Ryan Reynolds, Rob Mac and Tom Brady should have plenty of cause for celebration in the coming years, claims Alan Shearer, with Wrexham and Birmingham City being told that they will "both be in the Premier League in the near future". Two ambitious projects that see A-list investors heavily involved have captured the imagination of a global audience and continue to generate plenty of drama.

Wrexham & Birmingham chasing the Premier League dream

Wrexham have rewritten the EFL history books by enjoying three successive promotions, with a meteoric rise out of the National League and into the Championship being enjoyed. Birmingham took a step backwards following a failed managerial experiment with Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney, but captured the League One title in historic fashion last season.

The Red Dragons and Blues are now plotting a course through the second tier of English football. Big money has been spent on chasing the dream, with Hollywood co-owners Reynolds and Mac helping to fund a £30 million-plus ($40m) spending spree during the summer of 2025.

AdvertisementGettyParkinson & Davies charged with delivering results

Wrexham did endure a slow start to the new season, with untimely injuries doing little to aid their cause, leading to questions being asked of Phil Parkinson’s future. He retains the full support of his board, while Chris Davies will be given time to get things right at St Andrew’s after also overseeing an inconsistent opening to the 2025-26 campaign.

Both teams – who have starred in their own documentary series – are aware that they need to build on solid foundations and cannot expect to blaze a trail through a division as competitive as the Championship. They are, however, being tipped to hit their ultimate end goals by adding top-flight fixtures to their respective schedules.

Shearer's promotion prediction for Wrexham & Birmingham

Ex-England captain Shearer, who remains the Premier League’s all-time leading goalscorer, has told of promotion bids in North Wales and the West Midlands: "Ryan Reynolds and Tom Brady are chasing the dream of Premier League football, I guess. They're looking at huge football clubs which Wrexham and Birmingham are to try and chase the dream of getting to the promised land. Certainly, in Ryan Reynolds' view, they're closer to it than they thought they would be.

"They're not far away now albeit I don't think they'll get promoted this season, but they all want a bit of the Premier League because wherever you are, it's remarkable. I was in Kansas City last weekend and the reaction to the Premier League is something you've never seen before. It's off the charts. So that's what they all want, they've seen it on TV, they're all very wealthy, want to invest and get a piece of the pie.

"I think they will both be in the Premier League in the near future, I do. If they continue to invest like they have done, how they get around PSR is a different matter, but they look at clubs who have been drifting, but look at the history, how big they are and how big they can become in the area that they're in and both Birmingham and Wrexham are huge. There's a chance to grow them even bigger and there's also a chance they get what they want and reach the Premier League."

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GettyHollywood derby: Wrexham face Birmingham at the Racecourse

Shearer is not the first to suggest that Wrexham and Birmingham will soon be rubbing shoulders with the big boys. Ben Foster, who was talked out of retirement by Reynolds and McElhenney in 2023, has backed the Red Dragons to secure promotion "within five years". David Dunn, meanwhile, told GOAL back in May that Brady and the Blues are capable of "bouncing again" and going up this season.

There is clearly work for both sides to do in order to position themselves among the Championship frontrunners, but they will get another opportunity to establish momentum heading into the latest international break when facing one another at SToK Racecourse on Friday – with there set to be plenty of eyes, including a few famous ones, on that fixture.

After making a new decision regarding Jorgen Strand Larsen’s future, Wolverhampton Wanderers have reportedly agreed a deal in principle to sign an attacking reinforcement for Vitor Pereira.

Wolves make Strand Larsen decision

After rejecting two offers from Newcastle United, it very much looked as though Wolves were destined to keep hold of Strand Larsen, but the Magpies are not giving up yet. Those in Tyneside are in the mood to spend big after signing Nick Woltemade and still have their sights set on the Norwegian.

As such, in what may only add to the rumours, Pereira has decided to leave the talented forward out of his squad to face Everton later today. The Portuguese manager has insisted that Strand Larsen simply misses out through injury, but reports have suggested that he’s out of the squad in hope of sealing a late exit.

Despite those reports, Pereira told reporters: “We know that every person have ambitions in life. At this moment he is our player, he has good personality, he is a team player He is dealing with a small injury, I hope he can play tomorrow.”

As two different narratives are pushed, Strand Larsen’s situation will certainly be one to watch up until Monday’s deadline. The impressive forward has been valued at £60m by the Midlands and the ball is seemingly in Newcastle’s court as they consider matching that fee.

Wolves now submit opening bid to sign "excellent" £30m British midfielder

He’d hand Vitor Pereira a much-needed boost.

1

By
Tom Cunningham

Aug 29, 2025

Wolves, meanwhile, are in search of their own incomings. Having so far lost two from two Premier League games, those in the Midlands have reportedly turned towards an attacking reinforcement who they hope will partner rather than replace Strand Larsen.

Wolves reach agreement to sign Arokodare

According to Fabrizio Romano, Wolves have now agreed a deal to sign Tolu Arokodare from KRC Genk this week. Already undergoing a medical to complete a move worth €27m (£23m), the forward looks set to arrive before the deadline and hand Pereira the firepower that he’s been looking for.

After scoring 23 goals in 45 games last season, it’s clear that Arokodare would be capable of keeping up with Strand Larsen to form quite the partnership. Meanwhile, in the worst-case scenario for Wolves, the Nigerian is talented enough to replace the Norwegian.

Former Premier League defender Toby Alderweireld took the time to praise the 24-year-old after bringing an end to his career, telling reporters: “There are also players who did the opposite. Tolu [Arokodare] for example, great guy.

“He came to me during the match: ‘Toby, I’m a big fan. You hurt us a lot last season.’ I also sincerely think he is one of the best strikers in Belgium, and I don’t say that because I have to.”

Wayne Rooney has finally revealed how he really felt towards Cristiano Ronaldo after he was sent off during England's World Cup quarter-final tie with Portugal in 2006. Ronaldo and Rooney were Manchester United team-mates at the time but their relationship looked to be threatened after Ronaldo played a role in Rooney getting a red card and then winked towards the Portugal bench.

• Getty
  

  When Ronaldo became England's public enemy No. 1

  The flashpoint in the 0-0 draw came when Rooney tread on Ricardo Carvalho, leading to a big confrontation between England and Portugal's players. Ronaldo could be seen saying something to the Argentine referee Jorge Larionda, who then sent Rooney off. Ronaldo's wink towards the Portugal bench was interpreted in England as him celebrating Rooney's red card. The Three Lions were beaten in the penalty shootout and Ronaldo became a figure of hate for the English tabloid media and fans.

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• Rooney: I tried to get Ronaldo booked for diving

  Rooney, however, said he had no hard feelings towards Ronaldo about the incident, even immediately after the game. He said on his podcast : "I spoke to Ronaldo right after the game in the tunnel and no issue whatsoever. I just said good luck for the semi-final." 

  Rooney also revealed that he had tried to gain an advantage on Ronaldo earlier in the game. "People don’t see in the first half, I’m trying to get Ronaldo booked for diving," he added. "If I could have got Ronaldo sent off, I would have. For that game we are rivals, but once it’s over and back playing for United, it is done."

• Rooney and Ronaldo buried the hatchet in style

  While the tabloid media and rival fans were desperate to see a rift between Ronaldo and Rooney, the incident at the World Cup had no effect on their relationship as team-mates at United. If anything, it made them even better. In their first game back they combined to destroy Fulham 5-1, with Rooney netting twice and setting Ronaldo up to score. 

  It was the start of an incredible partnership which inspired United to win three consecutive Premier League titles and the 2008 Champions League, while Ronaldo won the Ballon d'Or for the first time. Their flourishing partnership ended when Ronaldo left for Real Madrid in 2009, while Rooney remained at United until 2017, going on to become the club's all-time top scorer.

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• Rooney ranks Terry as hardest defender he faced

  Rooney was asked to name the five toughest defenders he played against in the Champions League. He put John Terry, who missed the crucial penalty in the 2008 Champions League final against United, as No. 1. He explained his choice: "Without question. John Terry. He was horrible to play against. Before every game I would go in thinking ‘he’s not quick, I’ll take him into channels’. But when talking about leaders, he was fantastic as captain of England when I played with him.

  "Everything was him trying to get things right for everyone around the hotel. How he defended, he was strong, good in the air, never pulled out of tackles, was threat on set pieces. He was one of those defenders who when you went near him, he would just hurt you. He didn’t mean to, but he would leave something on you all the time. I don’t think people give him the credit he deserves; he was incredible with both feet."

  Rooney ranked his former United team-mate Gerard Pique as the second best defender he faced, followed by Paulo Maldini, Ricardo Carvalho and Alessandro Nesta. He said of Pique: "A player I played with and against. He was a young lad at Man Utd but he doesn’t get the respect he deserves. He wasn’t the quickest but put himself into really good positions to counteract that. His ability with the ball was as good as any defender you will ever see in terms of passing through the lines and starting attacks off.

  "He was a winner, a great character, fun to be around when we played with him. His problem at Man Utd was when he was coming through, technically he was fantastic, but the question was could he cope with it physically. It was a toss of the coin between him and Jonny Evans, we all felt at the time Jonny was the better player and was more suited to the Premier League. Then Gerard played against Bolton in the Premier League and really struggled. The manager kept Jonny and let Gerard go back to Barcelona. I don’t think any of us could imagine the career he went on to have."

Unbeaten 74 from No. 10 compounds Welsh misery as Leicestershire take grip on proceedings

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay05-Apr-2025

Lewis Hill missed out on a first century in two years•Getty Images

Leicestershire 426 for 8 (Hill 96, Wright 74*, Handscomb 63, Budinger 56, Cox 51*, Asitha 4-71) lead Glamorgan 229 (Cooke 55, Holland 3-40, Mike 3-54) by 197 runs Veteran bowler Chris Wright smashed an unbeaten 74 to follow Lewis Hill’s 96, and fifties from Peter Handscomb, Sol Budinger and Ben Cox and give Leicestershire a commanding lead over Glamorgan at Sophia Gardens.Former and current captains Hill and Handscomb combined for a 142-run partnership after weathering a storm from Asitha Fernando, who claimed a debut four-wicket haul for Glamorgan. The home side’s other debutant, Shoaib Bashir, remained wicketless from 22 overs.After Hill was dubiously run out, wickets fell cheaply until a swashbuckling innings from 39-year-old Wright – his 15th first-class half-century – took Leicestershire past four batting points in an unbeaten 102-run ninth-wicket partnership, with Rishi Patel unable to bat.After resuming day two in a windy Cardiff with the sun beating down on the pitch that got better as day one progressed, Leicestershire had a strong start at 65 for 1, trailing Glamorgan by just 164 runs.Signs of a Glamorgan fightback looked slim throughout the first session, opener Budinger pushing past 50 with ease, so much so that a first career century looked entirely possible despite being dropped on 18 by Colin Ingram the previous evening. With Ben Mike at No. 3, the run rate seamlessly ticked along before the allrounder was dismissed lbw for 41, Asitha picking up his first wicket for the Welsh county.It wasn’t long after when Budinger parted ways, but Glamorgan’s high didn’t last long despite a strong spell from Fernando. The Glamorgan overseas seamer thought he had Hill caught behind first ball and saw Australia international Handscomb play and miss three times in his first over; a vast improvement from Asitha’s initial spell on day one.It took Glamorgan over an hour after lunch to finally get the breakthrough, Handscomb top-edging an Andy Gorvin short delivery for 63 after he and Hill comfortably passed half-centuries. In familiar fashion, one wicket for the hosts brought strong spells – from 265 for 3 to 276 for 6, Hill next to go just four short of his first century since June 2023. Then Rehan Ahmed, clipping an angled-in half-volley to Eddie Byrom at square-leg to give Gorvin another in a bright spell.A game of cat and mouse negotiated Leicestershire to tea, a session of two halves as it closed out with Glamorgan restricting the visitors to seven runs in seven overs, Ben Kellaway impressing in an economical spell. Bens Cox and Green cautiously attempted to steer the ship, knowing Patel could not bat due to his thumb damaged early on day one.Green eventually got off the mark but added nothing of substance followed by Tom Scriven when the new ball was taken. The depth in batting was shown by Wright walking out to bat at what was effectively No. 11. Fourteen career fifties turned to 15 with a handsome straight six off Kellaway to reach the 47-ball milestone dealing almost entirely in boundaries, supported by Cox in a mighty partnership against the tiring Glamorgan bowlers.

MI coach Paras Mhambrey on how Puthur, the left-arm wristpinner who bagged 3 for 32 against CSK, impressed the scouting team

Alagappan Muthu24-Mar-20251:26

‘A breath of fresh air’ – Varun Aaron on Vignesh Puthur

Left-arm wristspinners had all the fun in Chennai’s first game of IPL 2025. The younger but rather more well-known Noor Ahmad picked up 4 for 18 from four overs but he was almost matched by a complete unknown. Vignesh Puthur is a 24-year-old from Kerala who had never played a T20 game at senior level but he was able to knock off Ruturaj Gaikwad when he was well past fifty, Shivam Dube who smashes spin for fun and Deepak Hooda. For a short time, Mumbai Indians looked like they might be able to defend 155. But it wasn’t to be.Paras Mhambrey, MI’s bowling coach, explained what went behind the scenes that resulted in Puthur making his IPL debut and doing so well. “I think the idea at MI is always seeing the potential more than anything else,” he said. “And when we saw him for one of our trials, we saw the potential in him rather than looking into how much cricket he has played in the past.”He spins the ball pretty consistently. Lands the ball on pretty much what [where] we wanted. Is pretty accurate with it. I think those are the tick marks that we look into but not only that. But it’s just the fact that he is different. Spins the ball, has a googly. That kind of stuff. So you know he will be able to trouble quality batters with the skills that he has.”Related

Auto-rickshaw driver's son Vignesh latest entrant to MI's talent club

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Noor Ahmad's wristspin is art in fast forward

Puthur came in as Impact Player in the second innings and began his spell outside the powerplay. By then, Chennai Super Kings had got more than one-third of the runs they needed on the night and Ruturaj was the source of almost all their acceleration. Puthur tossed one up. Ruturaj took up the challenge. He tried to clear the straight boundary but couldn’t. Dube and Hooda also tried to hit Puthur out of the park in his next two overs but they weren’t able to pull it off either. All of those balls were there to be hit but perhaps a lack of pace prevented the batters from getting the timing they were looking for. Puthar has been doing the same thing against Mumbai’s own batters as well.”I think when Rohit [Sharma] and Surya[kumar Yadav] and Tilak [Varma], all these guys batted against him, they felt it wasn’t that easy,” Mhambrey said. “So [that was] one of the reasons we felt we had the confidence of pushing him in this game.Vignesh Puthur is mobbed by his team-mates•AFP/Getty Images”Never easy, first game against CSK, it’s a big game. But purely the way he responded, hats off to him. I think he was able to hold his nerves and handle pressure superbly. I think really got us in the game. Very happy about his performance.”Puthur attended trials for MI ahead of the IPL auction in November. They bought him for INR 30 lakh. He was then taken to South Africa where he worked as a net bowler for MI Cape Town and that helped fast-track his development because he was around quality players and he did everything he could to learn off them.”The need of the hour [for Puthur’s growth as a player], it’s more about the conversations,” Mhambrey said. “Not purely on the skill work so much really. I think that he is pretty much sorted out there I felt. But more about the conversations that he had. An opportunity with MJ [Mahela Jayawardene] or [Kieron] Pollard. Or the batters especially. Surya or Rohit.”You never get an opportunity to have that conversation. So I think it’s more about him having a chat with everyone. And as I said, he’s a sweet kid. Great team man, good person to have in the team. He’s like a sponge, he’s just listening. He has got [nervous] sometimes because you have heroes, you see them playing on the TV, and all of a sudden, you’re sharing that dressing room with them, sitting next to someone like Rohit, it’s a dream come true for a lot of these guys, right?”But purely for the fact that the way he responded [in the game against CSK] never looked like he was under pressure from the very first ball. And that was good to see, I think. It’s just the way he handled pressure.”

Everton’s mini-unbeaten run continues, albeit not quite in the way they would’ve hoped.

On Saturday, David Moyes’ men were held to a goalless draw by Aston Villa at Hill Dickinson Stadium, neither team ever looking particularly likely to make the breakthrough.

Nevertheless, this means the Toffees are still yet to lose or even concede a goal at their new home at Bramley-Moore Dock, beating both Brighton in the Premier League and Mansfield in the EFL Cup on Merseyside so far.

The 3-2 victory over Wolves at Molineux a fortnight ago underlined the array of exciting attacking midfielders and wingers at Moyes’ disposal, but this team could’ve been even more frightening, had they not sold a “phenomenal” centre-forward.

Jack Grealish's impact at Everton

Jack Grealish did not take long to rediscover his best form after joining Everton on loan from Manchester City.

Having bagged a pair of assists during the victories over Brighton and Wolves, the England international leads the way in the division in that regard, albeit at this early stage.

Nevertheless, as recognition, he was named Premier League player of the month for the very first time in August, with Patrick Boyland of the Athletic describing his impact as ‘instantaneous’, labelling him a ‘symbol of hope’ for ‘success-starved supporters’.

However, he would be even more scintillating if he was able to feed top-quality strikers.

Beto scored against both Mansfield and Wolves last month, but Thierno Barry is yet to get off the mark since arriving from Villarreal for £27m, having bagged 11 La Liga goals during his solitary season with the Yellow Submarine.

Thus, the Frenchman could certainly come good, while Beto has proven what he can do, scoring seven Premier League goals after Moyes’ re-appointment in January, but just how much would Grealish have enjoyed playing with a forgotten Everton forward?

Everton's forgotten centre-forward

Back in the summer of 2019, Everton signed a striker by the name of Moise Kean for around £25m from Juventus but, suffice to say, he did not leave much of a lasting impression at Goodison.

The striker scored just four goals in 39 appearances for the Toffees, on target in the Premier League against Newcastle and Bournemouth, while also netting during EFL Cup victories over Salford and Fleetwood.

Thus, he spent the 2020/21 campaign on loan at Paris Saint-Germain, actually scoring 17 times for les Rouge-et-Bleu, before returning to Everton the following August, fittingly marking his final game for the club by being sent off against Huddersfield.

Where Are They Now

Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast’s Where Are They Now series.

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Soon after, he rejoined Juventus on a two-year loan deal, with la Vecchia Signora paying around £28m to eventually make the move permanent.

Nevertheless, across two spells in Turin, Kean scored a mere 22 goals in 123 appearances for the Bianconeri, only really bursting to life after moving to Fiorentina for around £15.5m last summer.

During his debut campaign at Stadio Artemio Franchi, Kean scored 25 times across all competitions, 19 of which came in Serie A, making him the division’s second-highest scorer, behind only Capocannoniere winner Mateo Retegui.

As a result, Inter legend Christian Vieri labelled his form “phenomenal”, reflected by the fact that Football Transfers believe his current market value to be around £48m, by some distance the highest it has ever been, more than three times more than what Fiorentina paid to recruit him and more than the £28m the same source values Grealish at.

The table below underlines Kean’s exponential increase in terms of scoring output.

Moise Kean season scoring stats

Seasons

Club(s)

Goals

2016/17

Juventus

1

2017/18

Juventus

4

2018/19

Juventus

7

2019/20

Everton

2

2020/21

Everton & PSG

19

2021/22

Juventus

6

2022/23

Juventus

8

2023/24

Juventus

Zero

2024/25

Fiorentina

25

Stats via Transfermarkt

As the table documents, it is quite the turnaround for Kean, having scored no goals in one season before bagging 25 in the next, having only ever managed more than eight in a campaign once beforehand.

His form has caught the eye of both recent Italy managers, first Luciano Spalletti and subsequently the newly-appointed Gennaro Gattuso.

Before the start of this year, Kean had scored just one international goal since September 2021.

Now though, he has bagged five in 2025 already, notching a brace against Germany in the Nations League quarter-finals at Westfalenstadion in March, before netting three times during the most-recent break, scoring a towering header when Estonia visited Bergamo, before a brace during Monday’s bonkers 5-4 victory over Israel at Nagyerdei Stadion.

So, while no one at Everton could’ve forecast how good Kean would become, he is proof that development and progress are not linear, but just imagine the Blues had a striker capable of scoring 25 goals a season, and how good he would be in tandem with Grealish.

Related Just as bad as Beto: Moyes must now drop Everton's 6/10 "passenger"

Everton will rue missed chances as they played out a goalless draw against Aston Villa in the Premier League.

Posts ByAngus Sinclair Sep 13, 2025

لفت ياسر الزابيري، لاعب منتخب المغرب للشباب تحت عامًا الأنظار بعد تألق كبير خلال بطولة كأس العالم.

وقاد الزابيري، أسود أطلس إلى التتويج ببطولة كأس العالم للشباب 2025 بعد تسجيله هدفين في المباراة النهائية على حساب الأرجنتين.

طالع..  ترتيب هدافي كأس العالم للشباب بعد ثنائية ياسر الزابيري

ونجج أسود أطلس، في التتويج ببطولة كأس العالم للشباب للمرة الأولى في تاريخهم وأول مرة يتوج بها منتخب غربي والثاني إفريقيا بعد منتخب غانا. من هو ياسر الزابيري لاعب منتخب المغرب للشباب؟

يعد ياسر الزابيري أحد أبرز المواهب الصاعدة في كرة القدم المغربية في الوقت الحالي حيث ولد سنة 2005، وبدأ خطواته الأولى داخل أكاديمية محمد السادس التي شكلت نقطة التحول في مسيرته.

في الموسم الماضي، لفت الزابيري الأنظار داخل اتحاد تواركة، النادي حيث تم تصعيده إلى الفريق الأول، وشارك في 11 مباراة تمكن خلالها من هز الشباك ثلاث مرات.

وانتقل الزابيري إلى فاماليكاو البرتغالي حيث بدأ مع فريق الرديف قبل أن يسجل 5 أهداف في 6 مباريات، ليتم تصعيده إلى صفوف الفريق الأول

وفي كأس العالم للشباب، قدم الزابيري عروض قوية، حيث سجل أهداف خلال البطولة متصدرًا الهدافين منهم هدفيه في المباراة النهائية.

وواجه الزابيري سوء حظ في البطولة في مباراة الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية حيث تم احتساب هدف لزميله فؤاد الزرهوني، بعد اصطدام الكرة بالأخير فيما احتُسب الهدف الثاني لصالح المنافس بالخطأ.

West Ham United boss Graham Potter is under serious pressure after a torrid start to the Premier League season, and Ipswich Town’s Kieran McKenna has emerged as a reported candidate to replace the under-fire tactician.

Potter has recorded the second-worst win percentage of any West Ham boss in Premier League history since he took charge, with only the infamous tenure of Avram Grant overshadowing his poor record thus far.

9. Sam Allardyce

30.7%

10. Julen Lopetegui

30%

11. Gianfranco Zola

27.8%

12, Graham Potter

27.3%

13. Avram Grant

18.9%

via StatMuse

Grant was in the dugout for West Ham’s relegation at the end of 2010/2011, and was sacked hours after their drop to the Championship was confirmed. The Hammers would’ve rued their decision not to hire a replacement for the Israeli before they reached that point, and if they’re not careful, history could be repeating itself with Potter.

Since the former Chelsea and Brighton boss took charge, West Ham have the worst Premier League record of any side apart from last season’s relegated three, and only Grant’s West Ham conceded more goals at this stage of the season than any other Irons side in the competition’s history.

Potter watched on as his men were dismantled 3-0 by London rivals Tottenham in what was a dominant second half by the Lilywhites on Saturday, with goals from Pape Sarr, Lucas Bergvall and Micky van de Ven rounding off a night to forget.

Tomas Soucek was also sent off for a desperate lunge on 54 minutes, so West Ham are expected to be without the Czech fan favourite for their crucial games against Crystal Palace, Everton and Arsenal through suspension.

These are matches which could well determine Potter’s immediate future too, as reports suggest that David Sullivan and co are weighing up potential replacements for the 50-year-old.

Sullivan is personally a fan of Nuno Espirito Santo, according to journalist Alan Nixon, with the tactician also available for hire after being sacked by Nottingham Forest and replaced by Ange Postecoglou.

Coventry City boss Frank Lampard and José Mourinho have also been linked to the West Ham job, as has McKenna.

Wayne Veysey told Football Insider this week that McKenna was a guest of the West Ham boardroom during their 3-0 loss to Spurs last weekend, which will fuel speculation that the 39-year-old is a favourite for the role.

West Ham insider shares 11-word message on McKenna replacing Potter

However, according to West Ham insider Claret & Hugh, quoting their “top transfer source”, it is believed that a move for McKenna is unlikely.

Sharing an 11-word message, the informant simply laughs off links to the Ipswich boss who guided the Tractor Boys to successive back-to-back promotions before they were relegated last season.

They were quick to dismiss McKenna as an option, but would that be a mistake by the West Ham board?

Why West Ham should consider Kieran McKenna

McKenna is young, ambitious and would likely seize the chance to make a return to the Premier League.

He seems to develop players, get the best from limited resources and maintain high standards, as evident by his rise through the lower leagues with Ipswich these last few years.

That kind of leadership could help reset morale at West Ham, unite the dressing room and stabilize performances. While McKenna suffered a relegation last campaign, the gap between the Premier League and Championship is crystal clear by the fact all three promoted teams have gone straight back down in each of the last two seasons.

If the board decide change is needed, McKenna appears ready for a step-up, especially considering he was once a reported managerial target for Tottenham and Chelsea.

Chelsea may have emerged from last night’s game as the victors, but it certainly doesn’t feel that way.

Enzo Maresca’s side were given the relatively kind task of taking on League One side Lincoln City to kickstart their EFL Cup campaign.

However, instead of turning up and turning the opposition over like many expected them to, the West Londoners struggled for much of the game and, barring a five-minute period after half-time, did not look like a top-flight side.

Therefore, Maresca must make several changes for the game this weekend, such as dropping two starters who were somewhat saved by one of the few players who came away from the game looking better: Tyrique George.

Tyrique George's game vs Lincoln

Now, it should be said that while George did better than most of the team last night, it still wasn’t a perfect performance.

In fact, like the rest of his teammates, there were significant periods in the first half in which he was fairly anonymous.

However, unlike many of those around him, the young Englishman did step it up after half-time and, within three minutes, levelled the score for the Blues.

It wasn’t just a tap-in or a lucky shot; it was a sensational effort from outside the penalty area that was powerful enough to leave the Lincoln keeper no chance of stopping it.

Then, to further drive home the message that he should be getting more game time, the 19-year-old Cobham graduate provided the assist for Facundo Buonanotte’s goal two minutes later.

We obviously have to take the level of the opposition into account, but even so, it was an impressive showing from George, and one that saved the blushes of his teammates, including two who must be dropped for the game against Brighton & Hove Albion.

The Chelsea duo Maresca must drop

Unfortunately for Chelsea, there really are several players you could name who put in performances worthy of being dropped last night.

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

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However, in this instance, we are talking about Maresca’s two wide players: Alejandro Garnacho and Jamie Gittens.

Starting with the latter, the game was a real chance for the Englishman to silence all the talk about his ability and get up and running following his move from Borussia Dortmund.

Instead, he has only brought more scrutiny upon himself, as in 70 minutes of football, he did next to nothing, with his most notable involvement being a bad miss early on.

It sounds harsh, but it’s an opinion backed up by Amos Murphy of the Express, who awarded the 21-year-old a 5/10 match rating and wrote that he ‘lacked quality with almost everything he did.’

He wasn’t alone in being ineffective out wide, though, as Garnacho was just as bad, also earning himself a 5/10 rating from Murphy, who stated he ‘did very little to impress on his first start.’

Unsurprisingly, the Argentine’s statistics more than back up such an appraisal.

Garnacho’s game vs Lincoln

Minutes

59′

Goals

0

Assists

0

Touches

26

Passes

16

Crosses (Accurate)

1 (0)

Shots

1

Dribbles

0

Aerial Duels (Won)

1 (0)

All Stats via Sofascore

In his 59 minutes of action, the former Manchester United gem took 26 touches – 31 fewer than Jørgensen – completed just 16 passes, misplaced 100% of his long balls, took a single shot on target, didn’t attempt a dribble and lost 100% of his aerial duels.

Moreover, he was the first player to be taken off in the game, suggesting the manager was just as unimpressed with his showing as we were.

Ultimately, while they may come good at some point, Garnacho and Gittens failed to perform against a third-tier opponent last night, and therefore, must be dropped ahead of the game against Brighton.

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Posts ByEmilio Galantini Sep 23, 2025