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Martin Paterson claims that he is wearing a “grumpy” T-shirt at home for a reason.

The Notts County head coach is doing it for the same reason as if they were Arsenal, the Premier League-leading team, in preparation for Saturday’s FA Cup game against non-league Brackley Town.

The 38-year-old acknowledges that he has an “intense” character and that the club’s cup is his most prized piece of silverware.

He told BBC Sport, “My wife informed me that some people were talking about getting me a grumpy T-shirt, and I thought that was a little unfair because I already have one.”

My daughter enjoys wearing a Snow White ” Grumpy ” shirt at night.

I’m intense when I’m with you, and that’s because I want to help the group work harder to improve.

And that is from a head coach who, according to him, was “hellbent” on winning the FA Cup when he first started his career at Stoke City under Tony Pulis.

The former striker says he values a cup run for a club because of Pulis’ approach and playing under Eddie Howe, the current Newcastle boss, who Paterson played for at Burnley.

According to Paterson, “I believe it’s the best domestic competition there is, and it’s an opportunity for the lads to try to score a tie against people they might never get a chance to play against.”

It’s also a chance to demonstrate some humility by demonstrating that Brackley will be a very difficult game when you travel there.

You should approach this game the same way you would play Manchester United or Arsenal; it gives you an opportunity to advance to the next round.

Paterson’s first managerial position in the FA Cup will be against a team that is 36 places below the Magpies in the English football pyramid.

When League One side Huddersfield Town were eliminated from the competition by National League outfit Tamworth last year, he served as Michael Duff’s assistant.

As a 131-year-old winner of the cup in 1894, Paterson is aware that Notts is regarded as a significant scalp at this point in the game.

He said, “We obviously have history, we won it a long time ago, and it’s a proud memory of the club.”

“I think everyone sees Notts County as a really good club, especially at League Two, and it’s traditionally the oldest professional football team, so I suppose it looks like we’re a target for other people,” he said.

“But I got that ready. I can’t help but feel like a target. We don’t do anything differently because it’s ultimately a game of football.

I simply want my players to keep competing and improving, just like they have been doing for the past month.

Notts moved up to fifth place in League Two and just two points clear of the leader after winning three games in a four-game unbeaten league run in October.

As the head coach of Notts County, Paterson said, “I’m proud to be here, and I know the responsibility I carries with it.”

“And that’s why people still see me as this fierce, grumpy person, despite winning.”

The administrators of Sheffield Wednesday have received evidence of £50 million in funding to buy the Championship club from three parties.

More interested parties are likely to come forward, according to BBC Sheffield.

Dejphon Chansiri’s 10-year ownership of the Owls was ended last Friday when they were put in administration.

They were placed in administration after the English Football League (EFL) deducted them 12 points, leaving them 16 points adrift of safety.

The club’s administrators reported on Thursday that they had received all of their wages one day earlier than expected.

Under Chansiri’s chaotic management, wage payments had been delayed in five of the previous seven months.

Fans have started a boycott of the club since it became public, with many supporters not showing up for meetings with Leeds United and Grimsby Town at Hillsborough and Middlesbrough’s home league game this month.

Fans have already spent more than £500, 000 on tickets and in the club shop, according to administrator Kris Wigfield, who is looking for new owners.

According to him, there are already “four or five interested parties that appear to be the real deal,” but the club must still be on the market for 28 days in accordance with EFL regulations before transferring to preferred-bidder status.

He stated on BBC 5 Live’s Wake Up To Money program, “I’m optimistic that by the end of November, if things turn out well, we might know who will buy the football team.”

If the EFL permits the new owner to buy players, “hopefully a deal can be reached this calendar year” to allow the new owner to enter the January transfer window.

Hundreds of fans also attended a free first-team training session earlier this week at the Owls’ home ground.

Senne Lammens, a newcomer to Manchester United, claims he is not afraid of the strain that will be put on him as a result of playing one of the most closely watched roles in modern football.

In the modern, digital era, head coach Ruben Amorim only recently mentioned the “massive” pressure on any United goalkeeper.

With only one full season of senior football left on his hands, Lammens could be forgiven for feeling the heat more than most, especially since United’s hierarchy blocked Amorim’s request to sign Emiliano Martinez from Aston Villa on transfer deadline day.

Lammens did not, however, convey to BBC Sport in his first external interview prior to United’s Premier League game against Nottingham Forest on Saturday, giving the impression of someone with self-doubt.

The Belgian stated, “You hear from other people that there is a lot of pressure coming here and playing for this team.”

“But I welcome that,” he said. First of all, it’s nice to have a big team like yours. I’m not too worried about it because there should be a lot of pressure.

Andre Onana, who has since joined Turkish side Trabzonspor on loan, and Altay Bayindir, who started the season’s first six Premier League games, received a standing ovation the first time they caught the ball during his debut against Sunderland on October 4th, despite their lack of belief in the Old Trafford faithful.

A welcome return from United made for the season led to chants like “Are you Schmeichel in disguise?” in reference to Danish legend Peter Schmeichel, one of the club’s most well-known and admired goalkeepers.

Lammens was unaware of the song’s significance. Even though he acknowledges that he is still far away from receiving a link, he was delighted when he saw the news.

He said, “I don’t listen to it too much during the game, but I did hear it later.”

“I’m not Schmeichel disguised,” I say. Senne Lammens is all I’m trying to help the team.

In the Sunderland game, it was made clear that United were using longer balls more frequently, and even more so in the victory over Liverpool two weeks later.

Lammens claimed that his decision was made after the success of Anfield rather than his own.

However, it complies with his own philosophy.

He said, “Tapping is a topic of great discussion, but it is not about that.” It depends on the intensity and our playing style.

It’s also about being realistic and aware that Liverpool’s build-up match won’t be the prettiest game.

Being direct and playing for the second balls was more important. With the players we have, we can always make it difficult for the opponent if we are high up on the pitch.

“It also prevents us from finding it difficult.” Sometimes building from the back hurts you more than it helps.

I’ve been working with the guys in midfield and up front to ensure that I don’t take too many chances and trust them. Sometimes we need to “get the ball there as quickly as possible.”

Lammens believes that the connection between his defense and his success since receiving the shirt is essential, and Harry Maguire and Matthijs de Ligt make a point of putting their expectations first.

They told me that I don’t need to be the most amazing or exceptional goalkeeper, but rather that I just need to be there when needed to give the team trust, he said.

They feel more at ease knowing that there is someone who can assist them.

“Helping the defense with communication is one of the key responsibilities of a goalkeeper.”

Lammens became a goalkeeper partly because his older brother, a lifelong United fan, needed someone to save his shots and partly because he was too hesitant to run.

His debut in the Premier League was not without fault. He had a chance to escape with a poor run out of his penalty area on his debut. He was questioned over Danny Welbeck’s free-kick goal for Brighton last weekend after he claimed a routine catch and nearly fumbled it.

However, given that Royal Antwerp fans were eager to spend the £18.1 million on deadline day at the start of their professional careers, and given that these were the positive aspects of his first three games, it makes me wonder why he was benched for the first three games.

The player believes it was the right decision after two of those matches, at Brentford and Manchester City, ended in defeat.

He said, “There was nothing about there being a strict plan,” noting that. The best goalkeeper will play was always the case.

“But I had a little difficulty with the training at first. The manager took note of that and gave me some time to adjust. I had the ideal opportunity to win the first game. From there, everything worked out smoothly. A better start is impossible to imagine.

Lammens is aware that there is still work to be done in order to reach the desired level of European qualification.

But he has wandered into his future plans while working at Old Trafford.

Lucas Paqueta, a midfielder for West Ham United, has received reprimands and warnings about his future conduct, but he has not received any fines as a result of his inaction.

The Brazil playmaker was charged with four counts of deliberately booking him in four different matches in 2022 and 2023 “for the improper purpose of affecting the betting market,” according to an independent regulatory commission in July.

However, the 28-year-old was found guilty of two violations of FA Rule F3 by breaking the FA’s request to answer questions and provide information during the FA’s investigation into rules violations.

The “starting point for sanction was a financial penalty,” according to the statement, led to the decision to not impose a fine due to several mitigating factors.

Paqueta’s “limited knowledge of English” and “fantastic” expectation that the player, who had no legal training, would follow the counsel’s recommendations, as well as his “limited knowledge of English,” were two examples.

The FA, according to the commission, “appeared to be not interested in what the player had to say when he offered to respond to questions about the disclosure that had taken place after the first interview.”

The player provided answers to the FA’s questions in any case by providing a witness statement on December 15, 2023, thus in effect complying with the request for information. He had previously offered to make his mobile devices available for interrogation.

Significantly, this was done before charges were brought against the investigation in the end. The FA has not provided any proof of prejudice.

The player’s “mental stress” was also taken into account because of the “extremely serious” nature of the allegations against him, as well as the “hefty” legal fees Paqueta had to pay in the case and the “heavily” serious” nature of the allegations against him.

Following private funding into the competition, The Hundred will hold a player auction and significantly raise salaries for the 2026 season.

Players were previously given teams via a draft and a set of salary tiers, but an auction will now determine the roster and pay for them.

The fund for women’s teams will increase by 100% to £880, 000, while the men’s pay will increase by 45% to £2.05 million per side.

The minimum wage for female players doubles to £15,000, and the maximum number of foreign players allowed to play both competitions rises from three to four.

The Hundred’s ownership of the property was made public this month after private bidders bid for it in the summer.

Vikram Banerjee, managing director, said, “This is a very exciting time for The Hundred.”

“These changes will improve the quality of cricket and the level of entertainment,” according to the statement. “They will help us make the competition even better.

The Indian Premier League has held one of the franchise T20 leagues since its founding in 2008, making it a part of many of them.

Four of The Hundred’s sides are currently owned by individuals who also own franchises in the IPL, with some reportedly changing names in 2026 in response to their overseas counterparts.

Working with our new partners, we’ve been considering how to advance The Hundred, and we’ve come to the decision to hold an auction, which will enhance the competition, said Banerjee.

We’re delighted to hold the first auction in a major UK sport for a competition that has always been dedicated to innovation.

Teams will be able to sign four players in a window from mid-November to the end of January, with one being allowed to remain in any team’s 2025 squad.

Franchises will be able to offer multi-year contracts, and the three remaining direct signings must be from players working for England or from abroad.

However, the option to match, which allowed sides to retain squad members by charging the same wages if a player was chosen by another team, will no longer be a part of the competition.

The settled Oval Invincibles squad, who has won the division for the past three years, will likely be disbanded as a result of the move.

Southern Brave, who won the 2025 group stage without losing, will likely undergo significant changes, and captain Georgia Adams, who stated in August that “players want to have some say in where they go, too” cast doubt on the auction format.