ANALYSIS: Sluggish Spurs show that Angeball just ain't what it used to be Postecoglou savours a return to hostility in Glasgow but performance of his side doesn't augur well for his future Spurs fail to sparkle as too many big-name players continue to let their under-pressure manager down Click here to visit the Scotland home page for the latest news and sport By CALUM CROWE Published: 22:43, 12 December 2024 | Updated: 23:09, 12 December 2024 e-mail 32 shares View comments The second half wasn’t yet two minutes old. Yet, already, the Ibrox crowd had decided to clear their throats and break into song to offer their thoughts on Ange Postecoglou ’s job prospects. Sacked in the morning, you’re getting sacked in the morning. Postecoglou stood motionless on the touchline, unflinching with his hands in his pockets, as it echoed around the stadium. Trailing 1-0 to a goal from Hamza Igamane and staring down the barrel of a humiliating defeat in the city he once called home, there might even have been a few Tottenham fans tempted to join in. At that point, Postecoglou was a man on the brink. A manager under major pressure amid a dismal run of results, his life expectancy as Spurs boss was shortening by the minute. His team had been awful. Second-best all over the pitch to a vibrant Rangers side, this wasn’t the slick attacking style of football for which Postecoglou became renowned during his time in Glasgow. Truth be told, this was a poor imitation of what was once known as Angeball in these parts. Ange Postecoglou went through the full range of emotions on his return to Ibrox The former Celtic manager embraces Rangers boss Philippe Clement at full-time Another former Celtic man, goalkeeper Fraser Forster, denies Cyriel Dessers a goal With a squad assembled for multi-millions of pounds, it was proof that money doesn’t always guarantee success. Throughout his two years spent in this city, Postecoglou’s Celtic team were miles better in this stadium that anything Spurs produced last night. But what unfolded in the final half-hour may well have saved his job. With the game threatening to spiral out of control, Postecoglou made a triple substitution which helped turned the game. It was 30 minutes of tension and drama as Spurs picked themselves up off the floor, equalising through Dejan Kulusevski, before Rangers thought they had won it at the death through Cyriel Dessers. When Dessers was flagged for offside and his goal was ruled out, Postecoglou breathed a sigh of relief. He remains a long way from turning this ship around. Tottenham have still only won once in their last eight games in competitions. But a defeat at Ibrox last night could well have prompted the Spurs board to send him a P45 rather than a Christmas card. The fact he lives to fight another day will be of immense relief, despite the fact his team rarely flickered into anything above the ordinary. Postecoglou had spoken pre-match about the fiery reception he was likely to receive as he returned to this particular neck of the woods in Glasgow. Postecoglou's substitutions saw his side belatedly come to life, but all is not well at Spurs He wasn’t wrong. As Tottenham’s team bus pulled up outside the main doors of Ibrox on Edmiston Drive, a group of Rangers fans had gathered to wish him the best of British. A wry smile came over Postecoglou’s face as he hopped off the bus and into the stadium, the big Aussie seemingly humoured by some of the remarks aimed in his direction. He wasn’t the only member of the Spurs camp with past Celtic connections. Playing in goal for the visitors was Fraser Forster. Forster won seven trophies across five seasons throughout his various spells at Parkhead. Perhaps it was he who was in charge of the pre-match choreography. Kulusevski hails his equaliser after dragging Spurs back into the contest German forward Timo Werner was a peripheral figure and was deservedly subbed at half-time As the Tottenham players huddled together in front of their fans in the corner of the Broomloan Stand, Ibrox erupted in into a crescendo of boos and jeers. Postecoglou would have demanded a response from his players on the back of their capitulation against Chelsea last weekend. Having led 2-0 early in the piece, they eventually crashed to a 4-3 defeat and arrived in Glasgow on a run of just one win in their last seven games in all competitions. But the flying start so associated with Postecoglou’s style of football was conspicuous by its absence. Spurs looked rattled and unsure of themselves. Roared on by a raucous home crowd, Rangers pounced on every second ball and pressed Tottenham to the point of distraction. Postecoglou had said recently that Tottenham’s current injury woes are the worst he has ever encountered in 25 years of management. They were without both first-choice central defenders in Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven due to injury, with Radu Dragusin and young Archie Gray depositing. A midfielder by trade, 18-year-old Gray is the grandson of former Scotland international Frank and the great-nephew of Leeds United and Scotland winger Eddie. Whilst there were moments when he looked tidy and composed, there were too many others when his desire to overplay saw him lose the ball in bad areas. Hamza Igamane was an impressive presence for Rangers up front and deserved his goal Igamane celebrates after his fairy-tale introduction to life at Rangers continued Click here to visit the Scotland home page for the latest news and sport Advertisement He wasn’t alone in that regard. As Rangers grew stronger, Postecoglou grew more animated on the touchline, furious at some of the slack play from his team. Early in his tenure at Celtic, there was a video which went viral on social media which saw Postecoglou berating certain players for playing too many backward passes. It’s a trait he hasn’t lost. Timo Werner and Pedro Porro were two who were caught in the crosshairs as Angry Ange took aim from the technical area. His blasts were not unwarranted. Particularly in the case of Werner, Spurs were as good as a man down. The German looked like he hadn’t ever played football before, so it was no surprise to see him hooked at half-time as Postecoglou looked to shake things up. Yet, whatever choice words may have been uttered inside the Spurs dressing room at the break, they plainly didn’t work. Within two minutes of the restart, Rangers were ahead when the excellent Igamane steered a brilliant finish low into Forster’s far corner. The decibels inside Ibrox rose immeasurably, with Postecoglou copping it as the Rangers supporters taunted their former tormentor from across the city. Rangers were good value for it, too. Sharper all over the pitch, a lead of more than one goal would not have been unjustified. They were pegged back when Kulusevski reversed a neat finish into Jack Butland’s far corner and, for a spell, Rangers had to hang on. But they got there and nobody would be able to claim to a point was ill-deserved. The only tinge of regret for Philippe Clement and his players was the failure to take all three. After the final whistle had blown, Tottenham fans were kept behind in the stadium and aimed chants at chairman Daniel Levy, telling him where to go. On a night when his return to Glasgow threatened to go badly wrong, Postecoglou could be glad that it wasn’t him on the receiving end of those chants. Share or comment on this article: ANALYSIS: Sluggish Spurs show that Angeball just ain't what it used to be e-mail 32 shares Add commentNFL Same Game Parlay odds for Seahawks vs. Bears on Monday Night Football
William Blair Survey Finds One-Third Of Shoppers Plan Gift Shopping At WalmartPITTSBURGH (AP) — The decorations outside Acrisure Stadium suggested Christmas. The play on the field by the home team hinted at another holiday entirely. Groundhog Day. Like Bill Murray in the iconic movie — set about 90 minutes northeast of Pittsburgh in Punxsutawney — it's not that the Steelers are reliving the same day (or in their case, season) over and over exactly. It's that no matter what plan they come up with in a frantic effort to get to the other side, they seem to end up right back where they started. Competitive sure. But a contender? Ehhhh. Despite a series of aggressive moves — particularly on offense — that was considerably “unSteeler-like" in the offseason, Pittsburgh finds itself in familiar territory following a 29-10 loss to Kansas City on Wednesday: likely heading on the road in the first round of the playoffs, perhaps as a considerable underdog. While there is still time for Pittsburgh (10-6) to turn it around before a first-round playoff game on the second weekend in January, it's running out quickly. So too is the patience of those weary of being stuck on the treadmill of “good but hardly great” for far too long. Outside linebacker Alex Highsmith — who is 0-3 in the postseason since being drafted in 2020 — wondered aloud afterward if there's enough “want to” on the roster. Safety DeShon Elliott bemoaned communication issues that have cropped up, the kind of thing that is tolerable in Week 2, not so much in Week 17. Coach Mike Tomlin described a performance against the Chiefs in which his team was outclassed at seemingly every turn “junior varsity.” That may be being charitable. And while the offense certainly has its issues (see below), the reality is the NFL's highest-paid defense has lost its way during a three-game slide that has dimmed the considerable optimism that surrounded the club after Thanksgiving. Pittsburgh is allowing an average of 402 yards during the skid and while the Chiefs seemed to have plenty of juice at the end of the same three games in 11 days stretch the Steelers endured, their opponents appeared to be gassed. Patrick Mahomes did whatever he wanted as usual and Pittsburgh failed to get a single sack or produce a turnover. There were opportunities. Linebacker Mark Robinson forced a fumble on a punt return only to see someone in red-and-white fall on the loose ball. Linebacker Patrick Queen let a tipped pass in Kansas City territory fall through his arms for an incompletion. Earlier in the season, Pittsburgh was making those plays. Though it should be noted, the competition then wasn't on the scale of what it has faced against Philadelphia, Baltimore and the two-time defending Super Bowl champions. The road has gotten considerably harder, just as the Steelers knew it would when the schedule was released in May. Like Phil Connors in “Groundhog Day,” however, knowing what's coming and being able to navigate it are two different things. It took Connors a while to figure things out — anywhere from a few months to 25 or more years depending on who you ask — Pittsburgh doesn't have eternity to get it right if it wants to avoid a quick first-round playoff exit for the fourth time in five years. It has just over two weeks. And the clock is ticking. Maybe all the way back to 6 a.m. Because it sure looks like it's Groundhog Day. Again. What's working Not much. One of the few bright spots on a difficult day was the 36-year-old Russell Wilson's ability to make plays with his feet. He ran for a season-high 55 yards, his best single-game total since September 2023. What needs help One of the reasons Wilson had to run is because on some plays, he had no choice while playing behind a youth-laden offensive line that looks as if it is wearing down late in the season. The Chiefs sacked Wilson five times — some of which, to be clear, were because of Wilson's indecisiveness — even with perennial Pro Bowl defensive end Chris Jones out while nursing a calf injury. Pittsburgh wants to be a team that imposes itself physically on the opponent. That has simply not happened during the current slide. The opponents have dictated the terms, particularly along the line of scrimmage. Turning that around this deep into a season may be a difficult ask. Stock up Jaylen Warren is becoming the more dynamic option at running back. Warren has 37 touches for 212 yards during the three-game slide, while Najee Harris has 31 touches for 144 yards. Harris could become a free agent in March after the Steelers declined to pick up his fifth-year option. While Harris — who has topped 1,000 yards rushing in each of his first four seasons — certainly has a future in the NFL, it seems increasingly likely that it will be elsewhere. Stock down Offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. His egalitarian approach to play-calling allows everyone to get involved. That's not a bad thing during the dog days in the middle of the season. It keeps players at all levels of the depth chart engaged and adds wrinkles opponents need to account for. Yet in the final weeks, the ball should be finding its way to the established difference-makers more frequently. Calling a run for Cordarrelle Patterson — the league's oldest running back — on third-and-3 near midfield as Smith did late in the first half makes little sense. Injuries Perhaps the most jarring thing about Pittsburgh's swoon is that the Steelers are generally healthy. Sure, they missed cornerback Joey Porter Jr. (knee) against Kansas City, but the rest of the 21 starters on offense and defense were in the lineup. Key number 0. The number of opening-drive touchdowns scored by the Steelers this season. For a group that has trouble “warming up to the game” as Tomlin likes to say, consistently being put in a position to play from behind against quality teams such as the ones Pittsburgh will see in the playoffs is inadvisable. Next steps Rest up, heal up and try to find a way to restore some of its swagger ahead of a meeting with AFC North rival Cincinnati on the first weekend in January. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
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Ruben Amorim has failed to give Manchester United the 'new manager bounce' they were hoping for - and has instead created unwanted history. The 39-year-old saw his side lose 2-0 at Wolves on Boxing Day to leave the Red Devils languishing in 14th spot after 18 matches. United have now lost three consecutive matches in a row in all competitions in the past week. They were first dumped out of the Carabao Cup by Tottenham in a seven-goal thriller, before being humiliated at Old Trafford as Bournemouth eased to a 3-0 victory. And United's defeat in the Midlands means that Amorim has now won just two out of his opening seven top-flight matches. His horror start has seen him lose four Premier League matches in the fewest amount of games, reaching the fourth defeat in just his seventh league match in charge - quicker than any United manager in Premier League history. Since replacing Erik ten Hag in the dugout, Amorim has been beaten in five out of his ten matches in charge. Only Southampton - rooted to the bottom of the table with six points - have lost more games [six] among Premier League teams in all competitions than United. And speaking to talkSPORT reporter Joseph Shennan following the defeat at Molineux, Amorim declared that fans may have to get used to their dismal form continuing. The Portuguese boss insisted that it's 'tough' to see how his side get out of their slump in the near future. Asked whether the United job is tougher than he had expected, Amorim replied: "No. "I said it to everybody, this will be a long journey, and this moment will be really tough. "And we are not near that moment [being back in form]. "So we have to continue to improve in all aspects of the game. "We need to have time to train, and when you have these moments in a big club, it's really hard to get out. "But we will continue to fight." In what was a match to forget for United, they also saw Bruno Fernandes sent off for a second yellow card. In doing so, Fernandes has become the first player since Nemanja Vidic in the 2008/09 season to be shown a red card on three occasions. Fernandes was also given his marching orders in the 3-0 defeat to Spurs at the Theatre of Dreams in September. And in his next outing, Fernandes, who had never been sent off for United before the Tottenham clash, was dismissed against Porto in the Europa League. He will now miss United's upcoming home clash against Newcastle, along with midfielder Manuel Ugarte, who picked up his fifth yellow card of the season against Wolves. Commenting on Fernandes' red card to talkSPORT, Amorim said: "The sending off changed the game." Pressed for his view on the dismissal, he stated: "I don't want to talk about that because I didn't see it on TV. "I think the first yellow is harsh, and then in-play, he wants to reach the ball without wanting to make a foul or stop the play. "Then the other guy [Nelson Semedo] touched the ball and Bruno touched the opponent and Bruno was sent off." Incredibly, United are now closer to the bottom three than they are to the top four. And with Newcastle, Liverpool and an FA Cup third round tie at Arsenal on the horizon, Amorim knows he must stop the rot - and fast.The Federal Government has rejected allegations of collusion with France by the Niger Republic as baseless. The Nigerien military leader, Gen. Abdourahamane Tchiani, had in a video that emerged during the week alleged that Nigeria was working with France to destabilise his country. However, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said in a statement on Thursday in Abuja that the claims exist solely in the realm of imagination. He said Nigeria had never engaged in any overt or covert alliance with France or any other country to sponsor terrorist attacks or destabilise Niger following an undemocratic change of government in the landlocked West African country. The minister said President Bola Tinubu as Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) had demonstrated exemplary leadership. He noted that the president had kept the doors of the sub-regional body open to re-engaging the Niger Republic despite the political situation in the country. Idris said: “Nigeria remains committed to fostering peace, harmony, and historic diplomatic ties with Niger. “Nigeria’s armed forces, in collaboration with partners in the Multinational Joint Task Force, are succeeding in curbing terrorism within the region. “It is, therefore, absurd to suggest that Nigeria would conspire with any foreign power to undermine the peace and security of a neighbouring country. “Neither the Nigerian government nor any of its officials has ever been involved in arming or supporting any terror group to attack Niger Republic. “Furthermore, no part of Nigeria has been ceded to any foreign power for subversive operations in Niger Republic.” He reiterated the government’s full support for senior government officials for their untiring commitment to fostering peace and security between Nigeria and Niger Republic. “Indeed, Nigeria has a long-standing tradition of safeguarding its sovereignty and territorial integrity. READ ALSO: Nigeria debunks reports of establishment of foreign military bases amid speculation over France deal “Unlike some nations, Nigeria has never permitted foreign powers to establish military bases on its soil. “This demonstrates our commitment to national independence and regional leadership. “The accusation that Nigeria seeks to sabotage Niger’s pipelines and agriculture is both unfounded and counterproductive. “Nigeria has consistently supported Niger’s economic development through joint energy and infrastructure projects, such as the Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline and the Kano-Maradi Railway Project. “It is illogical to suggest that Nigeria would undermine initiatives it has actively promoted. “The claims about the alleged establishment of a so-called Lakurawa terrorist headquarters in Sokoto State, purportedly orchestrated by Nigeria in collaboration with France, are baseless,” he stated. Opinions Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs. As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake. If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause. Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development. Donate Now
Segall Bryant & Hamill LLC purchased a new stake in Amalgamated Financial Corp. ( NASDAQ:AMAL – Free Report ) in the third quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm purchased 51,375 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,612,000. A number of other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Quest Partners LLC grew its stake in Amalgamated Financial by 18.7% in the 3rd quarter. Quest Partners LLC now owns 11,905 shares of the company’s stock valued at $373,000 after acquiring an additional 1,877 shares during the last quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans lifted its holdings in shares of Amalgamated Financial by 14.5% in the third quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 46,420 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,456,000 after purchasing an additional 5,885 shares in the last quarter. Seizert Capital Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Amalgamated Financial in the third quarter valued at approximately $1,781,000. Empowered Funds LLC increased its stake in shares of Amalgamated Financial by 5.3% during the 3rd quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 124,522 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,906,000 after purchasing an additional 6,298 shares in the last quarter. Finally, GSA Capital Partners LLP raised its position in shares of Amalgamated Financial by 53.0% during the 3rd quarter. GSA Capital Partners LLP now owns 23,448 shares of the company’s stock worth $736,000 after purchasing an additional 8,122 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 75.93% of the company’s stock. Analyst Ratings Changes Separately, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $35.00 price target (up previously from $30.00) on shares of Amalgamated Financial in a research report on Monday, July 29th. Insiders Place Their Bets In other Amalgamated Financial news, CFO Jason Darby sold 4,000 shares of Amalgamated Financial stock in a transaction on Monday, November 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $36.59, for a total value of $146,360.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 50,208 shares in the company, valued at $1,837,110.72. This trade represents a 7.38 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link . Also, major shareholder States Regional Joint Western sold 10,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $35.21, for a total value of $352,100.00. Following the sale, the insider now owns 7,185,816 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $253,012,581.36. The trade was a 0.14 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 718,890 shares of company stock valued at $24,995,731. Insiders own 0.90% of the company’s stock. Amalgamated Financial Stock Performance Shares of NASDAQ AMAL opened at $36.51 on Friday. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $33.43 and a 200-day simple moving average of $29.93. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.10, a current ratio of 0.63 and a quick ratio of 0.63. The company has a market cap of $1.12 billion, a PE ratio of 10.74 and a beta of 0.91. Amalgamated Financial Corp. has a 12 month low of $20.39 and a 12 month high of $38.19. Amalgamated Financial ( NASDAQ:AMAL – Get Free Report ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 24th. The company reported $0.91 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.83 by $0.08. Amalgamated Financial had a return on equity of 16.00% and a net margin of 24.19%. The company had revenue of $111.76 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $79.50 million. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.76 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Amalgamated Financial Corp. will post 3.46 earnings per share for the current year. Amalgamated Financial Dividend Announcement The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, November 21st. Investors of record on Tuesday, November 5th were given a dividend of $0.12 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, November 5th. This represents a $0.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.31%. Amalgamated Financial’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 14.12%. Amalgamated Financial Profile ( Free Report ) Amalgamated Financial Corp. operates as the bank holding company for Amalgamated Bank that provides commercial and retail banking, investment management, and trust and custody services for commercial and retail customers in the United States. The company accepts various deposit products, including non-interest bearing accounts, interest-bearing demand products, savings accounts, money market accounts, NOW accounts, and certificates of deposit. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding AMAL? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Amalgamated Financial Corp. ( NASDAQ:AMAL – Free Report ). Receive News & Ratings for Amalgamated Financial Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Amalgamated Financial and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .
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