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The novelty of Newcastle United's return to the Champions League has certainly worn off by now, especially after a 1-0 defeat to Borussia Dortmund two weeks ago at St. James' Park.

The Magpies were unlucky to be drawn into such a difficult group in their first season back for 20 years but Eddie Howe's men will be desperate to show that they are not there to simply make up the numbers. Beating Dortmund at the Signal Iduna Park is a good place to start.

The Newcastle boss will need to give his team every possible chance to put Die Schwarzgelben to the sword which could mean that one player will come into the team to make his first-ever start in the Champions League.

Joe Willock update

At the back end of last season, Newcastle United were dealt a hefty blow as midfielder Joe Willock suffered a hamstring injury which was scheduled to keep him sidelined until the start of the 2023/24 season. However, upon returning to training this term, the former Arsenal man damaged his Achilles, kicking his full recovery further down the road.

Nevertheless, Willock returned to the pitch, coming off the bench during Newcastle's 1-0 defeat at home to Borussia Dortmund two weeks ago and even made his first start of the season for the Magpies at Old Trafford in the EFL Cup, scoring his side's third and final goal as the visitors eliminated the reigning champions from the competition.

Willock has been a key player for Howe since the ex-Bournemouth boss took the reins in the North East of England and so his absence was certainly felt over these past few months.

However, the 24-year-old has looked raring to go every time he's stepped foot on the turf in recent weeks so perhaps it's time for Howe to unleash the midfielder who has drawn comparisons with Jude Bellingham.

Indeed, as per FBref's similar players model, one of Willock's most comparable players is the Madrid phenom, who has scored 13 goals in 14 outings during a remarkable debut campaign in the Spanish capital.

#1 Gabri Veiga

Al-Ahli

#3 Abdoulaye Doucoure

Everton

#6 Marcos Llorente

Atletico Madrid

#7 Jude Bellingham

Real Madrid

#10 Khephren Thuram

Nice

List compiled by FBref.

Joe Willock's stats this season

Bruno Guimaraes and Joelinton are vital components to Howe's system and so fan-favourite Sean Longstaff may be the most dispensable in the middle of the park if Willock returns to the starting lineup.

The Newcastle-born lad, once labelled as "excellent" by his head coach, put in a solid shift defensively for the Magpies on Saturday evening during a narrow 1-0 win over Arsenal, making two clearances, five ball recoveries and one block while winning all of his ground and aerial duels, according to FotMob.

However, Willock offers a lot more than Longstaff going forward and due to the importance of picking up all three points, a more offensive-minded midfielder could be just what the doctor ordered for Newcastle United against Dortmund.

Looking at Willock's FBref data from last season and comparing Longstaff's numbers this term, it is clear who offers more threat in the final third. While the latter is averaging 0.25 goals per 90 compared to the former's 0.11 per 90 from the previous campaign, Willock registered a better xG per 90 with 0.25 to Longstaff's 0.16.

Longstaff averages more progressive passes than his midfield counterpart at 5.75 per 90 to Willock's 4.26 per 90 but Longstaff plays deeper on the pitch than the man who could replace him in the starting lineup, hence why Willock received more progressive passes on average with 5.35 per 90 to Longstaff's 3.5.

Furthermore, Willock averaged fewer touches of the ball during games but had more in the final third, boasting 19.6 per 90 in this area of the pitch to Longstaff's 12.9 while also registering 4.01 touches in the penalty area per 90 to Longstaff's lowly 2.25. In addition, Willock completed 3.42 progressive carries per 90 last season, which is far greater than Longstaff's 0.63 per 90 this term.

Longstaff and Willock are excellent players but both serve different functions. The latter could be perfect for a more attacking approach against Dortmund in the hopes of picking up an emphatic victory in Germany.

CSA has confirmed that Chris Gayle will be part of the Mzansi Super League opening weekend

Liam Brickhill02-Nov-2018CSA has confirmed that Chris Gayle will be part of the Mzansi Super League (MSL) opening weekend and will turn out for his team Jozi Stars’ first fixture against Nelson Mandela Bay Giants at the Wanderers on Saturday November 17.Gayle is also due to play for Kerala Kings in the T10 League in Sharjah from November 23 to December 2, but CSA chief executive Thabang Moroe set aside doubts about Gayle’s availability for Jozi Stars’ first round of matches at the MSL, which starts on 16 November and runs until 16 December.”We are excited to have Chris part of this tournament from the start and he is looking forward to linking up with his Jozi Stars team-mates,” Moroe said. “Seeing the ‘World Boss’ back in South Africa and playing cricket – we and the fans could not have asked for anything better than one of the most popular players that have ever played the game.”Gayle, 39, is still an in-demand commodity in T20 leagues around the world, and in October he was part of the inaugural Afghanistan Premier League, where he helped Balkh Legends to the title with a string of fifties. Gayle has also had a previous stint in South African domestic T20 cricket with Lions, for whom he played in the 2014-15 Ram Slam T20 Challenge, topping the team’s run-scoring charts with 257 runs at a strike rate of 141.98 including a century against Warriors.Gayle’s homeground with Jozi Stars will be the 34,000-seater Wanderers in Johannesburg, where he scored the first ever century in the shortest format of the game in the opening match of the World T20 back in 2007. He will join a line-up that also includes Kagiso Rabada, Reeza Hendricks and Beuran Hendricks.

Ajax are reportedly keen on hiring Xavi if the manager does as expected and leaves Barcelona this summer.

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Ajax in need of a new manager this summerXavi expected to be among candidates to take overCatalan coach to resign at end of seasonWHAT HAPPENED?

Xavi's future is the subject of speculation after the Barca legend revealed that he will leave Catalonia at the end of the 2023-24 campaign. And Ajax are among those trying to secure his services going forward, with the Eredivisie side keen on bringing in Xavi to coach their side starting in July, according to .

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John van 't Schip, Ajax's under-fire manager, has also revealed that he will leave the club this summer, leaving the Dutch giants searching for a new face in the dugout going forward. Xavi, for his part, has insisted that he will take a year off once his Barca tenure ends.

WHAT RAFA YUSTE SAID

Some members of the Barca hierarchy are attempting to convince Xavi to remain at the club for at least one more season, with vice-president Rafa Yuste leading the charge: "I'm going to try to convince Xavi but it's a personal decision for him. There are still league games left, the Champions League… we have to let him enjoy it. I hope and wish that he continues because we are talking about a project, not a season or two."

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The Barca manager's future seems to be up in the air. He will remain at the club until the end of the season, though, starting with the Blaugrana's clash against PSG in the Champions League on April 10.

Chelsea have received a major shot in the arm regarding their hunt to strengthen a problem position under Mauricio Pochettino, according to reports.

Chelsea's striker woes continue…

Despite moving to bring in big-money signing Nicolas Jackson from Villarreal in the summer, Chelsea have struggled in front of goal so far this campaign, and their profligacy in the final third continues to hinder their chances of making marked progression under Pochettino.

In the Premier League, the Blues have taken just 12 points from their opening ten fixtures, scoring a tame 13 goals in the process, ranking them firmly in the middle of the pack regarding chances converted across the division.

England international Raheem Sterling has provided the main threat in attack for Chelsea, registering four goals and one assist across all competitions this term from 12 outings.

Nevertheless, new arrival Jackson and Cobham graduate Armando Broja are the only recognised strikers on the books at Stamford Bridge and have mustered just three strikes between them from a combined 16 appearances (Chelsea squad statistics – Transfermarkt).

Broja has been unavailable for Chelsea since the last international break due to an injury sustained on duty with Albania; however, Blues boss Pochettino has confirmed that the 22-year-old could now be in contention for his matchday squad on Monday, where Chelsea will face a stiff test in the form of an away trip to Premier League high-flyers Tottenham Hotspur.

Speaking to Chelsea's official website, Pochettino stated: "It’s good because today we were talking and maybe he will be available to be on the bench for Monday. He was training today and before in the last few days, and doing well. I hope that he can be involved in the game, but still, it’s not confirmed."

Now, it looks as if the Argentinian has been given a major boost in his bid to address the Blues' striking woes come the January transfer window.

Chelsea given major Ivan Toney boost

Ivan Toney's Brentford goal record – all competitions (Transfermarkt)

Appearances

124

Goals

68

Assists

21

According to a transfer update from TEAMtalk, Chelsea have been given a major boost in their pursuit of Brentford forward Ivan Toney, who is said to have told his current employers that he hopes to seek a new challenge in the January transfer window. Arsenal are also keen on the England international; however, any interested suitors would likely need to fork out a fee in the region of £80m to secure his services.

Manchester United were also believed to be in pursuit of the former Newcastle United striker, though they have since turned their focus toward alternative targets due to Financial Fair Play stringencies, scuppering the prospect of Toney moving to Old Trafford.

Described as "remarkable" by Brentford boss Thomas Frank, Toney is free to return to competitive action on January 16th 2024 following a lengthy ban for breaching FA betting rules.

Having already been back in a cycle of training for several months, it is imaginable that the 27-year-old wouldn't be too far away from being able to make his comeback in the Premier League, which has evidently piqued Chelsea's interest as they look to find a clinical edge in front of goal.

Tom Curran wasted no time in confirming Surrey as Championship favourites as he took five wickets on his first appearance of the season

ECB Reporters Network and ESPNcricinfo staff30-Aug-2018
ScorecardWhile his younger brother was leading England’s flimsy resistance at the Ageas Bowl, Tom Curran added to the impression that Surrey are champions elect as his 5 for 28 forced Nottinghamshire to follow on at the Kia Oval.Nottinghamshire were bowled out in some disarray for 101 in reply to Surrey’s 375 as Curran made a telling impact in his first Championship game of the season. Although they rallied in the final session of day two, reaching stumps on 83 for 2 in their second innings, they still trail by 191.Surrey – 32 points ahead of nearest rivals Somerset before this round of matches and seeking their eighth win of the campaign – look like taking another significant step towards their first Specsavers County Championship title since 2002.Talking T20

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Ben Slater and Kraigg Brathwaite put on 41 for Notts’ first wicket second time around, before Conor McKerr had Slater caught behind for 21, and there was more resistance until off spinner Amar Virdi, introduced just before bad light brought a premature end to the day, seven overs early, had Jake Libby leg-before for 17. Brathwaite is 39 not out.Tom Moores, with 29, was the top-scorer after Curransent back Slater (9), Brathwaite (2) and Libby (12) in quick succession, while Morne Morkel had Samit Patel leg-before for 5.Slater was caught behind, Brathwaite leg-before and Libby held at third slip, driving, and Notts were 39 for 5 when McKerr, replacing Morkel at the Vauxhall End, struck in his first over to have Billy Root caught at the wicket by Ben Foakes for 6.McKerr then saw Riki Wessels (12) slice to point to make it 70 for 6, and just before tea Luke Wood was caught behind for 8 in Morkel’s second spell to complete a miserable afternoon session for the visitors.Moores had just extra cover driven McKerr for a flamboyant boundary when, two balls later, he aimed another big drive to a ball outside his off stump and edged to Foakes, who then took his fifth catch of the innings when Luke Fletcher nicked a drive at the returning Curran. Two balls later, Harry Gurney’s stumps were shattered by Curran and Notts’ last three wickets had gone in seven balls.Earlier Mark Stoneman’s 22nd first-class hundred helped Surrey to four batting bonus points as they made good progress from their overnight 256 for 6. Opener Stoneman, who resumed on 99 not out, soon reached three figures and was eventually ninth out for 144 having batted for more than seven hours and faced 260 balls, hitting 18 fours.Last wicket pair McKerr and Virdi completed the task of getting Surrey past the 350-mark with a frisky stand of 35 after Stoneman, looking to cut a ball a little too near him for the shot, edged Wood’s left-arm swingers to keeper Moores.At the start of the day, Stoneman and Curran had taken their seventh wicket partnership to 84 in 22 overs before Curran, who hit some sparkling offside shots in a 69-ball 43 which included five fours, top-edged a hook at Matt Milnes to Root at long leg. The short ball also accounted for Morkel, who skied a flappy pull at Gurney to Milnes at long leg to go for 5.McKerr finished 19 not out and, immediately after hitting Patel’s left-arm spin for six over long on to reach 19, No 11 Virdi was bowled heaving at the next ball.

Real Madrid defender Dani Carvajal has denied that Spain is a racist country despite the repeated abuse of team-mate Vinicius Junior.

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Carvajal denies Spain is racist countryTeam-mate Vinicius has been victim of abuseDefender 'won't hold back' in Brazil clashWHAT HAPPENED?

Vinicius has been targeted by fans in Spain in several high-profile incidents and the Brazilian forward has spoken out against the abuse, promising to continue his fight against racism in the European country. The winger broke down in tears at a press conference after being asked about his experience of racism, but Carvajal maintains Spain is not a racist country.

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"It is an ideal setting and match to face the fight against racism," the Spain international said. "Vinicius speaks about it with his intimate circle, we help him as much as we can in the dressing room. I don’t think Spain is a racist country, I think we have a very high level of integration. I come from Leganes and I have grown up with kids from all countries. Unfortunately, there are people who go to football to vent their anger. If there is a type of comment that could hurt someone, people go down that avenue."

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Carvajal and Vinicius will go head-to-head this week when Spain face Brazil in an international friendly. The right-back has promised he will not go easy against his club co-star, saying: "You can injure yourself more by tackling weaker than by going in strong. Being a friendly, there are actions in which you can regulate yourself, you don’t go so far to the limit. For my part, I will not hold anything back. Vinicius surprised me for the better and the improvement he has shown has been spectacular. He received a lot of criticism and some players have not been able to get past that. He is now one of our leaders."

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La Roja host the Selecao in a friendly on Tuesday. Brazil approach the game after beating England 1-0 through a late goal from Endrick, while Spain ran out 1-0 winners against Colombia last week.

The United States Women's National Team has dropped out of the top three of the FIFA World Rankings despite their CONCACAF W Gold Cup win.

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USWNT drop despite W Gold Cup triumphSlip to lowest-ever rankingEngland jump to second spotWHAT HAPPENED?

The Stars and Stripes celebrated a win over Brazil in Sunday's final, but it was a shock group stage defeat to Mexico that has proven to be costly after the numbers were crunched for the latest edition of the ratings.

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Spain remain top, while England move up to second spot, trading places with their American counterparts, after their recent wins over Italy and Austria. There's little movement elsewhere in the top ten bar some minor moves with Korea Republic sliding two places to 11th.

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Since the rankings began in 2003 the USWNT has never been outside of the top two, so the fall to fourth will come as something of a wake-up call for a team in transition and currently under the interim charge of Twila Kilgore as they await the arrival of Chelsea's Emma Hayes.

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The United States are next in action against 7th ranked Japan in the SheBelieves Cup next month as they build up to this summer's main event, and a real opportunity to repair their rankings slide at the Paris Olympics beginning in July.

Aston Villa have become a club who rarely get things wrong in the transfer market these days, with a number of top talents consistently walking through the door at Villa Park. Unai Emery meanwhile has been the perfect manager to mould those players into a squad capable of sending shockwaves throughout the Premier League.

As the January transfer window edges closer and closer every day, too, Villa have reportedly already planned ahead, with their interest in some Liga Portugal talent coming to the fore when the winter window swings open.

Aston Villa transfer news

Proving their newfound power in the market during the summer by signing the likes of Moussa Diaby, Nicolo Zaniolo, and Pau Torres, Villa will be looking to flex their muscles once again come January, especially after their start in the Premier League this season. As things stand, Emery's side sit fifth and just four points behind Tottenham Hotspur at the top of the league.

Following the international break, the Villans square off against West Ham United, who have got off to a similarly impressive start in the current campaign. If Villa can defeat the Hammers, they could end the weekend of action sitting as high as third in the table. A finish of such prestige may not be too much of a fantasy, either, if Emery gets his targets.

Their form makes the latest Fredrik Aursnes transfer news all the more interesting. According to Record, via Sport Witness, Villa are interested in signing the Benfica midfielder in January, but have been told that he is untouchable, with the Portugal club hoping to hold out until at least next summer. The news follows the trend of interested in Liga Portugal stars for Villa, who were given the same answer when it came to their reported interest in Pedro Goncalves.

Who is Fredrik Aursnes?

Playing an important part for Benfica, Norway international Aursnes has earned the interest of Aston Villa, after helping his side get off to a near-perfect start to the Liga Portugal season. As things stand, Benfica sit second after eight games, only behind table-toppers Sporting by a single point. Meanwhile, in his debut campaign last time out, he helped his side to the league title in Portugal's top flight.

Aursnes' stats are even better than current Villa midfielder John McGinn in certain areas, as per FBref.

Player

Progressive Carries

Progressive Passes

Blocks

Tackles Won

Interceptions

Pass Completion

Fredrik Aursnes

23

51

12

7

5

81.9%

John McGinn

8

42

4

3

4

77.9%

It's no surprise, then, that Aursnes has earned such high praise during his time in Portugal, including from Zach Lowy, who posted on X: "Fredrik Aursnes has been chosen as the Champions League Player of the Week. Another excellent display for Benfica by the Norwegian — he’s been one of the best signings in Portugal this season."

Whilst Villa have reportedly been told that any offer for the Benfica midfielder will be refused, if they can do some convincing and sign Aursnes in January, then he may well be the difference between a standard season and one that will go down in history at Villa Park.

Suranga Lakmal defended seven runs off the final over to cap off Sri Lanka’s most inspired showing in the field and best batting performance of the series so far

The Report by Firdose Moonda08-Aug-2018Suranga Lakmal defended seven runs off the final over to cap off Sri Lanka’s most inspired showing in the field and best batting performance of the series so far and end an 11-match losing streak against South Africa.After rain interrupted both innings, South Africa’s target was reduced to 191 runs off 21 overs and they looked set to reach it. They needed 69 runs off the last 10 overs with seven wickets in hand when Sri Lanka started a squeeze which became a strangle. South Africa lost six wickets for 54 runs as Thisara Perera and Lakmal took Sri Lanka to their first win in the five-match series.Sri Lanka created a position of strength for themselves from the start of the match. Upul Tharanga and Niroshan Dickwella put on their first opening partnership over 50 in the series, Kusal Perera scored a quickfire half-century, Thisara added a fifty of his own and Dasun Shanaka, playing his 10th ODI and first since November 2016, top-scored with 65 off 34 balls.The only South African bowler who was somewhat spared was the most experienced. JP Duminy was the only member of the attack who conceded at under six runs to the over as the inexperience of the rest of the pack, who were without Kagiso Rabada, showed.Sri Lanka, on the other hand, will take confidence from their much-improved efforts albeit against a South African XI missing many of its regulars. The depth of the South African attack was tested throughout Sri Lanka’s time at the crease and the young seamers struggled with consistency of length and line in damp conditions.Dickwella took advantage as soon as Lungi Ngidi went too full and was particularly severe on debutant Junior Dala, off whom he took three fours in the eighth over. Duminy, who was introduced in the 10th over, ended the opening stand when Dickwella got a leading edge trying to paddle him past Quinton de Kock but that did little to stop the runs. Tharanga took over from where Dickwella left off and sent Andile Phehlukwayo for back-to-back fours and Wiaan Mulder for a six over long-off. Mulder had the last laugh in that situation when he bowled Tharanga with an offcutter but his yo-yo outing saw him finish as South Africa’s most expensive bowler.Suranga Lakmal takes flight•AFP/GettyKeshav Maharaj made his first appearance in the series and had Kusal Mendis lbw with the score on 100 but then Sri Lanka wrested control. Kusal Perera and Angelo Mathews put on 59 runs for the fourth wicket, and both fell to rash shots. Mathews threw his bat at a delivery outside off, got a thick outside edge and de Kock flung himself to his right to pluck the ball out of the air while Kusal Perera, after bringing up fifty off 28 balls, holed out to long-on.That left Thisara to launch the late assault and he did not disappoint, though he was overshadowed by his junior partner. Shanaka’s first shot in anger was a slog-sweep over midwicket off Duminy and he then thumped Mulder over mid-off, sent an Andile Phehlukwayo slower ball over midwicket, hoicked Dala off his hips and then took 21 runs off Dala’s final over to bring up fifty off 30 balls. By then, Thisara had joined in on the fun too and almost took Ngidi’s hand off as he slammed the ball past him for four, smoked him for six over midwicket and found six more over Ngidi’s head. Thisara’s fifty came off 44 balls.Sri Lanka scored 105 runs in the last ten overs to finish on 306 and South Africa’s target was revised to 308 runs in 39 overs at an asking rate of 7.9, which then became even tougher when the rain returned after two overs of the reply. South Africa were 21 without loss and were off the field for an hour and a quarter. When they returned, they had to score 170 runs from the remaining 19 overs, at an asking rate of 10.50.De Kock, in his first match as captain, grabbed the chase by the scruff of the neck and was on 23 off 12 balls when he was bowled by a Lakmal full-toss as he tried to cut. Reeza Hendricks, the centurion from the third match, drove Shanaka to cover, where Dhananjaya de Silva needed a second attempt at the catch, so it was up to Hashim Amla to steady things.Amla’s fluency returned and with Duminy at the other end, the boundary was plundered often. The pair put on 57 for the third wicket and had South Africa on track. But when Amla was dismissed, slicing an Akila Dananjaya ball to point, Sri Lanka started to claw their way back.Mathews took a low catch at extra cover to dismiss Heinrich Klaasen and Duminy was run-out by a Shanaka direct-hit at the non-striker’s end in the same over, leaving the crowd clearing their throats as South Africa stumbled. They were 130 for 5 after 13 overs, needing 61 runs from 48 balls. Phehlukwayo slammed two fours off Lahiru Kumara but was bowled by Thisara while playing across the line, and Mulder was caught off a pull shot by Dhananjaya at short midwicket which left David Miller with Keshav Maharaj and the tail.Miller needed to keep strike, with Maharaj’s penchant to swing wildly, and the balance between run-scoring and run-refusal was delicate. Maharaj got lucky with an inside egde off Lakmal past the keeper and showed some measure of his batting ability when he struck Thirsara back over his head for four but missed an attempt to slap him through cover again and was bowled. At that stage, South Africa needed eight off the final over and when Miller tried to go big off the second ball, a well-disguised slower delivery, he played on to end South Africa’s challenge.

Todd Boehly and his fellow members of the Chelsea board have been mocked up as a clowns in a savage sticker campaign at Stamford Bridge.

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Owners have spent big money on transfersSeen little return on the fieldLoyal fan base growing restless in west LondonWHAT HAPPENED?

Supporters in west London are growing restless as big ambition off the field, with over £1 billion ($1.3bn) invested in the transfer market, is not being matched on it – while more ticket price hikes have been announced. Chelsea have made one cup final this season, coming unstuck against Liverpool in the Carabao Cup, and are through to the semi-finals of the FA Cup.

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They are, however, languishing 11th in the Premier League table, having missed out on European qualification last season, and are running the risk of being stung with a points deduction for breaching Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR).

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Some Chelsea fans have had enough, with reporting on how one organised campaign has already started. Stickers featuring controlling co-owners Boehly and Behdad Eghbali, along with director Jose Feliciano, were spotted in the concourse areas of one stand during the Blues’ FA Cup quarter-final clash with Leicester.

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The sticker in question – which no group has taken credit for as yet – features the header “Clownlake, three ring circus” and a call to arms that reads: “Get them out, we want our Chelsea back”. Disgruntled fans have taken to singing the name of former owner Roman Abramovich at times this season, with the club becoming stuck in reverse since he departed in May 2022.