DUNCAN FERGUSON has been axed as Inverness manager.

Administrator James Stephen pulled the trigger on the Everton legend, number two Gary Bollan and goalie coach Stuart Garden this afternoon.

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Ferguson had been working without wages in a bid to help the club during their cash crisis – but the BDO accountancy team still shunted him out the door.

Stephen was drafted in as Caley crashed under the weight of a £3 million debt, with £1.6 million estimated to be what they need to get through to the end of the season.

Ferguson took over last season but it became immediately clear the job wasn’t what he’d been sold on his return to Scottish football.

The 52-year-old inherited a mess at the Caley Stadium and last season paid out of his own pocket for the players to have overnight stays during their battle against relegation from the Championship.

Ferguson and Bollan stayed despite dropping into League One, but things got progressively worse as the full horrors of Caley’s financial woes mounted up.

They spent weeks without a physio so couldn’t train the team at set times, with the gaffer also stepping in to pay for players’ breakfasts in a bid to retain some professionalism.

Caley adviser Alan Savage took over in August and immediately axed controversial chief executive Scot Gardiner, while admitting that administration was a real possibility.

Despite talks with interested parties last week, including local businessman David Anderson, Caley were officially put under the control of administrators BDO on Tuesday.

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Stephen, who was part of the team which wound up Rangers in 2012, has wasted no time in dismissing the coaching team.

And he will now turn his attention to other club staff and players in a bid to balance the books.

Caley legend Charlie Christie is understood to have addressed the team this morning.

He has made it clear he is willing to stay on and oversee the football side if Stephen asks him to.

It appears likely he will play a role in team matters as they bid to overcome the 15-point deduction which has left them adrift at the bottom of the league.

The administrator will continue his cost-cutting over the next 24 hours before hosting a press conference on Thursday where he’ll spell out his view on the club’s long-term survival hopes.

ABU DHABI – Max Holloway ripped UFC featherweight champion Ilia Topuria for trying to impersonate Conor McGregor.

Holloway (26-7 MMA, 22-7 UFC) challenges Topuria (15-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) for the title in Saturday’s UFC 308 headliner at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi (pay-per-view, ESPN+).

Topuria has made some bold statements and not minced words when it comes to Holloway. However, “Blessed” is unfazed by the trash talk.

“I’m more confused about everything he’s saying,” Holloway told MMA Junkie and other reporters at Wednesday’s UFC 308 media day. “He’s talking about me not wanting to fight, me being forced to fight. He got me out here feeling like how he looked after my Gaethje fight, so it’s crazy.

“His mind is very interesting. But if that’s what it takes to be the best version of himself come Saturday night then so be it. He can talk all that talk he wants because at the end of the day, he still has to see me in three days.”

Topuria said he’ll challenge Holloway to his own game by pointing to the middle of the octagon for a throwdown in the first 10 seconds of the fight. Holloway isn’t buying Topuria’s claim and accuses “El Matador” of copying Conor McGregor’s persona.

“It just makes no sense,” Holloway said. “To me, I don’t think he deserves – you’ve got to earn that right. I don’t think he deserves that right. I mean, you guys know the guy he’s copycatting. This guy is a copycat down to his tattoos, to his aura, to the way he’s approaching fights. The guy is a copycat. At the end of the day, I think you’ve got to earn that moment, and I believe he could have earned it with Josh Emmett.

“In their five-round war, Josh Emmett was trying to swing. If you guys go back to that fight and watch what happened, when Josh Emmett tried to swing, someone shot, and someone held someone down for the rest of the fight. So, I think the moment needs to be earned, and he’s just trying to steal stuff. He’s already trying to steal one person’s aura, and now he’s trying to steal somebody else’s thing.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 308.

Two-time Le Mans winner Earl Bamber will race for Cadillac in next year’s IMSA SportsCar Championship in what looks set to be a twin programme straddling the World Endurance Championship.

Bamber, winner at the Le Mans 24 Hours in 2015 and 2017 with Porsche, was announced as a full-season driver for the solo Action Express Racing Cadillac V-Series.R LMDh when the General Motors brand took the wraps off its full line-up for its three IMSA GTP class entries on Wednesday. 

Cadillac will not be revealing its roster for the two Jota WEC entries until after next month’s series finale in Bahrain, but it is expected that Bamber will move over to the British team from the Ganassi squad with which he has raced in the series for the past two seasons.

The New Zealander, who joined Cadillac for an IMSA programme with Ganassi in 2021 after his departure from Porsche, has made no secret of his desire to race in IMSA’s GTP class alongside his WEC commitments with the brand. 

No confirmation of Bamber’s dual programme was forthcoming from Cadillac ahead of its WEC announcement, which is understood to be due in mid-November. 

But Bamber alluded to a joint programme in his statements in the IMSA announcement from Cadillac.

#02 Cadillac Chip Ganassi Racing Cadillac V-LMDh: Earl Bamber, Alex Lynn, Richard Westbrook

Photo by: Jake Galstad / Motorsport Images

“Hopefully I can bring experience from the WEC and IMSA, and I think it will also bring a little bit of continuity,” he said. 

“We have that on the engineering side and hopefully on the driver side that shared information from both platforms brings us forward.”

What is not clear is what programme will take precedence for Bamber when the two series have a conflicting date in May with the Spa WEC round and the Laguna Seca IMSA event taking place on the same weekend.

The same would apply to Le Mans should Action Express return to the double-points round of the WEC, which it has contested as an additional Caddy entry for the past two editions.

Bamber is replacing four-time Sebring 12 Hours winner Pipo Derani at Action Express, winner of the IMSA GTP title in 2024, after the Brazilian announced his decision to leave Cadillac back in June. 

Briton Jack Aitken will remain as a full-season Action Express driver for a second season, while 2023 Formula 2 runner-up Frederik Vesti comes in as the team’s additional driver for selected long-distance races in Michelin Endurance Cup segment of the IMSA series. 

The 22-year-old Dane, who is a Mercedes Formula 1 reserve driver this year, is getting his maiden chance with a manufacturer in sportscar racing after taking his first steps in the discipline this year in LMP2 in the European Le Mans Series. 

His season with the Swiss Cool Racing squad included two podiums at Paul Ricard and Portimao in May and October respectively aboard one of the team’s ORECA-Gibson 07s. 

Bamber, who this year contested three IMSA enduros with Corvette Racing in GT Daytona Pro, described the chance to return to IMSA with Action Express as “an exciting opportunity”.

“I’ve really missed IMSA, driving in America,” he added. 

Action Express team boss Gary Nelson said: “We are all very excited to have such an amazing group of talented drivers lined up for the 2025 season. 

“Jack Aitken and Earl Bamber bring a great combination and bringing in a young, talented Frederik Vesti for endurance races adds to what we’re trying to accomplish.”

Forwards: Ewan Ashman (Edinburgh), Josh Bayliss (Bath), Jamie Bhatti, Gregor Brown, Scott Cummings (all Glasgow Warriors), Luke Crosbie (Edinburgh), Alex Craig (Scarlets), Rory Darge, Jack Dempsey (both Glasgow Warriors), Freddy Douglas (Edinburgh), Matt Fagerson, Zander Fagerson (both Glasgow Warriors), Grant Gilchrist, Patrick Harrison (both Edinburgh Rugby), Will Hurd (Leicester), Ewan Johnson (Oyonnax), Nathan McBeth, Elliot Millar Mills (Northampton), Ben Muncaster (Edinburgh), D’Arcy Rae (Edinburgh), Dylan Richardson (Sharks), Jamie Richie (Edinburgh), Alex Samuel (Glasgow Warriors), Pierre Schoeman (Edinburgh), Rory Sutherland, Max Williamson (both Glasgow Warriors)

Backs: Matt Currie (Edinburgh), Jamie Dobie (Glasgow Warriors), Darcy Graham (Edinburgh), Adam Hastings, George Horne (both Glasgow Warriors), Rory Hutchinson (Northampton), Huw Jones, Tom Jordan (both Glasgow Warriors), Blair Kinghorn (Toulouse), Stafford McDowall (Glasgow Warriors), Harry Paterson, Ali Price (Edinburgh), Arron Reed (Sale Sharks), Kyle Rowe (Glasgow Warriors), Finn Russell (Bath), Mosese Tuipulotu (Edinburgh), Sione Tuipulotu, captain (Glasgow Warriors), Duhan van der Merwe (Edinburgh), Ben White (Toulon)

ABU DHABI – Featherweight champion Ilia Topuria has an issue with Max Holloway calling himself the best boxer in the UFC.

Undefeated Topuria (15-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) will look to make his first title defense against former champ Holloway (26-7 MMA, 22-7 UFC) in Saturday’s UFC 308 main event at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi (pay-per-view, ESPN+).

Holloway famously shouted that he’s the best boxer in the UFC while piecing up Calvin Kattar in one of his most impressive career performances in January 2021. Topuria didn’t brand himself as the best but thinks Holloway is known more for his overall striking than boxing specifically.

“In reality, he’s a good striker,” Topuria told MMA Junkie and other reporters at Wednesday’s UFC 308 media day. “It’s not only boxer because calling himself the best boxer in the UFC is kind of a shame, because he’s not the best boxer in the UFC, but he’s a good striker. He has a lot of experience. He’s very patient inside the octagon.

“But everyone is good when they can develop their style in the octagon and someone is not putting the pressure on him. So, on Saturday night, he’s going to feel something that he’s never felt with any other opponents that he had in the past. The pressure he’s going to feel with me is going to be completely different.”

Topuria said he represents the new wave of talent in MMA whereas Holloway hasn’t evolved in years.

“The way I apply the techniques and the skills to my opponent, the way I move my head, the way I dominate the octagon, that’s the difference,” Topuria said. “What evolution do you see in Max Holloway in every fight? Maybe only in striking.

“But you don’t see him getting better in wrestling or on the ground, you don’t see him trying to new things. Only in the striking. This is what I’m talking about. I try to evolve the game all the time, not only in the striking. With the wrestling, the ground game, everything.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 308.

MANCHESTER UNITED could finally land a star Erik ten Hag has been desperate to sign for three seasons if they appoint Xavi.

Despite the club backing under-pressure manager Ten Hag, reports have emerged suggesting the Red Devils have lined up Xavi as a potential replacement.

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The legendary Spaniard is out of work after leaving Barcelona at the end of last season.

And according to reports, United chiefs have identified the 44-year-old as a possible option if the Dutchman is sacked.

It’s claim that contact has twice been made between United and Xavi via intermediaries in recent months, with CEO Omar Berrada in Barcelona last Thursday as part of a four-person delegation.

In the event Xavi is hired, it begs the question; how might United line up?

Xavi’s team typically lines up in a 4-3-3 formation, with the La Masia graduate championing the “Four P’s” – positioning, possession, pressure and perception.

In terms of line-ups, Xavi would not be likely to go searching for a new goalkeeper, given how well Andre Onana suits his style of wanting to play out from the back.

Diogo Dalot and Noussair Mazraoui are both extremely capable right-backs who could feature in a Xavi team due to their technical prowess, though the former’s ability to tuck into midfield could make the difference on who is given the nod.

Lisandro Martinez is another star who suits Xavi’s system, though there could be a toss up on who starts as the right centre-back.

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Matthijs de Ligt has looked lightweight at times for United, which could prompt Xavi to ask the club to sign a new defender in the form of Ronald Araujo.

This being said, like Martinez, the Uruguayan is an aggressor centre-back, while the Argentine has played his best stuff alongside a covering partner in Raphael Varane.

That may instead mean Xavi turns to teen prodigy Leny Yoro, who is back in training after suffering an injury in pre-season.

United have left-back options who are good when fit, however, both Tyrell Malacia and Luke Shaw have been absent for some time, leaving Dalot as the main defender to fill in there.

If either Malacia or Shaw cannot be relied on to play, Xavi may try a raid on his old club by signing 21-year-old Alejandro Balde.

Moving into midfield, Xavi may finally be able to land the midfielder who was Ten Hag’s No1 target in his first summer at the club, Frenkie de Jong.

However, while the manager of Barcelona, Xavi had a number of midfield targets which he may switch over to his Old Trafford moving in shopping list.

He is said to “love” Real Sociedad’s Martin Zubimendi, who is a transfer target for Arsenal, while Arthur Vermeeren was also linked to Barcelona during Xavi’s tenure.

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Alternatively, and echoing reports suggesting the Red Devils want to bring him back, Angel Gomes could also be a welcome addition in midfield.

United academy star Kobbie Mainoo is likely to remain in the team – given not just his importance and quality but also because Xavi is more than happy to give a large volume of minutes to youngsters.

Further forward, Xavi may see fit to try and ease out club captain Bruno Fernandes by bringing in Xavi Simons – targeted by him in Spain and by United transfer chiefs.

Xavi is known to be a big fan of Marcus Rashford, meaning his spot in the team is likely secure. Alejandro Garnacho and Amad Diallo are other exciting prospects.

But should Xavi tell transfer bosses he is desperate for some new additions, he may ask them to sign Barca target Nico Williams.

The Euro 2024 winner refused to move to the Blaugrana from Athletic Bilbao last summer as he wanted to stay for another season.

Xavi may even look to some of his old favourites at Barcelona, with former Leeds star Raphinha and ex-Man City star Ferran Torres among his most used stars at the Camp Nou with 113 and 100 appearances respectively.

Napoli forward Khvicha Kvaratskhelia may also be a consideration, but he would likely be less available than the other options mentioned.

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