Hagi set for 'special' night in city of his birth
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scotsman
8 minutes ago
- Scotsman
Predicted Premier League table 25/26: Liverpool, Manchester City, Arsenal and Chelsea title odds assessed
Here's how the bookies predict the English Premier League will look in 25/26. Cr: Getty Images. | Getty Images Here's how the English Premier League table is predicted to look at the end of the 25/26 season - including Liverpool, Manchester City, Arsenal and Chelsea's title odds. Sign up to our Football newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... The return of the English Premier League is now just hours away, with supporters across the country getting ready for their team's opening game of the season this weekend. Liverpool enter the new campaign with their eyes firmly on retaining their title following last year's success, though Arsenal, Manchester City, and Chelsea are all determined to knock them off their perch and return to the very top of the English game. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Newcastle United, Aston Villa, and Manchester United are all hoping to push for European positions to this season, with the trio all harbouring hopes of Champions League qualification, and maybe even more. Leeds United, Sunderland and Burnley will be hoping to keep their heads above water after winning promotion back to the top flight in May, while Tottenham Hotspur and Brentford and will be hoping for a new manager bounce following their summer appointments of Thomas Frank and Keith Andrews respectively. But how will each team fare come the end of the campaign? Here is where every team is predicted to finish in the Scottish Premiership table come May*.
BBC News
8 minutes ago
- BBC News
Holders enter fray & Ibrox debutants - things to watch in Premier Sports Cup
Knockout football veers into view this weekend with the second round of the Premier Sports host promoted Falkirk, while third-tier Alloa Athletic's reward for topping their group is a visit to Ibrox to take on Russell Martin's stumbling United visit Championship rivals Partick Thistle, Aberdeen are away to another Championship side in Greenock Morton, with relegated St Johnstone host top-flight the back of Thursday's European action, Dundee United and Hibernian visit Premiership opposition in the shape of Kilmarnock and promoted Livingston, what to look out for across the eight matches... Will Falkirk attack Celtic? The last time Falkirk went to Celtic Park, the then-Championship side flew out of the blocks and went at from Ross MacIver and Finn Yeats had John McGlynn's side 2-1 up at half-time, before a double apiece for Adam Idah and Nicolas Kuhn ensured Celtic avoided an it was notable how McGlynn's front-foot play was able to cause problems against Scotland's dominant club a straightforward group-stage campaign, it has been a more difficult return to the top flight for the Bairns, who drew against Dundee United before falling to a 3-1 defeat at bogey team those setbacks lead to tweaks from McGlynn or will he stick to his approach and take the game to a Celtic side who might have one eye on Wednesday's Champions League play-off home leg against Kairat Almaty?"For us, a reference was how well we did there last season," McGlynn said. "We've got to take a bit of confidence and belief from that."We're always going to create chances with the type of team we are. We want to come out of Celtic Park with our heads held high and who knows? Maybe in the quarter-finals." Can Hearts maintain perfect start under McInnes? Derek McInnes made it clear in his pre-match news conference on Wednesday that he is targeting silverware in his first season with Hearts, who haven't won this competition since don't have the best record in Paisley but can take heart from a gritty Scottish Cup win on penalties there last season. They also go into the match off six straight wins, having beaten two of last season's top-six Premiership teams have an opportunity to take a third scalp against the Buddies and McInnes was bullish when asked about his team's prospects in the cup competitions."I've said this to them a few times. There's not one player should have signed for Hearts without having that aspiration to win a trophy here," the former Kilmarnock and Aberdeen boss said."If we don't win the cup, it doesn't mean we were wrong to say it. I don't think you're setting yourself up for a fall. We do believe we're good enough to go the full way and there's no point believing otherwise."The head coach has talked the talk. His team now need to walk the walk. Rangers debuts for Moore & Aasgaard? Ridiculous amount of shots faced across games this ponderous build-up play, particularly against teams favouring a low block. One imagines that will be Alloa Athletic's gameplan at Ibrox on Martin said before Tuesday's defeat by Viktoria Plzen that summer signings Thelo Aasgaard and Mikey Moore could both be fit to make debuts this Russell Martin make sweeping changes and grant opportunities to fringe members of his squad or will he look to build understanding and favour continuity? How will United & Hibs cope after European travails? Both Dundee United and Hibernian were in Conference League qualifying action on Thursday evening, but with mixed Hibs progressed to the play-off round with a 4-3 aggregate win against Partizan after extra time, United endured the agony of defeat on penalties after being tied 4-4 with Rapid Vienna following 210 minutes of packed schedule that accompanies European football is a significant challenge for teams as they attempt to maintain domestic form while attempting to secure a group-stage spot and the riches that have taken one point from the two league matches that have immediately followed their European efforts this season, while Hibs have had more joy having claimed four both facing top-flight opposition on the road this weekend, their squad depth will be tested again. Can 'mature' Kirk down Motherwell? Tyrone Smith, BBC Sport ScotlandHaving completed his multi-million pound move from Motherwell to Udinese, the spotlight won't fall on Lennon Miller, when his former club travel to St Johnstone on perhaps it will fall on another talented youngster - 21-year-old Saints striker Makenzie Perth side may have been relegated from the Premiership last season, but Kirk caught the eye, netting 11 Johnstone boss Simo Valakari has confirmed there has, unsurprisingly, been transfer interest in the Northern Irish added: "These players are very rare and to have a player at his age who still has a lot of potential to fulfil - of course there will be interest."He is our player, we don't have the urgency or panic to sell. I would be more than happy if he is our player when this window closes."Despite being in and out of the Saints starting XI this season, he has still scored four goals."He has been top notch, pushing very hard every day - that tells me he is young in age but mature in his head," Valakari Kirk and his Finnish manager will hope that hard work pays off as the Perth side seek a quarter-final spot.
Daily Mirror
38 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Alexander Isak would break Liverpool's 10-year ‘golden transfer rule' as huge hint dropped
Liverpool's pursuit of Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak marks a major change from the club's approach to transfers over the last decade as they look to bring in the striker Liverpool's desire to sign Alexander Isak represents the club breaking a decade-long trend of avoiding moves for proven Premier League strikers. The Reds have been cautious about buying established forwards from the English top-flight since signing Christian Benteke from Aston Villa in 2015. Newcastle United rejected Liverpool's huge £110million bid for Isak, who netted 23 league goals last season. The forward is training separately from Newcastle's first team and has reportedly refused to play for the club again, despite Newcastle's insistence that he is not on the market. It has already been a busy summer for Liverpool, with their lavish spending spree on players like Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike contrasting sharply with last year. However, the Reds are still working on more signings and a deal for Isak would mark a huge shift in the club's transfer policy. Back in 2015, Liverpool forked out £32.5m on Benteke from Villa, where he had scored an impressive 49 goals in 101 games. Despite high hopes for the Belgian at Anfield, he was sold to Crystal Palace just a year later after scoring 10 in 42 appearances. Since then, the club have avoided risking the same mistake. Benteke joined in the same summer as Roberto Firmino, who became a crucial component in Liverpool's attack and won the Premier League and Champions League during his time at the Reds. Brendan Rodgers also brought in Danny Ings from relegated Burnley shortly before signing Benteke. The following season, Liverpool signed Sadio Mane from Southampton, though the Senegalese star wasn't a traditional striker, frequently operating on the wing under Jurgen Klopp. The same case could be argued for versatile attacker Diogo Jota's arrival from Wolves in 2020. When it came time to buy a new centre-forward, the Reds chose to recruit Darwin Nunez from Benfica three years ago, instead of a Premier League target. Meanwhile, Dominic Solanke's move to Liverpool from Chelsea through a tribunal in 2017 doesn't match Benteke's marquee signing or Isak's possible record-breaking transfer. Isak will not feature in Newcastle's season opener against Aston Villa on Saturday. Newcastle boss Howe has dropped a huge hint over Isak's future and spoken honestly about the transfer saga's impact on his squad and admitted that his side have already been forced to adapt to life without Isak. "I don't think it's been healthy for us," Howe said. "I don't deny that's been a big challenge. Alex, for me, is one of the best strikers in the world – if not the best. To miss him from your squad leaves a huge gap. "I think morale was certainly affected early on during pre-season," he continued. "There was nothing I could do to affect that – it was always going to be there. "When you have a player that good who is not part of your group, it's difficult for the players to fully understand it and to know what's going on and how to react. "But, as time has gone on, there has been an acceptance this is the squad and we have got to make the best of the situation. That's always been my train of thought. "Whatever situation you're in, you have got to find a way and you can only control what you can control. We have moved forward and I've got to say the atmosphere of the group has been very good in the last couple of weeks." Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
