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"We are already taking steps to identify and recruit the manager we believe can take West Ham United forward in line with our ambitions. We aim to appoint a high-calibre figure who we feel will lead the Club into an exciting future for our loyal supporters within the next ten days."

These are the words of Irons chairman David Sullivan, speaking in May 2018 after the close of David Moyes' short-term contract.

The Scottish manager had kept the Hammers up but was not deemed the long-term choice for growth, and former Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini was appointed with an illustrious vision in mind.

Sacked after 19 months. And so returns Moyes. And so, unwittingly, begins that shiny chapter of the London club's history that reached its apotheosis last June, when the Irons won the Europa Conference League final against Fiorentina.

One of Moyes' first ports of call following his comeback was to sign Hull City winger Jarrod Bowen in the 2019/20 January transfer market for £20m plus add-ons. Now, four years later, the 60-year-old is looking to repeat the feat.

West Ham eyeing Championship star

According to Football Insider, West Ham are looking to ship on first-team players Said Benrahma and Maxwel Cornet to facilitate a move for Leeds United winger Wilfried Gnonto this month.

The Premier League side are lacking in offensive depth in a quandary that has been exacerbated by the calf injury suffered by Lucas Paqueta, expected to keep the Brazilian out until mid-March.

Gnonto, aged 20, is struggling to earn a regular starting spot under Daniel Farke and could leave by the end of the month, with the Hammers favourites to land the Italy international.

Having been used sporadically this season, Gnonto's transfer valuation appears to have depreciated and reports from December suggest that he could exit Elland Road for just €15m (£13m).

Why West Ham want Wilfried Gnonto

Gnonto has started just seven matches in the Championship this season – scoring one goal and providing one assist – with just one opportunity from the outset since October.

Farke has sought to set his team up for an instantaneous promotion from the second tier after relegation from the Premier League before the summer and has perhaps been a little ruthless in his treatment of Gnonto, but then with the Whites currently just four points away from automatic promotion, it's somewhat understandable.

But the young dynamo is undoubtedly a player of immense potential and showcased his qualities to emphatic effect last term, with pundit Tam McManus dubbing him a "pocket rocket" for his energy and fizz in offensive sequences.

In the Premier League last season, Gnonto posted four goals and four assists apiece and impressed with his overall play but was unable to prevent Leeds from slumping to relegation, with his exploits attracting Everton's attention in the summer, with a series of offers rejected despite the Italian's official transfer request.

The 13-cap Italy international also ranks among the top 1% of attacking midfielders and wingers across divisions similar to the Championship over the past year for successful take-ons, the top 13% for pass completion, the top 20% for blocks and the top 16% for clearances per 90, as per FBref,

Hailed as an "absolute nightmare for defenders" by talent scout Jacek Kulig, Gnonto perhaps needs a change of scenery to aid him in fully realising his potential in the Premier League, having demonstrated his innate quality for beleaguered-looking Leeds last year.

One of the bright sparks, West Ham have clearly done their homework and are adamant about Gnonto's future prosperity and now seek to guide him to the fore at the London Stadium.

West Ham pushing to sign "monster" £52m Darwin Nunez clone

David Moyes needs to sign a new high-class striker for his side.

ByAngus Sinclair Jan 22, 2024

And in doing so, Moyes may well repeat that aforementioned deal to bring Bowen to east London, something that has proved an extraordinary piece of business.

How Wilfried Gnonto compares to Jarrod Bowen

Bowen is considered one of the Premier League's most dynamic forwards and has been one of the fulcrums of Moyes' success over recent years, even being heralded for his "unbelievable" performances by Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp.

Across 185 appearances, Bowen has scored 54 goals and supplied 36 assists for his teammates, scoring the winning goal as the Hammers won the Conference League last season.

#

Player

Club

No. of Goals

1.

Erling Haaland

Manchester City

14

1.

Mohamed Salah

Liverpool

14

3.

Dominic Solanke

Bournemouth

12

3.

Heung-min Son

Tottenham Hotspur

12

5.

Jarrod Bowen

West Ham United

11

Source: Premier League

Among the most clinical figures in English football right now having signed from the Championship – as Gnonto could himself – Bowen has netted 11 goals from 20 appearances in the top flight while posting 14 goals and five assists across all competitions.

As per FBref, the £120k-per-week ace ranks among the top 20% of positional peers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals, the top 9% for interceptions and the top 11% for aerial battles won per 90.

Given that Gnonto and Bowen share a tenaciousness that allows them to thrive in defensive scenarios, aiding the backline, Moyes might just know what he's doing with this one.

The former is not earning regular minutes this term but this does not negate his skill set, comfortably one of the most athletic and exciting young wingers currently plying their trade on English soil.

Moyes also plucked Bowen from the second tier, so that's a trend that's worth continuing, and both players are natural wingers with a versatile edge to their respective games that allows them to find ample success when fielded in a focal role up front.

It's unlikely that Gnonto – despite his "electric" talent as described by pundit Sam Parkin – would cement a starring spot in the London Stadium side's team from the off but he has talents that make him a custom-made fit for Moyes' counter-attacking style and he could be a deadly weapon off the bench, with a goal to rising to a prominent standing over the coming years.

A Spanish court has ordered an official investigation into former Barcelona defender Gerard Pique over the Spanish Super Cup's Saudi Arabia deal.

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• Pique under investigation by Spanish court
• RFEF deal with Saudi facilitated by Pique
• Pique's company received funds from deal

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  A formal investigation has been launched over the former La Roja defender's alleged role in a deal that saw the Spanish Super Cup relocated to Saudi Arabia as per The Athletic. In exchange for brokering the arrangement, Pique's company Kosmos negotiated agreements with the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) that would pay it €40 million (£34 million) and give the RFEF €400 million (£340 million). The 37-year-old has now been formally added to the list of individuals who are the subject of an official inquiry into the suspected offences.

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  Since June 2022, the court has been looking into whether former RFEF president Luis Rubiales committed a crime of 'improper' management when the federation decided to shift the event in conjunction with Piqué's Kosmos business. In March, police informed Rubiales—who has denied any wrongdoing—that he was a suspect in the investigation after he returned from two months in the Dominican Republic on what he characterised as a work vacation. In the corruption investigation, police searched Rubiales' house and the headquarters of the RFEF in March and detained seven individuals during the search.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Pique played twice for Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup in Saudi Arabia and on both occasions, Barcelona and Pique failed to make it to the final. It wasn't until after Pique's sudden retirement in November of 2022, that the Catalan side won the tournament.

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• WHAT NEXT FOR PIQUE?

  The former defender has taken a hobby of streaming on Twitch over the last year, and it is expected that he will respond to the charge in due time. Meanwhile, the investigations will continue in the background.

Prior to the arrival of Nuno Espirito Santo, Nottingham Forest were struggling to maintain any good form.

However, the Portuguese boss has inspired his side, as they’ve already beat Newcastle United and Manchester United, climbing into 15th in the Premier League.

Yet, with a lack of depth in attack, Forest will look to add a new forward to their ranks this winter.

Nottingham Forest transfers latest – Che Adams

According to reports in Turkey, Forest are interested in signing Che Adams once again after previously targeting the forward in the summer.

The 27-year-old's contract at Southampton is up at the end of the season, and therefore he could leave the club for free in the summer.

This means that Forest could submit a low offer for the striker this month. It is a deal that could be completed quite easily.

January transfer window: All the deadline day deals from England and Scotland

Stay on top of all the latest transfer deals across the Premier League, EFL and SPFL as the January window closes.

ByCharlie Smith Feb 1, 2024 Che Adams' style of play

When signed in the summer for £15m, the idea would have been to use Chris Wood as a backup option for Taiwo Awoniyi, or as an impact sub. However, due to the Nigerian picking up an injury in November, which will leave him on the sidelines until April, the 32-year-old has stepped up in his absence.

Despite the former Burnley striker being Forest’s top scorer in the league with seven, his goals have come in batches rather than consistently. The New Zealand star’s contract runs out this summer, and therefore Forest could be looking to replace him.

Adams is the striker that could end Wood’s Forest career, as his arrival would seemingly push the ex-Newcastle player further down the pecking order. The Saints forward has been used sparingly this season, but he has still managed to score seven goals and register two assists in 11 starts across all competitions.

Nonetheless, the table below shows Adams’ stats from the last year and how they compare to his positional peers.

Non-penalty goals

0.50

Top 18%

xG

0.43

Top 34%

Passes completion %

77%

Top 7%

Progressive passes

2.67

Top 12%

Passes into final third

1.75

Top 12%

Dribblers tackled

0.42

Top 8%

Firstly, it is clear to see that Adams is a well-rounded centre forward who can play in any game state, which makes him “underrated” as per football analyst Statman Dave. Additionally, the 5 foot 9 striker's xG to non-penalty goal ratio underlines that the former Birmingham City player is clinical in attack, which is a vital attribute for Forest due to their lack of possession and common underdog status.

Furthermore, as shown by his high pass completion percentage, progressive passes and passes into the final third, Adams is a striker who can not only combine with those around him, but can also progress the play without being wasteful. He’s also a hard-working centre forward, who uses his energy to press and regain possession by tracking back to prevent counterattacks.

Overall, considering the cost of Adams will be extremely cheap, it would be a signing with very little risk, and therefore it is one that Nuno must look to secure.

Final marred by number of erroneous umpiring calls; Markram tops run charts

ESPNcricinfo staff31-Mar-2019Aiden Markram scored his third hundred of the Momentum One-Day Cup to set up a 135-run win for Titans over Dolphins in the final of the competition at Centurion on Sunday.Markram plundered eight sixes and five fours to score 127 from 88 deliveries, boosting Titans to 356 for 5. Dolphins’ response never got going, and an attack containing five Protea bowlers (if Markram and Dean Elgar are included) shared the wickets around to skittle them for 221.Markram’s hundred took him to the very top of the competition’s run tables, with his 542 runs having come in half as many games as the next highest scorer, Cape Cobras’ Kyle Verreynne, who scored 453 runs in 10 matches. It was Markram’s seventh List A ton overall, and his fourth eye-catching innings of the competition after he recorded scores of 169, 139 and 85 during Titans’ run to the final. With his latest hundred, made from No. 4, he propelled Titans to the highest total batting first in any day game at SuperSport Park.Before he arrived to bat, however, the batsmen that preceded him did an excellent job giving the Titans a flying start after they lost the toss and were asked to bat first. Theunis de Bruyn’s half century put them on the front foot early, and Titans had set a platform by cruising past 100 with just one wicket down in the 20th over.It was not until he had almost reached his fifty that Markram’s strike rate reached a run a ball, but thereafter he accelerated rapidly, reaching his hundred from the 75th ball he faced in the 45th over amid a flurry of boundaries. He hit his eighth six – and third off Andile Phehlukwayo – off the first ball of the 49th over, but then top edged a big hit to be caught at backward point. By then, Titans’ score was well beyond 300, Markram having added 56 in quick time alongside Farhaan Behardien.Dolphins suffered an early setback in their pursuit when Dale Steyn had Vaughn van Jaarsveld in his second over, and by the end of the Powerplay the required rate had already inflated to 7.82. After his second ball was slapped for six, Tabraiz Shamsi came back strongly to nip out two wickets in his second over, and Dolphins started to slide.Phehlukwayo and Dane Vilas then launched a spirited fightback, bringing up the 150 in the 24th over to get the chase back on track before Phehlukwayo was trapped lbw by Steyn. The decision to give him out appeared to be the incorrect one, however, Phehlukwayo having got some bat on it, but without recourse to DRS, which was not used in this game, it could not be challenged.Indeed, the final was somewhat marred by some iffy umpiring decisions from Umpires Adrian Holdstock and Shaun George. Khaya Zondo might have got some bat on the delivery that Shamsi removed him lbw with, and certainly showed his displeasure, while an inside edge was clearly evident when Steyn had an lbw appeal against Phehlukwayo upheld. Phehlukwayo had reached 43 at better than a run a ball when he was dismissed, having staged a revival alongside Vilas with a stand that was worth 92 when it was broken.There was further controversy when third umpire Bongani Jele ruled Sibonelo Makhanya run out despite Titans wicketkeeper Sizwe Masondo appearing to have disturbed the stumps before Markram’s direct hit. While Titans were undoubtedly favourites to win the game, and probably would have done so regardless, the match might have been much closer had those decisions not gone against Dolphins.As it was, they folded quickly as Titans made inroads into their tail. Elgar got rid of Keshav Maharaj, caught at mid off for 20, and seamer Matthew Arnold then wrapped up the game when he had Preneland Subrayen caught at backward point in the 40th over. For the Dolphins, it was another disappointing end to a final as they were left still searching for an elusive first outright one-day title in the franchise era, while Titans bagged their fourth 50-over crown in six seasons.

It's been reported that a Tottenham Hotspur bid to sign one club's star centre-back is now "ready", and finances don't appear to be an issue.

Spurs chasing new centre-back in January

It's almost common knowledge that Spurs want to sign a central defender next month, as a plethora of reliable media sources have stated as much.

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Sky Sports have backed that bringing in a centre-back is top priority for Tottenham and manager Ange Postecoglou, coming after a long-term hamstring injury for Micky van de Ven seriously exposed their lack of options. The Spurs head coach has even admitted that the club need to sign a new centre-back, despite the brilliant form of makeshift centre-back Ben Davies.

"Ben’s still adapting to it," said Postecoglou on Davies recently (via football.london). "He’s done remarkably well. Centre-back is still a position where, especially in our structure, it is one of the few positions where you need guys with outstanding attributes in there. We’ve been very fortunate that he’s been able to fill in for us there.

"He’s really good at taking in information, he really understands the game, not just his own role but how we want to play and that’s helped him. Having Romero next to him helps in that sense and Vic because he’s taken a bit of a leadership role back there as well. Ultimately, we still need to sign another centre-back because at the moment we are a little bit on tenterhooks because if something happens again we are short and we are already short."

One such option, according to recent reports, could well be Genoa star Radu Dragusin.

The Romanian is currently heavily linked with a move to Spurs, despite a proposed new deal at his current club. Reports out of Italy have been claiming that the north Londoners are preparing a bid for Dragusin, and now another update says that offer is "ready".

Tottenham bid for Dragusin now "ready"

According to TUTTOmercatoWEB and journalist Andrea Losapio, Spurs' offer to sign Dragusin is coming and there is a belief that the Lilywhites won't have any issue paying his £26 million price tag.

They apparently have a proposal ready and raring to go, as they attempt to reach an agreement for the "complete" 21-year-old starlet. Atalanta, who are also interested, recently made a bid of their own for Dragusin but it is believed Genoa turned their noses up.

Tottenham have sent "emissaries" to watch him regularly this term, according to this report, and the player's agent Florin Manea is quoted to have admitted interest from Spurs.

“The people from Genoa know (that he will soon leave),” Manea explained to Fanatik last month.

“I have been in London for some time and have almost weekly meetings with important teams. We are getting closer. I spoke with Newcastle, with Arsenal, with Tottenham. I also have the messages with them, conversations. There are teams that ask."

Gary Neville has launched a fresh attack on Mark Clattenburg and accused him of acting "like a Navy SEAL" for Nottingham Forest.

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• Neville continues his scathing attack on Calltenburg
• Will not be commentating during Forest vs Man City
• Sky Sports puts him on Tottenham match duty

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Forest's insinuation that VAR official Stuart Attwell, whom they referred to as a "Luton fan," had been biased while officiating their defeat to Everton prompted Neville to liken their behaviour to that of a "mafia gang". The public condemnation by Neville reportedly led Forest to consider legal action against him for his comments.

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  However, Neville has refused to back down and has now attacked their referee analyst Mark Clattenburg over his role at the club. He called for Clattenburg's resignation at the weekend, citing concerns over his involvement in the controversial tweet and the team's poor performance since he was appointed in his new role.

• WHAT NEVILLE SAID

  Speaking on thepodcast, Neville said: "You’ve got Clattenburg almost like a Navy Seal in the director’s box crawling along to the CEO [whispering]. The reason I asked him to resign was because if he actually saw that Luton tweet that went out, he actually has to distance himself from it or he’s part of it. If he’s part of that, I’m like ‘wow’. The second part of it is it’s football, right. If you’re the leader of that football club, since Mark Clattenburg came in, in the last 10 games they’ve won one match. In the 10 games before, they won four."

  Neville suggested that Forest should get over their obsession with referees and focus on their performances on the pitch.

  “You never give football players or employees a get-out excuse ever," he added.

  "He’s given them an excuse to not win. Now that might sound crazy, but when you put that negativity in, Neco Williams, he’s probably a really good player, he’s coming out on Sunday and he’s talking about referees. They’re all consumed about referees, and they’ve given themselves an excuse, everyone’s against us. It’s not working for them this strategy of the way in which it’s going. What they need to do is switch their mentality completely and forget about referees. Get Clattenburg out the director’s box so the camera stops going on him and concentrate on football, because they’re going to go down if they’re not careful.”

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  Neville will not be working as a pundit during Forest's clash against Manchester City on Sunday and has instead been allocated to the north London derby between Arsenal and Tottenham. Neville revealed that he had been sent a text by a Forest fan that read: "I’m just asking whether you’re at the Nottingham Forest and Man City game. I’m asking for 27,000 friends.”

  The former defender then went on to confirm: "I rang Sky up and said I need the North London derby on Sunday! No. I am at the North London derby, by the way.”

West Ham United will be out for swift revenge in the Europa League against Olympiacos tonight.

While David Moyes has transformed the Hammers into a seasoned outfit on the continental stage, last month's 2-1 defeat in Greece ended their 17-match unbeaten run in Europe.

As a result, the Irons still have a stranglehold on first position in Group A, but are now level on points with German side Freiburg in second.

If the Greek giants take all three points back to their homeland tonight, they will leapfrog the Hammers into first position, outlining the importance of fielding a strong team.

West Ham team news vs Olympiacos

West Ham's defensive stalwart Kurt Zouma missed the 3-2 defeat against Brentford on Saturday after failing a late fitness test and Moyes confirmed in his pre-match press conference that he was absent from the main training session at Rush Green on Wednesday, but did train separately.

He said: "We’re still waiting on Kurt. He didn’t train [with the main group] this morning. He’s done a bit inside and we'll have a look tomorrow and see how he is."

Whilst the Frenchman is touch and go this evening, the Scotsman does have Lucas Paqueta and Edson Alvarez back in contention after the pair missed the defeat against the Bees through suspension.

That said, while Moyes could persist with Tomas Soucek – who was subpar against Thomas Frank's men – there is a case to be made to unleash Alvarez back into the starting XI instead.

The Czech Republic brute won none of his ten duels, had zero tackles, completed zero dribbles and lost possession nine times last time out, as per Sofascore, hence the need for a possible midfield tweak.

Tomas Soucek vs Edson Alvarez this season

Hailed as "unbelievable" by former midfield partner Declan Rice, Soucek has had a monumental impact since arriving at the London stadium in 2020.

A box-to-box midfielder, whose high energetic work rate and physical prowess have been vital for the Hammers in both boxes, the 28-year-old has risen to cult hero status in claret and blue.

This season, however, the 64-cap international has let his performance levels drop and new signing Alvarez has outperformed him in a double pivot alongside James Ward-Prowse.

Indeed, when comparing the fundamentals associated with any deep-lying midfielder, including tackles won, successful dribbles and passes completed, the Mexican's metrics come out on top against his Czech counterpart.

Stat

Tomas Soucek

Edson Alvarez

Minutes per game

72

76

Tackles won

1.2

2.0

Balls recovered

2.7

4.7

Total duels won %

4.1 (50%)

4.4 (48%)

Successful dribbles

0%

78%

Pass completion

75%

85%

Interceptions

0.9

0.6

All stats via Sofascore

As the table above delineates, Soucek isn't comfortable at carrying the ball from deep – as demonstrated by his 0% dribble success rate – and is unable to eclipse Alvarez across the majority of the other defensive and technical metrics.

By contrast, the former Ajax star has the speed to recover more balls in central areas, can manoeuvre out of tight spaces with his precise ball control, is a tackling machine out of possession and has an exceptional pass range.

Taking all of the above into account, Moyes should drop Soucek for his "invaluable" 6 foot 2 ace – as previously dubbed by Rio Ferdinand – against Olympiacos.

MatériaMais Notícias

O jogo deste domingo entre Flamengo e Bahia, no Maracanã, foi vencido pelo Rubro-Negro por 4 a 3, mas o embate pela 26ª rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro extrapolou a esfera esportiva. Houve um triste episódio de racismo apontado por Gerson, que relatouuma injúria racial proferida por Índio Ramírez, meia colombiano do Tricolor, durante o segundo tempo.

>> Veja aqui a tabela e simulador do Brasileirão

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Através de suas redes sociais, Gerson publicou uma mensagem comovente a respeito da luta contra o preconceito que trava desde a infância – como é realidade para todos os negros em uma sociedade racista.

E Gerson também foi cirúrgico ao cobrar a necessidade do “antirracismo”, além de realçar o seguinte:

-É nojento conviver com o racismo e ainda mais com os que minimizam esse crime – diz parte da mensagem.

Confira a postagem na íntegra:

“Amo minha raça e luto pela cor.”

– O “cala boca, negro” é justamente o que não vai mais acontecer. Seguiremos lutando por igualdade e respeito no futebol – o que faltou hoje do lado contrário. Desde os meus 8 anos, quando iniciei minha trajetória no futebol, ouço, às vezes só por olhares, o “cala a boca, negro”. E eles não conseguiram. Não será agora.

“Não basta não ser racista, é preciso ser antirracista”. Não adianta ter o discurso, fazer campanha, e não colocar em prática em todos os aspectos da vida, inclusive dentro de campo. O futebol não é algo fora da sociedade e um ambiente onde barbaridades como o “cala a boca, negro” podem ser aceitas.

É uma pena nós, negros, termos que falar sobre isso semanalmente e nenhuma atitude no esporte ser tomada a respeito. E é mais triste ainda ver a conivência de outras pessoas que estão dentro de campo e que minimizaram e diminuíram o peso do ato de hoje no Maracanã. É nojento conviver com o racismo e ainda mais com os que minimizam esse crime.

Não vou “calar a minha boca”. A minha luta, a luta dos negros, não vai parar. E repito: é chato sempre termos que falar sobre racismo e nada ser feito pelas autoridades.

Racismo é crime. E deve ser tratado desta maneira em todos os ambientes, inclusive no futebol.

Não me calaram na vida, não me calaram em campo e jamais vão diminuir a nossa cor – escreveu o meio-campista do Flamengo.

Michael Carberry’s stand-off with Leicestershire has come to an end by “mutual consent”, with the former England opener set to leave the club for which he hasn’t played since being axed as captain in May.Carberry, who moved to Grace Road late in the 2017 season, was named as captain last October, but lasted for less than half a season before Paul Nixon, the head coach, replaced him with Paul Horton following an internal review.Explaining his decision at the time, Nixon said that Carberry’s leadership had been “more reactive than proactive”, and that he would be taking a short break from the game.”It was a huge decision, the toughest decision of my career,” Nixon said. “Michael is a fantastic man with great integrity and is a massively valued member of this team and we are desperate to get him back. He’s going to have a little break, get his head clear and round it, and maybe it was us asking too much of him in the first place.”But he’s taken this club forward already with the things he’s done and his attitude and it was a very tough decision to make but we think the right one moving forward.”Carberry’s career had been at a crossroads when he left Hampshire after undergoing treatment for cancer in 2016. He had reportedly been considering legal action against Leicestershire, but that prospect has now been dropped.In a brief statement, the club added: “Leicestershire County Cricket Club and Michael Carberry have agreed to part company by mutual agreement.Leicestershire County Cricket Club would like to wish Michael all the very best for the future. The club will not be making any further comment.”

CBS Sports host Kate Abdo tore into Jamie Carragher on live television in a hilarious speech after his awkward joke about her fiance.

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• Carragher appeared to cross line with crass joke
• Abdo put to bed any reports of a rift
• Thierry Henry and Micah Richards left in stitches

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  On Tuesday, during CBS Sports' coverage of Arsenal's penalty shootout win over Porto, Carragher appeared to joke that Abdo was not loyal "to Malik", in reference to her fiance Malik Scott, in a joke that left both Thierry Henry and Micah Richards visibly stunned. Abdo replied by asking "Why would you even say that?"

  Subsequent reports seemed to imply that Carragher could well face action over his attempted gag but he did not, and was instead back in the studio for Wednesday's Champions League fixtures, leading Abdo to introduce the panel as a "family".

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  WHAT ABDO SAID

  She said: "After yesterday's road trip to the Emirates, we are back home in our Champions League studio here in London. Good to be here. I am Kate Abdo. This group, we have been together for three-and-a-half-years, I think, and I grew up with a brother, and doing this show I feel like I've gained three more here at the desk. Three more brothers.

  "So let me introduce you to the group again. Thierry Henry, of course, the golden child, can do no wrong, always says the right thing. Sets the example for the rest of us. Can he be intimidating? Yes he can, but he is the big brother we all look up to and aspire to, Thierry.

  "Then there is the middle child, Jamie Carragher, chip on his shoulder, capable of saying anything for attention. Does he go too far sometimes? Absolutely. Does he apologise? Yes he does. But all of us have that one annoying family member that we still love and accept.

  "And then there's little bro! Loud but loveable. Micah Richards. Easy to pick on, impossible not to love. And everybody's favourite. And like a good family, we stick together. Another day, another show."

• THE GOSSIP

  CBS Sports has often been praised for their laid-back presentation as Henry, Richards, Carragher and Abdo routinely banter with each other. It appears that they have all agreed to move forward together, however, instead of dragging the ex-Liverpool defender over hot coals.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  The Champions League is at the round-of-16 stage, meaning there will be plenty more games for CBS' group of pundits to analyse. Carragher may well want to bite his tongue the next time a joke pops into his head, however.