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      Derby confirm Abu Dhabi royal Sheikh Khaled has agreed ‘deal in principle’ ahead of £60m takeover

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      DERBY COUNTY confirmed a deal has been agreed in principle with the Abu Dhabi royal Sheikh Khaled for the sale of the club.
      The Rams revealed the transaction is ‘expected to close very soon’ to seal the £60million takeover bid.

      Sheikh Khaled is on the verge of buying Derby

      Wayne Rooney could see Derby boss Phillip Cocu sacked by the new ownersCredit: Reuters

      On Thursday, EFL bosses gave the new owner the green light.
      Wayne Rooney’s struggling side are lodged in 23rd in the Championship table and have been in flux since Mel Morris put the club up for sale.
      A statement from Derby read: “These talks progressed to the point where a deal has, in principle, been agreed between the two parties.
      “The club’s submission under the Owners and Director’s test for Derventio was approved by the EFL board on Thursday.

      “Derventio Holdings (UK) Limited, whose ultimate controlling entity is Bin Zayed International LLC, owned by Sheikh Khaled Zayed Bin Saquer Zayed Al Nayhan, may now proceed with the transaction, which is expected to close very soon.”
      Sheikh Khaled, 61, is a member of the Abu Dhabi royal family and cousin of Manchester City’s bankroller Sheikh Mansour.
      The mega rich family boast an estimated wealth of £118billion as of 2018.
      He previously failed with a £2billion bid for Liverpool in 2018 and a £350million offer for Newcastle failed to progress in 2019.

      The finer details of his takeover are still to be agreed but it is widely expected that under-fire boss Phillip Cocu will be sacked.
      The Dutchman has reportedly been left at the helm for now to avoid disrupting the takeover process.
      Cocu held meeetings with CEO Stephen Pearce on Thursday along with current owner and executive chairman Morris – who is looking to end his five-year reign.
      But after Pearce tested positive for Covid-19 all three are now self-isolating.
      Derby lost 1-0 at home to QPR on Wednesday – their seventh defat of the campaign.
      And Cocu said: “I don’t try to think too much because we have to focus on the team and the players who are available, and that part of the club I leave to Mel Morris and Stephen Pearce.”

      Mel Morris laughs off reports that Wayne Rooney is about to replace Phillip Cocu at Derby More

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      EFL ‘give green light’ to Abu Dhabi royal family’s Sheikh Khaled bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s £60m Derby takeover

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      FOOTBALL LEAGUE bosses have reportedly given the thumbs-up for Sheikh Khaled bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s takeover of Derby.
      The struggling Rams are lodged in 23rd in the Championship table and have been in flux since Mel Morris put the club up for sale.

      Sheikh Khaled bin Zayed Al Nahyan is part of the Abu Dhabi royal family, which is thought to be worth £115bn

      Derby are struggling near the foot of the Championship tableCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      Manager Phillip Cocu is widely expected to lose his job when a new owner comes in.
      And that could be a step closer after the EFL green lit Sheikh Khaled’s £60million purchase of the club, according to the Mail.
      It is said the matter was discussed during a board meeting on Thursday, with no objections raised.
      The finer details of the Abu Dhabi royal family member’s takeover are still to be agreed.

      But they will buoyed by the EFL’s happiness with the proposal despite claims of a conflict of interest.
      Sheikh Khaled, 61, is the cousin of Manchester City owner Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

      I don’t try to think too much because we have to focus on the team and the players who are available.
      Phillip Cocu

      The investor, who established the Bin Zayed Group in 1988, attended university in the United States and is not a first-time bidder for a major English football club.
      In 2018, he failed with a £2billion bid for Liverpool.

      And a £350million offer for Newcastle failed to come to anything in the summer of last year.
      Sheikh Zayed’s enterprises include construction, real estate and technology and the Abu Dhabi royal family is thought to be worth over £115billion.

      A late 1-0 defeat at home to QPR on Wednesday was Derby’s seventh defeat of the campaign and the new owner is expected to dispense with Cocu.
      The Dutchman has reportedly kept his job to avoid disrupting the takeover process.
      Cocu said last night: “I don’t try to think too much because we have to focus on the team and the players who are available, and that part of the club I leave to Mel Morris and [CEO] Stephen Pearce.”

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      Government and Premier League left EFL for dead but now Rick Parry has chance to show real leadership

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      THE darkest hour is just before the dawn.
      With winter nights, a national lockdown and the future of the oldest league in the world in doubt, the EFL are at crisis point.

      Rick Parry is leading the EFL through a vital period in its historyCredit: Reuters

      This has been created by the Government’s refusal to allow crowds back into stadiums and the unwillingness to provide any state aid to replace the loss of club’s biggest revenue stream — the fans.
      It was then compounded by the Premier League’s reluctance to bail out clubs down the pyramid without big conditions attached.
      We’ve had players refusing pay cuts and the PFA calling salary caps in League One and Two unenforceable and unlawful.
      Meanwhile, broadcasters are ridiculously getting rebates of TV monies, when TV is the only place live football can be seen.

      Despite these incredibly bleak times, the opportunity remains for real leadership.
      Rick Parry the Football League chairman, has the potential to pull the proverbial phoenix from the flame.
      Project Big Picture has actually started a long overdue conversation. When he was in the Premier League, Parry proposed a 20 per cent distribution of money.
      Now, through skill and chance, he’s managed to be offered 25 per cent of revenues being distributed into the EFL, alongside governance on sustainability and salvation.

      Irony pervades that poacher-turned-gamekeeper Parry, who brought in parachute payments for relegated Prem teams, now describes them as “an evil” needing to be eradicated.
      The EFL bailout has taken too long, been badly handled and mismanaged.
      Not securing decent levels of short-term funding is unforgivable.
      The EFL have never valued themselves properly.
      They have allowed the Prem to disappear over the horizon, while dripping down the toxic mix of inflated salaries and over-zealous ambitions to join their ranks.
      Granted it is difficult but the framework of the league is ridiculous and their outlook often warped.

      In 2002 when ITV Digital collapsed and nearly destroyed the EFL, what was the solution suggested for the league’s own incompetence of not getting parent company guarantees for money? March on Parliament!
      In 2008 when the banking system collapsed, rules stated the only banking facilities available to EFL clubs were the High Street ‘big four’ banks. Due to the “banking crisis” they were closed for business.
      I had to convince the then chairman that 72 clubs should focus on changing the rules to allow third-party funders to help.
      The EFL were recently offered £290million for 20 per cent of their media rights by private equity firm TPG.
      That meant the whole thing was valued at £1.5BILLION. The 20 per cent revenue, if put into a floated business, would be worth at least a billion on its own.
      Now Parry has the chance to fix the problem of these leagues being undervalued. On paper, he has the credentials.

      Raising £400m and creating a framework for a better-funded and managed EFL is well within grasp.

      He must be saying we can do that on our own and achieve maximum value for the EFL, without handing that all away to private equity firms.
      Valuations were before new distributions of football money was mooted.
      Now they are three times greater, so raising £400m to bail out short-term problems and creating a framework for a better-funded and managed EFL is well within his grasp.
      So, cometh the hour cometh the man. In Rick we trust?
      Listen to Simon Jordan and Jim White on talkSPORT at 10am Monday to Thursday.

      Ally McCoist can’t believe that Premier League clubs won’t financially help EFL clubs More

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      Johnson strikes with first touch to move Warnock’s Boro fifth and inflict first defeat on Hughton at Nottingham Forest

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      SUPERSUB Marvin Johnson struck with his first touch to stretch Middlesbrough’s unbeaten run to eight and secure a late 1-0 win over Nottingham Forest.
      Chris Hughton suffered a first defeat in charge to leave his side still deep in the mire.

      Marvin Johnson came off the bench to fire Middlesbrough to victory over Nottingham ForestCredit: Getty

      He had only been on the pitch a matter of seconds when he rifled home from a George Saville crossCredit: PA:Press Association

      The Forest boss, who now has two crunch home games to fellow strugglers Coventry and Wycombe, said: ““It’s a poor goal we conceded but defensively I’ve been happy.
      “The only way to relieve that pressure is to take the lead and we haven’t been able to do that.
      “When you are playing three games a week it’s wins that matter. We need to find that formula.” 
      Boro’s Britt Assombalonga missed the best chance of the first half as he fired straight at keeper Brice Samba after latching onto a back pass, with Marcus Tavernier blazing the rebound.

      Boro’s Sam Morsy, already on a booking, was taken off before the break as Neil Warnock decided to ring the tactical changes early, replacing the unhappy midfielder with Djed Spence as he marched straight down the tunnel.
      Hughton threw on striker Joe Lolley in place of Sammy Ameobi at the break and they came close to breaking the deadlock when Yates headed just wide off the far post after rising highest to meet a corner.
      Lyle Taylor then came on as Forest chased a just a second win of the campaign, but it would be another sub who made the difference.
      Johnson had only been on the pitch a matter of seconds after replacing wing-back Hayden Coulson when he pounced with a vicious drive at the back post to expertly meet George Saville’s cross from the right.

      This was a fourth clean sheet in five for Boro and moved them fifth – with Nathan Wood, 18, enjoying an impressive full debut after coming in as replacement for the sick Dael Fry late on.
      Boss Neil Warnock said: “Don’t get carried away. We are on a decent points tally and it’s nice to go to Blackburn on Tuesday with three points in the bag.
      “I said at half time it might take 80 minutes or it might take 90 but there is a goal there. I’m delighted.”

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      Huddersfield ace Harry Toffolo set for his 100th consecutive EFL start against Millwall two years after leaving The Den

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      HARRY TOFFOLO is set to start his 100th consecutive EFL match and is dedicating it to the woman he loves.
      The Huddersfield left-back’s better half Annie has raised their two children – Luca, 4, and Enzo, 2 – and is currently 28 weeks pregnant expecting their daughter during what has been a staggering run of games.

      Huddersfield Town star Harry Toffolo is set to play his 100th consecutive matchCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      Toffolo and Annie – with Luca, 4, and Enzo, 2 – are expecting a daughter

      What makes Toffolo’s achievement special is that those games have come across all three EFL divisions. The run started when he made his debut for previous club Lincoln at Northampton in August 2018.
      He started all 46 matches as the Imps won League Two before another 26 games in League One until his January move to Huddersfield, where he has played all 27 of their Championship games since.And Toffolo, 25, said: “I credit Annie. When I started this run our two little boys were under two and, as they’ve grown up, she’s taken responsibility.In recent months, I’ve had games here, there and everywhere.
      “Right now, she’s 28-weeks pregnant and has to also deal with our two nutters! She’s been unbelievable and given me the opportunity to make this achievement.”
      The irony is his 100th straight EFL game is against Millwall – where he did not play a single minute during his six months there but has started every match since.

      Ex-boss Danny Cowley – and his brother and assistant Nicky – played a huge part in Toffolo’s career.
      First they took him to Lincoln and then to Huddersfield.
      Toffolo revealed: “Danny sold Lincoln to me – a club I knew about from their famous FA Cup run. But I remember asking him, ‘How are you going to make me better?’ And they’ve made me 10 times the player I was.

      “My aims were to win League Two and get into the team of the year. I achieved both.”

      The Cowleys moved to West Yorkshire last September and Toffolo continued his development under Michael Appleton before following the brothers.And the Terriers ace said: “Appleton was brilliant in the short time I spent with him – we had great chats. You can see his quality as a coach by what he’s doing with Lincoln now.“A lot of people think Danny and I must have been texting from the moment he left Lincoln – but the truth is he went cold on me and he didn’t speak to me again until January when we were aware of Huddersfield’s interest.
      “He told me he hadn’t wanted to distract from my performances. That was the respect he had for me and Lincoln.
      “But regardless of my relationship with Danny and Nicky, the chance to play in the Championship, though, was too good to turn down.”

      The modern-day footballer can’t just come into work and go home. Those days are gone.”
      Harry Toffolo

      Toffolo played a key role as the Terriers beat the drop to League One.And the left-back admitted: “It’s only when in adversity that you know what you’re capable of.
      “Beating West Brom, which all but guaranteed our survival, was a special moment.”
      The Cowleys left and were replaced by Carlos Corberan during the close season yet Toffolo still continues to start.
      And he said: “The one thing you need is consistency because managers want to know they can trust and depend on you. And you must stay fit and live and prepare right.

      “I’ve always pushed myself hard, staying behind after training, going through my clips and doing extra sessions.
      “The modern-day footballer can’t just come into work and go home. Those days are gone. No disrespect to players from 20 years ago but they didn’t have tablets.
      “We go into such detail. If I’m up against someone left-footed who plays on the right, nine times out of 10 he’ll come inside.”
      Toffolo feared his chances of playing 100 games were in doubt after he injured his knee at Brentford last month and had to come off after just 36 minutes.
      He said: “I got tight to Bryan Mbeumo and my foot got caught in the ground, it was an impact thing.“I got lucky. There was just a bit of fluid in the knee but we strapped it and it was all fine.“Having played in League One and Two, I got lots of niggles so have learned to understand my body more. We just strapped it up and got on with it.”
      Toffolo loves working for Corberan even if he does find the infamous ‘Murderball’ training sessions, well, murder.

      He said: “The great thing is they’re so intense that when you get to a game it won’t be as hard as that.
      “It works when we go to the 93rd minute and we’re still sprinting in behind and back. We’re now just eating it all up.“Of course, I was sad to see Danny and Nicky leave and, because of what they’ve achieved, they’ll get a good job soon.“But in football you cannot dwell on things. Carlos taking over was exciting because the way he wants to play suits me down to a tee.“I’m growing as a player under him. It’s high energy, high press. It’s the way Leeds played last season in the Championship. It suits players who are fit and have a high stamina.“The boys have bought into it. We’ve got 10 points from the first games, more than we had last season and we feel we’re improving.”

      TOFFOLO’S FAVOURITES

      Left-back picks his best games at Huddersfield and Lincoln.

      H’FIELD 1 DERBY 0 – Oct 20 2020JUNINHO BACUNA’S goal is what we work towards every single day – being confident on the ball, having a personality to play out from the back, the confidence to do it. It was special for us all and I got the assist. Also loved our 1-1 draw at Pride Park in February because I scored there after making a great run for the goal.
      LINCOLN 1 GRIMSBY 0 – Jan 19 2019SCORING the 12th-minute winner in the Lincolnshire derby at Sincil Bank was a massive moment for me – and we kept a clean sheet. We took four points off the Mariners after a 1-1 draw down their place. The boys had two great games against them as we won League Two in my first season at the club.

      Ex-Towie star Mark Wright shows off his skills on the football training pitch More

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      Rotherham vs Sheffield Wednesday delayed as players forced off pitch with DRONE flying over New York Stadium

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      ROTHERHAM’S derby win over Sheffield Wednesday was dramatically stopped after a suspicious drone was spotted flying overhead.
      The Millers beat their South Yorkshire rivals 3-0 at the New York Stadium on Tuesday – Jamie Lindsay scoring twice and Daniel Barlaser scoring a penalty against the ten men.

      Rotherham and Sheffield Wednesday’s clash was temporarily stopped after a mysterious drone was spotted flying overheadCredit: Getty

      But just five minutes into the game, the referee was forced to blow his whistle and instructed both sets of players and his assistants to leave the field.
      Rotherham quickly used their Twitter account to inform viewers and fans following the game of what was going on.
      They wrote: “The players have been brought off the pitch due to safety concerns.

      “We’ll update you on the situation when we know more.
      “We understand there is an unauthorised drone in the air space over the AESSEAL New York Stadium.”
      The Owls followed suit, first tweeting: “It seems there is an issue in the game… Play has been suspended and both teams have retreated to their dugouts.
      “We’re hearing reports that there is a drone over the stadium and, as a safety concern, the players have gone back to the changing rooms.”

      Thankfully, after only a short delay and following the all-clear from safety officials and police, the game was restarted.
      Wednesday tweeted: “The players are back out on the pitch, all very strange! Both going through some mini warm-ups.
      “The game will resume in a few moments at 4:15 – the time when play was suspended.”

      And it did not take long for the contest to explode into life.
      Garry Monks’ visitors were all over the place at the back as Rotherham’s Jamie Lindsay sent a looping header over goalkeeper Cameron Dawson’s head to break the deadlock less than two minutes after play restarted.
      The Owls suffered further blows before the break when defender Aden Flint was forced off through injury before Tom Lees was red carded and Daniel Barlaser converted a penalty as Lindsay grabbed a second to put the Millers 3-0 up.

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      Alexandre Pato wanted by Birmingham City in shock free transfer after ex-Chelsea flop left Sao Paulo

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      BIRMINGHAM CITY are considering a shock move for ex-Chelsea striker Alexandre Pato, according to reports.
      The Brazilian has been a free agent since departing Sao Paulo back in August.

      Alexandre Pato enjoyed a brief loan spell at Chelsea back in 2016Credit: Getty Images – Getty

      The striker propelled to stardom at AC MilanCredit: Reuters

      It had been expected that Pato, 31, would return to boyhood club Internacional.
      But with a deal having fallen through, other teams have entered the frame.
      According to Calcio Mercato, Championship outfit Birmingham are in the hunt for the 27-cap international.
      Aitor Karanka’s goal-shy side are 17th in the table, having scored just three goals in their opening seven league games this term.

      Forwards Lukas Jutkiewicz and Scott Hogan have both failed to find the net.
      Blues face competition for Pato, however, not least from the men that brought him to AC Milan back in 2007.
      Adriano Galliani and Silvio Berlusconi now find themselves at the helm of Serie B side AC Monza – and want to bring Pato back to Italy.
      Genoa and Spezia are also believed to be in the frame.

      Pato has 27 caps for BrazilCredit: Getty – Contributor

      Pato first arrived in Italy as a fresh-faced teen, having scored 12 goals in 27 outings for Internacional.
      He soon became a hit at San Siro, netting 57 goals in his first three-and-a-half seasons with the Italian giants.
      Injuries then struck, however, and his stock fell – returning to Brazil with Corinthians in 2013.
      Loan spells at Sao Paulo and then Chelsea followed, with the striker netting a goal in just two outings with the Blues in 2016.
      Since then have come spells at Villarreal, Tianjin Quanjian and Sao Paulo, with Pato enjoying a particularly prolific spell in China, where he scored 36 times in 60 appearances. More

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      Middlesbrough 2 Coventry 0: Neil Warnock daring to dream after Britt Assombalonga and Djed Spence stretch unbeaten run

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      NEIL WARNOCK admits he is already daring to dream after Britt Assombalonga and Djed Spence sealed a late 2-0 win for Middlesbrough over Coventry.
      Hopes are mounting on Teesside that the veteran is waving his magic wand again after his patient side stretched their unbeaten run to seven.

      Britt Assombalonga helped fire Neil Warnock’s Middlesbrough to victory over CoventryCredit: Getty

      Djed Spence added the second in the dying seconds to down the Sky BluesCredit: Getty

      It was also the third clean sheet in four for Boro, who are now only out of the top six on goal difference.
      Warnock, who has eight promotions on his CV, said: “You always look at the table – you always say ‘I never look’ but I looked after one game.
      “The hardest games are the ones against teams you are not expecting.

      “Cardiff, Bristol City, Reading, they take care of themselves but these are the hardest games, especially if you want to do well.
      “That’s why I was really pleased with the attitude, application, everything was spot on.
      “We had most of the chances and I said at half time these are the games we have to win by hook or crook.
      “I told them to be patient but we had to be careful, and I was pleased with the discipline.”

      It was far from pretty as an uneventful opening period was quickly forgotten.
      Play restarted with Patrick Roberts cutting-out a poor backpass and racing past two only for a fantastic last-ditch Dominic Hyan tackle saving the visitors.
      Back up the other end, makeshift wing-back Marcus Tavernier showed off his defensive qualities as he slid in to stop Jordan Shipley from tapping home from six yards.
      Boro continued to huff and puff against the resilient Sky Blues but their reward finally came with nine minutes to go as Assombalonga beat the offside trap to meet Morsy’s throughball and slot home for his first of the season.

      And they doubled their advantage in the dying seconds as sub Marcus Browne slipped one over the top for Spence to knock it past the onrushing keeper and make it two.
      The result left promoted Coventry with just one win since their return to the Championship and the possibility of slipping into the drop zone tomorrow.  
      Boss Mark Robins said: “We are finding it difficult at the moment and we need to do basics better.
      “We have not played football for six months, where the others are almost at mid-season now, that’s difficult. I’m not looking for excuses, but reasons are there.
      “It’s a unique set of circumstances we are facing and we are still playing catch but we cannot afford to lose heart or confidence. But this is where you find your steel.
      “These are good players and they will get better, but we cannot wait. But they have to not lose that confidence and keep going.”

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