Middlesex’s promotion hopes hit the skids with victory off the cards

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay17-Sep-2025

Lancashire 105 for 0 (Wells 60*, Jennings 36*) trail Middlesex 211 (De Caires 52, Geddes 52, Aspinwall 4-62, Bailey 4-68) by 106 runsLuke Wells and Keaton Jennings enriched the penultimate evening of the season at Emirates Old Trafford with an unbroken opening stand of 105 but Lancashire’s Rothesay County Championship match against Middlesex looks certain to end in the draw that would almost certainly end the visitors’ chances of promotion.Replying to Middlesex’s 211, a first innings in which Tom Aspinwall and Tom Bailey both took four wickets, Lancashire ended another day shortened by rain and bad light on 105 without loss, with Jennings on 36 not out and Wells unbeaten on 60. However, only 31.4 overs were possible in Manchester on Wednesday and neither side appears to have a credible chance of forcing a win, even if Thursday’s weather permits a full 96 overs’ play. So far 210 overs have been lost in this match.Heavy rain overnight and throughout the morning left the Emirates Old Trafford outfield saturated but after two inspections play got under way at three o’clock and Lancashire’s bowlers took only 6.4 overs to take the two wickets they needed to end Middlesex’s first innings.Tom Aspinwall had Zafar Gohar caught at long leg by substitute fielder Will Williams for 25 and then Henry Brookes followed for two in Aspinwall’s next over when he edged a cut to Matty Hurst behind the stumps. That left Aspinwall with figures of four for 62 while Tom Bailey finished with four for 68.Left with a possible 34 overs in which to bat this evening, Jennings and Wells quickly settled into their work. Wells pulled Toby Roland-Jones towards the party stand for six and Lancashire were 44 without loss at tea.In the evening session, Wells played with even greater fluency levying maximums off both Seb Morgan and Zafar Gohar, reaching his fifty off 71 balls and ending the day just 25 runs of a thousand in first-class cricket this season. Jennings requires another 67 runs to reach the same mark but it is also a reflection of Lancashire’s recent problems that this was only the county’s second century partnership for the first wicket in the last 47 innings, a record stretching back to the end of 2023.Middlesex came into this match lying fourth in the table, 30 points behind second-placed Glamorgan. However, their hopes are almost certain to be scuppered if they fail to win this game and Glamorgan avoid defeat against Derbyshire.

Aston Villa have now joined the race to sign Abde Ezzalzouli, at Unai Emery’s request, and Real Betis’ asking price has been revealed.

Villa’s interest in signing a new forward comes amid doubts surrounding Harvey Elliott’s future, with widespread reports suggesting Liverpool could recall the attacking midfielder from his loan spell in the January transfer window.

Elliott has failed to establish himself as a first-team regular, featuring for just 97 minutes across four matches in the Premier League this season, and Fabrizio Romano has now provided an update on whether there is any way back for the Englishman.

The transfer expert said: “At the moment, it depends on his performances in training. The situation is still not changing and of course, Elliott is not happy.”

Should the 22-year-old exit Villa Park this winter, there may be room in the squad to bring in another attacker, and the Villans are now looking to sign a new winger…

Aston Villa join race to sign Abde Ezzalzouli at Unai Emery's request

According to a report from Spain, Aston Villa have now joined the race to sign Real Betis star Ezzalzouli, with the forward being monitored closely ahead of the January transfer window, although there could be competition for his signature from Crystal Palace.

The Betis board’s asking price is ‘significantly’ in excess of the Moroccan’s current value of €12m (£11m), with the Spanish club eager to retain one of their key players, and manager Manuel Pellegrini has made it clear he wants to keep hold of him.

The 23-year-old has been personally requested by Emery for January, with the manager setting out to sign a new winger in order to strengthen his side’s chances of winning the Europa League.

It is little wonder Pellegrini is keen to keep hold of the 25-time Morocco international, given that he has impressed at Real Betis for quite some time, with scout Ben Mattinson waxing lyrical about the left-winger during the 2024/25 campaign.

The former Osasuna man has also made a flying start to the season, chipping in with three goals and two assists in his opening eight games, which has helped propel his side to fifth in the La Liga table.

Emery strengthened his options at left-wing in the summer, signing Jadon Sancho, but the Manchester United loanee is yet to make an impact, failing to register a single goal or assist in his opening eight matches in all competitions.

As such, it would make sense to bring in a new winger in the January transfer window, and Ezzalzouli could be a fantastic long-term addition to the squad.

Aston Villa targeting Ansu Fati alongside Abde Ezzalzouli Related Aston Villa prepared to make Ansu Fati offer but face complicated roadblock

The Villans are willing to make a bid for a new forward, after Emery’s plea to the board.

Posts ByDominic Lund Nov 4, 2025

Who is going to be the new Celtic manager? Well, who knows!

Martin O’Neill remains in caretaker charge for now, having been parachuted in following Brendan Rodgers’ shock resignation, winning three of four matches in charge to date, that Europa League hammering at the hands of Midtjylland the only blot on his copybook.

With no obvious front-runner for the job, and given that we’re in the middle of the season, could a left-field appointment be required?

Well, this was the case back in the summer of 2021 when, after seeing their Premiership streak of nine in a row come to an end, Ange Postecoglou was appointed completely out of nowhere, having only ever worked in his native Australia and Japan beforehand.

Despite this, and the widespread ridicule when he arrived in Glasgow, Postecoglou would go on to win five trophies across his two seasons in charge, thereby remaining, possibly, the most popular Celtic manager of modern times.

So, could another lesser-known name become the next Postecoglou, emphasising that he is the outstanding candidate for the vacancy, as opposed to the other front-runners?

Kieran McKenna to Celtic latest

Ever since Rodgers resigned, Kieran McKenna has been one of the names most frequently mentioned in terms of becoming the new Celtic manager.

As reported by Ewan Murray of the Guardian, he is a ‘leading candidate’ with the Ipswich Town boss boasting ‘longtime admirers’ on the Celtic board, while Sky Sports add that he is one of the names near the top of the club’s shortlist.

However, any approach would not be straightforward.

The 39-year-old is under contract in Suffolk until 2028 and Ipswich would surely demand a sizable compensation fee if they’re going to allow their most prized asset to depart.

Manager Focus

Who are the greatest coaches in the land? Football FanCast’s Manager Focus series aims to reveal all.

McKenna, in his first-ever head coach role, worked miracles at Portman Road, guiding the Tractor Boys to back-to-back promotions, going from EFL League One to the Premier League in double quick time, the first time Ipswich had competed in England’s top-tier since 2002.

However, his team did really struggle to compete at the top level, winning just four Premier League matches all season, relegated with a whimper.

Right now, Ipswich are seventh in the EFL Championship, hammering Swansea 4-1 on Saturday, thereby sat just outside the play-off positions,

Before moving to Suffolk, McKenna worked as an assistant manager to José Mourinho and then Ole Gunnar Solskjær at Manchester United, so has some experience at an elite level, but many supporters remain unconvinced, so should the Celtic hierarchy target a more left-field coach who could be their new Postecoglou?

Celtic should appoint the new Postecoglou

According to a report by TEAMtalk on Wednesday evening, Wilfried Nancy, a man supporters may be very unfamiliar with, has been ‘officially invited’ for talks with the Hoops over the Parkhead vacancy.

It’s further reported that the Celtic board are ‘very keen’ to interview Nancy and could complete a deal by January should compensation be agreed, with the season in America, where he manages Columbus Crew, set to end this month.

So, who is he? Well, the Frenchman was named 2024 MLS coach of the year, but that does not begin to tell his story.

His first head coach role was with CF Montréal, staying in Québec for two seasons, before spending the last three years at Columbus Crew, enjoyed huge success in charge of both, as the table below documents.

2021

18th

Canadian Champ

2022

3rd

2023

3rd

MLS Cup

2024

2nd

Leagues Cup

2025

7th

First and foremost, if you’re not dialled into MLS, we’re guessing you’re probably not, it’s really difficult to properly put into words how impressive an achievement it is to finish 3rd in the overall standings, and second in the Eastern Conference, with Club de Foot Montréal.

Owner Joey Saputo essentially does not care about the team, meaning Montréal have one of the lowest budgets in Major League Soccer, finishing 28th, out of 30, this year, showing that Nancy can seriously elevate an underperforming side.

In Canada, Nancy succeeded Thierry Henry, after he resigned, and the Arsenal legend spoke glowingly about his former assistant during CBS’ Champions League coverage.

Nevertheless, Nancy’s true success has come since moving to Columbus Crew, winning MLS Cup at the end of his first year and then Leagues Cup last season, also leading the Black and Gold to the club’s first-ever CONCACAF Champions Cup Final, ousting two Mexican heavyweights along the way, before defeat to Pachuca.

The Crew’s 2025 season is now over, dumped out of the MLS play-offs by local rivals FC Cincinnati at the weekend, which may make him available, so could he soon swap Ohio for Glasgow?

Well, he has certainly earned rave reviews, with Joe Lowery praising his “patient possession” style of play which he believes is “so much fun to watch”, while Tom Bogert describes the Crew as “attractive” to watch and “courageous” on the ball.

Meantime, former USA striker Herculez Gomez notes that Nancy is “immensely respected”, adding that his style of play is “so pleasing to the eye”, boasting a clear philosophy featuring both possession and high pressing, comparing him to Paris Saint-Germain boss Luis Enrique.

Well, another high-profile manager that sounds reminiscent of is, well, Postecoglou and his now infamous, certainly in Premier League circles, Ange-ball.

As already mentioned, Postecoglou was a lesser-known name in British and European football prior to his arrival in Glasgow but, as he likes to remind everyone, he wins everywhere he goes, joining with a J League, multiple A-League titles and an AFC Asia Cup to his name, among other honours.

Well, the same can be said of Nancy, who created something of a dynasty in MLS, something that is so tough to do in a league that is so parity-focused.

Thus, just like Postecoglou, Nancy has the personality, the playing style and the will to win to succeed at Celtic, seemingly making him the ideal candidate to come in and lead the Hoops to a fifth successive Premiership title.

Upgrade on Nancy: Celtic considering move for "unbeatable" 4-2-3-1 manager

Celtic are considering a move for this 4-2-3-1 manager who would be an upgrade on Wilfried Nancy.

2 ByDan Emery Nov 12, 2025

Lionel Messi was asked for a selfie by his own team-mate during Argentina's latest camp, while he swapped shirts with a rival that he nutmegged on two occasions while helping to deliver a 2-0 victory over Angola. The eight-time Ballon d’Or showed once again before and after that contest why he remains a star attraction, with everybody wanting a piece of him.

• Will Messi play at the 2026 World Cup? No decision made as yet

  Messi, much like eternal rival Cristiano Ronaldo, is aware that he cannot go on forever. He has signed a new three-year contract at MLS side Inter Miami, taking him through 2028, but has hinted at international retirement being close.

  He has earned 196 caps, scoring 115 goals, but is yet to decide whether he will form part of a World Cup title defence next summer when FIFA’s flagship event heads to the United States, Canada and Mexico. The expectation is that he will grace that tournament.

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• Getty
  

  Starstruck! Panichelli asks for selfie with Messi

  Coaches and colleagues are, however, looking to make the most of every opportunity that they get to work with the all-time great. For Argentina new boy Joaquin Panichelli – who made his senior debut against Angola – that means getting a picture with the GOAT when the chance presents itself.

  He has told of working with Messi: “I grew up watching him, for so long. To be here, to see him in person. Not only him but all the superstars here, it's really great. It's still a football team, it's football, and I tried to be prepared and do my best. I asked him for a photo; it was really nice to be able to share these moments with him.”

  Panichelli added on making his bow against Angola, with the nine goals that he has scored in France for Strasbourg this season earning the 23-year-old his big break: “It's a dream come true to be here, and today I got to play some minutes. It's an incredible joy to be here and get some playing time. I consider myself more of a centre-forward. I feel I have the qualities and I can do it well. I'm tenacious; I like to fight and tackle.”

• Getty
  

  Shirt swap: Which Angole star landed Messi's jersey?

  Panichelli was one of several debutants in a friendly clash with Angola, as Kevin Mac Allister – the brother of World Cup-winning Liverpool star Alexis – Maximo Perrone and Gianluca Prestianni also earned their first caps.

  They got the opportunity to rub shoulders with Messi prior to seeing the Inter Miami superstar replaced as Lionel Scaloni rang the changes. The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner was on the pitch long enough for one lucky opponent to claim a notable memento.

  Angola captain Fredy Ribeiro made sure to land Messi’s fabled No.10 jersey, with a shirt swap taking place after they had exchanged nutmegs during the opening 45 minutes of a contest that took place at the Novembro Stadium.

  Ribeiro told : “I swapped jerseys with him at half-time. I'll keep it for my kids. It's something they'll cherish. They asked for a photo, and I brought them a jersey! He nutmegged me twice, but then I nutmegged him. Two against one.”

  He went on to say of the game itself, which saw Messi and Lautaro Martinez find the target: “Very difficult. They have a lot of quality, you can see it in their starting eleven . We tried to do good things and I think we had some positives. I believe we showed a good image to the world, but Argentina's quality is very different.”

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• International retirement: When will Messi bow out with Argentina?

  Argentina have wrapped up qualification for the 2026 World Cup, with the defending champions expected to go well again regardless of whether Messi is involved or not. They would prefer to have their talismanic captain on board, with one last dance against Ronaldo being mooted.

  Messi will likely bow out of international football after that competition, with more historic achievements having been achieved when representing his country. He has already taken in a final outing on home soil, with his wife and children in attendance, and is assured of a place among the sporting immortals.

تأهل فريق إنبي إلى دور الـ16 من بطولة كأس مصر للموسم الحالي 2025-2026، بعدما حقق فوزًا في الدقائق الأخيرة أمام المقاولون العرب، اليوم الأحد.

وتواجه فريقا إنبي والمقاولون العرب، على ملعب استاد بتروسبورت، في إطار مواجهات دور الـ 32 من منافسات بطولة كأس مصر.

طالع.. فيديو | هاتريك سعيدو سيمبوري يقود البنك الأهلي لسحق بور فؤاد في كأس مصر

وفاز فريق إنبي بهدف دون رد، سجله لاعبه زياد كمال في الدقيقة 90+4 من عمر اللقاء، ليخطف بطاقة التأهل إلى دور ثمن النهائي في الثواني الأخيرة من المباراة. هدف فوز إنبي القاتل أمام المقاولون العرب في كأس مصر

ومن المقرر أن يلتقي إنبي مع البنك الأهلي في دور الـ16 من بطولة كأس مصر، في موعد سيحدده اتحاد الكرة المصري في وقت لاحق.

وتأهل حتى الآن إلى دور الـ16 من بطولة كأس مصر، كل من سموحة والبنك الأهلي وبتروجيت وكهرباء الإسماعيلية وفاركو.

MatériaMais Notícias

O volante Allan, do Flamengo, está fora da partida contra o Bolívar, da Bolívia, pela terceira rodada da fase de grupos da Libertadores. O clube informou no início da tarde desta terça-feira (23), que o jogador tem “traços falcêmicos que podem prejudicar a alta performance em altitude”. Mas o que é este termo que tirou o atleta do jogo? Entenda abaixo.

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➡️Mengão vai subir a montanha! Aposte R$100 no Lance! Betting e ganhe R$300 para vitória do Flamengo sobre o Bolívar-BOL

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O Lance! entrou em contato com o médico Michael Simoni, ex-Fluminense e Confederação Brasileira de Futebol (CBF), que explicou de maneira que o torcedor pudesse entender. Segundo o especialista, Allan não tem a mesma capacidade respiratória e de carregar esse oxigênio para o corpo, o que poderia colocar o volante em risco.

Existe uma doença chamada anemia falciforme, onde as hemácias têm um formato diferente, consequentemente, de uma forma bem leiga, têm dificuldade em carregar o oxigênio para as partes do corpo. Quando a pessoa tem traço falcêmico, não quer dizer que ela tenha anemia falciforme, mas ela geneticamente tem um traço de aproximação para esta doença. Com falta de oxigênio pode levar a dificuldade dessas hemácias a carregarem o oxigênio pelo corpo

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disse Michael Simoni. E elogiou a postura do Flamengo:

– A decisão foi muito inteligente por parte do Departamento Médico e Fisiologia em preservar a integridade do jogador e não correr riscos. Ele (Allan) seria um atleta com dificuldade de carregar o oxigênio e, se você vai jogar em 4000 (metros de altitude) há uma tendência para a falta de oxigenação. Um cara não tem a mesma capacidade respiratória e de carregar esse oxigênio para o corpo. Poderia colocar o atelta em risco e foi muito prudente e inteligente por parte do Flamengo.

Além de Allan, o Flamengo também não vai contar com outros sete jogadores para a partida contra o Bolívar. São eles: Pedro, Arrascaeta, Everton Cebolinha, Léo Pereira, Erick Pulgar, Ayrton Lucas e Varela.

continua após a publicidade

O Flamengo vai encarar o Bolívar a quase 4 mil metros de altitude. A bola vai rolar para este jogo da terceira rodada da fase de grupos nesta quarta-feira (24), às 21h30, no Estádio Hernando Siles.

Tudo sobre

AllanBolívarFlamengoLibertadores

The Colorado Rockies have found wins hard to come by during the 2025 MLB season. A lot of the time, it's due to their own shortcomings or lapses in judgement.

They managed to escape with a win on Sunday against the Arizona Diamondbacks, 6–5, but they came dangerously close to throwing the game away. Juan Mejia was on the mound looking to secure the first save of his career, and he managed to do so, though in no ordinary fashion.

With two men out and runners on second and third, Mejia got Ketel Marte to hit a pop up in the infield. Rather than let his teammates make a play on the ball, Mejia took off from the mound and bolted towards first base to attempt to field the fly ball. Not expecting his pitcher to be in the area, Rockies first baseman Warming Bernabel also chased down the ball and ended up running straight through Mejia like a safety flattening an unsuspecting wide receiver.

Fortunately, Mejia was able to hold onto the ball despite taking the full brunt of a hit from his teammate. He remained on the ground for a few seconds before getting to his feet with a grin on his face and celebrating with his teammates.

His teammates shared a good laugh over the play in the aftermath, though they may have been wearing plenty different expressions on their faces had the game-winning run crossed the plate as a result of Mejia's unnecessary defensive efforts.

That's how you end a game, Rockies style.

Third base umpire Clint Vondrak couldn't get out of the way of a fair ball during Friday afternoon's game between the Cubs and Pirates at Wrigley Field, leading to a very unfortunate out for Pittsburgh.

Sitting on a 2-2 count in the top of the fifth inning, Pirates catcher Henry Davis ripped one down the third base line off pitcher Colin Rea. The ball proceeded to bounce over the bag and under third baseman Matt Shaw's glove before hitting off of Vondrak's lower leg.

Shaw smartly stayed with the play and was able to throw Davis out at second as he tried to stretch a single into a double.

Here's a look at the play:

An unfortunate turn of events for the Pirates, who entered Friday's contest on a five-game losing streak and sit at just 51-71 on the season.

The good news? Pittsburgh was able to bounce back and take a 2-1 lead in the seventh thanks to an RBI double from Isiah Kiner-Falefa.

Pakistan’s captain Fatima Sana and India’s bowling coach Aavishkar Salvi did not dwell on the tensions between the countries ahead of Sunday’s fixture

Andrew Fidel Fernando04-Oct-2025A day out from what will likely be one of the most-followed matches of this Women’s World Cup, both teams are insisting they are focused on the cricket. Pakistan captain Fatima Sana appeared to suggest that as far as Pakistan are concerned, India are a team like any other. She also spoke briefly about the good relations these teams have enjoyed in the past.India bowling coach Aavishkar Salvi said, meanwhile, that in a big tournament “the area of focus is only cricket”. There have been no indications on whether the India players would decline to shake the hands of the Pakistan players on Sunday, as the men’s team had done during the recent Asia Cup, although BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia did not rule out the possibility in an interview this week. Both teams also requested that questions at the pre-match press conference be constrained to the cricket.Sana did, however, speak briefly on the camaraderie between the players in past tournaments. At the 2022 World Cup in New Zealand, for instance, several India players were seen interacting with then-Pakistan captain Bismah Maroof’s six-month old daughter, as players comforted the toddler on their shoulder, in what was one of the most heartwarming moments of that tournament.Related

Handshakes and rain in focus as India look to continue unbeaten run against Pakistan

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Political tensions between the nations have worsened substantially since then. India’s male players were previously seen interacting with Pakistan players at earlier Asia Cups but refrained from doing so during the most recent edition, which ended last week.”We have great relationships with all other teams, and we try and keep good relations with everyone,” Sana said a day ahead of the match against India. “We’ll try to do everything within the spirit of the game.”Those pictures in the past with everyone mingling with each other around Bismah’s daughter – those scenes look good and everyone enjoys seeing that. But, of course, our focus has to be on what we’re here for – to play.”Both teams were keen to stress that they were doing their best to ignore the politics of this moment. “We’re like a family of 20-22 people here,” Sana said of the Pakistan team environment. “We don’t really worry about what’s going on outside our bubble. We get to hear about things happening external to cricket, but we focus on our game. The World Cup is something every player waits for, so we just want to focus on the thing we’ve come here for.”Salvi’s comments on the eve of the match echoed that sentiment. “The area of focus is cricket,” he said. “We want our girls to bring that ‘A’ game to the day. We want them to take it just as a game, because the World Cup is a long campaign. It’s a long campaign – there will be a lot of games coming up.”

Jurgen Klopp has already delivered his verdict on completing a return to Liverpool, who endured yet another disastrous afternoon in the Premier League as Nottingham Forest secured a dominant victory.

It’s hard to believe that the Reds were Premier League champions in May, and impressive ones at that. Arne Slot arrived and quickly conquered to shock the rest of English football. It looked like Michael Edwards had performed another act of recruitment genius, but now uncomfortable questions are beginning to emerge.

Liverpool have lost five of their last eight games and now sit in the bottom-half after 12 league games, all but ending their title defence before January has even arrived. After breaking their transfer record twice to welcome Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak, it is a run of form that no one saw coming.

It’s now up to Slot to prove his credentials in a crisis. Victory over Real Madrid and Aston Villa proved that there is still plenty of quality in this Liverpool side, it’s just a question of when that quality will be on show.

Just how long Slot will have to turn things around is also a big question. Liverpool have never rushed managerial decisions and Slot has much more credit in the bank than others have done in the past, but the current run of results needs to end – especially if they come at Anfield.

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ByTom Cunningham Nov 21, 2025

With the pressure building, Liverpool are set to play host to PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League on Wednesday. Defeat there would certainly do further damage to the credit that Slot banked last season and perhaps send a timely reminder about Klopp’s answer about if he’d ever make a shock return.

Klopp's seven-word answer when asked if he was returning to Liverpool

Just before leaving the club, Klopp was asked if he’d ever make a return to the Anfield dugout if Liverpool needed him.

At the time and certainly for the entirety of last season, it was simply a throw-away answer and one that looked unlikely to rear its head again. Now, however, those at Anfield could do with their iconic manager’s energy more than ever.

They won’t and shouldn’t panic about Slot’s current run, but Liverpool should ensure that the Dutchman channels his very own version of Klopp. When Klopp’s sides were up against it, he had that unique ability to pull off what many still deem miracles to this day. He turned doubters to believers to champions. Slot must now remind his very own champions just who they are in similar fashion.

Meanwhile, if the manager’s run continues then Edwards could yet turn back towards one of the best managers in the club’s history for a stunning second stint.

£280,000-a-week Liverpool star slammed for "anonymous" Nottingham Forest display