Newport County manager Graham Coughlan has warned Erik ten Hag there may be a bullet with the Manchester United manager’s name on it at Rodney Parade on Sunday evening. There are many more forgiving and welcoming venues in the FA Cup than the proud Welsh club who have made their League Two ground a giant-killing field in recent seasons, with victories over Leicester City, Leeds United and Middlesbrough as well as a draw against Tottenham.

Swansea City head coach Luke Williams admitted he got it “horribly wrong” with his approach after seeing his team demolished by Bournemouth in the FA Cup. The Swans crashed to a demoralising 5-0 defeat at the Cherries as the fourth round tie turned into a disastrous night that may have repercussions for the club’s form in the Championship.

Yannick Bolasie could play his final match for Swansea City when they club take on Premier League Bournemouth in the fourth round of the FA Cup on Thursday night. Bolasie’ short-term contract with the club expires this weekend and although head coach Luke Williams is keen to keep hold of the 34-year-old former Crystal Palace and Everton star, tight finances and other irons in the fire for Bolasie mean that may not happen.

Former Swansea City chairman Huw Jenkins has pinpointed a stable financial position as his top priority at Newport County, having completed a majority takeover of the club. The 60-year-old has purchased 52 per cent of the club from the Supporters’ Trust after a new ownership model was approved in September.

Wales will kick off their 2024 fixtures with a friendly against the Republic of Ireland in Dublin. The game, which will take place at Shamrock Rovers’ Tallaght Stadium, will kick off at 7:30pm on Tuesday 27th February and start Wales’ preparations for the upcoming UEFA Women’s European 2025 qualifying campaign.

Alfie Tuck doesn’t just want to walk the walk on the pitch for Wales, he wants to talk the talk off it, too. The 17-year-old QPR midfielder is taking weekly Welsh lessons in a bid to immerse himself in the nation’s culture.

In the battle between master and apprentice, new Swansea City head coach Luke Williams – Russell Martin’s former assistant at the Swans – knows he still has some lessons to learn. Jamie Paterson scored for the Swans against Southampton and also struck the post but the home side still lost 3-1 to a dominant Saints.

Seb Palmer-Houlden got in the groove as Newport County warmed up for next week’s FA Cup visit of Manchester United with a hard-fought 1-0 win over 10-man Wrexham. In an all-Welsh battle at a packed Rodney Parade, the visitors had defender Will Boyle sent off for a wild challenge on Shane McLoughlin in the 18th minute and County used their numerical advantage to great effect.

Russell Martin gave further proof he is a manager heading for higher things with a convincing and record-breaking victory at his former club, Swansea City. But the former Swans head coach says Southampton’s new unbeaten club record will not carry as much importance if the Saints do not return to the Premier League. Southampton broke a 103-year-old club record on Saturday by extending their unbeaten run to 21 games with a 3-1 victory at Martin’s old club.

Former Cardiff City captain Jason Perry has described his old club as a “circus” as ringmaster Erol Bulut prepares to exit the big tent. Bulut appears to have reached the end of the road following his claim that lack of activity in the transfer market may lead him to walk away. In a BBC radio interview following Cardiff’s 3-1 defeat at Plymouth Argyle on Saturday, Bulut voiced his frustration with the club’s hierarchy, the inertia within it, and the fact he has not been able to make the changes he wanted to.

Luke Williams used to spend 10 hours a day in the company of Southampton boss Russell Martin and he hopes he can read his friend’s mind when Martin takes his Saints side to old club Swansea City on Saturday. Williams worked with Martin as assistant coach at Swansea before heading to Notts County, and now finds him in the opposite dugout after taking over the managerial reins at the Swansea.com Stadium.

Cardiff City have expressed their determination to “seek justice” and pursue their negligence claim against Nantes as the fifth anniversary of Emiliano Sala’s death approaches. Sala died on January 21, 2019 when the light aircraft he was travelling in from France crashed into the English Channel, two days after Cardiff had announced the signing of the 28-year-old Argentinian forward from Nantes.

Aaron Ramsey is on the mend and has taken his first steps back into football after picking up a knee injury in training after the south Wales derby win against Swansea City way back in September. Having already suffered one set-back on his road to recovery, which has meant he has so far missed four months of football and 23 games in all competitions for Cardiff City, the Wales skipper is now hopeful of returning in time for the Euro Championship play-off game against Finland in March.

Newport County manager Graham Coughlan has described hosting Manchester United in the FA Cup as the biggest game in the club’s history. County booked a money-spinning fourth round date with the 12-time winners at Rodney Parade on January 28 by winning 3-1 at non-league Eastleigh on Tuesday.

Graham Coughlan admitted he can barely believe his Newport County side will host Manchester United in the FA Cup fourth round. County set up the spectacular tie by beating Eastleigh 3-1 at the Silverlake Stadium on Tuesday evening.

Newport County manager Graham Coughlan hopes to land a glamorous FA Cup tie against Manchester United – 45 years after the Red Devils reduced him to tears by losing the so-called “Five-minute final” to Arsenal. County stand to make £400,000 if they win their third-round replay at non-league Eastleigh on Tuesday after 12-time cup winners United were drawn to visit the winners on January 28.

Dan James is part of a trio of Wales and Leeds United players he believes can achieve a Euro 2024 finals and Premier League double this season. James, Ethan Ampadu and Joe Rodon were key figures in an utterly dominant display at Cardiff City where the 3-0 victory margin for the visitors could easily have been doubled.

Erol Bulut admitted he had to his hold his true feelings in check after Cardiff City fell to a humbling, utterly one-sided defeat to Leeds United. The Bluebirds lost 3-0, but the scoreline could easily have been twice as damaging and Bulut’s recent record at home now shows just four points gathered from seven matches. What appeared to trouble Bulut – who is out of contract at the end of the season – was not so much the gulf in class but his players’ lack of desire to narrow that gap through hard work and determination.

Swansea City aim to restore calm this weekend after a recent period of managerial upheaval before bringing in Luke Williams from Notts County. Williams has guided the Swans safely into the fourth round of the FA Cup in his only match in charge so far, but on Saturday he will get an opportunity to make his mark in the Championship with a visit to Birmingham City.

Erol Bulut has admitted he is in a queue to buy Kieffer Moore from Bournemouth – but he doesn’t know who’s ahead of him, or when he’ll get served. A frustrated Bulut still hasn’t landed Moore in the January transfer window and has now learned Calum O’Dowda will be out for another six weeks.