Foxes players train at Grace Road in preparation for county season start on August 1

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Jul-2020Leicestershire’s players have been able to resume training at Grace Road despite a second lockdown in the city of Leicester.The club’s first-team players came off furlough on Wednesday to prepare for the return of county cricket next month amid Leicester’s period in lockdown being extended by at least two-weeks after a surge of Covid-19 cases in the area.While much of the UK is preparing for a further easing of restrictions this weekend, Health Secretary Matt Hancock told the BBC that Leicester had seen “10 percent of all positive cases in the country over the past week”, prompting the extended lockdown there.The club confirmed that players were able to train in individual one-hour time slots with a coach at the Fischer County Ground following consultation with Leicester City Council and the ECB.”The Fischer County Ground has been extensively cleaned with the very latest regulations and procedures put in place to ensure the safety of players and staff whilst at the ground,” the statement said. “The Fischer County Ground will remain closed to the public and will only allow for a limited number of personnel to be on-site at any time.”Following the first day of training, head coach Paul Nixon said his players had “kept themselves superbly fit” over a difficult past few months at home.”We are all delighted to be able to return to cricket training to push the players’ skills back up to the elite standard level and prepare for a return to cricket on August 1,” Nixon said. “Our squad has technically, physically, and emotionally strengthened since last season.”I’d like to also say that the players, coaches and staff at our great club have all been outstanding through a very difficult time. I’d like to also thank the members and fans for continuing to support us during this time as well.”The delayed 2020 county season is due to begin on August 1, with details of the formats and fixture list to be revealed by the ECB in the coming weeks.Sean Jarvis, who started his role as the club’s new CEO on June 24, told ESPNcricinfo on Tuesday that Leicestershire would be happy to “go with the consensus” when the counties decide on which formats to play in the truncanted season, however their own preference would be for white-ball cricket.”In terms of expense and logistics, we would probably prefer a 50-over competition to start the season followed by a T20 Blast,” Jarvis said. “That way we could minimise hotels stays. But if the consensus is we start the season with a first-class competition, we are prepared for that, too.”Either way, Leicestershire will be keen to welcome spectators to their Grace Road home if T20 cricket resumes, as planned, at the end of August. The club has significant financial issues and would welcome the cash-flow such ticket sales could generate.

MatériaMais Notícias

Após anunciar Giuliano e ver a contratação de Renato Augusto com otimismo, o Corinthians não desistiu de contar com o retorno de Paulinho, mas sabe que a situação é bastante difícil. O volante está sem contrato desde a rescisão com Guangzhou Evergrande, da China.

>> Confira a tabela do Brasileirão e simule os próximos jogos

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O jogador avalia sondagens, entre elas do Timão, mas até o momento recebeu apenas uma proposta oficial, vinda do futebol francês.

>> Baixe o novo app de resultados do LANCE!

Além da diretoria corintiana, o Grêmio e times da Turquia e Oriente Médio também manifestaram interesse no atleta, que avaliará com a sua família as ofertas. Conforme apurou o LANCE!, o local de residência será fundamental para a escolha, já que o jogador e os seus entes prezam pelo melhor lugar para viver.

Ao canal do YouTube ‘Bem Posicionados’, o volante confirmou conversas com o Timão.

– Houve conversa com o Corinthians. Conversamos bastante. Estamos conversando. Não tem como, por tudo o que o Corinthians fez por mim. Mas sempre deixei claro que não tenho nada definido – disse.

O representante de Paulinho está retornando ao Brasil, após viagem internacional. Enquanto isso, o jogador aprimora a parte física no Centro de Treinamentos do Red Bull Bragantino. O Massa Bruta também demonstrou interesse no meia, ainda quando ele pertencia ao Guangzhou FC, da China, mas à época as condições não agradaram o clube asiático.

Paulinho não conseguiu retornar à China após passar as festas de fim de ano no Brasil e não foi inscrito na primeira fase do campeonato chinês. Após algumas tentativas frustradas de voltar ao clube, as partes decidiram optar pela rescisão contratual.

Leeds United are currently fighting to secure a place as the third team to be promoted back to the Premier League from the Championship this season.

Leicester City and Ipswich Town have already made their way up to the top-flight, as they finished in the automatic promotion places, whilst the Whites will have to go through the play-offs to join them.

Daniel Farke's side come up against his former club Norwich City in the semi-finals of the play-offs, and the first leg is at Carrow Road in Norfolk on Sunday.

Leeds will be hoping to come out on top over two legs before going on to win at Wembley to return to the Premier League at the first time of asking.

The attention will then turn to how they can use the upcoming summer transfer window to make signings to help them avoid the drop, which they failed to do in their last season in the top-flight.

They will need to show that they have learned from previous recruitment mistakes, which date back to the club's errors in the 1990s and early 2000s before their long spell away from the Premier League.

One player Leeds had a howler with was winger Darren Huckerby as they were rinsed by the signing of the forward, who was brought in for big money and offered little on the pitch before being sold for a loss.

How much Leeds paid to sign Darren Huckerby

The BBC reported that the Yorkshire-based outfit splashed out a fee of £5.5m in the summer of 1999 to sign the speedster from Coventry City.

He came up through the youth ranks at Newcastle United but failed to establish himself as a regular, with just two first-team appearances, before his move to the Sky Blues in 1996.

Huckerby scored five goals and assisted one in 25 Premier League matches in his first season with his new club, which was also his first year of regular senior football.

The young wizard then played week-in-week-out in the top-flight over the next two years with Coventry and showcased his ability to make an impact at the top end of the pitch.

Premier League form

Darren Huckerby

1997/98

1998/99

Appearances

34

34

Minutes played

2,783

2,736

Goals

14

9

Assists

2

1

Yellow cards

2

9

Stats via Transfermarkt

As you can see in the table above, Huckerby scored 23 goals and provided three assists in the two seasons combined, to go along with his five goals and one assist in his first year at that level.

This meant that Leeds were signing a talented young forward who had already proven that he had what it took to score goals on a semi-regular basis in the Premier League.

Darren Huckerby's Leeds struggles

Unfortunately, the English magician failed to carry his goalscoring form from his days with Coventry over to his team with the Whites after the £5.5m move.

Despite it being officially reported at £5.5m, Totally Money have the fee down as being £6.8m and, per their index, that would be worth a staggering £23.5m in today's (2024) money, based on the inflation of football transfer fees over the subsequent years since that deal.

This illustrates just how expensive the deal was to Leeds, relative to the time, as they splashed a significant amount of money on the exciting forward, who had already proven himself in the Premier League.

Instead of hitting the ground running and showing the best of his abilities in a Leeds shirt, the attacker struggled in his first season with the club.

Huckerby, who was competing for a place in the starting XI with the likes of Mark Viduka and Alan Smith, only played 1,230 minutes across 33 Premier League matches during the 1999/00 season – an average of 37 minutes per appearance.

His lack of minutes on the pitch clearly impacted his contributions in attack as the whiz, who could play out wide or through the middle as a centre-forward, ended the campaign with two goals and three assists to his name.

The English flop then played just seven Premier League games, racking up 247 minutes of action, and failed to register a single goal or assist during the first half of the 2000/01 season.

How much Leeds sold Darren Huckerby for

In January 2001, after 18 months at Leeds, Huckerby completed a move to Premier League rivals Manchester City for a fee of £2.5m – £3m less than the fee the Whites paid to sign him from Coventry.

This meant that the club lost more than 50% of the initial fee they spent on the forward, who cost them £2.75m per league goal during his time at the club – with two after a £5.5m move from the Sky Blues.

Huckerby, who was relegated with the Cityzens in 2001, scored 20 goals in 40 Second Division matches the following season before a return of just one goal in 16 top-flight matches in the 2002/03 campaign.

After a short spell on loan with Norwich City, the exciting ace joined the Canaries on a permanent deal from Manchester City for a fee of just £750k in December 2003.

This suggests that Leeds were right to cash in on him when they did, even if they still made a big loss, as the winger struggled in the top-flight again with City and his value dropped even further, down to just £750k.

The move to the Canaries turned out to be a successful one for the player, though, as he went on to rack up 48 goals and 26 assists in 203 appearances for the club in all competitions.

Huckerby, who was once hailed as a "real threat" by Sunderland boss Mick McCarthy, played one season in the Premier League with the Yellows and chipped in with six goals and three assists in 37 games.

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He scored four more top-flight goals that term for Norwich than in 18 months of action with Leeds after his big-money move from Coventry in 1999.

Overall, the Whites were rinsed by the forward as they splashed out a big fee to sign him from the Sky Blues and were not rewarded with consistent quality on the pitch, before they sold him for a significant loss after he flopped at Elland Road.

According WACA CEO, they were promised a guaranteed top-line Test every year once Perth Stadium replaced the WACA Ground as the state’s prime venue

Daniel Brettig28-May-2020

Cricket Australia/Getty Images

Cricket Australia’s decision to bypass Perth for India’s four-match Test series this summer has left the WACA chief executive Christina Matthews and chairman Terry Waldron fuming on Thursday.The Western Australian cricket chiefs claim they were promised a guaranteed top-line Test every year once Perth Stadium replaced the WACA Ground as the state’s prime international venue. The new stadium hosted India and New Zealand successfully for Test matches over the past two seasons, but this time Perth is left with the inaugural Test match between Australia and Afghanistan. The match is contracted to be hosted by Perth Stadium, though the WACA Ground has been refurbished to host “non-marquee” international fixtures. CA is set to formally announce the international fixture on Friday but Matthews and Waldron made their irritation plain.”This is the second time we haven’t had India scheduled, the last time we were told it was because our venue wasn’t good enough and if we supported a new stadium, this would never happen again, and here we are again,” Matthews said in Perth. “I want to make it clear, hosting a Test is a privilege, not a right and we understand that, and we’re as privileged to host Afghanistan as anyone else and we’ll certainly put on a really good show and welcome Afghanistan to the Test arena in Australia.”But suffice to say, not having India tour here for the second time in six years is very disappointing for us, for our members, for our fans, and I daresay for the government who has put in a lot of time and effort into creating a stadium that has been recognised around the world as the most beautiful stadium in the world and in fact, was rated as the second-best cricket ground in Australia in a survey. So we’ve been a little bit bemused and disappointed how we haven’t been scheduled for one of the prime series in the cricket calendar.”The government invested hundreds of thousands of dollars to make Perth Stadium cricket friendly from the start, so all the facilities for cricket were built into that, and at the time Cricket Australia gave a guarantee to the government that they would absolutely be utilising that stadium to its fullest. Also, we have over 10,000 members, who year after year invest in cricket. Rusted on fans are here, the crowds are better, the facilities are better, the corporate hospitality has more flexibility and more potential. So to us, it doesn’t quite pass the pub test.”Waldron, who became the WACA chairman last year, described the decision as a “kick in the guts”. “I just want to say as chair of the WACA and on behalf of the WACA and all cricket lovers in WA, I’m really disappointed in this decision,” he said. “I actually think it’s the wrong decision, we made a really compelling case, along with the government to CA, I looked at that again this morning, and when I went through it, I just can’t understand why they’d make that decision.”I do understand it’s difficult for CA, they have to make the call and we will now pick up the cudgels and we’ll get on with it. Afghanistan are an exciting, emerging team. But I am disappointed and I actually think it is a kick in the guts to WA, to all our cricket-loving people in WA and to our WACA members. When you’ve got one of the best stadiums in the world and when you’ve got the second-best cricket venue, the time slot back to India for TV etc, to me it’s a no brainer.”I understand it’s a tough decision for CA, good luck to Queensland and we wish them all the best. We’ll keep putting the pressure on because I, as chairman of the WACA, and Christine and our team, we’ve got a responsibility to cricket in WA, to cricket supporters, to fans and to our members.”It has long been the strong preference of the Australian Test team to begin major series at the Gabba, something pointed out more than once by the captain Tim Paine in reference to India, who played the 2018-19 Test series in Adelaide, Perth, Melbourne and Sydney. Brisbane’s facilities are nowhere near those of the new Perth Stadium, but CA has also made a strong commercial case for choosing the Gabba as the venue for the series opener.”We’ve been told commercially Brisbane is more viable for Australian cricket and that over an eight-year touring period from 2015 to 2023, WA has a better schedule than anyone else. I’m not really privy to what’s going to happen in the next three years, but they were the key reasons,” Matthews said. “This is not about Brisbane or the Gabba. They, like us, have to fight for their fans and their cricket community, however, all the metrics associated with cricket over the last two years see us surpass Brisbane in every area.”Whether that’s crowds, broadcast ratings, even better rainfall at that time of year, more corporate seats. Just so many indicators and a brand new stadium and when Australian cricket’s primary objective is fans first, it is astounding the 10,000 members who pay money to support cricket year after year in this state, are not rewarded the No. 1 Test team to tour next year. It seems to me anything west of Melbourne doesn’t get the same consideration as anything around the east coast.”Asked about the financial cost of hosting Afghanistan rather than India, Matthews said that WACA memberships alone may slip down to the tune of up to A$4 million (US$ 2.6m approx.) on the state association’s balance sheet. “We hope our members will continue to support us, but we have to factor in, that could be a A$3-4 million hit on memberships alone,” she said. “Those things are not considered when these decisions are made. They’re not necessarily looking at the hardcore cricket fans when they’re making those decisions. You have a couple of days to digest and then you move on… [but] I think when we see India fly across the top of us to the other side of the country, we might shed a little tear.”

Sunderland can pick up two victories on the trot in the Championship for the first time since December last year when Millwall travel to the Stadium of Light on Saturday.

It won't be a walk in the park to make it two wins on the bounce for Mike Dodds' side however, with the Lions revitalised under new boss Neil Harris who steered the South London side to an impressive three points against Leicester City recently.

Sunderland will want the likes of Jack Clarke to be firing on all cylinders when Harris' men rock up to Wearside, undoubtedly still the Black Cats' main star whenever he's fit.

In an alternate reality, Sunderland could well have had this star on their books who is as flashy as Clarke but has made a name for himself as a slick and skilful player who is too tricky for a number of Premier League defences.

Premier League star's failed trial at Sunderland

Many clubs in the Championship have no doubt been left plagued with regret about not tying down a trialist to a fully-fledged deal, with the unassuming youngster then going on to become a major star.

Southampton even had Bayern Munich sensation Jamal Musiala in their youth set-up at one point, not knowing he'd go on to be a main man in attack for the Bavarian giants down the line when exiting St. Mary's.

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Southampton have been made to regret getting rid of this exceptional talent ever since he left as a boy.

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Sunderland have fallen victim to this too, having taken dazzling Crystal Palace talent Eberechi Eze on trial for a brief period before moving him on to eventually join Queens Park Rangers.

Revealed by the entertaining Palace number seven in a recent tell-all interview, the likes of fellow second-tier sides Millwall and Bristol City also had a good look at the once unproven gem when he was trying to make a name for himself.

The rest is history from Eze's perspective, who is now being touted for a mega-money move away from Selhurst Park after once being rejected by the underperforming Black Cats.

Eberechi Eze's transfer value in 2024

According to Football Transfers, Eze's worth now stands at a hefty €40.2M (£34.3m) but Palace will know they can get an even more lucrative deal out of their golden £19.5m buy when push comes to shove.

Manchester City reportedly bid £60m to try and land the spell-binding 25-year-old's services before a ball was even kicked this season, with Tottenham Hotspur also now interested – who must know paying an outrageous amount will be the only way they can be successful in landing Eze's in-demand signature.

Firing in a wonderfully worked winner against Liverpool last match, to take his season goals total to seven in the top flight, Eze would be a fantastic asset for whatever top club in the Premier League he lines up for next campaign.

Described as being "magical" on the ball ever since his eventful youth days by Paul Hall, who helped Eze become the star he is today at QPR, Sunderland must play the decision to reject the fantastic Eagles midfielder over and over in their heads as a major blunder.

Dodds will just hope that Sunderland can stumble across their very own Eze in the plethora of emerging young talents coming through at the Stadium of Light in time, all whilst the much-talked-about Palace man goes from strength to strength himself in the division above.

Burnley have confirmed Hannibal Mejbri's arrival from Manchester United with a hilarious Oasis-themed announcement video.

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Hannibal joins Burnley from Man UtdPens a four-year deal at Turf MoorClarets made an Oasis-themed announcement videoWHAT HAPPENED?

Burnley have finally completed a permanent transfer for Hannibal from Manchester United, the Championship club confirmed on Wednesday. The Clarets agreed to pay a reported £9 million (€10.6m/$11.8m) including add-ons as a transfer fee to secure the services of the 21-year-old. The Red Devils have also included a sell-on clause in the transfer agreement, per Fabrizio Romano.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The Championship side unveiled their new signing on social media in a unique manner as they used they cleverly edited the video for British rock band Oasis' famous track 'Wonderwall' – capitalising on the news of the group's reunion tour. Burnley morphed the video with that of Mejbri playing the guitar and at the end of the clip they included the words, 'You're my Hannibal' replacing the original lyrics, 'You're my Wonderwall'.

WHAT HANNIBAL SAID

After putting pen to paper on a four-year deal, the United youth product told Burnley's official website: "I’m very excited. Very happy to be here and I can’t wait to see the fans. I have played against Burnley before at Turf Moor and the atmosphere was amazing. After speaking to the coach [Scott Parker] the project sounded good to me and hopefully we can make it a success."

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR BURNLEY?

Parker's side, who have managed to secure two wins out of their first three Championship matches, will be next seen in action on Wednesday night as they take on Wolves in an EFL Cup second-round clash. Hannibal could make his Championship debut for Burnley against Blackburn Rovers on Saturday.

علق كوتشيديو مدرب فريق بلاك بولز الموزمبيقي على الهزيمة اليوم أمام الزمالك في المواجهة التي جمعت بينهما ضمن منافسات كأس الكونفدرالية.

ونجح الزمالك في الفوز على بلاك بولز الموزمبيقي بهدفين دون رد في أولى مباريات دور المجموعات للمسابقة.

وقال كوتشيديو في تصريحات خلال المؤتمر الصحفي: “أحيي لاعبي فريقي وخصوصًا المهاجمين، وأحيي أيضًا المنافس لأنها كانت مباراة جيدة والفريقان قدما مباراة كبيرة”.

وأكمل: “نحترم المنافس دون خوف أو قلق، وحاولنا خلق فرص للتسجيل في مرمى الزمالك خاصة في الدقائق الأولى من اللقاء”.

وواصل: “الشوط الأول انتهى بالخسارة بسبب عدم التركيز، وكان التعادل السلبي يحكم الجزء الأول، ولكن الضربات الثابتة كانت كلمة السر”.

وأوضح: “في الشوط الثاني حاولنا أن ندافع جيدًا ونعيد تنظيم صفوفنا، ولكن في النهاية خسرنا بهدفين، ونعلم أننا نلعب خارج ملعبنا ولكن حاولنا إظهار قدراتنا أمام الزمالك”.

طالع | “سيظل تحت الملاحظة”.. الزمالك يُعلن تشخيص إصابة حمزة المثلوثي

وأضاف: “لم نفكر في وجود الجمهور من عدمه اليوم أمام الزمالك، ودائما ننظر إلى الأمام ونحن نشعر بالحزن لأننا لم نحقق هدفنا في القاهرة ولكننا سنحاول الفترة المقبلة”.

وأردف: “لا أحب الحديث عن الأشخاص الذين يتحدثون عننا كفريق بشكل سلبي، ونحاول دائمًا العمل بجد، وكل يوم هو تحدي من أجل تحقيق أهدافنا”.

وأشار: “مباراة اليوم تجربة وهدفنا الأساسي الصعود إلى الأمام، الهجوم ليس مثل الدفاع، وطريقة لعبنا من الوارد أن تتغير على حسب المنافس ومكان المباراة وهدفنا تحقيق الثلاث نقاط”.

واختتم: “الزمالك فريق كبير ويضم نخبة من اللاعبين وله طريقة خاصة ولا أستطيع الحديث عن قدرته على التتويج بالكأس من عدمه”.

The highly-anticipated annual competition has become a point of debate among fans, clubs and its organizing bodies

Gillette Stadium, in its romp, can seat 65,000 fans. New England Revolution, on an average matchday, fills 24,000 of them. On Aug, 9, most of the seats were empty. It was a Wednesday night, and the Revolution were hosting NYCFC in a Leagues Cup Round of 32 knockout match. The official attendance was reported as 7,267. Photos from kick off suggest that figure might be generous.

This was a win-or-go-home match in a competition promoted by MLS as the next big club event in North American soccer. And the stadium was mostly empty.

Such has been a recurring story of this year’s Leagues Cup. Now in the second campaign of the expanded iteration, the tournament hasn’t quite been the overwhelming success some had hoped. Concerns over attendance, fan protests, scheduling issues, and a contentious format have marred what should, in theory, be an ideal way of pitting two of North America’s top two soccer leagues – MLS and Liga MX – against each other.

The excitement around intra-MLS matchups has been low, with more than 10 fixtures played in front of fewer than 15,000 people. The semifinal between Philadelphia and Columbus was attended by just more than 12,000. And in the shadow of a fading U.S. Open Cup, an exciting idea has instead become a hot-topic issue.

“It's been a super fun tournament, but I completely understand people who don't want to go, and I don't begrudge them.” Cameron Collins, president of Sounders Supporters group Gorilla FC said. “I totally get the boycotts, and I think that's effective.”

The whole thing ended in dramatic circumstances, with Columbus Crew scoring twice in second half stoppage time to down Olivier Giroud's LAFC in the final.  The match was played before a sellout crowd of 20,190 at Lower.com Field in Columbus. Watchers couldn't really ask more from a tournament championship game. Still, there remain broader questions as to whether Leagues Cup is actually successful.

GOAL reached out to a range of players, fan groups, coaches, and executives about the state of the competition. Several coaches and executives declined to comment, while MLS and Leagues Cup also declined to give official statements – although MLS did provide some details regarding attendance.

• Getty Images
  

  The end of U.S. Open Cup?

  For some, Leagues Cup is a competition that has severely impacted one of the great institutions of American soccer. The U.S. Open Cup has been fading for some time now, but was almost entirely gutted this campaign, when MLS decreased its involvement in the tournament to just eight senior teams, while stacking the competition with MLS Next Pro sides – effectively minor league affiliates for every top flight U.S. club.

  The league faced immense scrutiny from USL, fan groups and veterans of the U.S. game for its decision, considered by critics as the beginning of the end of one of global soccer’s oldest tournaments.

  At the time, USL commissioner Paul McDonough slammed the decision: "If soccer's going to grow in this country – I know [MLS] probably think differently – it's not going be built on the back of just the 30 or 32 MLS teams," McDonough said. "It's just not."

  That opinion was shared by others in the U.S. soccer community.

  “Globally, I think it's f—– brilliant," said David Wegner from Centennial 38, the Colorado Rapids’ Supporters Group, "but I think the timing is incredibly unfortunate. US Soccer and MLS can't figure out a way, so why not do both?”

  MLS’s justification for its decreased involvement in the U.S. Open Cup centered around concerns of fixture congestion, and worries that a packed schedule could negatively affect player welfare. There was also apprehension about pitch quality, and the lack of a fully-fledged TV deal.

  Yet, simultaneously, the league doubled down on the success of 2023’s iteration of Leagues Cup.

  And on the surface, it’s easy to see why. Leagues Cup got a substantial spike in 2023 when Lionel Messi made his Inter Miami debut in the competition, complete with a magical last-minute free-kick to down Cruz Azul. It ended, too, with the great Argentine lifting a trophy after 11 rounds of penalty kicks. The whole thing was, at times, immaculate theater.

  NYCFC head coach Nick Cushing can sympathize with fans who are disappointed with MLS’s handling of the U.S. Open, and the ensuing hesitancy to support Leagues Cup.

  “I think the point of contention is really simple,” Cushing told GOAL. “There are soccer lifers from U.S. Soccer and they support soccer in America, and they want the Open Cup to exist. They support the Open Cup, and because the Open Cup has changed, they don't support the Leagues Cup.”

  It has driven some fans to a point of protest – literally. Supporter groups from eight MLS clubs announced official boycotts of the tournament. Austin FC’s Austin Anthem refused to attend matches, and made their reasoning clear: “Our league and club care far more about the Leagues Cup than the US Open Cup, and by extension, care more about Apple TV money than our nation's soccer. We cannot support this.”

  Chicago Fire’s Redline SG also announced their intent to boycott the tournament, and pointed out that they would spend the month “supporting the Red Stars and local grassroots soccer clubs across Chicagoland.”

  Some, such as Gorilla FC, made symbolic gestures, such as turning banners upside down in protest.

  “It’s a super important protest, no matter how teams are doing it. You have this 100-plus year history of this tournament, and it’s just a grassroots tournament,” Collins said.

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• MLS Media
  

  Scheduling complications

  The way the tournament is set up has created its own set of challenges.

  Last season, MLS changed its scheduling to predominantly play in set slots on Saturdays. The move was in part due to its new Apple TV deal for live-match streaming, and giving more consistency for its audience.

  Leagues Cup, though, hasn't adhered to that same cadence. Instead, organizers have taken a somewhat scattergun approach, scheduling midweek games, short-notice turnarounds, and added some less-than-fan-friendly kickoff times. The Colorado Rapids, for example, kicked off its round of 16 fixture with Toluca at 8 pm local time on a Tuesday – an elimination game played out in front of 9,742.

  “It's short notice, because we're in knockout rounds, which has been kind of crazy,” Collins said. “We have a game, and then four days later, if we win, we have another game, and then four days later, we win, we have another game. It's been just like, ‘OK, well, I guess I'm going because I opted in.’ “

• Attendance issues

  As a result of that confluence of factors, attendance has been mixed – a fact that has concerned some around MLS. The opening weekend drew crowds up 24 percent from last year’s tournament, but interest was inconsistent throughout. Images spread on social media and eye-witness accounts from reporters suggested that this was at times a poorly attended tournament, often defined by its empty seats.

  “It's very challenging in the knockout stages,” Wegner said. “Very challenging to have Monday games, Tuesday games, Wednesday games. And I think that's where some of the unfair criticism is from a lot of supporters groups that are protesting it.”

  Overall, Leagues Cup 2024 saw an attendance increase of 1% over the inaugural edition, with an average crowd of 17,131 for the 77 matches, according to Sports Business Journal. Leagues Cup attendance was below MLS’ regular-season average, which was a record 23,194 at this year’s All-Star break. SBJ also reported that Leagues Cup was supported by 15 corporate sponsors in 2024, up from nine in 2023.

  A near-empty Gilette Stadium was perhaps an extreme example, but players have routinely taken the field in front of thousands of empty seats. MLS would not comment on the less-attended matches, but did point out that average attendance, overall, was up and that 1.28 million fans attended matches through the semifinals. Three matches that included major Mexican teams – Chivas, Tigres, and Cruz Azul – featured among the top five best-attended Leagues Cup matches in the competition’s brief history.

  But outside of those big-name games, the numbers at many matches were less convincing. Intra-league contests, with MLS teams facing their domestic counterparts, were often been played out in front of near-empty stadiums – the Revolution’s quarterfinal with NYCFC just one of many such contests.

  “I feel like the first couple of games were well attended. The ones where there was less time in between, it was, you know, I think a little bit less attended,” New England Revolution sporting director Curt Onalfo said.

  They weren’t alone. Slightly more than 10,000 fans attended Miami’s round of 32 clash with Toronto at Chase Stadium – a game that Messi missed due to injury. Luis Suarez, Lorenzo Insigne and Co. played out a highly watchable 4-3 result in a half-empty arena.

  Back at NYCFC, Cushing has heard similar complaints from the team’s fan base.

  “I understand the fans,” he said. “I've spoken to all fans about it. I understand their frustration and their angle, and why they're not going to come to games.”

  At home viewership has also changed. Although no Apple TV streaming data has been released, Fox Sports reportedly had an average viewership of approximately 30,000 per match – by comparison, 1.75 million watched last year’s Leagues Cup fixture between Miami and Cruz Azul.

  The Messi effect, of course, cannot be ignored. There was palpable excitement around every Miami fixture last year – and in fairness to MLS, those numbers might have been significantly higher this campaign had he not been injured.

  "Obviously, last year with Messi being part of every single game and part of the finals, obviously, more eyes and attention were probably on it," Crew midfielder Darlington Nagbe said. "But for me, it's just another trophy we get a chance to a chance to win and put in the trophy case. It's another big game for the city."

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  The benefits of a new competition

  Still, the clubs themselves argue that reduced fan interest is outside of their control. There are many around the game who view the competition as imperative. The opportunity to face new opponents, for example, has broken up the grind of the MLS campaign.

  “Playing against teams that you don't normally face is really positive,” Cushing said. “It brings a sort of different perspective, a different focus.”

  The NYCFC boss also acknowledged the chance to rotate and see other members of his squad. Onalfo highlighted its importance for evaluating the squad.

  “We're always looking to improve our players,” Onalfo said. “We have younger players that we also want to develop. When you have more games, more players get games. So from that standpoint, it's all positive.”

  Some players have also acknowledged the benefits of a fresh competition. LAFC goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, a veteran who has fought for every trophy at the club and international level in a long European career, voiced his support.

  "Obviously, this competition cannot replace the Champions League of CONCACAF, but it's still a trophy. We don't know if in 10 years, 15 years time, this competition will still be here, but I think the level is really interesting and it's good for helping all the clubs to grow and to continue the development because you need competitiveness to improve," he told GOAL.

Tottenham have been tipped to sign a speedy £14 million player for 2024/2025 as manager Ange Postecoglou pleads for change.

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Four consecutive Tottenham defeats in the top flight have gifted Unai Emery's Aston Villa the advantage in pursuit of fourth, who now sit seven points above the north Londoners, even if Postecoglou boasts one game in hand and could narrow that gap to four.

Barring a late capitulation from Villa and unlikely fight back from Spurs, it seems all but confirmed that the latter will be playing Europa League football next season, but that is still a real step up from their disastrous 2022/2023 under Antonio Conte and a succession of interim head coaches.

Liverpool 4-2 Tottenham

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Tottenham 2-3 Arsenal

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Tottenham 3-1 Nottingham Forest

Postecoglou, speaking to the press, highlighted recently that real change is needed at N17, and it will take more time to build his long-term project.

"We need change. Change has to happen," said Postecoglou on what the Spurs squad could look like next season. "You can’t want to alter your course and expect the same people are going to be on that. It’s just not going to happen. We’ve had two windows and we’ve had some development of players, for sure, but when I say we’ve still got a long way to go, that’s what I’m talking about."

A few key decisions are set to be made when the transfer window reopens, on both incomings and outgoings. One of the big talking points will be how to proceed with loanee Timo Werner. The German, who joined from RB Leipzig on loan in January, could be snapped up on a permanent deal – with Spurs possessing the option to make his move indefinite.

Werner has impressed Tottenham staff with his application behind-the-scenes, but there are concerns over the "lightning quick" ace's often wasteful finishing in front of goal.

Sky Sports presenter thinks Tottenham will seal Werner deal

Regardless, speaking to Tottenham News, Sky Sports presenter Dan Bardell has tipped Spurs to seal a permanent deal for Werner this summer – who will cost them around £14 million.

“I think for that price, they’ll probably action it. I can’t see why they wouldn’t. I think they need a centre forward in the summer," said Bardell.

“Werner just gives them that multifunctional player who is so important in the modern-day Premier League. He can play left, he can play up front and as a second striker. I’d be really surprised if they didn’t action that.

“He’s had good and bad games. He’s missed chances and he’s scored a couple but he’s always involved in games.

“Spurs can pen teams further forward because he does provide that pace on the break. For £14 million, I would think that it’s actionable.”

David Moyes looks to be on borrowed time now in the West Ham United dug-out, with the ever-growing likelihood that the Scotsman will walk away from the Hammers at the end of the season if rumours are correct.

Losing their last two Premier League games to fellow London-based sides Fulham and Crystal Palace – with the 5-2 defeat to the Eagles showing what can be done when a breath of fresh air manager is appointed in Oliver Glasner – it looks very much to be the case that the ex-Manchester United boss will exit with a whimper rather than a bang too.

The powers that be at the London Stadium will want the next appointment to raise the excitement levels, which could happen if they go after this daring Ruben Amorim alternative.

West Ham manager news

The rumour mill is going into overdrive churning out names that could be Moyes' successor, with the likes of Arne Slot and the aforementioned Amorim linked alongside ex-Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel who has had a bruising time with Bayern Munich this campaign.

Amorim did look to be the frontrunner at one stage, but fresh reports seem to indicate that the Sporting boss won't relocate to England to manage the Irons in the summer nor will he take up the upcoming Liverpool vacancy.

This will be a disappointing development for fans of the Premier League club, who must have been reading about Amorim with fervour knowing he'd be a bold and fresh manager to kickstart a new era at the Hammers after Moyes' departure.

That could still happen with this linked name instead, however, with Paulo Fonseca known to be an eccentric manager throughout his varied career to date.

Indeed, it's claimed by Sky Sports that both he and Julen Lopetegui are in the frame to succeed Moyes. West Ham insider, EXWHUEmployee, meanwhile, has indicated that the former is rated 'very highly' by the club.

Fonseca's managerial philosophy

Not too dissimilar in his methods to that of Jurgen Klopp's celebrated style of "heavy metal" football, Fonseca would certainly not settle for passive displays like the one West Ham served up at Selhurst Park if he was on the sidelines.

With the philosophy centring on high-intensity football, matched with a counter-attacking style to catch teams off-guard, the approach has certainly paid off for the current Lille boss throughout his celebrated managerial career wherever he's ended up.

In Fonseca's own words, before Lille crashed out to Aston Villa in the Europa Conference League, his style is – “The essence of this team is to control the game, to keep the pressure, and to win the ball back high up the pitch, but above all, it’s about controlling the game by dominating possession. We strive to be a team that is dominant, and that reacts quickly when we lose the ball.”

It's been very effective in Ligue 1 this season away from Unai Emery's men getting over the line on penalties, with Fonseca's men punching above their weight sitting pretty in fourth spot and picking up just five defeats from 29 league clashes along the way.

With things going rather stale at the Hammers under Moyes, showcased in their horrific display against Glasner's pumped-up Eagles, Fonseca could be the daring new boss they desire to begin anew next campaign.

Fonseca's track record of developing youngsters – boasting "one of the youngest squads in all of Europe" at Lille – as per reporter Zach Lowy will no doubt appeal. As will a glowing CV when it comes to trophy wins – notably bringing home seven honours at Shakhtar Donetsk.

It will be a sad severing of the ties when the Scotsman does likely walk away from the London Stadium in the off-season, but a change that feels necessary for Tim Steidten to take West Ham up a notch.

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