Interim Celtic manager Martin O’Neill has had a brilliant start to his return to Parkhead with two wins in his first two matches in the dugout.

He masterminded a 4-0 win over Falkirk in his first game back, despite the Hoops having lost their last two matches in the Scottish Premiership prior to that outing.

The experienced manager then led his team to the final of the League Cup with a 3-1 win over Rangers, after extra time, at Hampden Park on Sunday.

However, it remains to be seen whether or not O’Neill will still be in the dugout when that final rolls around, as the Hoops are still looking for their permanent successor to Brendan Rodgers.

The former Celtic manager tendered his resignation at the start of last week, after a 3-1 loss to Hearts, but the club do not seem particularly close to making an appointment at this moment in time.

As part of their process to find their next manager, the Scottish giants should be looking for someone who has a better record of competing in Europe.

Why Celtic need an upgrade on Brendan Rodgers in Europe

There is no doubt that Rodgers was excellent for the Hoops on the whole when it came to competing domestically, as he won four trophies in his two full seasons back at Parkhead.

The former Liverpool and Leicester City head coach won the Premiership title in both of those campaigns, although he did leave the club eight points adrift of Hearts last week.

However, Rodgers struggled in Europe throughout both of his spells in charge of Celtic, in both the Champions League and the Europa League.

The Hoops reached the play-off round, just before the last 16, in the Champions League last season, only to lose to Bayern Munich, after the change in format to a league phase.

That is the furthest that any of Rodgers’ Celtic teams managed to go in any European competition across six seasons at the club, though, as they never reached as much as a quarter-final.

25/26

Intermediate stage

Group stage

24/25

Group stage

N/A

23/24

Group stage

N/A

18/19

N/A

Intermediate stage

17/18

Group stage

Intermediate stage

16/17

Group stage

N/A

The Northern Irish manager has won six and lost 18 of his 36 matches in the Champions League as a manager, which includes one win in six games at Liverpool, per Transfermarkt.

These statistics show that Rodgers has struggled in European competitions throughout his career, which is why he may not have been the right man to push Celtic forward in the Champions League or the Europa League.

It is also why the Hoops board should be looking for a head coach who has the potential to help the club to kick on in Europe, in order to compete for trophies on the continent as well as in Scotland.

Plenty of managers have already been linked with replacing Rodgers in the dugout at Parkhead, but there is one in particular who could be a key upgrade on Rodgers.

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It was recently reported that the Scottish giants have approached Club Brugge head coach Nicky Hayen as they look to establish a shortlist of options for the role.

The report claimed that the Hoops will look to use the lure of big wages to tempt him to make the move from the Belgian club, but it remains to be seen whether or not that will be a successful approach.

Why Celtic should appoint Nicky Hayen

Celtic should push to bring Hayen to Parkhead to be the long-term replacement for Rodgers because his success at Club Brugge, domestically and in Europe, has been very impressive.

The Belgian boss, who typically deploys a 4-2-3-1 formation, won the Pro League as an interim manager at the end of the 2023/24 campaign, before finishing second to USG by three points last term, per Transfermarkt.

Hayen won the Belgian Cup last season, though, and the Belgian Super Cup at the start of the current campaign, which means that he has won three trophies in roughly 18 months as the interim and permanent manager.

The Celtic target’s biggest selling point as a manager, however, should be his side’s impressive performance in Europe, as he reached the last 16 of the Champions League in the 2024/25 campaign, which is further than Rodgers after took the club.

Matches

4

15

Wins

2

6

Draws

1

2

Losses

1

7

Points per game

1.75

1.33

Best finish

Semi-finals

Last 16

As you can see in the table above, Hayen also reached the semi-finals of the Conference League in the 2023/24 campaign, winning in the quarter-finals before losing the semi to Fiorentina.

The Club Brugge boss, who was hailed as a “workaholic” by his former chairman Rob Edwards, has won as many Champions League games in 15 matches and 18 months as their manager as Rodgers has in his entire career, with 36 games under his belt.

This suggests that he would arrive at Parkhead as an upgrade on the Northern Irish head coach when it comes to competing on the European stage with the Hoops, as he has achieved more in less than two seasons than Rodgers managed in over four seasons with the Bhoys.

Hayen, who was described as “tactically unbeatable” by one scout on X, has shown that he can compete domestically, with trophies in Belgium with Brugge, as well as on the European stage.

That is why the 4-2-3-1 manager could be a perfect fit for Celtic as an upgrade on Rodgers to help them kick on in Europe this season and in the future.

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On top of his success in the Conference League and Champions League, Hayen has also won all four of his Champions League qualifiers, which is noteworthy after Celtic lost to Kairat in the play-off round this season.

From Perth to Sydney, all you need to know about the five grounds for the India-Australia Test series

Andrew McGlashan14-Nov-20242:06

Straight Talk: Will the lack of warm-up matches impact India’s performance?

Optus Stadium, Perth: Australia’s new fortress?Cricket Australia recently made a change to the tradition of starting the Test summer at the Gabba, with Perth now the first venue for the visiting team.Optus Stadium is still a relatively new ground having hosted its inaugural Test in 2018-19 when India toured – a high-octane match on a lively surface which Australia won despite one of Virat Kohli’s finest hundreds – before it missed out for two summers due to Covid-19 border restrictions.Optus Stadium (2018-19 onwards)•ESPNcricinfo LtdAustralia have continued a formidable record at the ground which could play into their favour when it comes to setting the tone for the series. All four of their wins have been by handsome margins, with the last three coming against New Zealand (a day-night Test), West Indies and Pakistan. All followed similar patterns: a big first innings total, a hefty lead when the opposition can’t respond, swelling the advantage rather than enforcing the follow-on and then taking advantage of an increasingly difficult surface.While pace bowling has been traditionally associated with Perth (both at the new ground and the WACA), Nathan Lyon has an outstanding record at Optus Stadium where he has enjoyed the bounce on offer.Leading run-scorer since 2018-19: Marnus Labuschagne (519 at 103.80)
Leading wicket-taker since 2018-19: Nathan Lyon (27 at 18.00)
Average first innings of match total since 2018-19: 456Adelaide Oval: The day-night battlegroundThe venue of 36 all out. A few hours where India nicked everything. As was the case in 2020-21, this season it will be a day-night Test at the home of the format. Australia have never lost a pink ball game at the ground; their day-night Test defeat to West Indies came in Brisbane.Adelaide Oval stats (2018-19 onwards)•ESPNcricinfo LtdIndia won in Adelaide on the 2018-19 tour when it was a day game, in what was an absorbing Test where Australia’s lower order threatened to get them home. Last year’s day Test against West Indies was over before lunch on the third day.Related

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Fast and furious: A spicy pitch awaits India in Perth

Barring the extremes of the 2020-21 Test against India, Australia have a tried-and-tested formula in day-night Tests in recent seasons. They look to bat big in the first innings – England even offered them that opportunity by bowling first in the 2021-22 Ashes – which has often given them a crack with the new ball under lights on the second evening.Since 2018-19, the night-time third session has a batting average of 26.84 compared to 28.04 for the first session and 30.15 for the middle one. Timings can become a key factor in pink-ball Tests to try and exploit the new ball under lights.Leading run-scorer since 2018-19: Marnus Labuschagne (574 at 71.75)
Leading wicket-taker since 2018-19: Mitchell Starc (30 at 17.20)
Average first innings total since 2018-19: 375Gabba, Brisbane: No longer an Australian fortress?In recent seasons, Australia’s aura at the Gabba has diminished somewhat, with India famously winning in 2020-21 and equally so West Indies through the efforts of Shamar Joseph. But the future is in doubt. The venue only has guaranteed Test cricket for one more summer after this one amid the uncertainty over redevelopment plans for the 2032 Olympics.Gabba stats (2018-19 onwards)•ESPNcricinfo LtdIt reverts to a day Test for this series having been a flood-lit encounter against West Indies. In 2022-23, the match against South Africa ended in two days on a heavily-grassed surface that produced uneven bounce. It was borderline dangerous when facing the quicks. The overall bowling average at the ground since 2018-19 has dropped by nearly 10 runs per wicket compared to the figure for the previous four years (36.21).Leading run-scorer since 2018-19: Marnus Labuschagne (497 at 62.12)
Leading wicket-taker since 2018-19: Pat Cummins (36 at 17.25)
Average first innings total since 2018-19: 227Melbourne Cricket Ground: New fast-bowling paradiseSince the insipid Ashes Test in 2017-18, the pitch at the MCG has undergone a transformation and is now among the most interesting in the country, leaning in favour of the fast bowlers. To highlight the shift, in the last six seasons the bowling average has dropped 15 runs. Between 2013-14 and 2017-18, it was a whopping 41.19.Melbourne Cricket Ground stats (2018-19 onwards)•ESPNcricinfo LtdAlready this season there have been three fascinating surfaces for a Sheffield Shield match, the ODI against Pakistan and the Australia A-India A fixture with runs at a premium and the ball holding sway. India have won their last two Tests at the ground: by 137 runs in 2018-19, when Jasprit Bumrah produced a magical spell on what remained a sluggish surface, and eight wickets in 2020-21.Interestingly, since 2018-19, it’s the ground where the toss appears to have mattered least with a 3-3 record for teams batting first. Against England in 2021-22 (Scott Boland’s Test where he claimed 6 for 7) and South Africa the following year, Australia bowled first and won by an innings.Leading run-scorer since 2018-19: David Warner (361 at 60.16)
Leading wicket-taker since 2018-19: Pat Cummins (31 at 15.41)
Average first innings total since 2018-19: 299Sydney Cricket Ground: Will it spin?The SCG remains a ground where the pitch is still trying to regain its former glories when spin would come to the fore. There were promising signs last season against Pakistan where it was a result surface that offered some assistance for all the bowlers. The other factor with Sydney in early January is often the weather: India were denied a likely victory in 2018-19 by two days of rain and the 2022-23 South Africa match was badly affected.Sydney Cricket Ground stats (2018-19 onwards)•ESPNcricinfo LtdThe average for pace bowlers at the ground since 2018-19 is by far the highest of the five venues for this season. Reverse swing can be a factor depending on how abrasive the square becomes. Like the Gabba, the SCG doesn’t utilise drop-in pitches.Leading run-scorer since 2018-19: Marnus Labuschagne (734 at 81.55)
Leading wicket-taker since 2018-19: Nathan Lyon (26 at 32.42)
Average first innings total since 2018-19: 436

Former England rugby star Joe Marler has impressed Celebrity Traitors viewers with his detective skills in the popular reality TV show, but one discovery the 35 year-old was not ready for was how much professional footballers earn.

Marler is far from the wealthiest figure on BBC’s Celebrity Traitors, with the likes of Jonathan Ross, Stephen Fry, Mark Bonnar and Alan Carr all believed to hold net worths in excess of £10m.

The former England and Harlequins star retired from rugby last year, but despite spending more than a decade at the peak of his profession, was left gobsmacked when he found out how much the average footballer makes.

Speaking on Marler’s Things People Do podcast last year, journeyman footballer Jimmy Bullard revealed: “My biggest contract was £50k-a-week.”

1998 – 1999: Ebbsfleet

1999 – 2001: West Ham

2001 – 2003: Peterborough

2003 – 2006: Wigan Athletic

2006 – 2009: Fulham

2009 – 2011: Hull City

2011 – 2012: Ipswich Town

2012: MK Dons

Bullard, who never won a major professional trophy or earned an England cap and retired in 2012, refused to admit which club had paid him that figure, which totals around £2.6m annually, leaving Marler in shock.

The Traitors star and his co-host then asked for an estimate on what kind of money a “top Premier League footballer” earns today, to which Bullard responded: “I’d have to say a few of the Man City boys must be on £350k-a-week.”

In fact, Man City’s highest earner is Erling Haaland on a whopping £525k-a-week, which is over £27 million in annual salary.

For context, Antoine Dupont was recently made the highest-paid rugby player in the world, penning a £1.2 million per season deal with Toulouse, while Marler earned an estimated £300k-a-year during his last contract with Harlequins.

That means Haaland takes home Dupont’s yearly pay roughly twice a month and matches Marler’s salary in a matter of days.

Marler’s performance on the hit BBC show has seen him touted for future roles in television, with a source telling MailOnline: “The BBC is constantly looking for new talent and the second he stopped playing rugby, there were eyes on him.

“Bosses knew that getting him on Traitors would be a very good shop window for him and they could test whether or not the viewers would like him. As soon as they saw it, they knew he would be someone the British public would adore and they seem to be right.

“At the same time, he himself is ready for a new career after retiring from rugby. He has long wanted to present from a BBC sofa and The One Show is one of his favourite programmes. To anchor that would be his dream.”

The NL beat the AL in a thrilling MLB All-Star Game on Tuesday night that ended with an unprecedented swing-off to determine the winner after the game was tied 6-6 through nine innings. While it was a fun way to finish a baseball game, one player from the NL team had a scary moment shortly before that when he was hit by a pitch and later needed X-rays on his hand.

Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Eugenio Suárez was the player who had the painful moment, which came in the bottom of the eighth inning. It happened when he was trying to swing at an inside pitch by Chicago's Shane Smith, but instead of making contact with it, the ball hit his left hand. Thankfully the X-Rays later came back clear.

The view from the ump cam gave viewers an incredible look at what Suárez experienced:

Ouch!

Suárez was able to stay in the game, which Diamondbacks fans must have loved seeing.

Germany sealed their place at the 2026 World Cup with a dominant 6-0 win over Slovakia, and former captain Lothar Matthaus believes the team can challenge the likes of England, France and Portugal for the title despite a shaky qualifying campaign and recent tournament struggles. The 1990 World Cup winner insists there is no reason for fear if the team maintains the intensity shown in Monday's win.

• A positive finish after a bumpy qualifying campaign

  Germany will make their 21st appearance at the tournament. It was a much-needed statement performance after what has been a shaky road through Group A. They opened qualifying with a disappointing 2-0 loss to Slovakia in September before recovering with wins against Northern Ireland and Luxembourg. They then rounded off the campaign with a resounding win against Slovakia this week.

  The 2014 world champions have failed to advance past the group stage in the last two editions, and recent tournaments have raised doubts about whether the team is still among the elite. They lost to Spain in the quarter-finals of Euro 2024 and fell 2-1 to Portugal in the Nations League semi-final in Munich. The progress under Julian Nagelsmann has been steady rather than spectacular, and he is yet to win a major trophy since taking charge in 2023.

  Earlier, national team legend Toni Kroos said the team was lucky to have been handed a relatively easy World Cup qualifying group.

  Still, the dominant performance on Monday was enough to bring optimism back into the conversation. Matthaus called the win 'a satisfying end to an overall satisfactory year' and believes the team is moving in the right direction.

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• Matthaus insists Germany shouldn't fear Europe's top teams

  Despite recent setbacks, the former Germany captain believes the team still belongs among the contenders. In his column for , the 64-year-old argued that qualifying form should not be overanalysed, pointing out that even successful German teams in the past had difficult campaigns.

  "With all due respect to these opponents, Germany wants to compete against the best, and those are the other group winners such as England, Portugal or France," he said.

  "If we can replicate what we showed in Leipzig, we're on par with these teams. We saw that in the summer. In the Nations League defeats against Portugal and France, Germany wasn't any worse than their opponents.

  "If the German team shows the same attitude and passion and plays together like they did against Slovakia, they have nothing to fear.

  "You shouldn't underestimate yourself. Germany isn't small. I've always said that our team belongs among the favorites for the World Cup, even if they've had a poor run of form. Our World Cup qualifying campaigns were also sometimes bumpy in the past.
   

  "The German team might even be under less pressure at the World Cup. The team will be even more focused next year, especially because the whole world will be watching.
  "

• Getty Images
  

  Injuries remain a concern despite strong squad depth

  Matthaus also spoke about the squad heading into 2026. Several key players like Jamal Musiala, Kai Havertz, Antonio Rudiger and Marc-Andre ter Stegen are still working their way back to full fitness and may not be ready right away.

  "Rudiger needs to get fit first, just like Ter Stegen. Oliver Baumann will remain in goal for the time being, and then we'll see what happens next," he said.

  He mentioned that no one in the squad has a guaranteed starting spot, adding: "Even in the current national team, there are hardly any irreplaceable players; no one has a guaranteed spot. This keeps the focus high until the World Cup, and everyone will give their all to impress the coach.."

  The World Cup winner believes this gives the German coach more flexibility as the tournament approaches. "The great thing for Nagelsmann is that he'll have a wide selection next year. For a coach, it's the most wonderful thing when he can bring quality after quality player into the team."

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• Getty Images
  

  What's next for Germany?

  Germany now shift their attention to preparations for 2026, with Nagelsmann hoping to have key players return from injury soon. Ter Stegen is nearing a comeback from knee surgery after missing most of last season, and the Barcelona captain could even consider a loan move in January to get more playing time before the tournament.

  Defender Rudiger has also said he is in the final phase of his recovery after being sidelined with a thigh injury. Meanwhile, Musiala has returned to Bayern Munich training after suffering a ligament dislocation during a heavy collision in the Club World Cup against PSG.

The ODI side is entering a period of change ahead of the next World Cup

Andrew McGlashan07-Mar-20251:22

Agar: Australia building more depth a big positive despite loss

Australia’s transition into their title defence at the 2027 ODI World Cup, which will be staged in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia, is now well underway after Steven Smith became the third of the victorious 2023 squad to retire from the format following David Warner and Marcus Stoinis. There could well be more to follow in the coming months as players take stock of their careers.A core group should remain for the selectors to build around as they make their plans over the next two years – Pat Cummins told ESPNcricinfo recently that the next World Cup was still firmly in his sights as captain – but how often Australia will field what could be termed their strongest team in bilateral ODIs remains to be seen given the game’s cluttered schedule, which includes a T20 World Cup next year and the ongoing priority of Test cricket.Related

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In situations like this, it’s fun to look into the crystal ball and have an (educated) guess at those that could come into the frame. For the purpose of this exercise, here’s six names who were not part of the Champions Trophy squad – so therefore doesn’t include the likes of Cooper Connolly, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Tanveer Sangha and Spencer Johnson – that could be in the mix for the next generation of Australia’s ODI side.

Cameron Green

It’s certainly not pulling a rabbit out of a hat to include Green’s name here. He would have been part of the Champions Trophy squad had it not been for the back injury that required surgery in October. But he shapes as a pivotal figure heading into 2027 because, like with the Test side, of the balance he can bring. He may be the ideal replacement for Smith at No. 3 given he is a frontline batter who has different gears. Last season he twice batted No. 3 against West Indies and was then at No. 4 in England before his injury. With Stoinis retired and Mitchell Marsh’s future uncertain, Green’s pace bowling will also be important although there may be a need to manage his workload.Mitchell Owen could come into the selectors’ planning•Getty Images

Sam Konstas

Matt Short, whose Champions Trophy was ended by injury, would appear in pole position to be Travis Head’s long-term opening partner but things can change. At 19, Konstas has plenty of World Cup cycles ahead of him and there is a decent argument to say that he should be given time to settle his red-ball game before thoughts are given to another international format. Finding the right tempo has been a challenge since his dramatic arrival into Test cricket against India, but his best innings of the last few weeks came in the One-Day Cup for New South Wales where he battled through cramp to make an 82-ball century when the next-highest score was 34.

Mitchell Owen

It was, perhaps, no surprise to see people asking the question around the Champions Trophy: “Why haven’t they called up Mitch Owen?” This season he has gone from a fringe state and BBL player into a name attracting global interest after two T20 hundreds – including the spectacular 108 off 42 balls in the BBL final – followed by 149 off 69 balls in the One-Day Cup. A T20 call-up in the near future feels quite likely and the selectors may well consider having a look at him in the ODI format to see whether that formidable striking power he possesses can be consistently translated into the longer game. His seam bowling adds another handy dimension.Xavier Bartlett made a fine start to his ODI career•AFP/Getty Images

Will Sutherland

Another allrounder of significant promise, Sutherland’s combination of splice-jarring fast-medium and his evolving middle-order batting will keep him in the selectors’ conversations. Despite Victoria falling short, he was impressive in the recent One-Day Cup final with 3 for 67 and 50. Although in a different format, his 70 off 45 balls for Melbourne Renegades against Perth Scorchers was one of the innings of the BBL season after his team had been 10 for 4 chasing 148 at Optus Stadium. However, consecutive winters hit by stress fractures in his back mean that he will continue to be carefully monitored.

Xavier Bartlett

Given the number of absentees from the pace attack, Bartlett was unlucky not to be a replacement for the Champions Trophy. In two ODIs against West Indies last year he took eight wickets but has not played since with injury ruling him out of the England series in September then a carefully managed return through the T20Is against Pakistan. It is uncertain whether both Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood will reach the next World Cup, but conditions in southern Africa could be ideal for someone who can gain sharp movement with the new ball.

Lance Morris

Given how much Morris has been talked about over the last few years, it will be an incredible frustration to him that his international career has so far been limited to three ODIs as he nurses his way through various back problems and other injuries. When on song, no one is quicker in Australian cricket. Someone with his skillset could be a real X-factor on some of the faster South Africa pitches that may be offered up in 2027 but, with Test cricket also an ambition, it could come down to what his body will allow.

West Ham could oversee a host of exits when the winter window reopens for business, including some pretty noteworthy names.

January is set to be vital for Nuno Espirito Santo and co, with reports suggesting that chairman David Sullivan and the board are prepared to back their new manager to the hilt.

The Hammers have just been given some real encouragement they can avoid a dreaded drop to the Championship, having secured back-to-back home wins for the first time since October last year whilst scoring six goals in their last two games.

Sunderland 3-0 West Ham

West Ham 1-5 Chelsea

Nottingham Forest 0-3 West Ham

West Ham 0-3 Tottenham

West Ham 1-2 Crystal Palace

Everton 1-1 West Ham

Arsenal 2-0 West Ham

West Ham 0-2 Brentford

Leeds 2-1 West Ham

West Ham 3-1 Newcastle

West Ham 3-2 Burnley

West Ham’s crucial wins over Newcastle and Burnley at the London Stadium have relieved some major pressure on Nuno, with the January window set to hand him another potential lifeline amid reports that the club are looking to sign a new defender and striker at the very least.

Nuno has also been given “confirmation” that West Ham will have money to spend mid-season (Sky Sports), and ExWHUemployee has backed this up recently whilst confirming that the club are scouting heavily in Belgium.

That being said, incomings are not the only item on West Ham’s agenda at the turn of the year.

After being axed from the squad, pretty much immediately after Nuno replaced Graham Potter, midfielder James Ward-Prowse is now resigned to leaving in January, despite being a vice-captain and first-team regular at the start of 2025/2026.

The 30-year-old, who is just one free-kick goal away from equalling David Beckham’s all-time Premier League record of 18, is not in Nuno’s long-term plans.

Meanwhile, The Times recently reported that Lucas Paqueta is keen to leave West Ham in the winter, with Fabrizio Romano also stating in his GiveMeSport newsletter that an exit for the Brazil international isn’t ruled out in the slightest.

Now, as per a report from El Intransigente, midfielder Guido Rodriguez could follow them out the door.

Guido Rodriguez wants to leave West Ham in January

The Argentine, signed on a free deal from Real Betis last year, is another who’s suffered from Nuno’s axe — having managed just 19 minutes of action since the tactician’s arrival.

He was largely a bench player under Potter as well, and El Intransigente reports that Rodriguez is looking to leave West Ham as he aims to battle his way into Argentina’s squad for the 2026 World Cup.

River Plate boss Marcelo Gallardo also “dreams” of signing Rodriguez and could offer him a route out of London, but he isn’t alone, as Real Betis, Espanyol and Club América are also actively targeting the 31-year-old World Cup winner whose contract expires at the end of the season.

West Ham could be forced to sell him on the cheap in January because of this, but considering they signed him on a Bosman deal in 2024, any fee received for Rodriguez would go down as pure profit through the lens of PSR.

Selling him is a real no-brainer, and Sullivan will be particularly keen to get his £75,000-per-week wages off the books to free up space for a potential striker.

As well as Rodriguez, Ward-Prowse and Paqueta, it is believed that Niclas Fullkrug has told West Ham he wants a January transfer, so they’ll need to replace the German.

Celtic have just under two weeks to find their long-term successor to Brendan Rodgers in the dugout at Parkhead before the end of the international break.

Martin O’Neill has been in interim charge for the last four matches in all competitions, winning three of them, but he may have managed his last game for the club if they can find a permanent head coach in the coming days.

Sky Sports reporter Anthony Joseph recently claimed that Columbus Crew manager Wilfried Nancy has emerged as one of the contenders to replace Rodgers in Glasgow.

Celtic considering move for title-winning manager

The French MLS head coach is not the only name under consideration during this international break, though, as they are also looking at a title-winning boss who would be an upgrade on Nancy.

Manager Focus

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According to Sky Sports, Celtic have drawn up a shortlist that includes several of the usual suspects, including Nancy, Kieran McKenna, Craig Bellamy, and Kjetil Knutsen.

The report claims that Club Brugge head coach Nicky Hayen is also one of the tacticians on their radar, as they consider who they want to replace Rodgers this season.

It remains to be seen who they will decide to pursue as their number one target, at this moment in time, but Hayen could be a much better option than Nancy for the Hoops.

Why Nicky Hayen would be a better option than Wilfried Nancy for Celtic

The 4-2-3-1 head coach could be an upgrade on the Columbus Crew manager for Celtic because of his experience in European football and his superior domestic performances.

Per Transfermarkt, Nancy has averaged 1.70 points per game over 169 MLS matches in his career. He also ended the 2025 campaign with a points per game average of 1.59, winning 14 and losing eight of his 34 games.

Meanwhile, per Transfermarkt, Hayen has averaged 2.00 points per game across 83 matches as Club Brugge’s permanent manager, after averaging 2.21 points per game in 14 outings as their caretaker before landing the permanent job.

The Pro League boss, who was described as “tactically unbeatable” by one scout on X, has also won three trophies, including a league title, since the start of the 2023/24 campaign.

Meanwhile, Nancy has won one trophy, the MLS Cup, since the start of 2023, which suggests that Hayen would be the better option out of the pair when looking for domestic success in the Scottish Premiership.

Nicky Hayen’s European record

Stats

Conference League

Champions League

Matches

4

15

Wins

2

6

Draws

1

2

Losses

1

7

Points per game

1.75

1.33

Best finish

Semi-finals

Last 16

Stats via Transfermarkt

As you can see in the table above, the Club Brugge head coach has also had success on the European stage, going further in the Conference League and the Champions League than Rodgers ever did across his two spells at Parkhead with Celtic.

These statistics suggest that Hayen would help the Hoops to compete on the European stage, as he has proven that he can coach at that level, whilst Nancy has only ever coached in the MLS and has no prior experience in the Europa League, Conference League, or Champions League.

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Therefore, the Club Brugge boss could be a much better option for the Scottish giants than Nancy, because their respective careers suggest that he has a higher chance of being a success domestically and on the European stage.

It’s understood his vision did not align with that of head coach Justin Langer and team owner Sanjeev Goenka

Nagraj Gollapudi18-Sep-20256:17

‘Zaheer’s vision wasn’t bought by LSG leadership group’

Lucknow Super Giants’ team mentor Zaheer Khan has parted ways with the franchise after just one season. ESPNcricinfo has learned Zaheer informed LSG of his decision on Thursday.It is understood that the primary reason for Zaheer quitting is that his vision for the franchise did not align with that of head coach Justin Langer and team owner Sanjeev Goenka. While Zaheer’s relationship with captain Rishabh Pant remained strong, he was affected by the thought process that played a role in LSG sliding down the points table in the second half of IPL 2025.Zaheer had joined LSG in August 2024, filling the vacancy left by Gautam Gambhir’s exit after IPL 2023. Zaheer had been with Mumbai Indians from 2018 to 2022 and agreed to a two-year contract with LSG, taking charge of scouting, planning and strategy.Related

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After making the playoffs in their first two IPL seasons in 2022 and 2023, LSG did not reach the knockouts in the last two seasons. In 2025, they finished seventh with six wins from 14 games. It was a season of contrasting halves: LSG had five wins in their first eight matches but only one in the last six. Of the eight games they played at their home ground, the Ekana Stadium, they won only two.LSG had made headlines at last year’s mega auction when they bought Pant for INR 27 crore (USD 3.2 million approx.), making him the most expensive player ever in the IPL. The team was built around him, but Zaheer put in place building blocks he felt were needed to grow stronger every season. Despite there being a lot of chatter about Pant opening the batting, Zaheer spoke to the wicketkeeper-batter early on and told him that the better strategy would be for Mitchell Marsh to open with Aiden Markram. That strategy, Zaheer impressed on both Pant and the leadership group, would reduce the burden on their best batter, Nicholas Pooran, who was the No. 3.The role clarity allowed the batters to play with freedom and perform consistently. Markram had never opened in the IPL before, while Marsh, despite having been in the IPL for more than a decade, had never made a major impact. The move worked: Marsh was the fifth highest run-getter in IPL 2025 with 627 runs at a strike rate of 163.70, Pooran made 524 runs at 196.25, and Markram 445 at 148.82.

Manchester United are now making a strong move to sign Valencia midfielder Javi Guerra in the January transfer window, with a £44m January bid planned.

Signing a new midfielder is of key significance to Man United, not least because speculation surrounding Kobbie Mainoo’s future at Old Trafford continues to build, with it recently being revealed the England international is in talks to leave this winter.

That is despite the fact Ruben Amorim has made it clear he wants to keep hold of the youngster, saying: “I want Kobbie to stay, and he needs to fight for his place. We need Kobbie. That is not going to change.”

However, Amorim has been extremely reluctant to give Mainoo a consistent run in the team, with the 20-year-old featuring for just 138 minutes across seven Premier League appearances this season, having failed to dislodge Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes in the starting XI.

With the academy graduate now in advanced talks over a move to Napoli, the Red Devils have now set out to bring in a new central midfielder in the January transfer window.

Man Utd making strong move to sign Javi Guerra

According to a report from Spain, Man United are now making a strong move to sign Valencia midfielder Javi Guerra in the January transfer window, and INEOS clearly mean business, with a €50m (£44m) offer being plotted.

Guerra, who has a €100m (£88m) release clause in his contract, could be available for a much lower fee this winter, given his inconsistent performances for Valencia this season, and United are now weighing up a winter approach.

However, there are several obstacles to overcome, with the Spanish club currently reluctant to sanction a departure, while Amorim would also have to offer the central midfielder regular game time in order to lure him to Old Trafford.

The Red Devils are determined to get a deal over the line, and it is clear to see why, with the Spaniard impressing for Valencia over a sustained period of time, having received high praise from scout Jacek Kulig during the 2023-24 campaign.

The 22-year-old has remained a key player for the Spanish side this season, making 12 La Liga appearances, during which time he’s amassed two assists, although some of the maestro’s most recent performances suggest it would be a gamble for United to pursue a deal.

Indeed, as pointed out in the report, Guerra hasn’t been at his best as of late, receiving a 6.2 SofaScore match rating in Valencia’s 2-0 home defeat against Villarreal last month, which led to him being dropped for the following match against Real Madrid.

As such, it may be a wise idea for Man United to target a midfielder who has already proven himself in the Premier League, and a club-record bid for Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson is now being prepared…

How much Man Utd are willing to spend on Carlos Baleba How much Man Utd are ready to spend on Carlos Baleba with new talks now open

What a signing he could be for the Red Devils.

ByHenry Jackson Nov 4, 2025