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It remains difficult to piece together just where the blame lies for Celtic’s current slump – is it the board, is it Brendan Rodgers, or is it a period of dismal recruitment?

Of course, it is likely a mixture of all of those factors, with the latter point particularly key. Indeed, of those signed amid Rodgers’ return in the summer of 2023, only Paulo Bernardo and Yang Hyun-jun remain part of the current first-team squad.

Far too many deals have backfired over the past two years, although that’s not to say that the departed coach is himself free of criticism, having not exactly got the best out of those at his disposal.

You only have to look at the case of Callum Osmand, a player largely ignored by the Northern Irishman, to see where Rodgers was misguided. While now cruelly struck down by injury, the Wales youth international was the hero at Hampden, before winning a penalty during his lively, albeit brief cameo at FC Midtjylland.

Although Rodgers’ return did see two further Premiership titles secured, prior to him walking away for the second time, the magic of his first spell in charge didn’t appear to be there.

The Hoops, hopefully, will be targeting a figure who can replicate that first version of the former Liverpool boss at Parkhead.

Celtic's ongoing manager search

A clear frontrunner has yet to truly emerge with regard to Celtic’s managerial vacancy, with a romantic return for Ange Postecoglou having been deemed ‘very unlikely’, despite the Greek-Aussie now out of work following his dismissal from Nottingham Forest.

Interim boss Martin O’Neill does remain an option to see out the season, alongside Shaun Maloney, although such a decision would likely be a last resort considering the 73-year-old last took on a top job back in 2019, following his own brief stint at the City Ground.

The nature and timing of Rodgers’ shock resignation has no doubt complicated matters, although with the international break now to come, it presents the perfect time to finally nail down a preferred pick.

Manager Focus

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According to Football Insider, one of the current frontrunners is Ipswich Town boss, Kieran McKenna, with the 39-year-old deemed to be the “number-one target”, albeit with a potential obstacle likely to be his “big compensation package”.

As the report notes, it is believed that it would take a fee of around £5m to prise McKenna from Portman Road, with it yet to be seen whether the Glasgow side would be willing to fork out such a figure to get their man.

McKenna, for what it’s worth, did not wholly shut down talk of the move when quizzed on the speculation in recent weeks, having described Celtic as a “really big club”, amid suggestions that he is a rumoured Hoops supporter.

Why Celtic could be targeting the next Brendan Rodgers

An exciting young Northern Irish coach with a potential affinity to the Scottish champions – that certainly sounds familiar?

Yes, there are certainly real similarities between McKenna and his compatriot Rodgers, with Celtic no doubt hoping that the in-demand Ipswich coach can replicate the success that the latter man enjoyed following his first move to Parkhead in 2016.

While the ex-Swansea City, Liverpool, Watford and Reading boss had garnered far more experience at the time of his move north of the border, he had made the first major stride of his coaching career in the youth ranks at Chelsea, having been given the backing of Jose Mourinho at Stamford Bridge.

McKenna – who initially worked in the youth ranks at Tottenham Hotspur – was also something of a favourite of Mourinho at Manchester United, having eventually become an assistant to the Portuguese coach in 2018.

Like Rodgers, the rising star had seen his own playing career cut short by injury, with the pair seemingly following in Mourinho’s footsteps by trying to make up for that on-field disappointment by shining in the dugout – as McKenna himself has admitted:

While Rodgers first truly made a name for himself by steering Swansea into the Premier League, the 4-2-3-1 coach has enjoyed similar success in the EFL with his current club, having claimed back-to-back promotions in what is his first managerial role.

McKenna’s record at Ipswich

Stat

Record

Days in charge

1419

Games

187

Wins

87

Draws

50

Losses

50

Points per game

1.66

Players used

81

Promotions

2

Relegations

1

Stats via Transfermarkt

Although the Tractor Boys’ stay in the top-flight was short-lived, that hasn’t stopped interest mounting in this “incredible” coach – as hailed by Ipswich’s Wes Burns – with former club Man United believed to have been considering him in the summer of 2024.

That would’ve been like Rodgers’ own Anfield switch, although perhaps McKenna can skip a step and head straight to Celtic instead, with the Glasgow outfit no doubt in need of an exciting, young and fresh voice to try and reinvigorate the current first-team crop.

For all the frustration over his decision to twice leave his post at Celtic Park, it’s worth remembering the glittering success that Rodgers has achieved when at the helm, namely overseeing that invincible domestic season in 2016/17.

With a raft of promising young talents, and with an attractive, front-foot style of play, the now 52-year-old was just what was needed to breathe new life into the club, amid the mixed stint of Ronny Deila.

Now, again, Celtic need to be revitalised. Can the next bright young manager, McKenna, be the man to do just that?

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Posts ByDan Emery Nov 8, 2025

WA’s tilt at a historic Shield four-peat ended suddenly with the squad now facing a transition phase

Tristan Lavalette20-Mar-2025For the smattering of rusted on fans in the terraces, it was an unfamiliar end to the Sheffield Shield season at the WACA.Three years ago, euphoria erupted around the iconic ground when Western Australia ended a 23-year title drought and then 12 months later it was similar jubilation when Cameron Bancroft hit the winning runs to once again thwart Victoria in the final.The loudest roars actually might have been heard last year when Joel Paris took a blinder of a one-handed catch in the gully to secure WA’s hat-trick of titles after a comprehensive victory against Tasmania.Related

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But this time around, as their hopes of a historic four-peat faded away in front of just a sprinkling of fans, the reverberation around the WACA came from the triumphant Victorians mobbing retiring Peter Siddle after he snuffed out WA’s unlikely chase of 382 runs off 84 overs.Underlining how incredibly tight the competition was beneath league leaders South Australia, the 34-run defeat meant WA not only missed the final but they had the ignominy of finishing the season in last place in what will make a strange sight in the record books for years to come.There was a hollow vibe among players and officials, a frustrating case of what could have been in a season that never came together for a WA team hampered by inconsistency, injuries and international unavailability.”It’s just been a bit of a frustrating year for the group,” WA captain Sam Whiteman said. “No doubt we will reflect over the next few months and get back to work in June.”WA started the season hoping to become the first state to win four in a row since the competition expanded to six teams in 1977-78. It loomed as a very difficult task, almost impossible as gleaned from Shield history and other sporting leagues, and there had been signs of slippage last season before they regrouped late.WA did start well with back-to-back wins over Tasmania after a drawn home opener against Queensland to sit on top after three rounds. But they fell away badly after that with only a vintage performance against Queensland at the Gabba keeping their season alive.WA had entered the final round in fourth position, but other results remarkably went their way and they had the chance to leapfrog second-placed Queensland.

“Losing a few games out here has been a bit disappointing because it’s been such a fortress the last three years. No doubt we’ll get back to the drawing board and look to keep getting better. I’m sure it’s not the end of the successful period for WA.”WA captain Sam Whiteman

Reflective of their season, WA’s inconsistent batting just couldn’t put it together against Victoria when they needed to the most with Hilton Cartwright and Cooper Connolly scoring half-centuries but it wasn’t enough.No.4 Cartwright was WA’s only consistent batter through the season, finishing second overall in runs with 861 at 57.40. Out of the other batters who played more than three matches, No.3 Jayden Goodwin had the next best average at 32.50.With Connolly limited to just three matches, where he scored four half-centuries from five innings, due to international call-ups, WA’s batting was fragile and exacerbated by injuries and struggles from openers Whiteman and Bancroft, normally such a prolific pair at the top of the order.It feels like a million years ago now, well before the Sam Konstas phenomenon, but Bancroft started the season in the frame to open for Australia in the first Test against India after being the best batter across the previous couple of Shield seasons.However, Bancroft fell on the first ball he faced this Shield season to trigger a wretched run that left his Test aspirations in tatters. He finally found form with a century against South Australia in round five, but a nasty collision in the field during a BBL match at Optus Stadium sidelined him for two months.Bancroft returned for the last two Shield matches and did make a determined 86 in the second innings against NSW. But he never quite regained his heft of old, where he looks immovable at the crease, and nicked off on 35 in the run chase against Victoria in a dismissal reminiscent of his early season rut. He made 344 runs at 26.46 compared to an average of 48.37 across WA’s title-winning seasons.Whiteman started with a century against Queensland, but his season was derailed by numerous injuries and he finished with a pair against Victoria. He made 285 runs at 25.9 compared to 41 across the three-peat.As their season hung in the balance against Victoria, WA had considerable batting firepower on the sidelines with Josh Inglis, Aaron Hardie and Mitchell Marsh sighted at various stages having a hit in the WACA nets as they prepared for the IPL.Inglis only played three matches this season, while Marsh and Hardie combined for three games. Cameron Green was also an unmistakable figure at the nets as he makes his way back to the field after missing the entire season due to back surgery.Inglis, like Green, looms as a three-format player for Australia and will likely only play sparingly in the Shield in the future. Marsh, Hardie and Connolly also may miss significant time next season due to white-ball commitments for Australia.Veteran Ashton Turner’s Shield future could be under the microscope after averaging just 27.60 from 12 innings, with just one half-century. He was unable to consistently reproduce the type of counterattack in the middle-order that had revived his red-ball career in recent seasons.A fully-fledged transition is probably not required just yet, but the development of Goodwin, Sam Fanning and Teague Wyllie – heralded as the ‘rat pack’ by local media as coined by coach Adam Voges – will be key and the “nucleus of the WA batting for the future,” according to Whiteman.Jayden Goodwin showed glimpses this season•Getty ImagesThey had opportunities through the season with varied results. Left-handed Goodwin, 23, had the most success and his gritty batting has impressed the national hierarchy leading to Australia A, CA XI and Prime Minister’s XI selections this season.But he did tail off at the back end of the season and was fortunate to hang on to his position for the Victoria match ahead of 24-year-old Fanning, who hit two half-centuries from his previous three Shield innings. A cavalier left-handed batter who has floated around the batting order, Fanning though for now seems stuck in either two modes – aggression or defence. He hasn’t quite found the right tempo at Shield level.For a wider audience, Wyllie might be the best known of the trio having in October 2022 become the youngest player since Ricky Ponting to post a Sheffield Shield ton. His reasoning over his muted century celebration went viral.But it’s been tough going ever since for Wyllie, who has noticeably been anchored to the crease with minimal foot work. He played just two matches this season, scoring only 30 runs at 10.If he does not find himself consistently playing at the next level, Connolly, still only 21, looms as WA’s talisman having struck five half-centuries in his first seven Shield innings. “He’s probably going to be in-and-out of Australian squads for a fair chunk of time,” Whiteman said of Connolly. “But no doubt long-term he can be a No.4. Some of the impact that he’s had in four or five first-class games has been amazing.”WA’s bowling was their strength through the season although there are several unknowns moving forward. Quick Matt Kelly’s future could be in doubt due to a slew of injuries, while veteran Cameron Gannon justified his one-year extension with a solid season but may struggle to stay in the XI next season if Lance Morris and Jhye Richardson are fit and firing.Morris, currently a Cricket Australia contracted player, was limited to four matches due to restrictions over his workload coming off a stress fracture last winter in what has been a source of frustration for him.Brody Couch did prove a decent like-for-like replacement for Morris in his debut WA season after crossing over from Victoria, finishing with 23 wickets at 25.65.Brody Couch is mobbed by his team-mates after claiming a hat-trick•Getty ImagesThere will be intrigue over whether exciting quick Mahli Beardman, who turns 20 in August, will be ready to handle the rigours of red-ball cricket having shown flashes of his considerable talent in the BBL and One-Day Cup.Beardman, who believes he’ll eventually clock 150 kph, was a reserve player in Australia’s squad on their white-ball tour of the UK last year to underline his standing among the national hierarchy as a future prospect. During the Victoria match, Beardman at intervals showcased his athleticism with sprints on the ground as national selector Tony Dodemaide watched intently from close range.Offspinner Corey Rocchiccioli bounced back from a sluggish first half of the season to finish as the Shield’s equal leading wicket-taker with 38 at 27.71. His mentor Ashton Agar, however, only played two matches although did bowl well in favourable conditions on east coast surfaces. The left-arm spinner’s Test career appears all but over although he is believed to be still committed to playing Shield cricket for WA.Perhaps WA’s first priority for next season will be to re-establish their WACA fortress having only won the solitary home match. They suffered losses to South Australia – in the shortest outright result in Shield history in a match lasting less than five sessions – and Victoria. In their previous 15 home matches before this season, WA had won 11 games and lost just twice.”Losing a few games out here has been a bit disappointing because it’s been such a fortress the last three years,” Whiteman said. “No doubt we’ll get back to the drawing board and look to keep getting better.”I’m sure it’s not the end of the successful period for WA.”

England have deferred their decision on whether to hit Australia with an all-pace attack in the first Ashes Test at Perth’s Optus Stadium after confirming a 12-man squad featuring both Mark Wood and Shoaib Bashir.Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum still have designs on letting their fast bowlers loose on what is expected to be the fastest pitch of the series. Wood is deemed fit, having recovered from a tight hamstring sustained in the warm-up match with the Lions last week. While he is expected to make the final XI, England are giving themselves time before deciding whether to go all-in with their seamers.Wood bowled for 40 minutes at the Perth nets during Tuesday’s training session, and sent down just two overs on Wednesday afternoon, before taking part in light fielding drills on the outfield with physical preparation coach Pete Sim. He then had a long look at the pitch with stadium curator Isaac McDonald.Wood would be one of five players in the XI with previous Test experience in Australia, along with Stokes, Joe Root, Zak Crawley and Ollie Pope. The 35-year old was also the standout quick on the 2021-22 tour, taking 17 wickets at 26.64.Related

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That includes a career best 6 for 37 in the last Test of that tour, a day-nighter in Hobart, when England also opted to field an XI without a specialist spinner. It was the second time they had done so in that series after the second Test in Adelaide (also a pink-ball match), which was acknowledged as an error in hindsight when seamer Ollie Robinson resorted to sending down a few overs of offspin.You have to go back to Boxing Day 1998 for the last time England fielded an XI for a red-ball match in Australia without a specialist spinner. They also did not field one in their last Test in July, against India at the Kia Oval, with Bashir out with a finger injury and Liam Dawson, his replacement for the fourth Test, dropped.Bashir’s characteristics – a high release point and knack of overspin – suits Australian pitches, something Stokes and McCullum raved about when bringing him into the set-up at the start of 2024 for the tour of India.It is worth noting that Nathan Lyon averages 20.86 at this ground, with 29 dismissals from five Tests, though is obviously a far more accomplished and seasoned operator than Bashir, whose 68 dismissals have come at 39.00 in his 19 Tests so far. The 22-year old struggled during the match between England and the Lions, bowling in three of the four innings and returning figures of 2 for 151 from 24 overs.

England squad for Perth Test

Ben Stokes (c), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jamie Smith (wk), Mark Wood

The allrounder will be reassessed ahead of next week’s one-day game then the second round of the Shield

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Oct-2025Australia allrounder Beau Webster has been ruled out of Tasmania’s opening Sheffield Shield match of the season against Queensland after picking up an ankle injury although it is not considered to be a major concern.Webster will be reassessed ahead of the One-Day Cup match against Queensland on Thursday. The second round of the Shield, where Tasmania will face Western Australia in Hobart, starts on October 15.Related

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Webster had earmarked playing all four of Tasmania’s Shield matches ahead of the start of the Ashes. Although he has made an excellent start to his Test career with four half-centuries in seven matches in tricky batting conditions there is talk he could be under pressure for his place when England arrive.Cameron Green is expected to be back on unrestricted bowling duty by then and, depending on which players stake a claim for top-order positions, there is a scenario where Green is moved back down the order although he has also been endorsed as a long-term candidate for No. 3.If Green is retained in that position, where he finished strongly against West Indies, there is a good chance he and Webster can continue to feature in the same XI.”It’s one thing that’s coming up a lot is obviously Greeney’s back bowling and I’ve got my chance, I suppose, through him being a batter only,” Webster told ESPNcricinfo ahead of the season. “He was an allrounder for Australia for years before that along with Mitch [Marsh] and, when I answer the question, I’d love to see both of us in the team. If you’re scoring runs in the top six batters for Australia if you can bowl it’s a bonus.”Absolutely I’d love to play in a team with Greeney. He’s a fantastic batter. I really hope he bangs it out of the park at the top of the order and I can stay at No. 6 and we can both contribute with the ball and in the field and win games for Australia.”Webster started his domestic season with five wickets in two One-Day Cup games and 81 off 95 balls in the second match against Victoria.

Stats highlights from MI’s first win of IPL 2025, against Kolkata Knight Riders at the Wankhede Stadium

Sampath Bandarupalli31-Mar-202510-2 – Mumbai Indians’ (MI) win-loss record against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the Wankhede Stadium in the IPL. They are the first team to win ten IPL matches against an opponent at a single venue.The eight-wicket win on Monday was their 24th overall against KKR in the IPL, three more than any other team against a single opponent.5256 – Balls taken by Suryakumar Yadav to complete 8000 T20 runs – the second quickest to the milestone behind Andre Russell, who took 4749 balls to score 8000 runs. Suryakumar passed the milestone during his unbeaten 27 off 9 balls against KKR.4 for 24 – Ashwani Kumar became the first Indian bowler to take a four-wicket haul on IPL debut. Amit Singh’s 3 for 9 against Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) in IPL 2009 was the previous best by an Indian on IPL debut.6 – Bowlers with four or more wickets on IPL debut, including Ashwani. He has the fourth-best figures (4 for 24) for an IPL debutant, behind Alzarri Joseph (6 for 12 vs SRH) in 2019, Andrew Tye (5 for 17 vs RPGS) in 2017 and Shoaib Akhtar (4 for 11 vs DD) in 2008.14 – Number of players to take a wicket with their first ball in the IPL, before Ashwani got Ajinkya Rahane on Monday. Matheesha Pathirana, in 2022, was the previous, while Hanuma Vihari, in 2013, was the last Indian to strike with his first ball in the IPL.30 – Wickets taken by Trent Boult in the first over of an IPL innings – the most for any bowler. His dismissal of Sunil Narine was his 11th for MI in the first over; the other 19 were for his previous franchise – Rajasthan Royals (RR).5/5 – Narine has fallen to Boult in all five T20s in which he has faced the left-arm quick. He has scored only 23 runs off 19 balls from Boult.

There has now been a new update on Crystal Palace’s pursuit of a “true warrior”, with it being revealed a “good value” January deal is possible.

Palace on course to push for Europe

Palace remain in a strong position to push for European qualification, having taken 20 points from their opening 13 Premier League games this season, although they will be frustrated about Manchester United coming from behind to win at Selhurst Park on Sunday.

The Eagles fell to a 2-1 defeat against Ruben Amorim’s side, but they will have the opportunity to put things right tonight, when they travel to Turf Moor to take on an out-of-form Burnley side, who have lost their last four Premier League matches.

However, with the likes of Sunderland, Everton and Brighton & Hove Albion all in European contention after impressive starts to the campaign, it is getting congested at the top of the table, and Oliver Glasner’s side are now looking at new additions for the January window.

Last week, it was revealed that a concrete offer had been made for Bayern Munich’s Sacha Boey, who Glasner is a big fan of, according to a new update on their pursuit of the defender from TEAMtalk.

In an interview, journalist Dean Jones said: “Palace have been made aware that there could be a possibility for this one on a permanent deal and it actually could be a good value one. I’m told that is the preference at the moment.

“They [Bayern] don’t have much interest in letting him out on a loan. In the case of a loan offer they may well just hold on to him until the summer instead.

The journalist also went on to clarify that negotiations aren’t currently at an advanced stage, saying: “At this stage I think Palace are just feeling out the terms and understanding the player’s situation.”

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"True warrior" Boey could be exciting addition for Palace

The right-back certainly caught the eye during his time with Galatasaray, having been hailed as a “true warrior” by members of the Turkish media, and he is very assured in possession of the ball, as displayed by his performance across some key metrics over the past year.

That said, the 25-year-old, who rakes in £80k-a-week should probably seek a move this winter, given that he has fallen down the pecking order considerably, being benched for the last three Bundesliga games.

With Palace competing in Europe this season, it would be a smart move to bring in additional strength in depth at right-back this January, and a long-term replacement for Daniel Munoz may be needed regardless, amid interest from Chelsea and Barcelona.

As such, Glasner’s side should make a move for Boey, and it is promising news that a deal could be possible for a reasonable price.

Liverpool have now reportedly set their sights on hiring a Premier League manager, who Pep Guardiola called “incredible”, in a fresh concern for Arne Slot.

Carragher delivers "honest" Liverpool verdict after PSV defeat

Before the international break, Liverpool could at least fall back on the excuse that much of their bad form came on the road. Anfield, for the most part, remained a fortress. Just weeks later, however, and that fortress has been set ablaze by humiliating defeats at the hands of Nottingham Forest and PSV Eindhoven.

Not everyone is ready to call time on Slot’s time at the club, however, and Anfield legend Jamie Carragher sent a timely reminder on punditry duty that Liverpool aren’t a sacking club, historically speaking.

He said: “Liverpool is not a sacking club, Liverpool, I think, are different from almost every club in European football where the manager is the king, you know, the managers get time.

“Liverpool have never sacked a manager who’s won the league, never in the history. They’ve all, you know, after a few years they’ve gone, they’ve resigned.

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“I couldn’t believe over the weekend that people were talking about the manager’s job when I spoke to Liverpool supporters after losing at home to Nottingham Forest.

“It’s only going to amplify now and I’ve always been in the camp of you stick with the manager because I’m angry with the players if I’m being totally honest, I’m really angry with the players but it does get to a stage with any manager at any club where I always use this word untenable, where it almost feels like it can’t go on any longer.”

Whether Liverpool chiefs share that view is the big question. Recent reports linking them to the likes of Andoni Iraola certainly suggests that they’re at least preparing for life without Slot.

Liverpool eyeing Andoni Iraola move

According to reports in Spain, Liverpool are now eyeing a move to hire Iraola from Bournemouth if they decide to sack Slot. The Cherries boss is someone that Richard Hughes knows well, given that the sporting director hired the Spaniard during his time on the South Coast, and could now turn to him for a second time.

Iraola is one of the most well-respected managers in the Premier League these days. He’s taken Bournemouth to new heights and transformed the likes of Antoine Semenyo, who’s attracting interest from Liverpool ahead of the January transfer window.

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has been one of the many figures around English football to hand the Bournemouth boss praise, telling reporters earlier this season: “Andoni is an incredible, well-respected manager in Spain and did an incredible job in Rayo Vallecano.”

It doesn’t get much better than praise from the Man City boss, and Iraola could yet get the chance to become one of his biggest rivals if Liverpool make their move.

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