U.S. Prime Press; Ivan Toney Excluded from Brentford’s Premier League Opener Amid Transfer Speculation Brentford’s manager, Thomas Frank, made the notable decision to leave Ivan Toney out of the squad for their Premier League season opener. The ongoing rumors and speculations surrounding a potential transfer for the England forward largely influenced the decision.

Toney, who has been a key player for Brentford, is currently linked with several top English clubs and a possible move to the Saudi Pro League. Before Brentford’s match against Crystal Palace, Frank spoke to Sky Sports, emphasizing the uncertainty surrounding Toney’s future. He explained, “A lot is happening with Ivan, especially regarding transfers. Given the level of interest, we chose not to include him in the squad.”

When asked whether Toney has played his last game for Brentford, Frank responded, “Who knows? There’s interest, but nothing is close to being finalized.”

In a news conference held on Friday, Frank had expressed hope that Toney would remain with the team. He mentioned that Toney had trained well, appeared sharp, and was in good spirits ahead of the Palace match. Frank added, “As long as Ivan is with us, I’m very happy. Hopefully, we’ll have him for another year because he’s a fantastic player. We know there’s a lot of speculation, but we’re focused on the present and taking things one day at a time.”

Since joining Brentford from Peterborough United in 2020, the 28-year-old Toney has been instrumental, scoring 67 league goals in 128 appearances. He returned to the pitch in January after serving an eight-month suspension for violating Football Association (FA) betting rules, including betting against his team.

Impact of  Ivan Toney’s Absence: Expert Opinions

Former Liverpool defender Stephen Warnock commented on the situation, noting that Brentford is likely well-prepared for the possibility of Toney leaving. “They won’t be surprised by the transfer rumors. Today’s decision suggests that they believe they can manage without Ivan Toney,” Warnock told BBC Radio 5 Live. “They seem ready to entertain offers.”

Ex-England striker Ellen White also weighed in, saying, “If Brentford gets the money for Ivan Toney and manages to stay up this season, they’ll consider it a win. He would be a significant loss, but with his contract ending next summer, they risk losing him for free if they don’t sell now.”

Olympics 2024

U.S. Prime Press; Olympics 2024; Ethiopia’s Tamirat Tola ran an incredible race on Saturday, securing the gold medal in the men’s marathon and setting a new Olympic record. Unfortunately, two-time champion Eluid Kipchoge had to drop out of the race due to a back injury.

A Race Full of Talent

In a race filled with top athletes, Kipchoge was the favorite to defend his title. The event started with Ethiopian marathon legend Haile Gebrselassie kicking things off. However, instead of welcoming Kipchoge at the finish line, Gebrselassie ended up congratulating his fellow Ethiopian, Tola, who had been inspired to start running by Gebrselassie himself when he was just 19 years old.

Tamirat Tola sealed gold in the men’s marathon on Saturday in Paris. Getty

Tola’s Moment of Glory

“I’m really happy today because I achieved my goal,” Tola said after the race. “I prepared well, trained hard, and now this is my greatest achievement.” Tola, who is 32 years old, finished the marathon in 2:06:26, breaking the Olympic record set at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. What makes this even more impressive is that Tola was only added to the race two weeks ago after his teammate Sisay Lemma got injured.

Tola was quick to thank Lemma, saying, “Sisay told me it was better for him to drop out and let me compete. He believed I could perform better than him in his condition. This victory also belongs to him for giving me this opportunity.”

Who Won What

Belgium’s Bashir Abdi took the silver medal, and Kenya’s Benson Kipruto earned the bronze. Tola was in great form, taking the lead before the halfway point and never looking back. Before this race, his only Olympic medal was a bronze in the 10,000 meters at the 2016 Rio Olympics. This marathon victory is his second major win after he took first place in last year’s New York City Marathon.

A Tough Course

The marathon route in Paris was not an easy one. Starting at the city hall, Hotel de Ville, the runners passed some of Paris’ most famous landmarks, including the Palais Garnier opera house, Place Vendome, the Louvre, the Trocadero, the Eiffel Tower, and the Palace of Versailles. The race ended at the Esplanade des Invalides, a historic 17th-century hospital.

The course was tough, with several steep climbs that made it one of the most challenging marathon routes in Olympic history. The first climb came around the 10-mile mark, followed by another a few miles later. But the hardest part was the 18-mile mark, with a steep incline of 13.5%.

Kipchoge’s Difficult Day

Kipchoge, who is considered one of the best marathon runners ever, struggled in this race. By the halfway point, he was nearly a minute behind the leaders and even had to walk up the hill at Mile 18. He eventually decided to withdraw from the race.

“Today was a tough day,” Kipchoge admitted. “You can train for a long time, but sometimes things just don’t go your way. It’s like boxing—you can train for months and be knocked out in seconds. But life goes on.”

He explained that it wasn’t the hills that got to him, but rather back pain that started after 12 miles, which eventually forced him to stop. When asked if this was his last marathon, Kipchoge said he wasn’t sure and needed time to think about his future.

A Hard Year for Kipchoge

This race marked the end of a particularly tough year for Kipchoge. He faced a lot of online criticism following the death of his fellow Kenyan runner, Kelvin Kiptum. The stress from this led to sleepless nights and affected his performance, resulting in a 10th-place finish at the Tokyo Marathon in March, the worst result of his professional career.

Rhasidat Adeleke and Daniel Coyle

U.S. Prime Press; Day 10 in Paris sees one of Team Ireland’s standout athletes debut at the Olympics. Rhasidat Adeleke, aged 21, is a strong contender in the women’s 400m and will compete in heat six starting at 11:05 BST. She won a silver medal at the European Championships in Rome. Her time was 49.07. In July, she won the Monaco Diamond League. Adeleke was key to Ireland’s mixed relay gold in Rome. She also helped win silver in the women’s 4x400m. Now, she focuses on her event in Paris. Her main rivals for a podium spot are Marileidy Paulino (Dominican Republic), Nickisha Pryce (Jamaica), and Natalia Kaczmarek (Poland). Also competing in Monday morning’s heats are Sharlene Mawdsley and Sophie Becker.

Daniel Coyle is back in the saddle.

The team has completed the event. So, Monday at 13:00 BST starts the individual qualifiers in show jumping. Riding on Legacy, Ardmore’s Daniel Coyle is confident. He jumped double clear in the team event, where Ireland finished seventh. Shane Sweetnam and Cian O’Connor will return to Versailles. They competed in a team event earlier. Elsewhere, Eve McMahon (11:15 BST) and Finn Lynch (13:45 BST) race their dinghies. Lynch aims to secure a spot in Tuesday’s medal race by holding onto 10th place. Diver Ciara McGing competes in the 10m platform at 09:00 BST.