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Watch Britain's Henry Patten and Finnish team-mate Harri Heliovaara reach their first Australian Open men's doubles final together against Germany's Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz.

READ MORE: GB's Patten & Finn Heliovaara 'ride the wave' to reach Melbourne doubles final

Available to UK users only.

While Djokovic has not practised at Melbourne Park since beating Alcaraz, there have been plenty of chances over the fortnight to see how the team dynamic works.

During a warm-up hit with Britain's Jacob Fearnley before the quarter-final, Murray watched every movement intently from behind the baseline.

When the session wrapped up, Djokovic embraced Murray before the pair - to the delight of the several hundred watching - had a quick knock on court.

A couple of gentle rallies ended when Djokovic, rather brutally given Murray's fitness issues, brought out a drop-shot which the Scot dutifully chased down.

Then it was back to collecting Djokovic's racquets and taking them to the stringer.

"When I saw Andy walking through the corridors with all Novak's racquets, taking them to the stringer, you could see he is taking this job very seriously," Australian former world number four Sam Stosur told Channel Nine.

Djokovic's pre-tournament practice sessions against Alcaraz, Jack Draper and Arthur Fils offered more insight.

Standing close behind Djokovic and sometimes in the doubles alley, Murray constantly offered feedback, shouted praise after winners and made notes.

He also compared observations with Boris Bosnjakovic, who ran Djokovic's training centre in Belgrade before becoming part of the team last May after long-term coach Goran Ivanisevic left.

"It's about making small changes to things and trying to help him and improve with the whole team," Murray said.

Saracens' Segun out for 12 weeks with calf injury

Published in Rugby
Thursday, 23 January 2025 05:38

Saracens winger Rotimi Segun has been ruled out for 12 weeks after he sustained a calf injury against Castres Olympique.

Segun, who has scored two tries in 12 appearances this season, left the field in the 59th minute of the 34-24 European Champions Cup defeat on Sunday, on what was his 100th appearance for the club.

Flanker Toby Knight, meanwhile, will have a consultation on a knee injury he picked against the Top 14 club at the StoneX Stadium.

England hooker Jamie George will continue to be monitored for what's now been described as a "minor" hamstring injury, while second row Nick Isiekwe is being assessed for a rib injury.

Both players have been included in England's squad for the upcoming Six Nations.

Argentina international centre Lucio Cinti has been sidelined for six weeks with a hamstring injury he sustained in his side's defeat at Munster.

Saracens visit Exeter Chiefs on Saturday in their last Premiership match before the international break.

The north London club are third in the table, seven points behind leaders Bath, and are through to the last 16 of the Champions Cup.

Andy Onyeama-Christie, who suffered a serious ankle injury in Sarries' Premiership defeat to Harlequins in October, is on course to return before the end of the season, the club said., external

61 Cars Set For Rolex 24 At Daytona

Published in Racing
Thursday, 23 January 2025 04:26

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla.  The complete field of cars for the 63rd Rolex 24 At Daytona gathered on the Daytona Intl Speedway circuit for the annual full-field photo on Wednesday.

Sixty-one cars across four classes (Grand Touring Prototype, Le Mans Prototype 2, Grand Touring Daytona Pro and Grand Touring Daytona) are set to compete in the iconic race that opens the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season starting Saturday afternoon.

Practice for the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship begins Thursday, while Saturdays 24-hour event will be preceded by a pair of races for the Mazda MX-5 Cup Series and the opening event of the Michelin Pilot Challenge endurance series.

NBC Sports offers complete coverage of the 24-hour race across its platforms. Catch the race start live on NBC network starting at 1:30 p.m. ET Saturday. USA Network picks up coverage from 2:30-6:30 p.m. Saturday. The broadcast returns to NBC for the conclusion of the race from noon-2 p.m. Sunday. The entire race also streams live, flag-to-flag, on Peacock i

Lengthy Florida Speedweeks Ready To Roll

Published in Racing
Thursday, 23 January 2025 05:30

BARBERVILLE, Fla. The unofficial kickoff of Florida Speedweeks is this weekend with the Rolex 24 At Daytona Intl Speedway and short-track events at Ocala Speedway and Volusia Speedway Park.

Action featuring many of the countrys top touring short-track series will continue through the Feb. 16 Daytona 500 at Daytona.

The World of Outlaws Late Model Series contests the Sunshine Nationals at Volusias half-mile dirt track Thursday, Friday and Saturday beginning a busy month of action at the track, as the 54th running of the Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals follows Jan. 30-Feb. 15. The longest DIRTcar Nationals in the history of the event, kicks off with three nights of 360 sprint car racing featuring the ASCS National Tour Jan. 30-Feb. 1. The DIRTcar UMP modifieds accompany the 360 sprints and return to the track again Feb. 3-8.

The World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series kicks off its season Feb. 5-8 with four consecutive nights of features attracting racers from coast to coast.

The USAC sprint cars will join the UMP late models for action on Feb. 10-11 with the Super DIRTcar Series big-block modifieds replacing the sprint cars Feb. 12-15 running alongside the UMP late models on Feb. 12 and the World of Outlaws Late Model Series on Feb. 13-15.

Absent from Florida Speedweeks this year will be East Bay Raceway Park, which hosted its Winternationals for more than five decades before closing at the end of last season. Events traditionally run at the popular third-mile dirt track have moved to Ocala Speedway for this year.

The three-eighths-mile Ocala track will host the DIRTcar modifieds Jan. 21-25 with the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series calling the track home for Winternationals action Feb. 3-8. The Lucas late models open their Florida run Jan. 30-Feb. 1 at All-Tech Raceway in Lake City, Fla.

The USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car Championship makes its annual visit to the Ocala track Feb. 12-15, while All-Tech Raceway hosts the Short Track Super Series modifieds Feb. 5-8.

Formerly run at East Bay, the annual King of the 360s series of sprint car races will move to Hendry County Motorsports Park in Clewiston and will be run under the USCS banner Feb. 6-8. USCS will also sanction a pair of races at Southern Raceway on Feb. 14-15.

USAC sprint cars will visit Ocala Speedway Feb. 12-15. (Dick Ayers photo)

Many of the countrys best asphalt modified and late model stock car drivers will make the annual trek to the Sunshine state to compete in the 59th running of the World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing Feb. 7-15 at New Smyrna Speedway. Super late models, Tour-type modifieds and pro late models are the headlining divisions on a nightly basis, but the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour will headline the Feb. 8 program, while the ASA STARS National Tour tops the Feb. 11 card at the half-mile asphalt oval.

Drag racing is also on the Speedweeks agenda with the second running of the PRI Superstar Shootout set for Feb. 5-8 at Bradenton Motorsports Park with the Top Fuel and Funny Car divisions headlining the action, which will feature the top stars in the sport chasing big-money purses.

And, of course, theres the event that spawned it all, the Daytona 500 at Daytona Intl Speedway. The NASCAR Cup Series will contest the 67th running of The Great American Race on Feb. 16.

Stock car Speedweek at Daytona opens on Feb. 12 with qualifying for the NASCAR Cup Series. The following night will feature the annual Duel qualifying races that set the field for the Daytona 500.

The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series hits the track on Feb. 14, with the ARCA Menards Series and the NASCAR Xfinity Series both in action on Feb. 15.

The Daytona 500 is set for Feb. 16 at Daytona Intl Speedway. (David Moulthrop photo)

Speedweek Events

Jan. 21-25       DIRTcar/UMP Modifieds       

Ocala Speedway, Ocala, Fla.

Jan. 23-25       World of Outlaws Late Models

Volusia Speedway Park, Barberville, Fla.

Jan. 24 Michelin Pilot Challenge

Daytona Intl Speedway, Daytona Beach, Fla.

Jan. 25-26       Rolex 24 (IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship)

Daytona Intl Speedway, Daytona Beach, Fla.

Jan. 30-Feb. 1 Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series

All-Tech Raceway, Lake City, Fla.

Jan. 30-Feb. 1 ASCS National Tour

Volusia Speedway Park, Barberville, Fla.

Jan. 30-Feb. 1 DIRTcar/UMP Modifieds

Volusia Speedway Park, Barberville, Fla.

Feb. 3-8           DIRTcar/UMP Modifieds

Volusia Speedway Park, Barberville, Fla.

Feb. 3-8           Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series

Ocala Speedway, Ocala, Fla.

Feb. 5-8           Short Track Super Series

All-Tech Raceway, Lake City, Fla.

Feb. 5-8           World of Outlaws Sprint Cars

Volusia Speedway Park, Barberville, Fla.

Feb. 6-8           USCS Sprint Cars/King of the 360s

Hendry County Motorsports Park, Clewiston, Fla.

Feb. 6-8           PRO Superstar Shootout Drag Racing

Bradenton Motorsports Park, Bradenton, Fla.

Feb. 7-15         World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing

New Smyrna Speedway, New Smyrna Beach, Fla.

Feb. 7-8           Super Late Models

Citrus County Speedway, Inverness, Fla.

Feb. 8  NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour

New Smyrna Speedway, New Smyrna Beach, Fla.

Feb. 10-11       USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Cars

Volusia Speedway Park, Barberville, Fla.

Feb. 10-12       UMP Late Models

Volusia Speedway Park, Barberville, Fla.

Feb. 11 ASA STARS National Tour

New Smyrna Speedway, New Smyrna Beach, Fla.

Feb. 12-15       Super DIRTcar Series

Volusia Speedway Park, Barberville, Fla.

Feb.12-15        USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Cars

Ocala Speedway, Ocala, Fla.

Feb. 13-15       World of Outlaws Late Model Series

Volusia Speedway Park, Barberville, Fla.

Feb. 14-15       USCS Sprint Cars

Southern Raceway, Milton, Fla.

Feb. 14            NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series

Daytona Intl Speedway, Daytona Beach, Fla.

Feb. 15 UARA Sportsman

Freedom Factory, Bradenton, Fla.

Feb. 15 ARCA Menards Series

Daytona Intl Speedway, Daytona Beach, Fla.

Feb. 15 NASCAR Xfinity Series

Daytona Intl Speedway, Daytona Beach, Fla.

Feb. 16 NASCAR Cup Series

Daytona Intl Speedway, Daytona Beach, Fla.

FRM, Smith To Give The Dog A Bone

Published in Racing
Thursday, 23 January 2025 06:17

MOORESVILLE, N.C.  Benebone, a leading USA brand of durable dog toys, is back with Front Row Motorsports as a primary sponsor of Zane Smith and the No. 38 Ford Mustang Dark Horse team for the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season.

Having served as an associate partner of Smith in the 2023 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series, Benebone will follow Smith in his return to FRM for the 2025 season with their scheme showcased in three Cup Series events.

Benebones season will kick off in May at the Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway for the Coca-Cola 600 before traveling to the world-famous Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City, Mexico, in June. Benebones final race will be in October at the Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway.

For Smith, the partnership with Benebone is an authentic connection, as he is a proud parent of two Benebone-loving dogs, Roxy and Kygo.

Im excited to reignite my partnership with Benebone, said Smith. My dogs are a huge part of my life, so its great to have a partner who understands this special connection. Im inspired by Benebones commitment to creating long-lasting toys that dogs love. Hopefully, I can repay them with a trip to victory lane.

Benebone shares the same excitement in continuing its partnership with FRM and Smith.

Were thrilled to continue our partnership with Front Row Motorsports and Zane Smith for the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season, said Nate Harceg, Benebones Chief Growth Officer. The NASCAR communitys passion and loyalty have been incredible, and Zane is a fantastic ambassador for our brand. As a company built on making lives better for dogs and their humans, were excited to connect with fans on and off the track and share our mission with even more dog lovers this season.

Jarrett Continues To Support JRM Xfinity Team

Published in Racing
Thursday, 23 January 2025 06:33

MOORESVILLE, N.C.  JR Motorsports announced that Jarrett, a leading provider of logistics, transportation, warehousing, international and fleet services, will return to the organization as a primary sponsor for six races during the 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series campaign.

Jarrett will support the Nos. 1, 7 and 88 Chevrolets with drivers Carson Kvapil, Justin Allgaier and Connor Zilisch. In addition to their return as a primary partner, Jarrett will again be featured as a full-season associate on Allgaiers No. 7 Chevrolet.

Its great to have Jarrett return to JRM across not just my No. 7, but also with Carson and Connor, said reigning NXS Champion Allgaier. Ive really enjoyed working with Jarrett over the last couple of years and I know that Connor, Carson and myself will do all we can to get them in Victory Lane in 2025.

Jarrett, a leading third-party logistics (3PL) provider founded in 1999, has grown to become one of the top logistics companies in the United States. With a focus on advanced, integrated technology solutions, Jarrett partners with supply chain leaders, including Fortune 500 companies, to provide services in transportation, warehousing, international, logistics, and fleet operations.

As a family-owned company, Jarrett takes pride in delivering world-class customer service, innovative technology and premier high-touch logistics solutions tailored to meet client needs.

We are excited to continue our partnership with JR Motorsports in 2025, bringing the Jarrett brand to the track with an outstanding roster of drivers, said Mike Jarrett, CEO and President of Jarrett. Justin Allgaiers return to the Jarrett car, alongside rising stars Connor Zilisch and Carson Kvapil, underscores our mutual dedication to excellence and high performance. We look forward to watching these talented drivers represent Jarrett as they compete at the highest level and deliver an unforgettable season.

NHL teams don't necessarily need a goaltender that can drag them to the Stanley Cup, mostly because those types of netminders are unicorns. What they need is a goalie that can make a save at a critical time; and, perhaps most of all, not lose a game for the team in front of them.

As the NHL playoff picture comes into focus, so does the quality of every team's most important position. Will their goaltending be the foundation for a playoff berth and postseason run? Or is it the fatal flaw in their designs on the Stanley Cup?

The NHL Bubble Watch is our monthly check-in on the Stanley Cup playoff races using playoff probabilities and points projections from Stathletes for all 32 teams. This month, we're also giving each contending team a playoff quality goaltending rating based on the classic Consumer Reports review standards: Excellent, Very Good, Good, Fair, Poor.

We also reveal which teams shouldn't worry about any of this because they're lottery-bound already.

But first, a look at the projected playoff bracket:

Kolo Muani completes loan move to Juve from PSG

Published in Soccer
Thursday, 23 January 2025 06:18

Juventus have announced the signing of Paris Saint-Germain striker Randal Kolo Muani on a loan deal until the end of the season.

Sources had told ESPN that Muani had also drawn interest from Tottenham but preferred a move to the Serie A side.

The move gives Muani the opportunity to kickstart his career after an underwhelming 18-month spell at PSG. The striker signed for 95 million ($102.6m) from Eintracht Frankfurt last summer, but has managed just 11 goals in 54 appearances.

He had fallen out of favour with Luis Enrique this season and has made just two starts in all competitions.

The 26-year-old's arrival in Turin will bring more potency to a Juventus side, who have drawn 13 of their 21 leagues games this season.

Are we witnessing the end of Manchester City's incredible period of dominance, and have recent weeks exposed the first cracks in the winning empire built by Pep Guardiola? When the Champions League fixture list for the new 36-team league phase was released in September, nobody could have seriously predicted that Wednesday's clash with Paris Saint-Germain would be a make-or-break game for two of Europe's most powerful clubs. But that is exactly what it has become, with both sides in danger of not advancing to the knockout rounds.

For PSG, the club's decision to dispense with a policy of superstar signings (Kylian Mbappé left on a free transfer for Real Madrid in the summer) and focus on up-and-coming talent helps explain their unexpected slide in the Champions League, but Luis Enrique's team are still leaving domestic rivals trailing in their wake in France. Not only are PSG still on course for another Ligue 1 title, unbeaten in 18 games and leading second-place Marseille by 10 points, but they're alive in the French Cup and eyeing up another treble.

It is a different story at City. Having guided the team to an unprecedented fourth consecutive Premier League title last season, Guardiola has endured a series of career lows as manager this season. City are miles off the pace in the title race -- 12 points behind leaders Liverpool, having played a game more -- and ended 2024 with just one win in 13 games in all competitions. That run included five successive defeats and an overall sequence of nine losses in 13 games.

Despite three wins and two draws in their past five league games, Guardiola's squad are showing signs of age and decline. Right-back Kyle Walker, 34, wants to leave, while midfielder Ilkay Gündogan, also 34, has been a shadow of his former self since returning to the club from Barcelona last summer. Midfielder Kevin De Bruyne, 33, is out of contract this summer and has yet to discuss a new deal.

Star striker Erling Haaland's decision to sign a 10-year contract last week was an unexpected coup for City and a huge morale boost for all connected with the club, but there remains so much uncertainty around the Etihad.

Guardiola's future remains the subject of speculation despite signing his own contract extension in November, City have lost their magic touch in the transfer market, opponents have lost their fear of Guardiola's once-formidable team, and the club are seeing homegrown players (including Cole Palmer and Liam Delap) exceed expectations with their new teams after perhaps being offloaded too soon.

Every generation has a dominant team, but the empires built by Liverpool in the 1970s and 1980s and Sir Alex Ferguson's winning machine at Manchester United were both eventually brought down and overtaken by rivals. Is the same now happening to City?

Rather than wait for the benefit of hindsight, their peers' stories suggest that the warning signs of the end may already be showing.

With additional reporting by Beth Lindop


Liverpool: 'All the continuity left with Kenny Dalglish'

In September 1989, Liverpool recorded a 9-0 win against Crystal Palace at Anfield to go top of the old First Division. Having lost the league title on the final day of the previous season, it was an emphatic statement of intent that Liverpool, who had been crowned champions nine times since 1976, were back.

Liverpool would go on to win the 1989-90 title, but it would be their last for 30 years, and it was another game against Palace that season that warned of the decline to come.

In an FA Cup semifinal at Villa Park in April 1990, Liverpool had been expected to cruise to victory over their relegation-threatened opponents, but manager Kenny Dalglish's team were beaten 4-3 after extra-time in a huge shock. In February 1991, Dalglish stepped down and the club would win just two trophies -- the 1992 FA Cup and 1995 EFL Cup -- for the remainder of the decade.

There were other key exits that contributed to the downward spiral. When John Smith stepped down as Liverpool chairman in 1990, the club had amassed 11 league titles, four European Cups, two UEFA Cups, three FA Cups and four League Cups since his elevation to the role in 1973. He was an understated local businessman who set the tone for Liverpool's approach on and off the field. "We're a very, very modest club," Smith said. "We don't talk. We don't boast. But we're very professional."

In tandem with the club's chief executive, Peter Robinson, Smith successfully appointed three managers -- Bob Paisley, Joe Fagan and Dalglish -- in the space of 11 years and sanctioned a series of astute signings including Dalglish, Graeme Souness, Ian Rush, John Barnes and Peter Beardsley, all of whom became club legends and key figures in successful teams. Liverpool also mastered the art of moving big players, including goalkeeper Ray Clemence and team captain Souness, out of the club at the right time.

When Smith stepped down, the club soon started making mistakes with player signings and managerial appointments: Souness replaced Dalglish in 1991, leaving his role as manager of Glasgow Rangers as Liverpool abandoned Smith's approach of appointing managers from within the club.

"If you think about the continuity at Liverpool from Bill Shankly onwards, that all left with Kenny," former Liverpool defender Steve Nicol told ESPN.

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2:07
Nicol pinpoints the moment Liverpool's era of dominance started to unravel

Steve Nicol speaks about the game when he realised Liverpool's dominance was coming to an end in the 90s.

Another key factor in the decline was a failure to refresh an ageing squad, having successfully done so during the 1970s and '80s. When Dalglish stepped down, Liverpool were still reliant on many players who had delivered their success in the '80s, including Bruce Grobbelaar, Nicol and Ian Rush, who had all played in the 1984 European Cup final against AS Roma. Grobbelaar, Glen Hysen and Beardsley were all in their 30s, and Nicol and Rush were 29. Captain Alan Hansen announced his retirement at the age of 35 a month after Dalglish's departure.

Dalglish's final two signings, David Speedie and Jimmy Carter, would play just 21 games for the Reds between them, setting the tone for an erratic recruitment policy that followed. Throughout the 1990s, Liverpool fell into the trap of signing inferior players, often for inflated fees. The subtle art of making astute moves was lost.

"When Kenny left and Graeme came in, there were a few of us who were past our best," Nicol said. "But even if that wasn't true, the place needed freshening up because a cloud was hanging over the club. Graeme had to make a lot of changes quickly.

"The majority of our team was made up of players who were Scottish, Welsh and Irish, so because of the UEFA rules [clubs were limited to three non-domestic players] Souness had to get rid of a lot of players and bring in English players. It wasn't like he had a choice of scouring Europe for the best players."

Liverpool's fall was swift. By the time the Premier League began in 1992, they had fallen behind Arsenal and Manchester United and were also eclipsed by big-spending newcomers such as Blackburn Rovers and Newcastle United. It wasn't until Gerard Houllier's team won treble of League Cup, FA Cup and UEFA Cup in 2001 that Liverpool became a force again. But despite a Champions League win under Rafael Benitez in 2005, it took the appointment of Jurgen Klopp in 2015 to provide the catalyst for the club to finally return to the summit of the English game.


Manchester United: The damaging post-Ferguson years

Manchester United's 6-1 defeat against Manchester City at Old Trafford in October 2011 was the biggest loss, home or away, since Ferguson took charge in November 1986. United went into the game as reigning champions, having won a 12th Premier League title in 18 years, but City were an emerging force under Roberto Mancini and they humiliated United at Old Trafford with goals from Mario Balotelli (2), Edin Dzeko (2), Sergio Aguero and David Silva -- three of City's goals came after the 89th minute.

"It looked humiliating, but it was actually self-annihilation," Ferguson wrote in his 2013 autobiography. "After the final whistle, I informed the players they had disgraced themselves."

The margin of victory proved crucial, with City clinching the title on goal difference -- eight clear of United -- on the final day of the season and the 10-goal swing in City's favour from that derby proving decisive. "Of all the setbacks I endured, nothing compared to losing the league to City," Ferguson said.

Ferguson was able to wrestle the title back a year later in his final season -- though United haven't won the title since -- but the 6-1 defeat was when the rot set in. Never before had United endured such a humbling defeat under Ferguson.

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1:16
Why travelling with Ferguson at Man United was like being on 'Air Force One'

Mark Ogden speaks about how Sir Alex Ferguson was treated when travelling with Manchester United on preseason.

His retirement in 2013 was the crucial departure, but David Gill's exit as CEO was just as significant. Gill had been the calm voice in the boardroom, the conduit between Ferguson and United's U.S. owners, the Glazer family, and his relationship with Ferguson was one of mutual trust.

"Of course, we have had a million arguments," Ferguson said about Gill in 2013. "But I always enjoyed them because I know that David has two great qualities: He is straight, and he always puts Manchester United first."

Gill was replaced by United's commercial director, Ed Woodward, who oversaw a period of lavish signings as the club tried to spend their way out of the slump -- Paul Pogba (89.3m), Romelu Lukaku (75m), Angel Di Maria (59.7m) -- and the appointment of four managers in five years including Champions League winners Louis van Gaal and Jose Mourinho -- before he left his role as executive vice chairman in January 2022.

Under Woodward, United spent more than 1 billion on new signings and over 40m in severance packages to fired managers David Moyes, Van Gaal, Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Erik ten Hag's dismissal last November cost United a further 10.4m in compensation to the former Ajax coach.

United's failure to refresh their squad dates back to the summer of 2009, when Cristiano Ronaldo sealed a then-world record 80m transfer to Real Madrid and the club chose not to turn Carlos Tevez's two-year loan deal into a permanent move, allowing the forward to move across town to Manchester City.

While City were embarking on their own incredible spending spree, funded by their new Abu Dhabi owners, the United manager said he wanted to find "value in the market." Ronaldo and Tevez were replaced by 18m Wigan winger Antonio Valencia and Newcastle striker Michael Owen, who arrived on a free transfer. That summer also saw United sign relatively unknown forwards Gabriel Obertan and Mame Biram Diouf.

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2:13
How Ferguson's legacy was impacted by the squad he left at Man United

Rob Dawson and Mark Ogden reflect on Sir Alex's Ferguson's departure from Manchester United.

United had tried planning for the long term by signing Phil Jones and Chris Smalling as successors to centre-back pairing Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic. Mexico forward Javier Hernandez was signed for 7m from Chivas in 2010, with 7.2m spent to sign Portuguese winger Bebé in the same summer. Meanwhile, Ronaldo would become a trophy-winning goal machine with Real Madrid, while Tevez became the poster-boy -- literally -- and catalyst for City's success on the other side of town.

However, by the time Ferguson retired, the squad had started to show signs of decline. Ryan Giggs (39) was still playing in midfield, while Paul Scholes (38) had been persuaded to come out of retirement by Ferguson in 2012 to solve a squad shortage. Ferdinand (34), Vidic (31), Patrice Evra (32) and Michael Carrick (31) were all aging mainstays of the squad Ferguson handed over to successor Moyes.

Compounding United's decline was the fact that Ferguson's judgement had also started to slip. After losing the title to City in 2012, Ferguson believed that his young players would deliver a bright future. "I felt I had a core of players who were sure to improve," he said. "In Rafael da Silva, Jones, Smalling, David de Gea, Tom Cleverley, Danny Welbeck, Hernandez, I had a nucleus that would be good for the long haul and a fit Anderson would be part of that group."

History would prove Ferguson badly wrong.


So what are we seeing at Man City this season?

First, the bad news for City: The pitfalls that befell Liverpool and United are already visible for Guardiola and his players. There have already been shock defeats, departures of key personnel, transfer mistakes, and maybe even some of the complacency that crucially obscured the warning signs at both Anfield and Old Trafford.

When was City's "6-1 moment?" This season has thrown up plenty of shock results, but last season's FA Cup final was key. Chasing a Premier League/FA Cup double a year after defeating United at Wembley in the second part of their Premier League/FA Cup/Champions League treble, Guardiola's side were beaten by their neighbours, who had just recorded their lowest-ever Premier League (8th).

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How Man City's 2025 transfers can prevent a falloff

Rob Dawson says the transfer moves Manchester City make in 2025 will decide if they continue to be a Premier League title contender or not.

Having been so dominant on the domestic scene, City's defeat against a much weaker opponent highlighted a frailty that others would then expose more regularly. Liverpool and United had lost games before, but both defeats were big-stage failures when they were supposed to be at their best, and the same applies to City losing against United at Wembley. It was Guardiola's first, and only, defeat in a domestic cup final as City manager.

"It was my decisions [that cost us]," Guardiola said afterwards. "It's my mistake: the gameplan was not good."

Off-the-pitch changes are also starting to have an impact at the Etihad; the question now is whether they prove to be as damaging? City have seen a number of senior figures leave the Etihad over the past 18 months, including chief operating officer Omar Berrada and academy director Jason Wilcox (who are now CEO and technical director respectively at United.) However, the biggest executive exit will be Txiki Begiristain, who has held the post of director of football since October 2012.

Begiristain, a former Barcelona teammate of Guardiola's before becoming director of football at Camp Nou in 2003, will step down at the end of this season to be replaced by Hugo Viana, who has been recruited from Portuguese champions Sporting CP. Begiristain's presence at City was crucial in the club's move to hire Guardiola as coach in 2016 and the two men have an incredibly close working and personal relationship, even more deep-rooted and closer than Ferguson's was with Gill.

The loss of Begiristain's experience, contacts and, most importantly of all, his bond with Guardiola, could be a major blow.

Until recently, City looked to have avoided the squad pitfalls that proved to be the undoing of Liverpool and United. But after two relatively quiet summers in the transfer market -- City announced a profit of 139m from player moves in their most recent accounts -- Guardiola's squad are now in need of an overhaul due to the age profile of several key players.

Walker (34), Gundogan (34) and De Bruyne (33) all need replacing, while Bernardo Silva, John Stones and Mateo Kovacic are all past their 30th birthday; Nathan Aké, Jack Grealish and Manuel Akanji are all 29. Despite the number of 30-somethings in his team, Guardiola has insisted that the age of his players is not an issue. "It depends on the performance," Guardiola said in November. "There are players who are 30 and more than 30 who perform incredibly well. There are players who are 23 who perform not good. I don't see the age. All teams have players with certain ages."

Having allowed Gundogan to leave for Barcelona as a free agent in 2023, City's decision to re-sign the midfielder last summer was a rare backward step for the club, but City have also sanctioned the departures of homegrown youngsters including Palmer (now at Chelsea), Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa) and Romeo Lavia (Chelsea). The club have been sleepwalking into a major squad overhaul, but with the Premier League's 115 charges for financial breaches hanging over the club and Begiristain due to leave this summer, they may have left it too late to address the issue decisively as other issues become clear.

Sources have told ESPN that 22-year-old James McAtee, a player regarded by Guardiola as a potential replacement for Bernardo Silva, could be the next to leave due to frustration over a lack of playing time; Newcastle, Bayer Leverkusen and RB Leipzig are all interested. Walker's surprise transfer request this month, and goalkeeper Éderson's frustration at losing his starting spot to Stefan Ortega, have added to a rare sense of discontent within the squad. Meanwhile, Guardiola's increasingly agitated persona in the technical area has also raised doubts as to whether he will see out his new deal.

However, there is some good news in the form of Haaland's new 10-year contract. For the club's biggest star to commit to such a long-term deal suggests there is optimism that this season is nothing more than a blip, and an unavoidable consequence of a team needing to be refreshed.

City have made signings to bolster Guardiola's squad in January, with deals for young defenders Abdukodir Khusanov (40m) and Vitor Reis (30m) set to be followed by the 55m signing of Eintracht forward Omar Marmoush. But are they the right moves or a repeat of the gambles -- and mistakes -- made by Liverpool and United? Time will tell whether they are City's Jimmy Carter and Gabriel Obertan, or the new Julián Álvarez and Rúben Dias. If they are to avoid experiencing the same fall as Liverpool and United, City need them to be the latter.

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Basketball

Watts, Sonics icon and Seattle fixture, dies at 73

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Betts (illness) out for Tokyo Series; lost 15 pounds

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Valdez gets 4th straight Astros Opening Day start

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