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Chelsea were handed a significant boost from the Premier League in their bid to avoid breaching Profit and Sustainability (PSR) rules.

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• Chelsea sold hotels to sister company
• Has helped lower club's reported losses
• Blues confident of complying with PSR

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Blues' efforts to comply with the financial regulations were made easier as the Premier League will allow them to include the proceeds made from selling two hotels to a sister company in their accounts for the last financial year, reports.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Ownership of the Millennium and Copthorne hotels was transferred from Chelsea FC Holdings Ltd to BlueCo 22 Properties Ltd, another subsidiary of BlueCo 22 Ltd., the holding company that owns the Stamford Bridge club.

  In the financial accounts for the financial year of 2022-23, they would have recorded a £166.4 million loss had it not been for the sale to the sister company. Instead, that loss was reduced to £89.9m.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Although UEFA and the English Football League (EFL) forbids do not allow sales of this type, the Premier League permits such transactions if they are proven to be of a fair market value. The English top-flight has now completed its assessment and allowed the Blues to record the sales, boosting their hopes of avoiding punishment for breaking the rules.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR CHELSEA?

  Clubs are allowed to show a maximum of £105m in losses over a three-year period in their books, so Chelsea are said to be confident of complying with PSR rules for now. With their financial concerns dealt with, they will hope to get back to winning ways on the field when Cole Palmer and Co. face Bournemouth on September 14.

“It’s going to be good place to see where we are in terms of bouncing back from the defeat in Australia”

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Feb-2020Fit-again Trent Boult is “very excited” at the prospect of bowling to Virat Kohli in the two-Test series starting Friday, and has already set the India captain’s wicket as his prime target as New Zealand look to bounce back after a 3-0 series defeat in Australia late last year.Boult is back after suffering a broken hand during the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne, and is set to be reunited with Tim Southee and Neil Wagner to spearhead the pace attack in the Tests in Wellington and Christchurch.”I’m very excited to bowl to Virat again,” Boult said. “He’s an exceptional player. Everyone knows how great he is. That is personally why I play the game, to get guys like that out and test myself against them, so I can’t wait to get stuck in.”Boult had missed the first Test of the Australia series in Perth because of a side injury but had recovered in time to play in Melbourne. But he fractured his hand while batting at the MCG and was ruled out of the rest of the tour as well as the limited-overs leg of India’s tour.”I suppose breaking a hand, you don’t really know how much you use it until it’s broken,” he said. “Everything has gone well but catching would be the biggest issue for me at the moment. I’m 100% fit and hungry.”It’s been nice just to be able to bowl. I had some time away from the game and having my second son a couple of weeks ago, it actually came at quite a good time, but I’m hungry to be here and can’t wait to get back in the whites and get the red ball moving around.”While fast bowlers, especially with the new ball, will be key at Basin Reserve, of late the surface has tended to dry out quickly and tilt in favour of the batsmen. And considering they are facing the No. 1 Test side, Boult is expecting an even contest despite New Zealand’s home advantage.”I’m preparing for a solid wicket. It generally is very good here and goes the full distance (five days),” Boult said. “I do enjoy playing here, the history that’s involved, and it’s going to be an exciting week building up. I can’t wait to get out there.”They [India] are a great side and they are leading the ICC Test Championship. They are very clear on how they wanted to play the game. It was a tough learning curve in Australia but it’s going to be good place to see where we are in terms of bouncing back from the defeat in Australia.”

Chelsea are facing a "truly disastrous week" as the pressure piles on manager Mauricio Pochettino, following a dramatic EFL Cup final defeat to Liverpool in extra time on Sunday.

Gary Neville labels Chelsea "billion pound bottlejobs" after defeat

Virgil van Dijk's late winner over Chelsea at Wembley prompted Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville to brand them the "billion pound bottlejobs".

Naples based journalist drops major Victor Osimhen claim for Chelsea fans

The Blues are now favourites to make the signing.

By
Tom Coates

Feb 26, 2024

A large portion of Liverpool's XI were on the very young side, to add insult to injury, with Pochettino claiming his star-studded team needed to feel the pain after what was a sore loss to take in London.

"We are very competitive and now we need to move forward," said Pochettino on Chelsea's defeat to Liverpool.

"They need to realise that we need to work more, do better things. We need to improve and compete in this level against a side that in the last five, six, seven years has competed for big things.

"It's about arriving here first and then feel what it means to play for a big trophy. I remember after three, four years they lost the Champions League [final], they lost the Europa League [final]. They keep believing in the project and in the next season [got] stronger until they got what they wanted.

"That is a good example, Liverpool. We want to challenge a team like Liverpool. [We should not be] frustrated today because we didn't get the trophy. We need to keep believing, as that is the most important thing."

Following the cup defeat, rumours are starting to re-emerge over Pochettino's position as head coach, coming after Chelsea were linked with a new manager like Xabi Alonso earlier this month.

Pochettino "facing the sack" if Chelsea lose to Leeds

Now, journalist Dean Jones has claimed Pochettino is "facing the sack" if Chelsea lose their FA Cup bout to Leeds tomorrow.

"This is a massive loss," said Jones to GiveMeSport.

"You don't get a better chance to beat Liverpool than to come up against a side missing as many players as they were at Wembley. They got away with Moises Caicedo's tackle and the Virgil van Dijk VAR goal, and when their chances came along they just couldn't take them. That's hard to accept – and made harder by the fact they didn't go for the kill in extra-time when Liverpool were fielding youngsters that many people literally would never have heard of.

"The late defeat has been described as pathetic and they are being labelled bottle jobs and now they have to take on Leeds United, one of their oldest rivals in the game. Leeds will come to London believing they can cause an upset and if they do then Pochettino is probably going to be facing the sack. It could become a truly disastrous week."

They lost a wicket in each session on day three and whittled their deficit to 63 by stumps

The Report by Andrew Fidel Fernando21-Jan-2020
Angelo Mathews and Kusal Mendis led Sri Lanka’s steady progress on day three, as the visitors finished just 63 runs adrift, with six wickets still in hand. They lost a wicket in each session on what was a still placid Harare Sports Club surface. The most likely route to a result in this Test may be for Sri Lanka to establish a big lead in the first innings, then dismiss Zimbabwe cheaply.While Mathews started slowly, making only 18 runs off his first 61 deliveries, Mendis ticked the score over through the first session. Although both batsmen were tetchy against Zimbabwe’s seam bowlers, who got more lateral movement off this surface than Sri Lanka’s quicks had, they were confident against the hosts’ spinners, who even by the end of the day had failed to seriously impose themselves on the match. Mendis was ruthless on errors of length in particular, favouring the slap-pull that is a hallmark of his game.He reached fifty off the 118th ball he faced – a slower rate of scoring than is typical for Mendis, but understandable given the nature of the surface, and the fact that this was his first half-century in four Tests. Soon after, he would surge into the 60s, by hitting three consecutive fours off Sikandar Raza’s first over, as the bowler repeatedly bowled either too short or too full. Mendis’ eventual dismissal came against the run of play, as he drove at a full, wide delivery from Victor Nyauchi, and edged the ball to wide slip. He had made 80 off 163 deliveries.By the time Mendis was dismissed, Mathews had settled a little. Although he played and missed frequently at the start of his innings, and had also been nervy between the wickets, he had applied himself admirably despite all this, and was 36 off 119 balls when he got a new partner. He continued to bat sagely, defending more-or-less impeccably, though waiting for only the most egregious bowling errors to attempt a boundary. When he got to fifty, off the 154th ball he faced, he had hit three fours and a six – every one of those off a spin bowler. In fact, he’d only hit one four off the seamers the entire day, a beautifully timed flick off his thigh off Donald Tiripano in the 96th over. He ended the day eight runs short of a well-deserved century, though his strike rate was down at 36.Zimbabwe will perhaps feel that they should have got more than three wickets for their own perseverance on this docile pitch. They beat the bat of virtually every Sri Lanka batsman, and debutant Nyauchi was particularly threatening in the morning session. He had opposition captain Dimuth Karunaratne flicking aerially to short midwicket in the first session – Ainsley Ndlovu taking an excellent low catch. He also dismissed Mendis shortly before tea, and later finished the day with 2 for 38 from 22 overs, his economy rate an outstanding 1.72.The only wicket that didn’t fall to Nyauchi in the day was that of Dinesh Chandimal, and that was a stroke of extreme luck. Chandimal had deadbatted his way through most of the 31 deliveries he had faced, when he attempted to push a Sean Williams ball down the ground, but only managed to hit it on to his boot. The ball then leapt up towards Williams, who snaffled it and appealed for the catch. Replays suggested the ball had not hit the ground thanks to Chandimal’s boot. He was out for 12.That dismissal was partly the result of Zimbabwe delaying to take the second new ball, as Chandimal was dismissed in the 82nd over. They did eventually take the new ball after 88 overs, but Dhananjaya de Silva seemed at ease at virtually everything Zimbabwe threw at him late in the day, and progressed to 42 not out off 73 balls.

Last month, it emerged that Erik ten Hag and Manchester United are keeping an eye on Brentford striker Ivan Toney, who's just returned from an eight-month ban for breaking gambling rules.

Brentford want £100m to sell Toney, and aren't prepared to drop much lower in negotiations, so it remains to be seen whether United are priced out of a deal or whether they launch a blockbuster move at the start of the Jim Ratcliffe era. The Red Devils also have alternatives in mind, including, as it turns out, the player Brentford view as their ideal replacement for Toney.

United in touch over Jonathan David

According to Football Transfers, Manchester United have made contact over a deal for Jonathan David, registering their interest in the Canadian striker. Alongside Brentford, fellow Premier League sides Aston Villa, Chelsea and Newcastle are all keen too.

The Bees are firm admirers of David, with Thomas Frank impressed by what he saw when Lille visited Brentford for a pre-season friendly last summer. The German apparently believes that he has what it takes to be Toney's successor at the Gtech Community Stadium.

Luckhurst reveals what INEOS think will happen with Ashworth and Man Utd

United want Ashworth to be their new sporting director.

By
David Comerford

Feb 14, 2024

Lille have set out an asking price of around €50m (which is equivalent to about £43m) for David's suitors, and while they're "reluctant" to let him go, he's thought to be "desperate" to play in the Premier League.

United fans will love David's Liverpool comments

David, who has scored 13 goals and provided six assists in his 30 appearances this season, has made no secret of his aforementioned desire to move to the English top-flight.

Speaking during Canada's World Cup campaign in 2022, he said: "The Premier League is the best league in the world and I think every player would want to play there some day."

He actually gave that answer when asked directly about supposed interest from United, and while he wouldn't comment on the club directly, he has already ticked one important box for the Old Trafford faithful. During his time with previous club Gent in Belgium, he singled out Liverpool, who are of course United's arch-rivals, as the one Premier League side he doesn't particularly like.

He said: "I love all teams in the Premier League: Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City, but also Southampton, Crystal Palace, Everton … I like nice teams. I’m just not a big fan of Liverpool."

United and Brentford are entangled in something of a transfer web at the moment as they plan to make striker signings in the summer. There could be a scenario where the London club reject an offer from Ten Hag's side for Toney, and then find themselves battling with the 20-time champions for the signature of David.

Wrexham cruised to a comfortable win over Reading in League One to reignite their promotion charge after a recent draw with Bolton.

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• Wrexham won 3-0 at SToK Cae Ras
• Palmer opened scoring in first half
• Cannon got third straight after half-time

• TELL ME MORE

  A quarter of the game had elapsed by the time Ollie Palmer broke the deadlock with a header from just outside the six-yard box. Fans then didn't have to wait very long for the second, although it needed a few bites of the cherry after Jack Marriott's initial effort was saved and James McClean hit the post, Elliot Lee was the one who successfully gobbled up the rebound to create daylight.

  Soon after the break it was a case of 'Cannon by name, cannon by nature', as midfielder Andy Cannon made it 3-0 with a thunderbolt from outside the penalty area. Wrexham were up and cruising by then, ceding control of possession to Reading but carving out chances here and there, all the while limiting the wasteful Royals to just a single shot on target. There was also the welcome sight of Paul Mullin off the bench after minor spinal surgery in summer meant he hadn't played since April.

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  Since the start of last season, Wrexham have scored more home goals than any other team in the top four divisions of English football and that wasn't about to change at SToK Cae Ras in this one.

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  THE MVP

  Wing-back Ryan Barnett was the architect of Wrexham's ultimately decisive first half goals, both made and scored courtesy of his crosses into the box. He only got assist credit for the first, mind, headed in by Palmer, due to the second from Lee being the rebound from a rebound.

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• THE BIG LOSER

  It's a very long way from Berkshire to north Wales and Reading fans who made the trip won't have been impressed by their team's attempted finishing. Wrexham score a lot of goals, but they are capable of conceding them in numbers too and had they managed any more than one out of 12 shots on target (Wrexham had seven of 12 on target), this one might have been slightly closer.

After Aston Villa crashed the top four last season, which team is best placed to perform above expectations in the coming months?

Given the amount of sport that has dominated the summer months, you would have been forgiven for not realising that the new Premier League season kicks-off this week. And so while teams are still finessing their transfer business and making final tactical tweaks, everything is pretty much in place for the 2024-25 campaign to begin.

That means its predictions season, and here at GOAL we're no different. Over the next week our writers will be giving their takes on all the biggest issues, from the teams who are likely to be scrapping for survival to those who will be fighting for top-four finishes and the title, and everything in between.

Today we've taken a look at potential surprise packages, and which teams are most likely to upset the established order over the coming nine months:

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  'Glasner's collective more important than individuals'

  Richard Martin: Crystal Palace must have wished last season could have kept going as they staged a breath-taking finish, winning six of their last seven games while annihilating Manchester United and Aston Villa. In a matter of weeks, Oliver Glasner transformed the team's tactics from Roy Hodgson's reactive ways and built a team that was frighteningly good at transitions and in beating the press. Michael Olise joining Bayern Munich is a big loss, but Glasner has already shown that a collective plan is more important than individuals. Expect a top-10 finish, at least.

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  'West Ham have made exciting signings'

  Mark Doyle: Crystal Palace should benefit enormously from a full pre-season under Oliver Glasner, who oversaw a dramatic improvement after taking over in February. However, the loss of Michael Olise is a big blow and the French winger could soon be followed out of the exit door by star centre-back Marc Guehi, while Jean-Philippe Mateta is going to require an extended break following his Olympic exploits. As a result, Julen Lopetegui’s West Ham look better placed for a stronger season overall, as they’ve made some exciting signings, including Germany’s Niclas Fullkrug, Brazilian teenage sensation Luis Gulherme and former Leeds winger Crysencio Summerville.

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  'Expect Palace to kick on'

  Amee Ruszkai: I really liked what I saw from Crystal Palace in the first few months of Oliver Glasner's tenure last season and I can see them building on that after a first full pre-season under the Austrian. Michael Olise's sale is a hit, sure, but they've kept hold of Eberechi Eze and made some interesting, exciting signings. Keeping hold of players like Adam Wharton and Marc Guehi amid rumours in the latter stages of this transfer window will also be important, though I do expect to see Palace kick on regardless and make real progress under Glasner.

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  'Todibo the cherry on West Ham's cake'

  Tom Maston: With most of the 'top' teams having had pretty quiet transfer windows thus far, it's West Ham who have had the most eye-catching summer. Crysencio Summerville and Niclas Fullkrug should add another dimension to their forward line, while Guido Rodriguez was a Barcelona target at the start of the window. Beating Juventus to the signing of Jean-Clair Todibo is the cherry on the cake of what has been a wonderful first few months in charge for Julen Lopetegui, and with no European distractions for the first time in three seasons, the Irons can be fully-focused on pushing for a top-six finish.

All the live updates, records and chatter from the latest round of the Ranji Trophy

Hemant Brar25-Dec-2019

The January transfer window is set to slam shut on Thursday and Celtic could be in for a busy few days of business before the deadline passes.

Brendan Rodgers watched on as his side scraped a 1-0 win over Ross County in their Scottish Premiership return on Saturday, thanks to a goal from Alistair Johnston in the first minute.

The Hoops had 70% of the ball and took 17 shots at the opposition's goal but failed to find the back of the net after that stunning start to the game, with Luis Palma's missed penalty in the 28th minute contributing to that failure.

Nicolas Kuhn, who was signed from Rapid Wien earlier this month, came off the bench to make his debut for the Bhoys but he may not be the last attacking addition to the squad before the window slams shut.

Football Insider previously reported that Rodgers would like to bring in another number nine to bolster his squad, along with a left-back and a goalkeeper.

Celtic's search for a striker

Celtic's search for a striker appears to be nearing a conclusion as they have identified the son of one of their former centre-forwards – Pierre van Hooijdonk – as a target.

Sky Sports reporter Anthony Joseph claims that Sydney van Hooijdonk is looking to move on from Serie A side Bologna before the end of the window.

The journalist adds that the Hoops have been keeping tabs on the Dutch youngster for 'some time' and that the club are in the market to bring in another striker.

However, he did state that the Scottish giants have not made contact with Bologna over a deal to sign the 23-year-old marksman at this stage.

Meanwhile, TNT commentator Paul Dempsey claimed on Saturday evening, as relayed by the Daily Record, that a move to Parkhead is "on the cards" for the young attacker.

He was on duty for Bologna's Serie A clash with AC Milan and noted that van Hooijdonk was absent from the matchday squad for the Italian side, as an apparent switch to Scotland could be on.

However, it remains to be seen how close a deal is or how much the Bhoys would be willing to pay for his services, and if it is enough to tempt the Serie A team into cashing in on him.

If Rodgers does secure a swoop for van Hooijdonk before the deadline passes on Thursday then the Northern Irish head coach could land an exciting partner for Kyogo Furuhashi, as well as competition for the Japan international, at the top end of the pitch.

Kyogo's drop-off in form under Rodgers

The 29-year-old attacker enjoyed a sensational 2022/23 campaign under Ange Postecoglou to cement himself as a star for the Scottish giants.

Kyogo racked up a staggering 27 goals and two assists in 36 Premiership appearances for the club, in 31 starts, as he showcased his goalscoring quality on a regular basis.

His sensational form in front of goal earned him the PFA Scotland Men's Player of the Year award, which shows that the striker's peers recognised and respected his quality.

He produced an eye-catching 34 goals and five assists in 50 matches in all competitions for Celtic, which is a goal every 1.47 outings on average, as they won a domestic treble under the Australian head coach.

Postecoglou moved on from Parkhead last summer and was replaced by Rodgers, for his second spell, in the dugout and that change appears to have had a negative impact on Kyogo.

The Japan international has produced 11 goals and three assists in 31 appearances in all competitions for the Hoops so far this season, which is a return of one strike every 2.82 games on average.

That is a staggering decline in form for the experienced centre-forward, who has not been able to replicate or kick on from his goalscoring exploits last term.

As you can see in the table above, the Hoops striker has struggled badly in comparison to his incredible performances during the 2022/23 campaign.

The signing of van Hooijdonk could help Kyogo by providing him with serious competition for his place, to drive his motivation up, and possibly a fantastic partner for him in the final third.

The stats that show why Celtic should sign van Hooijdonk

The 23-year-old whiz has struggled to make his mark in Italy this season, with one goal in 11 matches for Bologna, but has previously showcased his quality in the Netherlands.

Van Hooijdonk, who was once hailed as "prolific" by talent scout Jacek Kulig, spent 18 months on loan with Heerenveen in the Eredivisie from January 2022 through to the summer of 2023 and caught the eye in front of goal.

The Dutch finisher racked up six goals, and only missed three 'big chances', in 13 top-flight appearances during the second half of the 2021/22 campaign.

He followed that first five months on loan up with a superb return of 16 goals, with only ten 'big chances' missed, in 30 Eredivisie starts for Heereveen over the subsequent 12 months.

Overall, van Hooijdonk produced 22 goals and only missed 13 'big chances' in 43 league starts on loan with the Dutch side, which is a return of one strike every 1.95 starts on average.

This suggests that the Celtic target has the potential to offer more in front of goal than Kyogo has so far this season, as his form for Heerenveen over that 18-month spell was more impressive than what the current Hoops ace has mustered up in the Premiership.

Van Hooijdonk could also be a fantastic partner for the Japanese dynamo as he excels where the 29-year-old struggles – in aerial contests with defenders.

He won 2.0 aerial duels per game in the Eredivisie last season, with a success rate of 45%, whilst Kyogo has won 0.2 per game, with a success rate of 20%, in the league this term.

The £7.6k-per-week striker could, therefore, provide a physical outlet at the top end of the pitch that would allow the current Celtic marksman to play off and around him without needing to worry about engaging in physical duels with towering Scottish defenders, which could free him up to focus on improving his output in front of goal.

This could make them an exciting pairing for Rodgers in the final third as well as excellent competition for each other to drive up the standards in training and on matchdays.

Steve Brown, a Manchester United performance analyst who was made redundant, has fired a parting shot at the club.

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• Brown has left Man United
• INEOS implementing cost-cutting measures
• Ex-employee gives advice to ownership

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  After 23 years, Brown was relieved of his duties by United as INEOS implement vast cost-cutting measures. He worked as a performance analyst at Old Trafford, specialising in academy loans, and has issued a strong statement in which he has begged the new ownership not to "lose the soul of the club".

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Per reports earlier this summer, United's new minority owner has implemented swingeing cuts that has seen 250 jobs removed across the board. Brown, at the age of 52, is now seeking alternative employment at a new club.

• WHAT BROWN SAID

  Writing on LinkedIn, Brown said: "So after 23 years of loyal service, my time has come to leave Manchester United, not by choice but via a redundancy program. Not the way I had dreamed, but these things are sent to test us. I have enjoyed some of the most fantastic times, met absolute legends of the game, and been part (only a small part) of some legendary moments.

  "Not sure what doors will open or what path to take at 52, but I will keep knocking on doors. I would like to think that my skill set is suitable for recruitment and would love to follow that route. Any ideas would be gratefully appreciated.

  "I wish Manchester United all the best for the future. It has changed so much in 23 years, some good, some not so.

  "Don’t lose the soul of the club to save a few quid. The people who were there made it such a special place, rich with history. Onward to the next chapter."

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  WHAT NEXT?

  On the pitch, United are preparing for this weekend's Community Shield clash with Manchester City, before taking on Fulham in their Premier League opener next Friday.