Sheffield Wednesday manager Danny Rohl has taken a "major" action to lift his side after Monday's 2-0 defeat to Middlesbrough.

Damaging defeat at Riverside

The Owls were back in Championship action on Easter Monday, making the trip to Boro for an important clash, but the performance they produced at the Riverside Stadium left a lot to be desired. In the end, Rohl's side were comprehensively beaten by their opponents, who also missed a penalty late in the day, with the visitors only having 35% possession in the game and managing just two shots on target.

For a Wednesday team who are battling for their lives at the bottom of the Championship, it was a display lacking intent, quality and heart, and the manager was not remotely amused after the game.

It was a rollocking that was richly deserved, considering how poor the display was, and the hope is that it produces a reaction in the coming matches.

Journalist reacts to big Rohl's rant

Taking to X, Alex Miller shared his thoughts on Rohl's angry reaction to Wednesday's loss at Middlesbrough, saying it feels like a potentially deciding moment in the run-in.

"Danny Rohl's angry, public post-match hairdryer felt like a major moment, a signal that the time for niceties is over. He'd sought to protect his players before by sticking his own hand up after heavy defeats. The reaction will be fascinating."

It did definitely feel significant that Rohl essentially decided to call his players out, having spent so much time backing them since arriving as manager earlier in the season, even when a performance or a result hasn't been good enough. Monday's performance appeared to be one too many for the German, however, who will be demanding so much more from his players between now and the end of the season.

Anthony Musaba

6

Ike Ugbo

6

Bailey Cadamarteri

5

Josh Windass

4

Marvin Johnson

3

Djeidi Gassama

3

Michael Smith

3

Other results didn't go Wednesday's way during the afternoon, too, with the likes of Blackburn Rovers, Birmingham City and QPR all winning, and they will return to League One if there isn't a major improvement, starting away to the latter on Saturday afternoon.

There are still six matches remaining for the Owls, and only two points separate them from safety, but if they play in such a feeble manner in the last few fixtures, they will have little to no hope of avoiding the drop, ruining all of the manager's hard work.

Fifties for Burns and Pope as England make most of batting practice in Benoni

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Dec-2019England 337 for 5 (Denly 103, Pope 70*, Burns 56) v South Africa AJoe Denly rose above the sickness that has swept through the England camp, and cemented his No. 3 credentials with a well-crafted century on the opening day of the team’s final warm-up match in Benoni.Denly was eventually run out for 103 from 192 balls, a solid innings featuring 15 fours and one that built on his steady displays in the New Zealand Tests last month. On his watch, England closed the first day on 337 for 5 – a decent work-out for a threadbare squad that has been gutted by a stomach bug in this past week.Denly’s innings did not, however, count as his 30th first-class hundred, as the match had been downgraded to a friendly to allow England’s stricken players more time to recover – in particular Jofra Archer, Stuart Broad and Jack Leach, all of whom stayed back at the team hotel instead of travelling to Benoni.It was, however, a chanceless display – Denly did not benefit from any of the four dropped catches that littered South Africa A’s fielding – and it showed tenacity too, as he was one of the many players who had been struggling going into the day’s play.”I don’t think I’ve had it quite as bad as some of the boys, just a mild case of man-flu, so I’m alright now,” said Denly at the close. “It was quite a sapping heat out there today so I was a bit tired by the end, but I’ve loaded up on medication and vitamins and I feel alright now.”England chose to bat first and were given a solid start to their day’s work when Rory Burns and Dom Sibley added 60 for the first wicket inside the first 20 overs. But the introduction of Andile Phehlukwayo broke the stand, as Sibley was bowled by his fourth ball of the day for 22.Burns brought up a measured half-century shortly before lunch, but he was prised out by the second ball after the resumption, as Phehlukwayo found his outside edge on 56, for Kyle Verreyne to take a fine diving catch, one-handed to his left.Joe Root didn’t hang around for long – he was the next to fall for 12, one ball after being dropped on the slog-sweep off Dane Piedt, as Nandre Burger found his outside edge for Reeza Hendricks to cling on at slip.But Ben Stokes gained some useful time in the middle in a third-wicket stand of 82, although he too had a lucky let-off when he top-edged a bouncer to fine leg on 46. One run later, however, he took on Lutho Sipamla with a big mow down the ground, but failed to clear Dane Piedt at long-off.His departure at 207 for 4 gave Ollie Pope a chance to spend some useful time in the middle, and he didn’t disappoint, showing impressive fluency in reaching 70 not out from 87 balls by the close, with Jos Buttler alongside him on 16.Despite the reduced status of the match, Denly’s innings was his first century in England colours, a feat which didn’t go unnoticed, although he was simply pleased to be in a decent vein of form leading up to the Boxing Day Test.”It’s nice to get that first one, obviously it’s not a Test match, but a hundred’s a hundred and in the couple of games I’ve played I’ve managed to spend some time at the crease, so I feel good,” he said. “There wasn’t too much seam movement for the bowlers and it was a slow wicket too so I took a bit of time to get used to the pace of the ball, but once you got in it was nice to play on.”Asked about the likelihood of England’s ill bowlers featuring at any stage of the match, Denly said that he would have to defer to the team’s medical staff, but remained optimistic that they’ll be fit and ready for Boxing Day.”I suppose it’s not ideal for those guys not to have taken part, but hopefully they’ve rested up well,” he said. “They’ve all played enough cricket to hopefully come back stronger over the next few days. They are on the mend, getting better each day, so we’ll see.”

Late-stage drama has been a prominent factor behind the respective campaigns of Tottenham Hotspur and Luton Town, with the typical contrasting results coming into play when the teams clashed on Saturday afternoon.

Indeed, Heung-min Son bagged a late winner after Tottenham had fallen behind in the early stage, with the skipper's deflected strike spinning a bleakly familiar narrative for the valiant Hatters on their first campaign back in England's first division.

Ange Postecoglou's side had restored parity early after the break after Issa Kabore turned into his own net following Brennan Johnson's cross.

The Wales international was introduced after the break, and while Son took the limelight with his late winner, Johnson deserves all the plaudits for his difference-making display.

Brennan Johnson's performance vs Luton

Son bagged to take his seasonal tally up to 15 goals and eight assists from 26 Premier League appearances, taking Harry Kane's mantle as the club's talisman with resounding success this year.

The South Korean star was the man to initiate the late winner, but it was Johnson who cleverly crafted a pass to set his skipper on his way.

Signed from Nottingham Forest for £47.5m last summer, Johnson has now chalked up four goals and seven assists from just 15 top-flight starts in a Lilywhite shirt, really turning the tide after replacing Dejan Kulusevski at half-time.

Brennan Johnson: Stats vs Luton Town

Stat

#

Minutes played

45'

Assists

1

Touches

29

Accurate passes

15/21 (71%)

Key passes

3

Duels won

2/3

Tackles

1

Stats via Sofascore

Kulusevski has so often been essential to Tottenham's performance this season but Johnson might just have played himself into his teammates' position, influential yet again.

Dejan Kulusevski must be ruthlessly dropped

Kulusevski has been a key component of Tottenham's efforts this term but he faltered against Luton, and after being hooked for Johnson at half-time, Postecoglou clearly played the right move given the Welshman's influential moments.

As per Sofascore, Kulusevski took 32 touches across his 45 minutes of action but completed just 67% of his passes – albeit making three key passes for his peers.

The Sweden international also won just three of his eight contested duels, was dribbled past and failed to make a single dribble himself, but he was wasteful and ineffective on too many occasions and will be displeased with his effort.

Football.london correspondent Alasdair Gold was particularly scathing in his post-match comments, branding Kulusevski with a 4/10 match rating and writing: 'A poor pass in a great position early on set Luton away for their early goal. Did play Werner through with a good pass about 10 minutes later and played Son through to hit both posts, but his passing was otherwise off though and he did not reappear for the second half.'

While the one-time Parma man has received much praise this season for his energy and enthusiasm, even described as the "engine" of Postecoglou's system by Sky Sports reporter Jamie Weir, it's hard to ignore Johnson's continual impactful performances right now.

The shrewd recruitment since the end of last season enables Postecoglou to bench such a player as Kulusevski – who is considered Tottenham's most valuable player by CIES Football Observatory.

Luton are deceptively tricky customers and Spurs should be delighted with a hard-fought victory to continue the fight for Champions League football.

Kulusevski has been integral this season, but he's fallen from form and Johnson must now be provided with centre stage. He's really starting to come into his own.

Related Spurs lining up their answer to Haaland in move for £30m “machine”

Ange could complete his team by signing this priority target in the summer.

Posts ByAngus Sinclair Mar 29, 2024

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O Palmeiras se reapresentou nesta sexta-feira (28), na Academia de Futebol, após golear por 6 a 0 o Universitário-PER e, agora, inicia os trabalhos visando a estreia do Brasileirão, contra o Flamengo. No treinamento, o treinador Abel Ferreira contou com a volta de Renan, que participou de algumas atividades.

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O zagueiro, que se recupera de um trauma no joelho, participou, junto dos companheiros, de um trabalho posicional de transição e quebra de linhas. Os titulares no confronto de ontem permaneceram na parte interna do centro de excelência realizando trabalhos regenerativos.

Na sequência, com a presença de diversos jovens do grupo de apoio, os atletas se enfrentaram, divididos em duas equipes, em campo reduzido. Por fim, alguns atletas fizeram movimentações específicas e outros treinaram jogadas de bola parada.

O atacante Breno Lopes realizou trabalhos de transição física no gramado. Kuscevic, Marcos Rocha e Gabriel Veron, por outro lado, cumpriram cronogramas com profissionais do Núcleo de Saúde e Performance.

O Palmeiras entra em campo novamente no próximo domingo (30), às 16h (horário de Brasília), contra o Flamengo, na estreia do time no Campeonato Brasileiro.

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Alphonso Davies has been made to wait as Real Madrid have reportedly agreed to a new contract with left-back Ferland Mendy.

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Real hand Mendy an extensionFrench defender to stay until 2027Davies keeps waiting for Los BlancosWHAT HAPPENED?

According to Los Blancos have agreed to keep the French defender at the Santiago Bernabeu until June 2027, with an option for an additional season. Mendy, whose current contract was due to expire in 2025, received the renewal offer from Real Madrid's hierarchy a few weeks ago and the defender is expected to formalize the agreement shortly after he returns from his vacation, following his participation in France's Euro 2024 campaign.

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The 2023-24 season marked a turning point in Mendy's career at Real Madrid. After struggling with injuries for a significant part of his tenure, Mendy regained his fitness and form, becoming the first-choice left-back under manager Carlo Ancelotti. His impressive performances have solidified his place in the team which has led Ancelotti to become a strong advocate for Mendy's continued presence at the club.

DID YOU KNOW?

While Mendy's contract extension ensures stability in the left-back position, Real Madrid's ambitions extend beyond retaining their current stars. The club are reportedly eyeing Bayern Munich's Davies who has a contract with the Bundesliga giants until 2025. Negotiations for an extension have stalled with Bayern despite the German club proposing a substantial pay increase, as it falls short of his demands of €20 million (£17m/$22m) per year.

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Mendy's resurgence and commitment to the club have been pivotal, ensuring his place in the team's future plans. He is likely to be back at Valdebebas after the first week of August, along with the latest Galactico Kylian Mbappe, as Ancelotti would look to field a full-strength XI against Atalanta in the UEFA Super Cup on August 14.

علق سبيت خاطر لاعب نادي العين الإماراتي السابق، على خسارة الفريق أمام الأهلي بثلاثية نظيفة في المباراة التي جمعتهما مساء الثلاثاء.

والتقى الأهلي مع العين، في إطار منافسات دور ربع النهائي من بطولة كأس إنتركونتيننتال، على ملعب استاد القاهرة الدولي، واستطاع المارد الأحمر الفوز بنتيجة 3-0.

وقال خاطر خلال تصريحات عبر قناة “أون تايم سبورت”: “أنا لا أقبل الهارد لك، بكل أمانة فاز المستحق، الأهلي قدم أداء ممتازا، عذرًا على الأداء الذي قدمه العين لم يكن جيدا ولا يستحق أي نتيجة، كان الأهلي أفضل”.

طالع | الشناوي: سنغلق ملف كأس إنتركونتيننتال استعدادا للدوري.. وطاهر محمد: الكرة ضحكت لي

وأضاف: “لم نكن نعرف الأسلوب الواضح لـ كريسبو في الشوط الأول، كريسبو خسر وجوده في العين من خلال ما قدمه أمام الأهلي”.

وأتم: “إذًا أنت لا تغير وتفكر في صورة فاشلة فتأكد أنك تفكر في الفشل، فشل كريسبو، لذلك اعتمدت أوراق خروجه من العين، كريسبو راحل من العين”.

Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have taken a major step towards fulfilling their ambition as Wrexham achieved a crucial academy milestone.

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• Wrexham granted Category Three academy status
• Welsh club set to build a new youth set up in Rossett
• Now eligible to field teams from U-9s and upwards

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Welsh club has been granted Category Three academy status, a milestone that reflects their commitment to youth development and the future of the club. After being given additional time to meet the necessary standards, Wrexham successfully upgraded their academy facilities to meet Category Three criteria. This upgrade represents a significant boost for the club, allowing them to field teams across all age groups, from Under-9s to Under-23s, for the 2024-25 season. Previously, under Category Four, the club was limited to operating only at the Under-17s level and above.

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  Wrexham are dedicated to setting up a robust youth development system and have already committed to a multi-million-pound infrastructure project that would see them raise a new training facility at Darland High School in Rossett. This state-of-the-art facility will feature five pitches of varying sizes, along with essential amenities such as changing rooms, toilets, offices, analysis rooms, and a classroom to fulfill the necessary requirements for Category Three status.

• WHAT WREXHAM CEO SAID

  Wrexham’s chief executive, Michael Williamson, said, via The Athletic: “The co-chairmen have outlined their ambition to create a sustainable football club, and the investment in the academy training facilities along with the Category Three achievement is certainly a key milestone towards that objective.”

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  Wrexham have been granted a provisional licence for an initial 12-month period. This temporary status allows the club to implement and utilise their new facilities while continuing to meet the required standards. Following this period, a comprehensive assessment will be conducted to ensure all criteria are met. If successful, Wrexham can expect to secure a three-year licence, solidifying their status and commitment to youth development.

  The path to achieving Category Three status involved a rigorous four-day inspection by the Professional Game Academy Audit Company (PGAAC) during the spring. This inspection identified the necessary upgrades and improvements required to meet the stringent criteria. The club’s swift response and commitment to these improvements have been instrumental in securing the provisional licence.

Glasgow Rangers’ treble ambitions are safe for another week as they secured passage into the semi-finals of the Scottish Cup over the weekend.

A trip to Easter Road to play Hibs is never easy at the best of times, but sandwiched in between a Europa League last-16 clash against Benfica, the match took on an even greater magnitude.

Much to their surprise, Philippe Clement kept the same starting XI for the cup clash that looked dead on their feet just a few days prior, but it worked a treat as they went into the half-time interval a goal to the good courtesy of John Lundstram.

While Hibs lost their discipline, Rangers kept their calm heads and Fabio Silva netted the clincher against the nine men and a 2-0 win was confirmed.

It was a professional performance by the Light Blues and, once again, John Lundstram was at the heart of everything good during the clash.

John Lundstram vs Hibernian in numbers

Towards the end of the Benfica tie, Lundstram had run himself into the ground, and it looked as though a well-deserved rest against Hibs would be the wisest thing for Clement to do.

No chance. Lundstram started in the capital and delivered a man-of-the-match performance, which included scoring the opening goal.

The midfielder was a calming presence in the heart of the midfield, looking like he had enjoyed a week between matches rather than the knackered figure during the closing stages of the tie in midweek.

There is no doubt he has been one of the most consistent performers during Clement’s reign thus far, missing only one match since mid-October. Two goals and six assists during 2023/24 have proven that he does like to get forward from time to time, but his ability to protect the defence and dictate the play from the middle of the pitch is perhaps his greatest strength.

There is no time for respite, however, as the former Sheffield United gem will have to be prepared to take on Benfica at Ibrox on Thursday as the last eight of the Europa League awaits the winners.

When Lundstram could leave Rangers

A year ago, not many people would have predicted Lundstram being one of the most important players in the squad, but here we are.

Entering the 2023/24 campaign, the 30-year-old had a year left on his current contract, and it looked like his chances of an extension were slim.

Fast-forward a few months, however, and it is clear he will be offered a new deal. The question is, when will he sign it? Clement has gone for a youth-based approach in the transfer market, yet keeping several experienced heads at the club, at least for the next couple of seasons, could be vital.

John Lundstram's Rangers stats
Season	Games	Goals	Assists
2023/24	43	2	6
2022/23	52	5	0
2021/22	48	4	1
Via Transfermarkt

While Lundstram may not have too long left at the very top, he still has plenty to give and his knowledge and experience could be passed down to the youngsters emerging through the youth academy.

Lundstram's academy heir at Ibrox

Cole McKinnon is arguably one of the brightest talents in the B team, and he could well become the heir apparent to the English midfielder in the coming years.

In the final Premiership match of the 2021/22 campaign, Giovanni van Bronckhorst rested a host of first-team players for the forthcoming Europa League final, giving chances to various academy talents in the clash against Hearts.

McKinnon came off the bench with just 30 minutes left and did not take long to announce his arrival, scoring the third goal which clinched a 3-1 win and his talent looked promising indeed.

The youngster was sent on a season-long loan to Partick Thistle, who were playing in the second tier, for the 2022/23 term and this experience of regular first-team football at a competitive level has clearly benefitted him.

Throughout that campaign, the 21-year-old made 31 appearances for the Jags, contributing three goals and three assists in the process as the club came so close to securing promotion to the top flight.

Michael Beale named him part of the matchday squad on numerous occasions during the early part of the season, but he failed to make it onto the pitch.

Under Clement, however, it looks as though he has the perfect manager to play under, as the Belgian has given him a couple of opportunities of late in the senior squad.

Cole McKinnon's stats vs Benfica and Hibs

The midfielder was hailed by Jordan Campbell prior to joining Partick Thistle last season, saying: “The 19-year-old is highly rated at Ibrox and scored in the final league game of last season. Goes box-to-box and has a knack of getting a goal.”

Evidently like Lundstram, the Scot bursts forward in the hopes of joining the attack, but he can also perform in a slightly deeper role if required and this flexibility will be a bonus to Clement.

He came off the bench for the final 13 minutes of the tie against Benfica last week and did not let the occasion get to him.

Indeed, he won 100% of his aerial duels while making an interception and blocking a shot, proving that he has the required mentality to come into a game which is hanging in the balance and keep a calm head.

He was then rewarded with another ten-minute cameo against Hibs, and he was solid again. This could give Clement another option at the heart of the midfield, especially with the games coming thick and fast in the coming weeks.

McKinnon is finally seeing the rewards of all his hard work in the B team recently, and it should serve as a reminder that the chances are there for the youngsters, especially if they are committed and work hard.

Lundstram may have another couple of years at the highest level in the game, but if McKinnon can keep gaining important minutes here and there, the 21-year-old could become an ideal replacement for the Englishman and save Clement millions in the transfer market in the process.

David Moyes has outlined Manchester United's biggest problem but he does not believe it has anything to do with either the manager or the players.

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Erik ten Hag stays on as Man Utd managerAiming for Champions League qualificationMoyes outlines major problem for DutchmanWHAT HAPPENED?

Moyes insists United have made the right decision to keep Erik ten Hag in post, despite there being rumours of the ex-Ajax boss losing his job at the start of the summer. However, he thinks the biggest problem faced by the club is their bitter rivals, Manchester City, rather than any members of their squad.

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United ultimately finished eighth in the Premier League, although they did win the FA Cup, and Moyes doubts they will be able to catch up with the champions, who are aiming to win their fifth successive title in 2024-25.

WHAT MOYES SAID

Moyes told William Hill's podcast Up Front With Simon Jordan: “Erik ten Hag is fighting it at the moment, but he’s done well given the massive amount of pressure on him. Sometimes issues with the manager are easy things for the players to use as excuses. Players at United used to have an unbelievable winning culture inside the club. Ten Hag has been fighting a battle for the past two years, and let’s not forget he’s won two trophies in that time. I admire him for his determination to fight back against the criticism.

“There was a situation in the summer where people are talking about the security of his job, and I disagree with that, I think it’s a horrible position to put the manager, he’s dealt with that with incredible dignity. He’s come back and is challenging and fighting, he wants to make it right.”

“Overall, United’s biggest problem isn’t their manager or their players, it’s Manchester City and Pep Guardiola.”

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United face Liverpool in their final pre-season friendly this weekend before taking on Manchester City in the Community Shield on August 10. Following that, Ten Hag's side kick off their Premier League campaign against Fulham.

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Neste domingo, o Grêmio bateu o Santa Cruz-RS e faturou o bicampeonato da Recopa Gaúcha. O placar de 3 a 0 foi construído com gols de Guilherme Azevedo, Léo Pereira e Jhonata Robert.

Primeiro Tempo

Sem jogo do Campeonato Brasileiro, o Grêmio entrou com um time repleto de reservas e pouco fez no primeiro tempo. A única chance mais clara foi com Churín, que mandou por cima do gol. Melhor para o Galo, que conseguiu encaixar a sua marcação e saiu com o empate.

Segundo Tempo

Nos 45 minutos finais a história foi bem diferente. Com um time mais solto, o Tricolor achou o caminho do gol rapidamente através de Guilherme Azevedo. Aos 19 minutos, Paulo Miranda achou Léo Pereira, que tocou por cobertura para ampliar. O placar poderia ser maior com Fernando Henrique, mas a finalização parou no poste. Nos acréscimos, quando tudo estava resolvido, Jhonatan Robert mandou para a rede e deu números finais ao jogo.

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