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Furious fans claimed that Ronaldinho's assessment of Brazil was right after the team were held to a goalless draw by Costa Rica at the Copa America.

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• Furious fans rant angrily against Brazil
• Claim Ronaldinho 'was right about these bums'
• Selecao held to a goalless draw by Costa Rica

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Dorival Junior's side kicked off their Copa America 2024 campaign on a disappointing note as they were held to a goalless draw by Costa Rica on Tuesday. The result left the fans frustrated as they took to social media to acknowledge Ronaldinho's pre-tournament assessment of the current Selecao side.

  The legendary footballer claimed that he would not watch the team in action due to the declining quality in the squad, however, he later performed a U-turn and said he would never abandon his nation.

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• WHAT THE FANS ARE SAYING

  Fans were left disappointed with their team's performance in their tournament opener as they took to X to attack the players.

  A handle named @CFCMod_ wrote: "They all called Ronaldinho a madman, Brazil’s National team has completely lost its identity, it’s genuinely sad."

  Another fan, with the handle named @PovertykillerB, called the players 'bums' in an angry post that read: "Ronaldinho was right about these bums."

  A fan named Santi shared a photograph of a frustrated Neymar in the stands as he wrote: "They tried to cook Ronaldinho man, even Neymar is broken."

  Famous Manchester United fan Trey added: "Brazil drawing 0-0 with Costa Rica? Damn Ronaldinho I get it now."

  @pbtips_ too joined the bandwagon as their post read: "What!!!!! Ronaldinho was right after all."

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Neymar continues to remain out of action as he is still recovering from the ACL injury that he suffered last year. The Al-Hilal star, however, was in attendance at SoFi Stadium in California to watch his country in action. While at times he looked disappointed, the star attacker did show his support for the squad after the match as he bashed the critics on social media.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR BRAZIL?

  The five-time World Cup winners will be back in action on Saturday as they take on Paraguay. They will aim to win the clash to remain in the hunt for a knockout spot.

Chelsea are thought to be closing in on a surprise off-field move at Stamford Bridge, Fabrizio Romano reports.

Pochettino under pressure

The Blues’ poor run of form under Mauricio Pochettino continued on Sunday, losing 4-2 at home to Wolves in the Premier League following a heavy 4-1 loss to Liverpool the days prior.

The latest defeat leaves Chelsea in the bottom half of the table and the Blues have now actually conceded more than they have scored under Pochettino in the top-flight, resulting in rumours over his future being in doubt, with Xabi Alonso one name linked as a potential replacement. Talking after the game, Pochettino said:

“We are not good enough [today]. Myself, also. I’m responsible for this ­situation. What we showed today was not good enough. We didn’t manage the ­situa­tion properly and of course no one can be safe. I don’t want to come here and say I am the best. We’re all responsible.

“The players need to take responsibility like I take responsibility. At the moment we’re not matching the history of the club. That’s true. We need to accept it, be critical but we cannot give up. We’ll work hard to change. If it’s not working in this way, we need to move on and find a different solution.”

Thiago Silva’s wife even took to social media after the game to suggest Chelsea need to act, saying: “It’s time to change. If you wait any longer it will be too late.”

However, there is no immediate threat of Chelsea removing Pochettino as manager, according to Ben Jacobs.

There looks set to be some off-field change at Chelsea, though, following a new update from west London.

Todd Kline to join Chelsea

According to reliable reporter Romano, Todd Kline is leaving his role as commercial chief officer at Tottenham to join Chelsea, with an agreement with the Blues almost done.

The Evening Standard described it as a shock move, with Jacobs going into more detail on what Kline’s role with Chelsea will be.

"Kline will join in a senior business role as an addition to the leadership team. He'll play a part in #CFC's stadium plans. Chelsea want him to explore non-football income, which will be a more consistent income stream after 2030 once a new/developed stadium is likely functional."

It looks as if Kline will have a say in a number of off-field decisions at Stamford Bridge, and after helping increase Spurs’ commercial revenue by more than £30m in 2022, he could soon improve Chelsea off the pitch as well.

England arrived into Euro 2024 as one of the favourites, however, that hasn't translated on the field and Jamie Carragher reveals what must be done.

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• Southgate asked to drop two stars
• Foden and Alexander-Arnold the two stars
• England struggling for form at the Euros

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Gareth Southgate's men came into the tournament with a lot of hope from fans and pundits alike, however, the performances have not been convincing as the Three Lions struggled to a 1-0 win over Serbia in their opener and drew their second match against Denmark. Carragher, a Liverpool legend, has now suggested what changes the national team's starting line-up needs if they want to win the Euros this summer.

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  WHAT CARRAGHER SAID

  In his editorial piece with The Telegraph, Carragher said: "The side selected for the Serbia and Denmark games looked good on paper. It is understandable that Southgate did what he did. I will not rewrite history and criticise it retrospectively. It was worth a try and he was justified in sticking with it for one more fixture. It was a new line-up and the players needed a second chance. The manager wanted to get as much class on the pitch as possible at the same time, and like many of us was drawn to the positives in the opening win in the hope the flaws would be ironed out.

  "Unfortunately, two of the best Premier League footballers – Trent Alexander-Arnold and Phil Foden – will have to be sacrificed now. The team’s set-up is not getting the best from them, or their team-mates.

  "Introducing Alexander-Arnold into midfield in a major tournament was always a risk. It has not worked. The experiment ended with his early substitution against Denmark. It is a more physically demanding position than full-back, and, on the evidence so far, Alexander-Arnold has more time and space to utilise his passing range when he is in the hybrid role.

  "He delivered the best pass of the game to Bukayo Saka just before he was subbed, but there is an irony that when he plays in his natural position, we see four or five of those in a game.

  "Elsewhere in the side, nobody loves watching Foden more than me. But for England to come up with a system that works and complements everyone, he cannot operate in the starting XI with Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane if they are all trying to occupy the same space and positions."

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Carragher has suggested that Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold and Manchester City's Phil Foden need to sit on the bench due to their ineffectiveness in their respective roles. The Liverpool right-back has been playing in Southgate's midfield alongside Declan Rice but has struggled to use his skill set in the new role. Foden has been unable to bring his City form to the side with Jude Bellingham also playing a similar role.

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• WHAT NEXT FOR ENGLAND?

  The Three Lions will take on their final group-stage match of the Euros against Slovenia on June 24 as they look to qualify for the last 16.

Chelsea’s recent spending in the transfer market has followed a strategy of buying anyone that looks promising.

Since the arrival of Todd Boehly, the Blues have spent just over £1bn over four transfer windows, which is far more than any other club in the Premier League.

However, their league position doesn’t reflect that, nor has it justified the heavy spending, with Mauricio Pochettino’s side sitting in tenth place after 25 games.

Chelsea have overspent on plenty of players in recent times, but there’s one player that has seen his value drop significantly in such a short time frame.

How much Chelsea paid for Romeo Lavia

This time last season, Romeo Lavia was regarded as one of the most exciting prospects in the Premier League, with his former coach, Arno van den Abbeel, saying:

“I think in that position (holding midfielder), he is one of the best in the world of his age group."

Southampton signed the Belgian star from Manchester City in the summer of 2022 in a deal worth £14.5m, and in his first Premier League season, he started 26 matches, but he was unable to help inspire his side to safety.

With the Saints succumbing to relegation, plenty of clubs were interested in snapping up the 20-year-old after his incredible debut season, with Liverpool being the main competitor to Chelsea.

However, his time at Chelsea hasn’t exactly gone according to plan thus far, and not because of his own doing.

Lavia’s current market value

Last summer, Chelsea spent a huge £58m to secure the services of Lavia after the 5 foot 11 midfielder had the experience of just one season. However, he hasn’t even had the chance to live up to that price tag.

The former Citizen has featured in just two matchday squads all season, with the defensive midfielder playing just 40 minutes of football, which came in Chelsea’s 2-1 home victory over Crystal Palace.

Injuries have completely ruined his start to life under the Argentine, picking up four of them already. This has seen him miss 26 matches this season, with his return against the Eagles being tarnished by another long injury that hasn’t seen him feature since.

These setbacks and his lack of action on the field have caused his estimated worth to fall off a cliff, to the point where he’s now valued at around €15m (13m), according to CIES Football Observatory – £45m less than what Chelsea paid for him just last summer.

However, the club did overpay for the Belgium international originally, as just two months before his arrival, he was estimated to be worth €32m (£27m) – as per Transfermarkt – which is less than half of what they paid for him.

This has arguably been an even worse deal than the signing Mykhaylo Mudryk, with the Ukrainian still said to be worth around €60m (£52m), after signing for roughly £88.5m last year.

Although the costly winger is perhaps seen as Chelsea's biggest flop and for being "absolutely useless," as per talkSPORT's Gabriel Agbonlahor, he has at least contributed this season to some degree – unlike Lavia – with four goals and three assists in all competitions.

Market Movers

Football FanCast's Market Movers series explores the changing landscape of the modern transfer market. How much is your club's star player or biggest flop worth today?

In truth, it’s incredibly difficult and even harsh to judge the former Saints prospect based on his time at Chelsea, but from the Blues perspective, it has been a hugely unsuccessful signing so far. Fingers crossed that this is just a run of bad luck for Lavia, and his career isn’t hindered by injuries.

Germany defender Antonio Rudiger picked up his second yellow card in Euro 2024 and will miss the semi-finals if Die Mannschaft defeat Spain.

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• Rudiger picks up yellow against Spain
• Second booking of the tournament
• Will miss potential semi-final if Germany qualify

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  In what has been a very chaotic start to the pseudo-final of the Euros, Germany saw Rudiger pick up an early booking at the hands of referee Anthony Taylor following a reckless foul to bring down Spain's Dani Olmo. If Germany manage to beat Spain, the Real Madrid defender will miss the semi-final clash against either Portugal or France.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The clash between Germany and Spain was always going to be a cagey affair, and Rudiger's clumsy challenge was possibly avoidable had Taylor set the tone earlier in the match when Toni Kroos made a reckless challenge on Pedri in the sixth minute but did not see a booking for his late tackle. The Barcelona midfielder had to leave the pitch through a knee injury and was replaced by Olmo, who was eventually fouled by Rudiger.

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  DID YOU KNOW?

  Rudiger was accompanied into the referee's book by his Spanish counterpart, Robin Le Normand who was shown the yellow for his very own reckless tackle on Ilkay Gundogan and will also miss the potential semi-final if Spain go through to that stage.

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• WHAT NEXT?

  The high-octane clash between Spain and Germany has not yet seen a goal but has seen a lot of action on both ends and the two sides will battle it out again in the second half but each side will know that they are set to miss at least one of their main centre-backs for their potential semi-final.

Manchester United’s season so far has been filled with very few positives, with the side currently sitting eight points off the top four.

Erik ten Hag has had to shuffle his squad around in almost every game, which is one of the key reasons for inconsistency on the field.

But one constant breath of fresh air is Kobbie Mainoo, who is most definitely the best thing to come out of the 2023/24 season so far.

At just 18 years old, he’s started the last 12 matches for the Red Devils, becoming a player that Sir Jim Ratcliffe will want to build his midfield around.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at another young midfield prospect who could follow Mainoo’s path to first-team success while becoming the heir to Casemiro.

Casemiro’s 2023/24 season so far

Casemiro’s performances this campaign have split opinions, with a handful of the United faithful relating the club's recent upturn in form to the Brazilian’s return and others unable to look past his evident weaknesses.

The 32-year-old has featured in 13 Premier League games this season, starting all of them, with an injury keeping him out for 17 matches.

The former Real Madrid star’s lack of athleticism and ability to cover ground has been on show since his return, with Casemiro being dribbled past four times against Wolverhampton Wanderers, three times against West Ham United, and on five occasions versus Aston Villa.

Although it’s not entirely down to just Casemiro, the gap between the defence and the midfield is far too large, which has led to Ten Hag’s team facing a remarkable 100 shots in the last five matches.

With the number 18’s performance declining, United could look to love him on in the summer, with Saudi Arabia being a potential destination according to reports. This could open the door to a promising midfielder who could become Casemiro’s heir.

Man Utd's next breakthrough star

Toby Collyer is a name that not many United fans will have heard of prior to this weekend, but one they will certainly become used to over the near future.

On Saturday against Fulham, the 20-year-old was named on United’s bench for the first time after impressing in the academy following his move from Brighton & Hove Albion in 2022.

The defensive midfielder is extremely highly rated, taking on the role of captaincy in the England youth setup. Collyer’s former youth coach at the Seagulls, Mark Beard, had high praise for him, calling him a “top-class” player and stating:

“He is a pleasure to coach. He is so low maintenance, what I mean by that is you don't know he is there. He gets on with his job. He regularly put in displays of 8/10 at the least. He had the best running stats, runs 13 kilometres a game, breaks things up. He is so unassuming, he gets on with his job.”

Collyer’s performance against Salford City in the EFL Trophy earlier this season supports Beard’s comments and proves why he would be an excellent heir to Casemiro.

As you can see, the number 65 is superb at winning the ball back, and he loves to engage with the physical side of the game, just like Casemiro, with the Brazilian averaging 3.3 tackles per game this season.

However, unlike the veteran midfielder, the England prospect is extremely composed on the ball, with his pass selection and decision-making always being on point. This is supported by his high pass accuracy and the fact that he only lost the ball six times.

Overall, it won’t be long until Ten Hag provides Collyer with a chance in the first team, but his first real opportunity could arrive next pre-season. United are blessed with plenty of upcoming talent, with the budding teen potentially up next after Mainoo's emergence.

Cole Palmer has revealed that the England squad were "buzzing" after their Euro 2024 semi-final win, but has urged them to go one step further.

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• England won 2-1 in semi-final
• Face Spain in tournament decider
• Palmer urges focus

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  A brilliant late Ollie Watkins strike gave England a 2-1 win over Netherlands on Wednesday, booking a second consecutive European Championship final, this time against Spain on Sunday in Berlin. The Three Lions have the opportunity to end 56 years of hurt in the men's game, as they attempt to become the first male England team to win the tournament.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Palmer has revealed that the vibes were positively immaculate after England's win, as "tunes" blared out on the team coach back to the hotel following their dramatic late victory. But he has also urged focus as Gareth Southgate's side prepare to face a Spain side that has won every single game at the tournament thus far.

• WHAT PALMER SAID

  Speaking to England's YouTube channel, Palmer said: "Everyone's buzzing. Last night on the bus, tunes were on, [in the] changing room, everyone was just enjoying it.

  "But obviously it's a short turnaround and it's a massive, massive game to change our lives, our family's lives, and to make everyone proud. That's what we're trying to do.

  "I think if you've got to this final then you have to hopefully finish the job. It's all good getting to the final, and you've got to enjoy it because you don't get many moments to enjoy. But, no, everyone just wants to win so bad."

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Southgate will lead his England side into their second final under his management on Sunday. In 2021, they lost on penalties to Italy; it remains to be seen if they can go one better against Spain.

Wolverhampton Wanderers have enjoyed a solid debut season under the management of Gary O’Neil as the former Bournemouth boss has the Old Gold in a wonderful position to claim a top half finish in the Premier League.

Add to that a first FA Cup quarter-final since 2019, and it is evident whatever he is doing is working wonders this term.

The team spirit has been excellent and O’Neil has a core group of players he can work with in order to secure the club their highest league finish since they achieved a seventh-placed finish in the 2019/20 season under Nuno Espírito Santo.

Their attacking options have been key to this revival, as in previous seasons, certain players failed to pull their weight, including the likes of Diego Costa, Fabio Silva, and Raul Jimenez.

This term, however, Hwang Hee-Chan, Matheus Cunha and Pedro Neto have been exceptional.

Record of Wolves' forwards in 23/24

Between them this season, the aforementioned attacking trio have contributed 25 goals across all competitions, while in the Premier League, they have registered 18 assists, and it is clear that when fit, all three need to be starting for Wolves.

Since the start of the 2020/21 season, the club have struggled in the final third. Indeed, over the previous three campaigns, the Old Gold have scored just 36, 38 and 31 goals, ranking them in the bottom five teams in the table in each of those seasons.

Throughout 2023/24, O’Neil’s men have already netted 42 goals and with ten matches still to come, this will no doubt increase rapidly before the end of the term.

What a difference it makes to have reliable forwards who are effective in front of goal, and it makes up for the dismal players the club have signed since they were promoted to the top flight in 2018.

One name is arguably worse than the rest, especially considering how much was paid to sign him – Patrick Cutrone.

How much Patrick Cutrone cost Wolves

Santo led Wolves to a stunning seventh-place finish in their first season back in the Premier League during 2018/19, and he was looking to consolidate this with some quality signings that summer.

Jimenez, Neto and Leander Dendoncker were all new signings during the transfer window, but it was the capture of Cutrone which looked like the most exciting of the lot.

The Italian had been a regular for AC Milan during the previous two years and had scored 27 goals for the Serie A club in 90 appearances, hardly prolific by any stretch of the imagination, but it was a decent strike rate.

Nuno decided to splash out £23m in order to secure his services ahead of their second season back in the top division and while it was an expensive deal, judging by his record in Italy, it looked like a shrewd one.

"Patrick is an exciting signing at a very exciting period for this football club,” said sporting director Kevin Thelwell, while he added that the club felt Cutrone “perfectly fits into our philosophy” as they looked ahead to a new season.

It soon became apparent that the lavish sum spent on the striker was going to be a waste of money, as he failed to settle in the Midlands.

Patrick Cutrone’s statistics at Wolves

Cutrone registered three assists during Wolves’ Europa League qualifiers, but it took him until mid-September to notch his first goal for the club, scoring against Chelsea in the Premier League.

The striker would only go on to score another two goals for the Old Gold during the first half of the season, before spending the rest of the term out on loan back in his homeland with Fiorentina.

Cutrone made only another four goalless appearances for Wolves during 2020/21, before sealing another temporary switch, this time joining Valencia in January 2021.

He finally departed for good in the summer of 2022, moving to Como 1907, and he later blamed Santo for his struggles in the Midlands, claiming that the former manager was “fixated” on playing his favourites, indicating that is why he played so little, and he also claimed that he “had to leave” the club after barely playing.

During his three-year spell at the Old Gold, Cutrone cost them a pretty penny and it would be yet another waste of money by the club on a player who promised so much upon his arrival in England.

How much Patrick Cutrone cost Wolves

Not only did Cutrone cost Wolves a staggering £23m back in 2019, but he was also earning £63k-per-week in wages at the club, which placed him as their fourth-highest earner during the 2019/20 season.

The striker only spent around 29 weeks at the club due to his various loan spells, which meant he took home £1.8m in wages across his three years from the Molineux side.

Add this to his transfer fee and Cutrone cost the Midlands side a grand total of £24.8m during his spell in the Premier League, an eye-watering sum, especially considering how poor his record was in front of goal.

Cutrone only managed to find the back of the net on three occasions during his stint in England and this meant he cost the club roughly £8.2m per goal.

What a waste of money for a player who could have shone in the top flight had he been given more opportunities to demonstrate his talents in front of goal.

Various managers after Santo have made their own mistakes in the transfer window, but O’Neil looks as though he will be avoiding splashing lavish sums such as this in order to improve his squad.

Wage Burners

Football FanCast's Wage Burners series explores the salaries of the modern-day game.

There are plenty of sellable assets at the club which he could move on in the summer to register major profits and this in turn could see him strengthen in the summer.

The signing of Cutrone proves that splashing big on players from the continent can often backfire and end up costing the buying club millions for a woeful return in front of goal.

Barcelona reportedly want Real Sociedad's Mikel Merino with the Spanish giants confident of beating Arsenal and Atletico Madrid to his signing.

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• Hansi Flick wants to reinforce his midfield
• Initially demanded Bayern's Joshua Kimmich
• May settle for a low-cost option in Merino

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  As pre-season continues, Barcelona's management team, including manager Hansi Flick and sporting director Deco, are diligently working to identify and fill gaps in the squad. The goal is to enhance the team's quality and competitiveness, ensuring they are in a strong position to vie for titles in the coming season. Joshua Kimmich has been a top target for Barcelona, but securing his transfer has proven challenging as Bayern Munich reportedly want €50m (£42m/$55m) for the midfielder.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  According to Barcelona's search for a 'box-to-box' midfielder with experience and a solid track record has led them to Merino. He fits the profile perfectly and has garnered the approval of coach Flick. Merino's versatility allows him to play both close to a pivot, as seen with Zubimendi at Real Sociedad, and as a more advanced midfielder, a role he excelled in during the Euros.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Merino's contract with Real Sociedad runs until 2025, and he has not yet agreed to an extension. This has prompted Barcelona to consider making a move. The Catalan club believe they can secure Merino for around €20m (£17m/$22m), a significantly lower figure than the €50m (£42m/$55m) Bayern are demanding for Kimmich. This makes Merino an attractive and affordable alternative.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Arsenal and Atletico Madrid have also expressed strong interest in Merino. And despite Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta's efforts, Barcelona seems to have an edge in the race for the midfielder as Merino reportedly favours a move to the Catalan giants, adding to the club's optimism about finalizing the transfer.

Barcelona could miss out on signing Nico Williams from Athletic Club as they identify Dani Olmo as an alternative.

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• Barcelona unlikely to sign Williams
• Winger likely to stay back at Athletic Club
• Blaugrana now eyeing move for Olmo

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Per AS, Nico Williams could opt to stay back at Athletic Club for one more season as his move to Barcelona seems unlikely. The Spain international has been linked with a move to the Catalan club throughout the summer, however, the Blaugrana have now reportedly given up on their transfer pursuit.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The report further claims that the player's family and Athletic Club are putting pressure on him to stay back for at least one more season and therefore a section of the Barcelona officials are convinced that the transfer won't take place this summer.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  If the club miss out on signing Williams in the end, they have already identified his replacement as they look to rope in another Spain international Dani Olmo from RB Leipzig. The attacking midfielder reportedly wants to move to Catalonia and based on that, the club have initiated talks with the Bundesliga side.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR BARCELONA?

  Hansi Flick's side have arrived in the United States and will play their first pre-season friendly against reigning Premier League champions Manchester City on Tuesday.