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Liverpool have shut down 145,000 ticket accounts over the past two years as part of a crackdown against touting, BBC Sport can reveal. They also issued a record 1,114 lifetime bans last season - a move that followed the discovery of mass manipulation of software used to buy tickets. Eleven applied to season ticket holders. Minutes silence next game

Chelsea are suffering from a very specific defensive tactic by their opponents https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6656268/2025/09/24/Chelsea-tactics-enzo-maresca-problem/ The sluggish start, followed by a second-half spark. Long throw-ins, pedestrian approach play, even the red and white stripes. Chelsea fans had seen this film before. An unconvincing 2-1 win over League One Lincoln City in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday presented some alarming similarities to a disappointing 2-2 draw with Brentford in the Premier League earlier this month, as Enzo Maresca once again tasked his young, second-string side to get the job done. He could have few complaints after a poor opening 45 minutes, comprehensively out-shot and out-fought by Michael Skubala’s third-tier side. Maresca accepted as much in his post-match press conference, claiming that he was “worried” about Lincoln’s set-pieces and aerial ability before the game. “We already knew exactly what to expect; long balls, free kicks, throws into the box. We struggled a bit in the first half.” But a more pressing concern will have emerged from ongoing issues in their in-possession shape, with Chelsea once again finding it difficult to navigate a recurring defensive ploy designed to block out their preferred route up the pitch. Much like at Brentford, where Igor Thiago followed Moises Caicedo across the pitch during build-up, Chelsea were faced with a towering centre-forward, Freddie Draper, man-marking their deepest midfielder when their centre-backs had the ball. Andrey Santos found himself in that No 6 role at Lincoln, and while the Brazilian did little wrong when the ball came his way, often keeping it moving as neatly as he could, he frequently found himself crowded out and unable to progress the ball effectively to his more advanced teammates. It required more movement into space from Facundo Buonanotte, Enzo Fernandez and Malo Gusto higher up the field. But they struggled for long periods of the first half to shake off their own markers, often wide centre-backs jumping from the Lincoln back five and applying pressure as the passes came in. “We had a 5-diamond-1, and we made sure Freddie looked after their holding midfielder,” confirmed Skubala after the game. “Our No 8s had to be really aggressive and when they jumped, our centre-backs did so at the same time.” It’s a template that teams are using repeatedly to frustrate Maresca’s team — Crystal Palace operated similarly in their 0-0 draw on the opening day of the Premier League season. It begs the question; what can Chelsea do differently to help them create space against compact, back-five sides? At Brentford, it was a raft of half-time substitutions that helped to turn the tide. In their maiden Premier League starts for the club, both Buonanotte and Jorrel Hato seemed hesitant to drift too far from their positions within Maresca’s structural framework in the first half, making it easy for the opposition to block the passes into them, as shown below. Marc Cucurella’s introduction at the break — a dynamic mover when he tucks into midfield, happy to dart out wide or stretch play with runs in behind — helped hugely. As did that of Cole Palmer, Chelsea’s talisman and best player when it comes to finding pockets of space. More adventurous off-ball movement will come with the likes of Hato and Buonanotte, as they grow in confidence and gain precious experience in their new roles against high-physicality sides. But for now, as Palmer grapples with a groin injury, and Maresca looks to keep the team fresh, Chelsea may continue to look a little stale against teams who man-mark the deep midfielder, simply due to some of their more inexperienced players needing time to find their feet in such demanding roles further up the pitch. Though Maresca did find a solution at Lincoln it remains to be seen if it can translate to the Premier League. Chasing the game, Chelsea took a risk and committed an extra man to midfield, pushing both Gusto — as they did in the first half — and Hato further forward during build-up. It left only two defenders back if Chelsea lost the ball, but against a lower-quality side, it was a chance that Maresca was willing to take. We can see the confusion it caused in the Lincoln press below. While in the first half, Draper simply had to stick to Santos while his teammate pushed on, he now needed to ask for support from his midfield with an extra player between the lines to pick up and no-one available to put pressure on the ball. In those moments of hesitation, Fernandez dropped into midfield to offer for the pass, before whipping a pass into the space created by the Lincoln midfielder pushing on. In the end, the solution was a logical one, as Maresca brought another player closer to the man-marked Santos to give the opposition more to think about between their defensive lines. That said, it did leave Maresca’s side even more vulnerable to the counter, and were it not for the game state — trailing in a contest that they ought to be winning — the manager may not have been so bold. Another solution for Chelsea to stretch the opposition is to ask their forward players to make more runs in behind the defensive line. With Liam Delap in the side, a strong, direct centre-forward who thrives when it comes to channel running and powerful off-ball movement, Chelsea can look longer and bypass the blocked-up midfield. Without him, there is Joao Pedro, who more often likes the ball to feet, while Tyrique George was unable to trouble the Lincoln centre-backs in the first half with any darts into the space in behind. It all leaves Maresca in a slightly vulnerable position going forward. With Palmer struggling for consistent minutes, and a supporting cast still needing time to familiarise themselves with the system, there is a pretty robust defensive blueprint to keep this Chelsea side at bay. Not every team will go about it in the same way — Fulham pressed more aggressively when they visited Stamford Bridge before the international break, often locking on man-to-man and cutting off that simple pass into the deepest midfielder with more aggression. However it happens, the point still stands: Chelsea will need to find some more creative routes through the opposition when their favourite supply line into Caicedo or Santos is blocked.

Why Raheem Sterling didn’t leave Chelsea – and what’s happening now https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6651696/2025/09/25/raheem-sterling-Chelsea-where-what-transfer/ A picture on social media goes viral. The Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) gets involved. Enzo Maresca talks about his father’s career as a fisherman. Raheem Sterling’s situation at Chelsea has certainly been getting a lot of attention lately. When the transfer window shut in England on September 1, Sterling was still a Chelsea player. This remained the case after deadline days in the Netherlands (September 2), Turkey and Mexico (September 12) and Portugal (September 15). A final possible option — the Saudi Pro League — ended when its window closed yesterday. It did not come as a surprise to either party. Neither the club nor Sterling wanted it to come to this. Yet the 30-year-old is now facing over three months of training away from the first team at Cobham. Centre-back Axel Disasi is going through the same thing. A further sign, if needed, of just how far out of the picture Sterling (and Disasi) is came on Wednesday when the club published their official squad photograph for the 2025-26 season on their official website/app and he was not in it. Understandably, the focus is centred on Sterling. This was Chelsea’s ‘marquee’ signing of the 2022 summer window, bought from Manchester City for £47.5million (then $57m) and made the highest-paid player at the club with a salary in excess of £300,000 a week. Not so long ago, he was one of the biggest names in English football, having won 10 major honours at Manchester City. He was also probably England’s best player as they reached the final of Euro 2020 (played in 2021 because of Covid-19 restrictions) and voted Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year in 2019. Another measure of his impact came four years ago, when he was awarded an MBE for his work to promote racial equality in sport. Sterling was the marquee signing when he arrived in summer 2022 (Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images) So what is going on? Let’s start with Sterling posting a picture on his official Instagram account of the training ground and writing ‘20.21’ (using the 24-hour clock) as a caption to indicate what time he was there. Within a few days, reports then emerged that the players union, the Professional Footballers’ Association, had contacted Chelsea about how Sterling and Disasi were being treated. This is not an unusual step for the PFA to take when players find themselves on the periphery at a football club. It is actually a very common occurrence with the PFA representing players in the Premier League, EFL and the Women’s Super League. But when a player as big as Sterling is involved at such a newsworthy club as Chelsea, it inevitably gets much bigger attention. Nor is the PFA interaction very confrontational. Conversations are cordial, and if anything, the PFA sees its role as just being there to advise on the regulations and check clubs are staying on the right side of them as far as player care is concerned. As Chelsea were providing the duo with coaching sessions and access to facilities at the club’s training ground, there were no major concerns in this department. Perhaps the most significant thing that has taken place since then is that the duo have had a few training sessions with the under-21s. Sources speaking anonymously to The Athletic to protect relationships say that this is all part of a plan put in place to keep the players in shape before trying to secure them a move in January. Chelsea head coach Maresca then had his say on the situation last Friday, saying that real strife was his dad working long hours as a fisherman. While you can understand the point he was trying to make — and there will be fans who will not have too much sympathy for what Sterling and Disasi are going through, given the riches they earn — it did not help defuse the situation. Sterling has been here before. He was part of the fringe group last year, too, after Maresca decided the winger was not part of his plans following the 2024 pre-season tour of the United States. On both occasions, he had to train away from the senior squad along with others who were up for sale or loan. This summer, the group was overseen by loan technical coach Carlo Cudicini, with former under-18s youth coach Ed Brand taking the sessions themselves. Sources speaking anonymously to protect relationships say many of those involved felt there was a better setup to help this time compared to 2024. Many internationals, including Joao Felix, Ben Chilwell, Renato Veiga and Armando Broja, were involved, so standards were high. But that group has since been sold. It was always going to be harder for the individuals left behind. In saying that, Sterling is continuing to work with his own team, as he has done for many years. This includes England’s former lead physical performance coach Ben Rosenblatt. They concentrate on strength and conditioning, ball work and fitness. Sterling has facilities at his London home to do various exercises as well. The extra spare time on his hands means he can be around his children a lot more, watch his eight-year-old son, Thiago, at Arsenal’s academy, and attend the academy sessions at the RS7 Academy that he has set up for young players aged six to 11 in Tolworth. Still, the obvious query football fans will have is why the club or Sterling have not been able to come to a solution to avoid all this. Well, it was never going to be straightforward. The cost is one reason. Even if Chelsea pay a proportion of Sterling’s wages for a loan, like they did at Arsenal last season, it would still be an expense that would put off teams. Indeed, Sterling is one of the reasons the Todd Boehly-Clearlake consortium soon changed to offering incentivised rather than guaranteed contracts. What You Should Read Next The BookKeeper: Projecting how close Premier League teams are to UEFA’s spending limits Nine Premier League teams are playing in Europe this season which means they must adhere to UEFA's rules or face fines or even a ban Sources close to Sterling, kept anonymous to protect relationships, say the forward did not want a repeat of last summer, when a season-long loan to Arsenal was organised in the final 48 hours before the deadline. There was little time to speak to head coach Mikel Arteta about how he would be used. Of the 28 appearances he made, totalling a mere 1,143 minutes, only 13 were from the start. His form was not great, as a tally of one goal and five assists suggests, yet he did not play consistently. Some European clubs did come in for Sterling earlier in the recent window, although mainly over a season-long loan. But sources close to Sterling say the biggest factor was that he wanted to remain in London, where his family live. Bayern Munich made a late attempt to convince Sterling to join them. It is perhaps not that surprising, given another former Manchester City team-mate — Vincent Kompany — is the head coach. A move for Sterling was raised during discussions with Chelsea over the loan deal for Nicolas Jackson. Some will inevitably question how Sterling can say no to a club that will provide a great opportunity to compete for major honours. But the sources close to Sterling point out that he was reluctant to move his family to Germany, or be away from them, for what could be nine months, especially with little guarantee of featuring regularly. He had a good relationship with Arteta (who worked as Pep Guardiola’s assistant from 2016-2019) from their time together at the Etihad Stadium, yet that did not make a difference regarding game time while at Arsenal. As for a switch to another team in London, there was interest over a loan at various points, but it was never close to formal discussions. Raheem Sterling struggled for game time with Arsenal (Alex Davidson/Getty Images) Sterling will feel he has done nothing wrong because a club that suited his circumstances never materialised. Chelsea will believe they are not the bad guys either, with Sterling having the possibility to join some big clubs and turning them down. So what now? Given that Sterling turns 31 in December and will have gone seven months without a competitive game when the January window opens, the possibility of getting a move then certainly will not be any easier. One option, of course, would be to reach a settlement over his contract, which expires in 2027. The problem here is that Sterling is not going to walk away from around £30m he is due to earn in wages. Who would? That is money that can benefit Sterling’s family for generations. Chelsea are not going to pay him off in full to get rid of him, either, just so he can join someone as a free agent — and benefit from another contract. What club would? Clearly, a compromise has to be reached for that to happen. This is a scenario where neither is the victim nor the villain. Until a resolution is found, there are no winners either.

The Sneakersnstuff x adidas SNS GT II Channels Stockholm’s 90s Rave Flyers https://www.sneakerfreaker.com/releases/sns-adidas-gt-ii-6th-edition-neon-rave/ https://www.sneakersnstuff.com/en-se/products/adidas-sns-gt-ii-jr0263 Sneakersnstuff (SNS) and adidas Originals are back in the booth, dropping the 6th Edition remix of the SNS GT II. Born in 2024, this hybrid model splices the airy netting of the Malmö with the terrace tooling of the Handball Spezial in a mashup that's totally rave-ready. For Fall 2025, the tempo spikes again. The latest GT II pulls its palette straight off Stockholm’s flyer walls of the 90s, where neon gradients and grainy Xeroxes once ruled the night. Purple mesh forms the base, with suede overlays on the T-toe, forefoot and heel counter giving that premium bounce. Leather stripes cut clean across the sides, while the gum sole underneath keeps things grounded like a bassline rumbling through concrete. Comfort doesn’t get left behind either – a padded Eco-tex tongue makes sure your feet survive the sunrise shuffle, and co-branded hits from SNS and adidas pop up everywhere from the tongue to the heel to remind you who’s running the party. Shot by Louis Flashman and styled by Charlotte Moss, the campaign dials into everyday London energy, showing the GT II’s versatility from the rave floor to the high street. As SNS like to say, ‘Great Trainers, Great Tunes' – and we consider this one another banger in the discography. The Sneakersnstuff x adidas Originals GT II 6th Edition lands September 26, exclusively at SNS stores worldwide and online. This fall, it's all about Great Trainers, Great Tunes as we reunite with adidas Originals for the 6th Edition of the SNS GT II. With its hybrid DNA, '90s Stockholm rave scene influence and vibrant colorway, this edition pairs a breathable mesh base with suede overlays on the T-toe, forefoot, and heel counter. A padded Eco-tex tongue and leather detailing on the 3-Stripes and heel accents add contrast, while a durable gum sole grounds the hybrid silhouette. Signature co-branded logos and gold foil branding finish off the bold design. adidas SNS GT II 6th Edition Regular fit Mesh, suede & leather upper Eco-tex tongue Lace closure SNS & adidas co-branding Rubber outsole Article no JR0263 Gender Unisex Color glow pink/bahia glow/glow pink

how much Chelsea spend in a backup? Insolit.

He was signed to be sanchez backup so it's natural he is even worse than sanchez. Joe shields and maresca rate sanchez like he's prime van der sar. Embarrassing

What level do you think Filip Jorgensen is at? It’s no wonder Robert Sanchez is starting every game…View the full article

I wouldnt be surprise if we fail to get top4 this season

It wasn't upgraded in the summer in key positions with the illusion that if you managed to rotate the squad in a season with the Conference League, it would be the same with the Champions League. Now you have Seagull Mercants , Benfica with Jose and Liverpool for 7 days .

nah, Marca wrote article based on some satire site who reported this

Well I wouldn't really want them gone. They spent a fortune of their money on the club which they never going to get back. However theres definitely something wrong in the setup if you spend so much money on average players. Having said that they did also bring in a few gems but not enough. Way too many players not up to it.

We might as well just become fucking Brighton then eh? Not like they haven’t been trying to for the past 2.5 years anyway. These cunts who own and run the club are absolutely at it, sooner they sell up and fuck off the better. Disliked by Chelsea fans & disliked by Strasbourg fans. Says it all. Hapless.

Could have done a lot of things. But this ownership & sporting directors are muppets. Saying that if Guehi was at Brighton we’d likely have signed him. I am surprised we didn’t try sign a CB from them this summer…. This is what this team is going to be for the foreseeable unless something drastic changes with recruitment &/or management. Just happy to get in the top 4-6. Balance the books. Cole won’t be sticking around for too much longer if he has any sense.

Wolves away next round

I'm guessing there were a cocktail of reasons for the club's decision. Among them might have been; bearing our track record in mind wanting to avoid the risk of extremely heavy punishments if these payments were to come to light, wanting to establish a new relationship with governing bodies, perhaps the purchase agreement included an agreement that sanctions relating to historical misdeeds could be charged against the reported two billion fund held for contingencies and management wanted to clear all liabilities while that fund is available, a desire to clean up our reputation, and other guesses too.

We will get a good look at our future new player.

Before people starts to panic, from the same article:

Mental. This was parody in 90s Its come true

https://archive.ph/CeiJr

Can anyone share the article published by kierangill?

yes He will be out for 6 a 8 weeks

Whilst violence can obviously committed by anyone for any reason, over the past few decades, the right wing side of the political aisle has been the one consistently radicalizing people to believe that the answer to political problems is "Second Amendment solutions," or "the bullet box not the ballot box," or that the way to deal with government overreach is to threaten the government with gun violence. Sharron Angle Floated '2nd Amendment Remedies' As 'Cure' For 'The Harry Reid Problems' Angle: I feel that the Second Amendment is the right to keep and bear arms for our citizenry. This not for someone who's in the military. This not for law enforcement. This is for us. And in fact when you read that Constitution and the founding fathers, they intended this to stop tyranny. This is for us when our government becomes tyrannical... Manders: If we needed it at any time in history, it might be right now. Angle: Well it's to defend ourselves. And you know, I'm hoping that we're not getting to Second Amendment remedies. I hope the vote will be the cure for the Harry Reid problems. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/sharron-angle-floated-2nd_n_614003 Catherine Crabill, VA GOP Candidate: We May Have To "Resort To The Bullet Box" Catherine Crabill, the Republican Party's nominee for Virginia's 99th District in the House of Delegates, gave a speech at a recent Tea Party event suggesting that Second Amendment rights could be used to defend the anti-tax movement. The strange assertion was picked up by Virginia political blogger Not Larry Sabato. "We have the chance to fight this battle at the ballot box before we have to resort to the bullet box," Crabill said. "That's the beauty of our Second Amendment rights ... Our Second Amendment rights were to guard against tyranny." https://www.huffpost.com/entry/catherine-crabill-va-gop_n_235459 Trump Says Maybe '2nd Amendment People' Can Stop Clinton's Supreme Court Picks Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump raised eyebrows Tuesday when he suggested there is "nothing" that can be done to stop Hillary Clinton's Supreme Court picks, except "maybe" the "Second Amendment people." "Hillary wants to abolish, essentially abolish the Second Amendment," Trump said to the crowd of supporters gathered in the Trask Coliseum at North Carolina University in Wilmington. "If she gets to pick her judges, nothing you can do, folks. "Although the Second Amendment people, maybe there is. I don't know." https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-2nd-amendment-folks-stop-clintons-supreme-court/story?id=41239648 "As the climax of the confrontation approached, militiamen and other Bundy supporters trained their weapons on federal and Las Vegas law enforcement officers." -- SPLC 4 In 10 Republicans Say Political Violence May Be Necessary The mob that attacked the U.S. Capitol may have been a fringe group of extremists, but politically motivated violence has the support of a significant share of the U.S. public, according to a new survey by the American Enterprise Institute. The survey found that nearly three in 10 Americans, including 39% of Republicans, agreed that "if elected leaders will not protect America, the people must do it themselves, even if it requires violent actions." https://www.npr.org/2021/02/11/966498544/a-scary-survey-finding-4-in-10-republicans-say-political-violence-may-be-necessa Only the GOP Celebrates Political Violence In March 2020, a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives posted a video message addressed to two Democratic political candidates that issued a threatening challenge if they passed laws he did not like. Standing in his Capitol Hill office, Ken Buck of Colorado’s Fourth District gestured toward a rifle mounted on the wall. “I have a message for Joe Biden and Beto O’Rourke. If you want to take everyone’s AR-15 in America, why don’t you swing by my office in Washington, D.C., and start with this one.” At this point, Buck reached for a stars-and-stripes-decorated rifle mounted on the wall. He brandished the weapon, smiled what he must have imagined was a tough-guy smile, and said, “Come and take it.” https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2022/10/pelosi-republicans-partisan-political-violence/671934/

Is Palmer out?

Tbf im not worried. I didnt expect us to fly or challenge for the title and the defence is everything I expected! Just annoyed more that issues weren't addressed and here we are

Chelsea had a large delegation in the directors’ box on Saturday. There was Eghbali, Winstanley, Stewart, Joe Shields, Sam Jewell, Daniel Finkelstein. Among their travelling party was David Weir, less than 2 weeks after his surprise departure from Brighton as technical director. (via @kierangill_DM)