Fulham are now considering a move for Brendan Rodgers as a replacement for Marco Silva, with their current manager being heavily tipped to join a rival Premier League club.

Silva is under pressure at Craven Cottage, as a result of his side’s poor start to the Premier League season, now sitting in 15th place and just one point above the relegation zone after the 2-0 defeat against Everton at the weekend.

The 48-year-old is the third longest-serving manager in the top flight, behind only Mikel Arteta and Pep Guardiola, having been in charge since July 2021, but his future is now in doubt, having been unwilling to commit to a contract extension.

Consequently, the club hierarchy may need to start thinking about replacements, and they are weighing up a move for a former Premier League manager…

Fulham considering Brendan Rodgers as Marco Silva replacement

According to 67 Hail Hail’s transfer correspondent Graeme Bailey, Fulham are now considering Rodgers as a replacement for Silva, with the Northern Irishman available after resigning from his role as Celtic manager last month.

Not only is the Portuguese manager at risk of being sacked, but he has also been heavily tipped to take over at Nottingham Forest in the future, given his relationship with controversial owner Evangelos Marinakis.

It is unclear whether the 52-year-old would be willing to make the move to Craven Cottage, but there are plenty of indications that he would be a solid long-term replacement for Silva.

In his most recent Premier League job, the Carnlough-born manager impressed considerably, with Gabriel Agbonlahor describing him as “world-class” courtesy of the work he did at Leicester City.

The ex-Leicester boss led the Foxes to FA Cup glory in the 2020-21 campaign, which he followed up with a victory in the Community Shield ahead of the following season.

Brendan Rodgers’ Leicester record
Games	204
Wins	96
Draws	37
Losses	71
Points per game	1.59

The former Celtic manager also knows what it takes to win, having led the Hoops to 11 trophies during his two stints at Parkhead, winning two trebles on the spin across the 2016-17 and 2017-18 campaigns.

Silva has arguably taken Fulham as far as he can, given their performances this season, and Rodgers has proven he could be an excellent replacement.

Every current Premier League manager has been ranked by Football FanCast

Every current manager in the 2025/26 Premier League ranked

Every current Premier League boss ranked from best to worst.

By
Charlie Smith

Nov 8, 2025

MatériaMais Notícias

O elenco do Corinthians se reapresentou neste domingo (7), no CT Joaquim Grava, para iniciar os treinamentos visando a nova temporada. Os laterais Diego Palacios e Hugo, o volante Raniele e o meia Rodrigo Garro, primeiros reforços do Timão para 2024, já participaram das atividades do dia.

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

Antes das avaliações físicas, o presidente Augusto Melo e o diretor de futebol Rubens Gomes, conhecido como Rubão, se reuniram com os atletas e comissão técnica para, ao lado do técnico Mano Menezes, falarem sobre as metas para a temporada. O Corinthians vai disputar o Paulistão, Copa do Brasil, Copa Sul-Americana e o Brasileirão. A estreia da equipe é no dia 21 de janeiro, contra o Guarani, na Neo Química Arena.

Após a conversa, os jogadores iniciaram os testes físicos e avaliações com a equipe de Saúde e Performance do clube. Eles realizaram também trabalhos de força na academia.

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Cássio, Carlos Miguel e Matheus Donelli, além das avaliações, já treinaram normalmente no gramado sob as orientações dos preparadores Marcelo Carpes e Luiz Fernando dos Santos.

+ Veja como ficou a tabela do Brasileirão após a última rodada

MUDANÇAS

Após Cauan de Almeida, ex-auxiliar de Mano Menezes, aceitar a proposta para ser o técnico do América-MG, o Corinthians anunciou Thiago Kosloski como o novo auxiliar da comissão. 

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O departamento médico agora é chefiado pelo Dr. Fábio Novi, que já esteve no CT neste domingo, ao lado do Dr. André Jorge, conselheiro do clube que atuará, de forma não-remunerada, como um consultor. Além disso, o departamento de performance agora terá Walmir Cruz como coordenador. Será a quarta passagem do profissional pelo Timão.

With the 2026 World Cup fast approaching, dual-national midfielder Richard Ledezma has made his intentions clear: he wants to represent Mexico. The Chivas playmaker, who has featured for the U.S. at both youth and senior level, says wearing El Tri’s colors on home soil would fulfill a lifelong dream – one he believes is within reach if he performs in Liga MX.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Ledezma wants to play for Mexico

  Ledezma has stated his intention to represent Mexico at the 2026 World Cup. The Chivas midfielder, who previously appeared for the United States at the youth level and in one senior friendly cap, said he is aiming to compete for a place under Javier Aguirre.

  The 24-year-old joined Chivas this summer following a stint with PSV and discussed his ambition in an interview with . With Mexico managing injuries and inconsistency at right back, Ledezma noted that he believes opportunities are available.

  “If it’s my turn, it’s a dream of mine to go to the World Cup… I’d love to represent Mexico. If we have a strong league campaign with Chivas, I think I can get in,” he said.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Where Ledezma potentially fits…

  Right-back has become one of El Tri’s biggest concerns – Rodrigo Huescas is injured, and neither Jorge Sánchez nor Kevin Álvarez has locked down the position. Ledezma’s versatility as a midfielder and fullback gives him a potential opportunity within Aguirre's squad. 

  Playing at Chivas, he says, has played a role in his decision. 

  “My teammates tell me it wouldn’t be bad to play for the national team, and I told them I’m more prepared than ever. Now it’s just seeing when my turn comes.”

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Eligible thanks to FIFA’s one-time switch

  Ledezma remains eligible for Mexico because he has never played an official senior tournament. A one-time switch would make him available instantly.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  A return to his roots ahead of a historic World Cup

  Born in Arizona but raised in a Mexican household, Ledezma says choosing Mexico feels natural – especially with the World Cup coming to North America. His path now depends on his form with Chivas and whether Aguirre sees him as part of the solution on the right side.

The defending champions suffered a warm-up defeat to England but coach Shelley Nitschke feels the team are well placed

Andrew McGlashan29-Sep-2025Australia head coach Shelley Nitschke is prepared to face some “tough” selection calls ahead of the team’s opening ODI World Cup match against New Zealand on Wednesday.The defending champions completed their preparations with a four-wicket defeat against England in Bengaluru, but Nitschke was not too concerned by the result as Australia utilised a rejigged batting order. At 127 for 2 in the 16th over, they were on course for a huge total. But when Ashleigh Gardner and Phoebe Litchfield, who raced to 71 off 48 balls, fell in the space of four balls to legspinner Sarah Glenn, the middle order stumbled.The match saw left-arm spinner Sophie Molineux in action for the first time since last December after she sat out the series against India to complete the final stages of her recovery from knee surgery. She made 5 off 10 balls and claimed 1 for 37, but prior to heading to India captain Alyssa Healy had indicated that Molineux would be a first-choice pick if she proved her fitness.Related

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That would leave a likely decision to be made between the two legspinners, Georgia Wareham and Alana King, when it comes to the final XI against New Zealand in Indore.”Just to see her [Molineux] out there was fantastic,” Nitschke said. “It’s been close on 12 months, but just to have her out there bowling again, that’s a really good thing for us and our squad.”I guess we’ll sit down in the next couple of days and assess everything and see how we line up. I think we’re going to be faced with some pretty tough calls throughout the whole tournament. We’ve got a really good squad here. You know, everyone’s sort of at some point played really well, so we’ve got some decisions to make for sure.”The selectors will also need to make a call on the make-up of the pace attack. Nitschke praised an “excellent” performance from Darcie Brown, who took 1 for 30 in six overs against England after returning from a back spasm, but Megan Schutt and Kim Garth would appear the first-choice pair.Georgia Voll, who is averaging 63.50 across her first five ODIs, appears likely to be the frontline batter to miss out. Allrounder Heather Graham, who has replaced the injured Grace Harris, neither batted or bowled against England.Georgia Voll might be the top-order batter to miss out•Getty ImagesNitschke conceded Australia had not played Glenn “particularly well” but that it was a question of shot selection rather than needing to temper the aggressive approach which has been a hallmark of the team’s recent ODI batting.Having faced India in three full ODIs earlier in the month, Nitschke believed Australia, who only opted for one extra warm-up match rather than the two they could have had, would go into the World Cup battle-hardened.”I think the bilateral series against India was a hard-fought series in some tough bowling conditions and a real challenge. So I thought that was excellent prep,” she said. “We come out here tonight, [in] slightly different conditions, a red-clay pitch as opposed to some black soil that we were playing on in the bilateral, so certainly have been exposed to some different conditions and learnt a lot and have to adapt to that.”I’d like to think that now we’re in a good place and had enough exposure. We’ve been here for long enough to acclimatise… and just looking forward to getting into it.”

A hot topic of conversation amongst Premier League fans is which stadium generates the best atmosphere.

Having a raucous home crowd can even help change the flow of a game, with an intimidating home support helping suck the ball into the net.

For visiting players, some grounds can be a nightmare to go to. However, there are other stadiums which are relatively quiet and less intimidating to visit.

Premier League Player Power Rankings 2025/26

So, for the 2025/26 Premier League season, here is every stadium ranked for atmosphere, taking into consideration noise levels and capacity.

Rank

Club

Stadium

1

Newcastle

St James’ Park

2

Liverpool

Anfield

3

Sunderland

Stadium of Light

4

Aston Villa

Villa Park

5

Leeds

Elland Road

6

Crystal Palace

Selhurst Park

7

Nottingham Forest

City Ground

8

Everton

Hill Dickinson Stadium

9

Arsenal

Emirates Stadium

10

Man Utd

Old Trafford

11

Tottenham

Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

12

Man City

Etihad Stadium

13

Chelsea

Stamford Bridge

14

Burnley

Turf Moor

15

Brentford

Gtech Community Stadium

16

Brighton

AMEX Stadium

17

West Ham

London Stadium

18

Wolves

Molineux

19

Fulham

Craven Cottage

20

Bournemouth

Vitality Stadium

20 Vitality Stadium Bournemouth

Starting off at the quieter stadiums in the division, AFC Bournemouth’s ground holds just over 11,000, something which hinders the atmosphere.

The Cherries have performed well on the south coast, however, a visiting player probably doesn’t fear a trip to the Vitality Stadium.

19 Craven Cottage Fulham

Next on the list is Fulham, with Craven Cottage previously having a mixed section for home and away supporters.

Now expanded to a capacity of just under 30,000, the Cottagers can create a good atmosphere, especially in a London derby, however, on the whole, it is one of the more relaxed stadiums to visit in the top flight.

18 Molineux Wolves

Wolves fans have not had much to shout about in recent years, and that has come across in the flat atmosphere at Molineux.

Regular defeats and flat performances have left home supporters with nothing to cheer or get behind, whereas it is arguably the worst viewpoint for away fans on the side of the pitch.

17 London Stadium West Ham

Even West Ham fans may even argue that the London Stadium should be further down this list after swapping the cauldron that was Upton Park for their current 62,500 stadium.

Built for the 2012 Olympics, it is evident that the ground was not made for football and that often comes across from the stands, with seats too far away to feel on top of the players.

16 AMEX Stadium Brighton

An impressive ground to visit, the AMEX Stadium has been home to Brighton & Hove Albion since 2011 and has been a Premier League stadium since 2017.

The Seagulls have had plenty of success and memorable moments at their home, which has created a solid atmosphere, especially behind the goal.

15 Gtech Community Stadium Brentford

Brentford moved into their new stadium in 2020 and have enjoyed plenty of success in the Premier League since.

However, the Gtech Community Stadium which holds more than 17,000 isn’t exactly a daunting place to go. A game under the lights can often generate the best atmosphere, though, as we saw in their 2-1 win over Liverpool.

14 Turf Moor Burnley

An old school traditional stadium, Turf Moor sees supporters close to the pitch with stands that rise steeply.

Holding just under 22,000 when at full capacity, the Clarets can generate a solid atmosphere but arguably cannot compete with some of their Premier League rivals and their grounds.

13 Stamford Bridge Chelsea

Chelsea’s atmosphere has been described as dull and lethargic and Joe Cole said in 2025 that it’s the “worst” he’s seen in all his years supporting, playing or visiting Stamford Bridge.

Despite this, the Blues often show in a big game that the noise can be generated, but they just don’t do it regularly enough.

12 Etihad Stadium Man City

Manchester City’s home support has been a running joke for a number of years now, however, the Etihad Stadium can generate an excellent atmosphere at times, especially for the big Premier League games.

The consistency isn’t there, though, with home supporters often leaving early despite seeing Pep Guardiola’s side run riot more often than not.

11 Tottenham Hotspur Stadium Tottenham

Even though Tottenham have one of the newest stadiums in the division, which includes a South Stand capacity of 17,500, Spurs’ home support is often flat.

Performances and results haven’t been there in recent years, but the 62,850 stadium doesn’t produce the atmosphere it should.

Lionel Messi made MLS Cup playoffs history with a dominant individual display as Inter Miami thrashed FC Cincinnati 4-0 to progress to the Eastern Conference finals. The World Cup-winning Argentina legend was involved in every goal, contributing one of his own and three assists for his team to leave the David Beckham-owned club just two games away from winning their first-ever MLS Cup.

Messi scripts MLS Cup Playoffs history

Messi opened the scoring for Inter Miami with a brilliant header in the 18th minute. The goal came after a swift counterattack sparked by former Barcelona full-back Jordi Alba, who intercepted a misplaced pass from Nick Hagglund in midfield. The Spaniard quickly found Messi in a central pocket, and the Argentina star slid a perfectly-weighted ball out to Mateo Silvetti on the left. The youngster then sent an inch-perfect cross into the box, and Messi met it with a bouncing header that beat goalkeeper Roman Celentano and nestled into the far corner.

The 38-year-old then returned the favour to his compatriot Silvetti as he provided the assist for his goal in the second period. Messi went on to set up two more assists for Tadeo Allende as Inter Miami completed the rout of FC Cincinnati. With a combined four goals and assists in the clash, Messi created history as he now has 12 goal contributions, the most in the history of the MLS Cup playoffs.

AdvertisementInter Miami two games away from winning MLS Cup

Messi has certainly changed Inter Miami's fortunes since joining the club in a high-profile transfer in 2023. The club which made its debut in 2020 and finished among the top 10 teams in the MLS Eastern Conference, won the MLS Supporters' Shield in 2024 under the leadership of the Argentina captain. In the subsequent campaign, Messi has now led the Herons to the Conference finals and is only two games away from helping the club win its first-ever MLS Cup. He has also enjoyed a stellar run of form in the current season, as he has scored 43 goals in 47 appearances across all competitions and has provided 23 assists. He is on course to win back-to-back MVP awards in the MLS.

Getty/GOALMascherano hails Messi

Speaking after the crucial victory, Inter Miami head coach Javier Mascherano said: "Messi is an amazing player. He is good at handling the ball and pressing. Coaching him is my privilege." He added: "We still haven't achieved anything. We need more focus. We must show our best performance in the next match to reach the MLS final."

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Up next: Inter Miami gear up for New York City

In the other Eastern Conference semi-final, New York City FC edged out Philadelphia Union 1-0 and will now face a red-hot Inter Miami side, led by Messi, in the final on November 29. The kind of form Messi and his team have displayed, fans can remain hopeful of reaching the final game for the ultimate prize. 

Leeds United youngster Harry Gray has been in the spotlight among the fanbase once again this week after scoring two goals in a 3-2 loss to Accrington Stanley for the U21s.

The 17-year-old striker has scored seven goals in eight games in the EFL Trophy and Premier League 2 combined, to go along with a hat-trick against Scunthorpe in the English National League Cup.

Whilst Gray is, as evidenced by his goalscoring form, an exciting prospect for the Whites, he is not an attacking midfielder who will come up to the first-team and improve Daniel Farke’s side in the wide areas, where they have been struggling on the right wing with Brenden Aaronson.

Why Leeds need an upgrade on Brenden Aaronson

The USA international, to his credit, did play a key role in the club’s 2-1 win over West Ham United last month, scoring his first goal of the season from close range.

However, that was only his second goal in 48 Premier League appearances for Leeds across two seasons at the level, per Sofascore, which is a concern moving forward.

The American winger did assist Lukas Nmecha against Nottingham Forest before the international break, but he has yet to prove that he can deliver a consistent end product in the top-flight.

Two goals and four assists in 48 top-flight matches is far from an impressive haul for the former RB Salzburg man, which is why the Whites may look for an upgrade on him.

Whilst Gray is shining at academy level, Farke could look beyond him and to the U18s to find the player who could end Aaronson’s Elland Road career, in Sam Alker.

Why Sam Akler could end Brenden Aaronson's Leeds career

The 16-year-old talent, who does not turn 17 until next March, has caught the eye with his performances at youth level, so much so that he has attracted interest from across Europe.

Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen have both been credited with interest in the attacking midfielder, which speaks to the level of talent that he has shown during his time at Thorp Arch.

The teenage whiz, who was described as a “standout” in the academy set-up by Como scout Ben Mattinson, has delivered two goals and two assists in 15 games as an attacking midfielder, per Transfermarkt.

Aaron Lennon

16 years, 4 months, 7 days

James Milner

16 years, 10 months, 6 days

Rob Bowman

17 years, 2 months, 16 days

Wesley Boyle

17 years, 5 months, 22 days

Alan Maybury

17 years, 5 months, 26 days

Harry Kewell

17 years, 6 months, 8 days

Alan Smith

18 years, 17 days

Andy Gray

18 years, 1 month, 29 days

Stephen McPhail

18 years, 1 month, 29 days

Noel Whelan

18 years, 4 months, 4 days

If Farke were to hand Alker a debut in the next match, he would rank between Aaron Lennon and James Milner in the list of the club’s youngest debuts in Premier League history.

This shows both how rare it is for a 16-year-old to debut in the Premier League and the level of talent you need to do so, given the careers that Lennon and Milner went on to have.

Leverkusen and Dortmund seemingly feel that the England U16 international is a huge talent, given their reported interest, and that is why handing him a first-team debut in the coming weeks could be a smart move by Leeds.

Giving the 16-year-old ace a chance in the Premier League would show him that there is a clear pathway to regular football at Elland Road, which could prevent him from being tempted by the prospect of a move to Germany.

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Aaronson made the move from attacking midfield to right wing this season in the Premier League, which is why it is his career at the club could be under threat by Alker’s emergence in the first-team, as the youngster could make a similar transition, unlike Gray, who is a natural number nine.

If the English attacking midfielder can make the step up and show that he belongs at first-team level, he could develop into the upgrade that Leeds need on the wing, negating any need for Aaronson at Elland Road.

Celtic have roughly two weeks to decide what they want to do with the manager position at the club before they are back in Scottish Premiership action after the international break.

Martin O’Neill is currently in place as the interim manager of the Scottish giants and has won both of his league matches in charge of the club, including a 4-0 win over Kilmarnock on Sunday.

The experienced head coach did, however, lose 3-1 to FC Midtjylland in the Europa League and needed extra time to secure a 3-1 win over Rangers, who went down to ten men in the first half, in the semi-final of the League Cup.

It, therefore, remains to be seen whether or not it would be the right call to give O’Neill more time after the international break to take charge of the team, until a permanent successor to Brendan Rodgers can be found.

The Northern Irish boss won the Premiership title in his two full seasons back at the club, but the Hoops are currently seven points adrift of Hearts in the league table, and need someone to turn it around.

One manager who has been touted with a potential move to Glasgow to save the club’s season is Bodo/Glimt head coach Kjetil Knutsen, who is among the contenders for the job.

The latest on Kjetil Knutsen to Celtic

TEAMtalk have reported that the Hoops are preparing to make an approach to appoint the Norwegian head coach to be their long-term successor to Rodgers at Parkhead.

The outlet claimed that Knutsen is keen to take the next step in his career and that the prospect of European football and a decent budget in Glasgow matches his ambitions for his next job.

Journalist Graeme Bailey, though, recently claimed that Knutsen wants to finish the Champions League campaign with Bodo/Glimt, which could see their season run until the end of January.

This means that O’Neill would have to stay in place for another couple of months, at least, as the interim manager, which would also mean that he would be in charge for the rest of the league phase of the Europa League.

Celtic, therefore, have to weigh up whether or not landing Knutsen in the long-term is worth potentially not qualifying from the league phase of the Europa League, given that O’Neill lost his first European game fairly comprehensively.

2025

28

78

2024

30

71

2023

30

78

2022

30

86

2021

30

59

2020

30

103

2019

30

64

As you can see in the table above, Knutsen’s Bodo/Glimt side score plenty of goals and his style of play would be exciting for supporters to watch if it works in Scotland, which is one reason why the wait may be worth it.

He has also won the Eliteserien title in four of the last five full seasons, per Transfermarkt, which shows that he can win domestic titles on a consistent basis.

Celtic want to interview Championship manager

Knutsen is not the only manager in the club’s sights, though, and they are interested in a head coach who could come in as a dream alternative to the Norwegian.

Manager Focus

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According to TEAMtalk, Celtic are also looking at Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna as a possible option to be their long-term successor to Rodgers.

The report claims that the Premiership champions want to interview the Northern Irish head coach, who is currently managing the Tractor Boys in the Championship.

It adds that he is the ‘domestic dream’ for the Hoops, whilst Knutsen is said to be their preferred foreign candidate, which suggests that McKenna and Knutsen are the two favourites for the job.

TEAMtalk also reveals that it would cost at least £5m in compensation to snap the former Manchester United youth coach up, but it remains to be seen whether or not that would be a stumbling block for the club from a financial perspective.

Why McKenna would be a dream alternative to Knutsen for Celtic

McKenna, who was described as “incredible” by Ipswich winger Wes Burns, would be the dream alternative to Knutsen for several reasons, not least because this latest report names him as the club’s ‘dream’ domestic target.

Unlike the Norwegian, who wants to stay at Bodo/Glimt well into January, and possibly beyond, the Tractor Boys head coach does not have a Champions League campaign that would mean he is not available in the here and now.

This means that Celtic would be able to bring him to the club immediately, rather than having to wait two months, and he would be in the dugout for the league phase of the Europa League, the final of the League Cup, and plenty of crucial Premiership matches in the title race.

McKenna, who got Neil Lennon’s backing in the clip above, would be a better option than Knutsen in the short-term because of that, whilst he also has experience in British football.

As good as Knutsen has been with Bodo/Glimt, he has never managed outside of his home country and it would be a risk to expect him to hit the ground running when he has no prior experience in British football.

25/26 Championship (14)

23

TBC

24/25 Premier League (38)

22

19th

23/24 Championship (46)

96

2nd

22/23 Championship (46)

98

2nd

21/22 League One (23)

41

11th

McKenna, as you can see in the table above, has plenty of experience in England across the top three divisions, taking Ipswich from League One up to the Premier League with back-to-back promotions.

Whilst they were relegated from the Premier League at the first time of asking, the Northern Irish boss has still progressed the Tractor Boys as a club, as they are currently fighting for promotion in the Championship, after he took them over as a midtable League One side in the 2021/22 campaign.

This shows that he can progress a club, whilst achieving success on the pitch, which is why he could be a good option for Celtic, despite having never won a league title in his career as a coach so far.

McKenna may not have the titles under his belt that Knutsen has, but the Ipswich boss has an impressive track record with Ipswich, knowledge of British football and markets, and would be available two months earlier, which is why he would be a dream alternative.

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The New York Yankees belted 15 home runs and scored 36 runs in a three-game sweep of the Milwaukee Brewers in the 2025 season’s opening week—a power display that tied an MLB record for the most home runs in the first three games of a season. The home run rally came thanks in part to the team’s newest tool: torpedo bats.

Over the course of the series, the Yankees' torpedo bats, created by a one-time MIT physicist and former employee on the team, generated quite a bit of attention. But Brewers manager Pat Murphy isn't buying the notion that the unusual bats contributed to the home run derby against his club.

"My old a– will tell you this for sure—It ain’t the wand, it’s the magician," Murphy told Sunday. "So if the bats help, I’m sure every guy in the league will be using them within a week. But I’m telling you, it’s the hitter, not the bat."

Murphy's comments are certainly interesting, given that the voice most critical of the torpedo bat was one of his pitchers, Trevor Megill, who called the innovative lumber "terrible.”

Five Yankees hitters used the torpedo bats in the season-opening series against the Brewers: catcher Austin Wells, first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr., shortstop Anthony Volpe and outfielder Cody Bellinger. And opinions as to the bat's impact on hitting vary among each Yankees player.

Bellinger told reporters the bat, which features a slightly bigger barrel where hitters tend to make contact, felt "lighter" in his hands and provided more "margin for error." Chisholm, while not fully dismissing the bat's potential impact, likened the feeling it gives to something of a placebo effect, or a "feeling" that the bat gives a hitter more to work with.

Whether the bat really does lend itself to better hitting or it's just the illusion that it does, teams are buying in. The Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies have already made moves to acquire such bats, while the Chicago Cubs, Tampa Bay Rays and Toronto Blue Jays already employ a player—or players—who utilize the lumber.

Glasgow Rangers sporting director Kevin Thelwell has been questioned by some supporters for the work that was done during the summer transfer, with signings and the appointment of Russell Martin.

It is hard to describe the former Southampton manager’s tenure at Ibrox as anything other than disastrous after he won five matches in all competitions before being sacked last month.

The ex-Rangers centre-back did not have much joy in the dugout during his second stint at the club, as a manager rather than as a player, with 24 goals conceded in 17 matches.

On top of the clearly poor decision to bring Martin to Ibrox, Thelwell’s signings during the summer transfer window have come under some scrutiny, after the new owners provided him with plenty of money to spend.

The appointment of Martin and the work done in the summer window led to a start of one win in the first eight matches of the Scottish Premiership season for the Light Blues, which has put them on the back foot in the title race.

Danny Rohl has come in and won all four of his Premiership games in charge, to his credit, but there are still several summer signings who are yet to prove their worth.

Picking out the worst summer signings for Rangers

It would be hard to look past the most expensive signing of the summer when talking about the worst signings, as Youssef Chermiti was signed for £8m from Everton. That is the most money Rangers have paid for a player since they paid £12m to sign Tore Andre Flo in 2000.

Since that mega-money move to Ibrox, the Portugal U21 international has scored one goal in 13 appearances in all competitions for the Light Blues this season, and that goal came via some rather questionable goalkeeping, as shown in the clip below.

Chermiti is not the only centre-forward signing who has struggled this season, though, as Rangers signed Bojan Miovski for a fee of up to £4.2m and he has delivered two goals in 16 outings in all competitions, per Sofascore.

Further back on the pitch, central midfielder Joe Rothwell has been a disappointment since his permanent move from Bournemouth. The 30-year-old talent was brought in to offer experience and quality in the middle of the park, but he has failed to make a positive impact.

Tackles

7

Bottom 27%

Interceptions

8

Top 29%

Duels won

16

Bottom 26%

Duel success rate

47%

Bottom 39%

Aerial duels won

4

Bottom 25%

Possession won in the final third

1

Bottom 19%

Ball recoveries

22

Bottom 36%

As you can see in the table above, the English flop ranks poorly among his positional peers in the Premiership in a host of key defensive metrics, whilst playing as a number six for the Light Blues.

Thelo Aasgaard, who was signed from Luton Town, is another summer signing who has failed to deliver, with one goal and one assist in 19 appearances in all competitions, per Sofascore, which shows that the attacking midfielder has been ineffective at the top end of the pitch.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Whilst there are understandable question marks over all of the summer signings mentioned so far, there is a player signed by Thelwell who impressed against Livingston, and may be on his way to becoming the new Calvin Bassey at Ibrox.

After signing from Leicester in 2020, the Nigeria international only played eight Premiership games in his first season. In the 2021/22 campaign, the versatile defender featured in just three of the first nine league games under Steven Gerrard, per Transfermarkt.

The left-footed star then became a regular in the side when Giovanni van Bronckhorst took over in October and went on to play 50 games in all competitions before sealing a £19.6m move to Ajax in the summer of 2021.

Now, central defender Emmanuel Fernandez could follow a similar path to success at Ibrox after he produced an impressive display against Livingston on Saturday.

Why Emmanuel Fernandez may be the next Calvin Bassey for Rangers

As was the case with Bassey under Gerrard, the summer signing from Peterborough rarely got an opportunity to showcase what he could do on the pitch during Martin’s time at the club.

Per Transfermarkt, Fernandez featured in one of Martin’s seven league matches in charge of the Light Blues and was an unused substitute in all six of the Champions League qualifiers.

The 24-year-old centre-back only started in a 1-1 draw with St Mirren in the Premiership and a 4-2 win over Alloa Athletic in the League Cup, scoring his first goal for the club in the latter appearance.

Fernandez finally got his first start in the league of the Rohl era against Livingston on Saturday and did not disappoint. On top of scoring the opening goal in the match, making it two goals in three starts for the club, he won eight of his 13 duels and was not dribbled past a single time, per Sofascore.

After the win over Livingston, one Rangers podcaster described him as a “massive” player who “makes a difference” at both ends of the pitch because of his imposing physique.

Tackles made

0.99

Bottom 26%

Duels won

10.44

Top 1%

Duel success rate

72.4%

Top 5%

Aerial duels won

6.96

Top 1%

Aerial duel success rate

87.5%

Top 1%

Interceptions

2.49

Top 5%

Shots blocked

0.99

Top 31%

As you can see in the table above, Fernandez is one of the most dominant and impressive central defenders in the Premiership if you compare his two starts in the league to his positional peers on a per 90 basis.

These statistics suggest that the English defender deserves more chances to start and showcase his quality, which he may well get with John Souttar and Derek Cornelius both missing through injury at the moment.

If he continues to start and produce the level of performance that he has in his first two outings in the division, Fernandez could go on to be a defensive monster for Rohl and anchor the team for the foreseeable future.

Like Bassey, Rangers may look back in the future and wonder why he did not play more regularly earlier in the season, because the towering star looks like he has been a hidden gem at Ibrox.

Fewer touches than Butland: Rohl must bin "missing" Rangers flop after Livi

Rangers did claim another league win over Livingston on Saturday, but one player went “missing” at Ibrox, registering fewer touches than Jack Butland.

ByBen Gray Nov 23, 2025