All posts by n8rngtd.top

Pitcher Gerrit Cole is remaining a New York Yankee after he opted to remain on his four-year deal with the team earlier this month through the 2028 season, but the two sides are still talking about a possible contract extension.

Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner opened up more about Cole's contract situation on Thursday, admitting he wasn't "comfortable" with adding a fifth year to the ace's contract. However, the owner said the Yankees still very much want the 2023 AL Cy Young Award winner to remain in New York.

“But let me just say, that doesn’t reflect in any way, shape or form what we think of Gerrit," Steinbrenner said regarding not adding a fifth year, via MLB's Bryan Hoch. "We want Gerrit to be a Yankee for life. I believe he wants to be a Yankee for life. And adding one more year or not adding one more year should have no meaning when it comes to that.”

Because Cole is staying on his contract with the Yankees, the team is in no hurry necessarily to extend his contact since the 34-year-old pitcher won't become a free agent this offseason.

The 2024 season marked Cole's fifth with the Yankees. His season was limited to 17 games as he dealt with an elbow injury. He posted a 3.41 ERA with 99 strikeouts in 95 innings on the mound. In the Yankees' runner-up postseason, Cole pitched 29 innings, producing 22 strikeouts, 27 hits, 13 runs and one home run.

Pete Alonso is returning to the New York Mets.

The free-agent first baseman has reportedly agreed to a two-year deal with the Mets that includes an opt-out after the first season, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan. Alonso will reportedly make $30 million in 2025 and a total of $54 million over the two-year contract.

The 30-year-old has played his entire six-year MLB career in New York and will be back with the Mets for at least one more season, and possibly two.

Last year, Alonso featured in all 162 games for the franchise and launched 34 home runs and 88 RBIs while slashing .240/.329/.459. Excluding the shortened season in 2020, the slugging Alonso has hit 34 or more homers in every season of his career. Through six seasons, Alonso has 226 career home runs and owns an OPS of .854 throughout 846 games.

Alonso had been linked to other teams in free agency, including the Toronto Blue Jays, but ultimately opted to run it back with the Mets. New York has been busy in free agency, luring superstar outfielder Juan Soto away from their crosstown rivals, the New York Yankees, while also adding the likes of Clay Holmes and Frankie Montas, among others.

Martin O’Neill has now confirmed that he will “step aside” when Celtic find their next manager and revealed that there has not been any talks with the club about taking a permanent role.

O’Neill insists he has no idea whether he will remain at the helm for Celtic’s next match against St Mirren amid reports that the Hoops have stepped up their search for a new permanent manager.

The 73-year-old has been in caretaker charge of the Scottish champions for the last four games since Brendan Rodgers resigned two and a half weeks ago.

It has been reported this week that the Celtic board have been interviewing candidates, with Columbus Crew head coach Wilfried Nancy emerging as the new bookmakers’ favourite.

Other names mentioned includes Kieran McKenna at Ipswich Town and Kjetil Knutsen. Whether the Hoops can lure either of those names away from their current positions at Portmand Road and Bodo/Glimt is the question that everyone’s asking.

Reports have claimed that Knutsen wants to at least complete his side’s Champions League campaign, which could end in January in the earliest scenario. Meanwhile, there have been no signs that McKenna will be leaving Ipswich anytime soon.

As Celtic’s search goes on, O’Neill has continued to roll back the years. In his four matches, the 73-year-old – assisted by Shaun Maloney and Mark Fotheringham – has overseen two Scottish Premiership victories, a Europa League defeat by Midtjylland and an extra-time win over 10-man Rangers in the Premier Sports Cup semi-final.

Celtic now tracking Maeda replacement who Jamie Carragher called "special"

The Bhoys are in search of attacking quality.

By
Tom Cunningham

Nov 14, 2025

The final against St Mirren takes place on December 14 and there are some who would like to see the veteran remain in charge for the Hampden showdown in order to add to his trophy haul from his glittering first spell in charge in the early Noughties.

O'Neill insists no talks with Celtic board

To no surprise, O’Neill has been questioned a number of times about the Celtic job, but his answer remains the same. He will “step aside” as soon as the club no longer need him and, despite rumours, there have been no talks about the permanent job.

The 4-2-3-1 tactician has done a solid job so far and may yet get the chance to continue that job after the international break, but admitted that he’s not bothered whether he’s in charge for the Scottish Cup final in December, saying: “I am a romantic and have been a romantic all my life. I know the history of football and all of those particular things but that doesn’t bother me one jot.”

Celtic hold talks to sign "talented" manager who's like a young O'Neill

Brazil will have to do better next summer if they are to end a wait of 24 years for a World Cup trophy after they were held to a 1-1 draw by a disciplined Tunisia in Lille on Tuesday night. A first half goal from Hazem Mastouri threatened to put the Eagles of Carthage on course for a famous win, albeit in a friendly, but Chelsea prodigy Estevao Willian levelled things up not long before the interval.

A well-supported Tunisia on French soil managed to stifle and frustrate Brazil through the opening quarter of the game and then took the lead in clinical fashion when Mastouri finished from close-range. But an element of fortune got the Selecao back into it just before half-time, a penalty confidently converted by Estevao following a VAR check on what appeared to be a soft handball.

Brazil struggled to create that much of note throughout the second half, largely shooting off target despite racking up more than 20 attempts over the course of the game. A second penalty came as Tunisia too casually tried to play their way out of pressure in their own box, resulting in substitute Vitor Roque being dragged down. But Lucas Paqueta blazed the spot-kick over the bar.

18-year-old Estevao almost had the final say, striking the base of the post with the last kick of the game in stoppage time, but 1-1 was how it finished.

GOAL rates Brazil's players from Stade Pierre-Mauroy…

• AFP
  

  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Bento (5/10):

  A more aggressive response to Tunisia's breakthrough might have made it harder for Mastouri to finish by closing the angle much quicker.

  Wesley (5/10):

  Booked inside the opening 10 minutes. Otherwise struggled to make an impact going forward.

  Marquinhos (7/10):

  Hardly misplaced a pass all night and was equal to what Tunisia in limited attacks threw at him.

  Eder Militao (6/10):

  Played an hour before being withdrawn with injury. Was OK apart from that.

  Caio Henrique (7/10):

  A polished defensive performance and a better attacking outlet than his counterpart on the right.

Advertisement

• AFP
  

  Midfield

  Estevao Willian (8/10):

  Had to wait a long time while being berated by a hostile and largely partisan crowd to take his penalty, but kept his cool exceptionally well to continue an incredible start to his international career. It's five goals in six international appearances so far this season. The only Brazil player who looked very lively.

  Bruno Guimaraes (6/10):

  Got into the right areas but could have done more with the possession he had.

  Casemiro (7/10):

  Saw plenty of the ball in the middle of the pitch and able to use that to create chances with passes forward. Defensively unchallenged.

  Rodrygo (6/10):

  A few positive moments here and there but a frustrating night overall.

• AFP
  

  Attack

  Matheus Cunha (5/10):

  Limited impact until being withdran at half-time, just 21 touches of the ball.

  Vinicius Junior (6/10):

  Didn't really do that much to challenge Tunisia, before decent pressing contributed to winning the second penalty.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• AFP
  

  Subs & Manager

  Danilo (5/10):

  Had to do very little defending after replacing Wesley at half-time. Made little difference.

  Vitor Roque (6/10):

  Won the penalty that Paqueta missed, which will be frustrating.

  Fabricio Bruno (6/10):

  A solid centre-back replacement an hour in.

  Fabinho (5/10):

  Only 22 touches of the ball in half an hour on the pitch. Lacked impact.

  Lucas Paqueta (5/10):

  Had the chance to win the game for his country and fluffed his lines.

  Luiz Henrique (N/A):

  The last of six permitted substitutes towards the end.

  Carlo Ancelotti (6/10):

  Comes away fro this international window with plenty of questions to answer.

The Spring Hill College Badgers hosted the Mobile Rams for a single college baseball game on Wednesday. With a three-game series against Moorehouse coming up this weekend for the Badgers and a trip to Blue Mountain University on tap for the Rams, both teams may be down a couple players as Wednesday's game ended with a brawl.

Isidro Jimenez was on the hill for Mobile in the bottom of the 11th with two outs and two runners on when he got Badgers shortstop Seth Williams to pop the ball up behind home plate. With the score tied 5-5 they were headed to the 12th as catcher Clint Smith made the catch to end the inning, Except Jimenez celebrated by screaming a lot in the direction of Williams, who did not appreciate it.

Williams and Jimenez got in each other's faces and teammates came sprinting in from both dugouts and chaos erupted.

The announcer said there were "pure haymakers being thrown" and immediately suggested the game was going to be called. According to the local news report on Wednesday night, the game is now under review by the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. On the team websites the result simply says, "SUSPENDED."

Everton have now reportedly joined the race to sign Daizen Maeda in the January transfer window after the Japan international made his exit stance clear to Celtic.

The Toffees’ search for a striker is beginning to become an open secret ahead of the winte window. Neither Beto nor Thierno Barry have hit the heights that those in Merseyside were expecting, with the latter yet to even score a goal this season, and they are now reportedly on the hunt for an extra reinforcement.

Everton hatch striker plan as Moyes moves for star with 18 goals this season

The Toffees’ strikers have struggled to convert and they now have a clinical star in their sights.

By
Sean Markus Clifford

Nov 9, 2025

On that front, a number of names have already been mentioned as potential options. including Ivan Toney and Manchester United’s Joshua Zirkzee. There is a belief that the former will have to complete a return to Europe if he wants to earn a place in Thomas Tuchel’s England squad for the 2026 World Cup. Whether that will see Everton make their move remains to be seen, however.

Zirkzee would also be an interesting choice. The Dutchman has lost his place at Man United ever since the arrivals of Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko and now needs a similar revival to the one that Jack Grealish is currently enjoying.

Whether he’d solve their goalscoring problems is another question, though. The forward is more of a false nine than an out-and-out goalscorer, which suggests that he wouldn’t solve David Moyes’ current issue.

The Toffees may not necessarily turn to Premier League experience in 2026 either, with Maeda now also an option.

Everton join race to sign Maeda

As reported by TeamTalk, The Friedkin Group and Everton are now racing to sign Maeda after he told Celtic that he wants to leave the club in 2026. The forward was denied a move in the summer, much to his frustration, but has now told the Bhoys that he’s ready to complete an exit away from Glasgow.

Sending the Premier League on high alert, Everton, Brentford, Leeds United, Wolverhampton Wanderers and West Ham United have all reportedly formed the early race to secure Maeda’s signature, which is available for just £15m.

Although the versatile forward has struggled for goals so far this season – scoring just four goals in 17 games – it’s worth taking Celtic’s own struggles into accout and looking back to just how impressive Maeda was last season.

The 28-year-old scored 33 goals in all competitions last time out and eared justified praised from former manager Brendan Rodgers, who said: “If you are a young player coming through and want to give your honesty to the game, work, intensity and everything.

“No cheating, no nothing – even away at St Mirren, the penalty we got last week he tried to stay on his feet – he’s so honest to the game. Natural isn’t it? He’s been absolutely brilliant.”

Everton now exploring James Ward-Prowse move with Janaury exit expected

Northern Ireland manager Michael O’Neill has declared that the weight of expectation lies firmly on Italy’s shoulders as his young side prepare for a daunting 2026 World Cup play-off semi-final away to the four-time champions. The March showdown in Italy on 26 March will mark the first step on what could be a remarkable path back to football’s grandest stage for both nations.

Should Northern Ireland conjure an upset, they will face either Wales or Bosnia-Herzegovina five days later in a decisive, winner-takes-all play-off final for a coveted ticket to North America.

• Two teams with ghosts of tournaments past

  Italy’s recent record in World Cup qualifiers is nothing short of astonishing for a global heavyweight. They have missed the last two tournaments, Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022, both exits sealed by devastating play-off defeats and the Azzurri have not reached the finals since Brazil 2014. Northern Ireland’s own wait is even longer, stretching almost 40 years, but O’Neill believes that his side’s recent away performances prove they should not be dismissed. Despite away losses in Germany and Slovakia during the group phase, O’Neill believes that his players showed the resilience and quality needed to trouble elite opposition.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  O'Neill ready to take the fight to Italy

  Northern Ireland qualified for the play-offs through their Nations League ranking despite finishing behind Germany and Slovakia in their World Cup qualifying group.

  However, an upbeat O'Neill told reporters: "It's difficult to win away in international football and that is something this team still has to develop, but I take a lot of encouragement from the performances in Cologne and Slovakia where we were challenged and were missing key players in those games. We still gave a really good account of ourselves and were in the game in Germany for 70, 75 minutes. We were in the game in Slovakia right to the end and felt a little bit aggrieved by the nature of that result."

  O'Neill wants his troops to turn the pressure dial up on an Italian squad already grappling with expectation and scrutiny.

  "We have to make the game as difficult as possible for Italy and it will be difficult for them with the expectation they carry into the game," he said. "If we can add to that with how we play the game and the level of our performance, then who knows. We have an opportunity to go to a World Cup and we have to do everything possible to try to take it. What I will say to them is 'don't waste the opportunity'."

• O'Neill wary of task ahead

  The looming possibility of a third consecutive World Cup absence is unthinkable for a nation with Italy’s pedigree. Their previous two failures came in the most painful manner imaginable, play-off losses to Sweden in 2018 and a shocking defeat to North Macedonia in 2022. But O’Neill believes it is vital for his squad to avoid becoming distracted by Italy’s anxieties.

  "The Italian team of now is not going to be the Italian team of eight years ago," he said.

  "Not all their players are going to carry the burden of having been unsuccessful in play-off games. As a nation, they carry that burden, and the expectation of their crowd will be that they go to a World Cup. They have won it four times and are one of the heavyweights of world football, but those things are out of our control and our focus will be on how we are."

  O'Neill expects a passionate Italian side to take the pitch and added: "Italy away is going to be a massive game, a great game for us to be involved in. The expectation and pressure is very much on the Italians, so we will need to use that in our favour. I know they've lost home and away to Norway and the bulk of their squad is based in Serie A. Gattuso is their manager, so you will expect them not to be lacking in passion.

  "We have four months to prepare for this and look at Italy in close detail, so the work will start today and tomorrow. I suppose we would have preferred one of the other teams in Pot One, but to get to the World Cup, you're going to have to beat two good teams."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty Images Sport
  

  A defining moment awaits both nations

  Two countries with proud football histories now stand on the brink of either redemption or renewed despair. For O’Neill and his young squad, belief is growing. However, for Italy, the stakes could not be higher, as another failure to qualify for the World Cup would be a dark spot. Gattuso has won the golden trophy wearing a blue jersey, and now it remains to be seen if he can inspire them to the main event after more than a decade. 

Jarred Kelenic did not hustle out of the box on Saturday and the Atlanta Braves are still dealing with the consequences on Monday. The trouble started when Kelenic hit a long fly ball that bounced off the wall in right field. Kelenic thought he had hit it out and celebrated. When the ball didn't go out he started to run and tried to stretch a long single into a double. Instead he was thrown out at second.

Later that night Ronald Acuna Jr., who is out recovering with a torn ACL, tweeted and subsequently deleted that if it had been him that did that, he would have been benched, which is exactly what happened back in 2019 when Acuna did something similar.

After the game manager Brian Snitker was asked about the play and said he hadn't seen it.

Without being punished during or after the game, Kelenic actually took it upon himself to go to the manager's office to apologize for not hustling.

Acuna is currently on track to return to the Braves this season. Hopefully he hurries.

Rob Edwards will be under no illusions about the size of the job ahead of him after his first Premier League match in the dugout for Wolverhampton Wanderers ended in a defeat last weekend.

The Old Gold were beaten 2-0 by Crystal Palace at the Molineux, thanks to goals from Daniel Munoz and Yeremy Pino, and that leaves them bottom of the table with two points after 12 matches.

Edwards needs to find a way to turn results around in the short term, no doubt, but he also has the upcoming January transfer window to make some changes to the squad. One player, of many, who should be replaced is central midfielder Marshall Munetsi.

Why Wolves need to replace Marshall Munetsi

He started in the middle of the park against Crystal Palace on Saturday and won three of his 14 duels in 66 minutes on the pitch, per Sofascore, which shows how lightweight the midfield flop was.

The 29-year-old dud has failed to impress in the Premier League since his move from Stade Reims in February, with poor form in the second half of last season and in the current campaign.

Munetsi lost 51% of his duels and only completed 74% of his passes in the 2024/25 campaign, and has lost 54% of his duels with a dismal 62% pass accuracy this season in the top-flight, per Sofascore.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

These statistics show that the £70k-per-week midfielder has not been reliable enough in or out of possession, which is why Edwards should replace him by swooping for one of his former Middlesbrough stars, Hayden Hackney.

Why Wolves need to sign Hayden Hackney

During Vitor Pereira’s time in charge during the summer transfer window, it was reported that Wolves were willing to pay a fee of around £30m to sign the Boro ace, but a move never materialised.

Now, Edwards must reignite that interest in the January transfer window because the England U21 international could arrive at the club as a big upgrade on Munetsi in the middle of the park, allowing the manager to finally ditch him.

Hackney, who was hailed as a “fearless” talent by U23 scout Antonio Mango, has caught the eye with his performances in the second tier this season and could arrive with a positive mentality that could inject some energy into the currently dull Wolves squad.

As you can see in the table above, the English talent has shown a lot of quality in possession in the middle of the park for Middlesbrough, whilst Munetsi has struggled to make much of an impact with the ball at his feet.

Whilst Hackney has played in the division below the Premier League, the Boro star’s statistics suggest that he does have the potential to come in as an upgrade on the former Ligue 1 midfielder.

The 23-year-old star, who scored five goals for Middlesbrough in the 2024/25 campaign, is also six years younger than Munetsi, 29, which means that he has far more time left ahead of him to develop and improve as a player.

Wolves fans may not want to read this, but Hackney would also be a signing who could be incredibly useful for the club if they do get relegated, because he is a proven Championship star, whilst Munetsi has never played at that level.

Before Gomes: Edwards must sell Wolves star who's made them a "worse side"

This Wolves player has been disappointing this season

By
Joe Nuttall

Nov 24, 2025

Therefore, Edwards should push for a reunion with the English gem in January in order to finally ditch Munetsi from the starting line-up, hopefully improving the team in the process.

Dietmar Hamann has said Liverpool boss Arne Slot has "lost control of his team", and that the Dutchman's "end" is near. The Champions League winning midfielder suggested Reds fans will be longing for the sensational return of Jurgen Klopp, after Slot's side fell to their ninth defeat in 12 games with a chastening 4-1 home loss to PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League.

• Hamann lambasts Slot over poor Liverpool run

  Hamann, who played 280 games for Liverpool in a seven year stay on Merseyside, did not hold back in his assessment of Slot's performance in his column for

  The ex-Bayern, Newcastle and Manchester City midfielder suggested the Reds will have major problems breaking into the Premier League's top four, and that the problems within Anfield cannot be resolved quickly. While he did caveat his criticism by acknowledging the difficulty in integrating the many marquee signings made by the club in the summer, and the ongoing psychological burden of grieving for their teammate Diogo Jota, Hamann said the remaining credit Slot enjoyed for winning the title in his debut season has now run out. That prompted the 2002 World Cup finalist to float the sensational return of his compatriot Klopp to the top job at Anfield. 

Advertisement

• AFP
  

  Hamann: "Slot's end is near"

  Hamann wrote: "Liverpool's 1-4 defeat against Eindhoven was their ninth loss in the last twelve games  I believe Arne Slot has lost control of the team. It's falling apart, everyone is doing what they want, like Salah before PSV's second goal.

  "Liverpool will have major problems finishing in the Premier League top four. I don't believe these problems can be solved quickly or easily. The situation is so complex that the club will certainly be discussing the manager's position.

  "Slots' end is near. I never thought it would come to this after the brilliant season he had lasted, but I believe his credit has now run out.

  "They've spent a fortune on players, but none of them have made an impact. After Diogo Jota's death, it wasn't easy to break into a team that had just lost a teammate. The question is, how long can you keep using that as an argument?

  "Many are already longing for Jürgen Klopp's return. If you ask the fans, many will surely say: 'That would be something!'

  "How likely is it that he'll return to Liverpool? I have no idea. But it would be the story of the decade. The club will already have considered alternative managers. I assume they've spoken with Klopp."

• Pressure on Slot ramps up after PSV debacle

  While criticism of Slot was rife before the calamitous defeat to PSV on Tuesday, shipping four goals at home to the Dutch outfit has intensified the scrutiny even further. Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher believes Slot "has a week to save his job" after his latest loss. 

  One German reporter has warned Slot to "watch out" as Klopp is eyeing a return to Merseyside, with speculation mounting the club has approached their former coach about a spectacular return.  

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Crucial week ahead for Slot

  If Hamann is correct, and the remaining credit for last season's title win has run out, then his ex-teammate Carragher could well be spot on too. This really is a crucial week for Slot's tenure as Liverpool coach. 

  First, the Reds travel to east London to take on West Ham on Sunday. The Irons are unbeaten in their last three league games, scoring eight goals in that run. Given Liverpool's defensive woes, that again could present a major problem to Slot's side. 

  Following that, Liverpool host this season's surprise package Sunderland on December 3. Regis Le Bris' side are tough to break down, conceding less than a goal per game upon their return to the top flight. 

  It's testament to the lose of confidence by Liverpool's players that these look to be tricky assignments for the Reds. These are two sides that Liverpool would have expected to blow off the park just a few months ago. Can Slot regain control of his team in time to save the Reds' season, and possibly, his job?