5jili

A year that began with Steven Fletcher bagging the first hat-trick of his career in English football ended with the former international once again delivering the goods to power Wrexham back into the automatic promotion places. Fletcher’s stunning 90th-minute winner meant 2024 finished on an appropriate high for Phil Parkinson’s side, as Wigan Athletic became the latest side to succumb to the EFL ’s best home record. Advertisement The Scot’s fourth goal of the season — and his third in as many appearances at the SToK Cae Ras — means Wrexham reach the halfway stage of the season on 48 points, one behind leaders Birmingham City , albeit having played two games more. Wycombe Wanderers (third) and Huddersfield Town (fourth) ended the year on a rare low after unexpectedly dropping points on Sunday against Charlton Athletic and Burton Albion respectively. But both seem well equipped to go the distance, suggesting the battle to escape League One might just be the most keenly fought of the lot in the EFL this season. As it stands with the top four all displaying impressive consistency, we could be looking at a repeat of the 2022-23 race when even a return of two points per game wasn’t enough to guarantee a place in the top two with Sheffield Wednesday finishing third on 96. “We’re pleased with the return,” says Parkinson, when asked about Wrexham stepping up to this level after 19 years away. “To have 48 points at the halfway stage is good. “We know there’s work to be done. Everyone is aware of that. Our feet are firmly on the ground, as always. But, listen, you can’t not enjoy coming to work every day and being part of this club. There’s a spring in the step of the lads, including the ones out of the team who are ready to step in.” Rounding off the year with three points and an injury time winner 👊 🔴⚪️ #WxmAFC pic.twitter.com/h0TfClclrP — Wrexham AFC (@Wrexham_AFC) December 29, 2024 Even allowing for how Wednesday needed the fall-back option of the play-offs to go up two years ago thanks to the remarkable consistency of champions Plymouth Argyle (101 points) and runners-up Ipswich Town (98 points), recent history suggests Wrexham are well placed to push on in the new year. Discounting the 2019-20 season that was curtailed by the Covid pandemic, an analysis of the past decade in League One shows that the average points tally for the team finishing second stands at 90.66 points. Advertisement Perhaps more pertinently, the average total required to finish ahead of the third-placed team and thus be promoted across those same 10 years is 87. As for the play-offs, the average points tally required to extend the League One season over the past decade — and, again, after discounting the Covid-shortened 2019-20 — is 74.4 points. The big outliers to that mean figure are the 83 points required by Wycombe in 2021-22 and the 69 that were enough to seal sixth place for Chesterfield in 2014-15. As for Wrexham’s push for a third consecutive promotion, there’s little doubt how important their home form has been. A return of 11 wins and 35 points from 13 outings at the SToK Cae Ras is remarkable. It’s the best record in the EFL, with Championship high-flyers Leeds United the next best-performing in front of their own fans this season after taking 31 points from 12 matches at Elland Road. In League One, Reading and Birmingham are Wrexham’s closest rivals for consistency on home soil with 27 points from a possible 33. In contrast, 10 away games have yielded just 13 points, a distinctly mid-table return. With 13 of Wrexham’s remaining 23 fixtures being on the road — including visits to four of the top seven in Wycombe, Huddersfield, Reading and Barnsley, the latter on New Year’s Day — this return needs to improve. The disparity in away fixtures perhaps partly explains why Opta’s supercomputer does not rate Wrexham’s hopes of finishing in the top two very highly. Even after racking up more than two points per game in the first half of the season, Opta — by factoring in variables including the quality of recent performances, upcoming fixtures, historical results and their own power rankings — is predicting the Welsh club will finish on 82.23 points. This would be the fourth-highest total behind Huddersfield (82.98 points), Wycombe (91.1) and Birmingham (98.25), according to the supercomputer. Delving further into Opta’s computer forecast, they rate Wrexham’s chances of lifting the League One title as just 1.44 per cent, while promotion via the automatic route is put at 12.28 per cent. To put this into context, Birmingham are given a 76.04 per cent chance of finishing top (Wycombe 20.06 per cent) and a 95.4 per cent chance of winning automatic promotion (Wycombe 74 per cent). GO DEEPER How Birmingham shattered transfer records - and left English football in shock As for the play-offs, Opta suggests Wrexham as the most likely to go up via this route at 80.1 per cent, just ahead of Huddersfield (77.24 per cent) and then Bolton Wanderers (51.1 per cent). Reading are tipped to complete the quartet of teams competing in the end-of-season promotion deciders, again according to Opta’s simulation of the remaining fixtures. Advertisement Only time will tell, of course. For now, Parkinson can be hugely satisfied with not only his side’s first half of the season but also their ability to prevail even when not at their best, as they did against Wigan thanks to Fletcher. “It’s always believing,” said the Wrexham manager when asked what has been key to such an impressive return to League One. “I was watching the Sir Alex (Ferguson) documentary yesterday and how Manchester United always went right to the wire. “We’ve got that mentality here. We go to the end and we always believe we can get a goal.” GO DEEPER Why Ollie Palmer is Wrexham's ultimate team player (Top photo: Wrexham co-owner Rob McElhenney during their loss to Birmingham in September; by Alex Pantling via Getty Images)As the team trained diligently in the days leading up to the match, reports emerged that Mbappe was putting in extra effort to fine-tune his positioning and timing to exploit Barcelona's defensive vulnerabilities. The coaching staff devised specific drills and exercises to help him master the art of breaking the offside trap and timing his runs to perfection.5jili 。

In addition to the captivating visuals, the trailer also provides a glimpse into the diverse gameplay mechanics that players can expect in PIONER. From crafting and base-building to faction warfare and PvP battles, the game offers a wide range of activities to keep players engaged and immersed in the world.NEW YORK — In an angry outburst in a New York courtroom, Rudy Giuliani accused a judge Tuesday of making wrong assumptions about him as he tries to comply with an order requiring him to turn over most of his assets to two election poll workers who won a libel case against him. U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman responded by saying he’s not going to let the former New York City mayor and onetime presidential candidate blurt things out anymore in court unless he’s a sworn witness. The interruption to an otherwise routine pretrial hearing in Manhattan came as the judge questioned Giuliani’s lawyer about why Giuliani has not yet provided the title to a car he has relinquished in his effort to satisfy a $148 million defamation judgment won by two former Georgia election workers. “Your client was the U.S. attorney for this district,” the judge said, referring to Giuliani’s years in the 1980s as the head of the federal prosecutor’s office in the Southern District of New York, as he suggested it was hard to believe that Giuliani was incapable of getting a duplicate title to the car. Giuliani learned forward and began speaking into a microphone, telling the judge he had applied for a duplicate copy of the car’s title but that it had not yet arrived. “The implication I’ve been not diligent about it is totally incorrect,” Giuliani said in a scolding tone. “The implication you make is against me and every implication against me is wrong.” Giuliani went on: “I’m not impoverished. Everything I have is tied up. I don’t have a car. I don’t have a credit card. I don’t have cash. I can’t get to bank accounts that truly would be mine because they have put ... stop orders on, for example, my Social Security account, which they have no right to do.” Liman responded by warning defense lawyers that the next time Giuliani interrupts a hearing, “he’s not going to be permitted to speak and the court will take action.” The judge said Giuliani could either choose to represent himself or let lawyers do so, but “you can’t have hybrid representation.” If Giuliani wants to speak in court again, he can be put on the witness stand and be sworn as a witness, Liman added. The exchange came at a hearing in which the judge refused to delay a Jan. 16 trial over the disposition of Giuliani’s Florida residence and World Series rings. Those are two sets of assets that Giuliani is trying to shield from confiscation as part of Liman’s order to turn over many prized possessions to the poll workers. Earlier in the proceeding, defense attorney Joseph M. Cammarata asked Liman to delay the trial, which will be heard without a jury, for a month because of Giuliani’s “involvement” in inauguration planning for President-elect Donald Trump. “My client regularly consults and deals directly with President-elect Trump on issues that are taking place as the incoming administration is afoot as well as (the) inauguration,” Cammarata said. ”My client wants to exercise his political right to be there.” The judge turned down the request, saying Giuliani’s “social calendar” was not a reason to postpone the trial. Giuliani, who once served as Trump’s personal attorney, was found liable last year for defaming two Georgia poll workers by falsely accusing them of tampering with ballots during the 2020 presidential election. The women said they faced death threats after Giuliani falsely claimed they sneaked in ballots in suitcases, counted ballots multiple times and tampered with voting machines.

"Black Myth: Wukong" has captured the hearts of players with its stunning visuals, intricate storytelling, and innovative gameplay mechanics. The game takes players on a thrilling journey through a fantastical world filled with mythical creatures, epic battles, and challenging puzzles. With its high-quality graphics and attention to detail, "Black Myth: Wukong" has set a new standard for what a modern video game can achieve.After Rudy Giuliani’s courtroom outburst, judge warns ‘court will take action’

BBC Strictly Come Dancing Vito Coppola and Sarah Hadland's exit 'sealed' as fans say it's 'insane'

In the wake of these developments, it has been reported that former Manchester United employee Ralf Rangnick is being considered for a consultancy role to assist with football operations. Rangnick, a highly respected figure in football coaching and management circles, could provide valuable insights and expertise to the club as they navigate this transitional period.

Open enrollment for Medicare ends Dec. 7, but there are changes taking effect in 2025. Out-of-pocket prescription drugs will be capped at $2,000 for the first time, and Medicare enrollees can now pay by the month, instead of all at once, at the pharmacy. Medicare recipient Janie Flynn is on 12 prescriptions. It's why she's always looking to save every dollar she can. "It changes from year to year, not just every three years or something, so always have it checked out so you just know if you're going to save some money," Flynn said. RELATED STORY | Big medicare changes are coming. Here's how seniors can prepare for them Flynn saved $500 when she enrolled this year with help from KC Shepherd's Center — a nonprofit dedicated to supporting older adults. It was as simple as switching plans to find one that worked better for her this year that ended up saving her more, too. "It's just kind of working your way down all the choices," Flynn said. "And then the choices that'll take your prescription, and then the drugstore that has the best price that also takes your prescriptions." KC Shepherd’s Center has a number of senior volunteers who support seniors in the community. Flynn is a volunteer. Greg Lear is another, but before his time as a volunteer, he was a Medicare employee for nearly 30 years. For the last 15 years, he's counseled seniors through their Medicare enrollment. RELATED STORY | Biden administration wants Medicare, Medicaid to cover anti-obesity medicines "We say every year you need to take a look to see if your plan is still best for you," Lear said. "So, while in 2024 you may have a company that you're quite happy with and your drugs are relatively inexpensive, you may find in 2025 that there is a drug that they are no longer supporting." When comparing prices on your prescriptions during open enrollment, Lear recommends using Medicare.gov . It allows you to type in any of your prescriptions and compare what the best options are, so you get the best price. The solution to saving money might seem complicated, but for Flynn, it's worth it. "As my mom used to say, 'All they can do is say no,'" Flynn said. “So why not at least check it out to see if you can save some money?" This story was originally published by Elyse Schoenig at Scripps News Kansas City.The upcoming El Clasico between Real Madrid and Barcelona promises to be an exciting clash of two of the biggest football clubs in the world. With both teams vying for the top spot in La Liga, every detail matters in preparation for this high-stakes match.

Jose Mourinho, the renowned football manager, has never been one to shy away from expressing his opinions on controversial issues within the sport. Recently, he made headlines with his strong stance on the ongoing investigation into Manchester City's alleged breaches of Financial Fair Play regulations. While some may expect Mourinho, a former manager of Manchester United, to revel in the potential downfall of his rival club, his comments have showcased a more nuanced perspective.

The distribution of these refunds represents a crucial step in holding gaming companies accountable for their actions and protecting consumers, especially young and vulnerable ones. The FTC's swift action in this case sends a strong message to the gaming industry that deceptive practices will not be tolerated, and that companies must prioritize transparency and consumer protection in their business practices.In recent days, there have been swirling rumors in the football world regarding the future of South Korean star Son Heung-min. Speculation surfaced claiming that Son was on the verge of a move to the Turkish Super Lig, sending shockwaves through the global football community. However, these rumors were swiftly debunked by Son's agent, who clarified that the talented forward is still in discussions with his current club, Tottenham Hotspur, and has no immediate plans to depart.

Former players have come forward to share their stories, highlighting the devastating toll that years of heading the ball has taken on their mental health. Many have experienced memory loss, mood swings, and cognitive decline, making it difficult for them to lead a normal life post-retirement.

Employers should keep open mind about flexi-work: PanellistsTalphera CEO Vincent J. Angotti buys $3,649 in company stock