those three guys – Jadeja, Axar, and Washy – give us a different dimension to the game, our combination, and our squad, and add a lot of depth. That is why we tried to get players who have two skills rather than one.”One of India’s pure bowling options, however, is wristspinner Varun Chakravarthy. He’s played only one ODI so far, but has an impressive List A record, having claimed 60 wickets from 24 matches at a spectacular average of 14.80. He is a player who deals in subterfuge, Rohit said.”He doesn’t bowl too many variations to us in the nets. He bowls just one type of delivery. Maybe, he doesn’t want to show his variations even to us. But that is a good thing. He has got certain weapons which he wants to just put it out there, when it actually matters. I am more than happy if he wants to do that.”But, he has got something different which is why he is here with us. He has been impressive in the last eight to nine months. That is why we wanted to bring him here and see what he has and what he can do for India on the big stage.”Another player who Rohit will look to, is Mohammad Shami, who only returned to international cricket late last month, after undergoing ankle surgery in early 2024. He only bowled 15.5 overs across the two ODIs he played against England, claiming a wicket in each outing. With Bumrah out, Shami’s form may be especially important to India’s chances.”All we wanted with Shami was to get back to wearing India colours more than anything else. Whether he gets wickets or not was completely immaterial to us [in the England series].”When you talk about a bowler like Shami, who has done the job over the years so many times for us – for them it’s just about getting back into rhythm. Hopefully he can find some rhythm early on in this tournament.”

West Ham United were turned down in the final hours of the summer transfer window after making a last-gasp approach to sign a “leader”, a reporter has revealed.

Igor delighted after signing for West Ham

West Ham’s deadline day was ultimately relatively quiet, with Igor Julio proving to be the only arrival, joining on loan from fellow Premier League side Brighton & Hove Albion.

Igor chose to move to the London Stadium rather than joining Crystal Palace, which may have caused the knock-on effect of Marc Guehi not signing for Liverpool, with Oliver Glasner always reluctant to sanction a move unless adequate cover was brought in.

Speaking after joining Graham Potter’s side, the Brazilian said: “I am really happy to be here at West Ham United,” said Igor. “It is a big Club, a historic Club, with fantastic support and a special identity. I saw this in Prague during the Europa Conference League final two years ago, and I feel very proud to now be representing the colours.”

Potter needed to get another centre-back through the door to replace the outgoing Nayef Aguerd, who has now signed for Marseille, but the Brighton defender was not the only target, with West Ham also making a last-gasp approach to sign Chelsea’s Axel Disasi.

However, reporter Graeme Bailey has since revealed that Disasi “said no” to a move to the London Stadium, while also shunning interest from the likes of AFC Bournemouth, Crystal Palace, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Ajax to remain at Stamford Bridge.

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It is unclear why the Chelsea centre-back, who is valued at around £25m, was so reluctant to leave, given that there was widespread interest in his signature, and the Frenchman clearly isn’t a part of Enzo Maresca’s plans.

The 27-year-old, who has been described as a “leader” by journalist Nizaar Kinsella, was shipped out on loan to Aston Villa last January, and has failed to make a single appearance for the Blues so far this season.

The fact Igor actually wants to go and play football is an encouraging sign, and there are clear indications he is a more forward-thinking defender, who is comfortable in possession of the ball.

Average per 90 (past year)

Axel Disasi

Igor Julio

Passes attempted

58.50

68.37

Progressive passes

3.31

4.59

Blocks

1.01

2.25

Consequently, West Ham should not be too disheartened by the fact they missed out on the signing of Disasi, and they will be hoping picking up their first clean sheet of the season against Nottingham Forest last time out will be an early turning point.

Ballon d'Or winner Ousmane Dembele bizarrely compared his achievement to a goal he scored against Tottenham for Barcelona back in 2018. The Paris Saint-Germain star was given the honour of being named the world's best player throughout last season and he feels his drive to claim the trophy resembles a particular goal from seven years ago.

Dembele beats Yamal to the big prize

Dembele was the winner by a decisive margin as he added the individual accolade to his collection after guiding the French side to a clean sweep of domestic trophies and, most importantly, their maiden Champions League success. After beating Lamine Yamal and PSG team-mate Vitinha to the prize, the France international had an interesting analogy as he attempted to describe how he zeroed in on the award.

AdvertisementDembele compares win to solo effort against Tottenham

Dembele compared being named the world's best footballer with a solo goal he scored against Spurs for Barcelona at Camp Nou. In December 2018, Dembele fired the Spanish giants to an early lead in a Champions League clash against the London side. Spurs went on to claim a 1-1 draw, but the goal clearly sticks in the attacker's mind.

He explained to howthe win resembles the goal, saying: "I press the opponent, he loses his balance a little. I recover the ball and then, there is a two against one. 

"I said: 'I'm going alone'. I pushed the ball, I accelerated and I saw the player, the defender coming like crazy to tackle. I hooked him and I scored. It's pretty much the Ballon d'Or."

Dembele pays tribute to Benzema

Dembele went on to praise his compatriot Karim Benzema, who won the individual gong in 2022, and compared himself to the former Real Madrid striker, adding: "We both come from the suburbs, we grew up there, and to be at the highest level in the world, to win a Ballon d'Or, is exceptional. He is the first Ballon d'Or of the people, I am the second."

The 28-year-old also refused to call himself the best player in the world, as the expression ultimately does not matter or mean much to him. 

"It can change every weekend. One match, you are not good, we will say you are rubbish. The next match, you are the best in the world," said Dembele, before going on to stress that he owes his success to his PSG team-mates. "It's with everyone. It's a team… it's a whole group. It's the team's Ballon d'Or. Sorry for my language, but I didn't give a damn. You take it or you don't take it. Even if I wanted to score goals, I didn't mean to shoot up there."

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AFPDembele believes he and PSG can achieve more

While there were other worthy contenders, Dembele ultimately won the award as the crown jewel of a PSG that excelled in the 2024-25 season. As such, he refused to take much of the credit, repeatedly suggesting the award was the result of the team's performance. Even with this award, he still believes he needs to improve as a player, for fear of his manager looking to replace him. 

"If you don't win, if you're not hungry with Luis Enrique, you'll go to the bench. Or we'll buy another player," he said. 

Les Parisiens' defence of their Ligue 1 title hit its first hurdle earlier this week, when suffered a rare loss away to Marseille in a fiery clash that saw Roberto De Zerbi sent off towards the end. Dembele and his teammates will look to improve when they take on Auxerre later today, before a trip to the 28-year-old's stomping ground Barcelona in the Champions League on Wednesday.