'Take the money' for 'squad player' Morris - or keep him?
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Daily Record
5 minutes ago
- Daily Record
Ipswich spoil Aberdeen party as Jimmy Thelin's shake up after Scottish Cup glory becomes clear
The Dons slumped to a 3-1 defeat in front of the fans with the new season just days away Ipswich Town came up and spoiled Aberdeen's Scottish Cup homecoming. The Tractor Boys ploughed through Pittodrie, thanks to a double from Jaden Philogene and another from Scotland cap George Hirst. Jimmy Thelin 's cup winners started brilliantly but then the English Championship promotion pushers just had too much for them. Hirst and Sam Szmodic neatly combined to give Philogene a tap-in before the half-hour. They doubled their lead 10 minutes later when Dimitar Mitov pushed out a Szmodic shot and Hirst rammed in the rebound. Philogene netted a third in the second period when he too easily beat Mitov. Sub Peter Ambrose was an unlikely goal hero as he netted a consolation late on for Aberdeen. It leaves Thelin's Euro-bound squad with plenty to ponder before Monday's Premiership opener at Hearts, as he looks to improve on last season's fifth place finish. A new-look for the Scottish Cup winners It was the first Pittodrie outing since the Aberdeen lifted the Scottish Cup. The glow of that win still shines over the city. It was almost just over two months ago since Thelin had taken the trophy back to the Granite City for the first time in 35 years. It was a chance for the Red Army to come out and see their remaining heroes and those who Thelin had added over the course of the summer. The likes of Adil Aouchiche, Kusini Yengi, Nicolas Milanovic, Nick Suman, Alfie Dorrington and Kjartan Kjaransson. Old European foes This game was marked as a re-run of their legendary 1981-82 encounter in the UEFA Cup. The Dons drew 1-1 at Portman and Road then knocked Bobby Robson's side out 3-1 at Pittodrie thanks to a Peter Weir double and another from Gordon Strachan. This time it was nothing more than a glamour friendly. Both sides have very different ambitions away from a Battle of Britain. Ipswich are looking to get back into the English Premier League, while Aberdeen are fighting for third place in Scotland. Would Jimmy Thelin change tack? The Swede when it came to his formation was very one dimensional. It was 4-2-3-1 all season until he finally threw a curve ball in the Scottish Cup final. Would that encourage him to mix things up going into the new season. Yet last night it was back to the old safety blanket of 4-2-3-1, which many teams had learned to counteract last season. Will he show more flexibility or will he stick with what he knows? New faces Thelin has been relatively busy in the transfer window this summer. Kusini Yengi and Adil Aouchiche were the only two new boys who were handed starts. The big striker hardly got any service in this game and this certainly wasn't a game to judge him. On-loan Aouchiche played just behind him. He looked neat and tidy on the ball and could pose a real attacking threat. Winger Milanovic was another big-money buy and he came on for Shayden Morris at the interval. He also looks lively. It took him a few minutes to drive inside the box and fire across the face. He also had a shot blocked on the line that allowed Ambrose to follow up for his goal. Will Aberdeen be ready for Hearts? They and Celtic will be the last in the Premiership to kick a top-flight ball. They have lost their last two outings against Fulham and Ipswich but the argument will be that they are both likely to be better than most sides they will be facing domestically. Thelin is still trying to bed his new players in and it is unlikely they are going to repeat their sizzling start of last season. Traditionally, Aberdeen don't have a great record at Tynecastle. Hearts have also hit their strides under Derek McInnes so the Dons could have asked for much of a tougher challenge in the opening game.
Daily Mail
5 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Martin reveals long-held desire to link up with Crystal Palace ace as Rangers boss hopes to bring winger to Ibrox
Rangers boss Russell Martin has admitted he is a long-time admirer of potential transfer target Jesurun Rak-Sakyi. Martin confirmed his interest in the Crystal Palace winger after it was revealed the Ibrox club have made an enquiry about taking the 22-year-old on loan with a possible option to buy. Rak-Sakyi has played 10 first-team games for Palace, and scored seven goals in 36 appearances for Sheffield United on loan last season. The England Under-21 international previously hit 15 goals during a season-long loan with Charlton. When asked about the reports, former Southampton manager Martin told Sky Sports News: 'There's a lot of players we'll be linked with. Some wide of the mark, some very close and some spot-on. 'He's a player I liked at Southampton, we tried to take him there and it didn't quite happen. 'So, he's a player I like and I think he's a player the recruitment staff like. But, how far that's gone, I'm not too sure.' Asked if the winger fitted the profile of players he is looking for, Martin added: 'He's a really good player. We look at all sorts of different profiles who we think can help the team. It doesn't necessarily have to be the one type of profile. 'Players are very different, we just need players with the right mentality that are desperate to come and play here. We will see where we end up in four weeks' time.' Meanwhile, Rangers midfielder Joe Rothwell is confident the Ibrox side are now in pole position to progress in their Champions League qualifier against Panathinaikos. They beat the Greeks 2-0 earlier this week and will travel to Athens in a commanding position for Wednesday's second leg. Rothwell, 30, impressed on his competitive debut, and believes Rangers should fancy their chances of finishing the job. 'I think we have to now, yeah,' he said. 'At 2-0, it's a good scoreline, especially in this format. 'So we'll go out there and obviously we won't be looking to defend it. We'll try to win the game and score as many goals as we can. The win can be huge. 'The manager said in his press conference it was not going to be a season-defining game, but we wanted to put on a show and really show how he wants to do things. 'I think we managed to do that, controlled the game as we like to do and were just a bit disappointed we didn't go and probably kill the game off a little bit more. 'But we can't complain too much. It's a win and we'll take a lead over there next week.' Rangers should have been behind before 19-year-old winger Findlay Curtis opened the scoring in the 52nd minute. After a nervy first half, they had to rely on the brilliance of Jack Butland to make a series of vital saves to keep the game at 0-0. Rothwell, who was signed from Bournemouth in the summer, was impressed by his first taste of a European night at Ibrox. 'Loved it,' he said. 'Obviously you hear stories from the outside but, when you actually get out there and experience it, it's fantastic. 'I'm sure the fans are going to be behind us in every single game and we'll need them. 'There will be times where it might be a bit tough for us, but I'm sure they'll get behind us and then get us over the finish line. 'You can really see what the manager wants us to do and how we want to play. It was obviously another good test for us and we came through it in the end.'
Daily Mail
5 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
West Ham star Lucas Paqueta is expected to be CLEARED of spot-fixing charges after two-year FA investigation
West Ham United star Lucas Paqueta is expected to win his two-year fight to save his career after the Football Association accused him of picking up yellow cards on purpose in order to influence betting outcomes. Paqueta was facing a potential life ban if found guilty, but the relieved Brazilian is set to receive the news from the independent panel who tried his case that they do not believe he was involved in a spot-fixing conspiracy. Mail Sport broke the story of the FA's probe back in August 2023. At that time, the investigation scuppered his proposed £80million move from West Ham to Manchester City. That led to Paqueta being charged in May 2024 with four counts of spot‑fixing – relating to cautions shown in Premier League fixtures against Leicester City, Aston Villa, Leeds United, and Bournemouth – and a further two of obstructing an FA investigation. Alongside that charge sheet was believed to be a recommendation that he is banned for life if proven that he was picking up cards to win cash for those betting on him in Brazil and elsewhere. However, Paqueta is now expected to be successful in what became one of the most high-profile corruption cases ever seen in English football. It is understood West Ham were informed of the verdict on Friday but sources on that day told enquirers they had been sworn to secrecy until the FA announced the decision themselves. The Hammers were furious with how the FA allowed their investigation to drag on for so long. It left a cloud hanging over one of their best players for two years with Paqueta considered a special type of talent who can turn a game on its head in an instant. It was his assist for Jarrod Bowen which saw them beat Fiorentina in the Conference League final in Prague in June 2023, marking their first major trophy in 43 years. His manager for that triumph was David Moyes, the now-Everton boss who Mail Sport previously revealed even acted as a witness in a significant section of his defence against the FA's claims. Sources close to Paqueta say it has been a tormenting time for him personally. The yellow he received against Leicester, on November 12, 2022, was nearly 1,000 days ago. Ever since learning that he was being investigated, the 27-year-old strenuously insisted he was innocent and believed he would clear his name. West Ham supported Paqueta throughout it all, though the Premier League club had long feared that the odds were stacked against them and their player. Paqueta pictured at West Ham's London Stadium with his wife Maria Fournier, who admitted the couple have been 'living this nightmare for two years' in an emotional statement in May As previously reported, that was due to the standard of proof being based on a 'balance of probabilities' – as in civil law cases – as opposed to the more rigorous 'beyond a reasonable doubt' threshold in criminal proceedings.
