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Ipswich Town were given a humbling reminder of the task that remains in front of them this Premier League season at the weekend, with survival the main aim for the Tractor Boys when the campaign is over and done with.

Kieran McKenna’s men can’t afford to pick up many more defeats like the 4-1 loss they suffered at the hands of West Ham United last match if they are to keep their heads above water, as Jarrod Bowen and Co cruised to a straightforward victory to give the Suffolk outfit an almighty wake-up call.

The despondent Ipswich boss will just be glad he has Liam Delap at his disposal up top, who scored another top-flight goal against the Hammers for his new employers, after leaving Manchester City behind this summer.

Liam Delap's form this season

Delap is already on four goals from seven Premier League appearances for his new employers, with his recent brace against Aston Villa, in particular, standing out, as the electric 21-year-old terrorised Unai Emery’s men at the back just before their famous 1-0 win over Bayern Munich in the Champions League.

There would have been a worry that Delap wouldn’t instantly hit the ground running when first making the switch, specifically when you glance at his previous mixed form in the EFL away from Pep Guardiola’s men on loan.

However, the 21-year-old looks to be every bit the prolific striker he was at youth level in Manchester in the senior game in Suffolk.

He would only need 20 touches of the ball last time at the London Stadium to fire home a strike, and that killer instinct could prove to be crucial for McKenna’s men, as they strive to pick up some huge results that could see them stay up in the Premier League.

That is a massive ask, with Ipswich well aware of how huge the gulf in quality between the Championship and the top flight is, but Delap will want to play a leading role in his side’s survival story if he can.

In an alternate reality, however, McKenna could have called upon a different face altogether to lead the line against Julen Lopetegui’s hosts, who Ipswich were incessantly linked with all transfer window.

One that got away

The transfers that nearly happened but never did. This article is part of Football FanCast's One That Got Away series.

Who Ipswich nearly signed over Delap

Whilst the Ipswich number 19 has taken to his new surroundings in Suffolk like a duck to water, a certain Armando Broja hasn’t graced the pitch whatsoever for the Toffees to date, owing to an injury problem keeping him sidelined.

Although Ipswich’s interest in this player would go on right up until transfer deadline day, according to reports, Broja was a target regularly linked with a switch to Portman Road before this nail-biting occasion, even before Delap made his move official in July.

All the way back in May of this year, it was reported that that the Tractor Boys were keen on the Albanian’s services, but nothing would come of these rumours, despite talk in the window suggesting that a £30m deal was even done at one point.

This would have been a risky transfer to get over the line, not just when taking into account the excessive fee involved, but also when you consider Broja’s previous ineffectiveness in front of goal in the top flight, with just eight strikes in the division managed from 66 games.

Broja was hyped up by Mauricio Pochettino as a talent with “amazing potential” when he nurtured the 23-year-old at Stamford Bridge, but the Tractor Boys will be relieved they didn’t win his signature in the end, as Everton eventually snapped him up.

Ipswich, instead, won ex-Man City starlet Delap for £20m, which is looking to be an excellent bit of business already, based on his ever-growing goal tally for his relegation-threatened side in the league.

McKenna must now drop 5/10 Ipswich star who lost possession 17 times

Kieran McKenna would have been very disappointed with Ipswich Town’s display at West Ham United.

By
Kelan Sarson

Oct 6, 2024

Cristiano Ronaldo showed off a new celebration after scoring a brace in Al-Nassr's thumping win over Al Wasl.

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• Ronaldo came up with a new celebration
• Scored a brace against Al Wasl
• Al-Nassr clinched a 4-0 win

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Portuguese scored twice as Al-Nassr thrashed UAE's Al Wasl 4-0 in an AFC Champions League clash on Monday. Ronaldo, who turns 40 on Wednesday, revealed a new celebration as he guided his team to a dominant win. With his team-mates around him during the celebration of his second, the former Real Madrid and Manchester United star raised his hand, emulating an aeroplane flying and then gestured as if it crashed.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Colombian forward Jhon Duran made his debut for Al-Nassr in the game after he completed his big-money transfer to the Saudi club from Aston Villa last week. Duran was deployed in attack alongside Ronaldo, who operated slightly behind the former Villa star. Duran had an underwhelming outing in his maiden game but the result will surely make his debut memorable.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  With the brace against Al Wasl, Ronaldo is now the joint second-highest goalscorer in the Champions League with six strikes to his name.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR AL-NASSR?

  Stefano Pioli's men will be back in action on Friday as they take on Al-Feiha in an important Saudi Pro League encounter.

A former West Ham United chief has suggested that Chelsea could move for a star in Julen Lopetegui’s squad, with clubs apparently interested and regularly watching him at the London Stadium.

West Ham seal first victory since August with 4-1 win over Ipswich

Lopetegui can breathe a big sigh of relief after West Ham sealed their first win of the Premier League season since August on the weekend against Ipswich Town.

Lopetegui wants "strong" £15m ace who West Ham may sign as early as January

The Hammers are seeking attacking additions…

1

By
Tom Cunningham

Oct 5, 2024

The home side started as they meant to go on, with striker Michail Antonio gifting West Ham a very early lead in the first minute. Liam Delap equalised for Ipswich minutes later in a brief scare for the east Londoners, before star winger Mohammed Kudus restored their advantage moments before half-time.

Forward Jarrod Bowen then gave West Ham a two-goal lead just after the restart, handing Lopetegui’s men some much-needed breathing room to ease the tension, with Lucas Paqueta sealing all three points 20 minutes from full-time.

West Ham’s first Premier League win since their 2-0 victory at Crystal Palace in the summer was a much-needed one, with some believing beforehand that Lopetegui was at risk of losing his job if the club’s lacklustre form continued.

As well as in an attacking sense, the Irons were far better defensively, with Jean-Clair Todibo putting in an 8/10 performance against Ipswich as the Frenchman begins to form a solid partnership with Max Kilman.

Kudus’ display attracted real attention too, with the Ghanian getting on the scoresheet, completing 93% of his passes and attempting five shots on goal in what was a very threatening display (WhoScored).

Ex-West Ham chief suggests Chelsea could move for Kudus

The 24-year-old is one of Lopetegui’s best players, and has been key to West Ham since he joined the club from Ajax for £38 million last summer. This has led to reports that elite clubs could attempt to poach him, with Chelsea showing a reported interest in Kudus at various points.

Speaking to Football Insider, former West Ham recruitment employee Mick Brown, who remains well-connected at the club after leaving his post in June, has suggested that Chelsea could still move to sign Kudus – even if they don’t need him – and says that he knows clubs are interested and watching him.

“I know other clubs are interested and have been watching him,” said Brown.

“But I’ve seen an £85million release clause mentioned, I’ve heard that could put some of the interested clubs off of a move. It would have to be a situation where he wants to leave the club, but then you look around and you can’t see anybody who’s going to pay £85million for him.

“Man City have got enough wide players already, Liverpool won’t be able to afford it, where would he fit in the Arsenal team? Where does he go in the Chelsea team? Madueke is doing very well and improving, Cole Palmer is one of the best players in the league at the moment, they’ve got another load of wide players who don’t get near the team.

“You never know with Chelsea, though. We’ll see what happens with them. I’ve been told there are a lot of teams who want to sign Kudus from West Ham, and there are only three or four clubs who could maybe afford that price.

“But then you look at what they’ve already got, and they don’t need him.”

David Beckham’s twin has been revealed in a hilarious Super Bowl advert, with the Manchester United legend ‘related’ to a Hollywood superstar.

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• Ex-England captain told he has long-lost brother
• Travels to American to meet his 'twin'
• 'Other David' turns out to be Matt Damon

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Ahead of American football’s self-styled ‘Greatest Show On Turf’, Inter Miami co-owner Beckham has linked up with iconic beer brand Stella Artois. As part of their promotional campaign for a global spectacle at Ceasers Superdome in New Orleans, ex-England captain Beckham is said to have discovered that he has a long-lost brother.

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  Said sibling was, according to his parents, left in America as Beckham went on to become a global superstar in the European form of football. He has now been reunited with his brother – and it turns out that he is also quite famous.

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  Beckham’s twin is revealed to be Jason Bourne and The Martian star Matt Damon. He plays ‘other David’ in the Super Bowl commercial and shows that he boasts his own ability when it comes to kicking a football. He is surprised to learn that his brother is a “famous soccer player”.

The third edition of the CONCACAF-sanctioned tournament offers key matchups between MLS and LIGA MX teams

• Tournament runs from July 29 to Aug. 31, 2025
• New format features interleague matches through quarterfinals
• Defending champions Columbus Crew kick off against Toluca

• WHAT HAPPENED

  The Leagues Cup have unveiled the official schedule for the 2025 edition, featuring an new format that pits MLS teams against LIGA MX opponents throughout the tournament’s initial stages.

  The competition, set to run from July 29 to Aug. 31, will see 18 MLS teams and all 18 LIGA MX clubs battling for the coveted Leagues Cup trophy and coveted spots in the 2026 CONCACAF Champions Cup.

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• LEAGUES CUP 2025 SCHEDULE

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  This will be the first time that the new format of the Leagues Cup will be used, as it was created following a collaborative effort of the Leagues Cup Organizing Committee. The Committee was comprised of representatives from Leagues Cup, MLS and LIGA MX leadership.

  Not only that, host privileges will be awarded to the six top-ranked Liga MX teams to ensure neutral venues and less travel.

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• WHAT LIES AHEAD FOR THE LEAGUE CUP?

  The 2025 edition of the Leagues Cup is set to take place from July 29th, nearly five months after the 2025 MLS season kicks off. The format of the Leagues Cup has changed as the tournament will be played in two rounds: Phase One and the Knockout Rounds. Phase One will feature three consecutive match dates per club to be played between July 29-Aug. 7 with all 54 Phase One matches to be played between MLS and LIGA MX clubs.

  However, while they will be competing against teams from the opposite league, the teams will be competing in a league specific table and earn points. Thus, an MLS club’s win earns points on the Leagues Cup MLS table while a Liga MX club’s win contributes points to the Leagues Cup Liga MX table.

  The top four advance to the quarter-finals and will then be placed into a fixed bracket for a single game elimination Knockout round.

Leeds United go into their first fixture back in the Championship eager to get another win, after a comical trip to Sunderland last time out.

Illan Meslier’s last-gasp error helped the Black Cats pick up a share of the points in the bizarre 2-2 affair, with Leeds just seconds away from a narrow 2-1 win away at the early league leaders.

Daniel Farke will have had plenty to chew over, away from injury issues popping up in his camp, with his mind pondering what team to select for the challenge of Sheffield United tonight.

The German could be prepared to make two alterations to his XI, therefore, as the likes of Brenden Aaronson potentially drop out…

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GK – Illan Meslier

Despite his calamitous showing on Wearside, Meslier will likely be retained in between the sticks.

The divisive French shot-stopper is yet to be absent in the Championship this season and does have an impressive clean sheet total of five from nine games, away from his latest horror-show.

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RB – Jayden Bogle

Jayden Bogle also continues to be an everpresent member of the Leeds defence, and he impressed in patches at the Stadium of Light, with three tackles registered alongside five duels being won.

On top of that, he also showed off his willingness to join in with attacks which could catch Chris Wilder’s Blades napping, with one key pass registered.

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CB – Joe Rodon

Joe Rodon was also rock solid in his side’s last away match, despite a leaky Meslier, with six clearances and three blocked shots notched up.

At his A-Game, the former Tottenham Hotspur man should be able to keep the visitors at bay.

4

CB – Pascal Struijk

Whilst Rodon was the standout star from last campaign, Pascal Struijk is proving himself to be a gem at the back this season to date.

The long-standing Whites servant has been unbelievable on the ball in particular – averaging 81 accurate passes per game in the league – and could prove to be a calming influence for tonight’s possibly cagey game.

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LB – Junior Firpo

Junior Firpo is also a guaranteed starter you imagine for this clash against the Blades, having scored one of his side’s strikes away at Sunderland last match.

On top of being a capable livewire in attack, Firpo has also proven himself to be staunch defensively, amassing four clean sheets when playing in league action.

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CM – Ao Tanaka

Ao Tanaka will get the nod in one of the holding midfield spots, owing to both Ethan Ampadu and Ilia Gruev being sidelined for the foreseeable with worrying injury concerns.

The Japanese midfielder shone on international duty with his nation – amassing 57 accurate passes versus Australia – and will want to be an equally stylish operator for his new employers tonight.

7

CM – Joe Rothwell

Likewise, Joe Rothwell will continue filling in next to his ex-Fortuna Dusseldorf teammate.

This will only be the 29-year-old’s second start since his loan move, and he could be an exciting presence centrally, having fired home four league strikes last season for Southampton to help steer the Saints to promotion.

8

RM – Dan James

The first alteration to Farke’s XI could come in the form of Daniel James coming back into the side, with the Welshman in training again and potentially raring to go.

Scoring 13 times last campaign in the league, the “electric” attacker – as he has been described by football journalist Sanny Rudravajhala – does already have one next to his name from limited game time this season, which came against United’s arch-rivals Sheffield Wednesday.

Could he fancy netting against another Steel City outfit if selected?

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CAM – Wilfried Gnonto

Wilfried Gnonto won’t be sacrificed entirely for James to come in, however, with the Italian attacker moved into an attacking midfield spot to replace Aaronson.

Farke spoke of Aaronson being overworked on international duty and so he could be dropped with Gnonto potentially his solution, as the 20-year-old did net eight strikes from his 12-goal tally for former employers FC Zurich operating as a second striker.

10

LM – Largie Ramazani

Largie Ramazani has dazzled Leeds fans in recent contests, amassing two goals and one assist from his last four Championship matches.

He is yet to score in front of the Elland Road masses, but that duck could be broken if the ex-Almeria winger is at the peak of his powers tonight.

Ipswich Town chiefs have been left unhappy with summer signing Kalvin Phillips, according to a new report.

Ipswich Town still searching for first Premier League win after busy summer

The Tractor Boys and Kieran McKenna are still searching for their first Premier League victory of the 2024/25 season, with Saturday’s defeat to Everton making it eight without a win in the top flight.

Ipswich have drawn four of those eight games and remain outside the relegation zone, but goals from Iliman Ndiaye and Michael Keane were enough for the Toffees to hand McKenna’s side a second home Premier League defeat.

Talking after the game, McKenna said: “It ended up being a poor day for us. The first half was pretty even but at the moment the moments are going against us. It was an error from us for the first goal and the over-rule for penalty is a very surprising one considering everything I’ve been told about clear and obvious – that makes it 1-1 and shortly after we didn’t defend a corner well enough in the second phase.

“We knew it would be a challenging season and the step up into the Premier League was always going to be a big challenge. In eight games we’ve got a result in four of them. We know where we need to improve and it’s up to us to turn those margins in our favour. The last two games have got away from us.”

One player to start at Portman Road was Phillips, who has now made five league starts since joining on loan from Manchester City in what was a busy summer window for the newly promoted side.

The 28-year-old only managed 71 minutes on the weekend and has only played 90 minutes once for his new side, and it looks as if those behind the scenes aren’t too impressed with the £150,000-a-week star.

Ipswich Town chiefs not happy with Kalvin Phillips

As shared by Football Insider, Ipswich Town chiefs are not happy with Phillips and specifically, the condition he is in.

The report adds that Ipswich are “amazed” at Phillips’ lack of mobility and running power, whereas ‘insiders say his condition is nowhere near the level of a top Premier League footballer’.

Phillips is comfortably Ipswich’s highest-paid player in 2024/25 but has been the club’s 12th-best performer in the Premier League so far, as per WhoScored, averaging a match rating of 6.36/10.

Ipswich Town may sell Liam Delap to rivals for record £30m+ fee in January

Not the news Tractor Boys supporters will want to hear.

By
Charlie Smith

Oct 22, 2024

Those at Portman Road don’t seem too happy with what they’re seeing at this moment in time, and it’ll be interesting to see if Phillips continues in McKenna’s starting XI over the coming months.

Conceicao denounced rumors of rift with Pulisic, says USMNT star is not ready for 90 minutes due to a muscle issue

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• Milan manager claims Pulisic is not completely fit
• Adds reports of a rift between two is built on "lies"
• American leads team in G+A across all comps in '24-25

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  U.S. international Christian Pulisic is reportedly not 100 percent match fit for AC Milan, per manager Sergio Conceicao.

  The American suffered a muscle issue in January that saw him miss a Jan. 18 match against Juventus, and he's been used cautiously since in Serie A action, with two starts and two appearances off the bench since.

  Milan exited the UEFA Champions League this past week in disappointing fashion after a two-legged defeat to Dutch side Feyenoord. Conceicao started Pulisic in both matches but subbed him off the pitch earlier than expected both times. Speaking ahead of the weekend match against Torino on Friday, he shared fitness updates regarding his squad, including sharing that Pulisic is not fit to play 90 minutes.

  “[Kyle] Walker is unavailable. Pulisic doesn’t have 90 minutes in his legs, [Santiago] Giménez is improving every day but is not yet at the level we want him to be," Conceicao said at a news conference. "We are working on it. At least for the style of play I want, he needs to be intense for the full 90 minutes.

  “I found some players struggling in this regard, as well as some injuries. Playing every three days, always in decisive matches – because here, if you draw, it’s like losing – always being on the edge, it’s not easy to manage.”

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  After the midweek exit in European competitions, reports surfaced that Pulisic was unhappy with the Portuguese manager, and that after the match a feud developed between the two. However, Pulisic denied the reports, and now Conceicao has doubled-down on the American's comments, claiming the various reports to be "lies."

  “I keep reading lies and lies in the press," Conceicao said. "I don’t like this. I am in front of you every three or four days. If you have any doubts I'll tell you, I am upfront. Lies hurt, players today are active in social media. It is not easy to manage the group with also things to improve on the pitch. Sometimes I also have to manage things that do not belong to me, but it is my group and I have to manage it. Only with my group in the best conditions can I win.”

• DID YOU KNOW?

  In Serie A competition, Pulisic has six goals and six assists for Milan, while across all competitions, he has 17 total goal-contributions for the Italian club in the 2024-25 season.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MILAN?

  The clash with Torino this weekend in Serie A action.

Liverpool have revealed how much the departure of Jurgen Klopp's coaching team cost the club, while announcing a record pre-tax loss of £57m ($72m).

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• German coach departed in summer of 2024
• Lack of Champions League football cost Reds
• Wage bill on Merseyside continues to rise

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  German tactician Klopp brought his Premier League title-winning tenure at Anfield to a close in the summer of 2024. His contract on Merseyside was due to run for another two years, with the Reds agreeing to the early termination of said terms.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Sanctioning that exit did not come cheap, with Klopp and his backroom team pocketing £9.6m ($12m) between them. That sum contributed to Liverpool posting record losses through to the end of the 2023-24 campaign.

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  DID YOU KNOW?

  Club revenue did increase to a record high £614m ($774m), as the Reds savoured another Carabao Cup triumph, while commercial revenue has reached £308m ($388m) courtesy of lucrative deals struck with the likes of UP, Google Pixel and Peloton.

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• TELL ME MORE

  The lack of Champions League football did, however, cost Liverpool dear. Media revenue dipped by £38m ($m) as a result, while administrative costs rose from £562m to £600m ($756m). Bank debt has fallen slightly, while matchday revenue has risen by £22m to £102m ($129m) thanks to the redeveloped Anfield Road Stand.

Everton’s lack of goals this season in the Premier League is proving to be a major concern. Sean Dyche’s side have scored only ten times, which is the fourth-lowest total in the top flight.

Southampton (seven), Crystal Palace (eight) and Manchester United (nine) are the only teams with fewer goals than the Toffees. Combine this with the fact they have conceded 17 times, and it is clear they have to improve at both ends of the pitch.

Does this look likely, however? Perhaps not. Some of Dyche’s options are not pulling their weight in the final third…

Everton need more from their centre-forwards

Dominic Calvert-Lewin has arguably been the biggest disappointment this season, scoring only two goals from ten Premier League appearances.

Given he is a regular in the starting XI, more is needed from the Englishman if he looks to drag the Toffees away from the bottom end of the league table.

Beto, too, has scored once this term in the league, although he did have an effort disallowed against Southampton on the weekend and looks to finally be finding himself in Merseyside after a tricky first year at the club.

Three goals from two players expected to contribute more will be worrying for Dyche, but it won’t be the first time the club have players who were expected to bring more to the table before enduring underwhelming spells at the club.

Nikola Vlasic is a name that springs to mind…

Market Movers

Football FanCast's Market Movers series explores the changing landscape of the modern transfer market. How much is your club's star player or biggest flop worth today?

Nikola Vlasic’s Everton statistics

The Croatian joined the Goodison Park side in the summer of 2017 for a fee in the region of £8m.

Despite lofty expectations, the forward managed to play only 19 first-team games for the Toffees, scoring just twice in the process in what was a hugely disappointing spell on Merseyside.

He ended up joining CSKA Moscow on loan for the 2018/19 campaign, before moving to Russia on a permanent deal worth £14m in 2019, meaning the club had at least made a profit on the Croatian.

Fast-forward five years, it is clear that they sold him at precisely the right time, considering how low his market value is at present…

Nikola Vlasic’s market value

According to Transfermarkt, the 27-year-old is currently valued at just £8.3m and his valuation has been in rapid decline since 2021, when he was valued at a high £26m during his spell with the Moscow side.

At the time of writing, he is even worth less than 50% of the current Everton first-team squad, yet more evidence of his declining value.

The former Everton dud is playing for Torino in Serie A, scoring once in six appearances this term.

Since he joined the Italian side in 2022, Vlasic has scored only nine times in 78 games, hardly the form of a player at the peak of his powers.

His spell in England didn’t work out, with both Everton and West Ham United, but it is evident the Toffees hit the jackpot on him in 2019 when they made a £6m profit on the forward.

Barkley 2.0: Everton thought they had England's next gem but he left for £0

He slipped through the cracks at Everton like Ross Barkley.

By
Joe Nuttall

Nov 3, 2024