“We talked a little bit about the game we played there and about living in Aberdeen and how his time was here.”

Ferguson won a raft of major trophies – including the 1983 European Cup-Winners’ Cup – during a glittering eight years in charge at Aberdeen.

He left Pittodrie in 1986, going on to amass plenty more silverware at home and abroad with Manchester United, whom he managed for 27 years.

However, the 82-year-old recently lost his ambassador role at Old Trafford.

“We only talked about football generally,” Thelin said as he prepared for Wednesday’s high-profile visit by third-top Rangers, for whom Ferguson was a striker.

Describing the Scot as “the top man” for what he did for Aberdeen, Thelin said they chatted about “how he can reinvent himself so many times” as a manager over the years.

“We talked about how it was to live here and he wished me luck,” he added. “I was really young when he was here and he went to United.

“It was more not about the tactical things, more about leadership, how you can for such a long time at two clubs be inspirational to new players and try to keep going.

“That is the thing you try to do yourself when you are a coach is to be consistent.”

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Jay Stansfield and Ayumu Yokoyama both scored twice as Birmingham City progressed in the EFL Trophy with a 7-1 win over Fulham Under-21s.

Alfie May, Keshi Anderson and Lyndon Dykes also got in on the act as the Blues really turned up the heat on their visitors in the second half, despite Martial Godo initially levelling.

Doncaster Rovers secured their progression to the knockout stages of the competition after beating Barnsley 3-1 at the Eco-Power Stadium.

Second-half goals from Joe Ironside and Harry Clifton put the hosts in control before Aiden Marsh halved the deficit. Kyle Hunt made sure of the win six minutes from time.

Exeter City maintained their 100% record to progress from Group O with a 3-2 win over Bristol Rovers thanks to goals from Jay Bird, Millenic Alli and Demetri Mitchell. Connor Taylor and Isaac Hutchinson were on the scoresheet for Rovers.

AFC Wimbledon are also through despite a 3-0 defeat at home by Brighton and Hove Albion U21s, who took the win thanks to second half strikes from Caylan Vickers, Cameron Peupion and Remeiro Moulton.

Manchester City U21s were the only top-flight youth side to come out on top, as they beat Grimsby Town 5-4 on penalties after goals from Reigan Heskey and Danny Rose in the final few minutes could not separate the sides.

There were comprehensive victories for both Mansfield Town and Cheltenham Town, who beat Newcastle United and West Ham United U21s 3-0 and 3-2 respectively.

Lucas Aikins and Ben Quinn, who scored twice, helped Mansfield to victory, while Liam Dulson, Matt Taylor and Tom King scored for Cheltenham, with Kamarai Simon-Swyer grabbing a consolation for the Hammers.

Miles Leaburn scored in each half to help Charlton Athletic take a huge step towards progression with a 3-0 win over Chelsea Under-21s, before Tyreece Campbell added a third in stoppage time.

Accrington Stanley celebrated a narrow 2-1 win over Everton U21s, with goals courtesy of Charlie Jay Whittaker and Josh Woods either side of Harrison Armstrong’s leveller.

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David Helman

NFL Reporter

Halloween always feels like a fitting dividing line in the course of the NFL season.

It’s roughly the halfway point. Most of the league has played eight games, the weather is turning chilly, and we’re not doing as much guesswork about what we’re watching. So, with trick or treating on the horizon, let’s take a look at which NFL teams are getting king-size candy bars in Week 9, and which teams are stuck with those disappointing wax paper candies.

Here are the latest power rankings for 2024 (with Super Bowl odds from FanDuel Sportsbook).

NFL Power Rankings

1. Kansas City Chiefs (7-0; ↔)
Super Bowl odds: +450

Incredible microcosm of this Chiefs season: Patrick Mahomes is intercepted on a throw from his own end zone, his defense responds with a goal line stand that leads to a turnover on downs. Mahomes gets the ball back and leads a 10-minute scoring drive to snuff out the Raiders’ hopes of an upset. It’s usually weird, but the Chiefs always find a way to make the necessary plays. 

2. Detroit Lions (6-1; ↔)
Super Bowl odds: +650

The Lions are averaging 43 points per game over the past month and outscored those four opponents by 91 points. That pretty much says it all for one of the deepest, most talented and most fun teams in the NFL.

3. Buffalo Bills (6-2; ⬆️ 2)
Super Bowl odds: +1100

The Bills still have questions to answer about how they fare against top-tier defenses, and how well they can defend the run. But as this past Sunday proved again, they are still a step above the vast majority of teams in this league — and they’re on the verge of running away with their division.

4. Green Bay Packers (6-2; ⬆️ 2)
Super Bowl odds: +1500

Sending a seventh-round pick to Tennessee for a developmental backup quarterback felt like an afterthought back in August. Here in Week 9, it’s easy to argue Malik Willis is the biggest difference between Green Bay being 6-2 and 3-5. Fun storyline for a fun team.

5. Washington Commanders (6-2; ⬆️ 2)
Super Bowl odds: +2500

For one week, let’s shelve the discussion about how far the Commanders can go, or whether they’re the best team in the NFC East. Let’s just celebrate the fact that football is alive and well and fun in the Washington D.C. area. After a generation of misery and ineptitude, it’s fun to see the Commanders’ fan base have this moment.

6. Baltimore Ravens (5-3; ⬇️ 3)
Super Bowl odds: +650

The Ravens are such a funny team. When they’re playing in prime time, against the league’s best, they might be the best team in the NFL. When they’re playing at 1 p.m. in a game that’s only on TV in two markets, all bets are off. Baltimore had no business losing to Cleveland on Sunday, but you can say that about half this team’s losses in recent years.

7. Minnesota Vikings (5-2; ⬇️ 3)
Super Bowl odds: +2100

I’m not dropping the Vikings this far because they lost on the road to a revamped Rams team. No shame in that. I’m dropping them because the loss of Christian Darrisaw for the rest of the season feels like a five-alarm problem. Hopefully, they can work their way around it, but this feels like an injury that could change the entire offense.

8. Philadelphia Eagles (5-2; ⬆️ 1)
Super Bowl odds: +1300

Don’t look now, but the Eagles have looked more like the team we thought they’d be for two weeks now. We know all about the offensive firepower, but the defense has been playing solid football since the bye week. 

9. Houston Texans (6-2; ⬇️ 1)
Super Bowl odds: +1300

Remember how the 2023 Eagles kept winning games while never looking overly impressive and stressing everybody out? That kind of feels like what we’re watching with the 2024 Texans. You can’t argue with the results, but the process is excruciating. And with Stefon Diggs suffering a season-ending injury, improving looks that much tougher for their offense.

10. Pittsburgh Steelers (6-2; ↔)
Super Bowl odds: +3300

I think the Steelers’ ceiling is higher than it has been in quite some time. Does that mean they’re Super Bowl contenders? I’m not ready to go that far. But this defense, combined with the explosive element that Russell Wilson brings to the offense, makes them a legitimate threat. It’s been at least three or four years since I’ve felt that way about Pittsburgh.

11. Atlanta Falcons (5-3; ⬆️ 1)
Super Bowl odds: +2800

Fun quirk of the schedule: With the win in Tampa on Sunday, the Falcons have now already improved to 4-0 in the NFC South. They’ll have a chance to make it 5-0 against New Orleans in two weeks. That’s a heck of an advantage to have in the race for the division title. 

12. San Francisco 49ers (4-4; ⬆️ 2)
Super Bowl odds: +750

Maybe now the 49ers can finally collect themselves. Few teams in the league have faced as much adversity in the first eight weeks of the season. It hasn’t been as good as anyone expected, but this could be a completely different team if they get some guys healthy during the bye week.

13. Chicago Bears (4-3; ↔)
Super Bowl odds: +6000

Don’t let the insanity of the ending distract from the fact that Shane Waldron called a handoff to a guard on the goal line, or that Caleb Williams had tallied 36 passing yards deep into the fourth quarter against Washington. The Bears have made strides, but this offense still has a lot of room to grow.

14. Seattle Seahawks (4-4; ⬇️ 3)
Super Bowl odds: +6000

There was a window in the first half against Buffalo when it felt like the Seahawks had a shot to make a game of it. They couldn’t capitalize, mainly because of red zone miscues. A solid but incredibly inconsistent group.

15. Los Angeles Chargers (4-3; ⬆️ 2)
Super Bowl odds: +5000

Beating up on the Saints’ backup quarterbacks isn’t the biggest statement of the season, but it feels like a potentially big deal that Ladd McConkey enjoyed a breakout performance. The Chargers’ offense needs more explosive ability and McConkey could provide it.

16. Denver Broncos (5-3; ⬆️ 2)
Super Bowl odds: +13000

I’ll say this for the Broncos: they win the games they’re supposed to and that’s an underrated skill. They’ve only been favored in three games this season, but they’re 3-0 — and they’ve won those three games by an average of 18 points. Taking care of the teams you’re supposed to goes a long way in the wild-card race.

17. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-4; ⬇️ 2)
Super Bowl odds: +7000

I’m quietly encouraged by the first game without Mike Evans and Chris Godwin for the Bucs’ offense. Cade Otton and Bucky Irving are players, and the young receivers will continue to develop. As it stands, I’m much more worried about a Tampa defense that has been shredded in three of the past four.

18. Arizona Cardinals (4-4; ⬆️ 3)
Super Bowl odds: +7500

The Cardinals are a flawed team, but you can see the vision for a bright future. Honestly, a few more pieces on defense could turn them into a legitimate threat in the NFC. But it feels a year too early for the Cardinals to be buyers at the trade deadline.

19. Los Angeles Rams (3-4; ⬆️ 3)
Super Bowl odds: +7500

The Rams might’ve traded Cooper Kupp if they’d lost to Minnesota on Thursday. Instead, they’re a game out of first place in the NFC West and their offense looks as fun as it has since the season opener. All of a sudden, the possibilities are endless.

20. Cincinnati Bengals (3-5; ⬇️ 4)
Super Bowl odds: +4000

It doesn’t matter how good Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase are; they’re never going to be perfect. And that’s a problem, because they’ll need to be perfect if the Cincinnati defense gives up points on six straight possessions, like they did against Philadelphia.

21. Dallas Cowboys (3-4; ⬇️ 2)
Super Bowl odds: +5000

All things considered, it felt like the Cowboys showed signs of life against San Francisco — which feels like a crazy thing to say about a team that allowed 223 rushing yards and trailed by as many as 17 points. I’m just not sure things have a chance to change unless we see drastic improvement from both the offensive and defensive lines.

22. Indianapolis Colts (4-4; ⬇️ 2)
Super Bowl odds: +9000

There’s been a lot of chatter about Anthony Richardson subbing himself out during the loss to Houston. More concerning long term might be Richardson’s completion percentage of 44%, which is one of the worst in modern NFL history. That’s why he was benched.

23. Las Vegas Raiders (2-6; ⬆️ 2)
Super Bowl odds: +55000

The Raiders never allowed the Chiefs to truly pull away, but they also never felt like a real threat to beat Kansas City on Sunday. That’s a fitting description for the entire season in Las Vegas to this point.

24. Cleveland Browns (2-6; ⬆️ 1)
Super Bowl odds: +55000

The Browns scored 29 points, threw for 300-plus yards and got a win in Jameis Winston’s first start. It’s enough to make one wonder about the sunk-cost fallacy.

25. Miami Dolphins (2-5; ⬆️ 5)
Super Bowl odds: +8500

I have no problem bumping the Dolphins this high up after a loss because they finally looked like a viable NFL team. Tua Tagovailoa gives Miami a chance to compete, which we couldn’t say while he was hurt. 

26. New York Giants (2-6; ↔)
Super Bowl odds: +55000

Giants owner John Mara has already stated he plans to be patient with general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll. If that’s the case, are there any pieces the Giants might be willing to ship off at the trade deadline? It might help accelerate the rebuild that’s coming in 2025.

27. New Orleans Saints (2-6; ⬇️ 3)
Super Bowl odds: +55000

A more spirited showing than we saw from the Saints against Denver, but the bottom eventually gave out on a depleted roster. Will the Saints have any reason for optimism when they finally get Derek Carr back?

28. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-6; ↔)
Super Bowl odds: +15000

It felt like a small miracle the Jags were able to rally, between the turnover issues and multiple injuries. It’s cold comfort in the wake of another loss, but I did think this loss to Green Bay was one of their best overall games this season.

29. New England Patriots (2-6; ⬆️ 2)
Super Bowl odds: +55000

Small moments like this can be so gratifying. I don’t think beating the Jets changes much about the Patriots’ overall trajectory. But do you understand how much fun it is to ruin a rival’s season? 

30. New York Jets (2-6; ⬇️ 7)
Super Bowl odds: +10000

It felt possible to squint and see a path to the playoffs for the Jets, so long as they didn’t fumble away any winnable games. Suffice to say, they did exactly that with Sunday’s latest catastrophe. There are no more trades left to try, and the head coach has already been fired. So, what now?

31. Tennessee Titans (1-6; ⬇️ 2)
Super Bowl odds: +55000

Beatdowns like the one the Titans endured on Sunday are supposed to be reserved for college football. It was the type of loss that makes you wonder who else Tennessee might trade before next week’s deadline.

32. Carolina Panthers (1-7; ↔)
Super Bowl odds: +55000

I thought Bryce Young’s performance in Denver was a definite improvement over what we saw before he was benched. Unfortunately, that’s more of a statement about how bad things have been in Carolina than anything.

David Helman covers the NFL for FOX Sports and hosts the NFL on FOX podcast. He previously spent nine seasons covering the Cowboys for the team’s official website. In 2018, he won a regional Emmy for his role in producing “Dak Prescott: A Family Reunion” about the quarterback’s time at Mississippi State. Follow him on Twitter at @davidhelman_.

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Players’ union Fifpro has agreed a partnership with Uefa which will “secure a stronger voice for players”, the organisation’s president David Terrier has said.

Fifpro will take a seat in Uefa’s governance structure, and from May 2025 will be represented on Uefa’s executive committee, initially in an advisory capacity.

It comes after Fifpro, La Liga and the European Leagues group filed a legal complaint against Fifa, accusing football’s world governing body of an “abuse of dominance”.

It was announced on Monday that former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger will lead a Fifa taskforce on player welfare amid concerns about the football calendar.

In an ongoing row about the number of games players face during a season, the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) joined a legal action against Fifa in June about the “overloaded and unworkable” football calendar.

This season all three European club competitions have been expanded to 36 teams, while next summer’s Club World Cup has been extended to 32 teams.

Spain and Manchester City midfielder Rodri, who was crowned the best footballer of the year on Monday, said in September that players are close to going on strike in protest at an increase in games.

A Fifpro report published in September said some players get as little as 12% of the year to rest.

The players’ union has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Uefa, which Fifpro president Terrier said represented “a hugely positive milestone for professional players across Europe”.

“We are securing a stronger voice for players where it matters most. Our ongoing dialogue with Uefa is already yielding positive results, and this MoU will only strengthen our ability to shape a framework that will advance player welfare and ensure a healthier and more sustainable future for football, where the needs and rights of players shall always be at the forefront, both on and off the pitch,” Terrier said.

Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin said the partnership “represents a new era in our relationship with Fifpro” which will put player welfare “at the forefront” of the sport’s future.

“Players are at the heart of football, and their perspectives must shape the decisions taken,” Ceferin added.