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Balogun and Reyna shone brightly, but there were plenty of other aspects of the USMNT that Mauricio Pochettino will be encouraged by following their win over Paraguay.

CHESTER, Pa. – This summer, leading up to and during the Gold Cup, Mauricio Pochettino challenged the U.S. Men's National Team. It wasn't a full-strength group, but that didn't lessen his expectations. He challenged them to build a culture, a brotherhood, and a belief. More than anything, he challenged them to fight, for each other, for their badge and, ultimately, for their own World Cup places.

That fight, on Saturday night against Paraguay, got a bit literal. There was a late-game scrap, not unlike previous ones against Costa Rica and Australia. That fight, ultimately, wasn't the one that made Pochettino happy. No, he had already seen everything he needed to see between the lines prior to that. When the ball was in play, Pochettino saw a team that, once again, proved that they can and will fight for each other in the right ways, too.

"The good thing was that this was a team performing," Pochettino said following the USMNT's 2-1 win over Paraguay. "This was a team with intensity going to press. It wasn't individual actions with intensity. Sometimes there are individual actions with intensity and players walking, or some focused and some concentrating. I think the good thing today was the harmony. That is what we want to establish. That is what we've tried to find in the past. 

"It takes time, but after one year, I think today, yes, was a big test for us, and this was a good test. We need to be happy, but it's not enough. We need to be pushing, and we need to keep improving."

The U.S. has been steadily improving. After effectively hitting the reset button this summer, Pochettino's group has built through the fall. The win over Paraguay, headlined by goals from Gio Reyna and Folarin Balogun, was the USMNT's third in four matches – with the Americans being undefeated in that span. Players have shuffled in and out while injuries have robbed Pochettino of some of his big stars like Christian Pulisic and Antonee Robinson. It hasn't hurt the team, though. That, ultimately, is exactly what Pochettino is looking for.

"We need to show that it is not about the name; it's about the team," Pochettino said. "It's about the collective. It's about the idea that they are all together…Our fans need to think that this team is the most important. Who is the hero? The team needs to be the hero. If we are capable of attracting our fans to support us, we can create a very good bond between the fans and us right up to the World Cup."

With Saturday's victory, the USMNT is now one step closer. Individual battles remain, and they'll go right up until the World Cup, but, at the moment, the team is humming in ways that seemed so distant just a few short months ago.

GOAL breaks down the winners & losers from Subaru Park…

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  WINNER: Gio Reyna

  All week long, USMNT players spoke of a new Reyna. He’s more focused now, more mature. As it turns out, though, the end result is the same. When Reyna plays for the USMNT, no matter what version of him it is, goals tend to follow. 

  "In that moment, I was just happy," he said of his goal. "Honestly, it's been a while since I scored for the national team, so yeah, it was just excitement and happiness. It's just great to be back."

  This game was a perfect audition for Reyna, who is still very much fighting for a World Cup spot. He showed that, even when at less-than-full fitness, he can still change games. Even when he’s not quite at his best, he can still be better than most. 

  "Probably 80-85 percent," Reyna said when asked about his fitness level. "It's hard to say, but I'm not far. I'm definitely getting there. I feel really good. It was nice to feel 75 minutes in the legs tonight with no problems at all. I was able to push through the whole 75 minutes, so I just need to keep going, but yeah, I'm almost there."

  There are still questions surrounding Reyna’s trajectory. How quickly can he reach full fitness? Can this performance serve as a springboard after an inconsistent stretch of appearances for club and country? And how will Pochettino evaluate what was, despite its promise, still just one game? The questions are shifting – and Reyna, finally, appears to be shifting with them.

  "He scored and I think he did a very good job," Pochettino said. "I am so happy with him, and he showed why he started. He confirmed that he's a player who needs to improve, because he needs to play more in his club, but we can see today that he was great. He scored, he assisted, and his capacity to read the game and find space between the lines, it was a nightmare for Paraguay. He did a very good job."

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  LOSER: Paraguay

  The visitors had one moment of magic, and magic it was. Miguel Almiron busted loose, Álex Arce slipped through, and bang, it was 1-1. From that point on, though? Crickets. 

  The Paraguay attack never really got going. The most fight they showed came at the very end, and it came in all the wrong ways. This was an opportunity for them, too. Facing a shorthanded USMNT team, this could have been a good confidence booster on the road to the World Cup. They beat Argentina and Brazil to book their place; surely they could threaten this version of the USMNT, right? 

  Wrong. They’ll now go back to the drawing board after a night with one positive moment and a whole bunch of silence otherwise.

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  WINNER: Folarin Balogun

  Three goals in three starts for Balogun – is there anything more to ask from a striker? Not really, in truth. That's why the Monaco striker, for now, remains the guy up top for the USMNT.

  Balogun’s goal was the kind of finish expected from a No. 9 in form. Limited mostly to initiating the press for long stretches, he got one clear look – and buried it. Reyna broke through on the left and sent a ball across the box that deflected off a defender and fell straight to Balogun, who made no mistake. One chance, one goal, and another big moment for a striker who continues to justify his status as the team’s first-choice option.

  "He was decisive," Pochettino said. "He scored the winning goal and, if you are looking at the World Cup, for me, that was fantastic. It wasn't easy to find anything against the centerbacks of Paraguay. They were very good and very competitive. South American centerbacks – I was one many years ago – and we know how to defend and be difficult, so this was a massive lesson for him."

  Pochettino stressed that, despite the match being a friendly, he does not minimize the expectations placed on his players and remains encouraged by his lead striker’s steady improvement.

  "These are not friendly games, and that is so important. For Flo, I think he's improving day by day, week by week, and he needs to be consistent."

  Balogun has been exactly that lately. As long as that continues, he’ll likely maintain his grip on the top spot in the No. 9 depth chart.

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  LOSER: Ricardo Pepi

  If Pepi was in his top form, firing and fit, he'd have buried it. Unfortunately for him, he wasn't, and when his big chance came to him in the second half, there was the slightest bit of hesitation.

  It’s understandable. Back with the national team for the first time in a while and given only a brief window to work in place of Balogun, Pepi likely had some nerves. So when the ball fell to him late on, he took an extra touch – just enough for Paraguay’s defenders to recover and clear the effort off the line, denying him another international goal.

  If Pepi returns to full sharpness, that moment won’t define anything, and he didn’t play poorly otherwise. He found a dangerous spot, as he often does, and on most nights you’d expect him to be sprinting toward the corner flag in celebration from a chance like that.

The ALCS matchup is set for 2024. After the Cleveland Guardians outlasted the Detroit Tigers in a maximum fifth game of the ALDS, they move on to face the No. 1 seed New York Yankees in the ALCS to determine who will represent the American League in this year's World Series. The Yankees defeated the Kansas City Royals in the divisional round.

The schedule, barring changes due to weather:

Here's a quick glimpse at how the two teams matched up this year in both the six games they played as well as key season-long stats.

Yankees vs. Guardians Record 2024

During the 2024 regular season, across two three-game series, the Yankees walked away victors with a record of 4-2. But thanks to a nine-run explosion by Cleveland in one of its wins, the Guardians outscored the Yankees in those six games 22-19.

These two franchises faced off two years ago in the ALDS, with the Guardians losing in six games. That year, New York won all but one of the six regular season matchups.

Yankees vs. Guardians Stats in 2024

Matchup Facts

The Yankees tallied the fifth-most home runs per plate appearance and the fewest strikeouts per plate appearance against Cleveland compared to all other teams in 2024.

Cleveland's relief pitching was 13th-best in MLB in terms of ERA against the Yankees, allowing several on base (of all bullpens against New York, Cleveland allowed the ninth-most hits) but sitting above-average in left on base percentage (74.7%).

Batting Stats

Here's how the two teams stack up in key offensive stats:

Pitching Stats

Here's how the two staffs face up in selected pitching metrics, split by starter vs bullpen.

Starters

Relievers

Enjoy the series.

The Chicago Cubs missed out on the Alex Bregman sweepstakes, as the former Houston Astros third baseman signed with the Boston Red Sox. As they look to add to their infield in wake of the free agency miss, they're nearing a deal with another notable—albeit older—former All-Star: Justin Turner.

The two sides are nearing an agreement, Patrick Mooney of reports. Turner is expected to sign a one-year, $6 million deal with the Cubs.

Turner, a two-time All-Star during his time with the Los Angeles Dodgers (2017, '21), split his 2024 season between the Toronto Blue Jays and Seattle Mariners. The 40-year-old was held to 91 games but was still a fairly effective bat, slashing .259/.354/.383 with 11 home runs and 55 RBIs on the season. He was a 1.5 WAR player during the season.

The Cubs have made a few hot stove splashes this winter, trading for a pair of other former Astros standouts, outfielder Kyle Tucker and closer Ryan Pressly. Now, they add a veteran presence with a World Series ring and an NLCS MVP award under his belt as they look to push for their first playoff appearance since 2020.

Are Rangers heading in the right direction?

On Sunday, Danny Röhl’s perfect start to life in the Premiership continued, making it three league wins out of three, with goals from Nicolas Raskin, Mikey Moore and then Djeidi Gassama downing Dundee at Dens.

Despite this, the Gers remain fourth in the table, level on points with Hibs, five points below fierce rivals Celtic and a whopping 12 adrift surprise leaders Hearts.

Goals though remain a problem for this team, having bagged only 15 in 11 Premiership outings to date, netting just 31 times in 24 fixtures across all competitions, with Sunday only the fourth time they’ve scored three or more in a match, despite doing so on 21 occasions last season.

Strikers Danilo, Bojan Miovski and Youssef Chermiti continue to be, at best, inconsistent, but could Rangers’ youngster with “huge potential” solve this attacking issue?

Rangers' recent loan stars

While Rangers’ recent recruit has rightly come under scrutiny, with serious questions being asked of sporting director Kevin Thelwell, the club remain excellent in one particular area; identifying attackers on loan.

In the last four seasons, Rangers have signed a high-quality attacker on loan each time, as the table below documents.

As the table highlights, in each of the last four seasons, Rangers have brought in a high-class attacker on a season-long loan.

Amad is probably the outlier on this list, making little impact during his six months in Glasgow, albeit he’s since become a key figure for Rúben Amorim at Manchester United.

Since, Malik Tillman, Abdallah Sima and Václav Černý have all registered at least 17 combined goals and assists during one season at Ibrox, with the latter the most productive of the lot, starring during a season on loan from Wolfsburg, a major loss having joined Beşiktaş instead of returning this summer.

Now, could a current member of the Rangers squad keep the streak of outstanding attackers on loan going?

Rangers' latest loan star

Of course, the entire Rangers team has improved since Röhl replaced Russell Martin last month, an admittedly low bar, but the player who has thrived the most is Mikey Moore.

The teenager scored his first goal for the club at Dens on Sunday, doubling the Gers lead with this strike which flew into Jon McCracken’s bottom corner.

Even before opening his account, the Englishman had looked sharper since Röhl’s arrival in Glasgow.

Speaking during Sky Sports’ Coverage, Chris Sutton asserted that he is “flourishing” into his full potential under Röhl, while James McFadden notes that he is enjoying a lot more freedom with the German coach at the helm, forecasting that he will only continue to get better in the coming weeks.

When the 18-year-old arrived from Tottenham Hotspur in August, he did so with a massive reputation for someone who had only played 815 minutes at senior level.

Upon joining, then manager Martin praised his “huge potential”, while Jacek Kulig of Football Talent Scout labelled him “the English Neymar”.

Despite his slow start to life at Ibrox, only two Rangers players, namely Gassama and Thelo Aasgard, have registered more successful dribbles on a per 90 basis in the Premiership, early signs that he is ready to make a significant impact.

As already alluded to, scoring goals is one of this team’s primary issues.

Across all competitions, only captain James Tavernier, Gassama, Danilo and youngster Findlay Curtis have bagged more than two goals thus far, with that strike against Dundee the first of Moore’s campaign.

Thus, there is a spot up for grabs for the 18-year-old to take responsibility and become a truly integral figure in this team’s attack, following in the footsteps of Sima, Tillman and Černý, the other high-class loan attackers who have come before.

Move over Moore: Rangers star proved why he's their "best player" vs Dundee

Rangers demolished Dundee 3-0 at Dens on Sunday and Danny Röhl’s “sensational” star was as key as Mikey Moore in this Scottish Premiership victory.

By
Ben Gray

Nov 9, 2025

Lionel Messi is one step closer to lifting his first MLS Cup after scoring once and assisting three to power Inter Miami past FC Cincinnati in a dominant 4-0 win that booked their place in the Eastern Conference finals. The Argentine was outstanding throughout, while Tadeo Allende added a brace as Miami snapped a three-year winless run at TQL Stadium.

Miami had less of the ball in the early goings, but were far more clinical with it. They scored from their first real chance. Messi, of course, was the one to finish. But there was some delightful interplay in between, with Mateo Silvetti pinging in the cross for his fellow Argentine to head home. Cincinnati responded with some attacking ideas of their own. Evander – who rather flailed in and out of the game – fired over. Kevin Denkey created chaos. But they couldn't muster an equalizer before the break. 

The second half was all Miami. They added a second after 57 minutes. This time, Messi played provider, pivoting and feeding Silvetti, who curled his shot into the far corner. The third came before Cincinnati could blink. Messi was at the center of it all once again. He won the ball deep in his own half, took three touches, and fed an inch-perfect ball into the feet of  Allende, who slotted home. Allende bagged a fourth after 75 minutes to put the game to bed for good. 

There was even time for a Luis Suárez cameo as he came on in the 76th minute. The Uruguayan star started on the bench in favor of Silvetti – the only real point of drama on the night. Whether he works his way back into the XI remains to be seen, but that’s a question for another day. For now, Miami look as strong as they have all season, breezing into the conference finals – a match in which they will surely be favored.

GOAL rates Inter Miami's players from TQL Stadium…

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  Goalkeeper & Defense

  Rocco Rios Novo (7/10):

  Barely had anything to do, other than one or two simple saves. Will take the clean sheet. 

  Marceo Weigandt (7/10):

  A solid run out on the right. Didn't have loads to do, but went about his business well.

  Maxi Falcon (7/10):

  Chaotic at all times, yet was remarkably effective in his efforts. 

  Noah Allen (8/10):

  One wonderful burst of pace prevented Denkey a dangerous one-on-one. Went off injured after a tremendous shift. 

  Jordi Alba (7/10):

  Did a little more defending than he would have wanted, but had a key involvement in the first goal. 

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  Midfield

  Sergio Busquets (6/10):

  Not his best game, all said. Was dragged around here and there. But he still picked out a few silly passes.

  Rodrigo De Paul (7/10):

  Put out fires, won his tackles, moved the ball well. Did all of the dirty work with that extra bit of quality sprinkled in. 

  Baltasar Rodriguez (8/10):

  Never stopped running, supported the attack, and was constantly involved in building up play. 

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  Attack

  Tadeo Allende (8/10):

  Scored twice and put in plenty of legwork, too. A terrific showing. 

  Lionel Messi (10/10):

  What more is there to say? Scored one, assisted the other three. He's making an absolute mockery of this league at the moment. 

  Mateo Silvetti (8/10):

  Absolutely masterful on the night. Assisted the first and scored the second. Miami's second-best attacking player – and that's a compliment. 

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  Subs & Manager

  Tomas Aviles (7/10):

  Replaced the excellent Allen, and didn't put a foot wrong. 

  Telasco Segovia (6/10):

  Extra legs in the midfield. 

  Luis Suarez (N/A):

  A brief cameo in which he didn't have much time to make anything happen. 

  Yannick Bright (N/A):

  No time to make an impact. 

  Gonzalo Lujan (N/A):

  No time to make an impact. 

  Javier Mascherano (9/10):

  Made a gutsy call to bench Suarez. But it worked. Miami were excellent at both ends. Messi made everyone else look bang average at soccer. Surely his finest night in the job. 

On Saturday, Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani announced the birth of his daughter in some exciting news for he and his wife Mamiko. Immediately, baseball fans began to speculate about the added boost Ohtani could receive from dad strength, or the apparent boost in physical power that new fathers gain.

Even Dodgers manager Dave Roberts broached the subject of "dad strength," which, for the record, he believes is an actual thing, and proceeded to crack a joke about how it could help the three-time MVP

"Dad strength is real," Roberts told MLB.com on Sunday. "It's amazing how hard Shohei hits the ball now. So now that he is a father, we might see some 120 [mph] exit [velocity hits] off the bat. Something unprecedented."

That would be a scary sight indeed, given what Ohtani has done to baseballs before entering fatherhood. In each of the last four seasons, Ohtani registered one of the five hardest-hit baseballs in each year, topping out at 119.2 mph in a game last April.

Could there be more batted balls like that for Ohtani now that he's a father? Ohtani went 0-for-3 in Sunday's 1–0 win over the Texas Rangers, his first game back since returning from the paternity list after missing two contests

But stay tuned, as a different version of Ohtani could step to the plate on Tuesday when the Dodgers take on the Chicago Cubs in the first game of a two-game set.

Liverpool boss Arne Slot is continuing to build what he hopes will be a long-term dynasty at Anfield, though he may well need to plan for the future without Ryan Gravenberch.

The Reds are keen to push once again for the Premier League title. They will feel a renewed sense of optimism on that front with the international break to come, helped in no small part by Arsenal’s last-minute collapse at Sunderland on Saturday.

No matter what happens as the campaign continues to take shape, Liverpool know that their presence near the top of the pile has the potential to make other sides feel uneasy, even if a mixed start to the season has left supporters searching for more out of their side.

Florian Wirtz has failed to fully ignite at Anfield and there are still question marks over Jeremie Frimpong and Alexander Isak’s form. Nevertheless, one man Slot has been able to hang his hat on over the course of his tenure is Ryan Gravenberch.

Strutting his stuff and getting on the scoresheet against Aston Villa last weekend, the Netherlands international followed that performance up with an excellent engine room display as the Reds edged past Real Madrid in the Champions League.

Enjoying life in midfield, Gravenberch has been in fine form since returning from an ankle injury sustained against Manchester United. Fundamentally, his availability is crucial to Liverpool’s title bid, and he is now firmly one of the first names on Slot’s teamsheet.

Either way, the Reds are constantly pitting themselves against the elite sides in world football, and they have witnessed first-hand that rival heavyweights aren’t daunted by the prospect of trying to steal players from under their nose.

Trent Alexander-Arnold is a key example of that practice. However, they could now face a battle on their hands to retain Gravenberch amid recent developments from Spain.

Barcelona want to seize opportunity to sign Liverpool's Ryan Gravenberch

According to reports in Spain, Barcelona want to capitalise on Ryan Gravenberch’s Liverpool situation and retain an element of confidence that they may be able to reach an agreement to sign the Netherlands international next summer.

Intriguingly, the former Ajax man values the opportunity to fulfil a career dream by signing for a top-level side such as the La Liga giants, though La Blaugrana will need to balance their finances before making an official approach.

Despite no exact price being named by the outlet, Liverpool’s valuation of their star midfielder has soared due to his recent performance and role in last term’s Premier League title triumph, making Gravenberch a hard player to attain for any elite side.

Liverpool may have their next Gini Wijnaldum in midfield

Like any potential move, selling the project on offer in Catalonia will be key to initiating movement. In contrast, the Reds will hope their upward trajectory as a club will convince the 23-year-old to stay put on Merseyside.

The squad is missing a few key names, forcing Hayes to continue broadening the player pool ahead of the final two matches of 2025.

To close out the year, U.S. women’s national team head coach Emma Hayes has named her final training-camp roster for a pair of friendlies against Euro semifinalists Italy. With the 2027 World Cup creeping closer, Hayes continues to broaden the player pool, calling in three uncapped players once again: Bay FC goalkeeper Jordan Silkowitz, Chicago Stars forward Jameese Joseph, and Washington Spirit defender Kate Wiesner.

This squad features seven changes from October and several notable returns. Hayes has summoned a Chelsea trio – Naomi Girma, Alyssa Thompson, and Catarina Macario – with Girma’s long-awaited comeback headlining the group. The defender has played only four U.S. matches all year, but Hayes has long made her admiration clear.

With injuries, NWSL fatigue, and several fringe players pushing for bigger roles, this camp should offer one last meaningful look at the depth chart before the calendar flips to 2026.

GOAL looks at key takeaways from Hayes' roster release.

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  Girma's return

  Girma returns to the USWNT roster after missing the previous FIFA window with an injury. The defender last appeared for the U.S. on July 2 in a 3-0 win over Canada and has played only four of the team’s 13 matches this year, starting all of them at center back.

  Her return has been long-awaited – and no one seems more thrilled than Emma Hayes. Girma was instrumental in the U.S. run to Olympic gold in 2024, when Hayes famously called her “the best defender I’ve ever seen.”

  In club play, Girma has also dealt with injuries, but she recently worked her way back into Chelsea’s lineup, starting their 6-0 Champions League win over St. Pölten.

  Ahead of camp, Hayes told reporters: “I’m just so happy she’s back… I realize more and more the importance, not just of her qualities on the field, but her quiet leadership – not just in terms of leading the line, but off the field as well.”

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  Goalkeeper questions…answered?

  After the October friendlies, Hayes made it clear she was pretty set on her trio of goalkeepers: Phallon Tullis-Joyce, Claudia Dickey, and Mandy McGlynn. There has been a consistent rotation between all three, with Tullis-Joyce and McGlynn earning three starts and Dickey starting twice. 

  Hayes called on a new face to this camp, with Tullis-Joyce ruled out due to a facial injury she suffered with her club team, Manchester United. This is just the second international call-up for Jordan Silkowitz, who was named to the roster alongside Dickey and McGlynn. Silkowitz earned her first-ever U.S. National team call-up earlier this summer when she played in Germany with the Under-23s. In total, the three goalkeepers in this camp have just eight total career caps. 

  Will Hayes give Silkowitz a shot? Perhaps. She hasn't at all shied away from trying new things during her tenure, and the time is still now to do so. 

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  Chelsea trio called on

  They might not be ‘Triple Espresso’, but Catarina Macario, Girma, and Alyssa Thompson will all represent the USWNT after featuring for Chelsea in the UEFA Women’s Champions League. Macario is coming off a standout performance, scoring twice in the Blues’ win over St. Pölten.

  In total, six players on this roster are currently based in Europe – four in England and two in France. Lindsey Heaps and Lily Yohannes feature for Lyon, while Emily Fox plays for Arsenal.

  Macario and Thompson have been consistently dangerous for the USWNT in attack. Thompson already has 22 caps and three goals, and arrived at Chelsea with 15 goals in 63 appearances for Angel City. Macario, meanwhile, has one U.S. goal this year and 13 in 27 career caps, underscoring her long-term impact when healthy.

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  Shaw's big moment

  All eyes will be on forward Jaedyn Shaw this camp, especially as it will be her second-straight call-up to the senior team after she spent two previous FIFA windows with the Under-23s. With the senior team, Shaw has 29 USWNT caps and eight career goals. She also attained a massive milestone when she became the first USWNT player to score in her first five starts. 

  Shaw has been instrumental in Gotham FC's end of the season, too, scoring a clinical overtime free-kick goal to send the NY/NJ team to the 2025 NWSL Championship. 

  Under Hayes, Shaw has been less than consistent, but with her seemingly finding her groove in the playoffs, her confidence is at another level.

New York Yankees third baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr.'s tenure with the Miami Marlins was fairly successful—but successful doesn't necessarily mean smooth.

Yes, Chisholm reached two postseasons and made an All-Star team. On Wednesday, however, he alleged to Chris Kirschner of that he had to weather a difficult, old-fashioned clubhouse culture—including from now-Los Angeles Dodgers infielder Miguel Rojas, who Chisholm alleged ruined custom cleats of his by cutting them up and pouring milk into them.

On Thursday, Rojas responded to Chisholm's allegation.

"There's people who are going to air out what happened in a clubhouse," Rojas said via Fabian Ardaya of . "I have my own opinions on what transpired, but I'm going to be professional and keep it in-house."

Chisholm and Rojas are now on opposite coasts, and Rojas's Dodgers topped Chisholm's Yankees in the World Series last year.

For Chisholm, however, the alleged slights of their shared Marlins years—and they ways he felt like his individuality was stifled—aren't easily forgotten.

"Baseball is a white sport," Chisholm told . "I feel like white people criticize everything that a Black man does. Black men are outspoken. They say what's on their minds."

Liverpool are now reportedly pushing to sign a Celtic youngster in what could deal the Hoops a frustrating blow ahead of Wilfried Nancy’s arrival.

O'Neill: Celtic have restored "confidence"

As far as interim managers go, Celtic couldn’t have done a lot better than Martin O’Neill. There would have been concerns that the 73-year-old was out of ideas in the modern game, but he’s since proved any doubters wrong by getting the Bhoys back on track and rolling back the years.

Signing off in style in his final European game, Celtic secured a much-needed victory against Feyenoord on Thursday evening and O’Neill admitted that “confidence” has been restored in the squad.

The veteran manager told reporters: “Judging from last season, the format, you are looking for 10 or 11 points to qualify. It won’t be easy, but Celtic have two home games and the confidence is in the side now.

“I told my two brothers who came to the game to start my chant, so they must have done so. Might as well enjoy it while it lasts. In the dressing room, the lads are full of it.

“It’s hard to say what I thought [when I took charge]. My two daughters were all in on going for it, but my wife said I would probably mess it up. I haven’t messed it up so far. It’s been great. The results are what you live by and they’ve been terrific.

“[The new manager] has got some players who are big winners, which is great. I’m sure he will lean on some of those lads and then it’s about improving some of the other players.

“The restoration of confidence is big and it’s keeping it going after that. Winning away from home is terrific – it’s not easy away from home in Europe. It gives them belief that they can come and compete.”

The job will now be passed over to Nancy, who could be about to lose one of his best academy stars right away amid Liverpool’s interest in Derek Jikiemi.

Liverpool pushing to sign Celtic gem Jikiemi

As reported by The Daily Record, Liverpool are now pushing to sign Celtic gem Jikiemi after sending their scouts to watch the 15-year-old Parkhead wonderkid. The central defender is one of the most talented players in Celtic’s academy, but could be about to follow in Ben Doak’s footsteps by swapping Glasgow for Merseyside.

Although Jikiemi is one for the future, losing him would represent where Celtic currently find themselves in the European pecking order. They won’t be expected to compete Liverpool in the market, but they must do better to keep hold of homegrown talent.

Nancy must unleash Celtic's most frustrating player since Engels

Wilfried Nancy must unleash this Celtic star who is their most frustrating player since Arne Engels.

1

By
Dan Emery

Nov 26, 2025

If the teenager did complete a move to Anfield then Celtic would only receive compensation for the years that he came through their system in an added blow.

The Hoops can, however, secure their young star to professional terms at the end of the season when he’s 16 years old. Whether they get the chance to do that remains to be seen, however.

Celtic now confident they'll beat Man City to history-making first signing for Nancy