Mic'd Up: The outspoken analyst lauded Pochettino's approach, but says international game has been a 'rude awakening' for U.S. coach

The USMNT that took the field at the 1994 World Cup has an immaculate pedigree. They were the originals of U.S. soccer, the first group of guys that truly captured the nation's eye – no doubt helped by the fact that they represented their country well on home soil.

It's been 31 years since that tournament, and the group has dispersed a little. Some are in coaching. Some are in the media. And then there's Alexi Lalas, still at the center of the American soccer discussion.

And as the USMNT approach another home World Cup, he wonders if they can capture the similar "magic" that his team found. 

"Going to a men's World Cup is nothing new for us," Lalas told GOAL. "We've gone to tons of them, doing well in the group, winning the group. So what we're looking for is things that we haven't seen before, and magic moments."

And that's possible, he says. Lalas is an outspoken figure on his State of the Union podcast and FOX Sports coverage. His takes on the USMNT routinely go viral – and often add fuel to the fire. And when it comes to Mauricio Pochettino, the no-longer-new manager tasked with taking the U.S. to World Cup glory, Lalas isn't yet sold.

"I think he's gotten a rude awakening, but a necessary one," he says. "And he's had to kind of play catch up as to both how it functions, just in general the international game as a manager, but also in particular this group."

And the USMNT players? They absolutely needed a wake up call, Lalas argues. And Pochettino has delivered.

"He is not your friend. He is your coach and or manager, whatever you want to call it," Lalas says. "And his job, and why he's being paid $6 million, is to have you be in the best possible place to give this team the most chance of success. And sometimes that means a kick in the a*s, and not always followed up with a pat on the back."

Lalas discussed Pochettino, Chris Richards and the USMNT's prospects for the 2026 World Cup in Mic'd Up, a recurring feature in which GOAL taps into the perspective of analysts, announcers and other pundits on the state of soccer in the U.S. and abroad. 

Getty ImagesON USMNT RESULTS VS ECUADOR, AUSTRALIA

GOAL: I saw that you got "nihilistic" after the Ecuador result. But I'm curious, what did you make of the camp overall?

LALAS: I certainly think from a results standpoint, and I think from a vibe standpoint, I'm in a much better place. But I have found myself doubting or being much more cynical than I ever thought I would be. We're now, what? Nine months away from a home World Cup in the summer of 2026? By now, I thought that I would be much more positive. Now, I've started to come out a little bit of that funk. I've kicked myself in the a*s or gotten kicked in the a*s by others who say, "Hey, snap out of it!"

And that's not to say that I'm delusional about what the realities are. But I do feel that certainly, as we speed towards this next summer, there's going to be a vibe and a, hopefully, a kind of magic that envelops everyone, including this team, and they play above themselves. But this last window, I think, was better. You have players like Haji Wright, who was out in the wilderness, comes in, scores a couple of goals. And even a Cristian Roldan, who I'm under no illusions about – I don't think he is the best player the US has ever had. I think he would say the same thing.

But for him to come in and play well and give Pochettino some other options for that final 26… everybody wants to be on that roster, let alone to start. But you want to be on that roster because of the opportunity and the platform that it affords.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesON POCHETTINO'S FIRST YEAR IN CHARGE

GOAL: Let's talk about Pochettino more generally. It's just more than a year now – are you convinced by him? Or are you saying the jury's still out?

LALAS: The jury's still out. And I think my reticence to judge is relative to what he has said, or not said, and what he has gone about doing. I think he has kicked the can down to next summer, which, in and of itself, is not a wrong thing to do. However, I think there was this point where we thought, "OK, we're going to see his real XI and we're going to start treating these windows and these games as if they were competitive games." And yet, the experimentation, it was implied, was going to peter out. That hasn't really happened. There's still plenty of that going on. And again, that's not necessarily a bad thing, but it's not what I feel was articulated.

And so he's only going to be judged next summer, and all of this is kind of fluff beforehand. And you know, we will analyze the fluff, because that's what we do. But next summer, if he does well, they'll build statues for him – and they won't care about what happened in this window in the fall of 2025. But I think he recognizes that he came to this late, and he's also had to play catch up because all of his cachet and his sexiness and his value and his and his talent is based on club success. And he's never coached internationally.

I think he's gotten a rude awakening, but a necessary one. And he's had to kind of play catch up as to both how it functions, just in general the international game as a manager, but also in particular this group. They needed a kick in the a*s. And if I have something complimentary to say, I think he has been a needed breath of fresh air for these players. And I think that he has come in and said, "There's a new sheriff in town." I think he's grabbed hold of this group and is leading this group in a way that is necessary for them to have success.

GettyON THE ATTITUDE OF USMNT PLAYERS

GOAL: Do you get the sense, then, by extension, that this version of the USMNT was a little bit soft relative to previous generations?

LALAS: The labeling of this group for a while there was that they were soft, that they were weak. And, you know, it was interesting when Pochettino, after this window, started talking about the weather relative to players getting hurt. And I cringed a little bit when I heard that. I get what he is saying, but you've got to read the room. And you have to understand that this is a group that was labeled as soft and weak, and you start talking about the weather and injuries? It might be completely valid, but in the context of this team, it makes it look weak again.

And I think there was a natural maturation process. Sometimes we forget that we saw the majority of this group under Gregg Berhalter, almost as teenagers. And you are a very different person and a player as a teenager than you are when you get into your 20s. And so these young men had to mature. And I think Pochettino has come about at a time when they need a man leading them. Not that Gregg Berhalter wasn't a man, but he saw them through that young process. And that's not always conducive to winning, because you kind of have to change the way that you deal with them, individually and collectively.

GOAL: Do you think there's a certain aura around Pochettino that maybe changes the narrative a bit?

LALAS: There's definitely an element of Pochettino treating these players like the mature players that they are right now. But be careful what you wish for. Without sounding like a grumpy old man, this generation has kind of been conditioned – not just players – to have communication and to have interaction. And, you know, "Recognize my feelings, and why am I feeling this? And let's talk this out." And Pochettino, he does not suffer fools. He doesn't communicate with the players to tell them why they're not called into camp, or what they're doing right or wrong.

That can be stark, and that can be jarring for players that have had the opposite for so long, and it's by design. I think that some of them are coming around to understanding that this is real now, and there's no messing around. He is not your friend. He is your coach and or manager, whatever you want to call it. And his job, and why he's being paid $6 million, is to have you be in the best possible place to give this team the most chance of success. And sometimes that means a kick in the a*s, and not always followed up with a pat on the back.

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Getty ImagesON THE PLAYER POOL

GOAL: Folarin Balogun had an excellent game against Ecuador. Haji Wright had arguably the best performance of his career a few days later. What do you see from the striker pool right now?

LALAS: There's this whole musical chairs thing that's going on, and that music is going to stop and you better have a seat. And it's about timing and being healthy and all the different things that happen. For example, the devolution of Josh Sargent. And this is a position right now, in the way that they play, that there's really one position up there. I still think that Balogun is the starter right now, despite what Haji Wright has done, but I do think that Haji Wright has immediately injected himself into the conversation.

With Ricardo Pepi, it's interesting because these windows are going quick, and they are evaporating. So there's less and less opportunity for a player, even a player like Pepi, who's kind of been around. Patrick Agyemang is hanging around there, and again, I think Poch likes him. But the reality is, how many of those players are you going to take? Are you gonna take two? Are you gonna take three? When it comes to the striker position, probably you're taking three.

One's the starter. The other one is, hopefully that comes on and either provides that spark or does the damage after some of the work has already been done. And then the third one is there in case there's an actual injury. So just because you say striker on your resume doesn't mean necessarily that that's how you're going to be assessed, or that you're going to be one of those two or three players.

GOAL: When you played, was there genuinely friendly competition? Were you all pushing each other?

LALAS: Every team has a different type of dynamic, but I do think that something that is shared by players is a ruthlessness. And it can be couched in different ways, but especially when it comes to a World Cup team, because there is that drop-dead moment when the roster is made. I was not rooting for not just my teammates, but in many cases, my friends, if I was competing against them. And we all know that you get opportunities in different ways. Injury, coaching changes, seasonal stuff, whatever it ends up being, you got to grab it with both hands.

And I knew, at least the way I approached it was, "I'm going to take it and maybe I'll have to take it from you. And it doesn't mean that I don't like you. It doesn't mean I won't hang out with you and we'll go, we'll go have drinks and have a good time. But when push comes to shove, I'm competing against you. And I'm not going to let you take something away from me. And if you have it, I am going to take it from you."

Visitors put in battling display through morning session before spinner stars with fourth Test five-for

Firdose Moonda24-May-2025 England 565 for 6 dec (Pope 171, Duckett 140, Crawley 124) beat Zimbabwe 265 (Bennett 139) and 255 (Williams 88, Raza 60, Bashir 6-81) by an innings and 45 runsEngland began their home international summer with a comprehensive win over Zimbabwe after bowling them out twice inside five sessions and finishing the four-day Test with more than a day to spare. Offspinner Shoaib Bashir, playing in his 16th Test, headlined the final day with his fourth Test five-for – the most by an England player before turning 22 – and second in Nottingham.The magnitude of the defeat did not wipe the smiles off the faces of the visitors and their boisterous fans, who filled Trent Bridge with noise and colour, and stayed to applaud them in a lap of gratitude afterwards. This was Zimbabwe’s first Test in England in 22 years and a strong expat crowd delighted in brave batting from Sean Williams, Ben Curran, Sikandar Raza and Wessly Madhevere.Williams fell 12 short of a century and put on 122 for the second wicket while Raza reached a 10th Test half-century and shared a 65-run fifth-wicket stand with Madhevere. Zimbabwe did not disgrace themselves as they came within 45 runs of making England bat again and showed promise ahead of home Tests against South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan later this year.England, meanwhile, have had their first bit of preparation ahead of a massive eight months in Tests which includes a five-match home series against India and the Ashes in Australia. They may have some concerns over their frontline seamers, who lacked some bite. Captain Ben Stokes was the most threatening on his return to bowling after hamstring surgery, and also maintained the highest pace, across his two four-over spells. In total, he bowled 11.2 in the match, while Bashir finished with nine for 143, his best match figures.Zimbabwe began the day on 30 for 2, 270 runs behind and needing a big batting performance from someone. Williams, an international veteran of 20 years who averages 66.56 in the last five years, delivered. He played a typically energetic knock, laced with boundaries. He hit 16 fours in his innings, nine through the covers and mid-off as England overpitched and occasionally offered width. He also ushered Curran through a cautious knock that spanned 104 balls for 37 runs.Stokes began the morning’s proceedings and immediately caused problems for Zimbabwe. His third ball was wide and full, Curran drove hard and edged past gully for four. Stokes would have known he’d also planted a seed of doubt and in his next over, he could have reaped the rewards. On 10, Curran drove the ball back to Stokes, who stuck out both hands but could not hold on in his followthrough. That would have stung and more so when Williams smoked Stokes through point and over midwicket later in the over.Williams reached fifty in the next over with a pinpoint straight drive off Josh Tongue, off the 42nd ball he faced. In the next over, Tongue hit Williams on the bottom forearm, with a delivery that reared up from back of a length and drew blood. Williams was treated on-field and appeared unaffected as he drove a wide Atkinson ball in his favoured region for four more.Sean Williams produced a fighting 88 to lead Zimbabwe’s resistance•Getty ImagesJoe Root was used for an over for Tongue to change ends and England went double-spin with the introduction of Bashir. Williams reverse-swept his first ball for four to enter the seventies. At the other end Tongue began a short-ball assault on Curran that almost paid off. Curran, having hauled his way to 29, pulled Tongue to Stokes at midwicket but the England captain could only get fingertips to it.Curran survived again when Umpire Kumar Dharmasena gave him out lbw after he missed a sweep against Bashir but Curran reviewed. Hawkeye showed the ball was bouncing over the top of the stumps. Williams was not quite as lucky. On 88, he was hit on the pads, given out and reviewed. Replays showed the ball was clipping the top of the leg stump. Having faced 82 balls, he had been on course to reclaim the national record for fastest century that Brian Bennett’s 97-ball effort had taken on the previous day.Post-lunch, Curran adopted a more aggressive approach and drove Bashir aerially but only as far as Stokes at short cover, for whom the third time was a charm. He had no trouble holding on. That brought Raza and Madhevere together and they took on the spin and the short ball from Sam Cook with confidence. They had a couple of nervy moments: when Bashir induced Raza’s edge once and the ball ricocheted off Jamie Smith and onto the peak of Harry Brook’s cap at first slip, which saved him from being hit on the forehead. Then, Cook got a full ball to jag back into Madhevere and hit his front pad and convinced Stokes to review. Ball-tracking showed it was missing leg stump.In the end it took a moment of magic, and the return of Stokes, to separate the pair. He went short to Madhevere and found extra bounce, Madhevere attempted a cut but found an outside-edge and the ball seemed to be heading over second slip. Brook jumped, stuck his right hand up and plucked the ball out of the air, to everyone’s surprise. Madhevere looked back, astonished that he had to go while Stokes placed his hand over his mouth a la Stuart Broad, who celebrated in the same way when Stokes himself pulled off a blinder in the Ashes a decade ago on the same ground.With Madhevere went Zimbabwe’s last real hope of making England bat again and the result was only a matter of time. Tafadzwa Tsiga was bowled by Bashir when he came down the track to a ball that turned in and through the bat-pad gap. Zimbabwean emotions see-sawed as Raza reached fifty in the next over when he creamed Stokes through the covers for his eighth four but in the over after that Blessing Muzarabani slog-swept Bashir straight to Root at deep midwicket. Bashir bagged his fifth when Raza, who had added two more fours to his count, tried to heave him over the leg side and managed a leading edge which Brook pouched.Fittingly, Bashir finished things off when he struck Chivanga on the back pad as he played inside the line and was hit in front of middle and off. Richard Ngarava, Zimbabwe’s No.11, did not bat in either innings after leaving the field on the first day with a back injury.

تعرض نادي إنتر ميامي لخسارة قاسية أمام نظيره ناشفيل بهدفين مقابل هدف، فجر اليوم الأحد، ضمن إياب دور الـ16 من بطولة الدوري الأمريكي الممتاز مرحلة الإقصائيات.

إنتر ميامي دخل لقاء اليوم بتشكيلته الأساسية بالكامل بحثًا عن تحقيق الانتصار، حيث ترأس تشكيل إنتر ميامي الأسطورة ليونيل ميسي والذي يقدم مستوى ممتاز خلال هذا الموسم.

واعتمد خافيير ماسكيرانو، المدير الفني لنادي إنتر ميامي على خدمات ميسي في خط الهجوم بجانب لويس سواريز، في حين تواجد سيرجيو بوسكيتس ورودريجو دي بول في خط الوسط وجوردي ألبا في مركز الظهير الأيسر.

وبدأ إنتر ميامي لقاء اليوم وهو مستحوذ على الكرة، لكن في المقابل كان ناشفيل خطيرًا للغاية على مستوى الهجمات المرتدة.

اقرأ أيضًا.. سبب استبدال أردا جولر في مباراة ريال مدريد وفالنسيا

ولم ينتظر ناشفيل كثيرًا ليتحصل على ركلة جزاء سددها سام سوريدج بنجاح في الدقيقة التاسعة، معلنًا تقدم أصحاب الأرض وواضعًا ضغط كبير على إنتر ميامي.

ولم يظهر لاعبو إنتر ميامي أي رد فعل، حيث استمر ناشفيل في شن هجمات كثيرة على مرمى الضيوف وسط تألق حارس المرمى ريكو ريوس نوفو.

وجاء هدف ناشفيل الثاني في الدقيقة 45 عن طريق جوش باور، حيث استغل اللاعب ركنية ليعزز من تقدم فريقه.

وفي الشوط الثاني تغير الوضع وبحث إنتر ميامي كثيرًا عن تعديل الوضع، ليسجل ليونيل ميسي هدف فريقه في الدقيقة 90، لكنه لم يكن كافيًا ليجنب إنتر ميامي الهزيمة.

بتلك النتيجة سوف يلعب إنتر ميامي وناشفيل مباراة أخرى فاصلة الأسبوع المقبل في ميامي، من أجل تحديد هوية المتأهل إلى الدور المقبل. أهداف إنتر ميامي وناشفيل اليوم

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola now personally wants to hijack Real Madrid and sign a “phenomenal” midfielder, who is valued at £87m.

Pep sets out to sign new midfielder amid Rodri concerns

After spending the majority of the 2024-25 season on the treatment table due to an ACL injury, Rodri has been eased back into the team by Pep, but the Spaniard suffered yet another setback in the 1-0 triumph at Brentford prior to the international break.

The central midfielder was ruled out of contention for Spain’s World Cup qualifiers, with Pep going on to express hope that it will be a matter of weeks, not months, before the 29-year-old returns.

Related He's perfect for Pep: Man City now rivalling Real Madrid for "pacy" £52m star

City are set to battle it out for a new defender, who is regarded as ideal for Pep Guardiola.

Posts ByDominic Lund Oct 15, 2025

The City boss also went on to add: “You asked me why I don’t play him 90 minutes all the time. The journalists always ask me why I substitute him. This is why we tried to be gentle and play [him] for 60-65 minutes.”

Amid concerns over Rodri, the Blues have set out to bolster his options in the engine room, submitting offers for two up-and-coming English midfielders earlier this week, and a Premier League star has also now emerged as a target.

That is according to a report from Spain, which states Pep now personally wants to hijack Real Madrid and sign Crystal Palace star Adam Wharton, with Man City expressing serious interest in securing his signature.

Manchester United have also set out to sign Wharton, off the back of the midfielder’s impressive performances for the Eagles, and sources suggest the south Londoners could hold out for a fee of around €100m (£87m).

However, with the Englishman contracted until 2029, and happy at Selhurst Park, Palace currently have no pressing need to cash-in, with a move more likely to transpire next summer than in January.

"Phenomenal" Wharton has earned move to top club

In many ways, it is a real surprise the 21-year-old has just one England cap to his name, given the impact the central midfielder has made ever since arriving at Palace, with Dan Cook of HLTCO being left particularly impressed.

In his only appearance for England, which came against Bosnia & Herzegovina just over a year ago, the youngster became the only midfielder to attempt 30+ passes on his Three Lions debut and complete each one, in what was an assured performance.

Given Wharton’s passing ability, he could flourish in a Pep system, and Man City should undoubtedly make a move in 2026.

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall has described his fifth yellow card of the season as “mind boggling”.

The Everton midfielder will miss Sunday’s Premier League clash with Crystal Palace after reaching the threshold for a one-game suspension after only six Premier League matches.

Dewsbury-Hall’s latest yellow card came in Monday night’s 1-1 draw against West Ham for a challenge on Kyle Walker-Peters where he appeared to clearly get the ball. Writing on X, the 27-year-old said:

“Forgive me if I’m wrong, and I might be, but some of these decisions are so hard to take. Mind boggling.”

Dewsbury-Hall for Everton	Match ratings
Everton 1-1 West Ham	6.43
Liverpool 2-1 Everton	6.86
Everton 0-0 Aston Villa	6.72
Everton 2-0 Brighton	6.75
Leeds 1-0 Everton	6.77

Dewsbury-Hall has impressed for the Toffees since making the move from Chelsea this summer, scoring his first goal against Wolves last month. Everton boss David Moyes agreed with the midfielder’s assessment, saying:

Rangers have not re-approached Steven Gerrard despite rumours of new rounds of talks taking place in recent days.

It emerged on Saturday night that the former Gers boss had removed himself from the race to become successor to Russell Martin, who was sacked after just 17 games in charge of the Govan club.

However, several bookmakers on Wednesday showed that Gerrard, who won the title with Rangers in 2021, was back among the favourites for the post.

No new talks between Gerrard and Rangers

PA news agency understands that there has been no new talks between the two parties.

Former Rangers defender Kevin Muscat and ex-Sheffield Wednesday boss Danny Rohl are two of the front runners for the job.

Muscat, who has reportedly had had talks with the Govan club, has guided Shanghai Port to top spot in the Chinese Super League, two points clear with four games left. Their domestic season ends on November 22.

Speculation abounds that the Govan club are lining up Neil McCann for an interim period in charge until his former Gers team-mate is free to come to Glasgow.

The 52-year-old won a domestic treble with Rangers in 2003 in his only season at Ibrox and as a manager he has won titles in Australia, Japan and China with Melbourne Victory, Yokohama F Marinos and Shanghai Port.

Rohl, 36, reportedly impressed the Rangers hierarchy during talks last week, but rightly or wrongly, may well be considered by scarred and sceptical Gers supporters to be another version of Martin.

Previously an assistant manager at RB Leipzig, Bayern Munich and the Germany national team, Rohl had steered Wednesday out of relegation trouble in the Sky Bet Championship in 2023/24.

The German led The Owls to a 12th-place league finish in his only full season as a manager before leaving the troubled Yorkshire club in July.

Other names on the bookmakers’ lists include former Manchester United player and boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Hearts boss Derek McInnes, ex-Chelsea and West Ham boss Graham Potter and former Wolves manager Gary O’Neil.

Rangers return from the international break with a home game against Dundee United on Saturday. The Light Blues are eighth in the table after seven fixtures, 11 points behind leaders Hearts and nine behind Celtic.

Celtic have announced Brendan Rodgers has left his role as manager with immediate effect. The 52-year-old has departed Celtic Park following Sunday's 3-1 defeat against Hearts which has left them eight points adrift of the Scottish Premiership leaders. He has been replaced on an interim basis by Martin O’Neill, who returns for a second spell after previously managing the club between 2000 and 2005.

• Rodgers departs as Celtic suffer seismic loss at leaders Hearts

  Celtic confirmed Rodgers had tended his resignation on Monday evening, in news which has raised eyebrows across Scottish football. After suffering a surprise 2-0 loss at the hands of Dundee on 19 October, the Bhoys were consigned to back-to-back league defeats for the first time since 2023 following the reverse against Hearts on Sunday. An own goal from defender Dane Murray and strikes from Hearts duo Alexandros Kyziridis and Lawrence Shankland helped Derek McInnes’ side record a statement victory at Tynecastle.

  Confirming Rodgers’ sudden departure, Celtic said in a statement: "Celtic Football Club can confirm that football manager Brendan Rodgers has today tendered his resignation. It has been accepted by the Club and Brendan will leave his role with immediate effect. The Club appreciates Brendan’s contribution to Celtic during his two very successful periods at the Club. Brendan leaves Celtic with our thanks for the role he has played during a period of continued success for the Club and we wish him further success in the future. The process to appoint a new permanent manager is underway and the Club will update supporters further on this as soon as possible.”

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  Fan favourite O'Neill returns to Celtic on an interim basis

  Celtic have also announced that O’Neill will now take charge on an interim basis, with former Hoops midfielder Shaun Maloney named as assistant manager. O’Neill, 73, is a favourite among Celtic fans after leading the club to seven major honours during his first spell in charge, winning three league titles. The Glasgow side also reached the 2002-03 UEFA Cup final under O'Neill, losing 3-2 in extra time against Jose Mourinho’s Porto.

  Confirming O’Neill’s return to the club, Celtic said: ”We are pleased that during this interim period former Celtic manager, Martin O’Neill and former Celtic player, Shaun Maloney have agreed to take charge of Celtic first-team matters. Further details will be confirmed shortly."

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  Rodgers savaged in astonishing statement by club shareholder

  In an extraordinary statement following Rodgers' departure, principal shareholder Dermot Desmond described the Northern Irishman as "divisive, misleading, and self-serving", telling Celtic's official club website: "Brendan Rodgers has today tendered his resignation as manager of Celtic Football Club. I want to acknowledge Brendan’s contribution across his two spells as manager, during which he helped deliver success that forms part of the club’s modern history. However, I must also express my deep disappointment at the way the past several months have unfolded.

  "When we brought Brendan back to Celtic two years ago, it was done with complete trust and belief in his ability to lead the club into a new era of sustained success. Unfortunately, his conduct and communication in recent months have not reflected that trust. In June, both Michael Nicholson and I expressed to Brendan that we were keen to offer him a contract extension, to reaffirm the club’s full backing and long-term commitment to him. He said he would need to think about it and revert. Yet in subsequent press conferences, Brendan implied that the club had made no commitment to offer him a contract. That was simply untrue.

  "We met with Brendan regularly, including in December last year and at the start of the summer, with regular dialogue in between, to discuss and agree our collective strategy, priorities, and approach. Every player signed and every player sold during his tenure was done so with Brendan’s full knowledge, approval, and endorsement. Any insinuation otherwise is absolutely false.

  "His later public statements about transfers and club operations came entirely out of the blue. At no point prior to those remarks had he raised any such concerns with me, Michael, or any member of the board or executive team. In reality, he was given final say over all football matters and was consistently backed in the recruitment process – including record investment in players he personally identified and approved. When his comments were made publicly, I sought to address them directly. Brendan and I met for over three hours at his home in Scotland to discuss the issue.

  "Despite ample opportunity, he was unable to identify a single instance where the club had obstructed or failed to support him. The facts did not match his public narrative. Regrettably, his words and actions since then have been divisive, misleading, and self-serving. They have contributed to a toxic atmosphere around the club and fuelled hostility towards members of the executive team and the Board. Some of the abuse directed at them, and at their families, has been entirely unwarranted and unacceptable.

  "Every member of the Board and executive team is deeply passionate about Celtic and acts at all times with professionalism, integrity, and a shared desire for success. What has failed recently was not due to our structure or model, but to one individual’s desire for self-preservation at the expense of others. Celtic’s structure — where the manager oversees football, the Chief Executive manages operations, and the Board provides oversight — has served the club with great success for more than two decades.

  "We all share the same ambition: to ensure Celtic’s continued success domestically and to achieve further progress in Europe. Every pound generated by the club is reinvested towards those goals and the continuous improvement of Celtic Football Club. Celtic is greater than any one person. Our focus now is on restoring harmony, strengthening the squad, and continuing to build a club worthy of its values, traditions, and supporters."

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• Rodgers enjoyed incredible success across two spells as Celtic manager

  Rodgers enjoyed remarkable success across two spells in charge of Celtic. In his first term between 2016 and 2019, the former Liverpool manager guided the club to the ‘Double Treble’ of Scottish Premiership, Scottish Cup and Scottish League Cup glory. Following a stint with Premier League side Leicester City, which saw him lead the Foxes to the 2021 FA Cup, Rodgers returned to Celtic in 2023, clinching a further four honours including two more league titles.

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O Santos será comandado pelo treinador Marcelo Fernandes contra o Bahia. O interino é responsável por ocupar a vaga de Diego Aguirre, que deixou o comando do Peixe após a derrota, por 3 a 0, para o Cruzeiro.

+ Confira a tabela do Campeonato Brasileiro no Lance!

Velho conhecido da torcida santista, Marcelo possui um extenso vínculo com o clube da Vila Belmiro. Com passagem como jogador, o treinador já conseguiu faturar um título junto do clube. Conheça melhor o comandante do Alvinegro Praiano a seguir:

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ÚLTIMA PASSAGEM 

Em 2022, depois da saída de Fabián Bustos, Marcelo Fernandes comandou o Peixe em quatro compromissos. Com três vitórias e uma derrota, o técnico deixou a equipe após o Santos acertar a contratação de Lisca.

CAMPEÃO PELO SANTOS

No ano de 2015, Marcelo, que atuava como auxiliar técnico há anos no time do litoral paulista, teve uma oportunidade no comando principal do elenco. Diante deste desafio, o treinador não decepcionou, levou o time até a final do Paulistão e, na grande decisão, garantiu o caneco após derrotar o Palmeiras.

HISTÓRICO COMO ATLETA

Ex-zagueiro, Marcelo teve longo vínculo com o Santos, mas não possui uma trajetória tão gloriosa com a equipe. No período que passou na equipe, atuou em pouco mais de 30 partidas, mas não conquistou títulos e conviveu com empréstimos para outras equipes nacionais.

O QUE ELE ESTÁ ARMANDO PARA ENFRENTAR O BAHIA?

O interino propôs um Santos de cara nova, com uma tática jamais utilizada em toda temporada. Nos treinamentos, Fernandes alinhou o time no esquema 3-5-2 com: João Paulo; Joaquim, João Basso, Dodô; Lucas Braga, Jean Lucas, Tomás Rincón, Lucas Lima e Kevyson; Soteldo e Marcos Leonardo.

A partida diante do Bahia acontecerá na Arena Fonte Nova, às 20 horas (de Brasília), nesta segunda-feira (18).

Tom Kohler-Cadmore struck his 12th first-class century as Somerset laid the platform for an imposing total against Warwickshire in the Rothesay County Championship at Edgbaston.Somerset chose to bat on a pitch offering bowlers no help and closed the opening day on 327 for 3. Opening pair Kohler-Cadmore, 104 from 138 balls, and Josh Davey, 64 from 121, added 186 and Tom Lammonby followed them with an unbeaten 75 (129).It was a gruelling day in the field for a Warwickshire side without Chris Rushworth due to a tweaked hamstring, and including Australian spinner Cory Rocchiccioli, on his debut at the start of a short-term contract.Somerset’s decision to bat proved fruitful and their decision to promote Davey to open was also emphatically vindicated as he and Kohler-Cadmore eased to 100 in the 24th over. Davey offered Jacob Bethell a bracing reintroduction to county cricket when he lifted the spinner’s third ball straight for six. Bethell, brought on early and ahead of overseas specialist Rocchiccioli, went for 23 in his first two overs.Kohler-Cadmore exploited the benign pitch to reach 50 from 67 balls and advance to 100 in 128, reaching three figures with his 16th four, pulled off Che Simmons. The young seamer soon gained his revenge, however, when he removed both openers in six balls.Davey, a sixth first-class half-century banked and a career-best (75) beckoning, hoisted a short leg-side delivery to long leg. Kohler-Cadmore gloved a pull to wicketkeeper Kai Smith. Somerset’s record opening stand against Warwickshire, in peril while the batters chugged comfortably along, remains the 223 by Jimmy Cook and Peter Roebuck at Taunton in 1990.Warwickshire had a glimmer of opportunity with two new batters at the crease, but Lammonby and James Rew played responsibly to reassert their side’s control with a stand of 68 in 26 overs. Rew departed livid at himself for lifting a wide, slower ball from Olly Hannon-Dalby to point but Lammonby pulled Simmons for four to post a 93-ball half-century and, with Tom Abell, prevented further damage.Warwickshire’s bowlers persevered nobly to keep the scoring slow in the last hour of what was a tough baptism on an unresponsive track for Rocchiccioli. He finished the day with none for 68, but bowled well enough and can take solace from the fact that fellow spinners Eric Hollies and Jeetan Patel also suffered on their Warwickshire debut at Edgbaston (1 for 150 against Sussex in 1932 and Yorkshire in 2009 respectively) and they didn’t do too badly in the long run: 3,743 wickets.

West Ham boss Graham Potter could have just this weekend’s game against Everton and their trip to Arsenal to save his job, according to reliable reports, following the Englishman’s uninspired spell in the London Stadium dugout thus far.

When Graham Potter could be sacked by West Ham

As per club insider ExWHUemployee, David Sullivan, Karren Brady and the Hammers board could decide to delay Potter’s dismissal until after their clash with Arsenal at the Emirates.

9. Sam Allardyce

30.7%

10. Julen Lopetegui

30%

11. Gianfranco Zola

27.8%

12 Graham Potter

26.1%

13. Avram Grant

18.9%

via StatMuse

Despite the humongous pressure on Potter right now, great uncertainty surrounding his position and West Ham weighing up new managers behind-the-scenes, Ex suggests that Sullivan may hand the Englishman his P45 in and around the October international break.

This would give any new manager the chance to make a good start at home to Brentford on October 20 — not to mention a good few weeks to settle in and meet some of his new players.

The 50-year-old could even buy himself more time with a convincing performance against David Moyes’ Toffees at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, but it would have to be a tremendous West Ham display to convince large sections of supporters that he’s still the right man to take them forward.

So far, the east Londoners have conceded more goals than any other side in the Premier League, with seven of their 13 concessions coming directly from corners.

Since Potter’s appointment in January, West Ham also have the worst overall Premier League record out of every single current side in the division, barring last year’s relegated trio.

Matters are desperate for the ex-Chelsea boss, and Sky Sports journalist Kaveh Solhekol has now shared how the squad feel about their under-fire tactician.

How West Ham players really feel about Graham Potter

Speaking on a Sky broadcast, via West Ham Zone, Solhekol claims that, despite their poor start to the season, Potter retains the backing of most West Ham players.

He also reports that the mood around Rush Green is somehow “very positive”, with the squad “united” in getting back to winning ways.

Even if this is the case among Potter’s squad, it is exactly the opposite when it comes to West Ham’s fanbase, who are growing increasingly impatient.

West Ham face fan protests at every Saturday home game this season

As per The Telegraph, the divisive board face protests from supporters at every single Saturday home game this season, with the ‘broken promises’ made after West Ham’s move to the London Stadium viewed as key to their discontent.

West Ham’s Fan Advisory Board sent a letter of no confidence to the ownership recently, having failed to build upon Moyes’ historic Europa Conference League victory in 2023, which ended their 43-year wait for a major trophy.

That night in Prague also marked the club’s first European piece of silverware since 1965, but it’s only been downhill ever since then.

Potter is now the latest coach after Julen Lopetegui to bear the brunt of West Ham’s arguable mismanagement, and it is hard to see how any new manager can restore the positivity from Moyes’ era in charge any time soon.