Birmingham’s new manager will inherit a squad full of character interim manager Steve Spooner insisted after the club’s 1-1 draw with Hull in the FA Cup third round.
Birmingham took the lead early in the match at the MKM Stadium as Lukas Jutkiewicz’s glancing effort found the bottom corner of the net and the Blues could have doubled their advantage moments later as Siriki Dembele struck the crossbar.
Hull dominated possession throughout, though, and despite failing to hit the target for the first hour, they eventually found an equaliser in the 87th minute.
Matty Jacob was the man who poked the ball home, capping his first start for the home side in style to ensure the two teams will meet later this month at St Andrew’s in a replay.
“Resolute, determined, organised, all the words that describe character, for me,” Spooner said of his side’s performance in East Yorkshire. “I think the players showed immense character out there.
“We set the team up in the way that we thought would help us against Hull. I think we carried out the game plan excellently and as much possession as they had, I couldn’t see them scoring and I think that’s a testament to the quality of the defending.
“I wasn’t quite sure how long I was looking up at the clock, I was thinking we’re nearly there, nearly there. It was a shame the way it happened and I think that way they were going to score.”
On the club’s managerial situation, Spooner said: “It’s been tough this week, but it’s been enjoyable. If the new manager is in Monday, that’s great, if he’s not we’ll look after the players again, pick up where we left off and carry on working.”
Hull boss Liam Rosenior added: “I’m delighted to still be in the hat, frustrated not to win the game. I feel like a broken record again.
“This club gave me an unbelievable memory of my life where we went on a cup run and I’d rather be in a cup, you deal with the games that you play. Fortunately, today because of the performances of Andy Smith and Harry Vaughan, and Matty Jacob, I know I can rely on a few for those younger players.
“So yes, it’s frustrating not to win the game. I felt the draw was the least we deserved in terms of our overall play and we have to go and have a difficult game away at Birmingham, but I’d much rather have that and still be in the FA Cup.
“Delighted for Matty Jacob because he deserved the goal from his performance and his general application since I’ve been at the club with him.”
De Jong returns to Netherlands squad, Depay and Ake out
Frenkie de Jong is in line to make his first Netherlands appearance in 14 months after being named in Ronald Koeman's squad for their Nations League fixtures next week.
De Jong last featured for his country in a European Championship qualifier against the Republic of Ireland in September last year.
The 27-year-old missed Euro 2024 with a lingering ankle injury, but returned to action in Barcelona's Champions League win over Young Boys last month.
He has since made six appearances in all competitions, and will be looking to help the Netherlands advance to the quarter-finals of the Nations League.
Koeman's side sit second in Group A3 with five points, level with Hungary, who they face at the Johan Cruijff Arena on November 16, before they take on Bosnia and Herzegovina three days later.
Other returnees for Koeman include PSV Eindhoven's Noa Lang and Ajax's Devyne Rensch, but there is no room for either Memphis Depay or Nathan Ake.
Depay, who has 98 appearances for his country since his debut in 2013, has not been picked for the Oranje's opening four Nations League fixtures.
The 30-year-old joined Brazilian side Corinthians from Atletico Madrid in September, and has scored two goals in six appearances for his new club.
Manchester City's Ake has also missed out despite returning from a hamstring injury for Pep Guardiola's side at the end of last month.
Netherlands squad in full:
Mark Flekken (Brentford), Nick Olij (Sparta Rotterdam), Bart Verbruggen (Brighton & Hove Albion); Matthijs de Ligt (Manchester United), Stefan de Vrij, Denzel Dumfries (both Inter Milan), Jorrel Hato, Devyne Rensch (both Ajax Amsterdam), Jurriën Timber (Arsenal), Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool), Jan Paul van Hecke (Brighton & Hove Albion); Frenkie de Jong (Barcelona), Jeremie Frimpong (Bayer Leverkusen), Ryan Gravenberch (Liverpool), Teun Koopmeiners (Juventus), Tijjani Reijnders (AC Milan), Quinten Timber (Feyenoord), Mats Wieffer (Brighton & Hove Albion); Brian Brobbey (Ajax Amsterdam), Cody Gakpo (Liverpool), Justin Kluivert (Bournemouth), Noa Lang (PSV Eindhoven), Donyell Malen (Borussia Dortmund), Wout Weghorst (Ajax Amsterdam), Joshua Zirkzee (Manchester United).
Back-to-back wins have lifted injury-hit Dortmund spirits, says Sahin
Nuri Sahin is confident that Borussia Dortmund's back-to-back victories will help improve spirits within their depleted squad ahead of facing Mainz in the Bundesliga.
The likes of Gregor Kobel, Karim Adeyemi, Julien Duranville, Gio Reyna, Niklas Sule, Waldemar Anton, Julian Ryerson and Yan Couto are all notable absentees for BVB.
However, Sahin's side followed up their impressive league win over RB Leipzig last week with a 1-0 win over Sturm Graz in the Champions League on Tuesday.
The win saw Sahin become the first Dortmund boss since the Bundesliga was founded to win each of his first seven home matches in charge (all competitions).
However, their struggles, particularly in the Bundesliga, have come away from the Westfalenstadion this season.
Dortmund have failed to win any of their four away matches in the league. Should they fail to win in Mainz, they would become the second side this century to have zero wins in their first five away games and five wins from their first five home games.
Borussia Monchengladbach were the last team to go on a similar run in 2013-14, while the last time Dortmund experienced this stretch of form came in 1967-68.
However, Sahin revealed that their recent victories have improved the mood in the dressing room, and is positive his players can stop the rot away from home.
"We have not really trained as a team on the pitch yet (after the win over Graz)," Sahin told a press conference.
"But the atmosphere is obviously more relaxed. Victories always do well and especially the way we won." It is normal there's more laughter after wins than after defeats."
Dortmund currently sit fifth in the Bundesliga standings after nine games, seven points behind league leaders Bayern Munich.
Sahin's side do, however, have the opportunity to close the gap at the summit ahead of the final international break of 2024.
The BVB head coach welcomed the two-week break as an opportunity to nurse his injury-hit squad back to health, though asked his available players for one final push after a difficult few months.
"It is never easy in Mainz. It will be uncomfortable," Sahin said. "We need to do it one more time before going into the international break."
"It needs to be clear to us that it is about the three points. It does not matter if it is home or away.
"We will try to get those important points to start again after the international break from a better position."
Inter Miami 'have the advantage', says Martino ahead of playoff decider
Inter Miami head coach Gerardo Martino gave an update on the availability of midfielder Sergio Busquets ahead of their playoff decider against Atlanta United at Chase Stadium.
The Spanish midfielder missed their 2-1 defeat in Game 2, which levelled the series and put the Eastern Conference winners potentially a game away from elimination.
"He had a problem because of a knock in the last game and he had the beginnings of pneumonia, he had a fever and did not train all week, today he was better," Martino told a press conference.
Thinking ahead to the final game, Martino stressed that his players have played through pressurised games before and that they will be able to deal with the situation.
"We have the advantage of hierarchy in the team with many players who have been through much more difficult situations than this," Martino said.
Interim Atlanta United coach Rob Valentino, meanwhile, was clear that his team were concentrating on themselves.
"It's been the theme of our team that we don't control that, so whatever the outside is saying, it's not our focus. Our focus is on ourselves," he told a press conference.
"We have our own internal pressure individually, collectively as a team, and that's the pressure we put on ourselves to perform everyday.
"We're in a great position to be in the playoffs and now we're hoping that with one game left, we've got more after that."
The deciding game will be played at Chase Stadium, where Inter Miami are unbeaten in 11 matches, while they also beat Atlanta 2-1 in Game 1 of their best-of-three series.
But Valentino was unbothered by that, or Lionel Messi's impressive record on home turf, saying: "Nothing changes in terms of where the venue is.
"Messi is fantastic, there is no slander on my end, he's a fantastic player.
"That doesn't change for the venue, we have to have a really good start, be really aware of where he's at among other players."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Inter Miami – Lionel Messi
Who else? Messi scored 20 goals in the regular season in MLS, contributing another 10 assists.
The 37-year-old has recorded at least one goal contribution in 12 of his last 13 matches in all competitions at Chase Stadium, including in each of his last six.
Atlanta United – Saba Lobjanidze
Lobjanidze is Atlanta United's top scorer in MLS this season, with nine goals in the regular season and one in the first game of the series against Inter Miami.
The Georgian equalised for his team at Chase Stadium late last month in their 2-1 defeat, while he has also supplied seven assists over the course of the 2024 season.
MATCH PREDICTION: INTER MIAMI WIN
Inter Miami are unbeaten in 11 straight home matches in all competitions (W9 D2) following a 3-1 defeat to Atlanta in May. They have also outscored opponents, 30-14, in those matches.
Atlanta, meanwhile, are winless in their last six away playoff matches (D1 L5), though they advanced on penalties in its lone draw in that time, a 2-2 draw at Montreal in this year’s Wild Card Round.
However, they will have hope of stopping Messi playing a starring role in proceedings. The Five Stripes' 2-1 win in Game 2 was the 21st MLS match (regular season and playoffs) Messi has played in 2024 but just the second defeat. The other loss also came at the hands of Valentino's side.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Inter Miami – 63.3%
Draw – 19.5%
Atlanta United – 17.2%
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
