Carl Starfelt makes likely farewell Celtic appearance in opening day SPL win
Carl Starfelt was handed what Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers feels will be a farewell appearance in a 4-2 cinch Premiership opening win over Ross County. Starfelt started on the bench with Maik Nawrocki making his debut in central defence before the Swede came on for the final quarter. The centre-half’s partner, Jacynta Galabadaarachchi, left Celtic for Sporting Lisbon this summer and Starfelt looks set to follow her out of Glasgow after two years at the club. Rodgers said: “I wanted to put Carl Starfelt on because it might be his last game here. He has been a great servant to the club. There is interest in him and he would like to take up that possibility. We will resolve that as quick as we can. “The clubs are in communication so I am sure that will go through at some point early next week, if not before. “He probably felt it was the time to move on. There are certain conditions there that has made him think he will be going to one of the top leagues, and economically it’s hard for us to compete on that side, and obviously his partner is no longer here and has moved on. “But I have to say, total professional, first class and if it didn’t go through, I know I can rely on him, but I think it probably will. “We would need to get another centre-half. My idea is to get four centre-halves who are competitive.” David Turnbull netted twice in the season opener after being handed his first Premiership start in nine months. The midfielder opened the scoring from the spot and netted from Matt O’Riley’s cross after Kyogo Furuhashi had notched his first goal of the season. Rodgers said of the former Motherwell player: “He’s a talent. I remember seeing him when I was first up here and I liked his game and he maybe just hasn’t quite hit the heights of what his talent is. “I spoke to him in pre-season and told him it would be a shame if you don’t achieve what you can do at a club like this, because you have the talent, but you have to be a working talent, and you have to be able to run and be aggressive in your game. If you can do that, then your qualities will come through. “He’s a player I really like. I love his care with the ball, his passing, and his efficiency. He gets in the box, he gets goals, and he maybe could have had a hat-trick.” The 24-year-old has entered the final season of his contract after a £3.25million move from Fir Park in 2020. On the chances of a new deal, Rodgers said: “It’s a door that’s open for him. he maybe hasn’t played as much as he would like, but that’s his responsibility. “I think he would like to be here but you have to consistently prove it. “It was a clean slate over pre-season and he did very well with the ball and against the ball, which is important. You have to be able to play without the ball and he has demonstrated that.” County manager Malky Mackay was frustrated his side could not take advantage of some early chances, which mostly fell for Simon Murray. Mackay said: “I thought we started well and international teams will score goals against Celtic. They just have, Yokohama, Athletic (Bilbao). We get those chances in the first 15 minutes and should have scored. If it’s an international team, Celtic are 2-0 down. “Our shape and system were good, our discipline were good, and we give away a stupid penalty. Then we don’t defend a cross in the last minute of the first half and next minute we are 3-0 down at half-time.” County hit back through Jordan White before James Brown scored in stoppage-time via Starfelt’s deflection after O’Riley had netted Celtic’s fourth. Mackay said: “I know at 3-0 here that can go on to become six or seven. My challenge for them at half-time was to be brave and go and score a goal and press high. “Sometimes we were able to do it and sometimes we didn’t because we have some new players who aren’t quite there with the explanations I give them but I was really happy with how brave they were in the second half.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Aaron Ramsey: Riches of Saudi league no contest for ‘priceless’ Cardiff return Katie Zelem admits World Cup debut was ‘tough moment’ after Keira Walsh injury Arsenal will need ‘unheard of’ points tally to win title – Mikel Arteta
2023-08-05 23:18
Citing mental health, Cavs and Spain guard Ricky Rubio taking break from basketball
Ricky Rubio of the Cleveland Cavaliers announced Saturday that he is taking a break from basketball to focus on his mental health, a move that comes as his Spanish national team prepares to defend its title at the FIBA World Cup that starts later this month
2023-08-05 23:16
Aaron Boone leaves door wide open on fan favorite returning to save season
Aaron Boone didn't shut down the idea of a fan-favorite slugger getting back to the Bronx to help quell the Yankees batting issues.The New York Yankees have the second-worst batting average in the MLB and are 21st in runs per game. These are not the sluggers fans in the Bronx have come accu...
2023-08-05 22:48
3 Browns who earned a roster spot in Hall of Fame Game, and 1 on verge of being cut
The Cleveland Browns took on the New York Jets in the Hall of Fame Game and discovered three players who need to stick around and one that might have to go.Overcoming a 13-point deficit and a 16-7 halftime deficit, the Cleveland Browns defended the state of Ohio with a 21-16 win over the New Yor...
2023-08-05 22:29
Stetson Bennett IV's ascension as draft steal takes another sizable step forward
Stetson Bennett IV is flourishing during his first training camp with the Los Angeles Rams.To say Georgia football legend Stetson Bennett IV went to the perfect NFL franchise for him in the Los Angeles Rams would be such a gross understatement.The two-time College Football Playoff National C...
2023-08-05 22:27
Andre Onana has Old Trafford debut to forget in Manchester United come from behind to beat Lens
There are Old Trafford debuts to savour. Wayne Rooney’s hat-trick against Fenerbahce, for instance, or Anthony Martial’s solo strike against Liverpool. A teenage Cristiano Ronaldo’s precocious display of trickery against Bolton. A similarly young Marcus Rashford’s two-goal emergence onto the scene against Midtjylland. Federico Macheda’s injury-time decider against Aston Villa was perhaps the goal that swung a title race. It is safe to say Andre Onana and Mason Mount’s United bows at Old Trafford do not belong in that category. They were introductions to forget, matches to be banished from the memory bank, moments that can at least be caveated with the knowledge that, as they happened in pre-season, there was an irrelevance to their ignominy. But these were inauspicious ways to start life at United’s home ground. Their £47 million goalkeeper was lobbed from perhaps 47 yards. Their £55 million midfielder missed an open goal. The £72 million striker, Rasmus Hojlund, was unveiled to smiles and applause but he is injured and will miss the start of the season. Erik ten Hag has landed his three major summer targets. They were not hired for one to be sidelined or humiliated. As United recovered to beat Lens 3-1, a three-goal comeback was preceded by a tale of three signings. The boyhood United fan Hojlund took the field first, though a problem sustained in pre-season with Atalanta means it is a few weeks before he does in earnest. He will be charged with converting chances. When Mount made a forceful run from deep into the box, the clearest of opportunities materialised. Bruno Fernandes’ cross-field ball was superb, Alejandro Garnacho centred and Mount only had to apply the finishing touch. But he swung his left foot and the ball hit his standing leg, his right. It was a glaring miss. Then came an extraordinary opener. United savoured a No. 7 lobbing a goalkeeper from the environs of the half-way line when it was David Beckham. Not when it was Florian Sotoca, a 32-year-old journeyman of a French forward. It was not entirely Onana’s fault, but it was a product of the shift in style since David de Gea’s departure. It was apparent from the off. There were cheers when, after barely 80 seconds, Onana came out of his box to get involved in a passing move. De Gea rarely did that. There was evidence of his confidence, too, with a cheeky header to Diogo Dalot when, had he held back a yard or two, he could have caught the ball in his box. On each occasion, his willingness to double up as the 11th outfield player showed the extra dimension he can offer United. But it was also a reason why Onana was on the edge of his area when Dalot misplaced a pass and Sotoca took aim with a combination of ambition and precision.c Backpedalling, flailing in thin air, Onana ended up in the back of the net. So did the ball. He had to untangle himself. It is a form of embarrassment that is an occupational hazard, part of the risk-and-reward equation for a footballing goalkeeper. De Gea probably would not have conceded that goal, because his starting position would have been five yards further back. Perhaps the Cameroonian has exacerbated the differences with his predecessor; his pre-season has been notable for how far he has strayed from his goal. United have gone from one of the most conservative keepers to one of the boldest. There is a showman in Onana; when a last-minute shot looped up off Lisandro Martinez, he made a flamboyant save, but if De Gea was undermined by his poor passing, the other issue was his errors. Meanwhile, a team who had lost their previous three pre-season games – albeit one with a youth side to Wrexham – went from a goal down to 3-1 up with a quick turnaround. First Marcus Rashford equalised with a deflected shot. The Mancunian operated as the centre-forward, a role that, with Hojlund injured, he is likely to occupy at the start of the season. Then Antony, who had provided the pass for Rashford’s goal, scored the second with a dink over goalkeeper Brice Samba following a ball from the electric Garnacho. Finally, Rashford’s header deflected in off Casemiro. They face Athletic Bilbao in Dublin on Sunday and return to Old Trafford to start their league campaign against Wolves. And then, Mount and Onana must hope, their first competitive action at Old Trafford will give them something to recall more fondly. Read More Manchester United complete £72m transfer of striker Rasmus Hojlund Marcus Rashford: Wayne Rooney wants me to break his Manchester United record A new era for old empires? How a summer of rebuilding could change the Premier League
2023-08-05 22:23
Reds rumors: 3 players who won't be on the roster on September 1
The Cincinnati Reds roster could see some major shake ups, mainly with the pitching staff, before September 1st rolls around.Nick Krall and the Cincinnati Reds shocked the baseball world when they opted to not make many trades at the trade deadline. They made just one move, trading for Sam Moll ...
2023-08-05 22:18
USMNT news: Tillman to PSV, done deals, Turner to Forest
Today's USMNT news includes Malik Tillman being linked with PSV Eindhoven, Yunus Musah and Haji Wright both have new clubs and Matt Turner could be on his way to Nottingham Forest.USMNT news: Malik Tillman to PSV EindhovenPSV Eindhoven won theJohan Cruyff Shield last night, with Ricardo Pep...
2023-08-05 22:17
Braves' best addition had nothing to do with trade deadline
The best move the Atlanta Braves made at the trade deadline was not messing around with the rotation at all.All Atlanta Braves general manager Alex Anthopoulos needed to do at the trade deadline was to trust his gut, be patient and let things sort themselves out.While addressing some minor b...
2023-08-05 22:16
Area 51 ‘baseball field’ prompts entertaining conspiracy theories
A satellite image of Area 51 showing what looks to be a baseball diamond has fans coming up with some wild conspiracy theories to explain it.Men are from Mars. Women are from Venus. Are MLB superstars like Shohei Ohtani possibly from a galaxy even further away than our own? It would explain the ...
2023-08-05 21:49
Chelsea make £17m offer for teenage Brazilian striker
Chelsea have submitted a £17m bid for Santos striker Deivid Washington.
2023-08-05 21:48
Rio Ferdinand on Andre Onana, Kobbie Mainoo & what Man Utd fans can expect this season
Rio Ferdinand gives his thoughts on Man Utd's signing of Andre Onana, Kobbie Mainoo's emergence & his predictions for the 2023/24 season.
2023-08-05 21:48
