All posts by n8rngtd.top

[ad_pod ]

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Speaking on episode 65 of the Inside Elland Road podcast, Graham Smyth has had his say on defender Ben White, hailing the impact he’s had on the Leeds squad since his arrival.

What’s he said?

Leeds have only conceded twice in the league this season but their worst defensive display, a 2-2 draw in normal time with Stoke, was consequently without White.

The defender arrived on loan from Brighton in the summer and had a rather shaky start to his time at Elland Road, making a mistake in a pre-season friendly with Cagliari.

However, he’s bounced back, forming a partnership with Liam Cooper in the early weeks of the season that’s taken them top of the Championship.

He’s earned plenty of admirers, not least from supporters but also from YEP journalist Smyth who commenting on the Inside Elland Road podcast, gave his verdict on the 21-year-old. He said:

“He’s removed that question mark over the centre half position.

“He’ll find the ball on the flank and instead of knocking it away to safety he’ll let it run through his legs, spin on a sixpence and leave the player for dead. He looks like the player Leeds claim they were confident of getting in the summer. That’s the reason why they wanted him and they felt like they could replace Jansson.”

White can do no wrong

The centre-half has been imperious at the back for Leeds this season and the fact they lost without him in the side tells the story of how big a difference he makes.

White has played in all five of Leeds’ league outings this term and has bounced back tremendously from that initial error.

Since then he’s grown in stature and confidence to complete 2.6 tackles per game. The 6 foot 1 youngster looks every bit a Championship player despite never appearing at his level before and it’s easy to see why Marcelo Bielsa is a big fan of him.

Watch Leeds United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

This summer, Leeds decided not to take on a new player in defence on a permanent basis after they lost Pontus Jansson and so far that judgement call has been vindicated.

White has stepped into his shoes tremendously well, making a mightily impressive 3.4 interceptions each match. On top of that, He’s made 3.6 interceptions and completed 87.8% of his passes every outing, per WhoScored.

This is a player who has made the leap into the second-tier with aplomb.

Question marks were always going to be there over the defence and indeed pre-season brought concerns.

However, as Smyth describes, they’ve now been removed. If White can stay fit then it’s likely he’ll have a huge say on Leeds’ promotion hopes.

[ad_pod ]

Neil Lennon is still looking to sign Brentford’s club captain Romaine Sawyers despite interest from Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds United, according to the Daily Record.

What’s the story?

Celtic are looking to add an attacking midfielder after missing out on Motherwell’s David Turnbull and it looks as if Sawyers is the man they want to bring creativity to their side, although Championship high-flyers Leeds are also interested.

With Tom Rogic rumoured to be leaving the Parkhead club in favour of Zenit St. Petersburg Lennon is hoping to add to his attacking midfield pool and Sawyers’ seven Championship assists have caught the Celtic manager’s eye.

Is he worth the risk?

The reported £2.5 million fee is sizeable for a player who would face stiff competition from Ryan Christie, Mikey Johnston, Ewan Henderson and Rogic (depending on how true the Zenit links are). Celtic have a good crop of players in the mould of Sawyers already at the club and with Christie, Johnston and Henderson all at the beginning of their careers there’s no real need to rotate the youngsters.

The attraction to Turnbull was obvious and at £3 million was well worth the risk given how good he was last season but with Sawyers’ record of just seven assists (and no goals) in 46 games last season, Lennon might be better testing the youngsters for the first six months of the season before going back in for Turnbull if the 19-year-old has returned from injury by then rather than pushing the boat out for Sawyers.

Sawyers’ record is not that of a Celtic transfer target and with the emergence of Johnston and Christie as viable first-team players any potential signing needs to be an exceptional candidate (like Turnbull) and at £2.5 million the Brentford captain is far an extraordinary bargain.

Allowing Bielsa’s Leeds to take Sawyers should be Lennon’s policy going forward but with his clear desire to add another creative midfielder it would be no surprise to see him in a Celtic shirt soon.

Nottinghamshire claim five wickets after declaration to close in on lead-extending victory

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay25-May-2025Liam Patterson-White claimed the key wickets of Adam Lyth, Dawid Malan and James Wharton during the third evening to keep league leaders Nottinghamshire on course for another Rothesay County Championship victory having set Yorkshire a 463-target at Headingley.Yorkshire made a confident start to their unlikely pursuit, reaching 114 for one after tea, with opener Lyth contributing 44.But Patterson-White’s left-arm spin was introduced, and after 11 balls he had removed Lyth caught behind cutting and Malan bowled for 12 playing back to one that turned appreciably. He later had Wharton lbw for 58.Struggling Yorkshire are aiming to avoid a fourth defeat in seven Division One games and closed on 176 for five from 56.3 overs, needing 287 more. Nottinghamshire are chasing a fourth win in seven.The visitors, for whom Dillon Pennington struck in the day’s final over, declared their second innings on 393 for eight midway through the afternoon, Joe Clarke top-scoring with a fluent 94 off 121 balls.Ben Coad finished with with three for 64 for Yorkshire as they were set the task of achieving the highest successful run chase by any side in first-class history at Headingley and also the county’s highest at any venue.Hampshire chased 404 to win here in 2006. In 2005, Yorkshire had chased the same target to beat Leicestershire at Grace Road.Notts started the day on 227 for three, leading by 296, with Clarke on 73 – his second half-century of the fixture.It wasn’t entirely plain-sailing progression for the visitors during the first half of a day interrupted by a couple of brief morning rain showers.But the hard work had been done with the bat during the afternoon and evening sessions of day two, putting them into a position where a defeat was highly unlikely.Clarke fell narrowly short of what would have been a deserved second century in as many matches, ending a 95-run fourth-wicket stand with Jack Haynes when he was trapped lbw on the back pad by Jordan Thompson – 268 for four.That wicket fell just before the new ball was taken, and just afterwards Haynes was brilliantly caught behind one-handed by Harry Duke for 43 off an inside-edge.Kyle Verreynne edged Jack White to second slip just before lunch, where Notts reached at 318 for six, leading by 397.The visitors became increasingly aggressive after the break, with Patterson-White and Lyndon James both holing out to mid-on and mid-off against White and Coad. The latter fell to an excellent diving catch on the run from White at mid-off as the score slipped to 333 for eight, a lead of 402.The lead was then boosted to the tune of 60 inside eight overs as Brett Hutton, in particular, and Pennington went in search of quick runs prior to a declaration.Hutton crashed four fours and two sixes in 44 not out off 26 balls as Yorkshire had to contend with the loss seam-bowling all-rounder Thompson midway through his 16th over with what looked like a side issue.Yorkshire will be sweating on his fitness ahead of the start of the Vitality Blast later this week.The White Rose then started their chase well.Opener Lyth’s 44 meant he followed Notts’ opener and captain Haseeb Hameed to the 700-run mark in Division One this summer. They are the two batters leading the way in the top-flight.Lyth shared 40 with Fin Bean, who was first to go for 17 when trapped lbw by Pennington.Either side of tea, the left-hander then shared 74 for the second with Wharton.However, Patterson-White’s intervention – getting Lyth and Malan – dampened any rising Yorkshire hopes, leaving the score at 132 for three in the 31st over.Wharton reached his fifth fifty of the season off 75 balls, but he followed not longer after as he was trapped in front playing forwards against the same bowler with the score on 160.Patterson-White finished with an excellent three for 25 from 14 overs, and Pennington had Duke caught behind with what proved the day’s final ball to further strengthen Nottinghamshire’s position.

[ad_pod ]

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

Arthur Masuaku has signed a new contract at West Ham United, the club have confirmed.

What’s the word?

The left-back has committed to fresh terms at the London Stadium that will keep him at the club until 2024.

Masuaku has established himself as the Hammers’ first-choice left-back in recent seasons and made 27 appearances in all competitions last season.

A committed defender, Masuaku has expressed his delight at committing his future to the club.

He said: “I am very happy and very proud.

“For me it was an easy decision. The club wanted me to stay and so I didn’t even need to think about it – it was just a matter of time. Now I am looking forward to the Premier League season and giving my all for this club I love.

“It hasn’t been an easy road for me since I first arrived at the club but I have always been positive and I hope and I think that the future is bright for West Ham, and hopefully for me and the team.

“I am very excited, and happy to be a part of things here. The manager has been very good to me and I hope now I can repay his faith.”

An excellent left-back

This is good business from West Ham.

Masuaku is an excellent full-back and his statistics prove that he has fully adapted to the rigours of the Premier League.

Per WhoScored, in 2018/19, he averaged 2.5 tackles per game in the top-flight, 1.6 interceptions, 2.4 clearances, along with a mere 0.7 fouls.

Watch West Ham United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

A dynamic presence down the flank, he supplements the threat of Felipe Anderson further forward and tying him down makes all the sense in the world.

He ended the season with five outings in a row in the Premier League and is likely to start in that berth in 2019/20.

He deserves it.

[ad_pod ]

Australia took the extra half hour, much after the scheduled close, in anticipation of a win. But at the end of an everlasting gobsmacker of a day, Pakistan dared to dream

Brydon Coverdale in Brisbane18-Dec-2016When this day began, stumps was meant to be 8pm.Then it rained, and an hour was added to make up the overs. Stumps was meant to be 9pm.Then Australia failed to get through their overs, so an extra half hour was added. Stumps was meant to be 9.30pm.Then Steven Smith thought ‘I reckon we can win this tonight’ – Australia needed three wickets for victory. So he asked the umpires for the extra half hour. Stumps was meant to be 10pm.But the wording of the ICC’s playing conditions is such that the extra time allowed to achieve a result is “30 minutes (a minimum of eight overs)”. Australia failed to bowl their extra eight overs within half an hour.And so, stumps was finally called at 10.09pm.Australia had not won. Not just that, they also allowed the match to reach a stage from where Pakistan could dream of victory. That was as unthinkable at the start of this day as the idea of Test cricket at 10pm would have been to WG Grace.Nothing in the preceding 150 minutes suggested an extra half hour was warranted. In the previous 27 overs, Australia had claimed just a solitary wicket, and Pakistan had added 111 runs. A chance had been let off when Smith put down a catch at slip, and the momentum was with Pakistan.Not even Australia’s coaches wanted the extra time taken: they would have preferred their fast bowlers to rest, rejuvenate, and return fresh on day five. It was, assistant coach David Saker said, “a bit frustrating”.When extra half hour was granted, a cynic in the press box suggested that the umpires wanted a day on the golf course on Monday. It was meant as a joke, but later Ian Gould was seen at square leg practising his golf swing.The umpires had granted the time, but Smith must have asked for it. The wording of the ICC’s playing condition 16.2 is that extra time may be granted “if requested by either captain” and if “in the umpires’ opinion, it would bring about a definite result”.A definite result.Smith thought Australia would win. Not win. win. The umpires thought Australia win.Pakistan disagreed. Pakistan had fought tooth and nail throughout this day. Pakistan had earned respect. No objective observer would have viewed the situation at 9.30pm and said that a result would be achieved with eight more overs.So Pakistan said “f*** you”. Metaphorically, of course.Wahab Riaz helped Pakistan score at more than a run a ball in the extra eight overs bowled•Cricket Australia/Getty ImagesWahab smashed Nathan Lyon through square leg for four, and next ball slogged a six over long-on. In Lyon’s next over he deposited him over midwicket for six more.Asad Shafiq, the well-set batsman on 77 when the extra time was granted, used it not block out the day’s play, but to move calmly to his ninth Test century at No.6, breaking the all-time record held by Garry Sobers.Only in the eighth over of the eight overs of extra time did Australia finally take a wicket, when Smith held a chance at slip off Jackson Bird to remove Wahab for 30.But Pakistan scored 51 runs in the extra eight overs. That, for the mathematically challenged, is more than a run a ball. Pakistan started that period needing 159 more runs to win, with three wickets in hand. They ended it needing 108 more to win, with two wickets in hand.Make no mistake, with Shafiq at the crease, this result is far from a certainty.To win, Pakistan need a total of 490, which would smash the previous record for the highest successful run chase in Test history. But already they have equalled their highest fourth-innings score in all of Test cricket. Pakistan have always been unpredictable, and therefore dangerous.They walked off at the eventual stumps time – 129 minutes later than the originally scheduled stumps time – with hope.The amazing, ballooning final session had finally ended. This everlasting gobsmacker of a day – eight hours and nine minutes from first ball to last – had given Pakistan a chance.Only 4890 fans turned up on the fourth day, a Sunday, a flaccid figure after the huge crowds of the first three days. Entry is free on day five. Perhaps Australia will take only two balls to wrap up a win. But remember this: at Edgbaston, in 2005, the last day opened with Australia needing 107 runs and England two wickets. Here, Pakistan need 108 runs and Australia two wickets.One thing is certain: day five will bring a result. But which result is anyone’s guess.

With a record number of England players taking part in this year’s IPL, we pick five who could make a big impact

Alan Gardner05-Apr-20185:36

New England players are more interested in T20s – Swann

Ben Stokes Rajasthan Royals
Last year’s Most Valuable Player, Stokes was back in the auction pot due to his team, Rising Pune Supergiant, not being involved. The returning Royals – one of the suspended franchises that Supergiant had replaced for two seasons – duly coughed up GBP1.37m (USD1.95m) for his services this time around, despite the uncertainty around his availability because of court proceedings in the UK. With his trial for affray pushed back to August, Stokes should now be available for most of the group stage (he will be due back in England on May 17 if named in the Test squad to face Pakistan), and will be aiming to live up to his hefty price tag with another campaign marked by aggressive hitting, canny bowling and spectacular fielding.Jos Buttler Rajasthan Royals
Royals are likely to field two of England’s most blockbuster talents in their starting XI, after signing Buttler for GBP480,000 (USD680,000). When the ECB began to relent in its opposition to the IPL – which encroaches on the English season – a couple of years ago, Buttler was among the first to blaze a trail, with Mumbai Indians. His two seasons in Mumbai blue were a qualified success (average: 25.09; strike rate: 145.98), although perhaps his most memorable contribution to their 2017 title win was dropping his towel while filming an Instagram video celebrating the moment of victory (Buttler’s involvement was curtailed by England obligations). Has spent the winter widening his experience of T20 leagues around the world, with stints in Australia’s Big Bash and the Bangladesh Premier League.Alex Hales Sunrisers Hyderabad
Hales is one of the beneficiaries of the ball-tampering scandal that erupted last week, brought in by Sunrisers as a replacement for David Warner after the Australian was barred from this year’s IPL. Despite initially missing out on selection at the auction in January, Hales decided to sign a white-ball only contract with his county, Nottinghamshire, in order to focus on the shorter formats; he was then selected from the reserve list to fill the hole in Sunrisers’ line-up, although he has big shoes to fill – Warner captained the franchise to the title in 2016 and was the tournament’s leading run-scorer last year. Hales went to the IPL in 2015, as an injury replacement for Mumbai, but did not play a game.Chris Woakes in his delivery stride•BCCIChris Woakes Royal Challengers Bangalore
Although his GBP500,000 (USD700,000) signing by Kolkata Knight Riders in 2017 was slightly less eye-catching, in comparison to stratospheric deals for the likes of Stokes and Tymal Mills, Woakes enjoyed a quietly productive debut season in the competition. The allrounder finished joint-sixth on the wicket-takers’ list, with 17 in 13 matches alongside an economy rate of 8.77, despite often bowling at the death. He has since credited playing with the expectation placed on overseas players at the IPL as a factor in his development as England’s attack leader in white-ball cricket, and despite not being retained by KKR for 2018, his price was pushed up through the million-dollar barrier by Royal Challengers Bangalore, who are seeking their first title after several near-misses.Mark Wood Chennai Super Kings
A raw quick with a reputation for larking about, Wood could be the joker in the pack when it comes to England’s representatives at the IPL. Picked up on the cheap (by IPL standards) for GBP164,000 (USD234,000) in this year’s auction, Wood will be joining another of the returning franchises and one of the competition’s iconic names: CSK have twice been champions, four times runners-up and never failed to qualify from the group stage. The injury-prone Wood has only played 18 T20 games in his entire career, but provided a glimpse of what he is capable of when taking 4 for 25 – which included yorking Jonny Bairstow and giving Joe Root a fearful working-over – during the 2016 NatWest Blast semi-final.Other England players involved: Jason Roy (Delhi Daredevils); Moeen Ali (Royal Challengers Bangalore); Sam Billings (Chennai Super Kings); Chris Jordan (Sunrisers Hyderabad); Tom Curran (Kolkata Knight Riders); Liam Plunkett (Delhi Daredevils)

It was the Lucas Digne and Adrien Rabiot show at San Siro on Sunday as France downed Italy 3-1 to top their Nations League group.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• France win 3-1 against Italy at San Siro
• Digne has a hand in all three goals
• France top group over Italy on goal difference

• TELL ME MORE

  France and Italy entered their final Nations League A Group 2 clash knowing that they had already secured their place in the two-legged quarter-final of the tournament set to be played in March. However, both sides knew top spot was still up for grabs. While Italy entered the clash with a three-point lead over France, Didier Deschamps' men knew that a two-goal win at San Siro would see them finish first.

  France made a perfect start as Adrien Rabiot scored in the second minute of the game after heading Lucas Digne's corner past Guglielmo Vicario. Despite the shaky start, Italy soon started to attempt to control the game, however, France's heavy press meant Gli Azzurri were unable to do so.

  After a scruffy 30 minutes of play, Christopher Nkunku was brought down by Davide Frattesi outside the Italy box, which prompted France to have their first real attack since Rabiot's goal. Digne stepped up and struck an almost perfect free-kick which hit the underside of Vicario's goalpost, ricocheted into the Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper's back and then pinged into the net to give the visitors a two-goal lead.

  However, the healthy advantage didn't last too long as Dimarco and Sandro Tonali combined. The former let in a perfect cross from the by-line which just went over the head of Frattesi but was met by Andrea Cambiaso, who perfectly slotted a volley past Mike Maignan. What followed was a barrage of Italian attacks, however, Luciano Spalletti's men failed to equalize before the half-time whistle.

  And in the second half it was yet another set-piece situation that broke Italy down yet again. Digne and Rabiot recreated a similar move as they had in the second minute of the clash as the defender's pinpoint cross was able to find the Marseille midfielder, who headed the ball past a stranded Vicario.

  The game was then a case of Italy going gung-ho at Maignan's goal as Gli Azzurri knew that reducing their goal difference would mean Italy could take the top spot, however, it wasn't to be as France's 3-1 win was enough for them to finish first.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  THE MVP

  Deschamps has Digne to thank for the victory over Italy. The Villa star racked up two assists and was very solid defensively against Frattesi and Cambiaso. The Aston Villa left-back has been in top form for Unai Emery's side as well this season and was given a run out at left-back for Les Bleus ahead of Theo Hernandez. The former Barcelona and Everton star may now have put some pressure on Deschamps to consider him as a potential number one for the left-back spot.

• THE BIG LOSER

  Italy's set-piece coaches will need to have a long hard look at the set-up Gli Azzurri use when defending dead-ball situations. The last six goals that Spalletti's team has given up, including all three against France tonight at San Siro, have come from set pieces. Spalletti will need to work out a way to iron out such a big flaw in his team before they take on their quarter-final clash in March.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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

• WHAT COMES NEXT?

  Italy and France will now have to wait until November 22 to figure out who they will face off against next in the quarter-final of the Nations League. Thanks to their group win, France will play at Stade de France in the second leg. Meanwhile, Italy will have to play at San Siro in the first leg as they finished as runners-up.

Celtic reportedly could lose a "quick" and "strong" player in the summer transfer window, having rejected the chance to sign a new deal at the club.

Celtic transfer news

The Hoops have made a quiet start to their summer so far, not making a single signing, while rivals Rangers have added significant numbers to their squad. That's not to say that additions won't come in between now and the start of next season, however, and various reports are linking them with players.

Celtic have been urged to hijack a potential deal for Valencia and Georgia goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili this summer, with the 23-year-old seen as the perfect successor to Joe Hart. It would be an audacious swoop, with former England stopper Paul Robinson hailing him recently, saying: "He played for Valencia last season, and for me, he was probably La Liga’s goalkeeper of the tournament. The way he’s played in this tournament for Georgia, I think there’ll be a lot of teams around Europe standing up and taking notice. "

Teenage BK Hacken ace Pontus Dahbo is another player who has been backed to complete a move to the Hoops in the coming months, with the 18-year-old considered one of the most exciting prospects in his homeland of Sweden.

While a number of players are expected to come in and bolster the options at Brendan Rodgers' disposal this summer, it looks as though one Celtic ace is likely to be heading in the opposite direction.

Celtic could lose "quick" player this summer

According to a new update from Football Insider, Celtic could now accept an offer for youngster Rocco Vata in the summer window, with a bid of £2-3m potentially enough to prise him away.

The 19-year-old midfielder has already turned down a contract extension at Parkhead, and the likes of Watford and Bologna are eyeing a move for him, as well as Nottingham Forest. Sky Sports reporter Anthony Joseph has since said that Watford are in advanced talks to sign Vata.

Losing Vata at his current age would be an undoubted blow for Celtic, considering how much more there is to come from him in his career. Rodgers is clearly an admirer of his, too, saying of him last year:

"I remember Rocco as a young player when I was here last. He’s developed physically. There are aspects of his game that he needs to work on to make the next jump but his attitude is good. He’s strong, quick, he wants to score goals. There is lots of development he needs, if he’s willing to do that."

Vata may simply feel that a new challenge is needed, in terms of enjoying more regular playing time, with only six appearances coming his way for Celtic to date. He scored twice in his only cap for the Republic of Ireland's Under-21s, and may think that he could feel more wanted elsewhere.

The hope is that the young Hoops attacker has a change of heart, but the fact that he isn't interested in signing an extension suggests that his mind could already be made up.

The Apple TV studio analyst joins Mic'd Up to discuss the MLS postseason, Miami and Messi, and Wilfried Nancy's future

Major League Soccer’s 2023 decision to partner with Apple TV to carry its matches was groundbreaking, marking the first time a professional league moved most of its games to a streaming platform. This shift has since inspired other leagues, such the NBA, which will stream 66 games on Amazon Prime next season.

Andrew Wiebe, who has been with Apple TV's MLS Season Pass since its launch, serves as a studio analyst for and . The long-time podcast host has enjoyed seeing the programming evolve in just one year.

“We need people to walk away from any show… with excitement, with anticipation, and a tangible reason to care," Wiebe told GOAL. "I want people to be as juiced about the games, the players, the managers, stories, fan culture in the same way I am. I think we're finding ourselves with every step. And what encourages me is that this is just the beginning."

Wiebe credits the strong chemistry between himself and colleagues Kevin Egan, Sacha Kljestan, Kaylyn Kyle, and Bradley Wright-Phillips, as well as the producers, for the show's success. He pointed to their hard work behind the scenes as key to their standout Decision Day coverage.

“I was a little nervous about Decision Day… all these dominoes had to fall to give us an exciting day,” Wiebe said. “We were fortunate to hit fever pitch. Decision Day is about one thing: setting up the playoffs, and the bigger the bang the better.”

The First Round of the MLS Playoffs kicks off Friday with Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami hosting Atlanta United. What is Messi's future in MLS? What's next for Columbus coach Wilfried Nancy? Who will win the MLS Cup? Wiebe discusses all of that and more in this edition of Mic'd Up, a recurring feature in which GOAL US taps into the perspective of broadcasters, analysts and other pundits on the state of soccer in the U.S. and abroad.

Get the MLS Season Pass today!Stream games now

• Getty Images Sport
  

  ON THE MLS CUP

  GOAL: The First Round of the MLS Playoffs starts Friday. Who do you have winning the whole thing?

  Wiebe: In the modern era, great teams with great players win the MLS Cup. In terms of MLS Cup, there are no lucky winners. So all of which is to say, I have a hard time believing Inter Miami won't pay this project and this season off without the MLS Cup. Messi is in nuclear form, and they get to do the whole thing in South Florida, apart from one game in Atlanta. The only thing that can stop Miami is themselves, and that's been true all year. Nobody in MLS can compete [with them] on just attacking talent and championship pedigree.

Advertisement

• IMAGN
  

  ON INTER MIAMI'S HISTORIC SEASON

  GOAL: A debate that is picking up steam is whether or not Inter Miami is the greatest team in MLS history. What are your thoughts?

  Wiebe: Inter Miami is the single greatest collection of talent MLS has ever seen, that much, I'm sure of, and yes, that's sort of a cop-out to your question. Are they the greatest team? Not yet. To be the greatest team, you need more than ability and the on paper side of it, you have to pay it off. Messi is the GOAT, not just because of the goals and historic, absurd stuff that we've seen for years and years and years, but because all those individual moments resulted in trophies and collective history. I mean, he's like counting up to 50 trophies all-time.

  I think of the Barcelona motto when I think of what's at stake for inter Miami, (More than a club). For Messi and Miami, these years are about making Miami more than just a soccer club in South Florida with big players. It's about making Inter Miami an institution. It's about making Inter Miami a club that represents something bigger and grander, something that people can't take away and doesn't shift year to year as coaches and players change. And to do that, Miami have to win, and they have to do it repeatedly…Anything short of historic greatness is below par for this group. So they've got to win MLS Cup.

  GOAL: And if they win?

  Wiebe: If Miami win the double, I think you'd have to argue they're the greatest team of all time on two fronts, on results and on talent.

• ON MESSI'S FUTURE

  GOAL: One thing that's already being discussed is what is MLS and Inter Miami's future going to look like without Messi in it. He can't play forever and when David Beckham left the league, there was a lull for a few years after he left. How does MLS combat that?

  Wiebe: Messi is not replicable. So forget replicating Messi or what he brings. The goal of these years with Lionel has to be to set the foundation for the club, and that's what I mean when I say Més que un club. The club has to take on a bigger place than just where Messi played. The beauty for me is that Messi will be part of that project to continue [due to him being a part-owner of Inter Miami]. He has draw and a magic to him that nobody else in this game has.

  So I think the challenge for Miami is, how do you rechannel that ambition? Who represents that who can take it into the next phase? And they've got to identify those players. It's not going to be easy, and it's certainly not going to be cheap, but having their own Stadium in Miami will help in having a legacy and a foundation laid by Messi is a head start that almost no other club in the world gets.

  GOAL: Does that mean signing global stars in their prime?

  Wiebe: I mean, straight up, why couldn't they sign anybody? Why should Inter Miami limit themselves in terms of any signing after signing Leo Messi, they should believe that literally everything is possible. If MLS wants to grow into the places that it envisions, it has to mean signing top-level players in their prime. That goes for Inter Miami, that goes for the rest of the league.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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

• USA Today Images
  

  ON THE MVP RACE

  GOAL: Who do you have for MVP?

  Wiebe: I voted for Cucho Hernandez. He earned the award this year. I know Messi's per-90 numbers are better, but come on, it's Messi. He's a human cheat code… To me, crucially, Cucho played eight more games. He has 12 game-winning goal contributions to Messi's six. That speaks to results. It speaks to the impact of the course of the whole year. And the Crew can play arguably the most aesthetically pleasing and effective brand of soccer the league has ever seen, because Cucho can play all three spots across the front line at best-in-class levels.

Whilst bringing new players in will be vital if Rangers are to improve next season, it now appears that one of their most promising talents is set to depart Ibrox this summer.

Rangers plotting busy transfer window

After missing out on the Scottish Premiership to Celtic, it is clear that new signings will be important if Rangers are to get the better of their city rivals next season.

Rangers ready to accept £5m bid to sell £22,000-a-week player

He cost the Gers nothing.

By
Josh Barker

Jun 17, 2024

One name linked with a move to Ibrox is FAR Rabat and Morocco U23 international Hamza Igamane. Rangers have reportedly agreed to sign the striker in a deal worth £1.7m with the transfer expected to be finalised before the player travels to the Olympics in Paris.

Rangers are also one of many clubs pushing to sign Hearts talisman Lawrence Shankland. The Glasgow-born centre-forward racked up a staggering 31 goals and eight assists in all competitions last season, making him a target for top sides in both Scotland and England.

This summer is also likely to see a slew of outgoings at Ibrox. The most notable of these potential departures could well be Connor Goldson and James Tavernier. It has been reported that former Rangers boss Steven Gerrard is eager to bring the duo to Al-Ettifaq this summer which would be a major blow for the Glasgow outfit.

Whilst losing Goldson and Tavernier would be far from ideal for the Ibrox faithful, it now appears that another Rangers star is being watched for a reunion with a former boss.

Van Bronckhorst wants Yilmaz reunion

As reported by Sport Witness, the Turkish media are stating that Besiktas have held talks to sign Rangers' defender Ridvan Yilmaz. This news follows reports that FC Nantes are keen on signing Besiktas' current left back Arthur Masuaku, meaing that they will be in need of reinforcements in this area.

The Turkish club are eager to use the funds raised by the sale of Masuaku to sign Yilmaz. with current Besiktas boss Giovanni van Bronckhorst personally sanctioning the deal. The Dutchman was the one who initially brought the 23-year-old to Ibrox from Galatasaray back in July 2022.

Following the £3.5million deal, Yilmaz has battled a number of injury issues during his time in a Rangers shirt. Despite this, the 23-year-old managed to overcome some of his issues making 32 appearances for the Glasgow outfit over the course of last season.

Speaking on his improvements over the last twelve months, former Rangers captain Barry Ferguson sang the praises of Yilmaz telling the press back in March: “The little man has made a huge impression ever since the winter break and has nailed down the left back berth for himself.

“He’s been a slow burner. And that can happen with any young player adjusting to life in a new country. But he’s a proper Rangers player now and I’m sure the manager will want him back fit as quickly as possible."

Following his recent uptick in form, many Rangers fans may be reluctant to let Yilmaz leave. Despite this, a reunion with the manager who first brought him to Scotland may be too good for the 23-year-old to turn down.