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      Blackburn forced to pull plug on transfer with player left stranded while flying across the Atlantic Ocean

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      BLACKBURN’S transfer deadline day plans were thrown into chaos by a late snag in Adam Wharton’s move to Crystal Palace.The young midfielder spent the day in South London on Wednesday but his £22million switch almost stalled at the last minute.
      Blackburn ace Adam Wharton’s move to Crystal Palace almost stalledCredit: Getty
      Blackburn had to pull the plug on Orlando City star Duncan McGuireCredit: ©Icon Sportswire (A Division of XML Team Solutions) All Rights Reserved
      It has been ironed out now and the deal is expected to be finalised later today.
      However, it meant cash-strapped Rovers had to pull the plug on their own £2m swoop for Orlando City forward Duncan McGuire.
      The striker was en route to the UK when he was informed the deal was off – and is now in England waiting for news.
      Sheffield Wednesday are also interested in signing McGuire.
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      The 22-year-old’s career kicked off in 2022 when he joined Lane United.
      The USA international then moved to Orlando a year later where he started to turn heads in the MLS.
      The centre-forward has since amassed a total of 15 goals and three assists in 37 appearances.
      The American has also been capped once with the national team.
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      And McGuire’s impressive performances have earned him a place in the United States’ Olympic team playing in Paris 2024 this summer.
      Blackburn are 18th in the Championship table with eight points separating them from the danger zone.
      Sheffield Wednesday are currently in the relegation zone three points adrift of safety. More

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      Leicester manager Enzo Maresca threatens to WALK OUT of club despite being ten points clear at top of Championship

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      LEICESTER CITY manager Enzo Maresca threatened he will walk away from the club if Foxes fans do not want his brand of football.Maresca has led the Foxes to the top of the Championship – where they hold a ten-point lead over Ipswich Town.
      Enzo Maresca warned Leicester fans he will quit the club if his tactics are not appreciatedCredit: Getty

      But despite looking certs to return to the Premier League at the first time of asking, the Italian coach’s methodical, possession-based tactics have not always gone down well with the King Power Stadium supporters.
      Following Tuesday night’s 3-1 win over Swansea, Maresca made his feelings known after hearing groans among fans as they tried to build on an early lead.
      He said: “I came to this club to play with this idea.
      “The moment there is some doubt about the idea, I will leave the day after, it’s so clear.
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      “You can feel the fans when they’re not happy, some people take things for granted.”
      Maresca joined Leicester in the summer after working with Pep Guardiola at Manchester City.
      The gaffer – who hopes to land Inter Milan and Italy midfielder Stefano Sensi before the transfer window closes – added: “We have won 26 of 34 games this season, unbelievable, a huge number. 
      “The only thing I can say is that people think it’s easy, but it’s not.
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      “Hopefully we can give our fans the right joy at the end of the season.”
      Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall opened the scoring on Tuesday night inside three minutes despite transfer speculation linking him with a big-money move back to the Premier League.
      Brighton are very keen on the midfielder while Arsenal and Brentford continue to monitor the situation.
      However, the Seagulls were put off making a late January deal with the Foxes demanding more than £35million for their academy graduate who is leading the club’s goalscoring and assists charts this term.
      Leicester face Bournemouth in the FA Cup fifth round after the 2021 winners saw off Championship opponents Millwall and Birmingham to reach the last 16.
      Leicester City’s Results & Fixtures
      LAST FIVE GAMES

      Won 3-2 vs Millwall (A) – FA Cup
      Lost 3-1 vs Coventry (A) – Championship
      Drew 1-1 vs Ipswich (H) – Championship
      Won 3-0 vs Birmingham (H) – FA Cup
      Won 3-1 vs Swansea (H) – Championship

      NEXT FIVE GAMES

      Swansea (A) – Sat 3 Feb, Championship
      Watford (A) – Sat 10 Feb, Championship
      Sheff Weds (H) – Tue 13 Feb, Championship
      Middlesbrough (H) – Sat 17 Feb, Championship
      Leeds (A) – Fri 23 Feb, Championship More

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      Ex-EFL club disgusts fans with new badge that ‘looks like GCSE student made it’ as it’s compared to Leeds disasterclass

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      YEOVIL TOWN have unveiled their new club badge – and the world of social media has slammed it.The new crest will be used from the 2024/25 season, and fans have compared it to Leeds United’s failed rebrand.
      Yeovil Town’s new club badge
      This new logo will replace the historic emblemed crestCredit: Handout
      Yeovil are currently on course to bounce back into the National League, commanding a ten point led over second place Worthing.
      The former Championship side were relegated to the National League South last season, but their performances have impressed boss Mark Cooper.
      However, their PR team was lampooned by fans who have taken a strong dislike to the new logo.
      The club said the new identity ‘pays homage to our rich footballing tradition’ and ‘honours the glove-making heritage’ of the town.
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      The latest design has removed the “achieve by unity” banner and replaced the iconic lions with pair of gloves holding a football up.
      Yeovil are nicknamed the Glovers, which is a reference to the history of glove-making in the town during the 18th and 19th centuries.
      Despite the black and white video’s attempts of bringing a feeling of nostalgia and tradition, fans were left fuming.
      One supporter wrote: “That badge looks like it took 2 minutes to make by a GCSE student.”
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      A second said: “What on earth is this? You must be joking.”
      A third added: “Let’s be frank, it’s awful. At least ask for the fans opinions first.”
      Another wrote: “Delete and rethink. This is not a club badge. You are chucking away a lot of history for very little gain.”
      In fact, their new crest has brought back memories of the disastrous rebrand Leeds attempted in 2018.
      The former Premier League side was forced into a humiliating U-turn after their new badge was met with backlash.
      Supporters set up a petition to have it revoked, which gained 72,000 signatures.
      Pontus Jansson, who was the side’s centre-half at the time, reacted to the badge in state of “shock” on social media.
      Meanwhile, cricket star and Leeds-born Jonny Bairstow labelled it “absolutely shocking”.
      Leeds United’s proposed badge was scraped after they were met with backlash from fans More

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      Former Premier League stadium given bizarre new name and fans LOVE it as they predict ‘proper comeback’

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      BIRMINGHAM CITY have announced a new name for their stadium.The ground, currently called St Andrew’s, will now get a new name thanks to a multi-million pound naming agreement.
      Birmingham City are re-naming St Andrew’sCredit: Rex
      The club have announced they will be re-naming the stadium as St. Andrew’s @ Knighthead Park.
      The club have agreed the naming rights with their co-owners Shelby Companies Ltd, which is majority owned by Knighthead Annuity and Life Insurance company.
      The company – known collectively as Knighthead – bought a controlling stake in the club last year and have now expanded their relationship with Birmingham by announcing the new deal.
      The agreement will see not only the name of the stadium changed but also the training ground.
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      The Birmingham training ground will now be known as the “The Knighthead Training and Academy Grounds.”
      While the deal also includes a “fan entertainment zone” which will be built on club property for fans to enjoy.
      All three changes are expected to be competed by the end of the current Championship season.
      And the club have announced that Kingthead Park is just the “first step” in a plan to built a “sports quarter” in the heart of Birmingham in the future.
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      Fans are encouraged by the partnership which will see almost £10m per year paid to the club for every full year of the deal.
      Some took to social media to share their opinions, with one writing: “Birmingham City have just entered ‘serious club’ territory.”
      A second added: “Feels like we could become a proper comeback story.”
      While another wrote: “This is fantastic news. Owners on another level and us the fans, the club and the city itself are lucky to have them. Good times are coming…”
      And a fourth posted: “Absolutely great news somebody pinch me.”
      Birmingham also announced that Knighthead would be donating £100,000 per year to the Birmingham City Football Club Foundation from the 2024/25 season onwards.
      The club have seen things change massively since the original investment from the group in July last year.
      Knighthead’s investors include NFL legend Tom Brady who has made himself known around the club and shown up to support the Blues on multiple occasions.
      However things on the pitch haven’t quite been following suit.
      Birmingham sacked manager John Eustace earlier this season to bring in Wayne Rooney as the new gaffer.
      But the former Manchester United icon’s spell in charge was absolutely disastrous.
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      Rooney’s side won just two of his 15 games as gaffer and the 38-year-old was sacked after just 84 days in the dugout.
      The club now face an uphill battle to avoid an exit from the Championship as they flirt with the relegation zone in 20th place with new manager Tony Mowbray at the helm.
      NFL legend Tom Brady has invested in Birmingham CityCredit: PA
      Wayne Rooney was sacked after a nightmare spell as Birmingham bossCredit: Getty
      Tony Mowbray is now the man in chargeCredit: Reuters More

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      Neil Warnock hints at stunning management return after snubbing ‘tempting’ offers following Huddersfield exit

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      NEIL WARNOCK has turned down several offers to return to management.The 75-year-old has been out of work since leaving Huddersfield in September.
      Neil Warnock left Huddersfield eight games into this seasonCredit: Getty
      Warnock was replaced by Darren Moore eight games into this season, with the former West Brom boss having already been sacked by the Terriers this week.
      Veteran boss Warnock has not ruled out returning to the dugout before the end of the season, should the right opportunity arise.
      Asked by The Athletic if he’d received any offers since leaving the John Smith’s Stadium, he said: “Oh, aye, there’s been a few of those.
      “Two or three came in October-November, almost straight away. Then, there’s been a couple more during the last couple of weeks.”
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      On what sort of job would tempt him back, Warnock added: “I’ve had everything from Championship through to League Two, there were tempting offers among them.
      “But I also fancied having that time with the family for Christmas and also my 75th.
      “Then, if something cropped up in February, maybe we’d have a look at that.”
      Having been out of work for the last four months, Warnock has been able to spend plenty of time with his family in Cornwall.
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      On how his wife Sharon has felt about him being around more, Warnock joked: “There have been moments, yes, when she’d gladly have sent me back to work. I’m a bit thick about anything but football.
      “At times, I must frustrate the hell out of not just Sharon but the kids as well.
      “They all say I’m messy, or no use round the house. I can just about change a plug, but that’s about as far as I go.
      “Nothing else. So, yeah, she’s probably ready. But it will have to be something that really interests me, something to really get my teeth into.
      “I did think Manchester United might have come in by now — but not a peep!” More

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      Huddersfield next manager odds: Wayne Rooney and Neil Warnock amongst pack behind favourite Paul Heckingbottom

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      HUDDERSFIELD TOWN are in the market for another new manager having sacked Darren Moore.Moore was appointed Huddersfield boss back in September of last year after Neil Warnock left the club.
      Huddersfield are on the lookout for a new boss
      Warnock – who was a fan favourite after keeping the club in the division last season – is amongst the favourites to make a dramatic return to the John Smith’s Stadium.
      The Terriers won just three of the 23 games under Moore, leaving them one spot and three points clear of the relegation zone.
      He was relieved of his duties just three days before playing former club Sheffield Wednesday.
      And it’s Sheffield United boss Paul Heckingbottom who is the clear frontrunner with Sky Bet to replace Moore as the new Huddersfield boss.
      Heckingbottom was sacked as the Blades manager at the start of last month, though they’ve won just once since and been knocked out the FA Cup.
      Next Huddersfield manager oddsSky Bet odds

      Paul Heckingbottom 4/6
      Michael Duff 5/1
      John Eustace 6/1
      Neil Warnock 9/1
      Alex Neil 10/1
      John Mousinho 11/1
      Nathan Jones 12/1
      Wayne Rooney 14/1

      He’s 4/6 with the bookmaker to join Huddersfield, with ex-Swansea boss Michael Duff second favourite at 5/1.
      Duff was appointed Swans boss in the summer of last year and was sacked less than six months later.
      John Eustace is then 6/1, just ahead of Warnock who is 9/1, Alex Neil at 10/1 and John Mousinho who is 11/1.
      Nathan Jones is still looking for a return to management and is 12/1, with Wayne Rooney a 14/1 shot.
      Rooney will be looking to atone for his disastrous Birmingham spell, where he took over from Eustace with the Blues in the play off hunt before winning two of the next 15 matches and losing his job less than three months later.

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      Huddersfield sack Darren Moore after just four months with struggling club deep in relegation battle

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      DARREN MOORE has been sacked as manager of Huddersfield Town.Moore took over Huddersfield in September last year after Neil Warnock left the club.
      Huddersfield have parted ways with Darren MooreCredit: PA
      Moore’s final game as Huddersfield manager came in a 1-1 draw with QPR yesterday.
      The club sit precariously above the relegation zone in 21st place in The Championship.
      QPR are currently three points behind the Terriers and Moore said he was hopeful that the draw would be enough to keep him his job.
      When asked by Sky Sports after the game whether a point was enough, Moore said: “I hope so, we’ll see but I hope so. Hopefully he [Owner Kevin Nagle] saw with the performance today that the team was very, very committed, and hopefully he saw with his eyes that we should’ve won the game today.”
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      But the club have instead taken the opportunity to part ways with the former West Brom and Sheffield Wednesday manager and will begin their search for a successor immediately.
      The club cited Moore’s record as manager as part of their decision, which consisted of three wins, 11 draws and nine defeats.
      Nagle said in the club statement: “We have to make this decision to give us the best chance of maintaining our Sky Bet Championship status come the end of the season.
      “Darren is a fantastic man, and he has worked tirelessly since taking the job back in September. I know I speak for everyone at the club in wishing him the very best for the future.
      Most read in ChampionshipDarren Moore’s record in charge of Huddersfield

      3 Wins
      11 Draws
      9 Defeats

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      “We appointed Darren on the strength of his credentials as a manager, but it is now clear that this has not worked as we envisaged and hoped. There have absolutely been mitigating circumstances, such as the high number of injuries that Darren has had to cope with, but we have still not seen enough on the pitch in terms of results or the direction of travel in playing style and performances.
      “I believe that our current squad is capable of more, particularly on the back of the work we have carried out in this transfer window, and we’re quickly moving to identify the right person to lead them through a crucial period of the season. We hope to make that managerial appointment soon.”
      Chief Executive Jake Edwards also thanked Moore for his efforts in charge of the club.
      Edwards added: “I want to begin by echoing the Chairman’s comments in thanking Darren for his total commitment to the club during his time here.
      “This was not a decision that we made lightly, but we believe it is one that we had to take. We still have 17 games to be played this season, and that still gives us the chance to positively impact our results and position in the league table.
      “We’re looking for our next appointment to have a big short-term impact, but also to fit with our longer-term strategy of building an attack-minded, progressive style of football over a number of seasons.”
      While some Huddersfield fans on X (formerly known as Twitter) have suggested the club return to former manager and fan-favourite Neil Warnock, he is not among the current favourites to take the job.
      John Eustace, Nathan Jones and Gary Rowett have all been linked with taking over the Huddersfield hotseat.
      Huddersfield next manager odds (SkyBet)

      Paul Heckingbottom 4/6
      Michael Duff 5/1
      John Eustace 6/1
      Neil Warnock 9/1
      Alex Neil 10/1
      John Mousinho 11/1
      Nathan Jones 12/1
      Wayne Rooney 12/1 More

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      Meet five sacked managers this season who have quickly returned to the game – but will they be a success?

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      I WAS watching that hilarious episode of hit TV comedy Alan Partridge this week where he had written his autobiography Bouncing Back.It charted a so-called comeback from his disastrous broadcasting career and break-up from his wife.
      Tony Mowbray is hoping to help Birmingham recover from their failed Wayne Rooney experiment
      That got me thinking about football managers who have been sacked but bounced back.
      And this season there have been five bosses who have been shown the door – but have quickly returned into management.
      Here I take a quick look at those managers who are bouncing back.
      MICHAEL BEALE (Sunderland)
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      Michael Beale was axed by Rangers and is now under pressure at Sunderland
      IF you’re managing Rangers, and Celtic are above you in the table, you’re always standing on quicksand and he was duly slung out of Ibrox.
      But the Londoner – who walked out on QPR last season just weeks after pledging his devoted loyalty to them – took over at the Black Cats in December.
      Like Alan Partridge, his story might be quickly pulped if he loses his job at the Stadium of Light.
      Mackems fans were not impressed with the three straight defeats which was halted by Saturday’s vital 3-1 win against Stoke.
      TONY MOWBRAY (Birmingham)
      Talking of Sunderland, what the hell were they playing at in the first place by sacking Tony Mowbray?
      This affable man was doing a superb job for the Black Cats, getting them into the play-offs last season against the odds and had them punching around those spots again this time around.
      But he has landed himself into the self-inflicted chaos at St Andrew’s after they decided the Wayne Rooney project was not a good idea after all. No s**t Sherlock, John Eustace had them flying.
      Mowbray has won one and drawn the other of his two league games so far with his priority simply to just keep Birmingham up.  Groundhog Day for Blues fans.
      DARREN MOORE (Huddersfield)
      Darren Moore was axed on the eve of the season by Wednesday
      MADCAP Sheffield Wednesday owner Dejphon Chansiri decided to get rid of the manager who inspired his team to promotion on the eve of the season.
      Darren Moore had even helped his side come back from 4-0 down against Peterborough in the play-offs semi-finals en route!
      The ex-West Brom boss took over at Huddersfield but is hardly bouncing back and is on dodgy ground, managing three wins from 23 games so far.
      MATT TAYLOR (Bristol Rovers)
      HAVING done a decent job with Exeter, he got a big Championship break by being named Paul Warne’s replacement at Rotherham last season.
      Despite keeping the Millers in the second tier, they struggled this time around and he was booted out of the New York Stadium in November with the club third bottom. 
      But he swiftly replaced gobby Joey Barton following his sacking and had an instant impact with four wins and a draw from his first six games. However, it’s been tough since and their 3-1 win over Oxford on Saturday halted a five-game losing streak.
      GRAHAM ALEXANDER (Bradford)
      THE Bantams boss has had some bad luck when it comes to losing his jobs at previous clubs.
      Scunthorpe decided to get rid of him after he led them to the brink of the Championship, they’re now in the National League North.
      Numbnut Gary Neville crazily dismissed the Burnley legend when they were unbeaten after five games and fifth in League Two … all this after taking Salford into the EFL and guiding them to an EFL Trophy final.
      And this season MK Dons wielded the axe after just 16 games – showing little patience.
      Yet he has arrived at Valley Parade and despite a decent start they have gone off the boil, failing to win in their last seven League Two games. They need to let him have a summer to sort it all out and go again next season. 
      Newport ‘builders’ work on a Sunday?
      THERE must have been some timely structural repairs going on in Rodney Road, Newport, this week.
      Some houses along the street which runs parallel to County’s Rodney Parade suddenly needed scaffolding erected.
      It’s incredible that those ‘builders’ not only were prepared to do overtime by working on a Sunday – but also stayed on site until a good couple of hours after 4:30pm.
      That’s what you call dedication. They must have great ratings on Checkatrade.
      Alfie, 10, gives Walsall team talk
      WALSALL boss Mat Sadler let 10-year-old fan Alfie Donnelly do his team-mate before their League Two game with Sutton.
      Alfie has multiple, complex heart conditions that have left him needing four lots of open heart surgery.
      The Saddlers invited the youngster to the training ground to meet and interview his favourite player Joe Riley as well as go to the Bescot Stadium to rile up the players before kick-off as well as read out the teams over the PA system.
      Boss Sadler said: “We all love Alfie. He’s always smiling and is an inspiration to us all.”
      Little Alfie Donnelly, 10, gives his Walsall heroes a team talk
      Elokobi is just what the EFL needs 
      SURELY any EFL club looking for a new manager should be on the blower to Maidstone United’s George Elokobi. 
      I suggested, tongue in cheek, that maybe even Liverpool should look at him!
      But, seriously, what he did before the FA Cup game against Ipswich at the gates of Portman Road on Saturday was incredible – giving the Maidstone fans a passionate from-the-heart motivational speech alongside the players.
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      This is exactly the sort of thing football needs. There are too many dullards working at bigger clubs who would stop this sort of raw passion being allowed to happen or seen.
      We need less of them and more of George Elokobi.  More