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Ryan Reynolds claims to “die” when Wrexham lose, with the club’s Hollywood co-owners revealing how their “love” sparked another promotion push.

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Red Dragons wobbled during 2023-24 campaignThreatened to derail push for top-three finishFinished with a flourish after visit from chairmanWHAT HAPPENED?

The Red Dragons opened their League Two campaign in 2023-24 with collective sights locked on securing a top-three finish. Just past the midway point, with 26 of their 46 fixtures taken in, the wheels started to come off for Phil Parkinson’s side.

AdvertisementGetty/GOALWHAT REYNOLDS SAID

A run of three straights losses, and just two wins in nine, saw the Welsh outfit slip out of the automatic promotion places. That testing period has now figured on the documentary, with Reynolds saying of how negative results impact him: “I'm not a football expert so what the f*ck do I know? But I can't seem to figure it out, no one can figure out what's going wrong. Our away form has been a little trashy but god dammit I love this club with every cell of my body. It's like I die when they lose.”

He added: “We just have to do better, and I think that Rob and I need to show our face, go to the town, go to the Racecourse and just be there.”

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Reynolds – due to his filming commitments with the new Deadpool film – was unable to travel to SToK Racecourse, but McElhenney made the trip for a welcome 4-0 victory over Accrington. He said: “It just felt like the right time to visit Wrexham and spend some time with the team and the people. I love Wrexham, I consider it my second home. I just think it's one of those places that draws you back and always welcomes you back. It felt like the morale had dropped at that point and I was really concerned. So we wanted to go down there and show our support. As co-chairman of a football club it's good to show your face and give some support in person, especially when they're struggling a bit.”

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR WREXHAM?

Wrexham turned their season around from there, dropping just eight points through their final 12 games of the campaign. That run was enough to land a runners-up finish, with the Red Dragons now readying themselves for life in League One.

Recalled paceman expects his experience and ability to reverse swing the ball to stand him in good stead in the UK

Umar Farooq21-May-20193:01

‘Was disheartening to be sidelined for two years’ – Wahab Riaz

A visibly excited Wahab Riaz said he was raring to go and “prove Mickey Arthur wrong”, after being picked against all odds in Pakistan’s World Cup squad.Wahab last played an ODI in June 2017 during Pakistan’s Champions Trophy title run, and was not among the 23 World Cup probables selected last month or the 17 men who were in England recently for the ODI series. Back in April 2018, Arthur, the Pakistan coach, had criticised the paceman’s “work ethic” and brought up the fact that he had not “won us a game in two years”.He did, however, do well in the Pakistan Cup 50-over tournament this year, picking up ten wickets in five games at an average of 20.70 and an economy of 4.60, as his team Khyber Pakhtunkhwa won the title.”I can’t explain in words the pain I have gone through, but I don’t want to live in the past. That’s history now,” Wahab said at a press conference before leaving for England. “Now it’s about what we are going to do in the World Cup. Obviously it’s the coach’s duty to get the best results from the players, and he wants players that can win matches for the team. I also wanted to be in the team, the only difference is I missed two years of [international] cricket. Now I am in and want to prove him [Arthur] wrong and justify my opportunity.

I even had dreams I was meeting Mickey Arthur and Sarfaraz Ahmad, and sometimes they would pick me, and reject me at other times

“You can’t say it was unfair [that I was selected]. I kept on hearing that I might be chosen for the Australia series or the one against England, but it didn’t work out. It was Allah’s will that my selection was meant for the World Cup directly, but I have been praying that whatever happens should happen for good. Being named in the squad and then not being able to perform will be another unfortunate thing as there is a lot of expectation. I hope for the best and want to take this opportunity to move on and perform.”The last two years have seen Pakistan bank on the likes of Mohammad Amir, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Hassan Ali, Faheem Ashraf and Junaid Khan for their fast-bowling needs, with Wahab overlooked. He even signed with Derbyshire in a bid to reboot his international career, but to no avail. Till now.”I was extremely disheartened as I was performing for the past two years,” he said. “But since I couldn’t perform in the Champions Trophy, I had to sit out because you need to do well continuously to be a part of the team. I was trying to push my case for selection by performing wherever I could. I was very disappointed and frustrated too. I felt that I was hard done by, but at the same time the team was doing well. But I never lost hope. Now, I feel I have been rewarded.”I kept myself fully prepared for this World Cup even knowing that I am nowhere near the team. I even had dreams I was meeting Mickey Arthur and Sarfaraz Ahmad, and sometimes they would pick me, and reject me at other times. Around ten days ago, I had a dream that Inzi bhai [Inzamam-ul-Haq, the chief selector] gave me a call and told me that I have been selected and this is my last chance. It was exactly how it happened when I was called and told about the decision. It is nothing less than make or break for a player who gets an opportunity to play in the World Cup.”Can’t catch me: Wahab Riaz was too good for Zimbabwe’s tail•ICCOne of his direct competitors for a slot in the 15, Junaid Khan, was dropped after being part of the preliminary squad. His made his frustration and anger plain after the event, posting a photograph on social media, later deleted, that depicted him with tape over his mouth.”Every player wishes to play for Pakistan and the World Cup is the biggest challenge in your career,” said Wahab. “Obviously, he will be saddened and very frustrated, and must be thinking he had been treated unfairly. But when I was out for two years, I was thinking the same. At the end, this is the Pakistan team and its selectors, coaches and captains make the decision. I am sure this wasn’t meant to hurt someone but it’s for the country, and whatever they think is good for Pakistan.”Wahab’s selection is mainly based on his ability to generate reverse swing in what everyone expects will be batting-friendly conditions. Pakistan had not expected the pitches in the UK to be as flat as they were in the ODI series, as Inzamam pointed out, but on the evidence of those games, they realised the importance of an experienced hand like Wahab.”Obviously, there’s a lot of pressure since Inzi bhai has said that I have been brought back on the basis of my experience,” Wahab said. “I have worked hard and matured as a bowler in the last two years. I have learnt a lot and the results are visible to everyone. You can’t judge anyone on the basis of one match. I am a bowler and there are chances that I may concede 60, 70 or 80 runs, and it has happened in the past as well. But that’s doesn’t mean that I lost my skills and ability.”It is important to keep things simple on batting wickets. Variations and reverse swing are key in the death overs. With the conditions dry and wickets hard in England, there will be reverse swing and the team that does it better will have the advantage. I have expertise in reverse swing so I will try to restrict the flow of runs in the final few overs.”

Manchester United are set to see numerous faces leave the club this January, but incomings are not guaranteed with a rocky financial fair play situation staring the club in the face.

That said, Erik ten Hag is desperate to find a solution to his side's attacking issues, which has seen them score just 24 goals in 21 Premier League games.

Therefore, the Red Devils could look to secure a deal for a new number nine in January.

Man Utd’s search for a striker

According to Sky Sports Germany journalist Florian Plettenberg via X, Ten Hag is keen to sign Brian Brobbey this month, rather than in the summer.

The Dutch forward has been in contact with United since the summer, and he appreciates his former boss.

However, due to Brobbey’s contract until 2027, Ajax want to keep hold of their star striker until the end of the season at least. It's also thought the exciting Joshua Zirkzee is on the list.

Games

32

Goals

13

Assists

3

Minutes played

869

Starts

7

Minutes per goal

67

How Brian Brobbey could revive Marcus Rashford

This season, Marcus Rashford has looked and performed like a player who is lost for confidence and lacking ideas, which is a shock considering he netted 17 goals in the Premier League last campaign.

Yet, unfortunately, this time around, the number ten has only scored four times in 20 league matches.

That said, he has shown signs of improvement recently, and he has scored in United’s last two Premier League matches, but a player who could fully revive Rashford is Brobbey, who has been unbelievable this season, leading the line at Ajax to devastating effect.

Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig alluded to the fact that Brobbey “loves to score" and that is most definitely highlighted by his nine goals in 16 Eredivisie matches this term. The table below shows some of Brobbey’s statistics from the last 365 days and how he compares to positional peers across leagues most similar to the Dutch top flight.

Non-penalty goals

0.62

Top 5%

Assists

0.22

Top 10%

Progressive passes received

8.63

Top 4%

Shots total

3.82

Top 5%

Key passes

1.47

Top 9%

Shot-creating actions

3.38

Top 9%

Touches (Att pen)

8.94

Top 1%

As we can extract from the data, the ex-Leipzig forward is the definition of a modern-day target man who thrives in and around the box, using his strength and goal-scoring instincts to cause chaos.

Rashford is one of United’s most creative outlets, as shown by the fact he’s created the second-highest number of chances for the team this season (6), Therefore having a true number nine who is reliable in front of goal would take the decision-making away from the England star in some situations and allow his creativity to flourish.

Brobbey, notably described as a "beast" by scout Jacek Kulig, also ranks highly for key passes, assists, and shot-creating actions, which proves he can elevate others with his combination play. This would bring Rashford into the game more frequently in those left-sided inverted areas where he is most dangerous, making the attacker much more direct and ultimately boosting his output.

The Netherlands ace is also a striker who can practically excel in any game state due to his technical ability and intelligence, which is perfect for Ten Hag’s transition-focused approach.

Overall, Brobbey would be the ideal striker to rival or replace Rasmus Hojlund, who has netted just twice in 16 Premier League games, and he would provide Rashford with the foundations to once again become one of the deadliest attackers in Europe.

ESPNcricinfo’s live updates and analysis of Afghanistan v Australia at the World Cup

Deivarayan Muthu01-Jun-2019

Jacob Mendy has explained how Wrexham co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have helped him to recover from the “worst” injury of his career.

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Defender picked up hamstring problemMissed promotion party in Las VegasFeeling positive after undergoing surgeryWHAT HAPPENED?

The 27-year-old defender saw his 2023-24 campaign brought to an abrupt halt in early April. He had been enjoying a productive season up until that point, with Africa Cup of Nations duty worked in alongside a push for promotion out of League Two.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesWHAT MENDY SAID

Hamstring trouble prevented Mendy from joining wild celebrations at SToK Racecourse, and another trip to Las Vegas, with the Gambia international having to undergo surgery. He is on the mend and has told of his rehabilitation programme: “The operation went really well. Better than expected and I’m recovering fast, so I’m happy. The crutches went two weeks ago and I’m now doing a bit of walking… exercise in the gym, too, so I’m feeling great. This injury at Colchester was the worst one I’ve ever had.”

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Mendy is not expected to return to action until “August or maybe September”, but added on boasting the full support of those around him in North Wales – including a couple of Hollywood chairmen: “They reached out as soon as they found out how bad the injury was. We had a chat. They told me to be calm and patient, that I’d come back stronger and that they’d do everything to help me come back in the best shape I could.”

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Getty/GOALWHAT NEXT FOR WREXHAM?

Reynolds and McElhenney are currently in the process of helping to piece together plans for the summer transfer window, with Phil Parkinson expected to draft in fresh faces alongside Mendy and Co for a step up into the third tier of English football.

Sri Lankan to stand in second World Cup final alongside Marais Erasmus

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Jul-2019Kumar Dharmasena will umpire Sunday’s World Cup final between England and New Zealand, despite his incorrect decision to give Jason Roy out in yesterday’s semi-final.Dharmasena gave Roy out caught behind on 85 off Pat Cummins, despite replays showing that he had made no contact with the ball.The umpire appeared to suggest Roy should refer the decision if he didn’t think he was out, apparently failing to realise that Jonny Bairstow had already used up England’s review after he was trapped in front by Mitchell Starc.Roy’s remonstrations on the field – he was picked up calling the decision “f**king embarrassing” by stump microphones – earned him two demerit points and a fine worth 30 per cent of his match fee, which he accepted at a post-match hearing.Roy escaped a ban for the final, falling one short of the four-point threshold, but will face a one-Test or two-ODI suspension if he receives another demerit point within the next two years.Dharmasena has won the ICC’s Umpire of the Year award twice – in 2012 and 2018 – but also holds an unwanted record involving England. In 2016, during a Test in Chittagong, eight of his on-field calls were overturned, notably including a streak in which he gave Moeen Ali out three times in six balls, only for the batsman to successfully review each decision.He will be standing in his second consecutive World Cup final, and also umpired the 2016 World T20 final.Dharmasena will be joined in the middle by Marais Erasmus, who stood alongside him in Thursday’s semi-final.Rod Tucker will be the sole Australian representative at Lord’s in his capacity as third umpire, while Aleem Dar, of Pakistan, will be fourth official. Sri Lankan Ranjan Madugalle will be the match referee.

Bayern Munich chief Max Eberl has heavily criticized Real Madrid's signing of Kylian Mbappe as he calls the transfer 'greedy.'

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Mbappe's Real Madrid move blasted by Eberl Bayern chief slams 'greedy' move by Los Blancos Claims similar greed will be a 'nail in the coffin of football' WHAT HAPPENED?

Real Madrid announced Mbappe's transfer earlier this week as a free agent and although there isn't a transfer price because the Frenchman allowed his contract with Paris Saint-Germain to run down, it is claimed that he has been given a massive signing-on bonus and alongside mammoth wages, which Eberl believes other clubs couldn't achieve.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT EBERL SAID

Speaking to Suddeutsche Zeitung, Eberl said [via AS]: "You can always become more of a money-grubbing person, but everyone who is a money-grubbing person will gradually become the nail in football's coffin. If all the money goes out [of the market] at some point, then there will be nothing left for us to do business with. We're talking about hundreds of millions. That's too much and at some point you get the feeling that it will burst.

"At some point it will be oversaturated and Saudi Arabia will come along. That doesn't feel very good. I have to say that to be fair, but that's the market right now. The money is leaving the market. No club benefits from it. Players, families, agents, everyone benefits, but not the clubs. In the past, at least clubs profited. The money stayed in the cycle and that will become less and less now."

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With a reported estimated yearly post-tax salary of €15 million (£12.7m/$16.2m), Mbappe's move is expected to make him the highest-paid player in the team. Mbappe has reportedly accepted a €10 million (£8.5m/$10.8m) pay cut from PSG, although he will still receive a massive €150 million (£127.6m/$162m) signing bonus to be paid over the course of his five-year deal.

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WHAT NEXT FOR MBAPPE?

The French superstar will only join forces with Los Blancos after the conclusion of the Euros. He will hope to win the only international title that has slipped his hands so far.

Sheffield Wednesday are reportedly looking to add a new winger to Danny Rohl's playing squad before the transfer window slams shut this evening.

Latest Sheffield Wednesday transfer news

According to The Star, the Owls are battling it out with their Championship rivals Birmingham City to sign a forward from one of the sides fighting for promotion.

The report claims that they are both vying to complete a deal to bring Ian Poveda in from Leeds United, who are in-and-around the automatic promotion race.

Phil Hay, of The Athletic, has since added that the Whites are prepared to allow the former Manchester City winger to move on from Elland Road today, in what could be a permanent exit for him with his contract up at the end of the season.

The 23-year-old whiz could come in as an exciting partner for current Owls forward Anthony Musaba, who has shown glimpses of quality this season.

Anthony Musaba's Championship form

Signed from AS Monaco last summer, the Wednesday gem has stepped up in the fight to drag his side out of the relegation zone in the Championship.

The 23-year-old dynamo is currently the club's top goalscorer in the division with a return of four goals in 17 starts, with three of those strikes coming since the start of December.

Musaba, who has also registered two assists and created two 'big chances', currently ranks within the top 19% of Championship attacking midfielders and wingers for successful take-ons (1.98) per 90, which shows that he can take on opposition defenders to push his team up the pitch.

In Poveda, Rohl could unearth another potential match-winner and ball carrier on the opposite flank to cause problems for full-backs alongside Musaba.

Ian Poveda's attacking potential

The Leeds youngster is far from a proven talent but it is difficult for Wednesday to attract proven quality when they are inside the bottom three in the second tier.

They have to take risks in the hope that they pay off and that could be the case with Poveda, who has the potential to develop into an exciting operator for the club.

The £8.3k-per-week ace, whose movements were once hailed as "crazy" by boss Daniel Farke, spent the 2022/23 campaign on loan with Blackpool in the second tier and contributed with two goals and one assist in ten starts.

He did, however, rank within the top 7% of forwards for progressive carries (4.42) and successful take-ons (3.29) per 90 across his 24 league outings.

This suggests that, like Musaba, the Colombia international can provide value in being able to progress the team up the pitch and evade opposition presses on a regular basis.

Appearances

32

37

Goals

Nine

Six

Assists

Five

Eight

As you can see in the table above, Poveda did showcase his ability to make a consistent impact in the final third as a scorer and creator of goals at academy level during his time with Manchester City.

He is yet to translate that to first-team football but Rohl could hope that it all comes together for him at Wednesday to combine an end product with his impressive dribbling and carrying ability, which is why the Leeds youngster could turn out to be an exciting partner for Musaba out wide.

Since becoming Manchester United boss last summer, Erik ten Hag hasn’t had much luck with his signings.

Injuries have plagued almost every purchase, with Casemiro and Lisandro Martinez notably being two players to have missed a good chunk of this season through injury.

These setbacks have prevented the Dutch boss from fielding a constant starting XI, which has been reflected in their sixth-place position in the Premier League.

Nonetheless, Ten Hag will be particularly frustrated by the lack of availability of one new signing, who has played just 401 minutes in the league since arriving.

Man United’s forgotten man

Mason Mount joined United in the summer from boyhood club Chelsea for a whopping fee of £60m.

The England star was handed the iconic number seven shirt in an attempt to revive his career after a rocky spell at the Blues, but he hasn’t lived up to anywhere near the standards of the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, David Beckham, and George Best, who wore that famous number on their backs.

Mount has featured eight times in the Premier League for United this season, starting just four matches. His most recent appearance for the Red Devils came at the start of November against Luton Town.

The reason for the 25-year-old missing so much action is two unknown injuries, which have seen him be absent for 22 games this season and counting.

Mount is now worth less than Antony

Antony is another Ten Hag signing that has failed to impress since his £86m move last summer, more so this season than last, with the Brazilian not registering a goal contribution in the league all season.

Despite the 23-year-old’s uninspiring performances and recent exclusion from the starting XI, CIES Football Observatory still values the former Ajax star at £51m, which is arguably surprising given his showing in England.

However, according to the same source, Mount is now estimated to be worth £26m amid to his lack of action, which is clearly way below both what United paid for him, and what Antony is valued at.

The number seven is also worth less than the likes of Scott McTominay and Jadon Sancho, and he ranks 11th in the United value ranking.

Marcus Rashford

£86m

Hojlund, Garnacho, Fernandes

£69m

Antony, Dalot, Onana

£51m

McTominay

£43m

Sancho, Martinez

£34m

Mount

£26m

In truth, it’s still very early days in Mount’s Manchester adventure, but he couldn’t have gotten off to a worse start in his new surroundings. It’s not just down to him, but the United midfield has been stretched this season, and his absence certainly hasn’t helped.

Furthermore, he looked off the pace prior to his injuries, with Samuel Luckhurst stating that Mount has “struggled” this season. But that was to be expected after his last start for Chelsea was last February.

Overall, you have to question United’s recruitment approach over Mount, as paying £60m for a player who has had recent injury troubles was a risk in the first place. Unfortunately, it’s fair to say that it’s come back to bite the Red Devils this season so far.

Christian Pulisic has helped to deliver a 50 percent surge in AC Milan interest across America, with the USMNT star joined at San Siro by Yunus Musah.

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American stars headed to Italy in 2023Have impressed for Serie A giantsCompatriots following their exploits closelyWHAT HAPPENED?

Two United States internationals made their way to Italy in the summer of 2023. Pulisic severed ties with Premier League giants Chelsea, having become a Champions League winner during his time in west London, while Musah completed a transfer from La Liga side Valencia.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Both have caught the eye in Milan, with Pulisic posting a personal-best goal return of 15 efforts in the 2023-24 campaign. He is now on Copa America duty and may be given the chance to captain his country at that prestigious event. All eyes are on him, with interest building in his exploits for club and country – as well as his personal life off the field.

DID YOU KNOW?

That mass appeal has been highlighted in a study conducted by Men in Blazers and YouGov, which has looked into the growth of Italian football across the States. They have found that Milan’s fan base in the U.S. has increased by 50%, while overall interest in Serie A has risen 27%.

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Milan have been working hard on attracting a younger audience, with the pull of Pulisic and Musah crucial to that cause. The Rossoneri have opened an academy in Virginia, while their Junior Camp project will engage with 24 North American cities this summer.