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Jon Gruden Recalls What It Was Like Having AB As a Raider

There is perhaps no one in the NFL whose prime burned as hot and as bright as Antonio Brown’s did while he was with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Unfortunately, that prime came to a screeching halt. Brown’s antics became too much for legendary head coach Mike Tomlin to abide any longer. That led to his trade to the Oakland Raiders in 2019. Raiders head coach at the time, Jon Gruden, could not have been more ecstatic about acquiring a player of his caliber.

On Tuesday, Gruden spoke about that excitement while serving as a guest on the latest episode of one of Barstool’s most popular podcasts, Bussin’ With The Boys, hosted by former NFLers Will Compton and Taylor Lewan.

The former head coach couldn’t stop gushing about Brown’s on-field talent and the brief time he got to spend with the receiver. However, Brown never played for him in a game, a fact Gruden called “the most frustrating thing in my coaching career.”

“Really one of the most frustrating things of my coaching career, was not getting him to play for us. We had a minicamp back in Oakland, he put on a display. He took some of our routes that we like to call ‘lookies’, I got all these words, he made the routes look better than anybody I’ve ever seen.”

It was surprising to hear, not least because AB’s short tenure in Oakland is exclusively discussed in a negative light. Gruden even had positive things to say about Brown’s work ethic, calling his conditioning “sick”.

“His conditioning was sick. If we didn’t have a fence around the field, he might’ve got killed by a car because he finishes everything. He’ll run 100 miles an hour. I went home and got hammered one night after minicamp, I told my wife, ‘We’re going to complete every pass’. That’s how good this guy looked. He was phenomenal. And unfortunately, I never got him for one freaking game.”

Gruden also spoke about how that offseason was tough all around. There were all of AB’s antics, and you had a first-time GM in Mike Mayock trying to navigate that. Then, you also had the cameras following everyone everywhere for HBO’s Hard Knocks.

One positive surprise for Gruden was that AB and Vontaze Burfict—who laid an infamously dirty hit on AB in the playoffs in 2015 that knocked the WR out cold—actually got along pretty well at the facility.

Antonio Brown’s antics kept him from an all-time NFL career

However, Antonio Brown simply made it too tough on the Raiders and their front office. They knew they were getting a, let’s say, unique, person when they traded for Brown in 2019. Part of the reason the Steelers decided to move him was because of issues Brown was having with QB Ben Roethlisberger.

Another was an unsanctioned IG Live video Brown streamed on social media of a Tomlin postgame speech in the locker room late in the 2018 campaign. Many viewed this as Brown breaking a sacred unspoken rule about keeping things in the locker room private. From the minute he arrived at the Raiders, Gruden was already dealing with several AB-related issues.

“I never got around Antonio enough. Antonio showed up on a hot air balloon. He had his feet fried, he had cryotherapy. I’d never even heard of cryotherapy. And he had an issue with his helmet, he wasn’t happy the NFL wouldn’t let him wear his helmet. So we really never got him around the guys very much. I didn’t have very much interaction with him at all. “

Not to mention the last straw, which was when Brown posted a video on social media that included a private phone conversation between Brown and Gruden. After that, Brown was released by the Raiders. It was the beginning of the end for Brown, which was made all the more gut-wrenching considering just how good AB was during his prime.

No receiver in NFL history had more receptions in a six-season stretch than AB’s 686 from 2013-2018. Over that same span, his 9,145 receiving yards are 2nd-most all-time for a six-year stretch (Julio Jones).

His 67 TDs during that time are also 3rd all-time (Marvin Harrison, Davante Adams) for a six-year stretch. His 84.2 yards per game rank 3rd all-time among non-active players, and his 6.4 receptions per game are 1st all-time among non-active players.

Oh, what could have been.

After his polarizing summer stint with the Raiders, Tom Brady recruited him to the New England Patriots despite allegations of personal and sexual misconduct being leveled at Brown. He played one game, catching four passes for 56 yards and a touchdown before being cut.

The next year, Brady recruited him to his new team, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He spent parts of two seasons with the Bucs, catching a TD as the team won Super Bowl 55. In Week 17 of the next year, in 2021, Brown’s NFL journey came to an infamous end. After a dispute with coaches, he took off his pads and ran to the locker room by crossing through the end zone in the middle of a play. What a way to go out.

2024-12-17 21:25:21

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« Don’t Want This Guy Getting the Ball »: Fear of Shaquille O’Neal Made 7ft Center Hope For Kobe Bryant Dropping 40

Kobe Bryant was the face of the Lakers for the final 12 years of his career. However, for his first eight, he was Shaquille O’Neal’s sidekick. It didn’t bother him until the early 2000s. After their second championship win, he started feeling he should be the team’s first option and the center should take a backseat. But the four-time NBA champion wasn’t keen on giving up the keys to the castle. The power struggle led to some selfish play on the guard’s part, which many frowned upon. But not Brendan Haywood.

He was glad that Bryant had an unfettering desire to be the Lakers’ main man. On Theo Pinson’s Run Your Race Podcast, the retired center claimed he always hoped the guard would take over the game and not pass the ball to O’Neal and force him to try to stop the Lakers icon. Haywood said,

“[Shaq] is bigger than you. He’s stronger than you, and he’s faster than you. It’s like wow, he is everything I saw on TV. I really hope Kobe goes for 40 because I don’t want this guy getting the ball at all.”

The Lakers’ triangle offense forced defenses to pick their poison. On any given night, either the center or the guard could take over a game regardless of the opposing team’s schematics.

While Haywood did get some respite in some games, other times he faced the full brunt of O’Neal’s punishing physicality. And the experience was as terrible as advertised.

Haywood experienced the impact of Shaq’s physically

O’Neal had little to no regard for his opponents’ well-being. They tried to elbow him, push him, shove him, double-team him. But nothing worked. When he was in the paint, he was practically unstoppable. And the Lakers icon ensured he doled out the same punishment he was subjected to. Haywood learned this hard way. He said,

“[Shaq] would just go through your chest. He hit me in my sternum one time. Bruised my sternum. I couldn’t laugh for a week.”

If having their egos bruised wasn’t enough, the four-time NBA champion left some of his opponents with actual battle scars. It was unpleasant and humbling enough to try arduously and fail at stopping O’Neal from imposing his will. But taking an elbow and getting dunked on was even more frustrating and painful.

2024-12-17 21:32:48

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Travis Kelce’s Ex-Girlfriend Kayla Nicole Gives Her 2 Cents On Travis Hunter’s Fiancé Catching Flak From the Football World

The Heisman Trophy debate that raged for the last several months has been replaced with something much more depressing. Instead of discussing the credentials of Travis Hunter and Ashton Jeanty, now we’re discussing the merits of Hunter’s fiancée as the online mob tries to decide if they think she’s good or bad for the 2024 Heisman Trophy winner. Influencer Kayla Nicole was the latest to say her piece on the situation.

Nicole dated an NFL star, Travis Kelce, from 2017-2022, so one would think she’d know a little bit about what’s going on with Hunter and his fiancee, Leanna Lenee. However, Nicole didn’t do much more than share the same “keep your private life private” advice we’ve been seeing from tons of sports figures.

“My only advice is keep your private matters off the internet. You will never win in the court of public opinion – nor does it matter.”

It’s certainly sage advice, but obviously, nothing Travis and Lenee haven’t heard before. Not to mention, much of the criticism for Lenee has been in response to her reactions at public events, meaning their private life isn’t exactly what’s being discussed online.

Nicole seemed pretty good at following her own advice when she was with Kelce. Despite being a social media influencer, her and Kelce’s relationship was not in the media much back then. However, since they broke up, Nicole has regularly taken the opportunity to talk about the failed relationship or comment on the current Kelce-Swift partnership.

What made Kayla Nicole’s advice to Lenee even more ironic to many was that it came right after Nicole vowed not to “be another outside voice commenting on & judging a relationship that isn’t mine”. Of course, she couldn’t help herself from doing just that, and people on Twitter were quick to note that fact as she continued to comment on the situation:

After another tweet in which she said, “Yall weird. Wrap this Travis Hunter girlfriend news cycle up by noon. Thank you”, several Twitter users started to respond with hilarious comebacks that pointed out the hypocrisy of the tweet coming from someone who was keeping the “Travis Hunter girlfriend news cycle” alive with her own comments.

Nicole attempted to clap back at some of the Twitter replies, though considering the situation, she didn’t have much of a leg to stand on here.

Kayla Nicole’s calls for everyone to leave Travis Hunter and his fiancee’s relationship alone make sense in general. It’s just that she’s not exactly the best messenger considering her history. Not to mention her lack of control when it comes to responding to her critics online and her ironic calls to end a “news cycle” that she was personally keeping alive.



2024-12-17 21:45:31

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Nico Hulkenberg Hails Two Years at Haas as “The Most Enjoyable Time” of His F1 Career

Nico Hulkenberg has driven for several teams in his 11 seasons in F1. Among all the sides he has competed for, he regards his two past years at Haas as perhaps “the most enjoyable time” of his career.

I’ve really enjoyed myself these past two years and I’m leaving happy and with a smile,” the German driver said as quoted by Haas’ Instagram handle. “A big thank you to this team. It’s been probably the most enjoyable time in my Formula 1 career“.

Despite having a pleasurable time at the American outfit, Hulkenberg interestingly decided to leave them and sign for Sauber. In these past two years with Haas, Hulkenberg showed his prowess on the wheel, even though Haas had its own limitations.

Haas finished last in the Constructors’ Championship last season, Yet Hulkenberg managed to impress by scoring nine of the 12 points for the team, with his personal best being P7 in Australia. He carried on from where he left off last year and finished 11th in the championship this season, which isn’t bad for Haas.

The 37-year-old’s best finish this season was sixth, which he achieved twice — in Austria and Great Britain. However, all that will now come to an end as Hulkenberg leaves Haas, the team that gave him a second chance in F1 after he spent three years on the sidelines, the kind of timeline that would be incredibly hard for any driver to make a return from.

When Haas decided to sign Hulkenberg, they had two key issues to address. The first one was to reduce the damage bill for the American outfit, an issue that former Haas team principal Guenther Steiner highlighted on multiple instances.

And the second was to score points, which Hulkenberg did brilliantly. Now, Hulkenberg will hope to carry a similar level of form to Sauber, which could very well be his last team in F1, assuming he is in the twilight of his career.

2024-12-17 20:25:52

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Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo Still Behind Celtics and Knicks Star Duos, Claims Kendrick Perkins

In this new era of parity in the NBA, the league has shifted from big threes to dynamic duos. All the teams that are among the top contenders are home to a formidable duo. For instance, the Bucks are led by Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard. With a full season under their belt as teammates, they’ve been thriving together. Their efforts have secured their team a spot in the NBA Cup Finals. However, ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins believes they are still behind two Eastern Conference Rivals in terms of duos.

Antetokounmpo and Lillard pair for the highest combined points per game of any duo in the NBA. That doesn’t matter for Perkins who believes the Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown on the Celtics, along with Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns are head of the Bucks duo. Perkins took to ESPN’s First Take to share his opinion. He said,

“I’m taking two. I’m going to show respect to the champions the Celtics, Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum… And then I’m taking Karl-Anthony Towns and Jalen Brunson over Giannis and Dame right now.”

His reasoning for Tatum and Brown’s positioning is self-explanatory. They are the defending champions and are currently a major reason the Celtics hold the second-best record in the NBA. However, the controversial take comes with his preference with Towns and Brunson over Giannis and Dame.

Perkins states the connection between Towns and Brunson in the pick-and-roll to be a deciding factor for himself. The addition of Towns alongside Brunson has certainly bolstered the Knicks’ offense. New York has jumped to the third-best offense in the league. Additionally, Perkins believes Brunson carries more versatility in his offensive game, which sets him apart from Lillard.

Regardless, of his opinion, Perkins believes that these three duos are among the best in the league this season. He won’t disagree with any configuration of the three but if he were to choose, he’s picking the Celtics and the Knicks’ duo over Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard.

Perkins’ previous comments on the Bucks’ stars

Perkins isn’t afraid to voice his opinion on any basketball matter. That applies to the Bucks. During the early stages of the season, Perkins didn’t hold back when addressing Milwaukee’s star duo amidst their disappointing start to the season. His words specifically targeted Antetokounmpo.

“Giannis put pressure on the organization to make a move,” Perkins said. “Before he signed the extension, he went out publicly and said some things. So they make a move out of desperation and get Dame. You give up Jrue Holiday. Then last year, you fire Adrian Griffin… Giannis, you got blood on your hands.”

At the time the Bucks were 2-6 and on the trajectory of missing the playoffs. Perkins shifted all the blame for a potential failure of a season at the hands of Giannis. However, Milwaukee has since been able to turn their season around. They are sitting at the fifth seed and hold a 14-11 record. The Bucks will look to win the NBA Cup and carry that momentum to a deep postseason run.

2024-12-17 20:28:58

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Chelsea’s curious transfer strategy revealed with the Blues demanding MORE goals and assists from Cole Palmer

Chelsea quite literally cannot stop scoring — no team has netted more than Enzo Maresca’s men this term — but that isn’t stopping them from wanting more.

Holding the keys to scoring success at Stamford Bridge is one Cole Palmer — ranked the third-best attacking midfielder in the world currently by FourFourTwo — he has the most Premier League goals (11) AND the most assists (6) of anybody in his team.

Nevertheless, the Blues seem to want to try and get more out of him, and it seems they are closing in on a strategy to achieve just that.

Chelsea eye Liam Delap to add firepower to Cole Palmer-led attack

Liam Delap has made an incredible start with Ipswich Town, and it hasn’t gone unnoticed (Image credit: Julian Finney/Getty Images)

According to a report from TEAMtalk, Ipswich Town striker Liam Delap is high on Chelsea’s list, noting a lack of natural no.9 options, with just Nicolas Jackson fitting the bill.

The same reports have noted that his determination, strength and skill are attributes that have made the west London club consider the 21-year-old as a transfer target.

It appears Chelsea want to maximise the returns of Palmer by bolstering their frontline (Image credit: PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images)

It suggests that Chelsea want even more from their attack, viewing Delap as a physical presence up front and someone that Palmer, already the creative king at Chelsea, can bounce off to increase his goal involvement even further.

Delap only arrived at Portman Road this summer, in a £20 million deal from Manchester City, but TEAMtalk reports that the Tractor Boys are hopeful of holding their man until at least the end of the season.

It’s easy to see why Chelsea view Delap as the perfect Palmer partner: the Ipswich forward has already six goals for the top-flight strugglers despite feeding off scraps — imagine what he might achieve with the service of his former fellow City academy product.

Crucially, Pep Guardiola’s side does hold a buyback clause on Delap, and it’s reported they haven’t ruled out activating it in the summer, but are unlikely to in January.

In FourFourTwo’s opinion, the theory works great on paper, but Delap may want to be wary about moving too soon.

He’s only six goals and a handful of appearances into his Premier League career — it’s an incredible start, but he’s got plenty of time ahead of him for a big move.

He will be the main man at Ipswich, having been loaned out and far down the pecking order at City, something which will only enhance his reputation. A turn of bad form at Chelsea, however, and we know just how many top talents they have waiting to step into the breach.

2024-12-17 20:00:00

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Zak Brown Once Sold McLaren’s State of the Art HQ for $237 Million to Pay Salaries

McLaren’s turnaround in fortunes has been nothing short of remarkable. Back in 2015, the team were not only struggling with massive financial issues but were also languishing at the back of the grid.

And almost a decade later, they have now won the Constructors’ Championship. Most of the credit for this sensational turnaround goes to McLaren CEO Zak Brown, who once also sold the team’s state-of-the-art headquarters for a whopping $237 million to pay the salaries of the employees.

F1 journalist Joe Pompliano revealed via his YouTube channel that when the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, McLaren signed a sale deed and a 20-year leaseback agreement for their Woking headquarters. As a result, McLaren continue to work in Woking but no longer own the headquarters.

That’s not the only thing Brown sold as he also sold a 15% stake of McLaren’s F1 team to MSP Sports Capital and some of the company’s historic cars to raise money.

And just four years after suffering through such struggles, Brown has helped McLaren not only gain the most number of sponsors but has also helped the team’s valuation increase to a staggering $2.65 billion.

McLaren has no space on their cars to add sponsors

Pompliano added in his video that McLaren today have over 50 sponsors, having had only a handful of them just a few years ago. He adds that the team have so many sponsors today that they “literally ran out of space for sponsors on the car”.

As a result, McLaren innovated by building digital advertising panels across the cockpits of their cars. While Brown would undoubtedly be proud of his success, he himself admitted once in an interview how “brutal” McLaren’s situation was just a few years ago.

“Things were brutal,” he said per the clip Pompliano added in his video. “Zero points at the start of the 2023 season, financial issues four or five years ago and to turn that around and be Constructors’ Champions is amazing”.

And perhaps more importantly than being champions, McLaren also posted a $38 million profit in 2023, having reported an $11 million loss the year before.



2024-12-17 19:36:11

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Manchester United and Real Madrid are chasing the same 17-year-old wonderkid

The January transfer window is nearly upon us. Football’s sporting directors and recruitment heads are hunting down their chosen targets with a fervour not seen since the last one.

Manchester United and Real Madrid are as big as they come but both have compelling reasons to strengthen their playing staff, not only for the remainder of the 2024-25 season but with the future in mind too.

The pair of football behemoths are among a clutch of clubs that have reportedly set their sights on the same player, a long-term prospect currently learning his trade in the Greek Super League with his country’s most successful club.

Who is Charalampos Kostoulas?

Real Madrid are set to fight it out with Premier League clubs for an exciting youngster from Greece (Image credit: Getty Images)

Olympiacos haven’t added to their 47 domestic titles since 2021-22 but lead the league ahead of AEK Athens and PAOK this season. Their youngest ever player has broken into the first team and helped fire them to the top of the table with three goals in eleven Super League appearances.

Charalampos Kostoulas has attracted the attention of Man United and Real Madrid with his performances this season, and has played and scored for Greece’s Under-21 side despite only turning 17 in May.

17-year-old Olympiacos wonderkid Charalampos Kostoulas (Image credit: Future)

Reporting from Caught Offside indicates that Kostoulas is playing under the gaze not only of United and Real Madrid but also of Bayern Munich and West Ham United.

According to sources, Olympiacos are prepared to cash in on their highly rated in-demand wonderkid and could sell him ‘for around €20million’ to provide the funds they need to strengthen their own hand in the race for the title.

Striker Kostoulas would be a signing for the future for any club able to secure a deal and would be the latest addition of that type for Man United, whose youth acquisitions under INEOS look rather more impressive than some of those who’ve been brought in for the first team.

Kostoulas is a physically impressive striker who’s making waves in men’s football against more experienced defenders. He’s played five times in the Europa League, starting the last two against FCSB and Twente. He’s yet to get off the mark in Europe but it’s only a matter of time.

Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim will be keen to bring in a more senior centre forward sooner rather than later if possible. Only five of United’s Premier League goals in 2024-25 have been scored by pure strikers, three by Joshua Zirkzee and two by Rasmus Hojlund.

In FourFourTwo’s opinion, Kostoulas would initially be a promising backup option if Amorim can get his attacking unit firing at Old Trafford and INEOS is able to get its very young man. Who knows – beyond next season, Kostoulas might be just the player they need.

2024-12-17 19:00:00

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“Can’t Play the 5?”: Gilbert Arenas Questions Draymond Green’s Bench Role, Offers Solution to Fix Warriors’ Starting Lineup

Earlier this month, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr made the bold decision to bring Draymond Green off the bench and start Jonathan Kuminga. However, the rotation change hasn’t led to the success the team envisioned. They have lost both games in which the veteran forward came off the bench, prompting Gilbert Arenas to question the Warriors’ game plan.

On the Gil’s Arena podcast, the former Wizards star asked why a player as versatile and experienced as Green was coming off the bench. When the crew responded that the team prefers Kuminga’s ability as a score over the four-time NBA champion’s defensive ability, he pondered why the team wasn’t fielding both. He inquired,

“Dray can’t play the 5? I’m wondering. He can’t play at the 5?”

The three-time All-Star suggested that starting Green over Kevon Looney could be the solution for Golden State. In the Warriors recent loss to the Mavericks, Green played 29 minutes compared to 21 minutes from Looney.

In those minutes, the latter finished with a net rating of -15. On the other hand, Green’s was +4. The four-time NBA champion is evidently more impactful. Starting him at center isn’t a radical solution either as he’s pretty familiar with the position.

Green’s history playing the center position

The Warriors small-ball lineup with Green at center has been a staple in the Kerr era. It has diminished over the years but when they have played him at the 5, they have been pretty effective.

In the 740 possessions the team has played with Green at center this season, their point differential is +7.7, which is in the 81st percentile. In addition, their eFG% is an impressive 58.2%, a mark that is in the top 90th percentile of the league. With Looney as the 5, their point differential is +5.0, and their eFG% plummets to 49.9%, which is in the bottom 10th percentile.

The numbers suggest that the Warriors are a better team with Green at center. It may just be a matter of time before the Warriors decide to bring the veteran back into the starting lineup.

2024-12-17 18:26:34

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Manchester United can’t sell Marcus Rashford, unless they make key compromise

Manchester United might not be able to sell Marcus Rashford as easily as they would like, with a number of key factors playing an important part in the saga.

On Monday, The Guardian reported that Manchester United had put Marcus Rashford up for sale in the January transfer window, after Ruben Amorim decided to drop him entirely from the matchday squad that beat Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday.

Al-Ittihad in Saudi Arabia are touted as a potential destination for Rashford by Talksport, but whether the 27-year-old is open to the move is another matter.

Manchester United might need to pay Marcus Rashford off

Rashford earns a high wage at Manchester United (Image credit: Getty Images)

With Rashford reportedly targeting a return to the England squad ahead of the 2026 World Cup, it seems unlikely that the Manchester United forward would choose to move to Saudi Arabia at such a pivotal time in his career – especially with Thomas Tuchel starting as England manager on January 1.

So, with Saudi Arabia likely out of the picture, there aren’t a whole host of clubs that represent realistic options – and even fewer when considering his reported £365,000-per-week wages. Indeed, that could prove a real stumbling block in negotiations, especially when Rashford is entitled to that salary until the summer of 2028.

Rashford and his team-mates line up for the Community Shield at Wembley (Image credit: Getty Images)

While the aforementioned reports have suggested that Manchester United are willing to let the academy graduate leave in a cut-price deal, around the £45m mark Transfermarkt has him valued at, the club might also have to incentivise the deal for Rashford to leave, too.

With millions of pounds owed to him by the club over the next three-and-a-half years, and similar wages unlikely elsewhere away from Old Trafford, Rashford could simply refuse to leave unless a severance package is offered. Not only could Manchester United sell him for a reduced fee, they might also have to pay him to leave, too.

A similar situation happened in the 2023 summer transfer window, when Harry Maguire reportedly refused to leave amid the offer of a much-reduced salary at West Ham. Wanting a pay-off of around £7m to leave the club, Maguire eventually ended up staying at Manchester United as they failed to come to an agreement.

There is, however, a new part-owner in Sir Jim Ratcliffe who is willing to accept some short-term pain. This became wholly apparent when he cut ties with sporting director Dan Ashworth after just 159 days, despite paying £5m for him to join from Newcastle, as he looked to get the best in class at Old Trafford.

In FourFourTwo‘s opinion, it seems unlikely that Manchester United will manage to sell Marcus Rashford in the coming transfer windows unless they accept the aforementioned costs involved could see them pocket a much lower fee overall. There’s still time for Amorim to convince Rashford to change his ways, too, highlighting the critical period it is in his career right now.

2024-12-17 18:00:00

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