Youngster Sam Mather was not involved in Manchester United Under-21s’ clash with Brackley Town in the National League Cup on Tuesday as he continues to weigh up a move to the United Arab Emirates. The 21-year-old was a notable absentee as the young Red Devils slipped to a narrow 2-1 defeat against National League side Brackley at St James Park.
Dele Alli has reportedly settled an alleged £6,000 debt after a jeweller took to Instagram to publicly call him out over a bracelet that hadn't been paid for. The former Tottenham and Everton star was accused of failing to han over cash in a fiery video by rapper-turned-jeweller Ard Adz, but hours later the situation appeared to be resolved after the one-time England international made the payment.
Sheffield Shield leaders South Australia will need a further 253 runs on the final of a tightly-fought contest
Alex Malcolm08-Mar-2025Contrasting but equally vital half-centuries from Victoria youngsters Campbell Kellaway and Harry Dixon alongside four wickets to Liam Scott set up a tantilising final day run chase for South Australia at Junction Oval in Melbourne.Kellaway made 77 and Dixon plundered 76 as Victoria were bowled out for 297 on the third day. Scott took 4 for 49 while Henry Thornton bagged 3 for 44 to leave South Australia needing exactly 300 to win. They finished the day 47 for 1 with Henry Hunt and Nathan McSweeney, who had earlier left the field after bowling one ball, negotiating a challenging final hour.Kellaway fought hard to make his second half-century of the match but Dixon’s impressive innings in the afternoon ensured Victoria had a decent total to defend as they look to keep alive their hopes of making the Sheffield Shield final.Related
Dixon, Kellaway show glimpses of breaking Victoria's Test batting drought
Kellaway holds firm amid Buckingham and Thornton four-wicket hauls
McSweeney open to possibilities in bid to earn Test recall
Where Kellaway showed hard graft for the second straight innings, Dixon showcased a stunning display of counterattacking batting following a collapse where Victoria lost 5 for 20. There were shades of Travis Head in the 19-year-old left-hander as he pummeled six fours and five sixes. Anything wide and overpitched was laced through cover while length balls sailed onto the hill forward of square.Kellaway had batted through a difficult period on the second evening and the entire first session on the third day as the Junction Oval surface continued to offer plenty for the bowlers. He was fortunate to survive on 31 when the edged Brendan Doggett behind but Harry Nielsen spilled the chance diving his left.Marcus Harris was not as fortunate. Harris chopped on trying to a leave a length ball that reared a touch off Doggett for a hard fought 19. Blake Macdonald was much more fluent, striking four boundaries, but he fell trying to drop-kick Scott over midwicket and instead skied a catch to mid-on.Kellaway and Peter Handscomb appeared to settle in after lunch and looked set to build a hefty total for Victoria. But just as they did in the first innings, the home side suffered a huge middle-order collapse with Scott and Thornton doing the damage.Kellaway had copped a barrage of short balls and his strokeplay had become a little frantic before he edged to slip trying to drive Scott on the up. Thornton then hurried Handscomb with a short ball and his attempted pull was skied straight up to Nielsen.Thornton found Sam Harper’s outside edge with another delivery that climbed before he rattled the top of Sam Elliott’s off stump with a terrific ball that angled in and straightened. Scott got one to snake through Xavier Crone’s gate at the other end to also clean bowl him.Dixon watched all of this carnage unfold having walked in after Kellaway had fallen. He was completely unflappable thumping a handful of superb cover drives whenever the bowlers overpitched.He found a superb ally in Fergus O’Neill who made a busy 34, rotating the strike and frustrating South Australia with his slightly unorthodox method. The pair put on 80 for the eighth wicket.When O’Neill fell, Dixon let loose. With men stationed everywhere on the rope he thumped five sixes over the leg side including two in a row off Doggett, one of which sailed out of the ground over square leg. He finally miscued one on 76, hitting Scott straight up to hand the allrounder his fourth wicket.Conor McInerney’s tortured match-up with Scott Boland continued. After being clean bowled in the first over of the first innings, he nicked Boland to first slip in the opening over of the second innings only for Macdonald to grass the knee high chance. It did not cost much. McInerney made just 1 off 24 balls before nicking Boland again with keeper Harper pouching the chance diving low to his left.Hunt enjoyed some fortune at the other end nicking a couple of balls short of slip. He also survived a very close lbw shout off Elliott. McSweeney, too, nicked Boland short of slip but thereafter both players settled and played positively whilst defending and leaving well.
Newcastle United will hope to challenge for silverware once again this season after lifting the Carabao Cup last term, even in the wake of Alexander Isak’s high-profile rebellion at St. James’ Park and ultimate transfer to Liverpool.
Isak cost a pretty penny when arriving from Real Sociedad in a club-record £63m deal in 2022, but he has since lined the pockets of the owners, contributing toward a period of newfound success and joining Liverpool for a British record £125m fee.
In Nick Woltemade and Yoane Wissa, Eddie Howe has a few new forwards with enough talent to lead the line with confidence through the Premier League and Champions League seasons, though it might be a tall order to expect them to hit the same heights as the Sweden striker from the beginning.
Newcastle's tough task replacing Isak
Wissa has plied his craft in the Premier League for four years, joining Brentford from Lorient in France, and he struck a new level of form last year, scoring 19 league goals and being praised by Sky Sports’ Mark McAdam for his “sensational” ability in front of goal.
However, Wissa isn’t on the same level as Isak, who didn’t just bang them in for the Tynesiders but played with such smoothness and creativity too, with pundit Ally McCoist even hailing him as the “best all-round centre-forward”.
Woltemade arrives with potential, but he’s not Isak. Howe’s Newcastle system is steeped in efficient and slick transitional play, and that requires a striker both intelligent and coaxing a big chance into being and then deadly with the finishing touch.
Matches (starts)
35 (34)
28 (17)
Goals
19
12
Assists
4
2
Shots (on target)*
2.6 (1.2)
1.8 (0.9)
Big chances missed
17
11
Pass completion
79%
72%
Big chances created
3
8
Key passes*
0.8
1.3
Dribbles*
0.4
1.1
Ball recoveries*
2.3
1.9
Tackles + interceptions*
0.8
0.5
Duels (won)*
3.4
4.4
The jury is out for both of them, however, Newcastle once had a number nine who has proven their quality at the very highest level in the Premier League and may well have been a success in Howe’s current title-challenging team.
Newcastle sold their original Isak
A decade ago, Newcastle signed young centre-forward Ivan Toney from Northampton Town. He was 19 at the time and considered one of the most underrated prospects in England.
It didn’t work out for the England international, who left for Peterborough in League One in a mere £500k deal before unearthing his prolific potential in front of goal, leading to destructive displays with Thomas Frank’s Brentford, with the manager hailing him as “a monster”.
With Posh, he enjoyed a mighty time of it, scoring 49 in 94. With the Bees, he was even better, netting 72 in 141 outings.
Indeed, after four loan stints while a Newcastle player, the 29-year-old has now realised his capacity to thrive as one of the most physical and threatening forwards in the business, with his tall frame and clever link-up play certainly reminiscent of Isak at the front of Howe’s set-up.
He might not have the same high-speed running as Isak, but Toney is unquestionably a striker of merit, versatile and confident in creating for his peers.
Toney’s clinical performances in the Saudi Pro League, having joined Al-Ahli for £40m in 2024, are merely a continuation of his consistent success in the Premier League, and while there are those who begrudge his decision to leave for the riches of the Gulf, there’s no question that he’d still make the cut at a team like Newcastle.
He scored 30 goals for Al-Ahli last season, and also with a five-goal return in his trail this season, so Toney actually outscored Isak last season, having previously hit 36 Premier League goals across three terms with Brentford.
While it would have been unreasonably expensive to sign Toney this summer, there’s no doubt that the previous Toon regime blundered with this one, and that a young Toney within the current project might have found the perfect environment to have realised his plentiful talents.
He's outscoring Woltemade: Newcastle must regret selling the original Wissa
Newcastle could do with this striker’s quality after selling Isak to Liverpool.
1 ByAngus Sinclair Sep 2, 2025
Liverpool boss Arne Slot has been praised for his 'perfect' handling of Hugo Ekitike's red card blunder against Sunderland in the Carabao Cup. The French striker opened his shirt, while celebrating a last-gasp winner which led to the referee showing him his second yellow card of the night resulting in his sending off. Slot later openly slammed Ekitike for his "stupid" behaviour.
Slot praised for being honest with his assessment of Ekitike
After Liverpool's narrow Carabao Cup win in the midweek, Slot did not hold back while criticising Ekitike for his irresponsible behaviour. The Dutch manager labelled the striker's celebration as "needless and stupid" while speaking to the media. Ekitike had even issued an apology for picking up the red card at the very end.
AdvertisementAFP'Perfect example of the manager getting it spot on'
Speaking to , former Scotland international Ally McCoist said: "Do you know what I thought? Like a lot of things about Liverpool, I think they generally handle situations extremely well as a club. And I thought they handled that perfectly. I don't like the rule, but that's just me. But the law's there. It is a law, it is a rule, so there's no comeback. As soon as he does it, the referee probably does not want to give him a card. The referee's a human being, he sees the lad score a goal, a winning goal with four minutes to go. The last thing he wanted to do, he must have thought: ‘I'm going to have to send him off here.’ He must have, I don't care what anybody says.
"Arne Slot was different class, he was brilliant. He said a lot of people out there would call it stupidity and I'm one of them. And I thought, brilliant. No pulling the wool over his eyes, ‘no okay, it was a mistake, but you feel sorry for him' or 'the referee shouldn't have booked him'. Completely honest, upfront, Arne Slot got it absolutely 100% right and so did Hugo Ekitike. Because he came out and said that he just got carried away. It's going to cost me a couple of games. I'd like to apologise. And as I say, I generally think Liverpool are brilliant at handling situations, situations a lot bigger than that, I have to say, and they handle it as a club very well. But again, I thought it was a perfect example of the manager getting it spot on. The player getting it spot on after he got it 100% wrong, they'll just move on."
He added: "There was a kind of irony in it, and we were talking about it the following morning on the breakfast show. It's the law effectively that's got him sent off in his own stupidity. Everybody knows the law now. It's not as if you could say, 'well, he's a little bit unlucky because he didn't know the law, he didn't know the rule.' Of course he did. You just get carried away in the moment, don't you? It's pretty simple. He got carried away in the moment. He's apologised. The manager's given him a bit of stick. And the irony won't be lost on either the manager or the player. And I just think we just move on."
Ekitike 'doesn’t need to worry about Alexander Isak'
McCoist also shared valuable advice for Ekitike, as he said: "I was at the opening game, the Community Shield, and I was at the Everton game. The fans like Hugo Ekitike, by the way. Don't worry about it. They really like him, and so they should, because I think he's looked terrific. I really think he's looked terrific. However, he'll play both of them. Probably not at the same time, but it doesn't matter if Isak goes on and scores. There will be games where Arne Slot will leave him out for his own good, you know, in terms of preparation for massive games, because Liverpool want to be involved and are involved in all the competitions, and it does take its toll.
"They are in a position of strength, and they brought in these players. You've probably got two players, you know, in just about every position. They've got Jeremie Frimpong and all these guys, Milos Kerkez, Andy Robertson, fullbacks. The one thing you might be thinking about was centre-backs, but then Joe Gomez played the other night there, Ibrahima Konaté, Virgil van Dijk. They've got players all over the place. But I do take the point, if Isak gets in and he scores. But it's not like it was 20, 30 years ago. Even if you go in and do your job as a £125 million centre-forward and score goals, there will be a point you'll get left out. That's just the mechanics of the top flight at this moment in time."
ENJOYED THIS STORY?
Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting
Getty Images SportSummer signing misses key Premier League clash
The red card in the cup competition means that the French forward will not be available for the club's key Premier League clash against Crystal Palace on Saturday. It was initially reported that Ekitike might get fined by the club for his irresponsible sending off but Slot later claimed that the striker is "allowed to make a mistake".
The franchise did not retain Faf du Plessis, who had led the team in IPL 2024
ESPNcricinfo staff12-Feb-2025
RCB fans will know their captain for the upcoming season tomorrow•AFP/Getty Images
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) are set to announce their captain for IPL 2025 on Thursday in Bengaluru.The name of the new captain could not be confirmed, but the frontrunner for the position is likely to be Virat Kohli, who had led the franchise from 2013 to 2021 before stepping down from the role. He had also stood in as captain for three matches in IPL 2023.Another option is middle-order batter Rajat Patidar, who has been with RCB since 2021 and was one of their three retained players ahead of the mega auction in November. Patidar, 31, was captain of his state team Madhya Pradesh in the 2024-25 seasons of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy.RCB need a new captain after not retaining Faf du Plessis, who led them for three years from 2022 to 2024. They did not bid for du Plessis, 40, at the auction and he was sold to Delhi Capitals at base price.Du Plessis in turn had taken over the captaincy from Kohli, who ended his nine-season stint as RCB captain in 2021. To date, Kohli has led RCB in 143 matches in the IPL, the second highest for a captain after MS Dhoni. His record stands at 68 wins and 71 losses with four no-results. While RCB are yet to win the IPL, Kohli led them to the final in 2016, a season in which he scored a record 973 runs. He was the top-scorer in IPL 2024 too; his 741 runs at a strike rate of 154.69 playing an important role in RCB’s late dash into the playoffs where they lost the Eliminator.Apart from RCB, Kolkata Knight Riders and Delhi Capitals are the other teams yet to name their captains for the upcoming season. Shreyas Iyer, KKR’s captain last year, will lead Punjab Kings this year, while the former DC captain Rishabh Pant is now leading Lucknow Super Giants.
Nottingham Forest have made an indifferent start to the 2025/26 campaign. Nuno Espirito Santo’s men have just four points to their name so far, and have struggled since their opening day victory over Brentford, in which they thrashed Keith Andrews’ side 3-1 at the City Ground.
Since then, the men in Garibaldi Red have picked up just one point, which was a resilient draw away to Crystal Palace. Their most recent outing saw them lose 3-0 at home against the struggling West Ham United, a result which surprised some, given Forest’s result at home on the opening day.
Perhaps the lack of goals in their last two games has coincided with one thing in particular: Chris Wood’s short drought in front of goal.
Chris Wood’s start to the season
Drought is a harsh word to use when discussing Wood’s recent form. The New Zealand international scored a brace in Forest’s season opener against the Bees, but did not find the back of the net in the next two outings, which saw his club score once, thanks to Callum Hudson-Odoi.
His first goal was a resilient finish, winning the second ball from a corner after missing the initial header and poking home inside a packed penalty box.
His second goal was sublime, teed up by an exquisite first-time ball through the lines from Elliot Anderson. Wood ran onto it, rounded the goalkeeper and scored.
Of course, it is no surprise to see Wood on the scoresheet already for Nuno’s side this term. His record in Garibaldi Red is excellent, with 38 goals and four assists in just 85 appearances. Last season was his best in the Premier League, with 20 goals across the campaign.
That form earned him a place in the PFA Team of the Year, in a frontline alongside new Liverpool duo Alexander Isak and Mohamed Salah. Wood’s campaign in 2024/25 and his form for Forest across his career have both been exceptional.
However, Forest sold a striker back in July 2023 who has enjoyed an even more successful time than Wood.
The ex-Forest star who can’t stop scoring
The past few years under their current owner, Evangelos Marinakis, have seen Forest spend significant amounts on transfer fees. However, that has meant they have needed plenty of sales to help balance the books. Departures such as Brennan Johnson to Tottenham Hotspur and Anthony Elanga to Newcastle United are the notable exits.
Yet, someone who left the City Ground for only £5m just over two years ago may have slipped under the radar since his departure.
The man in question here is Sam Surridge, a key figure in their promotion success. He has been on fire for Nashville in the MLS since his departure.
More on those numbers in a moment, but first, it’s important to highlight the Slough-born star’s contribution for Forest.
Once described as a “sensational” striker and “one of the best finishers in the Championship” by Garry Birtles, Surridge scored 11 goals in 50 appearances, including a hat-trick against Swansea City and one in the Premier League, against Bournemouth.
Looking at his form since his £5m move stateside, Surridge has been largely unstoppable. He’s bagged more goals than Wood has managed as a Forest player, with 42 strikes in Nashville yellow, in just 77 appearances, four clear of the Kiwi.
His best campaign for the club has been the most recent season. He’s bagged 20 MLS goals in just 29 games, which is the second time he has hit double figures in the competition since he joined the club two summers ago.
Surridge’s Nashville record (all comps)
Stat
2023
2024
2025
Games
15
32
30
Minutes
948
2631
2595
Goals
5
15
22
Assists
2
3
3
Mins per goal & assist
135
155
118
Stats from Transfermakt
The 27-year-old has been in scintillating form for the Coyotes in his two-year spell so far with the club, and is showing no signs of slowing down. As per the official MLS website, he currently leads the race for the Golden Boot by one goal, ahead of the legendary Lionel Messi.
Looking back on this sale, perhaps it is one Forest fans wish the club had never made. If Surridge had stayed at the City Ground, maybe he would have hit this vein of form and been competing with Wood for a starting spot.
He'd be exciting with Bakwa: Nottingham Forest in talks for late signing
Nuno Espirito Santo will be spoilt for choice with his attacking options at Nottingham Forest with this late purchase.
ByKelan Sarson Sep 1, 2025
Fakhar Zaman has dismissed speculation that he is planning to retire from international cricket, and said that he was targeting a return from the injury that cut short his Champions Trophy within the next month.Fakhar, the hero of Pakistan’s 2017 Champions Trophy win with a hundred in the final, strained an oblique muscle chasing a ball in the very first over of Pakistan’s opening game against New Zealand in Karachi. He went off the field immediately, came back later but eventually could only bat at No.4 – instead of his usual opening slot.He struggled visibly with the injury during a 41-ball 24, as Pakistan crashed to a 60-run defeat. Fakhar was distraught in the dressing room after the dismissal and, given the uncertainty surrounding his arrival into the side, and that he turns 35 in April, the fact that it could have been his last game for Pakistan was not lost.But talking to PCB digital, Fakhar confirmed that he was not going anywhere. “I heard about this [retirement rumours] a lot and even my friends messaged me about it, but there’s nothing to it,” he said. “The ODI format is my favourite format. Yes, with my thyroid, there was a thing that I could take more time getting back into it. But I want to play T20s, ODIs, even Tests again. As far as my comeback is concerned, I spoke to the doctor and I can start playing cricket again within the month.”Related
Pakistan in NZ: Babar-Rizwan dropped for T20Is with Agha captain; no Shaheen for ODIs
Fakhar Zaman struggles while batting after fielding injury
Injured Fakhar Zaman ruled out of Champions Trophy
Aaqib's post mortem: Lack of experience hurt Pakistan
Fakhar had not played international cricket since the 2024 T20 World Cup in the USA and the West Indies last June, where Pakistan were eliminated in the group stage too. He last played an ODI at the 2023 ODI World Cup, another event where Pakistan exited before the knockout stages.In the run-up to this tournament, however, he had been left out of Pakistan’s central contracts. And he had also been issued a show-cause notice after a tweet he put out last September criticising the decision to drop Babar Azam from the Test side. Later, when chairman Mohsin Naqvi organised a “connection camp” to get senior players to air their views, Fakhar was among the most outspoken, singling out a senior official for trenchant criticism.That would seem to be in the past for now, with Fakhar committing to a return with Pakistan. “The doctor has advised me that I can start training again in three weeks. So I think I should be back to playing cricket in a month’s time.”Pakistan were knocked out of the Champions Trophy when they lost to India. Fakhar was replaced by Imam-ul-Haq, a move which only enhanced the scrutiny on their top order’s seemingly outdated methods. In both the defeats, the focus was on laborious innings by Babar (64 off 90 balls against New Zealand) and captain Mohammad Rizwan (46 off 77 balls against India), the former stymying momentum in a big chase and the latter leading to a below-par target being set.Pakistan had already lost Saim Ayub to injury before the tournament and the subsequent loss of Fakhar was a double-whammy that coach Aaqib Javed identified as one of the pivotal reasons for their poor showing. Fakhar has a career strike rate of nearly 94 in ODIs and was clear about the way to play in the modern game.”The biggest thing is the situation. If you are chasing 150-200 runs you go in with a different mindset and if you are chasing 350, you have a different mindset,” Aaqib said. “But strike rate does matter, especially these days. And you have to play risky cricket. Cricket has become so fast-scoring, all teams come with that plan. If you take risks, you can score runs, although yes, you can also lose your wicket doing that.”
No one could’ve predicted the mammoth amount of money Manchester United could’ve splashed throughout this summer, with the hierarchy backing Ruben Amorim in his quest for success at the club.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe previously threw shade at the previous regime for their careless spending, which resulted in their recent cost-cutting operation at Old Trafford.
However, he’s overseen a transfer window which has already seen over £200m spent on new signings, with all three being made within the attacking department.
Other areas of the pitch are in desperate need of investment before the end of the window, that’s if the side are to rise up the Premier League table in 2025/26.
The hierarchy have already identified numerous targets for the middle of the park, with work being made to land reinforcements for Amorim’s first full season at the helm.
Secure your matchday experience with Seat Unique.
Buy Premium Now
Carlos Baleba has been the player most frequently mentioned with a move to join United this summer, with the Cameroonian potentially being the next big-money addition to the side.
The 21-year-old would be an immediate and long-term addition to the side, but it would be an expensive purchase given Brighton and Hove Albion’s current £100m asking price.
However, he’s not the only young Premier League talent in their sights this summer, with Crystal Palace star Adam Wharton a potential target, according to the Daily Mail.
The report claims that the Red Devils are closely monitoring the Englishman should they fail to land a deal for Baleba between now and the September 1st deadline.
It also states that he’s hugely admired behind the scenes at Old Trafford, but, like the Brighton star, it would be a hefty investment, with Oliver Glasner’s side demanding in the region of £100m to sell the 21-year-old.
United’s need for added reinforcements in the middle of the park has been evident in recent months, with such an area next on the recruitment hit list.
Whilst captain Bruno Fernandes is set to operate in a deeper role, it’s unclear who will be the Portuguese international’s partner at the heart of the side.
Manuel Ugarte, Kobbie Mainoo and Casemiro all remain on the books at Old Trafford, but the aforementioned duo have struggled to adapt to Amorim’s system – whilst the latter is entering the final years of his career at 33.
The manager will undoubtedly want to make another addition in such a department to help the side return to their former glory during his tenure at the Theatre of Dreams.
Whilst Baleba has been the name most frequently mentioned in recent weeks, the club would be better off pursuing a move for Wharton before the end of the summer window.
When comparing their respective stats from the Premier League last season, the Eagles star managed to outperform him in numerous key areas – being the perfect deep-lying option Amorim has been hunting for.
Wharton, who’s been labelled “phenomenal” by HLTCO, completed more key passes and passes into the final third per 90 – having the tools to provide those new signings ahead of him to impress at Old Trafford.
|
How Wharton & Baleba compare in the PL (2024/25) |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Statistics (per 90) |
Wharton |
Baleba |
|
Games played |
20 |
34 |
|
Goals & assists |
2 |
4 |
|
Progressive passes |
7.6 |
3.9 |
|
Key passes made |
1.8 |
0.7 |
|
Passes into final third |
5.3 |
3.6 |
|
Interceptions made |
1.6 |
1.5 |
|
Clearances made |
1.9 |
1.4 |
|
Carries into final third |
1.6 |
1.5 |
|
Recoveries made |
7.1 |
6.6 |
|
Stats via FBref |
||
He also made more carries into the final third, further highlighting the talent he possesses with the ball at his feet, offering a press-resistant option with his close control, which has been one of his most impressive attributes.
However, a ball-winner is something which the Red Devils desperately need, with the youngster able to provide just that if he can replicate his tally of interceptions made per 90 in the North West.
With both players potentially costing a club-record fee for United, it’s pivotal that the board make the right call on which signing they make, potentially losing a whole heap if they make the wrong decision.
As previously mentioned, it’s evident that Wharton would be the better signing, having the chance to develop into a world beater under Amorim and fire the club back closer towards their former glory.
Readers like you help support FootballFanCast. When you make a purchase using links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Read More.
He's more important than Baleba: £43m star now keen to join Man Utd
Manchester United could be about to make a key move in their quest for success this season.
1
By
Ethan Lamb
Aug 13, 2025
Glasgow Rangers head into the first international break of the season after drawing all four of their first four matches in the Scottish Premiership.
It has not been an ideal start for the Ibrox giants or Russell Martin, who will have to wait until the middle of September, at least, before grabbing his first win in charge of the club.
There were some positives for the Gers in their 0-0 draw with Celtic, including the debut of Bojan Miovski as discussed in the clip above and a clean sheet, but there were also some worrying performances.
Thelo Aasgaard was selected to play in the number ten role for the Gers behind the Macedonia international, and failed to impress in an attacking sense.
Thelo Aasgaard's performance in numbers
The Norway international, who signed from Luton Town on a permanent deal this summer, was unable to offer a threat at the top end of the pitch, as he ended the game with zero shots on target and zero key passes, per Sofascore.
Aasgaard was also unreliable in possession, completing just 57% of his attempted passes, and Martin may not have been happy with how sloppy he was on the ball.
The former Wigan Athletic star was, however, a physical outlet for Rangers. He won nine duels, including eight of his 12 on the ground, and won two tackles without being dribbled past a single time.
Performance in Numbers
Want data and stats? Football FanCast’s Performance in Numbers series provides you with the latest match analysis from across Europe.
Aasgaard put himself about and was up for the scrap defensively, which helped Rangers to avoid losing too many 50/50s, and was far from the worst performer for the Gers.
Martin's possible tactical mistake for Rangers against Celtic
One player who was even worse than Aasgaard against Celtic was left-sided attacker Mikey Moore, who was unable to cause Anthony Ralston many problems.
Ahead of the match, Ralston appeared to be the weak link in the Hoops defence due to the injury to first-choice Alistair Johnston. Despite that, Martin opted to move Djeidi Gassama over to the right flank to accommodate Moore on the left.
Gassama has scored four goals and provided one assist in nine appearances as a left winger for Rangers this season, which is why it seemed like he would be the most obvious option to take the game to Ralston and expose him on that side.
Minutes
72
Pass accuracy
44%
Shots on target
0
Key passes
0
Dribbles completed
1/3
Crosses completed
0/1
Duels won
4/9
As you can see in the table above, Moore did not take the game to the Scotland international and put in a disappointing all-round performance on the left flank, failing with 66.6% of his dribbles and completing just 44% of his passes.
That tactical decision also put Gassama out on the right, on his right foot, and meant that he struggled to take Kieran Tierney on down the outside in tight spaces, leaving Rangers too one-dimensional going forward.
In the end, the poor decisions in the wide areas heavily contributed to the team’s failure to create a single ‘big chance’ in the game, which left Miovski starved of service.
This is why Martin’s call to put Moore, who had an underwhelming afternoon, in on the left ahead of the usually electric Gassama was one that cost Rangers the win, as they were unable to take advantage of Johnston’s injury at right-back.
Rangers tipped to hire Russell Martin replacement in "box-office" move
The tactician is already attracting huge criticism.
2 ByEmilio Galantini Aug 30, 2025
Whilst it is not a guarantee that Gassama would have won the game for Rangers, his statistics as a left-winger suggest that there was a good chance that he would have made a big impact and could have sealed all three points with a moment of magic.