Ajinkya Rahane’s vast experience and “maturity” in handling an “intense” tournament such as the IPL made him the automatic choice to lead defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), franchise CEO Venky Mysore has said.Rahane was one of the contenders for the captaincy alongside Venkatesh Iyer, the India and Madhya Pradesh allrounder. Venkatesh was released after the 2024 season but was bought back by KKR in the auction for INR 23.75 crore (US$2.3 million approx.). While Venkatesh recently said he was ready to take on the captaincy, if offered, KKR eventually picked Rahane for the job, with Venkatesh named his deputy.”IPL is quite an intense tournament,” Mysore told ESPNcricinfo. “Clearly, we think very well of Venkatesh Iyer but, at the same time, it [captaincy] is taxing on a youngster. We have seen lots of people having lots of challenges with it as they go forward. It takes a very steady hand, takes a lot of maturity and experience, which we felt Ajinkya brings with him.”Related

• 'Nothing can beat experience' – Rahane keen to learn from T20 heavyweight Bravo at KKR

• Ajinkya Rahane to lead Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2025

• KKR on breaking the bank for Venkatesh – 'All about keeping our core'

Shreyas Iyer had captained KKR to the title in IPl 2024, but KKR could not retain him after he opted to head back into the auction, where he was bought by Punjab Kings. Incidentally, Rahane, who was the first player to come up on the second day of the auction last November, had gone unsold at the first time of calling. KKR eventually got Rahane for his base price of INR 1.5 crore ($180,000 approx.) at the end of the auction when franchises got an opportunity to call back unsold players of their choice.This is Rahane’s second stint with KKR, having played seven matches for them in IPL 2022, when they finished seventh. Rahane has turned out for six franchises in the IPL and is among a select group of players to have been part of the IPL from its inception in 2008. Rahane has some experience captaining India (with eight wins in 11 games across formats), is among the most successful active captains in domestic cricket, and has led in 25 matches across two IPL franchises: once at Rising Pune Supergiant and the rest at Rajasthan Royals.Mysore felt such a wealth of experience could only be beneficial for KKR. “He has played 185 IPL games, 200 [195] international games across formats,” Mysore said. “He has led India, led Mumbai in domestic, he’s led in IPL. And he has played from season one of IPL. All that is massive. There should be no surprise at all [on appointing Rahane as captain].Ajinkya Rahane was appointed the new KKR captain, while Venkatesh Iyer will be his deputy•Kolkata Knight Riders

“Captaincy cannot be underestimated. This is going to be my 15th season, so I have seen a lot. It is not only about what you do on the field. There’s a lot of [other] stuff when it comes to IPL, including dealing with media, and there will be expectation in terms of the captain. At the same time, it is a new cycle, there is diversity in the team; if you have to be a successful captain you have to invest in building relationships with everybody so that you know how to get the best out of everyone.”And then there’s preparatory stuff in terms of camps, bowlers’ meetings, batters’ meetings, interaction with coaches – that’s a lot to take in. From that perspective, we are lucky we have got Ajinkya, who will be terrific for us. Not only as a captain, of which there’s no doubt, but also as a batsman. He has scored tons of runs.”

Venkatesh Iyer is ‘captaincy material’

Mysore also said that that Venkatesh would continue to be part of the leadership group and that he had the potential to grow into a future captain. “We have been very, very impressed with the leadership qualities that he has shown,” Mysore said. “He’s a franchise player and what he has shown in terms of how he participates, and the respect that others have around him, and the energy he brings [to the dressing room]… so he definitely has got massive potential. He’s one for the future for us for sure. He clearly is captaincy material.”The move to appoint Venkatesh as the vice-captain, Mysore said, would also allow him to learn from Rahane. “Knowing Ajinkya, he will take him [Venkatesh] under his wing and mentor him on the captaincy side of things. So, in a way, I expect they will be kind of joined at the hip and working very closely together.”

While they’ve faced more than a few questions over the transfer policy in recent seasons, Chelsea have built a squad stacked with sensationally talented gems.

Enzo Maresca has some incredible players all throughout his squad now, but it’s still easy to point to his most important: Cole Palmer.

The Englishman has only been at the club for two seasons, but has already amassed an unreal haul of 43 goals and 29 assists in 98 games.

When fit, the former Manchester City gem is the first name on the teamsheet, and so fans should be delighted about reports linking Chelsea with someone who could be their new Palmer.

Chelsea chase their new Palmer

In a shock to nobody, Chelsea have had another busy summer when it comes to transfers this year.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

On top of selling a host of players for a tidy profit, the Blues have made a number of exciting additions to Maresca’s Conference League-winning side.

The likes of Joao Pedro and Liam Delap should make the frontline far more potent, while Jorrel Hato looks like he could be one of the club’s star defenders in a few years.

Yet, with the window still open until Monday night, the West Londoners appear intent on adding more quality to the squad, and could be in with a chance of landing someone who may well be their new Palmer.

At least that is according to a recent report from Caught Offside, which has reaffirmed Chelsea’s interest in Kobbie Mainoo.

More than that, though, the report has revealed that the Manchester United gem is now open to the idea of leaving Old Trafford after being left on the bench against Arsenal and Fulham.

While a price has not been mentioned in the report, other updates from this week revealed that the Red Devils could allow the Englishman to leave for just £45m.

It remains to be seen if Chelsea will be able to work out a deal for Mainoo in time, but if they do, they could be getting themselves their new Palmer.

Why Mainoo could be Chelsea's new Palmer

Now, while Palmer and Mainoo tend to play in different positions on the pitch, there are several other reasons why the latter could be seen as Chelsea’s new version of the former.

The first is the simple fact that, like the former City prospect, this potential transfer would see the United gem move from Manchester to West London after being deemed not good enough to play regular first-team football by his current manager.

Moreover, it would be another example of the Blues signing an academy graduate from one of the Manchester sides, and one that is widely considered to be tremendously exciting, even if Ruben Amorim does not seem to rate him.

On top of that, both midfielders are English, although instead of signing someone who was thriving in the youth setup, the Blues would be getting their hands on someone who has shone in the senior side this time.

However, perhaps the most important way in which Maresca could be getting his hands on another Palmer is that Mainoo could well develop into a world-beater at Stamford Bridge.

After all, even though he is still young and has been out of the Red Devils’ side since Amorin took over, the 20-year-old has already shown us that he could be something really quite special.

For example, FBref rank him in the top 1% of midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues for shot-creating actions stemming from his take-ons, the top 2% for tackles in the attacking third, the top 4% for carries into the penalty area, the top 5% for take-ons attempted, and more, all per 90.

SCA (Take-On)

0.38

Top 1%

Tackles (Att 3rd)

0.71

Top 2%

Carries into Penalty Area

0.65

Top 4%

Take-Ons Attempted

2.77

Top 5%

% of Dribblers Tackled

63.9%

Top 6%

Touches (Att Pen)

2.88

Top 8%

Successful Take-Ons

1.19

Top 10%

Progressive Passes Rec

3.42

Top 16%

Passes Completed (Short)

24.88

Top 19%

GCA (Live-ball Pass)

0.27

Top 19%

What these numbers show is that, even though he’s still young and not getting the game time his talent warrants, he’s a sublime ball-carrier and someone who can help break up attacking high up the pitch.

In other words, he has the tools to be an elite all-action midfielder, and as teammate Rasmus Hojlund described him, looks to be a “generational talent.”

Ultimately, while it might be difficult, Chelsea should be doing all they can to sign Mainoo before the window shuts next week, as they could just land themselves another Palmer-esque gem.

Better deal than Lopez: Ornstein expects £50m "diamond" will join Chelsea

As Chelsea make a move to sign Fermín López from Barcelona, will the Blues also snap up a “diamond” attacker for £50m who is an even bigger talent?

ByBen Gray Aug 27, 2025

A “unique” manager turned down the opportunity to join Nottingham Forest before Evangelos Marinakis appointed Ange Postecoglou, it has been revealed.

Marinakis and Forest move swiftly to appoint Ange

After publicly commenting on his poor relationship with Marinakis, Nuno Espirito Santo was dismissed just three games into the new Premier League campaign, in what has to go down as one of the harshest sackings in the division’s history.

The Forest owner wasted no time appointing a replacement for the Portuguese manager, who led the Tricky Trees to Europe for the first time in 30 years, with Postecoglou arriving on Tuesday.

Reacting to the news of Nuno’s departure during Serbia vs England coverage, Roy Keane made it clear he has “no sympathy” for the 51-year-old, as the sacking was always to be expected, given Marinakis’ tendencies.

Postecoglou will also be under pressure to hit the ground running, particularly considering Nuno will be a tough act to follow, and it has since emerged that the Australian wasn’t the only manager being considered for the role.

According to a report from Spain (via Sport Witness), Rayo Vallecano manager Inigo Perez turned down the opportunity to replace Nuno at Nottingham Forest, after emerging as one of the hierarchy’s main choices.

Perez was on the final shortlist, which consisted of just three names, but the move fell through, with the 37-year-old turning down a move to The City Ground, as the ‘timing and conditions’ of the offer were deemed unsuitable.

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ByDominic Lund Sep 9, 2025 "Unique" Perez impressing in La Liga

While a move to The City Ground ultimately didn’t tempt the young manager, a move to another club may be on the cards at some point in the near future, given the job he has done at Rayo Vallecano.

The Spaniard led the La Liga club to an eighth-place finish in La Liga last season, securing qualification for the UEFA Conference League in the process, which was a major improvement on the 17th-place finish from the previous season.

Games

61

Wins

22

Draws

19

Losses

20

Points per match

1.39

Former teammate Ibai Gomez has also spoken fondly of the Rayo Vallecano boss in the past, saying: “He’s a very intelligent person and very unique in the world of football because he liked to analyze things from a positive perspective.”

That said, it would’ve been a gamble to appoint Perez, given that he is unproven in the Premier League, with Postecoglou much more experienced, winning 13 senior trophies as a manager, including the Europa League with Tottenham Hotspur last season.

Rahul made the most of a pitch where runs were hard to come by as he scored his first half-century of the season

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Apr-20252:08

Jaffer: Rahul’s takedown of Noor was the key for DC

KL Rahul carried Delhi Capitals on his shoulders with a high-quality half-century as the visitors posted 183 for 6 at Chepauk. Opening the batting in the absence of Faf du Plessis, he was able to pace his innings really well and more than that, he took down one of Chennai Super Kings’ main weapons. Rahul vs the IPL’s purple cap holder, Noor Ahmad, was 20 runs in nine balls with two fours and a six.Initially, Rahul (77 off 51) had to take some time to come to terms with a pitch that was dry and therefore prevented the ball from coming onto the bat. He was 25 off 20 with one four and one six at the end of nine overs. But once he decided to pull the trigger, even CSK’s best bowlers were no match for him. He took Noor, Matheesha Pathirana and Ravindra Jadeja for boundaries over the 11th, 12th and 13th overs as DC were put on course for their total. Two of those boundaries were mistakes by the bowler – Noor and Pathirana putting the ball in the slot – and all innings long Rahul was looking for those mistakes.Mukesh Choudhary was taken down as well. He was the only bowler that Rahul took risks against, because he had identified him as CSK’s weak link. Rahul reverse scooped him twice. He took further liberties when he moved across his crease at the start of the 19th over and swept a ball from the off side wide line to the square leg boundary. Pathirana closed the innings with two wickets in his final over, including Rahul’s, but by then the score had reached more than competitive levels. Khaleel Ahmed with 2 for 25 was CSK’s best bowler.

They picked up 4 for 35 from their combined eight overs to set up the win

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Apr-20252:13

Why was Kuldeep difficult to attack at Chinnaswamy?

Delhi Capitals (DC) captain Axar Patel had high praise for his wristspinners Kuldeep Yadav and Vipraj Nigam after a six-wicket win over Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in IPL 2025.On a sticky M Chinnaswamy Stadium surface, Kuldeep picked up 2 for 17 from four overs with his left-arm wristspin and Nigam 2 for 18 with his legspin as DC kept RCB to 163 for 7. One of Nigam’s overs was in the powerplay, after RCB had raced to 62 for 1 in four overs, and he conceded only two runs in that.”Kuldeep has been doing it for many years,” Axar said at the post-match presentation, “but it’s not easy to be consistent – the IPL is a big stage, and has its own pressure.Related

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“Talking about Vipraj, in the first two games, he was under a bit of pressure. But after that the way he bowled in the last game [he got 2 for 27 against Chennai Super Kings (CSK)] and even tonight, when I asked him for the 18th over, he was confident and said he would bowl. He is improving day by day, and if someone gives you that confidence, nothing better than that for a captain.”Axar also talked about the “tactical use” of spin in the powerplay. He himself bowled the second over, though that went for 16.”Obviously, we talk about match-ups and look at what is happening from the wicket,” he said. “Their openers prefer facing fast bowlers, so I was thinking I should not bowl fast bowlers much. When I started bowling, the ball was sticking in the pitch, and there was some bounce too. I realised it was difficult to score off spinners.”As the match progressed, the ball started turning more for wristspinners. But I think I went a bit overboard with tactics for the 19th over [where Axar went for 17 runs] ! But since we won, it’s all good.”It wasn’t an easy chase, though. DC were 67 for 4 after 11 overs, and the asking rate had climbed to 10.77. But KL Rahul, batting at No. 4 with Faf du Plessis back in the side and opening, played an innings of 93 not out off 53 balls, and took the side home with 2.1 overs to spare.”It becomes very easy for me when there is such a player,” Axar said of Rahul. “I have also been in that situation. I know how it feels when you are used as a floater in a pressure situation.”As a batsman, when your position changes, it’s not that easy. One day you are opening the innings, playing a new ball; then [another day] you have to come in the middle and do this. But for me, it is good to have such a player in the team. After I got out by playing a bad shot that was not needed at that time, he played a mature innings and took us home with [Trsitan] Stubbs. I think he is carrying the form of from the Champions Trophy.”

دافع تييري هنري، أسطورة نادي آرسنال والكرة الفرنسية، عن نجم ليفربول، محمد صلاح، وذلك على هامش الانتقادات التي يتعرض لها الدولي المصري خلال الفترة الأخيرة من هذا الموسم.

وانهالت الانتقادات على محمد صلاح هذا الموسم، وذلك في ظل عدم تمكن الدولي المصري من تقديم المستوى المطلوب مع ليفربول وتراجع مردوده بالفعل.

ولم يستطع محمد صلاح سوى تسجيل هدفين فقط في بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز خلال 8 مشاركات مع ليفربول هذا الموسم.

ويرى هنري في تصريحات نقلتها صحيفة “ديلي ميرور”، أنه من الصعب أن يكون اللاعب نجم الفريق، موضحًا أن محمد صلاح يتحمل انتقادات زائدة عن الحد بالنسبة له.

طالع .. كوكي عن إلغاء مباراة برشلونة وفياريال في أمريكا: طالبنا بالشفافية فقط

وقال هنري: “ليس من السهل دائمًا أن تكون اللاعب الرئيسي ونجم الفريق، لأنه من الواضح كما ترون عندما لا يسجل محمد صلاح، يخسر ليفربول أيضًا، لكن بعض اللاعبين قد يظهرون أحيانًا بشكل جيد وليس بالضرورة أن يكون صلاح دائمًا في الصورة”.

واختتم هنري في حديثه عن محمد صلاح: “لم يكن دائمًا يسجل، ولكن في أغلب الأحيان يسجل ثم يفوز ليفربول، انظر إلى النتائج، لقد سدد محمد صلاح في القائم ثلاث مرات هذا الأسبوع، كان من الممكن أن يكون الأمر أفضل بالنسبة له، إن الأمر بالتأكيد ليس سهلًا عليه ولا على الفريق”.

ليفربول يستعد اليوم الأربعاء لخوض مباراة مرتقبة أمام أينتراخت فرانكفورت، وذلك لحساب منافسات الجولة الثالثة من مرحلة الدوري في بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا.

ويسعى ليفربول لتحقيق الفوز على فرانكفورت ومصالحة جماهيره، بعدما خسر الفريق في أربع مباريات متتالية بكافة المسابقات، وهو أمر لم يحدث منذ عام 2014.

West Ham United co-owner Daniel Kretinsky could advocate for a “natural winner” to replace Graham Potter as manager, if the poor results continue.

Potter under pressure after "Spursy" performance

Following the 3-0 defeat at home against Tottenham Hotspur, former Chelsea striker Tony Cascarino has been very critical of Potter, saying: “I don’t want to be disrespectful to a manager, but sometimes you look at things and you think, ‘Do you know what? I’m not sure what he’s bringing to the table as a manager.

“West Ham yesterday looked as Spursy as Spurs have ever been. They looked like when Spurs were at their worst and times under Ange where they looked like they were going to concede for fun.”

As such, the 50-year-old is clearly under mounting pressure, with widespread reports suggesting Nuno is being considered as a potential replacement, alongside former Hammer Frank Lampard, given the job the Englishman has done at Coventry City.

Related West Ham make offer for £14m Tottenham ace with January move now possible

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At the end of August, Jose Mourinho was also named as the leading candidate to replace Potter, and there has now been a new update on the Hammers’ interest in the former Chelsea manager.

According to a report from Claret & Hugh, West Ham co-owner Kretinsky could advocate for the appointment of Mourinho, should the poor results continue.

However, the report also makes it clear that the Portuguese manager has been largely discounted, so it remains to be seen whether Kretinsky would be able to convince the rest of the board to make a move.

"Natural winner" Mourinho could be divisive appointment

The 62-year-old has undoubtedly achieved a lot in football, winning the World’s Best Club Coach award on four occasions, courtesy of lifting Premier League, Serie A and La Liga titles, as well as the Champions League on two occasions.

However, it seems likely the recently-sacked former Fenerbahçe manager would be a divisive appointment, not least because of his links to Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur.

Not only that, but the former Spurs boss is clearly not the manager he once was, having been sacked by Daniel Levy after just 17 months in charge, while also failing to win a trophy during his recent spell in Turkey.

Consequently, despite being lauded as a “natural winner” by journalist Josh Bunting in the past, it may be wise to avoid making a move for Mourinho, and instead appoint Nuno, given that the 51-year-old transformed Nottingham Forest from relegation candidates into a Europa League side.

Former footballer Karl Henry also praised the ex-Wolverhampton Wanderers boss for the job he did at Molineux.

Celtic are back from the international break and find themselves preparing for a tough run of fixtures, including the start of their Europa League campaign under Brendan Rodgers.

The Irishman has spoken in frank fashion about the frustration he faced during the summer transfer window, claiming his side ‘weren’t ready’ for their Champions League playoff match against Kairat Almaty after the Parkhead hierarchy failed to push critical deals over the line.

Not Nygren: Rodgers must bench Celtic flop to hand new signing a debut

Brendan Rodgers must drop this Celtic lightweight to unleash one of his new signings.

ByDan Emery Sep 14, 2025

Nevertheless, the Bhoys brought in ten new players by the end of the market period before Kelechi Iheanacho was released from his Sevilla contract to sign as a free agent.

However, the lack of synergy between the Celtic board and Rodgers has been on show for all to see, and one of his lesser-spotted summer signings has now sent an intriguing social media message that may explain his own situation in a little more detail.

Celtic loanee Jahmai Simpson-Pusey sends cryptic Instagram message

Taking to Instagram, Celtic summer signing Jahmai Simpson-Pusey changed his profile picture on the platform to reflect a message that said ‘Delays teach patience, which prepares you for blessings’ after failing to make a first-team appearance since arriving on loan from Manchester City.

Becoming the Hoops’ eighth addition of the window, the 19-year-old has also been left out of the Bhoys’ Europa League squad by Rodgers alongside Callum Osmand, Shin Yamada and Hayato Inamura, causing some to question why he was acquired in the first place.

For now, Lennoxtown product Dane Murray appears to be ahead of Simpson-Pusey in the pecking order and is usually first in line to come off the bench when Rodgers decides to shuffle his backline around.

Regardless, there is a long season ahead for the reigning Scottish Premiership champions, and there is every chance that the England youth international could have a part to play as his loan club pursue another domestic treble.

What has Brendan Rodgers said about Jahmai Simpson-Pusey?

Shortly after his arrival in Glasgow was confirmed, Rodgers admitted to the press before his side defeated Aberdeen in August that Simpson-Pusey may be some way off featuring regularly due to his lack of a full-intensity pre-season.

He stated via Sky Sports: “He’s a little bit away in fairness to Jahmai. He’s been training with the small group at Manchester City and isn’t quite up to speed yet. You can see his quality straightaway and it’s just going to take a bit of time in terms of his fitness and the intensity.”

Clearly, Simpson-Pusey is a man with plenty of talent, given he claimed the Premier League 2 Player of the Season award last term and also made six appearances in the first-team under Pep Guardiola.

Now, he faces the challenge of nailing down a regular slot in Celtic’s backline, which may require persistence as the Manchester-born man looks to unseat the likes of Liam Scales, Cameron Carter-Vickers and Auston Trusty over the coming months.

Heading into IPL 2025, Rajasthan Royals (RR) have a bowling attack that looks vastly different from the one they had last year, with several stalwarts having moved to other franchises. Full-time captain Sanju Samson knows this will be a challenge, but has backed his young players to “prove what they’re made of”.Royals still have Sandeep Sharma, but have lost the likes of R Ashwin, Yuzvendra Chahal and Trent Boult. On the batting front, too, there is a big hole, with Jos Buttler having moved to Gujarat Titans after he wasn’t retained – a decision Samson recently admitted was tough to make and, now, deal with.Talking about the new look of the squad ahead of his team’s season-opener, Samson said, “To be honest, that’s the challenge IPL has thrown at me. Last three years, I was surrounded by some of the best cricketers the world has ever seen. Now I’m surrounded by [some of the] younger players in IPL. [We are] looking at it in a positive manner. The youngsters have a lot of fire in them, they want to prove to the world what they’re made of.”Related

• Can Parag's Royals rein in sixy Sunrisers?

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• Minz, Suryavanshi, Rickelton among IPL's rookies to watch out for

Samson underlined the need to move on quickly and identify the strengths and weaknesses of the squad’s new players. This time, their bowling line-up includes Jofra Archer (set to turn out for RR again after 2020-21) and Maheesh Theekshana, alongside a host of Indian talents like Akash Madhwal, Tushar Deshpande and Kumar Kartikeya.”We have to let go of the past, forget what happened, forget the quality of players we had,” Samson said. “They’re different players, different line-ups. We’ve got to go with a fresh pair of eyes and thinking. You can’t say ‘last year we had them, did this or did that’.”I’m a type of captain who trusts the bowlers. They need to tell me their strength and what they want to bowl. It’s a mixture of my experience and their thinking coming together and them finding the right way to go ahead. After playing a few games, we will understand their strengths and weaknesses.”Samson believes conditions will be unforgiving for the bowlers even though some steps – like allowing one ball change on demand after ten overs of the chase in evening games, to help counter dew – have been taken to help the bowlers.”In the powerplay, bowlers have been targeted like anything, that’s where challenge is,” Samson said. “Bowlers have been coming in with new tricks – change of pace, slower balls, slower bouncers. Now IPL has introduced a rule of players being allowed to apply saliva, that can help bowlers, or the new ball rule because of dew. We’re trying to balance it out, but it still looks like [it will be] a heavy scoring season.”Vaibhav Suryavanshi in action at the Under-19s Asia Cup in the UAE•Associated Press

Vaibhav Suryavanshi a special talent, says Samson

Samson was effusive in his praise for 13-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi, the youngest player to earn an IPL deal after RR bought him for INR 1.1 crore ahead of this season.”He looks something special,” Samson said. “That’s what our team recognised when he came to the trials. Our scouts following him in the Under-19 matches he was playing, [were impressed with] the amount of shots he was playing. It shows he’s really made for the best level.”To be honest, he’s very lucky, for a 13-year-old or any youngster, to come here to Rajasthan Royals and be [around] Rahul Dravid [head coach] and all the mentors here. They’re really good at taking care of young Indian talent who have come here.”It’s a great responsibility not only for him, but for us to take care of him and guide him, not just these two months but for the ten months he’s away from IPL. He’s in great hands, there’s something special for Indian cricket in the coming years from him.”

Toon boss Howe has delivered a simple rebuke to rumours linking him with the Manchester United job, confirming his commitment to the Magpies. Amorim’s job is seemingly hanging in the balance with Man Utd languishing in 14th place after a woeful start to the season, one point and one place above Newcastle. But Howe has moved quickly to squash any potential link.

• Peter Crouch links Howe to Old Trafford

  The finger of blame for the rumours should be pointed firmly at former Liverpool, Tottenham and Portsmouth striker Peter Crouch, who said: "Someone mentioned Eddie Howe to me, right, to go to Manchester United. But why would he leave Newcastle?" 

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Howe’s no nonsense response to Man Utd link

  Howe said: "I'm all in (at Newcastle). My commitment here is 100 per cent and always has been. My family is still here, and we are fighting every day to make a success of what we are doing. The season ahead could be a wonderful thing, and that is what we are trying to focus on, trying to make a success of the games we have coming up. It's never gone away, for me, the fragility of the profession that I'm in. Partly, I think that's healthy for me, though, because it drives me to work as hard as I do, because I want to stay in the job that I'm doing, and I want to be successful at it. You know I'm a believer – and I was the same in my playing career – you take your eye off the ball for a second, you get lazy, or you get used to the same habits, that's not going to work, that's not going to bring you results. You've got to continually think and push boundaries and get better, and to do that takes a lot of energy and a look of thought, which drives the people around me mad, I'm sure, but for me, that's part of what drives me and propels me forward."

• Why would Howe move?

  Amorim faces an uphill battle to improve Man United’s fortunes, including integrating new signings, goal scoring, and establishing consistent team performances. One of the main difficulties Amorim faces is adapting the squad to his preferred 3-4-3 formation, which is a significant change from the formations used by previous managers. While he has reportedly been given considerable backing in the transfer market to shape the squad, the team's performance has been inconsistent. United lost 3-1 to Brentford and suffered a Carabao Cup defeat by Grimsby Town earlier this season, increasing pressure on the Portuguese. The team hasn’t achieved consecutive wins under Amorim, and while he retains the backing of the United board, his long-term tenure remains uncertain without a significant upturn in results.

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  The future’s bright, it’s black and white

  An emphatic 4-0 away win against Union Saint-Gilloise was a major boost, with new club-record signing Nick Woltemade impressing and demonstrating his potential as a new attacking focal point. New winger Anthony Elanga is also finding his rhythm, suggesting the team is starting to gel. And off the pitch, the club's financial situation is positive, with a 28 per cent revenue increase for the year ending June 2024, fuelled by Champions League participation and a focus on commercial deals, provides a strong foundation for future investment.