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Birmingham City players are being urged to take advantage of the fact that Tom Brady is on the other end of a phone line, with the NFL legend knowing what it takes to win it all. Former Blues striker Clinton Morrison has told GOAL, in an exclusive interview, why “big plans” for the future at St Andrew’s can see ambitious dreams turned into reality.

Super Bowl winner Brady is a stakeholder at St Andrew's

Seven-time Super Bowl winner Brady forms part of that project, having become a shock minority stakeholder back in 2023. The iconic New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback has taken more than a passing interest in the Blues since then – with several trips to England being enjoyed.

His debut campaign with Birmingham may have delivered relegation out of the Championship, but Chris Davies’ side captured the League One title in record-breaking style last season and are now looking to knock on the Premier League promotion door once more.

AdvertisementAmazon Prime VideoPositive influence: Why Brady is good for Birmingham

Brady will be doing his best to help the Blues down that path, with Morrison – speaking in association with Freebets.com, the home of best casino sites – telling GOAL when asked if the American’s presence remains positive and how he can help those in the West Midlands: “I think it’s good for the club. I have met him personally and I think the job he is doing at Birmingham is first class. It should inspire you. You have got one of the best players ever in the NFL, one of the most successful, and he is involved with your football club. If you are a professional footballer, I know it’s a different sport but if you can lean on him and ask for advice about mentality and what it takes to be successful – I know it’s a different game, but I would love it. I would love it if I had someone like that I could go and lean on, pick up the phone to or see around and have conversations with.

“For me, it’s been brilliant to have Tom Brady and to have him on board at Birmingham City alongside Wagner because getting them promoted from League One last season was fantastic, and now they are on a good run in the Championship. It was a bit sticky a month ago, but now they are on a good run. To have someone like Tom Brady in the building is fantastic.”

Morrison added on modern players being more open to advice from stars of other sports, with marginal gains forever being sought: “People will say ‘its a different sport’ and it is, but the mentality is about winning. That’s what he is, he’s a born winner, one of the best there has ever been. If you’ve not won stuff in your career, to listen to someone who is a winner and learn what it takes mentally, physically and the hard work you have to put in to do that, I think it’s fantastic.

“For me it’s a no-brainer to have someone like that in your football club, giving you advice, helping you and doing little things where you can get advice. Not every time does someone want to listen if they have not won stuff – which is not right but if you have won what he’s won, it’s brilliant to have on board.”

Birmingham's grand plan: New stadium, NFL games and concerts

With Brady on board, and starring in a documentary for Amazon Prime, Birmingham are aiming for the stars on and off the field. Asked if plans for a 60,000-seater stadium, NFL games and music concerts are feasible, Morrison said: “It’s all feasible. You see them doing it at Tottenham, that’s feasible. They have got good backing, they have got good owners that are ambitious and want to take the club to another level. It’s all feasible and good for the city of Birmingham and the football club.

“There are big plans but they wouldn’t be saying these things if it wasn’t feasible. It must be. I think these owners are genuine and have big plans. When they first came in they set out their plans for what they wanted for the football club and so far, so good. Things have gone according to plan. Long may it continue.”

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Getty/GOALBirmingham vs Wrexham: Who reaches the Premier League first?

Birmingham have built a rivalry of sorts with Wrexham over the course of the last 18 months, with the Red Dragons boasting Hollywood co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac at their helm – with both sides earning promotion out of the third tier last season.

The big question now is: Who will reach the Premier League first? Morrison said when that poser was put to him: “That is the big question! It’s a difficult one. Wrexham have spent well, but so have Birmingham. I think, at the moment, Birmingham are probably better equipped to get promoted than Wrexham are. If you look at the players Birmingham got through the door, some have Premier League experience. So have Wrexham, I just think the way they are at the moment, Birmingham are better equipped.

“That was one of my picks at the start of the season, Birmingham to finish in the top six. I had Wrexham just outside. Wrexham have got some good players and good owners. The Championship is unpredictable. I can predict Birmingham to go up but that is probably more with my heart than my head because I played for the football club. Wrexham do have good players and a good manager so they will have a good chance – they will be there or thereabouts come the end of the season. I think the Championship is wide open.”

There is no separating Birmingham and Wrexham at present, with both sides picking up 21 points through 15 games this season. The Blues are sat slightly higher in the table – 11th compared to 13th – with only a four-point gap needing to be bridged in order to reach the play-off places.

Cincinnati Reds superstar Elly De La Cruz didn't step into the batter's box during the 2025 Home Run Derby, but he debatably was having the most fun of anyone at Truist Park in Atlanta.

He was downright giddy watching fellow Dominican star Oneil Cruz mash 21 homers—including a 513-foot bomb—during the first round Monday night. After Cruz's monster round wrapped up, he joined the ESPN broadcast desk and was asked about his interest about competing in the future.

"I would like to do it at some point," he said when asked if he's interested in participating in the Derby on ESPN. "Not now, but at some point I'd like to do it. … I think I can win this."

He declined an invite to this year's contest for the third straight year. He did tease that he fans may see him there in the future, though, mentioning "the time is coming." Although that time isn't this year, the fun he had watching Monday night's show may have given some extra motivation. And he definitely got to take some notes.

The third-year star has 56 career homers, including 18 this season. On the year, he's slashing .284/.359/.495 with 63 RBIs and 25 stolen bases in addition to the 18 long balls.

Ivan Juric is on the brink of being sacked as Atalanta manager, with the club already in advanced negotiations with Raffaele Palladino to take over. The decision comes after a disastrous start to the Serie A season and a challenging Champions League campaign, exacerbated by a recent heavy defeat and a deteriorating relationship between Juric and the club's ownership and fanbase.

Juric's imminent sacking following Sassuolo defeat

Juric's tenure at Atalanta appears to be drawing to a close, with reports from and indicating that his dismissal is imminent. The final straw seems to be the comprehensive 3-0 home defeat to Sassuolo on Sunday, a result that has intensified internal discussions within the Bergamo club. Two goals from Domenico Berardi and one from Andrea Pinamonti sealed Atalanta's fate in a match that saw them register only two shots on target despite having 66% possession.

The combination of poor results and a strained relationship with both the club's owners and the fans has reportedly forced the decision, with an announcement expected shortly.

Juric, who previously coached Southampton and Roma, is facing his third dismissal in 12 months, highlighting a difficult period in his managerial career.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportRaffaele Palladino in pole position to replace Juric

Atalanta have moved swiftly to identify a successor, with Palladino reportedly in pole position to take over from Juric. confirms that "negotiations between Atalanta and Raffaele Palladino are at an advanced stage," suggesting that a deal is close to being finalised.

Palladino, 41, is a former Fiorentina coach and a student of Gian Piero Gasperini, having also been a teammate of Juric at Genoa. This background suggests a desire for tactical continuity, aligning with the playing style and mentality established by Gasperini during his successful period at the club. Palladino's recent coaching experience includes leading Monza to two consecutive Serie A salvations and guiding Fiorentina to a seventh-place finish in Serie A and a Conference League semi-final last year.

The decision to appoint Palladino is seen as a move to bring stability and a familiar footballing philosophy back to Atalanta, aiming to replicate the successful periods under Gasperini.

Deteriorating relationships cited as a key factor in Juric's departure

Beyond the on-field results, a significant factor contributing to Juric's impending departure is the breakdown of his relationships within the club. Reports indicate that his position was already tenuous even before the Sassuolo defeat, with internal discussions intensifying due to a perceived "lack of chemistry between the fans and Juric himself."

This lack of connection with the fanbase, coupled with disagreements with the ownership, has created an untenable situation for the Croatian coach. The club's American co-owner Stephen Pagliuca was present at the Gewiss Stadium to witness the dismal performance against Sassuolo, which reportedly led to a late-night summit and the final decision to make a change.

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Juric's dismal record in Serie A and Champions League

Juric's statistical record at Atalanta paints a grim picture. In 11 Serie A matches this season, Atalanta have collected a mere 13 points, resulting from just two wins and seven draws. This is a stark contrast to last season, where they had 22 points and were in third place after 11 rounds. The team has scored only 13 goals in the league, while conceding 11.

Their last league victory dates back to September 21, a 3-1 win against Torino. Since then, they have picked up only five points and scoring just four goals in their last seven Serie A matches, including consecutive defeats away to Udinese and at home to Sassuolo.

While their Champions League campaign has yielded a more respectable seven points from four games, including a positive performance against Marseille, it has not been enough to secure the trust of the club hierarchy. Atalanta currently sit in 13th place in Serie A, significantly underperforming expectations for a team that has consistently challenged for European spots in recent seasons. Their form in their last five league matches includes three draws and two losses.

West Ham United manager Nuno has now commented on the ownership protest, which took place after the 3-1 victory against Newcastle United on Sunday.

West Ham picked up just their second Premier League victory of the season at the weekend, defeating Newcastle at the London Stadium, courtesy of a long-range Lucas Paqueta strike and a Sven Botman own-goal, before Tomas Soucek put the game beyond doubt in injury time.

Nuno managed to get his first win on the board despite a backdrop of discontent, with supporters planning a sit-in protest against the board, having reached the end of their tether with David Sullivan and Karren Brady.

The players seemed unaffected by the off-field issues, however, with Alfie Potts, who had a goal disallowed for a marginal offside in the second half, praising his teammates after the match, saying: “We all fought for the shirt, and we came away with three points, which I think was deserved.”

“I feel like everyone today showed that we’ve got the character and the challenge to come back from positions that we have been in the past, and we can win games, especially against teams like Newcastle who attack really well.”

Nuno directly asked about West Ham fans' protest

The West Ham manager was directly asked about what he thought of the supporters’ protest on Sunday, and he took the time to praise the Hammers faithful, saying: “I think the fans saw something in the team today and this is what we want, this is how we should look at the situation.

“How can we as a team, show to our fans that we want to fight, we want to change [the] situation.

“We want to make things tough for our opponents. We want to change our game, we want to improve our game. The fans [we] cannot thank them enough.”

Of course, the 51-year-old can’t directly criticise the ownership, especially considering some of his recent experiences, with the former Nottingham Forest manager being dismissed after admitting his relationship with Evangelos Marinakis had deteriorated.

However, Nuno’s assessment that the supporters were buoyed on by an encouraging performance is certainly accurate, with the Irons showing signs they are more than capable of getting out of relegation trouble.

West Ham were more than deserving of their victory, as despite the visitors dominating most of the possession, they failed to create any big chances in the match, while the hosts crafted two.

Nuno will be hoping his side can now start to build momentum, with an early six-pointer at home against Burnley pencilled in for next Saturday.

West Ham player ratings as Nuno secures first victory West Ham player ratings v Newcastle United as Nuno secures first victory

The Hammers returned to winning ways with a 3-1 win against Newcastle this afternoon.

ByDominic Lund Nov 2, 2025

Former captains Mohammad Ashraful and Akram Khan point at systemic issues around team selection, lack of batting plans, and players not adapting to the modern way

Mohammad Isam16-Oct-2025Bangladesh’s seemingly never-ending issues in the batting department remains in focus as they head into another ODI series – this time against West Indies at home – within three days of their 3-0 whitewash at the hands of Afghanistan.There is a confidence problem within the batting group, with captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz conceding after their 200-run defeat in the third ODI that they wanted to bat 50 overs but were struggling to.Fans are irate too. On Wednesday, one group gave the Bangladesh players an unsavoury welcome, including inflicting damage on some players’ vehicles. Another group urged people to stay away from the Shere Bangla National Stadium for the first ODI against West Indies on Saturday.Related

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Former Bangladesh captains Mohammad Ashraful and Akram Khan have both said that Bangladesh’s batting approach and overall strategy in the last 12 months have left them baffled.Ashraful, who has recently started his coaching career, said that the problems begin at the top, with Bangladesh’s top-order. Only Saif Hassan, playing his maiden ODI series, played the lead in whatever starts Bangladesh got against Afghanistan. Tanzid Hasan and Najmul Hossain Shanto scored 22 runs in five innings between them. Mohammad Naim scratched around for seven in his only appearance.The situation was slightly better against Sri Lanka in July, although Tanzid and Parvez Hossain Emon scoring a fifty each hardly made a difference to the team’s performances. Shanto made 37 runs in three innings back then.”I think the biggest concern is the lack of runs from the top order,” Ashraful told ESPNcricinfo. “It has been going on for a while now. Shanto isn’t scoring runs, so that’s becoming a problem. In fact, the lack of runs from the top order goes back quite a long way. During the West Indies series last year, it was Mahmudullah, Jaker Ali and Mehidy Hasan Miraz bailing us out every time. We did put up reasonable totals but I kept feeling that we were at least 50 runs short in those three matches. Even before that, in the previous Afghanistan series last year, we couldn’t get good starts because of poor strike rates.”Ashraful said that the lack of runs from Shanto and Litton Das, and Mehidy’s lukewarm batting tempo through the middle-overs, have dented Bangladesh severely. Among the batters around the national side these days, Mehidy is the most experienced with 113 ODIs, while Litton is on 95 and Shanto 55.Litton Das has been in and out of the ODI team•AFP/Getty ImagesLitton’s ODI career has stalled after a prolonged batting drought in the format. He has scored only 35 runs in his last nine innings going back to December 2023. He has been dropped twice from ODIs, although he is a Test regular and the T20I captain.”Whenever the team’s established batters don’t score runs, it makes life difficult for the rest,” Ashraful said. “Litton has been in and out of the ODI team for a while now. He is sometimes out of the squad, and then they bring him in on the back of some runs in another format. He returns, and then he fails again.”I also feel that since Mehidy began batting at No. 5, he is scoring runs but not how modern batters go about it. We are going back to our time when a batter would score 65-70 off 100 balls.”

“The ODI team hasn’t settled down. There’s too much chopping and changing. I think many of these decisions are being taken due to pressure from media and social media”Mohammad Ashraful

Bangladesh have been going through a batting transition in the last 24 months. Those who exited the format – Tamim Iqbal, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah – possessed vast ODI experience. Tanzid, Towhid Hridoy, Mehidy and Jaker have since taken over those batting positions and the swaps haven’t been smooth.Tanzid no longer enjoys a blanket backing from the management. Hridoy’s honeymoon period is long gone – he has failed to make meaningful contributions since the century against India in the Champions Trophy. Jaker is struggling, too, in the last few months.Akram, the BCB’s cricket operations chairman across two terms in the last ten years, is sympathetic.”I think there’s too much pressure on the players,” Akram told ESPNcricinfo. “They are not a bad team. These are not bad players. Generally, however, I am not seeing the ability to play big knocks. I don’t see the batters planning their innings, or at least breaking them down to phases of 15 balls each. Batting like this was possible in Abu Dhabi where we saw that only one innings got close to the 300-run mark. But we didn’t plan well.ODI captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz has been among the runs, but his strike rate has been a concern•AFP/Getty Images”I think the coaches should be held accountable. Losing one in ten matches is okay, but when you lose most games, there will be questions. It is high time we understand the importance of the men’s cricket team. Their level of performance reflects the overall health of cricket in the country. I think there’s a lot of room for improvement.”Ashraful also feels there should be better decision-making in the selection of the side. Apart from what he said about Litton, he pointed to the selection policy when it came to Soumya Sarkar.”The ODI team hasn’t settled down. There’s too much chopping and changing,” Ashraful said. “I think many of these decisions are being taken due to pressure from media and social media.”It will be a tough series against the West Indies. It won’t be like the ODI series in the past few years. West Indies are fresh from a Test series in India where two of their batters struck centuries in the second Test. I think that makes them a team with more confidence.”In home conditions, however, “we can always hope to do well,” Ashraful said. Which, of course, might only serve to paper over the cracks.

Newcastle United made their biggest sale in the club’s history over the summer, in perhaps the biggest Premier League transfer saga of all time.

Liverpool signed Alexander Isak from the North Eastern side for a fee of £125m, which was a British record deal.

Controversy aside, that move represented the change Newcastle have undergone over the past few seasons, since their takeover.

The Magpies more than doubled their money on the Swedish striker, having paid £60m for him. The fact that they can sign expensive talent and flip them for profit shows the positive financial state of the club.

In fact, there are a couple of other Newcastle players who could be future £100m stars, including – but not exclusive to – Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes.

Why Tonali & Guimaraes already are £100m stars

There is no doubt that Tonali and Guimaraes form one of the Premier League’s best midfield pivots. The Brazilian said it himself earlier this year, describing his partnership with the former AC Milan star as “one of the best midfields in the league.”

Newcastle’s number 39, Guimaraes, has already been valued at £100m by the club, and has previously had a release clause of that value.

Given his importance to the club, it’s easy to see why. The Brazil star has 21 appearances across all competitions and has ten goal involvements this term.

As for Tonali, the Italian is of equal importance to Eddie Howe’s midfield. He’s played 20 times this season, sitting at the base of their midfield and controlling the game, with Guimaraes operating just ahead of him.

Whilst there has never been an official report valuing the midfielder at £100m, it is clear he is a player worth that much.

Paul Scholes even said he is “better than Declan Rice,” with Arsenal paying £105m for the England star back in 2023. It is safe to assume Tonali can hit those heights.

However, it is not just Newcastle’s dynamic pivot who are future £100m stars at St James’ Park.

Newcastle’s latest future £100m player

Newcastle fans certainly adore the midfield, which Guimares says is among the Premier League’s elite. Tonali was lauded by one notable supporter earlier in the season as the “best” player he’s ever seen play for the Magpies.

It isn’t just Tonali, though, whom he heaped praise on. The content creator said Malick Thiaw is “a very strong contender for the best defender” he’s seen pull on that famous Black and White shirt.

Indeed, the German could easily earn a £100m price tag one day. His performances have been exceptional, as already alluded to, with scout Antonio Mango suggesting he was “one of the best signings of the summer.”

It is another example of a great investment from the Magpies, with Thiaw costing only £34.6m.

He’s cemented himself as Howe’s first-choice centre-back, playing 19 times in all competitions this term and even offering a threat from set pieces. Thiaw bagged twice against Everton in a 4-1 win last month.

Indeed, his stats reflect just how good a centre-back he is.

The 24-year-old averages 4.53 progressive passes and 3.81 aerial duels won per 90 minutes, ranking him in the top 17% and 15% of Premier League centre-backs, respectively.

There is perhaps a case to be made that Thiaw is just as important to Howe’s side this term as Tonali and Guimaraes. He’s certainly played a similar number of games, completing 90 minutes in the Premier League ten times in a row now.

If the midfield duo are worth £100m, it is easy to see how that can be the case for Thiaw in the future.

He has all the attributes to go to the very top, and is highly rated by Newcastle fans and How alike. The German has been exceptional this season and will be hoping this form continues.

He's the next Bruno Guimaraes: Newcastle to launch move for £30m "monster"

Newcastle United could win themselves a future Bruno Guimaraes by making a move for this £30m ace.

By
Kelan Sarson

3 days ago