Todd Cantwell has no doubt Kieran Dowell will go on to show his qualities at Rangers.
Both players were team-mates at Norwich and after Cantwell joined the Light Blues last January, his fellow midfielder followed him north in the summer.
The 26-year-old, however, has struggled to make an impact, albeit injury has played a part in his absence.
Dowell made his first appearance since November 1 when he played his part in the 2-0 cinch Premiership win over St Johnstone at Ibrox and his early opener against Motherwell at Fir Park on Christmas Eve after keeping his place helped the Light Blues to a 2-0 win.
Cantwell, who scored the second goal which took Philippe Clement’s side two points behind cinch Premiership leaders Celtic with a game in hand, said: “I feel sorry for Kieran. He had a tough injury not long after he signed which is difficult because it changes what it looks like for him.
“He came in, looked good, scored a good goal and has been injured since.
“Fair play to him for his consistency in training.
“Every single day he has been consistent. He is a top footballer, there is no secret to that.
“I’ve had the joy of playing with him at Norwich and we were successful there. That’s the plan here too.”
The driving rain and wind at Fir Park made playing football difficult but Cantwell was just pleased to keep the winning run going, with Clement now unbeaten in 16 games since taking over as Gers boss in October.
He said: “It was tough, about as windy a game as I’ve played in to be honest.
“It was quite hard to get out of our half in the second half.
“But we came to win and it’s not always going to be as pretty as you might like.
“It affects the game massively when it’s like that.
“It’s a challenge for some people to be standing at that corner where it was windiest, let alone playing football.
“But, listen, we went there to win the game and got two early goals which I think really helped us because we didn’t have to chase the game at that point.
“We had to show a bit of resilience and, yeah, get the win.
“It wouldn’t have been, I don’t think, a particularly enjoyable game to watch.
“But sometimes the best teams have to find a way to win in all sorts of conditions.
“Things are not always going to go your way and today we made sure that we got the win and kept the clean sheet again.”
Jamaal Lascelles has played himself into Eddie Howe’s long-term plans at Newcastle after stepping back into the firing line amid an injury crisis.
The 30-year-old defender found himself part of the supporting cast as head coach Howe, armed with the spending power of the club’s new Saudi-backed owners, embarked upon a spending spree which has to date seen them invest around £400million in the squad.
Sven Botman’s £32million arrival from Lille in particular left the Magpies’ club captain largely sitting on the bench, but the injury which saw the Dutchman miss almost three months of football handed the former Nottingham Forest man a chance he grasped with both hands in the final year of his existing contract.
Asked if he wanted Lascelles to stay, Howe said: “I’m sure contract talks with Jamaal… I’m just trying to wrack my brain as to where his contract is at, but I think he is part of our long-term future, for sure.”
Botman’s misfortune struck when he suffered a knee injury in September which sidelined him until he came on as a late substitute in a 3-0 Premier League win over Fulham on December 16.
In his absence, Howe turned to Lascelles and got exactly the response for which he had hoped as he stepped in alongside Fabian Schar and played his part in a Carabao Cup victory over European champions Manchester City and a 4-1 Champions League demolition of Paris St Germain.
In doing so, he demonstrated just how hard he had worked in training to be able to deliver the kind of football Howe demands of his central defenders and produce his best form to date for the club.
Howe said: “Jamaal has done really, really well this season and his game has come on in lots of ways.
“Firstly, defensively, he has always been very strong aerially and you saw that recently against Fulham. His defensive understanding of what we want him to do has been very good from day one.
“His use of the ball has improved, he looks really comfortable in the team at the moment, and he’s playing some really good football.”
However, Lascelles is facing a race against time to face former club Forest on Boxing Day after limping out of Saturday’s 1-0 defeat at Luton before half-time.
Howe remained coy over his skipper’s injury after the game and he will be assessed with Botman, who replaced him at Kenilworth Road, standing by to start a league fixture for the first time since the 8-0 win at Sheffield United on September 24.
Erik ten Hag admits Manchester United need to get Old Trafford rocking in a bid to put their season back on track.
United host high-flying Aston Villa on Boxing Day, three days after slumping to a 2-0 defeat at West Ham, in what will be their first game since it was announced that Sir Jim Ratcliffe has agreed to buy a 25 per cent stake in the club.
The Hammers defeat was their 13th loss in 26 matches this term, and a 20th defeat in 2023 – their worst tally in a calendar year since 1989.
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp criticised the atmosphere at Anfield following their Carabao Cup win over the Hammers last week, and Ten Hag knows he needs to give the Old Trafford faithful something to shout about.
“I am sure they are very disappointed in us and we have to put things right and do things different,” said the United chief.
“We appreciate all the time they are supporting us. With all the setbacks this season, they are all the time behind us and we really appreciate that. Of course we need any help but first of all I and the team have to do it.”
United have suffered their most defeats before Christmas since 1931, and need to bounce back against a Villa side threatening an unlikely title challenge.
“Villa is a different side in very good form, a very good team,” added Ten Hag.
“If you are creating the chances you have to take them, otherwise you don’t win games. That’s clear.
“I am not disappointed by the attitude, but of course we know what the standard is at Manchester United.
“We have to win as a team therefore responsibility we have to take as a team and every individual has to contribute 100 per cent in that responsibility.”
Ten Hag hopes to be able to call on centre-half Raphael Varane, who missed the defeat at West Ham through illness, while winger Amad Diallo could also be involved having returned to training after a knee injury.
United fans will be heading to Old Trafford in the wake of the Christmas Eve announcement that Ineos Group chairman Ratcliffe has agreed a £1.25billion deal with the Glazer family, the club’s American owners.
Ratcliffe, 71, a boyhood United fan, will inject around £236million, with Ineos set to take over the management of the club’s football operations.
Taylor Swift watched on at the Arrowhead Stadium as boyfriend Travis Kelce and the Kansas City Chiefs failed to clinch the AFC West title after a shock 20-14 Christmas Day defeat to the Las Vegas Raiders.
Chiefs were bidding to put the seal on an eighth successive AFC West crown but a pair of touchdowns in the second quarter from Bilal Nichols and Jack Jones gave the Raiders a lead that the hosts could not overturn.
Justin Watson’s fourth-quarter touchdown gave the Chiefs hope but Raiders’ defence triumphed as they sealed back-to-back wins to move up to second in the division.
President of the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board Azim Bassarath believes the West Indies have set up an excellent platform for a strong challenge at next June’s ICC World T20 in the Caribbean.
The Cricket West Indies vice-president commented in light of the Caribbean cricketers’ exciting 3-2 victory over defending World Cup champions England in the T20I series which ended on Thursday with a four-wicket win for the home team at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy.
The home team also triumphed 2-1 in the five-match ODI rubber which preceded the T20s.
“The win was not surprising, since March the West Indies have been performing well having beaten South Africa and India in white ball cricket,” said Bassarath.
He said the men in Maroon clearly showed they were hungry for success and obviously enjoyed playing as a unit under Darren Sammy.
“Their superlative string of wins against very good competition augers well for the future with the T20 World Cup on the horizon, in front of their home crowd,” said the TTCB boss.
Bassarath also welcomed allrounder Andre Russell who distinguished himself on his return to the West Indies set-up after a lengthy lay-off.
He said Russell brought new energy into the team and looks like he’s enjoying his cricket having experienced a very rewarding T20I series against England.
In the first match which the home team won by four wickets, Russell took 3 for 19 and scored an unbeaten 29 from 14 balls to cop the Man of The Match award.
In the second match he scored 14 runs from 10 balls, and a poor bowling performance in which his four overs scored 66 runs as the West Indies won edged out a ten-run win.
In the third match, he scored just eight runs and took one wicket as England won by seven wickets. In the next game, he kept the innings alive with 51 runs from 25 balls after he took one wicket but the visitors levelled the series 2-2 with a massive 75-run victory.
Finally, in the fifth and deciding match he took two wickets for 25 runs and scored three runs as the Caribbean team won by four wickets.
Bassarath said Russell’s contribution was telling and that he was also was very influential in the team’s dressing room helping in strategizing especially for the fifth match.
Atlanta Hawks small forward De'Andre Hunter will undergo a non-surgical procedure on his injured right knee on Tuesday and be re-evaluated in two weeks.
Hunter has missed the Hawks' last two games due to the knee injury and the team announced the plan for his treatment on Monday.
Hunter, who has started all 24 games he's played this season, missed three straight contests in mid-December but then returned to play the next three before being shut down following Atlanta's win at Houston on Wednesday.
He had an MRI on Saturday that revealed the inflammation.
The injury update means he'll miss at least six games, and the earliest he would return would be against the Philadelphia 76ers on January 10 in the opener of a five-game home-stand.
Atlanta will get Jalen Johnson back for Tuesday's game against the Chicago Bulls after he's been sidelined since November 25, when he sustained a left wrist injury. He is fifth on the team in scoring, averaging 14.1 points.
Hunter is fourth on Atlanta in scoring with an average of 14.9 points, and averages 4.1 rebounds.
The Hawks have lost their last two games since Hunter's latest setback to drop to 12-17 on the season.
They are 1-4 when Hunter doesn't play and 4-8 in games he plays and scores 14 or fewer, compared to going 7-5 in games when he has at least 15 points.
Barbados’ ace tennis player and senior men’s national footballer Darian King is now a married man.
King, 31, the island’s leading Davis Cup player and 2017 US Grand Slam competitor tied the knot with long-time sweetheart Oya Thompson last Saturday in Barbados.
The ceremony was held at the St Patrick’s Roman Catholic Cathedral, with officiant Father Clement Paul.
King, who donned a white tuxedo, black pants and shoes to match the white, silver and black theme, said “ I Do” to Oya, daughter of the Late Prime Minister David Thompson and former St John MP Mara Thompson around 3:30 p.m. in the presence of family and close friends.
King has a career-high ATP singles ranking of 106 achieved in May 2017.
He’s currently ranked #907.
Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah says he “shares the pain” of grieving families this Christmas amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.
The war has devastated large parts of Gaza, killed more than 20,400 Palestinians and displaced almost all of the territory’s 2.3 million people.
The mounting death toll among Israeli troops – 17 since Friday and 156 since the ground offensive began – could erode public support for the war, which was sparked when Hamas-led militants stormed communities in southern Israel on October 7, killing 1,200 and taking 240 hostage.
Egypt international Salah, who has been in fine form for the Reds so far this season, scoring 12 Premier League goals, posted a message on X, formerly Twitter, saying: “Christmas is a time when families get together and celebrate.
“With the brutal war going on in the Middle East, especially the death and destruction in Gaza, this year we get to Christmas with very heavy hearts and we share the pain of those families who are grieving the loss of their loved ones.
“Please do not forget them and do not get used to their suffering. Merry Christmas.”
Mauricio Pochettino refused to accept a lack of discipline is responsible for Chelsea’s unwelcome position as the Premier League team with the most yellow cards this season.
The team collected five bookings during the 2-1 defeat to Wolves at Molineux on Christmas Eve, amongst them Cole Palmer who will now miss Wednesday’s game against Crystal Palace after accruing five for the campaign.
Raheem Sterling also saw yellow for simulation when he sought a penalty in stoppage time, as Chelsea chased what would have been an undeserved equaliser against Gary O’Neil’s side.
The team has already seen suspensions for Reece James, Malo Gusto and Conor Gallagher after being sent off earlier in the season, whilst summer signing Nicolas Jackson is only two bookings short of 10 for the campaign and a further two-match ban, having also been suspended in September.
Yet Pochettino insisted that a will to improve the team’s spluttering league form is what is causing his players to act rashly.
“No, it’s representative that we play for Chelsea, we are in a big club, you feel the pressure,” he said. “When you are frustrated, and you don’t have maybe the experience of other teams, you make a mistake.
“Palmer is playing for us his first season as a regular. It’s normal. The players care, they want to win, they are frustrated.
“It’s not discipline. We need to have more the capacity to read the situation of the game.”
Pochettino also pointed towards injuries as a contributing factor in his team’s struggles, with at least eight players unfit for the meeting with Palace at Stamford Bridge.
Enzo Fernandez is set to be missing for the second straight game, whilst the manager has hinted he does not yet believe Christopher Nkunku and Romeo Lavia are fit to start after long spells out.
“My focus now is to recover players and to fix the many, many things that are going on from the beginning of the season,” he said.
“If you’re going to see the squad for the next game, you’re going to see more than eight first-team players (missing).
“I’m frustrated and disappointed not to be able to use all the players at the same time. That is why sometimes we’ve been up and down in our results.”
Conditions at Kempton are set fair for a blockbuster day of racing at Kempton on Boxing Day.
The feature Ladbrokes King George VI Chase may only have attracted six runners but they include two previous winners in the Paul Nicholls pair of Bravemansgame and Frodon, a dual Ryanair hero in Allaho, last season’s Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase scorer The Real Whacker, an American Grand National winner in Hewick and the enigmatic Shishkin.
On top of that is the reappearance of Nicky Henderson’s superstar champion hurdler Constitution Hill in the Ladbrokes Christmas Hurdle.
With a fascinating renewal of the Ladbrokes Kauto Star Novices’ Chase which sees Giovinco, Hermes Allen and the French five-year-old Il Est Francais compete, racegoers are set for a real treat.
The strong winds that have prevailed over recent days did cause a delay to Hewick’s ferry but he arrived safely a few hours later than planned.
Clerk of the course Barney Clifford said: “Shark Hanlon’s original ferry was cancelled so he had to go via Dublin in the end.
“They’ve all been out this morning, the French horse (Il Est Francais), Allaho and Hewick. They all had a little canter.
“We’re forecast a couple of millimetres today and we could do with it to counteract yesterday’s drying. The going stick is reading 7.2 and that is good, good to soft in places. Those who were on it this morning said it was beautiful.
“We’ve got a bit of rain coming today which won’t have an affect on the ground but then Boxing Day night we could get up to 10 millimetres, it looks like being a wet morning on the 27th so what going we will have then I have no idea.
“The King George is a cracker. Shark Hanlon said to me this morning that all six had a chance, you couldn’t rule any out – even Frodon. He’s obviously delighted with conditions because Hewick wants good ground.
“I’m thrilled with conditions, it’s all natural, it hasn’t been irrigated and I was grateful we got that rain last Tuesday, we got 13 millimetres and it’s been slowly drying since – they are nice conditions.”
Todd Cantwell recognised the part Rangers team-mate Abdallah Sima played in his first cinch Premiership goal of the season against Motherwell at Fir Park on Sunday.
The Light Blues were leading through an early Kieran Dowell strike when left-back Ridvan Yilmaz’s cross into the middle in the 16th minute was controlled by Sima before Cantwell quickly swooped to drive low past Well keeper Liam Kelly.
It was a second goal of the season for the former Norwich player and it helped Rangers move two points behind cinch Premiership leaders Celtic with a game in hand, ahead of the home game against Ross County on Wednesday night.
Former Norwich midfielder Cantwell told RangersTV: “I back myself in those areas to get goals and I am glad Abdallah didn’t swing his foot at it.
“I practice a lot in those types of positions to get chances and it was nice to take one.
“The manager knows what type of player I am and how I can benefit the game. Goals and assists are something that comes with my position.
“Goals are nice but I don’t put pressure on myself to get goals.
“I think we showed resilience and character but it was a tough watch and we know that, but we are looking forward to getting back to Ibrox on Wednesday.”
The Detroit Lions clinched a first division title in 30 years as they beat NFC North rivals the Minnesota Vikings 30-24 at the US Bank Stadium.
A field goal from Michael Badgley helped the Lions take a narrow 17-14 lead into half-time after both sides had scored two touchdowns.
Detroit went on to secured a home play-off game for the first time in 22 seasons after touchdowns from Amon-Ra St Brown and Jahmyr Gibbs as Jared Goff passed for 257 yards.
The Green Bay Packers needed a late game-winning drive to edge out the Carolina Panthers 33-30 in Charlotte.
Jordan Love ran for a touchdown and threw a touchdown as the play-off chasing Packers were in front 23-10 at half-time.
The Panthers, though, produced a fightback and eventually tied the game at 30-all with just over four minutes left – only for Green Bay placekicker Anders Carlson to cap a long offensive drive with a decisive 32-yard field goal.
Wide receiver Amari Cooper set a single-game receiving record of 265 yards for the Cleveland Browns in their 36-22 win over the Houston Texans at the NRG Stadium.
The Browns took a 22-7 lead into half-time after Joe Flacco threw for two touchdowns, while Dameon Pierce made a 98-yard return from kick-off to get the Texans on the scoresheet.
Cooper caught a 13-yard pass from Flacco with three minutes and 49 seconds left to set a new receiving mark before the Texans produced a late offensive rally with two touchdowns, but the Browns closed out a third-straight victory.
The Atlanta Falcons kept alive their play-off hopes with a 29-10 win over the Indianapolis Colts.
Younghoe Koo kicked two field goals as well as a conversion to help the Falcons – beaten by the Panthers in Week 15 – come from behind to lead 13-7 at half-time.
After a touchdown from Tyler Allgeier in the third quarter extended the advantage, South Korean Koo sent over three more field goals to seal victory which moves the Falcons onto 7-8 for the season.
The Seattle Seahawks produced a late rally to beat the Tennessee Titans 20-17 in Nashville which keeps them in the NFC Wild Card mix.
After a scoreless opening quarter, the Titans, with Ryan Tannehill at quarter-back in place of injured rookie Will Levis, took a 10-3 lead into half-time following a touchdown from tight-end Chig Okonkwo.
A two-yard score from running back Derrick Henry put Titans up 17-13 with just over three minutes on the clock – but the Seahawks recovered as quarterback Geno Smith found Colby Patterson in the endzone with just 57 seconds left.
A late 54-yard field goal from Greg Zuerlein helped the New York Jets finally see off the Washington Commanders 30-28 in East Rutherford.
The Jets had got off to a fast start, leading 27-7 at half-time as running back Breece Hall scored two touchdowns.
However, replacement Commanders quarterback Jacoby Brissett drove a recovery with a pair of touchdown drives in the fourth quarter before Zuerlein’s late kick gave the Jets a sixth win.
After a fairly successful year in which the National Powerlifting Association of Jamaica (NPAJ) not only achieved growth locally, but also had athletes perform credibly overseas, president Michael Blair is upbeat about the prospects for the 2024 season.
Blair, while extending well-wishes to athletes and supporters in his Christmas message, reflected on the NPAJ’s accomplishments, chief among them was the turnout at the GraceKennedy Money Services-sponsored National Deadlift Championship, as well as the performances of Jevon DaCosta, Sami DePass and others at the North American Powerlifting Championships.
“It’s been a year filled with dedication, hard work, and incredible achievements, and we want to take a moment to express our gratitude for your unwavering support. As you celebrate this special occasion, we hope you find time to reflect on the past year’s accomplishments and look forward to the new opportunities that await in the coming year,” Blair said.
“We want to express our heartfelt appreciation to each member, fan, and sponsor who has contributed to the success of the NPAJ throughout the year. Your dedication and support have played a vital role in making 2023 a powerful and memorable year for our association,” he added.
Stressing the significance of their motto “One Team, One Dream, One Goal,” Blair encouraged all and sundry to continue to draw inspiration from the saying, as they shoot for more success in the year ahead.
“It encapsulates the spirit of unity and shared purpose that defines the NPAJ. Let it guide us as we continue to pursue excellence and make a lasting impact on the sport of powerlifting in Jamaica,” the president shared.
“Christmas is a time to cherish the company of those closest to us. May your homes be filled with laughter, love, and the warmth of shared moments. Take this opportunity to create lasting memories with your families and friends, savoring the joyous moments that make this season truly special. May the holiday season fill your hearts with gratitude and set the stage for a bright and promising New Year,” Blair ended.
The New York Jets are wrapping up a disappointing season, but they won't be making any major changes at the top of the organisation.
Owner Woody Johnson told the New York Post before Sunday's game against the Washington Commanders that coach Robert Saleh and general manager Joe Douglas will continue to lead the team next season.
There had been some speculation that both Saleh and Douglas were in danger of being let go, but both will keep their jobs.
"My decision is to keep them," Johnson told the newspaper before the Week 16 game. "I think we've had some very positive moves. The culture of the team is a lot better. The defense is better. The offense needs a few pieces."
One piece would be the return of Aaron Rodgers, who was lost for the year after tearing his left Achilles tendon just four snaps into his Jets debut in the season opener.
Without Rodgers, the Jets will end up missing the play-offs for the 13th straight year - the longest active drought in major North American professional sports.
New York has gone 16-32 since Saleh was hired prior to the start of the 2021 season.
Johnson said the return of Rodgers next season was a factor in his decision to retain Saleh and Douglas, as well as offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett.
"Just to keep the continuity going with Aaron and the team we've got," Johnson said. "Like I said a year ago, we need a quarterback. We had a quarterback for four plays. Since then, we haven’t been able to replace him. If we have a good quarterback, it makes everybody’s job easier. It makes the line better, the receivers better."
Since Rodgers' injury, New York has used Zach Wilson, Tim Boyle and Trevor Siemian at quarterback, but none of the three have enjoyed any success.
Entering Week 16, the 5-9 Jets ranked last in the NFL in total offence (255.1 yards per game). The defence, meanwhile, has been one of the better units in the league, ranking seventh in total yard allowed (298.4 yards per game).
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
