All posts by n8rngtd.top

It would be fair to say that it has not been the ideal week for Danny Rohl and Rangers, with the new boss already in danger of falling into Russell Martin territory at Ibrox.

Having failed to beat ten-man Braga a week ago, the Gers have since slipped to two frustrating draws against Falkirk and Dundee United, the latter of which was only rescued following a last-gasp Nedim Bajrami spot-kick on Wednesday night.

At a time of initial chaos at Celtic following Brendan Rodgers’ resignation, alongside a recent slump for Premiership leaders Hearts, the Light Blues have failed to capitalise, now finding themselves still nine points off the pace in fourth spot.

Of course, much of the blame will lie at the feet of the departed Kevin Thelwell and co, following a simply bizarre summer of recruitment, although Rohl himself should not be free of criticism amid his continued, head-scratching selection decisions.

Rangers' worst performers against Dundee United

After the highs of scoring his first Rangers goal against Livingston not too long ago, Emmanuel Fernandez was brought crashing back down to earth following arguably his worst display for the club to date in midweek, having been particularly at fault for the hosts’ opener.

The 24-year-old simply allowed goalscorer Zachary Sapsford to breeze past him down that left flank, while his overall woes were evident as he lost eight of his 18 total duels, as per Sofascore, alongside the hapless Nasser Djiga.

All eyes are on that struggling backline, although the attacking unit must also shoulder their share of the blame, with Bojan Miovski’s early Rangers woes continuing, having scored just once in the league following his arrival from Girona.

A former hero at Aberdeen – and at one stage lauded as the “best player” in the Premiership in his position – the 26-year-old has yet to fire in his new surroundings, with his inability to provide a physical focal point laid bare after losing eight duels himself against the Tangerines.

The man behind him, Danilo, was also notably ineffective, having failed to convert any of his five shots, while Djeidi Gassama was also lacking on the flanks, having lost the ball 20 times from just 56 touches.

A moment of magic from Jayden Meghoma, alongside Bajrami’s 98th-minute penalty, helped to spare most of those blushes somewhat, although heading into a hectic festive schedule, Rohl must surely ring the changes.

On the evidence again of Wednesday night, the aforementioned Djiga must well be one of them – and not just in the short-term.

The Rangers star who must not start again under Rohl

As the old saying goes, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

As harsh as it may be, we are approaching similar territory with regard to Djiga, with the on-loan Wolverhampton Wanderers man again looking so underpar at Tannadice.

Calamity after calamity has been the theme of his Ibrox stint to date, memorably sent off on his home Premiership debut against Dundee, while going AWOL in the desperate defeat at Club Brugge in the early weeks of the season.

Too many errors to count, in truth, with the 23-year-old again somewhat culpable last night, having failed to engage with that man Sapsford, as the Dundee goalscorer surged into the area.

For the home side’s second of the night, Djiga was also again at the scene of the crime, tamely turning his back as Amar Fatah weaved his way through to score.

Quite why Rohl – albeit while limited with regard to alternatives – is persisting with the summer signing is to be debated, with the defender’s woes also seen in how he failed to register a single tackle or interception, nor provide a single key pass from his centre-back berth.

Perhaps a saving grace for Rohl might be the upcoming African Cup of Nations, with Djiga set to link up with Burkina Faso as early as 15 December, thus ruling him out of contention until the New Year.

While it is yet to be made clear whether there is a break clause in the 6 foot 4 flop’s loan deal, perhaps January might then provide a perfect opportunity to send him back to Molineux, once he returns from international duty.

In an ideal world, that scenario would ensure that Wednesday’s draw represents the final time that Djiga lines up, or at least starts under the Rohl regime, with the German coach in desperate need of a different solution at centre-back.

His job might depend on it.

Worse than Miovski: Ibrox flop just played his worst game for Rangers

This Glasgow Rangers flop played his worst game for the club in the 2-1 defeat to Dundee United on Wednesday.

By
Dan Emery

Dec 4, 2025

In the midst of what could amount to the greatest power-hitting season by a catcher in baseball history, Mariners backstop Cal Raleigh leads all of MLB with 46 home runs. He's just two homers away from tying the single-season record for the most long balls by a catcher in baseball history—and eight shy of tying the record for the most belted by a switch-hitter in a single campaign.

And yet, as difficult as it is to believe, Raleigh could have even more home runs this season were it not for one all-too-familiar obstacle that has altered the fates of many tasks: weather.

Raleigh has had seven home runs prevented by wind, including an eighth-inning double in Friday's 11-9 win over the Mets, according to Sarah Langs of MLB.com. Not only does he lead the majors in homers, he also leads the majors in would-be homers if not for the wind.

If you're thinking, The answer is yes. Since 2023, Statcast's wealth of technology has included Weather Applied Metrics, which has provided the capability of measuring the effects of wind in-game.

If not for wind, Raleigh would have already broken the catcher record, and would have been just two homers shy of clearing Mickey Mantle's mark for the most home runs hit by a switch-hitter in a season, 54, set in 1961.

As it stands, Raleigh is well on his way to at least owning the greatest slugging season by a catcher, as he still has 39 games remaining in the regular season to swing for the fences.

And hope the wind, which has been especially unkind to him, isn't blowing.

Kylian Mbappe is in danger of missing Real Madrid's massive Champions League clash with Manchester City due to an injury to his left leg. The French striker was absent from Los Blancos' open training session the day before the game against Pep Guardiola's side at the Santiago Bernabeu, handing yet another headache to under-pressure Real coach Xabi Alonso.

• Mbappe a surprise absentee from training

  Alonso made no mention of any injury to Mbappe in his press conference ahead of the City game, but in the training session that followed it, reporters noted that the striker was absent along with midfielder Eduardo Camavinga.

  Spanish radio station Cadena Cope reported that Mbappe had suffered an injury in his left leg, making him a serious doubt for the game with City.

Advertisement

• Getty Images
  

  Injury spells more pain for Alonso

  Mbappe has been Madrid's standout player this season, with 25 goals across La Liga and the Champions League, plus four assists. He is also on course to break Cristiano Ronaldo's record for the most goals for Real in a calendar year. The Frenchman has been responsible for half of the team's goals in the Spanish top flight and a remarkable 75% of their goals in Europe's top competition, netting a stunning four strikes in his last continental outing against Olympiacos.

  Alonso is under huge pressure following Madrid's dismal 2-0 defeat at home to Celta Vigo on Sunday, which also saw Alvaro Carreras and Fran Garcia sent off and key defender Eder Militao hobble off with a muscle injury that is set to keep him out for up to four months. The result left Real trailing Barcelona by four points in the title race, while they have won just two of their last seven games in all competitions.

• Mbappe-Haaland showdown at risk

  With Mbappe having scored 25 goals for Madrid and Erling Haaland on 20 strikes in 20 games for City, the game was expected to be a showdown between the two most ferocious strikers in Europe, who are also set to face off in the World Cup next year when France take on Norway.

  Mbappe ran riot when Madrid met City in last season's competition, scoring a hat-trick in a 3-1 win at the Bernabeu in the second leg of the knockout play-off and also netting in the 3-2 victory in the first leg at the Etihad Stadium. Haaland struck twice in the first leg but missed the second leg due to injury and has failed to score in his previous two visits to the Spanish capital.

  "At the end of the day, we must defend as a unit and show serious defensive commitment," said Madrid midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni. "We're up against a top side with Haaland, and his current form is unbelievable. If we play at our best level, we can win this game. We will talk about the game plan with the coach now. 

  "We have a lot of injured players in defence, but we have a lot of players who can perform at a high level in that position. They're an excellent team, especially on the ball. They like to have the ball, and we'll have to be very compact both when we defend and when we have the ball to create chances."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• AFP
  

  Guardiola could seal Alonso's fate

  Alonso faced several questions about his uncertain future at Madrid in the press conference and there is speculation that defeat to City and his former coach Guardiola – with whom he spent two years at Bayern Munich – could see him sacked just seven months into succeeding Carlo Ancelotti in the Bernabeu hotseat.

  Alonso put on a brave face amid the questioning and insisted he maintains a good relationship with the squad and with the club's hierarchy. "We are all in the same boat," Alonso said. "We have to go through positive and negative times. We need to believe the next game is an opportunity and tomorrow we have a very exciting game for all of us, and we need to keep our eyes open to have that energy so the Bernabeu enjoys what it sees. Communication [with the board] is constant. We are united, we are all together in this and I have a good relationship with them."

  Tchouameni also declared that the players backed the coach and said it was up to them to improve their recent run of poor results. He said: "If we don't win games, it's because we have to do things better with and without the ball, with commitment from everyone and play better in defence and attack. We hope to improve and win more games because what's happening now cannot go on."

  "We're all together. If we want to win games, we all have to fight, coach and team in the same direction. It's us who are on the pitch, and we have to do things better out there. We have a good opportunity to change the dynamic and pick up more points in the Champions League."

Micky Van de Ven was left blown away by the performance of a Tottenham Hotspur star in the 2-0 victory against Brentford at the weekend.

Tottenham secure first Premier League win since late October

The pressure has been mounting on Thomas Frank in recent weeks, with it even emerging that Tottenham were considering a move for Barcelona manager Xavi as a replacement, but the Dane may have bought himself more time courtesy of a victory against Brentford.

Spurs breezed to a 2-0 win against the Bees, which was their first triumph in the Premier League since winning 3-0 at Everton at the end of October, with Richarlison opening the scoring after 26 minutes, finding the back of the net for the seventh time in all competitions this season.

Xavi Simons was the creator, and the Dutchman then went on to score his first goal since moving to north London just before half-time, sealing all three points for Frank’s side in the process.

Simons has received heavy criticism for making a slow start to life at Tottenham, with Jamie O’Hara left particularly scathing after the defeat against Fulham, but he clearly has the full support of teammate Van de Ven, who singled the attacking midfielder out for high praise after Brentford.

Simons needs to build on his Brentford performance

Frank will no doubt be delighted the Netherlands international appears to be finding his feet, receiving a SofaScore match rating of 9.5 after registering a goal and an assist against Keith Andrews’ side.

Having finally shown what he can produce, the 22-year-old needs to build on that performance, starting on Tuesday against Slavia Prague, with Spurs set to host the Czech side in their sixth Champions League game.

Forget Simons: Spurs "liability" is now becoming the new Ndombele

This Tottenham star is flattering to deceive in spite of his immense talent.

By
Angus Sinclair

Dec 6, 2025

Frank’s side have looked bereft of ideas at times this season, with only a Richarlison wonder goal preventing them from suffering an even heavier loss against Arsenal back in November.

As such, Simons needs to step up, and Tottenham will be hoping the former RB Leipzig man can start recording similar attacking numbers to what he did during his time with the German club, registering 22 goals and 24 assists in 78 games.

What happens when a game between two of the worst teams in MLB is played at one of the least popular ballparks in the sport? Shockingly low attendance numbers.

The MLB-worst Colorado Rockies, the third-fastest team to 50 losses in the history of professional baseball, took on the last-place Miami Marlins at loanDepot Park in the first game of a three-game series on Monday night.

Let's just say that fans were not very enticed by the less-than-appetizing matchup, as there were hardly any spectators in the ballpark when it was time for first pitch, leading to some truly jarring photos.

The attendance for the game, a 6-4 Rockies win, did fill out a bit to an announced number of 5,894. Even by the standards of loanDepot Park, the third-smallest stadium in MLB with an official capacity of 37,000, this was a jarringly low number.

To be fair, Miami-Dade County, where the Marlins play, was hit with some severe weather in the form of two to three inches of rain, leading to flooding and some downed trees. So for some, getting to the ballpark was either just not worth it or not even possible.

But on the other hand, stunningly low attendance numbers are nothing new for the Marlins. Consider that the Rockies are hurtling towards the worst record in the history of baseball, and yet, an average of 27,621 fans, 16th in MLB, take in their games at beautiful Coors Field.

The Marlins? An average of just 11,944 fans head to the park for Miami's games and loanDepot park has consistently ranked in the bottom five of MLB in average attendance in every single season after 2012, the year the park opened.

So a few factors at play here, but yeah, not great.

Barcelona have confirmed a fresh injury setback as midfielder Fermin Lopez has been ruled out for around two weeks with a soleus problem in his right leg. The midfielder, who has been key for Hansi Flick this season, will now miss crucial La Liga and Champions League clashes. His absence arrives just as Pedri nears his return, reshaping the midfield picture during a demanding run of fixtures.

• Barcelona lose midfield mainstay

  Barca have confirmed that midfielder Lopez will miss the next two weeks after suffering a minor injury to the soleus muscle in his right leg during Thursday’s training session. It is a major setback for Hansi Flick, who had only just received good news with Pedri cleared for a return against Alaves. 

  The club explained in a statement that the midfielder "has a small injury to the soleus muscle in his right leg, and his estimated recovery time is around two weeks.”

  The timing is damaging for Flick, as this lay-off rules Fermin out of key La Liga and Champions League fixtures after a heavy 3-0 defeat against Chelsea. And, now the midfielder is expected to miss matches against Alaves, Atletico Madrid, Betis and Eintracht Frankfurt, and it remains uncertain whether he will recover in time to face Osasuna on December 13, only two days after the predicted recovery window ends.

Advertisement

• AFP
  

  Injury sustained in Athletic Club clash

  Fermín had been enjoying a strong season and recently reached 100 appearances for the first team. While highlighting his contribution. His availability had been particularly valuable at a moment when Barca are visibly struggling in the midfield marked with injuries, making this injury even more disruptive for Flick’s squad planning.

  Beyond the medical report, the context of Fermin’s injury offers insight into why his absence could weigh heavily on the team. reported that the midfielder is still dealing with the effects of a forceful challenge suffered against Athletic Club, a tackle from Oihan Sancet that resulted in a red card for the Bilbao player. Despite continued discomfort, Fermin pushed himself to start Barca’s Champions League match at Stamford Bridge, where the team suffered a heavy defeat.

  He played just over an hour before being substituted, and the accumulated strain appears to have contributed to Thursday’s setback in training. This latest issue marks his second injury of the season and arrives at a time when Barca’s injury list had finally begun to shrink, with only long-term absentees Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Gavi still out.

• Pedri returns but midfield still a challenge for Flick

  While the loss of Fermin is a concern, Barca did receive a boost in the form of Pedri’s recovery. The midfielder trained normally on Thursday and is expected to be available for the Alaves clash. His return offers Flick more options and could allow the club to manage workloads more carefully, particularly after the intense calendar that has carried the squad into physical fatigue.

  Pedri’s return also opens the door for Dani Olmo to reclaim a starting role in attacking midfield, especially with Flick keen to rotate and protect key players. Fermin’s absence had already influenced Tuesday’s lineup in London, where Barcelona struggled without midfield balance and control.

  This period demands careful squad management, with Barca chasing ground in La Liga following their Champions League setback. Flick must now rely on the depth of his midfield, including Pedri, Olmo and Frenkie de Jong to navigate the next two weeks.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty Images Sport
  

  What next?

  Fermin is expected to miss at least four matches, most importantly a key matchup when Atletico Madrid visit Camp Nou, and the crucial Champions League clash against Eintracht Frankfurt. 

  Should recovery go as planned, the midfielder could return around December 13, which places Osasuna at home as his earliest realistic comeback match. However, Barcelona will not rush him, especially given the recurring nature of soleus injuries. But, the club will hope the setback lasts no longer than the two-week window and that the young midfielder returns in time for a crucial December period.

Celtic’s wait for a European away win is over.

On Thursday night, despite falling behind inside 11 minutes, the Hoops fought back to beat Feyenoord 3-1 at De Kuip; Yang Hyun-jun, Reo Hatate and Benjamin Nygren the scorers on a famous night in Rotterdam.

Before this, the Celts had failed to win any of their last 16 European fixtures on the road, dating back four years.

In fact, since reaching the UEFA Cup Final under Martin O’Neill in 2003, they have won only six times on the continent, excluding qualifiers, enjoying wins over Spartak Moskva, Anderlecht, Rosenborg, Lazio, Ferencváros and now Feyenoord across the last 22 seasons.

In terms of this season, the victory propels the Celts up to 21st in the gigantic Europa League table, a major boost to their hopes of reaching the knockout stages, with games against Roma, Bologna and then Utrecht still to come.

So, which Celtic star looked like an £100m player during this win at De Kuip?

Celtic's new manager latest

Since returning to the club on an interim basis, O’Neill could hardly have done much better.

He has won three Premiership matches out of three, ousted Rangers in the League Cup semi-finals and now claimed a memorable European victory in the Netherlands; the shellacking against Midtjylland in Herning the only blot on his copybook.

Nevertheless, for how much longer will he remain in interim charge?

Well, the 73 year old, alongside Shaun Maloney, will still be at the helm for Sunday’s clash with Hibernian at Easter Road, but could that be the final game of their tenure?

That’s because, according to widespread reports, the club are now in advanced talks with Columbus Crew manager Wilfried Nancy, with some optimistic that the Frenchman could be in place in time for next Wednesday’s clash with Dundee.

Considering they take on current Premiership leaders Hearts and then the side top of Serie A Roma thereafter, the board will be desperate to get Nancy in as quickly as possible.

Assuming the Frenchman was watching Thursday’s win over Feyenoord, potentially while enjoying some Thanksgiving food in Ohio, one player in particular surely will have caught his eye.

Celtic's best player vs Feyenoord

Towards the end of Brendan Rodgers’ tenure, Reo Hatate found himself no longer a guaranteed starter, only on the bench for the Europa League home defeat to Braga, before not getting on at all during a dismal goalless draw with Hibs in September.

Nevertheless, having been made a key figure under O’Neill, he was the star of the show in Rotterdam.

Hatate spectacularly set up Yang’s equaliser before, soon after, coolly slotting home the second, rolling the ball into an unguarded net from long-range after some trademark closing down by Daizen Maeda forced Timon Wellenreuther into a catastrophic error.

Overall, the midfield maestro completed 89% of his passes, took two shots, created one big chance and registered nine ball recoveries, underlining that he was everywhere.

After a 3-3 draw with Rangers at Ibrox last year, Brendan Rodgers asserted that Hatate “gives it away too much for my liking”, labelling him “sloppy’, a sign of his decline in form and importance.

Now though, he is playing at a comparable level to Enzo Fernandez, according to FBref, who note that the players are statistically and stylistically similar among those in their position across Europe.

That is a sign of Hatate’s recent revival, not least with Fernandez having not too long ago been signed by Chelsea for a fee of around £107m from Benfica.

Such a comparison is no unwarranted either, with Hatate arguably putting in his best performance of the season against Feyenoord, while operating in a Fernandez-esque, more advanced midfield berth

Meantime, the Japanese star is proving just what a goal threat he is in Europe too, scoring against both Midtjylland and Feyenoord, also registering an assist at De Kuip this week.

Given how impressive Hatate has been since first arriving at Parkhead almost four years ago, it is frankly a surprise that a Premier League club has not come in and poached him.

Celtic supporters will hope that remains the case, with the 28-year-old likely to be a central, undroppable figure when Nancy does finally arrive.

As good as Hatate: Celtic flop showed he can be "world class" under Nancy

Celtic beat Feyenoord 3-1 at De Kuip in the UEFA Europa League on Thursday, and one player showed his “world class’ potential, as good as Reo Hatate.

By
Ben Gray

Nov 28, 2025

The New York Yankees nearly made MLB history on March 29 in their second game of the 2025 season.

In a 20–9 rout of the Milwaukee Brewers at Yankee Stadium, New York hammered nine home runs, including three from two-time AL MVP Aaron Judge. The Yankees started the ballgame with a bang, hitting three homers on the first three pitches they saw, and the bats didn't quiet down the rest of the afternoon.

So, how close did the Yankees come to making history in that game? Let's take a look:

MLB Record for Most Home Runs in One Game

The all-time record for homers hit in a single game (since 1901) is 10—set by the Toronto Blue Jays in an 18–3 win on Sept. 14, 1987. Ernie Whitt blasted three dingers himself that game, and teammates Rance Mulliniks and George Bell knocked two bombs apiece.

With Oswald Peraza's two-run shot in the seventh inning, the Yankees became just the third team in MLB history to mash at least nine homers in one game.

The only other team in MLB history to hit more than eight homers in a single game is the 1999 Cincinnati Reds, who pummeled nine long balls in a blowout win over the Phillies on Sept. 4 of that year.

Thirty other teams have hit eight homers in a single game, most recently the Oakland Athletics in an 18–3 win over the Philadelphia Phillies on July 14, 2024.

Chelsea are now showing “concrete interest” in signing a winger with “electric pace”, and they have entered talks over a summer deal, according to Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg.

Blues keen to bolster attacking options

Several top Premier League clubs are looking to bring in a new striker, and the Blues are no exception, given that Nicolas Jackson has struggled in front of goal for large parts of the season, despite finding the back of the net against Everton on Saturday.

Ipswich Town’s Liam Delap is among the main targets, with the west Londoners leading the race for the Englishman, who is set to be available for £30m this summer, now the Tractor Boys’ relegation from the top flight has been confirmed.

Not only is Enzo Maresca keen to bring in a new striker, but the manager is also looking at bolstering his options out wide, and talks have been opened over a deal for AC Milan’s Rafael Leao, while the same report states Juventus star Kenan Yildiz is also of interest.

Chelsea now have "strong" chance of signing £206k-per-week Barcelona star

Enzo Maresca’s side have thrown their hat in the ring.

1

By
Emilio Galantini

Apr 26, 2025

Chelsea are looking at multiple targets from the Serie A, and they are also considering options from the Bundesliga, with Sky Sports reporter Plettenberg taking to X to reveal they have now opened talks for Borussia Dortmund’s Jamie Gittens.

The Blues have expressed a “concrete interest” in signing the winger, as they “believe a talented English player should be playing in his home country”, and talks are ongoing with his management over a potential summer move.

Dortmund are open to offers in the region of €50m – €60m (£43m – £51m), and such is their level of interest, the west Londoners are willing to double Gittens’ salary.

"Electric" Gittens impressing at Dortmund

It has not been the best of seasons for Dortmund, who have fallen short of expectations in the Bundesliga, but the English winger has been a shining light, picking up eight goals and four assists in 29 league matches.

The starlet has also shown some promising signs in the Champions League, scoring four goals in the competition prior to Dortmund’s exit, while picking up one assist.

Not only that, but football scout Ben Mattinson is clearly a fan of the 20-year-old, praising him for his pace, while also claiming he could have more potential than Paris Saint-Germain star Bradley Barcola.

There are clear signs that Gittens could be destined for the very top, so it is exciting news that Chelsea are making moves to secure his signature.

2024/25 Championship table

*Sheff Utd deducted 2 points

The EFL Championship's top goalscorers of all time

The second tier has seen plenty of great goalscorers, but who leads the charts?

By
Stephan Georgiou

Feb 15, 2024

Championship results

21st April

The highest EFL Championship points totals

These are the best clubs to grace the second tier.

By
Charlie Smith

May 17, 2025

Championship fixtures

25th-28th April

2025 winter transfer window: Every done deal from the Championship

Every winter transfer from the second tier can be found here.

By
Stephan Georgiou

Feb 3, 2025