Waching daily Jan 27 2019

Fenerbahce have won more championships than any club in Turkey. Their current woes – 15th in an 18-team league – are equivalent to Manchester United fighting a relegation battle

And involved in the dramatic decline of one of Europe's best-supported clubs are a clutch of names familiar to Premier League fans

First, the history. Fenerbahce Spor Kulubu has been one of Turkey's most important institutions since 1907

They compete in nine different sports but football is the jewel in their crown with 28 league titles (19 since the current Super Lig was established in 1959), an estimated 25million supporters worldwide and great players from Jay Jay Okocha and Roberto Carlos to Robin van Persie and legendary Turkish goalkeeper Rustu Recber

They count Turkish president Recep Erdogan among their celebrity fans and knocked Manchester City out of the European Cup as far back as 1968, joyous fans invading the pitch after a famous 2-1 win by the Bosphorus

Martin Skrtel shows the strain during Fenerbahce's slide down the Turkish Super LigSo, what's gone wrong for the Yellow Canaries? A 1-1 draw away to Bursaspor on Monday night took them out of the relegation zone but they are still only two points off bottom spot

They also suffered an embarrassing defeat by second-division side Umraniye in the Turkish Cup on Thursday night

Their line-up in Bursa, where they conceded a last-minute equaliser, included Martin Skrtel (ex-Liverpool), Roberto Soldado (ex-Spurs) and Andre Ayew (on loan from Swansea City)

RELATED ARTICLES Previous 1 Next Fenerbahce set to confirm loan deal for Chelsea winger

Martin Skrtel makes the most of Fenerbahce's winter break as. Share this article Share Islam Slimani is also at the club on loan from Leicester, while Victor Moses has now joined on loan from Chelsea too

 Their sporting director is Damien Comolli, a Frenchman who has previously served Arsenal, Tottenham and Liverpool with mixed results

As often is the case in football, money has had a major part to play. Fenerbahce are a lowly 15th in the Turkish league table, just two points off the bottomAmbitious spending – or 'living the dream' as Leeds United's former chairman Peter Ridsdale once put it – coincided with rules on financial fair play

Fenerbahce used increased broadcast revenues to gamble on expensive but ageing stars like Carlos and Van Persie, signed from Real Madrid and Manchester United respectively

They also launched a campaign to get a million members, hoping it would close the gap on Europe's super-clubs like Barcelona and Juventus

Roberto Soldado is another of the Premier League outcasts playing for Fenerbahce Andre Ayew (right) is on loan from Swansea but has made little impact at the club Islam Slimani's goalscoring record has been dreadful since joining on loan from LeicesterInstead, the strategy proved a catastrophic strain on resources

Last July, club president Ali Koc revealed debts had reached £548million. The well had run dry at the same time that Turkey's smaller but better-run clubs like Basaksehir, Yeni Malatyaspor and Kasimpasa are threatening Istanbul's traditional Big Three: Galatasaray, Besiktas and Fenerbahce

In 2013, Fenerbahce were also banned from European competition for two years for their role in a domestic match-fixing scandal

The result has been a weaker team on the pitch than Fener fans have been used to. Skrtel and Soldado would have been important players during their peak years but Skrtel is now 34, Soldado 33

The best Turkish players are also abroad or at other Super Lig clubs. Only one of Turkey's starters in their last competitive game, a 1-0 home defeat by Sweden in the Nations League, was from Fener - left-back Hasan Kaldirim

The club are in huge debt after buying the likes of Robin van Persie (left) and Roberto CarlosAt the 2002 World Cup when Turkey reached the semi-finals, four Fenerbahce players were in their squad

Koc, an extremely wealthy businessman educated at Harrow boarding school in England, bemoans: 'Nobody could have predicted this crisis

I apologise for the suffering that has been caused.' The last time Fenerbahce finished outside the top three places was in 2009

The club haven't won in their last nine games, a run dating back to November because of the winter break

While the Europa League has provided some solace - Fenerbahce qualified for the knockout stages and will face Zenit St Petersburg in the last 32 - their league form has been dreadful

 The low point was a 3-0 defeat at Caykur Rizespor in October, a result that got Dutch coach Phillip Cocu sacked

Former Turkey international manager Ersun Yanal is in charge now but things haven't got any better yet

He wants new recruits in January and landed Moses this week. Comolli also tried to buy Divock Origi from Liverpool last summer

  Ersun Yanal has been unable to stop the rot FENERBAHCE'S HISTORY  Founded: 1907Sports played at the club: Football, basketball, volleyball, table tennis, swimming, rowing, sailing, athletics, boxing, esportsStadium: Sukru Saracoglu Stadium (capacity 47,834)Honours: Turkish league titles x28, Turkish Cup x6, Balkans Cup x1Notable records: Most Turkish league titles; never been relegated When Comolli signed Ayew on loan, he hailed the 'talented and energetic' forward

Yet Ayew has scored only four goals in 17 games and Slimani's record is even worse, three in 19

Only two teams in the Turkish league have managed fewer goals overall than the 17 in 18 matches netted by Fenerbahce

Fenerbahce's next game this weekend is at home to third-place Yeni Malatyaspor. Nobody expects them to be relegated – it's almost unthinkable

But it did happen to Manchester United back in 1974.  RELATED ARTICLES Previous 1 Next Fenerbahce set to confirm loan deal for Chelsea winger

Martin Skrtel makes the most of Fenerbahce's winter break as. Share this article Share

For more infomation >> Fox Sport News - The fall of Fenerbahce: Why is Turkish giant fighting relegation? - Duration: 10:37.

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For more infomation >> Latest News 24h - Why can't Meghan Markle keep her hands off her bump? Experts tackle the question - Duration: 14:29.

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LeBron James injury: Lakers insider drops major hint on when superstar will return - Blog News - Duration: 3:42.

 That's according to ESPN's Dave McMenamin, who covers the Lakers extensively and previously worked closely with LeBron James at the Cleveland Cavaliers

 This is the most amount of games James has been consecutively through injury for the entirety of his career

 In his absence, the Lakers have slipped down the Western Conference standings and are currently battling to remain in the playoff places

 There are still plenty of games left for the Lakers to ensure they will reach the postseason for the first time since 2013

 But Laker fans will be desperate to see James return from injury sooner rather than later

 And McMenamin believes James could be in line to feature in in their three-game home stretch against the Timberwolves, Phoenix Suns or Philadelphia 76ers

 "The good news is that he got on the court and played basketball on Sunday," McMenamin said on ESPN's SportsCenter

 "The Lakers didn't have an official practice but LeBron was able to do shooting drills, play 5-on-0 dummy practice

 "He had his agent tell Chris Broussard last week that if it was the playoffs he'd be playing

 "They consider him day-to-day at this point. "The Lakers are going to get a couple practices this week after the Warriors' game and you have to start targeting potentially at home against the Wolves, potentially against the Suns

 "There is no game that they know what game he will be coming back because it's how he feels on a day-to-day basis

" Lakers head coach Luke Walton had to use Brandon Ingram at the point against the Warriors following Lonzo Ball's injury at the weekend

 But he is set to receive a major boost for the Minnesota game with Rajon Rondo in contention to start

 Just like James, Rondo has been out of action since the Christmas Day win over the Warriors

 His return will be a welcome boost to Walton and the Lakers as they look to snap a two-game losing streak

For more infomation >> LeBron James injury: Lakers insider drops major hint on when superstar will return - Blog News - Duration: 3:42.

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Rangers transfer news: Steven Gerrard's next deal 'close' following ANOTHER done deal - Duration: 1:57.

Rangers had Polster on trial earlier this month during the Scottish winter break.

And Steven Gerrard liked what he saw in the 25-year-old, who has been handed a contract by the Ibrox club.

Starsport understand the midfielder's deal is now nearing completion.

Polster was more recently on the books at MLS side Chicago Fire.

One player who has already signed for Rangers is goalkeeper Andy Firth.

He's moved north of the border to Barrow to link up with Gerrard nad follow Jermain Defoe and Steven Davis in moving to Glasgow this month.

Firth used to play for Liverpool at youth level and has now penned an 18-month contract with the Gers.

Gerrard is adamant that doesn't mean Wes Foderingham is leaving Ibrox, though, having lost his place to veteran Allan McGregor this term.

"I want Wes to stay here for the remainder of the season," he said.

"I also understand the situation, he's desperate to be a No 1.

"I want him to push Allan McGregor to play."

Rangers have no fresh injuries ahead of their trip to Livingston on Sunday.

Centre-back Connor Goldson (foot) will again sit out the trip to the Tony Macaroni Arena while Eros Grezda (ankle) and long-term absentees Jamie Murphy and Graham Dorrans (both knee) are also sidelined.

Goalkeeper Firth has been added to the squad to replace third choice stopper Robbie McCrorie, who has joined Morton on loan.

Rangers provisional squad: McGregor, Tavernier, Flanagan, Barisic, Halliday, McAuley, Katic, Worrall, Jack, Arfield, Coulibaly, Davis, Candeias, Middleton, Kent, Morelos, Defoe, Lafferty, Foderingham, Firth.