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What the numbers say about Old Trafford

S Rajesh10-Aug-2005

Shane Warne: ready to add to his tally of 17 wickets from two Tests at Old Trafford © Getty Images
At Edgbaston, Ricky Ponting’s decision to insert England after winning the toss might have been influenced by the recent trend at that venue – teams fielding first had won nine of the 14 previous Tests – but he is unlikely to make that mistake at Old Trafford should the coin roll his way on the morning of the third Test. In 69 Tests at Manchester since 1884, only eight times has the captain won the toss and opted to field first. Seven of those matches were drawn; the only decisive result in those games was in 1993, when Graham Gooch bravely put Australia in to bat and suffered the consequences, as England went down by 179 runs. Considering that no team has won a Test here after putting the opposition in to bat, and given all the pre-match talk about another turner at Manchester, the decision at the toss should be a no-brainer. Old Trafford also has a high propensity for drawn games – 33 out of 69 (48%) have ended in a stalemate. Of the remaining 36 Tests which did produce a result, 25 went in favour of the team batting first, another reason for the captain to do just that after winning the toss. England have a 21-14 win-loss record here, and while Australia’s is only a modest 7-7 against England, they have won the last three matches, and haven’t lost a Test here since 1981. (Click here for all England-Australia Tests at Old Trafford.) You’d expect the pitch to get far more difficult for batting as the game goes on, but that isn’t necessarily so, as the table below indicates. Since 1995, the average runs per wicket is highest in the third innings, while the fourth-innings figure is a respectable 32.7. (Click here for the Test records – highest and lowest totals, best batting and bowling performances etc – at this ground.)

1st innings2nd innings3rd innings4th innings

36.032.337.732.7 The track for Thursday’s match is expected to assist the spinners, but over the last ten years, fast bowlers have done pretty well here, as the table below suggests. The last time a spinner turned a match around here was in 2001, when Saqlain Mushtaq, aided by umpire David Shepherd’s generosity in ignoring no-balls, took four wickets as England slumped to 261 all out in their second innings.

Pace – wicketsAverageSpin – wicketsAverage

18632.695140.22 The most famous bowling performance at this ground is of course Jim Laker’s 19 for 90 against Australia in 1956, but in their current squad the Australians have one spinner who has been tormenting England for a while now. He answers to the name Shane Warne, and he has especially enjoyed the conditions at Old Trafford, taking 17 wickets in two Tests at less than 15 apiece. Only one short of reaching the 600-wicket milestone, chances are he’ll go well beyond that figure by the time this Test is done. Add a batting average of 35.50, and Australia have an outstanding allrounder in their midst, at least at this ground.

Warne at each venue
in EnglandTestsBowling averageBatting average

Old Trafford214.5935.50Trent Bridge

318.1418.33Lord’s419.588.75Edgbaston

421.7624.50The Oval323.3021.50Headingley

389.330.00 Among England’s current lot of players, only Michael Vaughan, Marcus Trescothick, Matthew Hoggard and Ashley Giles have played more than one Test at Old Trafford. The first three have done pretty well (click on the player names for Vaughan, Trescothick and Hoggard stats at this ground), but Giles’s nine wickets have cost him more than 38 apiece.

Manchester United have finally seen Sir Jim Ratcliffe's move to acquire a 25 percent stake at Old Trafford approved by the Premier League and the FA.

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Ratcliffe agrees deal in DecemberPremier League approve it on TuesdayFA follow suit on WednesdayGettyWHAT HAPPENED?

Sir Jim Ratcliffe's minority takeover at the club was approved on Tuesday following an independent review, as the Manchester-born billionaire now looks set to acquire a 25 per cent stake in the team moving forward. The Football Association also approved the deal on Wednesday.

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A statement released by the Premier League read: "'Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s acquisition of 25 per cent of Manchester United FC, and further investment of $300 million in the club, has been approved by the Premier League Board following the completion of the Owners’ and Directors’ Test (OADT).

"The Board agreed to the change of the club's ownership structure last week, and this has now been officially ratified by an Independent Oversight Panel.

"The Premier League’s Owners’ Charter has also been signed. This is the first acquisition of Control to be reviewed and approved by a new Independent Oversight Panel following changes to the process which were agreed by Premier League clubs in March 2023.

"The Premier League now awaits confirmation of the transaction’s completion."

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Ratcliffe completed the initial deal to acquire the share of the club back in December and has now passed the Premier League's Directors' and Owners' test. The 71-year-old is set to gain complete control over footballing operations, despite only owning a minority share at Old Trafford. Completion of the deal is expected by the end of the week when Ratcliffe finalises his purchase of Class A shares.

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Getty WHAT NEXT FOR MAN UTD?

For now, United themselves will look to continue to impress on the pitch following their late winner against Aston Villa last weekend. Erik ten Hag's men are currently on a five-game unbeaten run across all competitions and face Luton Town in their next fixture.

International T20 should be the pinnacle of the format, not domestic leagues, according to Jos Buttler who does not endorse the view of England coach Trevor Bayliss that T20Is be restricted to a period around World T20 events. However, he added his voice to the growing calls that something needs to be done about the scheduling to ensure all three formats can co-exist at the top level.Two of his team-mates, Alex Hales and Adil Rashid, have recently halted their first-class careers to focus on the white ball and Buttler admitted the thought of similar had occasionally crossed his mind. For now he will keep his options open and sees a window to return to Championship cricket for Lancashire at the backend of the 2018 English season.In so many ways, Buttler is the template of the modern cricketer: forging his name in the white-ball formats, and spending months on the road even though he doesn’t feature in the Test team. He has been away since the end of October, starting in the Bangladesh Premier League, into the Big Bash and now England duty. He will have a couple of weeks at home before the IPL which runs until late May. The leagues are all his choice, so there may not be vast sympathy from some, but for in-demand players the schedule is unrelenting.Bayliss’ suggestion, put forward after the T20 tri-series where England failed to impress, was for the shortest format to be largely left to domestic structures but Buttler, who earlier this month told Sky Sports that he could see cricket being a one-format game in 20 years, remains a country over club man.”I wouldn’t be a fan of that. I don’t think that’s the right way to go,” he said. “I think T20 cricket is so strong, then surely the pinnacle – as it would be for guys wanting to play Test match cricket – should be playing for your international side.”I think for a professional cricketer, in any form of the game, your aspirations are always to represent your country.”Jos Buttler drills one down the ground•Getty Images

Endorsing the international T20 game further, Buttler added that the format deserves more than one-off matches tagged on to the start or end of a tour. The game is heading that way, with the recent tri-series attempting to bring more meaning to the games, while the number of three-match series are increasing.”Some tours where there have been three and three [T20s and ODIs] have been a really enjoyable split from the players’ point of view, it gives both formats relevance and competition. If you’re just going to play one T20 thrown on the end, it almost doesn’t seem like there’s much on it or much point to it.”Buttler said he still valued the five-match ODI series but did agree that something has to give if the game wants to stop players opting out of a format – although he suggested that the one to make way should not always have to be first-class or Test cricket. Earlier this week, Eoin Morgan said the only way Test cricket would survive would be if the money on offer matches that available in T20 leagues around the world.”There’s nothing wrong with people being Test match specialists either,” Buttler said. “There is no reason why a young player couldn’t say ‘I am going focus all my ambitions and efforts to be a Test match cricketer’.”I think it comes down a little bit to what you’re trying to get from the game and how you see yourself fitting into it. It may not be possible to do all three, but there’s no reason why people can’t specialise in red-ball cricket as well as white-ball.”For those that want to play all three formats, the game is already asking too much. “There aren’t many people around the world who are capable of doing it,” he said. “In England, we have three or four, but obviously, with all the cricket and scheduling, they don’t play every single game of every format, because it’s probably not quite possible. It’s not an easy thing to do, and that’s why the guys who do it are the best players.”On his own Test ambitions, which Buttler has repeatedly said remain intact albeit distant at the moment, he replied “maybe” when asked if not adding to his 18 caps would leave him unfulfilled but has reminded himself of the 18 matches he has played.”I don’t want to have too many regrets. I’m obviously very fortunate to have played Test cricket at all,” he said. “I was thinking about it the other day – that one thing you’d want to get out of a Test career would be winning an Ashes series in England.”Not that I performed very well. But I’m lucky enough to have that, and no one will ever take that away from me. You’re always desperate to do as well as you can, and fulfil your promise and potential as much as you can. But I won’t lose any sleep over it.”

BBC journalist Shamoon Hafez has shared an update on former Wolves and Barcelona winger Adama Traore's potential move to Fulham.

Who will Fulham sign?

Manager Marco Silva has seen two major signings come through the door this summer, with defender Calvin Bassey and striker Raul Jimenez joining the club this summer.

Bassey, after a standout season with Ajax in the Eredivisie last term, signed for around £18.2 million while Jimenez opted to swap Wolves for west London.

However, Fulham's manager has publicly expressed his dissatisfaction with the club's transfer business overall, candidly admitting they still need to strengthen in a number of key areas.

Silva says they're short on full-backs and options out wide, and with the new season starting today with a trip away to Everton, Fulham are running out of time to reinforce their squad.

“Unfortunately, we need many still. We have some important players injured,” he said last week.

“I hope they can come sooner. We have just two full backs, we need a midfielder too and we have just two wingers so we need another two wingers.

“We have completed our central defenders. I needed these players 15 days or 20 days ago, not now.”

Ex-Fulham transfer target Fred has completed a move to Turkey, dealing a blow to their hopes of signing a midfielder before deadline day, but they have been linked with many wide players recently.

The likes of Everton winger Demarai Gray and Chelsea's Callum Hudson-Odoi stand out as just some of the high profile names, with ex-Wolves star Traore now firmly on their radar.

That is according to The BBC and Hafez, who claim Traore is now considering an offer to join Fulham. The 27-year-old, who spent a portion of 2021/2022 on loan at Barca, left Wolves upon the expiry of his contract in June.

Traore is now a free agent and readily-available for hire, but Fulham are not the only competitors for a Bosman deal, as clubs in Saudi Arabia are also circling.

How good is Adama Traore?

The winger, who former Spurs boss Antonio Conte was once desperate to sign for Tottenham, could now move to Fulham for nothing.

Traore was once highly sought-after with some reports claiming Wolves valued him at around £50 million. The attacker, during his arguably best season at Molineux, was a seriously exciting dribbler.

According to WhoScored, Traore averaged a very impressive five successful take-ons per 90 in the final third over 2019/2020 – a season which also saw him bag four goals and nine assists.

These numbers indicate there is a real player to be had, when Traore is at his best, with former Leeds striker Noel Whelan calling him a "match-winner" to Football Insider.

"When you’re talking about signing game-changers and match-winners from the bench, wow, Traore is the perfect fit,” said Whelan.

He can produce something from nothing. That’s the excitement about him – the unknown, the power, the way he can drive past players and brush them off.

“He’s proven in the last few years now that he’s not just a one-trick pony. There never used to be any end product to his game, but now he’s improved that. He picks the best pass a lot more often now."

A break up of the eight IPL squads at the end of the first day of the 2018 player auction, and a quick look at the gaps the teams need to fill on Sunday

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Jan-2018.0:40

‘Very pleased with the way the auction has gone so far’ – Laxman

Chennai Super KingsTotal players: 11
Minimum number of players they need to buy: 7
Number of overseas players they can buy: 4
Purse remaining: INR 17 crores (USD 2,656,250)
Openers: Faf du Plessis, Shane Watson
Middle-order batsmen: Suresh Raina, Kedar Jadhav, Ambati Rayudu
Wicketkeepers: MS Dhoni
Allrounders: Ravindra Jadeja, Dwayne Bravo
Wristspinners: Karn Sharma, Imran Tahir
Fingerspinners: Harbhajan Singh
Fast bowlers:
What CSK need on Sunday: Another opener, to ensure they aren’t forced to keep picking the same two overseas openers. Fast bowlers – they only have Watson and Bravo at present, and Watson isn’t the bowler he used to be, while Bravo is more of a change-of-pace bowler than fast these days. They need several proper fast bowlers.They might also want a few younger players, to bring the average down below 30! They haven’t bought a single uncapped player yet.Delhi DaredevilsTotal players: 15
Minimum number of players they need to buy: 3
Number of overseas players they can buy: 3
Purse remaining: INR 12.3 crores (USD 1,921,875)
Openers: Colin Munro, Jason Roy, Gautam Gambhir, Prithvi Shaw
Middle-order batsmen: Shreyas Iyer, Glenn Maxwell
Wicketkeeper: Rishabh Pant
Allrounders: Chris Morris, Vijay Shankar
Wristspinners: Amit Mishra, Rahul Tewatia
Fingerspinners:
Fast Bowlers: Harshal Patel, Mohammed Shami, Kagiso Rabada, Avesh Khan
What Daredevils need on Sunday: A fingerspinner, unless they are counting Glenn Maxwell as one. Another allrounder, because Chris Morris and Vijay Shankar are the only genuine ones at present. An overseas batsman who is a reliable performer in Indian conditions – Munro and Roy are untested in Indian conditions and Maxwell was hit or miss last season. And a back-up wicketkeeper for Rishabh Pant and another overseas fast bowler.Kings XI PunjabTotal players: 10
Minimum number of players they need to buy: 8
Number of overseas players they can buy: 5
Purse remaining: INR 21.9 crores (USD 3,421,875)
Openers: Aaron Finch, KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal
Middle-order batsmen: Karun Nair, Yuvraj Singh, David Miller
Wicketkeepers:
Allrounders: Axar Patel, Marcus Stoinis
Wristspinners:
Fingerspinners: R Ashwin
Fast bowlers: Ankit Rajpoot
What KXIP need on Sunday: They bid a lot on Saturday, but ended up with only ten players. They don’t have a specialist wicketkeeper – KL Rahul can keep but wasn’t very safe for RCB. And they have no specialist bowlers apart from R Ashwin and Ankit Rajpoot, so they need a lot more of those. They also have only three overseas players, so they could use a few more across skillsets.Kolkata Knight RidersTotal players: 12
Minimum number of players they need to buy: 6
Number of overseas players they can buy: 4
Purse remaining: INR 7.6 crores (USD 1,187,500)
Openers: Chris Lynn, Robin Uthappa
Middle-order batsmen: Shubman Gill, Ishank Jaggi, Nitish Rana
Wicketkeepers: Dinesh Karthik
Allrounders: Andre Russell
Wristspinners: Piyush Chawla, Kuldeep Yadav
Fingerspinners: Sunil Narine
Fast bowlers: Mitchell Starc, Kamlesh Nagarkoti
What KKR need on Sunday: Bargain buys. On Saturday, they had only four players in the squad by the time they exhausted half their purse. And then they bought two more millionaires. So KKR have INR 7.6 crores to spend and at least six players to buy to make up the minimum squad strength stipulated by the IPL. And they have holes to fill: back-up opener, a quality capped middle-order batsmen, more fast bowlers, and more international players.0:53

Price of players drop as they get older – Ponting

Mumbai IndiansTotal players: 9
Minimum number of players they need to buy: 9
Number of overseas players they can buy: 5
Purse remaining: INR 15.8 crore (USD 2,468,750)
Openers:Middle-order batsmen: Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav
Wicketkeepers: Ishan Kishan
Allrounders: Hardik Pandya, Kieron Pollard, Krunal Pandya
Wristspinners:
Fingerspinners:
Fast bowlers: Jasprit Bumrah, Mustafizur Rahman, Pat Cummins
What Mumbai need on Sunday: Mumbai began the auction with the smallest purse (along with CSK and Daredevils). They bought only a few players, and while only Krunal Pandya was a millionaire, none of the others were especially cheap. Their most inexpensive player was Mustafizur Rahman at INR 2.2 crore. So they have only INR 15.8 crore to buy at least nine players and fill significant holes: they have no openers (unless Rohit Sharma wants to open), no specialist spinners, no back-up keeper, few specialist batsmen, and few fast bowlers.Rajasthan RoyalsTotal players: 9
Minimum number of players they need to buy: 9
Number of overseas players they can buy: 3
Purse remaining: INR 23.5 crore (USD 3,671,875)
Openers: Ajinkya Rahane, D’Arcy Short, Rahul Tripathi
Middle-order batsmen: Steven Smith, Sanju Samson
Wicketkeepers: Jos Buttler
Allrounders: Ben Stokes, Stuart Binny, Jofra Archer
Wristspinners:
Fingerspinners:
Fast bowlers:
What Royals need on Sunday: Royals have five overseas players and only four Indians. They have four all-rounders, two of which are part-time, and absolutely no specialist bowlers (Stokes and Archer can bowl four overs each though). They also have only three Indian batsmen. So they need several more Indian batsmen, a whole lot of bowlers (especially spinners) and a back-up keeper for Buttler.Royal Challengers BangaloreTotal players: 14
Minimum number of players they need to buy: 4
Number of overseas players they can buy: 2
Purse remaining: INR 15.85 crore (USD 2,476,562)
Openers: Brendon McCullum, Manan Vohra
Middle-order batsmen: Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers, Sarfaraz Khan
Wicketkeepers: Quinton de Kock
Allrounders: Moeen Ali, Colin de Grandhomme, Chris Woakes
Wristspinners: Yuzvendra Chahal
Fingerspinners:
Fast bowlers: Kulwant Khejroliya, Umesh Yadav, Aniket Choudhary, Navdeep Saini
What RCB need on Sunday: Indian batsmen, because they have only three in the squad. An Indian allrounder, because all of theirs are overseas. They’d like another Indian spinner – they have only two spinners in the squad at present, and an overseas fast bowler. Their overseas batting and all-round contingent looks solid.Sunrisers HyderabadTotal players: 16
Minimum number of players they need to buy: 2
Number of overseas players they can buy: 3
Purse remaining: INR 7.95 crores (USD 1,242,187)
Openers: David Warner, Shikhar Dhawan
Middle-order batsmen: Manish Pandey, Kane Williamson
Wicketkeepers: Wriddhiman Saha, Ricky Bhui
Allrounders: Shakib Al Hasan, Carlos Brathwaite, Yusuf Pathan, Deepak Hooda
Wristspinners: Rashid Khan
Fingerspinners:
Fast Bowlers: Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Khaleel Ahmed, Siddarth Kaul, Basil Thampi, T Natarajan
What Sunrisers need on Sunday: They have the largest squad at present, and most bases covered. Three of their allrounders can bowl fingerspin. They would like another Indian batsman to give the selection flexibility, but what they really need is a batsman that can go berserk at the finish. Brathwaite could, but he’s average against spin. They also need an overseas quick.

Manchester City's Jack Grealish has spoken out on the burglary at his Cheshire home, which he says was a "traumatic experience" for his family.

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Grealish house robbed during Everton gameFamily members present, £1m worth of items stolenCity star 'devastated' by break-inGetty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

The Manchester City midfielder was playing in a Premier League game against Everton when his home was being robbed last Wednesday. As per , Grealish's fiancee Sasha Attwood, his parents, grandma, two sisters and brother hid for cover in the mansion after pressing 'panic buttons' as thieves broke in to steal £1m worth of jewellery.

WHAT GREALISH SAID

Grealish took to to explain the impact that the burglary has had on him and his loved ones, saying: "I can’t begin to explain how devastated I am over the burglary that took place at my home a few days ago. My family mean the world to me and nothing is more important than ensuring their safety. This has been a traumatic experience for all of us, I am just so grateful that nobody was hurt. I have had so many amazing experiences and achievements over the last 12 months, but to be honest the best year of my life in football now doesn’t feel like something I can celebrate. The people that commit these terrible crimes have no idea of the damage they cause to peoples lives. I hope they are found and brought to justice so no other family has to go through what we have. I appreciate the messages from everyone and the support from my friends, teammates and the club. On a more positive note, I’d like to thank everyone for their support throughout this past year, I wish you and your family a happy 2024."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Cheshire Police are currently investigating the break-in, with a force spokesperson telling : "At around 9.50pm on Wednesday December 27 police were called to reports of a burglary. The caller reported that a number of items had been stolen. Officers supported by police dogs and National Police Air Service were deployed and searches were conducted in the local area but there was no trace of the suspects. No arrests have been made at this time and enquiries are ongoing. Anyone with any information in relation to the incident is asked to contact Cheshire Police."

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR GREALISH?

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola urged Premier League footballers to "be careful" on social media after seeing one of his players targeted by burglars. "They have security but unfortunately it's happened. It's happened many times," said the Spaniard. "[Manchester] United players as well. I don't know much about London but it's happened [there], and not just in the UK – I know in Catalonia, where my family lives, many things happen. Today you have to be careful. Not much on social media – the less they know what you are doing the better. People are waiting [to see] where you are, what you are doing."

Wrexham striker Paul Mullin has lifted the lid on the squad's post-season trip to Las Vegas and how events weren't how they appeared in the tabloids.

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• Newspapers published shots from misleading angles
• Striker amazed by tabloid interest
• Squad discussed effect on partners

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The team were treated to a four-day trip to Sin City by owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney after clinching a historic return to the Football League after 15 years in the fifth tier. But there was a slight dampener on proceedings when photos appeared in the UK press appearing to show the squad partying with bikini-clad women.

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  WHAT PAUL MULLIN SAID

  Writing in his autobiography, Mullin explained: "That day we were off to another pool party, this time at the Marquee club. Initially the atmosphere was subdued. The had published a bunch of photos of the previous day’s pool party with a load of bikini-clad girls in the background.

  "There was nothing in any of it. Places like that obviously bring in girls as a way of promoting themselves. We hadn’t even spoken to them. There were other pictures of us messing about, throwing each other in the pool, stuff like that. We were just enjoying ourselves – a bunch of players celebrating a mad year – but somehow the pictures made it look like we were really pissed up and getting a bit out of hand.

  "We weren’t naive. We knew there’d be papers trying to get pictures, trying to catch us out, although it’s crazy when you think about it. We were a team from the National League celebrating promotion, not One Direction on a world tour.

  "The tabloid press is notorious but I’ll never understand an attitude where someone from a newspaper wants to create problems that don’t exist. We actually talked about it – how the girls in our lives had never signed up for any of the attention that follows us around. It must be so hard for them at times. OK, maybe when they got with a footballer they might have expected us to get somewhere one day, but not to have to see nonsense like that.

  "They didn’t think they’d be opening a newspaper and seeing their partners’ faces on a double-page spread of ‘exclusive’ pictures from a pool party in Las Vegas with all the suggestion that contained."

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  If they didn't already know it, the Wrexham squad learned that life under Hollywood ownership had brought an entirely new level of exposure. But, as Mullin reveals, the dressing room at the Racecourse Ground seems to have its feet on the ground and well able to handle the less savoury elements of the club's remarkable rise.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR WREXHAM?

  Despite the unwanted long lenses of the tabloid press, the squad would love to do it all again next summer if they could clinch a second-consecutive promotion in what is shaping up to be quite the promotion battle in League Two as the crucial festive fixture period begins.

  Buy your copy of Paul Mullin's brilliant new autobiography My Wrexham Story on Amazon.

Everton are reportedly facing the threat of administration and a second points deduction, with 777Partners' proposed takeover of the club delayed.

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• Over £100m loaned to Everton by 777Partners
• Not willing to keeping funding club in New Year if takeover is not completed
• PL finding due diligence checks 'challenging'

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  According to the Everton's prospective buyers, 777Partners, have been informed by the Premier League that their takeover is unlikely to be approved before the end of the year. This has raised fears that Everton may enter administration next month. The American private equity firm has provided Everton with over £100 million in loans for operating costs since reaching an agreement to buy the club from Farhad Moshiri in September, but are not willing to continue pumping in funds at Goodison Park if the takeover process is not completed by the end of the year. Everton need an additional £20 million per month for staff wages and operating costs, which is beyond the scope of their fixed income. The club faces insolvency without 777's funding, potentially leading to administration and a further nine-point deduction on top of the 10 points that have already been docked.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The convoluted labyrinth of 777's finances and corporate structure, which shelters over 60 companies in several sectors under their control, including insurance, aviation, and sport, is posing challenges for the Premier League in their assessment. The English top-flight is doing the arduous job of establishing the source and sufficiency of 777's funds, while also examining legal cases that have been filed against the companies in the United States.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  adds that Premier League are reluctant to punish Everton with a second deduction of points, as it would send the Toffees plunging back into the relegation zone. However, they won't be pressured into rushing the due diligence process either, as they believe that the job at hand is complex and requires patient handling.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  The report also mentions that 777 have not yet been given any potential timeline about when the Premier League could be ready with their decision. However, Everton officials are coordinating with both 777 and the Premier League to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.

  Despite the off-the-pitch turmoil, Sean Dyche has ensured that his men remain focused on their job on the pitch. Everton have won four of their last five league matches and are currently 17th in the standings with 13 points from 16 matches, with a crucial clash against fellow strugglers Burnley up next on Saturday.

Amad Diallo sent a message to Mason Greenwood after the Manchester United loanee scored a stunner for Getafe on Saturday.

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• Greenwood on target for Getafe
• Scores his fourth goal of the season
• Amad impressed by latest effort

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Greenwood scored a stunning goal for Getafe last time out in a 2-1 victory over Almeria in La Liga. The Manchester United loanee fired a brilliant effort into the top corner to net his fourth goal of the season since moving from Old Trafford. The moment certainly did not go unnoticed back at his parent club, with Amad clearly impressed by the strike.

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• WHAT AMAD SAID

  Greenwood has since posted footage of the goal on his Instagram account. "Love this, bro," was the prompt message in response from Amad, complete with a heart emoji.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Amad has previously shown his support for Greenwood after the forward made his debut for Getafe back in September following his exit from Manchester United. Greenwood was met with "die" chants during the game from opposition supporters. He has gone on to make 10 appearances in the Spanish top flight so far this season. Meanwhile, Amad was also expected to move out on loan in the summer but suffered a serious knee injury that has seen him miss the start of the season. Amad is now closing in on a return to first-team action after a lengthy spell on the sidelines.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR GREENWOOD?

  Greenwood's future remains unclear with Manchester United, as the forward is not expected to play for the club again. Premier League clubs are said to be scouting the 22-year-old, while are Getafe are reportedly keen to keep him at the Coliseum Alfonso Perez. Greenwood will have another chance to try and impress on Friday when his side take on Las Palmas in La Liga.

IShowSpeed asked NFL legend and Birmingham City co-owner Tom Brady to pick between Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi in football's GOAT debate.

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• IShowSpeed meets Tom Brady
• Asks him to choose between Messi and Ronaldo
• NFL legend gives diplomatic answer

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Internet celebrities Speed, Adin Ross, and Kai Cenat attended UFC icon Dana White's Power Slap event in Las Vegas alongside Brady. A well-known character among football enthusiasts, Darren Jason Watkins Jr., commonly known as Speed, requested the seven-time Super Bowl champion to pick between Messi and Ronaldo in the football Hall of Fame. The legendary NFL player diplomatically answered that he "couldn't choose" between the two legendary players.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  It is widely known that Speed is a fan of the Portuguese forward and was even present during the clash between Ronaldo's Al-Nassr and Messi's Inter Miami earlier this month. Although Ronaldo did not feature at all and Messi only played the last few minutes due to contractual reasons, Speed met and interacted with the Inter Miami players ahead of their 6-0 loss.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR BRADY?

  The NFL legend will be present at the Allegiant Stadium on Sunday night as the Kansas City Chiefs take on the San Francisco 49ers in the Superbowl LVIII. As for his Birmingham City side, they will next be in action when they take on Blackburn Rovers on Tuesday, February 13.