The truth about Manchester United’s controversial £175,000 'body language expert' has been revealed, with Erik ten Hag seemingly to blame.

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Cost-cutting measures implementedRegular rounds of job losses at Old TraffordINEOS & Ratcliffe making ruthless callsFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The Red Devils have made plenty of unfortunate headlines during the 2024-25 campaign. A testing season has delivered a 15th-place finish in the Premier League and a Europa League final defeat – with no European action on the agenda for next term.

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Another change in the dugout was made when replacing FA Cup and League Cup winner Ten Hag with Portuguese tactician Ruben Amorim. The ex-Sporting CP boss picked up just 16 victories from 42 games, giving him a win ratio of 38 per cent.

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There is clearly still much work to be done at Old Trafford, with controversial cost-cutting measures already being put in place by Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the INEOS co-ownership group as United seek to balance the books.

One of those to have been moved on is a supposed 'body language expert', with Ratcliffe left baffled by certain roles that had been created behind the scenes. According to , that person was "hired by Ten Hag to primarily help players recognise relevant facial expressions during penalty shootouts".

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It was claimed that the £175,000 being paid out there would be recouped with interest if United found a way of keeping themselves in domestic and continental cup competitions. The appointment was, however, deemed a "luxury" and subsequently removed from the pay roll.

A career-best innings from Jack Edwards elevated New South Wales to a promising position against South Australia as they try to post their first win of the season in the final-round match.NSW declared midway through the middle session at 9 for 447, with South Australia reaching 3 for 134 at the close on day two.Daniel Drew (51no) was leading the way for South Australia. The other major contribution came from opener Kelvin Smith, who hit a confident 46 in his first Shield match for four years before missing a cut against Chris Green.Henry Hunt had early become a maiden first-class wicket for Ryan Hadley while Nathan McSweeney was bowled when he shouldered arms at Chris Tremain.Allrounder Edwards led the way for the inexperienced NSW side with an innings of 138 that included 20 boundaries and a six.The 22-year-old’s second Shield century eventually came to a close after 179 balls with a catch on the point boundary off the bowling of Nathan McAndrew.Edwards and fast bowler Ben Dwarshuis were rarely troubled on the Karen Rolton Oval pitch in their 127-run stand for the eighth wicket. Dwarshuis ended unbeaten on 60, having notched his first half century.It was a day of career-highs with the NSW-born McAndrew returning 6 for 97, securing his maiden first-class six-wicket haul in the process.South Australia’s hopes of reaching the final ended in last week’s penultimate round, while NSW are seeking to avoid a first-ever winless campaign in a 10-match season.

شارك الدولي الفرنسي كيليان مبابي، لاعب الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي ريال مدريد في التدريبات استعدادًا لمباراة سالزبورج في كأس العالم للأندية.

ويواجه ريال مدريد نظيره سالزبورج فجر الجمعة المقبل الموافق 27 يونيو، ضمن منافسات الجولة الثالثة من دور المجموعات لبطولة كأس العالم للأندية بالولايات المتحدة الأمريكية.

وحقق ريال مدريد فوزًا مهمًا في المباراة الماضية على باتشوكا المكسيكي بنتيجة 3/1 بعدما تعادل في الجولة الأولى أمام الهلال السعودي إيجابيًا بنتيجة 1/1.

اقرأ أيضًا | فيجو يرد.. هل يؤثر كأس العالم للأندية على الكرة الذهبية؟

ويحتل ريال مدريد صدارة جدول ترتيب المجموعة الثامنة برصيد 4 نقاط، ويأتي سالزبورج بالمركز الثاني بنفس عدد النقاط، فيما يتواجد الهلال السعودي في المركز الثالث برصيد نقطتين وباتشوكا بالمركز الأخير بلا أي نقطة.

وعاد مبابي إلى تدريبات ريال مدريد مرة أخرى بعد غيابه لمدة 9 أيام بسبب التهابات حادة في المعدة، ودخل على إثرها المستشفى يوم الأربعاء الماضي، ليعلن جاهزيته لمباراة سالزبورج.

Gary Ballance, the former Yorkshire and England cricketer who recently relaunched his career with his native Zimbabwe, has announced his retirement from all forms of cricket with immediate effect.Ballance, 33, made four centuries in 23 Test appearances for England between 2014 and 2017, a record that compared favourably with many other players to have debuted in a similar period.However, he was heavily implicated in Azeem Rafiq’s explosive testimony during the DCMS parliamentary hearings in Westminster last November, after his use of the racial slur “P**i” had been deemed to be “banter” in the initial report into allegations of institutional racism at Yorkshire.His career within English cricket ended amid the controversy, and after several months of open-ended leave on mental health grounds, Yorkshire released him from his contract at the end of the 2022 season, shortly after he was charged by the Cricket Discipline Commission alongside six other Yorkshire cricketers, including Michael Vaughan (who was subsequently cleared) and Matthew Hoggard.His move back to Zimbabwe – whom he had represented at Under-19 level prior to his England call-up – had been a bid for a fresh start, and it was initially a successful one too. He signed a two-year contract with ZC in December and played a total of eight international matches between January and March, including a one-off Test against West Indies in Bulawayo in which he scored a memorable 137 not out.The feat made him only the second Test cricketer to score centuries for two different nations, after Kepler Wessels, the former Australia batter and South Africa captain. However, after signing off with an unbeaten 64 to seal last month’s ODI series against the Netherlands, Ballance has now decided to call time on his relaunched career.”After much thought, I have decided to retire from all forms of professional cricket with immediate effect,” he said in a statement.”I had hoped my move to Zimbabwe would provide me with a new-found happiness for the game and I will always be thankful to Zimbabwe Cricket for providing me with an opportunity to return to international cricket and welcoming me into their team.”However, I have reached the stage where I no longer have the desire to dedicate myself to the rigours of professional sport and this would do Zimbabwe Cricket and the game itself a disservice, should I carry on. I wish them every success going forward.”I have been fortunate to have some incredibly memorable moments in cricket, winning County Championships with Yorkshire and gaining the ultimate honour of representing England and Zimbabwe. I want to thank all of my clubs, coaches, support staff, teammates and supporters for their guidance and encouragement over my career, it has been a privilege.”It is now time for me to move on to the next chapter of my life. I will be making no further comments on my decision at this time.”He retires with a total of 1653 runs at 40.31 from his 24 Tests, and 12031 first-class runs at 47.74 all told, including 42 centuries and a further eight in List A cricket.

Sky Sports reporter Keith Downie has dropped a concerning Newcastle United injury update, as the fitness issues continue to mount up ahead of the Carabao Cup final.

Newcastle suffer FA Cup heartbreak against Brighton

The Magpies are still stinging after their FA Cup fifth round exit on Sunday afternoon, as Brighton got the better of them at St James’ Park in extra time.

Danny Welbeck’s late winner sealed a 2-1 victory for the visitors, and not only was elimination a big blow for Eddie Howe, but also Anthony Gordon’s red card that has seen him ruled out of the EFL Cup final clash with Liverpool at Wembley on March 16th.

In terms of transfer news, a summer move for Juventus midfielder Douglas Luiz has been mooted, with the Brazilian seen as a strong but affordable option to bring in. While a swap deal involving Sandro Tonali has also been mentioned, the Premier League side will surely be desperate to retain the services of the Italian.

Another report has claimed that the Magpies are targeting a “right-sided centre back, right winger and versatile midfielder/forward” in the summer transfer window, as Howe looks to bring in sufficient quality and depth, and such depth will be needed as things go from bad to worse on the team news front…

Newcastle sweating over Isak, Trippier, Botman and Hall

Taking to X to offer updates on the likes of Alexander Isak and Kieran Trippier, Downie admitted that there is “no timescale” on Newcastle left-back Lewis Hall’s return date ,while Sven Botman is still not 100 per cent, reporting Howe is “concerned” about potentially “big problems”.

Hall’s issue in particular will be a real worry considering how important he has been for the Magpies this season, arguably making himself England’s standout left-back option for new manager Thomas Tuchel. The 20-year-old has started 24 league matches, chipping in with four assists and also averaging 2.1 tackles per game, showing that he can be effective at both ends of the pitch.

Howe knows what an important player he is for him, describing him as a “really talented lad” last year, adding that he wants him to be a Newcastle player for “many years”.

Hopefully, the defender’s scan reveals that he will only be missing for a short amount of time, but with the cup final less than two weeks away, there will be genuine worries about both he and Botman missing one of the biggest games in the Magpies’ history.

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1

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Isak’s issue thankfully sounds less serious while there is a chance the manager is simply holding Botman back for the big day, but it’s fair to say the problems are mounting for Howe and Jason Tindall ahead of their showdown with a scarily efficient Liverpool side.

Ramesh Mendis returned four second-innings wickets to hasten the end and skittle Ireland for 168

Andrew Fidel Fernando18-Apr-2023Ireland’s collapse rolled into day three in Galle, as Sri Lanka’s spinners scythed through them twice, to secure an innings-and-280 run victory with Prabath Jayasuriya claiming a 10-wicket haul.Ireland were always likely to struggle here. They had never played in Sri Lanka before, and were thrust into unforgiving April heat, without so much as a practice match to acclimatise. But where they had given a decent account of their skills against Bangladesh, earlier this month losing the match in Mirpur by only seven wickets, they almost never strung together competitive passages in this Test.After Sri Lanka amassed 591 for the loss of only six wickets, Ireland lost 20 wickets for 311. They only managed two fifty partnerships across their innings – Harry Tector involved in both of those. After four Sri Lanka batters had hit hundreds, the highest individual score Ireland managed was 45 (Lorcan Tucker in the first innings).Day three was a blur of wickets. Ireland had begun the day on 117 for 7, but having added 23 to the overnight score, lost their last three in a heap, the team’s score at 143. Jayasuriya added two wickets to his overnight haul of five, trapping Tucker lbw, then having an advancing Mark Adair stumped two balls later. Offspinner Ramesh Mendis then claimed his first wicket of the game, getting Andy McBrine lbw with a sliding delivery – the not-out decision was overturned on review – to end the innings.His bowlers having delivered less than 53 overs in the first innings, and with Ireland still 448 runs behind, captain Dimuth Karunaratne could not have had many qualms in enforcing the follow-on.Ramesh Mendis hastened Ireland’s end in the second innings•AFP/Getty ImagesMendis, who struggled a little for rhythm on day two, would become Ireland’s primary threat in the second innings. But he did not get his first breakthrough until after left-arm seamer Vishwa Fernando had struck first. As in the first innings, Fernando removed Murray Commins for a duck, the batter picking up a pair. And then he also claimed the wicket of captain Andy Balbirnie for the second time in the match, seaming a back of a length delivery away, to collect his edge. Dhananjaya de Silva held on to a sharp catch at slip.From there, the spinners took over. Jayasuriya had James McCollum caught at slip, de Silva taking another good catch. In his next over, he also got Tucker lbw, the batter reviewing unsuccessfully. Mendis then had Peter Moor caught athletically at short leg by Nishan Madushka – the second excellent catch he’d taken in that position.Ireland then built the only partnership that might pass as a resistance, with Tector and Curtis Campher combining for 60 for the sixth wicket, before another spectacular Madushka grab ended it. Seeing Campher going down for a paddle sweep, Madushka shuffled to his right, anticipating the trajectory of the shot, and got both hands to the chance, that came at about knee-height.From there, a day-three finish seemed inevitable. George Dockrell struck six boundaries in his 54-ball 32, but Mendis charged on. And worse, for Ireland, they lost Tector to a terrible run out – Dockrell turning Tector back after Tector had called for an ill-advised single, before Tector slipped mid-pitch, lost his bat as he tried to turn back, and was short by more than a metre as he tried to dive back in.When Mendis had Mcbrine caught at gully, he equalled Ajantha Mendis’ Sri Lanka record for fastest bowler to 50 wickets, both bowlers doing it in 11 Tests. Mendis has only played two Tests outside Sri Lanka however, and eight of his Tests have been in Galle, where spinners are known to dominate.Jayasuriya, who had been straining for a ten-wicket haul, completed it with the last wicket of the game, getting Ben White plumb in front with a straightening delivery.

When Ange Postecoglou joined Tottenham Hotspur last summer, one of the first things he did was set up his leadership group.

The Australian named Son Heung-min as the club captain but also made the somewhat bold decision to name new-signing James Maddison as one of his understudies, alongside the incredibly passionate Cristian Romero.

Then, at the start of this season, the manager decided to add goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario to that group, which, given his undeniable importance to the team, makes a lot of sense.

However, with Son much nearer the end than the beginning of his career, Maddison inconsistent, and Romero constantly linked with an exit, there is a question over whom the team’s long-term future captain could be, although one of Postecoglou’s best signings could be the perfect candidate.

Spurs' future captain candidates

So, should Maddison be able to play an entire season at near his best, or the club can tie Romero down to a new deal in the next year or so, those two players are more than likely going to take the armband from Son when he eventually gives it up.

However, if that doesn’t happen, then there are several other options Postecoglou could turn to, and before we get to the player in question, it’s worth examining a few candidates, including Dominic Solanke.

Now, that might seem like a rogue choice, but even though he’s a recent addition to the squad, he is 27 years old, has plenty of experience, positive and negative, to draw from and, just as importantly, has been one of the club’s best players when fit this year, producing 19 goal involvements in 33 games.

Moreover, if Harry Kane was able to lead from the front at points, why couldn’t the former Bournemouth star?

Another star who could take the armband in the future is Dejan Kulusevski, who may have been a little out of form prior to his recent injury but has undoubtedly been one of Spurs’ best players this season.

The “world-class” star, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has scored ten goals and provided ten assists in 42 appearances, and as he does for the national team, has led by example at times, such as away to Manchester United.

However, when it comes to the long-term future captain of Tottenham, one youngster signed by Postecoglou stands out to us.

Appearances

42

Starts

31

Minutes

3054′

Goals

10

Assists

10

Goal Involvements per Match

0.47

Minutes per Goal Involvement

152.7′

Spurs' future captain is lying in wait

There are several exciting youngsters Postecoglou signed last year, from the exceptionally talented Lucas Bergvall to the dynamic Wilson Odobert.

However, when it comes to being the club’s future captain and leader, our thoughts go straight to Archie Gray.

The former Leeds United gem joined the North Londoners for around £30m in the summer and, despite still being just 19 years old, has already established himself as an important member of the first team.

The Durham-born maestro might be a midfielder by trade, but constant injuries to the Lilywhites’ defence this season have seen the teenage sensation given far more game time than anyone would have expected.

So far, the “outstanding” prospect and “future £100m” player, as dubbed by respected football analyst Ben Mattinson, has made 19 appearances at centre-back, 12 at full-back, three in defensive midfield and come off the bench another three times.

Centre-Back

19

Right-Back

7

Left-Back

5

Defensive Midfield

3

Other

3

This ability to come into the team with no fuss and play whatever role is asked of him to a high level helps to demonstrate his impressive understanding and ability to read the game.

Moreover, even though he’s young and had to play in the backline of a team who have struggled this year, the England U21 ace has not once let his emotions get the better of himself, showing that he already has the temperament to be a captain, alongside the undeniable technical ability.

Finally, when he does move back into the middle of the park, the “future £100m” star, as dubbed by Mattinson, will be perfectly placed to lead his side, being close enough to help martial the backline as well as being close enough to instruct the attack.

Ultimately, it’s going to be quite some time before it happens, but from everything we have seen of Gray this season, he looks destined to become the captain of Spurs one day.

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Contratado a peso de ouro no início da temporada, o meia Marlos, de 34 anos, pode ir embora do Athletico nos próximos dias. Com apenas 12 jogos disputados, o jogador está chateado e pretende encerrar o seu contrato para respirar novos ares.

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O último jogo de Marlos pelo Athletico ocorreu no dia 26 de maio, quando ajudou o seu time a derrotar o Caracas, na Libertadores.

Petraglia

Em meio ao desejo de ir embora, Marlos foi procurado pelo mandatário do Furacão, Mario Celso Petraglia, que pediu ao atleta para refletir antes de tomar uma decisão.

Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta has his eyes on both Newcastle United star Bruno Guimaraes and Real Sociedad ace Martin Zubimendi, according to reports, but he could also look to bring in another highly-rated player with the duo.

Berta targeting Bruno Guimaraes and Martin Zubimendi for Arsenal

Earlier this week, journalist Eduardo Burgos broke news that Berta personally wants both Guimaraes and Zubimendi, not either or, to come in and bolster Mikel Arteta’s midfield ahead of next season.

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While Arsenal are struggling to finalise a deal for Zubimendi right now, with advanced talks stalling (CaughtOffside), they haven’t completely given up the chase either, and it is believed that the Gunners could strike a deal for Guimaraes for around £59 million if Newcastle fail to qualify for the Champions League.

News of Berta plotting moves for both midfielders was then backed up by reports closer to home, with GiveMeSport’s Ben Jacobs sharing that Guimaraes has been put forward by Arsenal’s new transfer chief as a serious option.

Arsenal’s interest in the Brazil international with Zubimendi appears pretty concrete at this stage, which comes as good news considering Thomas Partey and Jorginho are set to leave when their contracts expire this summer.

Chelsea (home)

March 16th

Fulham (home)

April 1st

Everton (away)

April 5th

Brentford (home)

April 12th

Ipswich Town (away)

April 20th

Jacobs, sharing a further update on the club’s plans for what could be a record-breaking summer under Berta, says another Newcastle United star Alexander Isak remains firmly on their radar.

Arsenal may sign Alexander Isak with Guimaraes and Zubimendi

The £120,000-per-week striker has dazzled as one of the English top flight’s standout forwards this season, and despite the potential cost involved in their mooted double-swoop for Zubimendi and Guimaraes, it is believed Berta may also try to sign Isak for Arsenal alongside the pair.

“So Zubimendi is very much the Edu target, but Berta is going to be looking at Bruno Guimaraes,” said Jacobs to GiveMeSport.

“And my understanding is that Arsenal may try for both Zubimendi and Guimaraes, plus Isak or [Benjamin] Sesko.”

The Swede has scored 22 goals in just 32 appearances across all competitions, so Arsenal are well aware of his quality, but a deal for him could be too much to ask. Newcastle value their man at around £150 million, so the Gunners would need to smash their transfer record to even hope of prising Isak away from St. James’ Park.

Arteta personally wants Isak, according to other reports, but Sesko may be a much more realistic target considering the release clause in his contract.

Glasgow Rangers were in the market to sign a new central defender in the recent January transfer window to bolster their depth in that position.

Philippe Clement and Nils Koppen eyed up a player in that role, due to injuries to the likes of John Souttar, Dujon Sterling, and Leon Balogun, and eventually brought in Rafael Fernandes on loan from Lille.

He has been an unused substitute three times and his only start so far came in the embarrassing 1-0 defeat to second tier outfit Queen’s Park in the SFA Cup.

Another player who was linked with a move to Ibrox in the January window was former Rangers defender Nikola Katic, who went on to sign for Plymouth Argyle instead.

Niko Katic's current market value

The Bosnia international joined the Championship team on loan from FC Zurich and is currently valued at just €1.5m (£1.2m) by Transfermarkt.

Despite his unimpressive market value, Katic, who made 59 appearances for Rangers, has caught the eye with some impressive performances for the Pilgrims.

The former Gers titan made a whopping 17 clearances and won five of his six duels in a historic 1-0 win over Premier League giants Liverpool in the FA Cup.

Katic has also won 65% of his duels across five appearances in the Championship for Plymouth, showing that he has hit the ground running as a dominant defender.

Rangers, however, have already hit the jackpot on their own dominant, 28-year-old, centre-back in the form of Scotland international John Souttar.

Rangers hit the jackpot with John Souttar

The Light Blues signed the Scottish defender on a free transfer from Hearts in the summer of 2022, and he was valued at £1.2m by Transfermarkt at the time of that move.

Market Movers

Souttar endured a frustrating debut campaign at Ibrox as he missed 50 games for club and country with an ankle injury, which caused his value to drop to £1m. He did not allow that setback to put him down, however, and has bounced back to become an incredibly valuable member of the squad.

July 2022

£1.2m

July 2023

£1m

March 2024

£2m

May 2024

£2.5m

October 2024

£2.9m

December 2024 – present

£3.7m

As you can see in the table above, his value has since soared by millions to the point where he is now worth more than three times as much as Katic, who is the same age as the Rangers star.

In the Scottish Premiership this season, Souttar has started 16 games for the Gers and caught the eye with his dominant defensive work – winning 69% of his ground duels and 63% of his aerial battles.

The 28-year-old colossus, who was hailed as “unbelievable” by international teammate Andy Robertson, has also won a staggering 87% of his duels across seven appearances in the Europa League so far this term.

This shows that Souttar has been a rock at the heart of the Rangers defence, rarely allowing opposition players to get the better of him, which is why the club hit the jackpot when they signed him back in 2022.

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Not only did they sign an excellent defender who has performed well on the pitch, but they also signed a valuable asset whose market valuation has soared in recent years.