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Southampton interim manager Tonda Eckert will be in the dugout for the next three Championship matches before a decision is made on his future at the club.

Sky Sports journalist Lyall Thomas added that the German tactician is bidding to land the role on a full-time basis, which makes these next three games an important audition for him.

He has already won his first two games in charge of the club, beating QPR 2-1 and Sheffield Wednesday 3-1, after stepping in because of Will Still’s departure.

Why Southampton need an upgrade on Will Still

The Saints need to find a manager who can be an upgrade on their previous head coach, as obvious as it sounds, because his track record before coming to St. Mary’s did not suggest that he was an obvious candidate.

Of course, finishing in midtable with two different Ligue 1 clubs as a 33-year-old head coach is impressive, given that it is one of the best leagues in Europe, but each manager has different skills that suit certain environments.

Southampton, from the outside looking in, appeared to need a leader who could galvanise the club after such a dismal relegation from the Premier League, whilst also having the coaching outlook required to mount a promotion push.

25/26 (Championship)

13

12 (21st)

24/25 (Ligue 1)

34

52 (8th)

23/24 (Ligue 1)

31

40 (11th)

22/23 (Ligue 1)

28

43 (11th)

20/21 (Pro League)

13

17 (9th)

17/18 (Challenger Pro League)

9

22 (3rd)

As you can see in the table above, Still, aside from nine games as an interim years before his first major job, had never been in an environment where he was expected to win consistently and be at the top of the table.

That lack of alignment between coaching and expectation may have been a contributing factor to Southampton ending up in 21st place in the table, with the benefit of hindsight.

Now, in what may be a controversial suggestion, Sport Republic could replace Eckert and find an upgrade on Still by returning to Russell Martin to hire him as their next manager.

Why Southampton should hire Russell Martin

It was reported earlier this month that the former Rangers boss still has admirers in the boardroom at St. Mary’s and it has been claimed that some first-team players and staff are open to his return, suggesting that he could be an option in their managerial search.

Like him or loathe him, Martin is a good communicator and can lead a group when there is buy-in and potential for positive momentum with results, which may not have worked out at Premier League level, or at Rangers.

The 39-year-old tactician’s style of play was described as “successful” and a “joy to watch” by Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta. Whilst they may have been untrue in the Premier League, it was certainly the case in the Championship, which is where Southampton are now.

Pass accuracy

87.7%

1st

Passes into the penalty area

594

1st

Progressive passes

2556

1st

Shot-creating actions

1255

1st

xG

79.8

2nd

Points per game

1.89

4th

When the Saints were promoted under Martin in the 2023/24 campaign, his team were incredible offensively, as shown in the table, above, as they went on to win the play-offs.

This shows that the ex-Swansea boss has the relevant experience required to take on the job at hand, as Southampton look to get promoted back to the top-flight, because he has been there and done it, which was not the case for Still in the summer.

There are major question marks over his Premier League capabability, due to one win in 16 matches last season in the division, which is why it would be interesting to see if he would consider a deal until the end of the season.

Bringing Martin in on a short-term deal until the end of this season to see if he can spark a reaction out of the players and use his experience to guide the team towards the play-offs, before a longer-term appointment is made with the Premier League in mind, could be a shrewd way to go about it.

Southampton face 'complex' Tonda Eckert visa issues as permission granted

The Saints have been working behind-the-scenes.

ByCharlie Smith Nov 21, 2025

If there is to be one major criticism of Daniel Farke and the squad that both he and the Leeds United hierarchy have assembled at Elland Road, it is the lack of quality and creativity in the final third.

The sight of Jack Harrison and Brenden Aaronson lining up on the flanks in recent weeks, in particular, perhaps illustrates that point best, with Harrison’s days in Yorkshire looking to have been over after spending the previous two seasons on loan at Everton.

From the delights of Crysencio Summerville and Georginio Rutter in the recent past, there is a real void now in the Whites’ forward line. Where will the magic come from? Which player will truly get the crowd off their seat?

Such concerns have stemmed from a side that has scored just ten goals in 11 Premier League games this season, with centre-back Joe Rodon currently the joint-highest scorer with two goals, alongside Lukas Nmecha and Noah Okafor.

Stodgy and scrappy, there is little to get behind with regard to Farke’s football right now, with a change in the dugout, or January investment, likely to be required.

On the latter point, the Whites could save themselves by reintegrating a handful of forgotten stars, with Joe Gelhardt among those currently thriving out on loan.

Can Leeds recall Gelhardt from Hull City?

At 23, there is a sense that the ship has sailed for Leeds’ former wonderkid, with Gelhardt having burst onto the scene under Marcelo Bielsa, following his arrival from Wigan Athletic in 2020.

Lauded as a “human wrecking ball” by the Argentine genius, the then-teenager did score twice in the Premier League during the 2021/22 campaign, although that was about as good as it got, having since spent recent years on loan at Sunderland and Hull City.

The rampaging left-footer – who has scored three goals in 57 total games for Leeds – initially joined the Tigers in January, before sealing a season-long loan return over the summer, having not been included in Farke’s pre-season plans.

Finally settled and afforded a consistent run of games, the Englishman is relishing his role as Hull’s new talisman, scoring seven goals in just 15 Championship games so far in 2025/26. Hull City manager Sergej Jakirović is among those dishing out the plaudits.

With his parent club currently struggling to fire, there might be a temptation to bring Gelhardt back into the Elland Road fold, not least if there were to be a change in manager.

As reported by Leeds Live last week, however, there are no plans to end the forward’s stay at the MKM stadium, despite the presence of a recall clause, with the 5 foot 9 star expected to see out the campaign with the second-tier side.

As noted by The Athletic’s Beren Cross – who corroborated those claims – the hope is that such a fruitful loan will enhance his transfer value, with the 23-year-old’s existing Leeds deal set to expire in 2027.

A return might not be on the cards then for Gelhardt, but could it be for arguably an even bigger talent?

Leeds loan star has "similarities to Summerville"

Among the criticisms of Farke’s tenure of late is the treatment of Largie Ramazani, with the Manchester United academy graduate having been restricted to a bit-part role following his arrival from Almeria in the summer of 2024.

A player lauded as having “so many similarities to Summerville” – in the words of analyst Ben Mattinson – due to his blistering pace and trickery on the flanks, the fleet-footed forward was restricted to just seven starts in the Championship last time out.

That limited role may have come amid issues with injury, although even when fit and firing, Farke tended to look elsewhere, despite the fact that the 24-year-old still managed to chip in with six goals and two assists from his 29 total league appearances.

That matches the eight goals involvements he chalked up in LaLiga the year prior for Almeria, have already proven – unlike Gelhardt – that he can flourish in one of Europe’s top five leagues.

Also hailed as “the mini-Vinicius” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, during his first stint in Spain, the diminutive winger is an undoubted talent, with Leeds unfortunately yet to truly see the best of him.

Frustratingly for Ramazani too, neither have his current loan club, Valencia, with his return to LaLiga yielding just a solitary assist thus far, having again been pushed out to the periphery at the Mestalla.

Perhaps that suggests Farke was right to send him on his way, although at a time when Leeds are missing a spark, a player to bring a renewed level of excitement, the Summerville-esque speedster could well have provided just that.

Thankfully, as Cross reported, the Whites do have the option to end Ramazani’s temporary stay and bring him back to England, albeit with the most likely outcome set to be the forward then heading back out on loan for the remainder of the season.

Farke – or a potential successor in the dugout – will hopefully have a change of heart, with the forgotten Belgian arguably the player that Leeds should be looking to reintegrate, despite Gelhardt’s continued brilliance.

Farke has "wrecking ball" out on loan who can end Aaronson's Leeds career

Leeds could turn to this player to help solve their attacking issues

By
Joe Nuttall

Nov 11, 2025

Anthony Volpe staked his claim to a place in New York Yankees history on Tuesday night when he hit a grand slam in Game 4 of the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. While the Yankees are still long shots to complete what would be an incredible comeback, Volpe had a legitimate moment at Yankee Stadium. It was the kind of performance that gets you a picture with Derek Jeter on the field after the game.

It also got Volpe to the podium to speak with the press after the game and that's where he told an incredible story about how the Yankees are more than just a team to him and his family.

“My grandfather really… The Yankees are more than just a team or organization for him," Volpe explained. "Because his grandfather fought in World War II. He was little and by the time that he got back his mom basically told him, like, This is your dad."

"He didn't know him, didn't recognize him, didn't anything and the way he says it, the way he got to know and get to know his father was he sat on his lap every single night and they listened to the Yankees together so for him… it’s more than sports."

While this story is unique to Volpe, it probably resonates with a lot of people who grew up bonding over sports. Regardless of the results of the series, you can tell from his voice how much it means to be able to be a part of this from the inside. That's obviously a much more rare experience.

Exactly one year after Shohei Ohtani played his final game with the Los Angeles Angels, he returned to his former home ballpark for the first time on Tuesday night as a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

While Angels fans' reactions in Anaheim may have been mixed, the Angels’ scoreboard operator left no doubt as to where he stood on the two-way star. During the Dodgers’ 6-2 win, he used quite the snarky line to describe Ohtani on the scoreboard.

“Used to work here.”

Just those four words. It was a picture-perfect moment to hang in the Louvre.

Though the scoreboard operator may have been feeling some type of way that night, the Angels did honor Ohtani with an emotional tribute video shared on social media.

Ohtani’s six-year career with the Angels may not have amounted to much playoff glory, but he definitely made his mark on an organization that was naturally sad to see him leave in free agency. During his time in Anaheim, which saw him win two AL MVPs and three All-Star nods, Ohtani racked up 171 home runs and 437 RBIs while also pitching to an impressive tune with a 3.01 ERA.

Troy Deeney has slammed Aston Villa’s “ego” problem and called out one of Unai Emery’s key players after their dry spell of form continued last weekend.

Villa winless after opening five games

Very few fans would’ve predicted Villa to be in the Premier League relegation zone after their first five games, but they’re currently occupying 18th place, after drawing three and losing two, scoring just one goal in the process.

Most recently, the Villans came up short at the Stadium of Light, drawing 1-1, despite Sunderland being reduced to ten men in the first half, with Wilson Isidor cancelling out Matty Cash’s opening goal.

The problems have continued to mount at Villa Park, with it subsequently being confirmed that sporting director Monchi is set to leave, in what could be another major blow for Emery, amid widespread speculation surrounding the manager’s future.

As mentioned, one of Villa’s main issues up to this stage has been the failure to score goals, with Ollie Watkins yet to find the back of the net, and Deeney has now singled the striker out for criticism.

The former Birmingham City man said: “The biggest problem is lack of goals, lack of goals from Ollie at this moment in time.

“At this moment in time, you’re the only striker there, you’re the one they’re looking towards and for the start of the season, you’re not delivering.

The talkSPORT pundit also went on to add: “At the moment in time, he just looks off it, he looks comfortable.”

Aston Villa heading for Benteke repeat over "top talent" & it's not Watkins

Aston Villa face echoes of the past as one of Unai Emery’s crop hints at an exit

By
Will Miller

Sep 22, 2025

Not only is Deeney unimpressed with Watkins’ start to the campaign, but he is also concerned there may be an “ego” problem at Villa, saying: “It’s a weird one. I thought maybe with [Jadon] Sancho and [Harvey] Elliott coming in, there’d be a bit more dynamism to it. But they must not be fit enough as he’s not putting them anywhere near the starting line-up. It’s an ego thing now, a player-driven ego thing.”

“I think the manager is a very, very good manager, but you have to start looking now and saying: Why are the players trying to play inside the pitch? Why is Morgan Rogers not the focal point?”

Watkins needs to start firing after poor start

No one can deny the Villa striker has been a fantastic servant, having picked up 87 goals and 42 assists in 229 matches, but he must start firing sooner rather than later, having once again put in a poor performance against Sunderland.

The England international missed one big chance and touched the ball just 16 times throughout the match, finishing with a SofaScore match rating of just 6.3.

In fairness, the onus isn’t just on the former Brentford man to start improving, with fellow key player Morgan Rogers also failing to register a single goal or an assist this term, while Shay Given has called Emery out for labelling his players “lazy”.

It is a risky tactic for Emery to publicly criticise his players, but he will be hoping for a response from his side when their Europa League campaign gets underway against Bologna on Thursday.

The PSL playoffs begin on Wednesday, and Lahore Qalandars will play the Eliminator on Thursday

Mohammad Isam19-May-2025

Lahore Qalandars have signed up Bangladesh allrounder Mehidy Hasan Miraz for the playoffs stage of PSL 2025. The BCB has granted Mehidy the required no-objection certificate, and he is expected to fly to Lahore by Tuesday.The PSL playoffs begin on Wednesday, and Qalandars will play the Eliminator on Thursday – their opponents have not been identified yet.Speaking to ESPNcricinfo, Mehidy said that he was looking forward to the stint even though it could be for as few as one match.Related

Rishad returns to Lahore Qalandars for PSL finals

Nahid Rana pulls out of Bangladesh's tour of Pakistan

PSL FAQs – what the six teams need to do in the final stretch

“Of course it is exciting for me to join Lahore Qalandars,” Mehidy said. “It is technically the second time I have got a call-up to a franchise league. Nonetheless, it is a good opportunity for me to compete at a very high level. PSL is one of the top tournaments going around. I have done well in the past in the BPL, so I am confident that I can give my best.”Mehidy said that he wanted to use the opportunity to find a way back into Bangladesh’s T20I setup. He wasn’t included in the squad that is currently involved in a T20I series against UAE in Sharjah or the one for the forthcoming five-match series in Pakistan.”I can get myself up to the mark in T20s, so that I am prepared for the selection opportunities ahead,” Mehidy said. “Definitely I want to get back into the Bangladesh [T20I] team, and this is one of the ways I can improve myself in the format.”At Qalandars, Mehidy will link up with his long-time team-mate Shakib Al Hasan.After the PSL resumed following the pause because of the border tensions between Pakistan and India, Qalandars managed to bring Sikandar Raza back, but he was available for only one game before he joins the Zimbabwe squad for the one-off four-day Test against England at Trent Bridge. David Wiese and Sam Billings haven’t returned to Pakistan, which led to Shakib being called up – along with Bhanuka Rajapaksa – for the business end of the tournament.Shakib made his first appearance on Sunday, falling for a first-ball duck against Peshawar Zalmi and going for 18 runs in two wicketless overs.Before Shakib and Mehidy, Rishad Hossain was in the Qalandars’ side, while Nahid Rana was with Karachi Kings. Litton Das was also with Kings this season, before he picked up an injury at training and had to leave.

Delhi Capitals won a crucial toss in Delhi as dew has started playing a much bigger role in IPL matches. They elected to field on a track they expect to be slightly slow, but one that could get better to bat on later in the night. DC were unchanged from the side that lost their last match to Royal Challengers Bengaluru.Kolkata Knight Riders made one change, bringing in left-arm spinner Anukul Roy, who for majority of his time in the IPL has played the role of the specialist substitute fielder for KKR. They were coming off a washed-out game against Punjab Kings.With three defeats in the last five games, DC’s campaign has plateaued after a smashing start. They still had 12 points from nine matches, which meant they could get right back into the contention for a top-two finish if they could start winning again. Their explosive batting unit struggled to get going in their last home game on a slow surface, and will be hoping they get better batting conditions to work with in the night.Defending champions KKR were one slip away from entering must-win territory for the rest of the tournament. Their batting unit has not clicked at all. Ajinkya Rahane, not a regular T20 player, has been their best batter.The likely Impact Players were Vaibhav Arora for KKR and Ashutosh Sharma for DC.Kolkata Knight Riders: 1 Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), 2 Sunil Narine, 3 Venkatesh Iyer, 4 Ajinkya Rahane (capt.), 5 Rinku Singh, 6 Angkrish Raghuvanshi, 7 Andre Russell, 8 Rovman Powell, 9 Harshit Rana, 10 Anukul Roy, 11 Varun ChakravarthyPossible Impact Players: Manish Pandey, Mayank Markande, Vaibhav Arora, Ramandeep Singh, Luvnith SisodiaDelhi Capitals: 1 Faf du Plessis, 2 Abishek Porel, 3 Karun Nair, 4 KL Rahul (wk), 5 Axar Patel (capt.), 6 Tristan Stubbs, 7 Vipraj Nigam, 8 Mitchell Starc, 9 Dushmantha Chameera, 10 Kuldeep Yadav, 11 Mukesh KumarPossible Impact Players: Sameer Rizvi, Ashutosh Sharma, Jake Fraser McGurk, T Vijay, Donovan Ferreira

Antoine Griezmann created history for Atletico Madrid on Tuesday in the Champions League during their 5-1 drubbing of Eintracht Frankfurt. After the game, head coach Diego Simeone was delighted with his performance and reserved special praise for the former France international. The Argentine expressed his gratitude to Griezmann and said that "talent has no age."

Griezmann creates history with Atletico Madrid

Griezmann created further history with Atletico on Tuesday as the "ageless" Frenchman brought up his 200th goal for the Spanish side, becoming the first player in Los Rojiblancos' history to reach the milestone. Simeone spoke highly of Griezmann after his team beat Frankfurt 5-1 in the Champions League on Tuesday to continue their red-hot winning streak. 

AdvertisementAFPSimeone in awe of Griezmann

"I'm grateful to Antoine and his time at Atletico Madrid," Simeone told reporters after the game. "He's scored 200 goals, which is crazy. I remember when he arrived. He was a short winger on the left, and we invited him to play one-on-one and as an attacking midfielder, and he grew to become a world champion. He's always been a role model for his effort and work, and today he's received the thanks he deserves. We're grateful for everything he has given us and for everything he gives us and will continue to give us, because talent has no age."

Griezmann's reduced role after renewal

At the end of last season, there were rumours indicating that Griezmann's time at the Metropolitano was coming to an end. Despite not being an indispensable member of the starting XI, the 34-year-old decided to prolong his stay in the Spanish capital until 2027 after reports that he was leaning towards to a move to MLS side Los Angeles FC. This season, he has only managed 416 minutes in nine games so far. Indeed, Simeone has handed Griezmann a starting berth just four times, twice in the Champions League and as many times in La Liga. 

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Getty Images SportMore history on its way to Griezmann?

It is clear that Griezmann will be used majorly in an impact role off the bench this season, with Simeone placing his bets on the likes of Julian Alvarez, Giacomo Raspadori and Alexander Sorloth in attack. However, the French playmaker will have a chance to create more history with Los Colchoneros this season. Indeed, he is currently seventh of the list of most appearances for Atleti. By the end of the season, he could become just the fourth player in Atleti history to play 500 games for the club, after legend Adelardo and current team-mates Koke and Jan Oblak.

أشاد التونسي رشاد العرفاوي، لاعب غزل المحلة، بتجربة اللاعبين التونسيين في الدوري المصري، مؤكدًا أن اللاعب التونسي يتمتع بقدرة كبيرة على التأقلم والانسجام مع الأجواء داخل مصر سواء من الناحية الفنية أو الاجتماعية.

وقال العرفاوي في تصريحات عبر إذاعة “أون سبورت إف إم”: “اللاعب التونسي يمتلك ميزة كبيرة في سرعة التأقلم، سواء من الجانب التكتيكي أو في التعامل مع الناس أو حتى من ناحية البيئة، فحين ينتقل إلى بيئة مشابهة لتونس مثل مصر، يتأقلم بسرعة ويستطيع إبراز موهبته في وقت قصير”.

وعن أبرز اللاعبين التونسيين الذين تركوا بصمة في الكرة المصرية، أوضح العرفاوي: “هناك عدد كبير من اللاعبين التوانسة الذين نجحوا في مصر، ولا أحب أن أظلم أحدًا بذكر اسم دون الآخر، لكن عندما أعود إلى تونس الكل يسألني عن أسماء مثل علي معلول، وسيف الدين الجزيري، وحمزة المثلوثي، وقبلهم أنيس بوجلبان، هؤلاء اللاعبون تركوا بصمة واضحة في الكرة المصرية”.

وتحدث اللاعب عن مواطنه علي معلول نجم الأهلي السابق، مؤكدًا أنه صنع تاريخًا كبيرًا في القلعة الحمراء، وقال: “البطولات التي حققها علي معلول مع الأهلي تشهد له، وتجعله واحدًا من أساطير النادي، ما قدمه من أداء وإنجازات مع الأهلي يجعله فخرًا لنا نحن التوانسة، فأن يكون لاعب تونسي من أساطير نادٍ كبير مثل الأهلي، فهذا شرف كبير لنا جميعًا”.

طالع أيضًا | محمود فتح الله: الزمالك يمتلك عاملين أساسيين للمنافسة على أي لقب.. والأهلي ليس بعيدًا عن الأزمات

وحول توقعاته لمجريات الدوري المصري هذا الموسم، أوضح العرفاوي: “المستويات هذا الموسم قوية، وأرى أن أندية بيراميدز والأهلي والزمالك والمصري هي الأقوى حاليًا من حيث قائمة اللاعبين، لكن في كرة القدم لا يمكن استبعاد المفاجآت، فكل شيء وارد. ومع ذلك، من الصعب خروج اللقب من بين هذه الفرق الأربعة، وإن شاء الله يفوز به الفريق الأجدر”.

وعن اللاعبين المصريين الذين لفتوا نظره، قال لاعب غزل المحلة: “هناك عدد كبير من اللاعبين المميزين في مصر، ولا أريد ذكر اسم واحد أو اثنين حتى لا أظلم الآخرين، لكن أرى أن هناك لاعبين مثل محمد رمضان ودغموم من العناصر الجيدة جدًا، وبالنسبة لي، أفضل اللاعبين المصريين هم زملائي في غزل المحلة، فريقي الحالي”.

وعن الشعبية الكبيرة للأهلي والزمالك في تونس، اختتم العرفاوي تصريحاته قائلاً: “في تونس، الجماهير منقسمة بين الإفريقي والترجي، وكذلك الحال في مصر بين الأهلي والزمالك، هناك جماهير ضخمة لكلا الفريقين، وإدارتا الناديين تعملان باحترافية كبيرة، هذه الأندية ستبقى دائمًا في القمة، لأنها أندية عريقة ومصيرها النجاح”.

Girona coach Michel says he is "the worst coach" in La Liga after his team’s 4-0 defeat to Levante, a match in which his side finished with two red cards and dropped to the bottom of the table. Reflecting on the loss, the Spanish coach said his players must set aside their egos, take responsibility for their struggles and step up to improve results.

Girona’s loss against Levante

Goals from Etta Eyong, Ivan Romero, Carlos Alvarez and Goduine Koyalipou sealed a dominant win for Levante against Girona. Girona’s troubles began when midfielder Axel Witsel was sent off for a second yellow card, shortly before Levante took the lead. Their hopes were completely dashed early in the second half, as on loan Manchester City defender Vitor Reis became the second player to be sent off in the 46th minute, leaving Girona with no chance of a comeback.

AdvertisementMichel’s comments after the game

Michel blasted his players after the game, saying at a press conference: "We lack connection and a settled way of playing. I noticed a lack of decisiveness and humility, because the standings don't matter. And if anyone thinks they're playing for Girona in the Champions League, it's a lie. If I start looking at the 15 goals conceded or the fact that we have one point out of 15, I'm dead. I look forward. Fear doesn't freeze me. I believe in myself a lot and I feel like I'm very good at what I do. I need time."

"I think Witsel touched the ball and gave the second yellow card too quickly. VAR couldn't have been involved, and for me it's not. I didn't even see the second one. I was thinking about changing the dynamic, but that expulsion killed us, and I had to improvise."

"We have to get back on our feet now. We're the worst team in the division, and all we have to do is work. I'm the worst coach in LaLiga, so I want the players to put their egos aside and go for it."

Getty Images SportGirona’s woes after brilliant 2023-24 season

After finishing third in La Liga in the 2023-24 season, Girona qualified for last term's Champions League. However, the loss of key players like Savinho to City, Artem Dovbyk to Roma, Yan Couto to Borussia Dortmund and Miguel Gutierrez to Napoli left the team struggling. Girona slipped to a 16th place finish in the last campaign and this season, they find themselves at the bottom of the table with one point.

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Getty Images SportGirona’s challenge vs Bilbao

Michel will hope that Girona will be able to overcome their bad pitch this season and turn their season around as they take on Athletic Bilbao tomorrow at San Mames.