🎧 Abbott's four-year contract and European football expectations
BBC Radio Nottingham's David Jackson and Colin Fray speak to Zach Abbott about his new four-year contract, while Ola Aina explains how the Reds are "buzzing" for European football next season.
Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Tom's Guide
an hour ago
- Tom's Guide
Prime Video's new soccer show rivals ‘Welcome to Wrexham' — and it subs Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac for Tom Brady
Hulu's 'Welcome to Wrexham' series has turned a small city in Wales into one of the biggest soccer teams around. Thanks to the charisma of co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac (formerly Rob McElhenney), and the enduring popularity of an underdog story, Wrexham is the talk of not just soccer but the entire sporting world. Tom Brady, NFL legend and arguably the greatest quarterback to ever play the game, is looking to follow in Reynolds and Mac's footsteps by turning perennial underperformers Birmingham City FC into a household name in the U.S and beyond. Naturally, part of this plan involves a rival documentary series that chronicles the club's results on the pitch and its story off the field. Brady has teamed up with Prime Video for this effort, and the docuseries' first season has just started streaming this month. It's called 'Built in Birmingham: Brady & the Blues,' and it's a must-watch for anybody who found a love of soccer (or football to the rest of the world) thanks to 'Welcome to Wrexham.' It's probably not going to convert any American viewers who have already taken Wrexham into their hearts — switching clubs is a huge no-no in European football — but it's a slickly produced documentary that captures the highs (and lows) of the world's most popular sport. "Built in Birmingham" doesn't try to hide the fact that it's copying the formula that has brought so much success to Wrexham, and has turned the club into a sporting force with a global platform far beyond its current level in English football's second-tier, the Championship. The five-part documentary opens with a brief history of Birmingham City FC and explores how the club has spent the majority of its 150-year existence as a 'nearly' team. Some locals even believe their stadium is cursed after travelers were removed from the land to start construction. In steps billionaire Tom Wagner and his close personal friend Tom Brady, to save the club after years of disastrous ownership, with a singular mission to take Birmingham City FC to the top. Their first season in charge, which is covered in the first episode, was a disaster and saw the club relegated from the Championship down to League One. Yes, British league names are confusing; League One is actually the third tier, two steps below the top-tier Premier League. After this setback, the rest of the first season chronicles the 2024/25 season, which concluded in May, as Birmingham City seek promotion back to the Championship. So, much like "Welcome to Wrexham," it's an underdog story focusing on a soccer team that has historically underachieved, but is hoping for brighter days under American ownership. And that's a compelling enough hook. The Tom Brady factor is something that always comes up when Birmingham City are discussed these days. Much like Wrexham has leaned into the starpower of Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac, Birmingham City is more than happy to mine the Brady connection for all its worth. This has resulted in the rather clunky subtitle, 'Brady & the Blues,' when simply 'Built in Birmingham' would have been a lot cleaner. It also means that Brady is pretty much the main character of the documentary — despite his lack of soccer experience, or seemingly all that much interest in the sport before teaming up with Wagner to co-own Birmingham City. I've seen quite a few early viewers suggest that Brady comes across as unlikeable and a little clueless, especially in the early episodes of 'Built in Birmingham,' but I've found his driven mindset and his understanding of what it takes to be an elite athlete surprisingly fascinating. Unlike Reynolds and Mac, who are both actors by trade, Brady has spent almost his entire life competing on some of the biggest stages in professional sports. And even if he barely understands the offside rule, he knows what it takes to become a champion and maintain that level. A scene in the first episode where Tom Brady casts doubts on the work ethic of Birmingham City's new head coach, Wayne Rooney, shows that his natural instincts are sharp, even if soccer isn't his game. Rooney would eventually be fired after a horror run of just two wins in 15 matches. One of "Welcome to Wrexham's" biggest strengths is that it focuses on the people behind the scenes at the club and even the local residents of the town, just as much as the action on the pitch. For example, the documentary has turned The Turf pub into a tourist hotspot and its owner, Wayne Jones, into a minor celebrity. Unfortunately, 'Built in Birmingham' doesn't quite have the same heart. Yes, there are talking head interviews that aim to promote Birmingham's hardworking population and the city's critical role in the Industrial Revolution, but these come across as a bit hollow. Even the inclusion of 'Peaky Blinders' creator and lifelong Birmingham City fan, Steven Knight, feels more like an effort in corporate synergy and branding than born out of true authenticity. Overall, 'Built in Birmingham' feels less scrappy than 'Welcome to Wrexham.' Perhaps that's because Birmingham City starts in a comparatively stronger position. When Rob and Ryan took over at Wrexham, the club was playing in non-league, whereas when Birmingham City's new owners arrive, they're just one step below the Premier League. "Welcome to Wrexham" also chronicles Rob and Ryan's journey as they completely fall in love with not just Wrexham, but the sport of soccer as a whole (Rob Mac even enjoys a goalless draw!). Brady and Wagner never seem to get to the same point, and make no secret that their ultimate aim with Birmingham City is to make a lot of money from this venture. The documentary series is probably closer in vibe to Amazon's ongoing 'All or Nothing' series, which has covered some of the biggest names in English football, including Arsenal and Manchester City. Nevertheless, Wrexham fans, or just soccer lovers in general, will still enjoy it. At this stage, I'm not sure 'Built in Birmingham' is going to turn the club into the global phenomenon that Wrexham has become, but it's a well-produced sports documentary that offers an insightful look into what it takes to turn a failing club into one well-built for future success. Watch "Built in Birmingham: Brady & the Blues" on Prime Video now Follow Tom's Guide on Google News to get our up-to-date news, how-tos, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button.
Business Upturn
2 hours ago
- Business Upturn
Man United send official bid to RB Leipzig for Benjamin Sesko
Manchester United have officially entered the race for Benjamin Sesko by submitting a formal bid to RB Leipzig on Tuesday, August 5, 2025. The Red Devils have tabled an €85 million package in an attempt to lure the highly-rated Slovenian striker to Old Trafford. Sesko has been a hot property this summer, attracting strong interest from both Manchester United and Newcastle United. The Magpies had already made two previous offers, the latest being around €90 million. However, despite Newcastle's qualification for the UEFA Champions League next season, Sesko is reportedly leaning towards a move to Manchester. Sources close to the player suggest that Sesko is keen on joining United, even though the club will not feature in European competition in the upcoming campaign. The striker is believed to be enticed by the long-term vision at Old Trafford and the opportunity to become a central figure in the club's rebuild. United's bid is seen as a strategic move to rival Newcastle's advances, and while RB Leipzig have not yet responded, a decision is expected soon.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Reds at Cubs Prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, betting trends, and stats for August 5
It's Tuesday, August 5 and the Reds (59-54) are in Chicago to take on the Cubs (65-47). Zack Littell is slated to take the mound for Cincinnati against Shota Imanaga for Chicago. The Reds opened the series with a 3-2 win off a RBI single in the seventh inning. Despite the win, the Cubs still own the season edge, 4-3. Let's dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two. We've got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch first pitch, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts. Follow Rotoworld Player News for the latest fantasy and betting player news and analysis all season long. Game details & how to watch Reds at Cubs Date: Tuesday, August 5, 2025 Time: 8:05PM EST Site: Wrigley Field City: Chicago, IL Network/Streaming: FDSNOH, MARQ, TBS Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out. Odds for the Reds at the Cubs The latest odds as of Tuesday: Moneyline: Reds (+152), Cubs (-183) Spread: Cubs -1.5 Total: 8.0 runs Probable starting pitchers for Reds at Cubs Pitching matchup for August 5, 2025: Zack Littell vs. Shota Imanaga Reds: Zack Littell, (8-8, 3.58 ERA)Last outing: 0.00 ERA, 0 Earned Runs Allowed, 2 Hits Allowed, 4 Walks, and 4 Strikeouts Cubs: Shota Imanaga, (8-4, 3.25 ERA)Last outing: 5.40 ERA, 3 Earned Runs Allowed, 5 Hits Allowed, 0 Walks, and 8 Strikeouts Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type! Expert picks & predictions for tonight's game between the Reds and the Cubs Rotoworld Best Bet Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700. Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts. Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager. Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Tuesday's game between the Reds and the Cubs: Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Chicago Cubs on the Moneyline. Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Cincinnati Reds at +1.5. Total: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play on the over on the Game Total of 8.0. Want even more MLB best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert MLB Predictions page from NBC. Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Reds at Cubs The Cubs have won 4 of their last 5 home series The Over is 4-1 in the Cubs' last 5 divisional matchups Chicago is 8-8 since the All-Star break Cincinnati is 9-7 since the All-Star break If you're looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports! Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff: Jay Croucher (@croucherJD) Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper) Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports) Trysta Krick (@Trysta_Krick)
