Birmingham City has seen their positive start to the brand-new Championship season unravel somewhat in recent games.

Indeed, the Blues raced out of the blocks very quickly after promotion with two wins and a draw, kickstarting their season on an unbeaten footing.

However, since an unexpected EFL Cup exit at the hands of Port Vale, the usually confident side have lost their way, as seen in the unfamiliar feeling of back-to-back defeats greeting Chris Davies recently.

Birmingham now find themselves all the way down in 11th position in the early league standings off the back of these two losses, with Davies praying he can get a tune out of his underperformers again very shortly, with Kyogo Furuhashi and Jay Stansfield – in particular – looking uncharacteristically rusty.

Birmingham's woes in attack this season

Birmingham are no longer the feared team in the division, having once bagged a weighty 86 goals on the way to lifting the League One title on a resounding 111 points.

Now, they find themselves in a middle-of-the-road position in the league above, with their recent attacking performances leaving a lot to be desired, arguably.

Frustratingly, since being in the right place at the right time to convert a golden opportunity back in August, summer arrival Kyogo, has regularly fired blanks.

Indeed, his lacklustre showing against Leicester City at the end of the month saw him make no accurate passes, while also struggling to catch out Jakub Stolarczyk with a goal-bound effort.

Having cost a reported £10m to bring to St. Andrew’s this summer, there will be a lot of worries already in the air that the former Celtic attacker isn’t cut out for the intense pressures of the EFL, and he will be viewed, down the line, as a costly mishap.

It’s not just new signings who have failed to settle up top, however, with Birmingham’s usually dependable number 28 in Stansfield also misplacing his shooting boots.

His last three outings in the cup and league have seen goals pass him by, with just 69 touches coming his way across those clashes, as the ex-Fulham youngster recedes into his shell.

Davies does have Marvin Ducksch as an alternative option in this department, but he will surely be resentful of Birmingham’s decision in the summer to part ways with this EFL-experienced marksman, who is now outperforming both Kyogo and Stansfield.

Kyogo & Stansfield being outperformed by ex-Blue

An unfortunate consequence of promotion glory is the rash decision-making that follows, as certain individuals are cast aside for flashier purchases who they hope will star in the league above.

In all fairness, there was plenty of logic behind Birmingham’s decision to part ways with electric goal machine Alfie May this summer, considering the hard-working veteran has never fired home a goal in the challenging Championship across his lower-league career to date.

Still, unwanted records like that are meant to be broken, and with May fresh off a promotion-winning return of 16 goals and eight assists in the third tier, Birmingham might well have been better placed to persevere with their experienced 32-year-old and see what he could do if given a chance up a league.

Birmingham’s loss has ended up being Huddersfield Town’s gain, though, with the brand-new Terriers number 26 now outperforming both Kyogo and Stansfield, situated back in League One, as he prepares to be yet another driving force for a side attempting to push back into the EFL’s elite division.

Games played

6

Games started

4

Mins per game

64 mins

Goals scored

2

Assists

2

Shots per game

2.4

Big chances missed

2

When looking at the table above, in league action for Lee Grant’s men this season, May boasts one more goal involvement than both the Englishman and the Japan international, with those four goals and assists coming about despite making just four starts.

His ability to be a “wonderful” option from off the bench – as he was once labelled by ex-boss Nathan Jones – would certainly boost Birmingham right now, with Davies no doubt now growing impatient with the wasteful displays of both Stansfield and Kyogo.

Of course, there’s no guarantee May would come back into the fold and be an instant success in such a daunting division.

But, there are certainly worse shouts out there, as Davies now tries to get his team firing again to ensure they don’t slide down the competitive league even more.

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Danny Rohl has at last been confirmed as the new manager of Scottish Premiership side Rangers. The former Sheffield Wednesday boss, who had previously ruled himself out of the running, has succeeded Russell Martin in the hotseat in Glasgow. Rohl will take charge of Rangers for the first time on Thursday night when they take on SK Brann in the Europa League.

Rangers finally get their man

Rangers' hunt for a new manager has been anything but simple following Martin's departure after a dismal start to the new campaign in Scotland. Rohl initially rejected the chance to join the club, while Steven Gerrard also turned down the opportunity to head back to Glasgow for another stint as boss, having delivered the club's first Permiership title in a full decade back in 2020-21. Former Rangers defender Kevin Muscat was also mentioned as a possible option for the Gers, but talks over a move broke down, and it's now been made official that Rohl is the club's new first-team coach.

A club statement read: "Rangers Football Club today confirms the appointment of Danny Rohl as men’s first-team head coach. Rohl was most recently in charge of Sheffield Wednesday, and now joins Rangers on an initial two-and-a-half-year deal."

In theory, the 36-year-old German has until the end of the 2027-28 season.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportRohl says 'no time to waste' at Rangers

Even after previously turning the role down, Rohl has spoken already of his pride at taking over at Rangers and is eager to get down to work.

He told the club's website "It is a huge privilege to be taking on the role of head coach at such an incredible club, recognised around the world. I know it has been a difficult start to the season, but there is still so much to play for in four competitions, and my staff and I will give it everything to reward the supporters and the club. We have no time to waste, we start straight away.

"I respect that trust is earned and understand we have to give the supporters confidence in what we are doing by showing it on the pitch from the start. The expectations are huge and I love this challenge because I set high standards for myself and the team too. I'm looking forward to meeting the squad and getting down to work ahead of Thursday’s game away to Brann."

Rangers in need of big boost

Rohl takes over a Rangers side that has somehow managed just one win from eight Scottish Premiership games so far this season. The Glasgow giants have taken just nine points from a dreadful start to the new campaign and are just three points above bottom side Livingston. 

Rohl arrives after departing Sheffield Wednesday in the summer by mutual consent. He successfully avoided relegation twice with the struggling club and also finished 12th in the Championship. He will now be charged with turning around the team's fortunes and can also call on previous coaching experience with RB Leipzig, Southampton, Bayern Munich and Germany.

Rangers chairman Andrew Cavenagh is confident he's got the right man for the job. He told the club media: "Danny's experience at elite level, in high-pressure environments, makes him a strong fit for what we expect here. We know the past few months have been challenging, but our focus has always been on getting the right person, who is ready to immediately embrace this football club and the demands that come with it. Danny impressed us with his vision, his character, and his understanding of what Rangers stands for. We believe he can help restore pride, momentum, and ultimately success."

Sporting director Kevin Thelwell added: "Danny has the qualities required to succeed here, allied with being an exceptional coach. He has worked in some of the most demanding football environments in the world, where winning is the only expectation, and we believe that background has prepared him for Rangers."

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Getty Images SportEuropa League awaits Rohl first up

Rohl kicks off his tenure at Rangers in the Europa League against Brann and will be hoping to guide his team to their first points in the competition after starting off with disappointing defeats to Sturm Graz and Genk. Rangers then go on to face Kilmarnock and Hibernian in the league before a crunch clash against bitter rivals Celtic in the semi-finals of the Scottish League Cup.

Leeds United bolstered their options in the centre-forward position in the summer transfer window by swooping to sign Dominic Calvert-Lewin on a free transfer.

The former England international was available after his Everton contract ran out at the end of June, and the Whites moved to add some Premier League experience to their squad.

Calvert-Lewin scored three goals and missed 16 ‘big chances’ in the top-flight for the Toffees in the 2024/25 campaign, per Sofascore, which means that he was a risky signing for Leeds after such a dismal year in front of goal.

So far, the English striker has scored one goal and missed four ‘big chances’ in five appearances in the Premier League for the Whites this term, which suggests that he is on course for similar struggles in the final third.

Daniel Farke will be hoping that the experienced number nine can turn his form around and start to finish the high-quality chances that will come his way.

Leeds may need a reliable and consistent Premier League striker to fire them to safety this season, which is why it remains a source of regret that the club were unable to sign Erling Haaland many years ago.

The story of how Leeds United almost signed Erling Haaland

When the Norway international, who is now a superstar at Manchester City, was 17 years old and playing for Moldes, Leeds came incredibly close to bringing him to Elland Road.

Agent Hayden Evans once revealed that he offered Haaland to Victor Orta, the sporting director of the Whites at the time, and brought the young striker and his family over to Thorp Arch.

He added: “They were in the middle of a first-team session and [Thomas] Christiansen at the time stopped the session and came over to Erling, hugged him and talked about football – that went really well – and Christiansen was impressive, frankly.”

Evans also revealed that Orta had a Leeds shirt with Haaland’s name on the back, and that the teenage forward was keen to make the move because he was a Leeds supporter at the time, having been born in the city.

However, the agent claimed that the deal broke down because Molde wanted £4m for the Norwegian talent and the Whites were unable to commit to that amount of money in the Championship, whilst Orta’s idea for Juventus to sign and then loan him to West Yorkshire did not go through either.

Since then, Haaland has scored 94 goals in 104 Premier League matches and 52 goals in 50 appearances in the Champions League in his career, per Transfermarkt, to become one of the best attackers in world football.

What Leeds would give to have a player of his quality in their bid to avoid relegation from the top-flight this season. Although, if they had signed him at the age of 17 and he progressed as he did with Molde, RB Salzburg, and Borussia Dortmund, the Whites may not have had him on their books for long.

The West Yorkshire outfit, however, produced an incredibly valuable young talent who was then compared to the brutish centre-forward from their academy in Archie Gray.

Leeds hit the jackpot with Archie Gray

Leeds hit the jackpot with the English youngster after he rose through the ranks at Thorp Arch before emerging as a key player under Farke in the 2023/24 campaign.

The Whites did not have to deal with a selling club wanting millions of pounds for Gray, as Molde did with Haaland, because he spent his entire academy career with the club, which meant that the versatile star did not cost them a penny.

He made 11 appearances for the U18s and 26 appearances for the U21s before Farke decided to make him a permanent member of the first-team squad at the age of 17, the same age that Haaland was when he came close to a move to West Yorkshire.

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Along with making a breakthrough in first-team football at a similar age, the English starlet was also compared to the Manchester City star by journalist Phil Hay.

Ahead of the 2023/24 campaign, the reporter said: “Archie Gray, he just seems to come from the genetically modified school of Erling Haaland. Every time you see him he gets taller and bigger. He looks like he’s about 25 when he’s actually 17. He’s just physically amazing and also technically very good.”

Farke clearly saw the same things that Hay saw from the teenage prospect, because the 2023/24 campaign was Gray’s breakthrough season in the first-team.

The 17-year-old wonderkid started 40 of his 44 appearances in the Championship that term, whilst he has also started all three of the club’s play-off games, including the final against Southampton at Wembley.

Appearances

44

Starts

40

Assists

2

Tackles + interceptions per game

2.8

Ball recoveries per game

4.5

Duel success rate

55%

Dribble success rate

57%

As you can see in the table above, Gray held his own from a physical perspective, winning 55% of his duels, which backs up Hay’s comments about his physique.

The Whites hit the jackpot with the England U21 international, who came through their academy system, because Farke was willing to put his faith in the youngster to start week-in-week-out at right-back as a 17 and 18-year-old.

As a result of the platform that the manager provided him with, Gray’s performances in the Championship at such a young age led to him sealing a big-money move away from Elland Road in the summer of 2024.

Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur swooped in to sign the English youngster for a fee of £30m, which meant that Leeds made a £30m profit on a player they did not have to pay a fee to sign at academy level.

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Therefore, the Whites struck gold with Gray because they developed a £30m talent from their academy system in an era where homegrown players can sometimes have their pathways blocked by expensive signings from other clubs.

The PCB has quietened speculation about wholesale changes to the current selection committee, with four of the five men retaining their posts. These are Azhar Ali, Asad Shafiq, Aaqib Javed and former umpire Aleem Dar.The only change is Usman Hashmi replacing Hassan Cheema as the data analyst. Unlike Cheema, Hashmi will not be a voting member and will only assist the selection committee.Reports of significant changes, or even a complete disbanding, of the committee were widespread enough for the PCB to issue a statement denying it. Notably, the statement also appeared to open the door for the head coach and the captain to begin having a say – if not an explicit voting right – on matters of selection. “The selection committee is bound to discuss with the head coach and captain of [the respective] formats before finalising the team,” the statement said.In October, when the selection committee was announced, the PCB revoked the captain and coach’s right to vote on selection matters, leading to some frustration. It was given voice most notably by Jason Gillespie, Pakistan’s Test coach then, who complained he had been reduced to the role of “match-day analyst”, stating it was “not what [he had] signed up for”. Both he and white-ball coach Gary Kirsten exited in the following weeks.That there was no significant change to the committee is almost notable in itself, given the frequency with which the PCB has changed the selectors in recent years. Since August 2021, Pakistan has used 26 different selectors for the men’s national side.Pakistan’s next international assignment is in July, when they travel to Bangladesh for a T20I series.

Experienced pair add 225 for the fourth wicket to guard against prospect of defeat

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay 25-Jun-2025

Colin Ingram produced another vital rearguard•Getty Images

Centuries from Sam Northeast and Colin Ingram saw Glamorgan save the draw in batting-friendly conditions in their Rothesay County Championship second division match against Leicestershire at the UptonSteel County Ground.The experienced pair put together a partnership of 225, a fourth-wicket record for Glamorgan against the Foxes. Northeast, who made 410 not out on this ground three years ago, now holds three different wicket record partnerships for Glamorgan against Leicestershire.Leicestershire remain well clear at the top of the second division after taking 16 points from the game, with Glamorgan taking 13 points and remaining third in the table, the result of the match between Gloucestershire and Derbyshire at Bristol notwithstanding.Resuming with the score on 131 for 3, Northeast and Ingram continued to bat in exactly the same manner which had seen them bat through the final session on day three, which is to say with the calm assurance that comes when from facing a softish ball on an benign pitch baked into submission by three days of hot sun and warm wind.Leicestershire’s bowlers stuck at their task, bowling straight and making the batsmen play, but struggled to flog any sort of response from the pitch, with the bat being beaten perhaps three times over the two hour period. Ingram, 37 not out overnight, went to his half-century off 121 deliveries, Northeast reaching his century off 186 deliveries, 11 of which he hit to the boundary.The new ball, eagerly – perhaps desperately – anticipated by the Leicestershire faithful – made little difference, initially at any rate, but Northeast, on 139, finally lost patience and tried to loft the left-arm spin of Trevaskis to the long-on boundary. He didn’t get all of it and Sam Wood, at 20 making his first first-class appearance of the season, sprinted back from mid-on and took an outstanding catch as the ball dropped over his shoulder.Ingram was unmoved, proceeding serenely to his century – also a second of the season – off 246 deliveries, but had a remarkable escape on 103 when he pulled a Ben Green delivery hard and high to the square leg boundary. A leaping Logan van Beek made the catch as he fell backwards over the rope, lobbing the ball back into play as he did so, but over-balanced as he tried to step back over the rope, had to knock the ball up again, and diving forward, could not hold the ball at the third attempt.Glamorgan did lose Ben Kellaway, top-edging an attempted pull at Green to give Wood a more straightward catch on the leg-side, and Ingram, then on 121, may have had another escape in the over before tea, when Leicestershire were convinced he had been caught at short leg off Trevaskis. Umpire Rob White disagreed.One more wicket was to fall, Rishi Patel seeing Chris Cooke push his leg-side delivery firmly but straight at Sol Budinger at short leg, who held on at the second attempt. It was Patel’s maiden first class wicket. At the close Ingram remained unbeaten on 133, having faced 308 deliveries, an impressive effort on the part of the 39-year-old South African. Like Northeast, he seems to enjoy batting against Leicestershire, having made his career-best 257 not out against the Foxes at Cardiff last year.

Manchester United have always had some of the best young talents in English football on their books. Of course, a lot of that has come from their academy, dating back to the Busby Babes and the Class of ‘92, and, more recently, the likes of Marcus Rashford and Kobbie Mainoo.

Yet, that does not mean United’s teen talents are always homegrown. Gerard Pique, for example, was a teenager when he first moved to Old Trafford.

However, the most famous examples of highly-rated teen stars at United who weren’t graduates of their esteemed academy are certainly Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney.

Rooney and Ronaldo’s stats as teenagers at United

Rooney and Ronaldo joined United a year apart, with the former signing after Euro 2004, and the latter joining one summer prior, in August 2003.

They instantly struck up a deadly partnership at Old Trafford.

Those early days, when the pair were still teenagers, were extraordinary. Despite their age and relative lack of experience, both youngsters took to playing for United like a duck to water.

Despite linking up for 27 goals in the 205 they played together, it might come as a surprise to learn that they only combined once when they were both teenagers, as per Transfermarkt.

That particular strike was Rooney’s iconic effort against Liverpool, teed up by Ronaldo, which saw United win the game.

Individually, they racked up strong numbers for United before turning 20. The Red Devils’ all-time leading goalscorer found the back of the net 21 times as a teenager for the club.

As for Ronaldo, the Portuguese legend fired home 11 goals for United before his 20th birthday.

There is certainly a strong case to be made that United have not had a teen talent as exciting as either Rooney or Ronaldo since the pair turned 20.

However, one of their current players could certainly fit the bill.

The United teen as exciting as Rooney and Ronaldo

The former United duo showed in the early 2000s exactly what it takes to shine for United as a teenager. The bravery and intensity with which you must play, and the pressure you must cope with, can make things tough.

Well, one member of the current United squad who seems to manage those demands well is 19-year-old Frenchman Leny Yoro. The centre-back has shone during his time at the club so far, with Statman Dave going as far as calling him a “generational” player.

After recovering from an ankle injury he picked up last preseason, the former Lille youngster has cemented his place in Ruben Amorim’s starting lineup at Old Trafford.

He’s now played 40 games for the club, with his first goal coming last season in the Europa League against Lyon.

The assured defender has tended to operate on the right-hand side of Amorim’s back three. Analyst H, who works for The Overlap, said he is a perfect fit to play that role due to how “athletic” he is, praising his defensive work in the channels.

But, it is not just the 19-year-old’s off-the-ball work that makes him such an exciting talent. His progressive numbers are a huge standout, particularly when carrying the ball.

Over the last year, he ranks in the top 6% of centre-backs in Europe’s big five leagues for progressive carries, averaging 1.74 actions per 90 minutes.

Pass accuracy

91.3%

86th

Progressive passes

3.67

58th

Progressive carries

1.74

94th

Tackles

1.91

80th

Interceptions

1.32

75th

There is no doubting that Yoro is an exciting talent. At just 19 years of age, he’s cemented himself as a key player in United’s starting lineup, showcasing excellent progressive attributes and intelligent and athletic defending.

It is certainly exciting when a club strikes gold on a talented teenager from outside of the academy.

The last two players to really fit into the bracket are surely Rooney and Ronaldo, but in Yoro, it feels as though they have someone else who can be put into that conversation.

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Another European away trip ends in frustration for Celtic, with Brendan Rodgers’ side held to a 1-1 draw by Red Star Belgrade on Wednesday evening to mark a mixed start to their latest Europa League adventure.

There were no doubt echoes of Kairat about the first-half in Belgrade, with the visitors left with little to show for their dominance in possession, having also been forced to rely on the brilliance of Kasper Schmeichel to keep the home side at bay.

A rather uneventful opening 45 – excluding that stunning save from the veteran Dane – was subsequently followed by a far more exciting second period, with the introduction of summer signing, Kelechi Iheanacho, finally sparking the Hoops into life.

It was to be the experienced Nigerian who ultimately broke the deadlock for the Scottish champions with a tidy close range finish, albeit with another man of Premier League years past – Marko Arnautovic – reducing the arrears just ten minutes later.

There was to be no further breakthrough from either side, ensuring Rodgers will be left to ponder what he could have done differently following a Jekyll and Hyde display from his Glasgow outfit.

Iheanacho provides solution to Maeda problem

It isn’t exactly a new opinion to suggest that Celtic’s summer business was far from perfect. Indeed, even the positives – such as the arrival of Sebastian Tounekti – need to be scrutinised, particularly amid the stockpiling of talent on the left flank.

With the injured Jota already onboard, Rodgers and co have since added two players who predominantly operate off the left, in the form of Michel-Ange Balikwisha and Tounekti, the latter of whom opened his account against Partick Thistle at the weekend.

Such reinforcements have left the Celtic boss with a headache to solve regarding last season’s talisman, Daizen Maeda, with the 33-goal star subsequently relocated into the vacant number nine berth on Wednesday night.

Minutes

45

45

Touches

7

14

Goals

0

1

Pass accuracy

75%

88%

Key passes

0

0

Shots

0

3

Total duels won

0

0

Possession lost

2

3

Offside

2

0

While no stranger to that role, the Japanese speedster almost had an air of a player who didn’t want to be there, having regularly been too slow in getting himself back onside. In all, he made just seven touches, and failed to win a single duel, as per Sofascore, in what was a simply anonymous 45-minute outing.

For all the talk of desperation surrounding the addition of Iheanacho, the one-time Leicester City looked like an instant upgrade following his entrance at the break, having linked play so effectively again, as he did on Sunday.

Despite seeing two efforts denied by the impressive figure of Matheus in the opposing goal, the 28-year-old’s eventual goal was one of pure poise and composure, expertly receiving Benjamin Nygren’s pass before curling the ball home with ease.

It is still early days, although the free transfer signing already looks like he could have forced his way into Rodgers’ starting lineup. Elsewhere, however, his new teammate Reo Hatate looks to have played his way out of it…

One Celtic star's dismal display in numbers

There’s no getting away from what was a forgettable performance from Maeda in Belgrade, albeit with the makeshift striker getting little in the way of support from his teammates, with chances at a premium in that uninspiring first half.

Among those toiling behind him was his compatriot, Hatate, with the 27-year-old looking bizarrely lax and laboured in the centre of the park, prior to his withdrawal just after the hour mark.

As ever, there was purpose to Callum McGregor’s play at the base of the midfield, while new man Nygren was an effective link between that central trio and the attacking unit, creating three ‘big chances’ and completing 100% of his attempted dribbles.

The elegant Swede was the creative hub in the second half, in particular, although on the opposite side, Hatate’s influence continued to wane, having been unable to provide a single key pass all night.

Not only did he lose 50% of his total duels, but the former Kawasaki Frontale star also lost possession on 13 occasions, at a rate of once every 3.3 touches.

Wasteful and slack on the ball, it was no surprise to see Celtic’s number 41 eventually hooked heading into the closing stages, with perhaps now the time for Rodgers to hand a regular role to Arne Engels – or Paulo Bernardo – instead in that central role.

Yes, as he showcased with his August stunner against Aberdeen, Hatate is capable of a magic moment when at his best. Sadly, however, those moments appear to now be few and far between, with just one goal and no assists from his eight outings in 2025/26 thus far.

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With Engels and Bernardo waiting in the wings, it begs the question as to why Rodgers hasn’t been tempted to alter that midfield pecking order in recent weeks. Perhaps after last night’s showing, that situation might well have changed…

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The amount of talent Manchester United have produced from their academy over the years has been astronomical. Of course, you can go as far back as the days of the Busby Babes, the start of the Premier League era, where the Class of ‘92 burst onto the scene, or more recently, when Paul Pogba and Marcus Rashford flew the flag for the academy.

Nowadays, Kobbie Mainoo is the only academy graduate to have truly established himself in the first team. That, in many ways, is a sad reflection of the current state of the club, which once prided itself on homegrown stars.

Yet, a few academy players are on the fringes of the first-team squad, with one of the most prominent ones being Chido Obi.

Chido Obi’s Man United career so far

When the Red Devils secured the signing of Obi last summer following his departure from Arsenal, it was a move that piqued the interest of many. The 17-year-old joined United with a huge reputation in academy football.

His record at youth level is phenomenal. For United’s under-18s, he has 12 goals in 10 games, and for the under-21s, five goals in eight. During his time at Arsenal, the Denmark youth international bagged 32 goals in just 21 matches for the Gunners’ under-18s side.

With that record in mind, it was probably not a surprise that Obi made his first-team debut for United last season. Although he’s yet to play this season, the 17-year-old has already notched up eight appearances. He also scored twice for the first-team on their post-season tour at the end of 2024/25.

One man who knows a thing or two about being a top-level striker is Alan Shearer. The Premier League’s all-time top goalscorer was impressed with the youngster after his FA Cup efforts against Fulham last season. Shearer said, “I like what I see from Obi”, and described him as a “handful” for defenders.

Obi is certainly an exciting talent and another graduate of United’s academy. However, he is not the only top attacker coming through the ranks at Carrington.

Man Utd may have their next Wayne Rooney

Although under Ruben Amorim, the number of academy graduates involved in the first team has greatly decreased, there is still a pathway available. Obi’s rise through the ranks has certainly proved that.

Well, perhaps next on that path could be 17-year-old forward Amir Ibragimov. The versatile attacker can operate in midfield as a number eight, a number 10, and play on both flanks. He’s certainly left a big impression after his performances for the academy.

Ibragimov has an impressive record of 11 goals and nine assists in 33 games in the under-18s Premier League. The 2024/25 season was his first full campaign in the competition, and he chalked up 14 goals and assists in 22 games.

Ibragimov’s record in U18s Premier League
Season	Games	Goals and assists
2022/23	5	1
2023/24	2	1
2024/25	22	14
2025/26	4	4
Stats from Transfermarkt

One of the biggest compliments paid to Ibragimov came from Mail journalists Nathan Salt and Isaan Khan. They compared the United youngster to one of their all-time greats, Wayne Rooney, due to “his vision and his ability to pick a pass in attack”, which is high praise indeed.

Of course, replicating what Rooney did in that famous Red shirt will not be easy. Yet, the 17-year-old has “dangerous” attacking ability, according to Antonio Mango, and can make a real impact in the final third, as his numbers show.

There could be a long way to go before we might see Ibragimov show similarities to Rooney in the first-team. But the way he has performed for the Red Devils’ academy certainly bodes well for the future.

Perhaps he can soon follow in Obi’s path and break into the senior side. If he is half as successful as Rooney was for United, Ibragimov will have had an impressive career.

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Chelsea ran out dominant 3-0 winners against Nottingham Forest in the Premier League on Saturday lunchtime.

Enzo Maresca’s side put in a dominant second-half performance against a flailing Forest outfit to leave the City Ground with all three points.

The first 45 minutes went by without too many notable moments, but it took Chelsea just four minutes into the second half to break the deadlock. Young centre-back Josh Acheampong was the man who found the back of the net, rising highest to head a Pedro Neto cross home.

The Portuguese winger got himself on the scoresheet to double the Blues’ lead. His effort came from a set-piece, with Chelsea skipper Reece James rolling it into a path for Neto to run on to. He did just that and smashed the ball home through a packed penalty area.

Chelsea’s third came through their captain, James. He marked his 200th game for his boyhood club with a sweetly-struck first-time volley.

He latched onto a loose ball from a Chelsea corner and fired home to cap off a wonderful team effort.

It was certainly a good afternoon’s work in the East Midlands for the Blues. As well as Chelsea performed, however, a few of their players did struggle. Alejandro Garnacho was one of those.

Garnacho’s stats vs. Forest

Life at Stamford Bridge has not started in the easiest fashion for Argentine winger Garnacho. He is still yet to find the back of the net or grab an assist. His showing against Forest was a continuation of a poor start in Blue.

The former Manchester United player struggled to pose much of a threat down the left wing. Coming directly up against Neco Williams, he didn’t really drive at the Welshman enough, and his crossing certainly left a lot to be desired.

Garnacho’s stats from the game show just how much of a disappointing performance it was from the 21-year-old. He had just 18 touches and completed seven passes, without even creating a chance. The winger also failed to register a shot.

As a result of his poor showing, Garnacho was hooked off at half-time. The Chelsea number 49 certainly didn’t impress, with Goal journalist Matthew Judge giving him a 4/10 for his efforts.

The journalist noted that he was ‘unable to get into the game’ throughout.

Chalkboard

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It was another below-par performance from Garnacho, who has not yet managed to show his best in a Chelsea shirt. However, there was another of Maresca’s side today who was arguably worse.

The Chelsea player who was worse than Garnacho

Maresca, who was banned from the touchline and had to watch the game from the stands, might have been disappointed with some of the showings from his side in the first 45 minutes.

That is why, for example, Garnacho was taken off at the break.

Another talented youngster who only completed the first half of the game was Brazilian midfielder Andrey Santos. Operating higher up the pitch today, the 21-year-old looked a little at sea and didn’t have the creative influence he may have wanted.

Santos, who hails from Rio de Janeiro, has excelled as a number eight for Chelsea, where he can drive forward and create from slightly deeper. Today, that attacking nous was missing, and he put a golden chance wide in the first half.

Judge also seemed to think that Santos underperformed against the men in Garibaldi Red. He gave him the same rating as Garnacho, a 4/10. It was certainly a tough day at the office for the young midfielder.

The numbers suggest that he was even worse than his Argentine teammate, too.

For example, Santos had a passing accuracy of just 55% and failed to complete a dirbble.

Santos & Garnacho key stats compared

Stat

Santos

Garnacho

Touches

23

18

Passes completed

6

7

Number of times ball lost

6

6

Duels won

4/7

4/5

Ball recoveries

3

2

Stats from Sofascore

This is a performance that Santos will want to put behind him quickly. He showed just how good he is last season on loan at Strasbourg, with 12 goals and five assists from midfield. Those are the sorts of performances he’ll be looking for next time out.

It will be fascinating to see if Maresca selects him from the start in the Blues’ next game, a Champions League clash with Ajax at Stamford Bridge.

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