Veteran manager Sam Allardyce has voiced his willingness to fill the current vacancy at Premier League club Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Hired in late 2024, Vitor Pereira guided Wolves away from the relegation zone in the second half of the 2024/25 Premier League season. Across the summer, though, the club sold star players Rayan Ait-Nouri and Matheus Cunha, replacing them with options that, seemingly, are not of the same quality. After 10 league matches without a win, Pereira was sacked by Wolves in early November, despite having signed a new contract earlier in the year.

Since the Portuguese was dismissed, Wolves have been linked with a number of potential replacements. Gary O’Neil, who himself was replaced by Pereira at Molineux, was seemingly in the frame for what would have been a shock return. O’Neil has since taken himself out of the running to be the manager that will try and ensure Wolves’ Premier League safety.

O’Neil, who had a generally solid tenure at Molineux, would have been a bold appointment from the Midlands club, whose search for a new manager is ongoing. As per David Ornstein of The Athletic, Erik ten Hag is “among the other candidates”. The former Man United manager was hired by Bayer Leverkusen to replace Xabi Alonso in the summer but was sacked after just three matches with the German side.

Now, it would appear that an English football icon is open to trying to save Wolves from dropping to the Championship.

Allardyce would be open to Wolves job

As per talkSPORT, Sam Allardyce would be open to taking the current vacancy at Molineux. Having been out of work since his brief stint in charge of Leeds United came to an end in 2023, the veteran said:

Since taking up management in the early 1990s, Allardyce has worked extensively in the past three decades. The Englishman found a lot of success with Bolton between 1999 and 2007, going onto manage sides including Blackburn Rovers, West Ham and the England national team amongst many others.

Games

10

Wins

7

Draws

3

Losses

0

Points per Match

2.40

Across a period of over 20 years, Allardyce is unbeaten in 10 games against Wolves, with games coming during his time at Bolton, Blackburn and West Bromwich Albion.

Though he no longer has a perfect record of avoiding relegation, Allardyce’s reputation could be a leading contributor to what would be a truly sensational return to Premier League management. As he noted, though, it may be that Wolves look for a younger candidate.

Wolves manager target could be their 'new Nuno'

Shamas tore her left quadriceps muscle during a practice session in Karachi

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Aug-2025Sadaf Shamas has been ruled out of Pakistan’s T20I series in Ireland after tearing her left quadriceps muscle during a practice session in Karachi. Opening batter Shawaal Zulfiqar will replace her in the squad.Zulfiqar, who has played three ODIs and seven T20Is, was among the 24 players who were part of the skills camp in Karachi last month. She will join the Ireland-bound squad on August 3.Zulfiqar’s last T20I was in December 2023, after which she was out of action with a shoulder injury. She made a comeback earlier this year for the Women’s ODI World Cup Qualifier in Lahore. She played two games and scored eight runs.The 15-member squad will be led by Fatima Sana and includes 20-year-old batter Eyman Fatima, who was rewarded for her success in the National T20 tournament.The series against Ireland starts on August 6. All three T20Is will be played in Belfast.Pakistan squad for Ireland T20IsFatima Sana (capt), Aliya Riaz, Diana Baig, Eyman Fatima, Gull Feroza, Muneeba Ali (wk), Najiha Alvi (wk), Nashra Sandhu, Natalia Parvaiz, Rameen Shamim, Shawaal Zulfiqar, Sadia Iqbal, Sidra Amin, Tuba Hassan, Waheeda Akhtar

Gary O’Neil is a “strong contender” for the current managerial vacancy at Southampton with a recent update sharing the latest timeline on getting a new boss through the door.

After becoming the first team in Premier League history to be relegated with as many as seven games remaining last season, Southampton hoped for a swift return to the top flight. In the summer, Will Still, who carved out a reputation for himself with Reims and Lens in Ligue 1, moved to St Mary’s.

Despite an influx of summer signings, Still struggled to make things click with the Saints, winning just two out of 13 Championship games. Following three successive defeats, Still was dismissed from his position, with under-21s coach Tonda Eckert taking interim charge of the club.

Eckert, who guided Southampton to a 2-1 win away at Queens Park Rangers, will remain in charge of the team until Southampton make a permanent appointment. Now, it would appear that the Saints could be closing in on Still’s replacement.

O'Neil to take over at Southampton?

According to Telegraph reporter Mike McGrath, O’Neil is very much in contention for the Southampton job, with “admirers at St Mary’s after his work at Bournemouth and Wolves”.

O’Neil received his first experience of senior management with Bournemouth, succeeding Scott Parker and keeping the Cherries in the top flight before being replaced by Andoni Iraola.

O’Neil’s next job was with Wolves, after the 42-year-old replaced Julen Lopetegui as the 2023/24 season began. Though he guided the club to a comfortable mid-table finish, the Englishman struggled for form in the opening chunk of the following campaign, which led to his sacking.

Wolves, who themselves are seeking a new manager following Vitor Pereira’s dismissal, were linked with bringing O’Neil back to the club, only for the manager to pull himself out of the running.

O’Neil, who shares the same agent as Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta and Newcastle boss Eddie Howe, tends to favour a 3-4-2-1 formation, which he found success with during his early days at Wolves. Such a set-up, in theory, would work well with Southampton and their current crop of players.

McGrath also reported that it is “still early in the process for Southampton” and their search for a new manager. Given his status as a free agent, O’Neil would be available immediately, which may further bolster his chances of getting the job.

Whoever takes over at Southampton will be expected to take the club towards the play-offs. Whether that person ends up being O’Neil, ultimately, remains to be seen.

Southampton keen on veteran manager to replace Still

Defending champions now have a keen interest in Tuesday’s match between Superchargers and Originals

ECB Media25-Aug-2025

A fine all-round display saw victory achieved with 38 balls to spare•Getty Images

With progress to the next stage in play at a sun-kissed Kia Oval and The Hundred Eliminator next Saturday looming on the horizon, London Spirit completed a brilliant derby demolition by eight wickets.Spirit needed to win this, their final game, and hope Manchester Originals lose to Northern Superchargers tomorrow to avoid progress coming down to net run-rate. But having romped home with so much to spare, their qualification now looks almost assured.Put in to bat, Invincibles started steadily if not spectacularly, Meg Lanning and Paige Scholfield ambling to 23 off the Powerplay before a brace of boundaries by Lanning (19 from 20) from Sarah Glenn and a huge six from Scholfield off Issy Wong got the home side moving.Charlie Dean then made the breakthough, having Lanning caught and bowled while conceding just three from her first ten. Scholfield (22 from 21) followed soon after as Spirit took all the pace off the ball. At halfway Invincibles were an underwhelming 56 for 2.After one straight six, Alice Capsey (11 from 9) holed out, and Spirit spinners kept a lid on things, Marizanne Kapp (32 from 25) the only batter to break the shackles before her innings was ended by a stunning one-handed catch from Dean, who then bowled the last five to finish with an exceptional 2 for 12 from her 20 balls, the same figures as Eva Gray, as Invincibles ended on 108 for 8.With a run rate-boosting win in mind, Kira Chathli and Georgia Redmayne came out hard, Chathli in particular taking the attack to her former team with the Powerplay bringing a season-high 47 without loss, her own contribution being 35 off 16.The two continued past Spirit’s highest opening partnership of the season – and ended up with the team’s highest for any wicket – Chathli going to a 26-ball half century with a majestic straight six. An eight-wicket win came soon after, with 38 balls left unused. Redmayne departed with just three needed, having made an excellent 42 off 30, and Chathli followed one run later for 53 off 29, but it was much too little, much too late for Invincibles.Talking about her wonder catch, Meerkat Match Hero Charlie Dean said: “I should have been on the ring! But I managed to time my jump and hung on.”That was an impressive victory. We went out wanting to bounce back and to win by a margin like that… we did not discuss too much about NRR but the way we went about that, it was fantastic. Kira has been brilliant. At the top of the order, trying to punch first”We have a rest day and hope for the best. We have done everything to put ourselves in the best position to qualify so it’s fingers crossed.”

Liverpool are now reportedly racing Real Madrid to sign Ayyoub Bouaddi from Lille in 2026 amid comparisons with France midfielder Eduardo Camavinga.

After spending over £400m in the summer, the Reds have set their sights on further arrivals to solve the glaring problems in Arne Slot’s squad. The Premier League champions find themselves in an unprecedented position, having lost six of their last seven games in all competitions.

They must find a solution against Aston Villa this weekend and their manager expects them to do exactly that back in front of their home fans in the league.

The Dutchman did, however, confirm that Liverpool are likely to be without record signing Alexander Isak and midfielder Curtis Jones just as Ryan Gravenberch works towards making a return.

No one expected Liverpool to find themselves in this position after spending big in the summer, but it’s now something that Slot must use to prove his worth.

The Premier League crown has slipped and for the first time, he is under increasing pressure. That said, it would be incredibly out of character for Michael Edwards to make any immediate decisions and last year’s title has certainly bought Slot plenty of time to turn things around.

What could change instead is the personnel on the pitch. Despite spending big in the summer, Liverpool could yet welcome further reinforcements in 2026 after Slot complained about squad depth in midweek.

This could finally see Marc Guehi arrive as well as teenage sensation Bouaddi in what would be two excellent moves.

Liverpool learn placement in Bouaddi race

According to reporter Graeme Bailey, Liverpool are now battling Real Madrid to sign Boauddi from Lille, who are readying themselves for the inevitable sale of their 18-year-old star.

Compared to Camavinga by Football Transfers, Bouaddi has become the most “talked-about player in Europe”, according to Bailey, and it’s now Liverpool who are “most interested” alongside Premier League rivals Arsenal.

Liverpool have been left burned by Real Madrid in past transfer windows, so they should be desperate to avoid a repeat and land one of Europe’s most promising stars.

Every Liverpool game that Jeremie Frimpong will now miss after latest injury

More bad news for the Reds

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Tom Cunningham

Oct 31, 2025

Their midfield is far from set these days, either. Alongside Dominik Szoboszlai and Gravenberch, there has been a missing piece as of late that Bouaddi could provide for years to come.

Forget Endo: Liverpool star is looking like Fabinho in his final season

كشف محمد سعيد، مذيع برنامج “التريند” على قناة النادي الأهلي، موقف خماسي الفريق المصاب، أحمد سيد زيزو وأشرف داري وإمام عاشور ومحمود حسن تريزيجيه وياسين مرعي، من مباراة شبيبة القبائل الجزائري القادمة.

ويستعد النادي الأهلي، لمستهل مشواره في دور المجموعات من بطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا لمواجهة شبيبة القبائل الجزائري، يوم السبت 22 نوفمبر.

وقال سعيد خلال قناة النادي الأهلي: “أشرف داري تدرب مع الفريق في التدريبات الجماعية الأيام الماضية وحالته أصبحت مطمئنة جدًا، طبيًا اللاعب أصبح جاهزا”.

وأضاف: “إمام عاشور يواصل تدريبته بشكل قوي جدًا ويتدرب بدنيًا خلال الفترة الأخيرة وسيكون جاهزا على مباراة شبيبة القبائل ومشاركته من عدمها قرار الجهاز الفني”.

طالع | مدرب شبيبة القبائل: لم نكن نتمنى مواجهة الأهلي.. لكننا مستعدين كما ينبغي

وتابع: “وفقا للمعلومات الواردة من الجهاز الفني لمنتخب مصر، زيزو سيكون جاهزا وليس لديه مشكلة في المشاركة بمباراة الشيبية، استجاب للعلاج بشكل كبير، بنسبة كبيرة سيظهر موقفه الرسمي خلال الثلاثة أيام المقبلة”.

وأكمل: “تريزيجيه على حد المعلومات المتواجدة لدينا موقفة غير واضح، نسبة ابتعاده عن المشاركة مباراة شبيبة القبائل الجزائري كبيرة، سيظهر موقفه الرسمي والنهائي يوم الخميس المقبل”.

واختتم: “ياسين مرعي، يتدرب مع الفريق وجاهز ولا توجد أي مشكلة”.

ويتواجد النادي الأهلي في المجموعة الثانية من بطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا، مع أندية شبيبة القبائل والجيش الملكي المغربي ويانج أفريكانز التنزاني.

The M Chinnaswamy Stadium will host cricket matches for the first time since a stampede outside its premises on June 4 claimed 11 lives during Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s IPL victory celebrations.The venue is one of the hosts for Karnataka State Cricket Association’s (KSCA) K Thimmappiah Memorial Trophy, a red-ball multi-day pre-season tournament comprising 16 teams. The Chinnaswamy Stadium will host six matches in the competition, including one semi-final and the final from September 26. However, fans will not be allowed in the stadium.Ajinkya Rahane, Venkatesh Iyer, Hanuma Vihari, Vijay Shankar, Shashank Singh are among the top Indian stars in participation. The tournament features teams from Mumbai, Vidarbha, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal, Chhattisgarh among others.Related

• Deaths and injuries to fans mar RCB's homecoming in Bengaluru

• Probe panel deems Chinnaswamy 'unsafe' for large-scale events

Chinnaswamy’s return to the cricket calendar also coincides with RCB having broken their social media silence over the tragic stampede. Last week, the franchise communicated to have extended a sum of INR 25 lakh to the families of those who died, while also committing long-term action towards better crowd safety and management.The venue has been at the centre of an ongoing tussle between the KSCA, Karnataka government and the state police – all of whom have been under investigation, along with the franchise, by a one-man tribunal following the June 4 incident.Additionally, KSCA have also run into issues with the local regulatory bodies, including the electricity supply department (BESCOM) that has cut-off power to the venue due to non-compliance of fire safety regulations. An NOC hadn’t yet been received as of Wednesday (September 3). The venue uses generators and solar power for its needs.As a result, the KSCA was denied permission by the police to host the Women’s World Cup, with Chinnaswamy losing out on five possible games, including the tournament opener, a semi-final and the final on November 2.The Maharaja Trophy, the state’s franchise-based T20 competition, had to also be moved out of Bengaluru for the same reason, after the police rejected KSCA’s proposal to stage the tournament behind closed doors. The tournament was eventually staged in Mysore under a similar closed-door arrangement.Late last month, a committee tasked by the state government to investigate the stampede deemed the Chinnaswamy “unsafe” for large-scale events. The commission “strongly recommended” that large-scale events be relocated to venues that were “better suited” to handle significant crowds.Subsequently, Karnataka’s deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar unveiled the government’s grand plans of building a cricket stadium capable of housing 60,000 fans inside a massive 75-acre sports complex in the city’s industrial suburbs.

MatériaMais Notícias

Apesar de não ter tido boa atuação, o Grêmio venceu o Bahia na Arena por 1 a 0 na noite do último sábado (4). O técnico tricolor Renato Portaluppi comentou sobre o resultado positivo mesmo sem fazer bom jogo.

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– Jogo truncado, mas nosso objetivo era a vitória. Realmente não jogamos tão bem, mas o futebol resume a uma palavra, que se chama vitória. A quarta seguida, estamos no G-4, encostamos mais no Botafogo, mas o mais importante era o dever de casa – desabafou o treinador.

Renato inicou o primeiro tempo com três zagueiros, mas o esquema não durou muito tempo. O Grêmio voltou melhor na segunda etapa, onde Luis Suárez marcou o gol e levou o Tricolor a quarta vitória seguida, algo inédito na atual temporada do Brasileirão.

➡️ Siga o Lance! no WhatsApp e acompanhe em tempo real as principais notícias do esporte

– O objetivo era a vitória, sabíamos que seria difícil, Bahia briga contra o rebaixamento, mas tem boa equipe. Era um jogo bastante estudado, demos espaço, preencheram o meio, ganharam a maioria das jogadas. No intervalo mexi, coloquei velocidade, conseguimos uma bela jogada do Lucas e belíssimo gol do Suárez – disse Portaluppi.

O resultado deixou o Grêmio na terceira posição da tabale, com 56 pontos, um a mais que o Bragatino, e três abaixo do líder Botafogo, que inclusive entrará em campo junto ao Tricolor na quinta-feira (9).

Tabela Brasileirão

The weekend before an international break always feels significant. Pick up a positive result and the only thing a manager really has to worry about is players suffering injury while representing their countries. A defeat, though, results in two torturous weeks as the result is pored over in the press while the coach waits for the opportunity to make amends.

Arne Slot finds himself in the latter predicament right now, with his Liverpool side having suffered yet another devastating defeat on Sunday, against Manchester City, after a couple of victories raised hopes of a revival. The Dutchman isn't the only boss left with plenty to ponder during the international break, though. 

Antonio Conte was in foul form after Napoli drew another blank in a lame loss in Bologna, while Xabi Alonso's Real Madrid also failed to bounce back from their defeat at Anfield by being held to a disappointing draw at Rayo Vallecano.

But who were the big winners and losers of the latest weekend of action across Europe's big leagues? GOAL breaks it all down in our weekly round-up…

• AFP
  

  LOSER: Europe's table-toppers

  Funnily enough, this was not a good weekend for league leaders. Real Madrid remain top of the pile in Spain, but Los Blancos' lead has been cut to three points after a dour 0-0 draw at Rayo Vallecano, while Napoli's no-show at the Renato Dall'Ara saw them drop from first to fourth in Serie A.

  In the Netherlands, PSV usurped Feyenoord at the summit of the standings, by routing AZ 5-1 before Robin van Persie's men were upset by Go Ahead Eagles, and we also have new leaders in Greece, as Olympiacos leapfrogged PAOK in the Super League due the latter's 2-1 loss at Panathinaikos.

  Over in Turkey, Fenerbahce drew to within a point of defending champions Galatasaray, who were beaten 1-0 by Kocaelispor, while the leaders in Scotland, Belgium, England and Germany – Hearts, Union Saint-Gilloise, Arsenal and Bayern Munich, respectively – were all held to draws.

  Arsenal dropping points was highly significant as the Gunners' brilliant backline was breached not once but twice in a thrilling 2-2 draw with Sunderland that brought an end to a 10-game winning streak, as well as eight consecutive clean sheets for Mikel Arteta's men.

  The biggest shock of the weekend, though, was undoubtedly Bayern failing to win at Union Berlin. The Bavarians were on a record-breaking 16-match winning start to season – and had just stunned European champions Paris Saint-Germain in their own backyard four days before – but they needed a late equaliser from Harry Kane just to snatch a 2-2 draw in the German capital.

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• AFP
  

  WINNER: Paris Saint-Germain

  Paris Saint-Germain were the only table-toppers in Europe's 'Big Five' leagues to win this weekend – but they left it very, very late in Lyon to reclaim first place from Marseille.

  A gripping game at the Groupama Stadium looked set to finish in a fitting share of the spoils, with the home side having twice come from behind to draw level thanks to goals from Alfonso Moreira and Ainsley Maitland-Niles. However, Nicolas Tagliafico's injury-time dismissal presented PSG with an opportunity to apply some relentless late pressure – and it eventually told, with Joao Neves heading home a 95th-minute winner from Lee Kang-In's corner.  

  "It was tough but, in the end, like always with our mentality, our resilience and the character of our players, proved decisive," a delighted – and relieved – Luis Enrique told PSG's media channel. "It is very positive for us to be back on top of the table. The international break is here now – and we will enjoy it." Unlike a lot of their European rivals!

• Getty Images Sport
  

  LOSER: Antonio Conte's Napoli

  Former Napoli striker Roberto Sosa was very concerned by what he saw from the Partenopei in Bologna on Sunday. "It's the typical match you see when players want to get rid of the coach," the Argentine told . 

  Normally, the obvious reaction to such a claim would be to dismiss it out of hand. After all, Conte led Napoli to the Serie A title six months ago, while his goal-shy side are still only two points off the top of the current table. However, in this particular instance, Sosa's observation didn't feel like hyperbole – primarily because Conte was just as disturbed by his players' perceived lack of effort at the Dall'Ara.

  "We have to ask ourselves if we are working with the same enthusiasm and desire that we had last year, when we wanted to prove ourselves, or if we are resting on our laurels because people say we are favourites," the passionate coach told . "The energy has certainly changed here. I don't feel the positive energy we had last season. I've been saying this for a while now, it saddens me that I have been unable to change this energy in the last few months.

  "It means I am not doing a good job or that someone doesn't want to listen to me…"

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  WINNER: Sunderland

  Before the Premier League season began, it was taken as a given that the newly-promoted teams would once again go straight back down. In that context, Leeds United and Burnley are actually doing quite well just to be hovering above the drop zone. What, then, can we possibly say that would do justice to Sunderland's sensational start to the season?

  The Black Cats may have invested a fair bit of money in their squad during the summer, but they're competing in the richest and most competitive league in world football, so nobody expected them to be going into the November break sitting fourth in the table – above the likes of Aston Villa, Manchester United and even reigning champions Liverpool.

  "For our fans, they deserve to look to the future with positive vibes," manager Regis Le Bris told after Saturday's dramatic 2-2 draw with Arsenal. "It was a tough game, as we expected. They are probably one of the best teams in Europe. We struggled, but we still believed it was possible to score one more goal. The lads worked hard to the end. They believed it was possible to change the dynamic. Our fans helped a lot, so now we have this faith, this belief that until the final whistle, anything is possible."

  Consequently, with Sunderland having racked up 19 points from just 11 games, and Granit Xhaka looking like the signing of the season, Mackems are already dreaming of not just avoiding relegation, but maybe even challenging for a European place!

The Miami Marlins came into the MLB's annual draft lottery tied for the best odds to win the No. 1 pick. They had a 22.45% chance to come home with the evening's top prize. Unfortunately for the Marlins, their worst-case scenario happened.

MLB's lottery system determines the first through six picks by a weighted drawing of non-playoff teams. Some teams can become ineligible for the lottery due to results from previous lotteries, market size and revenue sharing rules. The Marlins were among eligible teams with one of the worst records from last season (62-100), which gave the team a tie for the best odds heading into the night. Along with Miami, the Colorado Rockies also had a 22.45% shot at the No. 1 pick.

Tuesday wasn't Miami's lucky night, though, as the Marlins were assigned the seventh pick in the draft, falling all the way outside the lottery-selected top six. The Washington Nationals won the lottery with a 10.2% chance, the fourth-best odds. The Rockies, who shared the same odds with the Marlins, got the fourth pick. Not the outcome Colorado was hoping for either, but it still stayed within the lottery-picked selections.

It's too early to know definitively which prospects will be available for the Marlins at No. 7, but Miami's luck can only improve from here. The draft lottery took place at the MLB's Winter Meetings in Dallas.

Full lottery results and the 2025 MLB Draft order can be found here.