Tag Futebol

Brook and Joe Root score unbeaten tons during 294-run stand to lift England out of trouble

Alan Gardner23-Feb-2023Harry Brook came into the Wellington Test in possession of some of the most outrageous stats in the history of the game for a batter at the start of their career – and promptly turned the amps up to 11 with an astonishing display on day one at the Basin Reserve.It began with Brook tip-toeing to the crease amid the wreckage of England’s top order, as New Zealand’s reshaped seam attack capitalised on helpful morning conditions to reduce the tourists to 21 for 3. He walked off with the weather closing in again, but with England in a far sunnier mood. In between times, Brook had peeled off a career-best 184 not out from 169 balls, taking his Test average above 100 (and with a strike rate of 99.38 into the bargain).Oh, and Joe Root scored an immaculate, unbeaten hundred, too.Their unbroken stand of 294, already the third-highest for England’s fourth wicket in Tests, turned the tables completely on New Zealand after they had made what seemed an impeccable start on winning the toss and choosing to bowl for the second week running.Related

Harry Brook rates latest Test carnage his best so far

Root's mantra: To be 'consistently useful' within evolving England set-up

'Let's play Bazball!' – Ranking England's 11 Tests under Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes

Anderson reclaims No. 1 spot in Test bowling rankings; Hasaranga at top in T20Is

Believe the hype: Harry Brook is heading where few have gone before

As in Mount Maunganui, England’s aggression helped wrest the initiative away – by the time the forecast rain arrived midway through the evening session their overall run rate was 4.84. But that only told part of the story, with Brook and Root employing different methods to counterattack after Matt Henry and Tim Southee had made the early incisions on a green pitch that was expected to flatten out.Brook, as has been his wont during a patch of regal scoring that began with a century in his second match, in Rawalpindi before Christmas, chose barely fettered aggression throughout his innings. Southee was dispatched for three consecutive boundaries in his fifth over, and that set the tone for Brook’s approach; in all, 24 fours and five sixes came from his bat during another coruscating display.He moved to fifty just before lunch, as England reached the break on a more even keel, then raised a 107-ball hundred – his fourth in nine Test innings – during the afternoon session, during which the visitors rattled off 136 runs in 27 overs to transfer the pressure on to New Zealand’s beleaguered attack.Brook’s assault, audacious as it was, displayed a high degree of calculation. With New Zealand picking only three frontline bowlers – Henry, back after the birth of his child, and top-order batter Will Young coming in for Mount Mauganui debutants, Blair Tickner and Scott Kuggeleijn – Brook in particular chose to go after the support.Against Daryl Mitchell, nominally the fourth seamer, he struck four sixes – three towering blows down the ground and one impudent ramp to fine leg – and went at a strike rate of 158.06. Michael Bracewell’s offspin was dispatched for 22 off 15, while Neil Wagner saw his short-ball tactics dismantled for the second Test running, conceding six fours and a six. Only Henry, who gave Brook a few moments of concern early on, kept things tight, conceding just 33 off 49 balls bowled.While Brook plundered runs almost at will, adding his third fifty from just 38 balls, Root was content to slipstream his junior partner. His 29th Test hundred featured just seven boundaries, the majority of which came during the latter stages of the day – one via a perfectly executed reverse-ramp off the bowling of Wagner, the shot which had brought his downfall in the first innings last week at Bay Oval.He was on 23 at lunch, coasted along to 72 at tea and was visibly relieved to bring up three figures for the first time in 12 innings, turning Wagner into the leg side from the final delivery before the rain began to fall in earnest.Such a position of English dominance took on even more outlandish proportions given how incisively New Zealand had begun the morning session. Basin Reserve has a reputation for flattening out, never mind how green-tinged the surface, and most captains winning the toss look to eke out whatever small advantage they can: it is more than a decade since a team opted to bat first in a Wellington Test.Southee knew all this, saying that New Zealand were “accustomed to a very good cricket surface” at the ground, and would therefore have been delighted by the start for his side. Henry struck twice in his first three overs and Southee added a third as Zak Crawley, Ollie Pope and Ben Duckett all failed to make much headway.Henry beat Duckett with a beauty in his first over, although a review only proved the ball had flicked the trouser pocket. There were just a handful of scoring shots in the opening exchanges, as England were forced to temper their Bazball instincts, and the card read 5 for 1 in the fourth when Crawley felt at a wide ball from Henry – albeit on a perfect length – to be dismissed for his fourth single-figure score in six knocks.Pope fired off a volley of attacking shots in response but he was soon gone, as Henry jagged one away on an off-stump line to find the edge. Bracewell held the sharp chance at third slip, and then took an even better catch in the following over to leave England three-down. Duckett was again looking to be proactive, driving hard at one in the channel from Southee, and the edge flew to the left of Bracewell, who threw himself full length for a one-handed take, even managing to juggle it safely as the ball threatened to pop loose after his arm hit the turf.England were on the back foot, but soon began landing their punches in a familiar counterattack. Brook’s first boundary was edged wide of the cordon as Henry got the ball to kick from a length, but England’s form batter launched into Southee next over before clubbing Mitchell down the ground and then taking on Wagner with a series of belligerent blows through the leg side. Brook was on the move and soon looked unstoppable – which to all intents and purposes he was.

Leeds United are back in action in the Championship for the second time in 2025 this afternoon as they travel away from West Yorkshire to take on Hull City.

The Whites head into this match off the back of a disappointing 1-1 draw at Elland Road against Blackburn Rovers on New Year’s Day on Wednesday.

Daniel Farke’s side appeared to be on course for all three points after Pascal Struijk’s 88th-minute penalty, only for Danny Batth to equalise for the away team just 90 seconds later.

The German head coach, with this game coming just three days later, may decide to make some changes to his starting XI, and one player who should come back in is Ethan Ampadu.

Why Ethan Ampadu should start

Firstly, the Wales international, who only recently returned from a lengthy absence with a knee injury, is the club captain and this suggests that he brings quality leadership on the pitch that will be needed if Leeds are to mount a successful promotion push.

Also, Ampadu brings energy and strength to the middle of the park, which is something that Joe Rothwell did not provide with his performance last time out.

The English midfielder, who started next to Ao Tanaka, ended the game with zero duels won, zero tackles, zero interceptions, and only one duel contested.

Ampadu, meanwhile, has averaged 2.8 tackles and interceptions per game and won 5.4 duels per match, at a success rate of 69%, which suggests that he could offer significantly more to the team out of possession.

The former Chelsea man is not the only player who should be drafted into the starting line-up, as Farke should also bring Largie Ramazani back into the fold.

Why Largie Ramazani should start

The Belgian forward was an unused substitute against Blackburn after he struggled in his start against Derby, which was his first start since returning from an ankle injury.

Ramazani missed a ‘big chance’ to open the scoring and only created one chance in his time on the pitch, before being substituted for Manor Solomon.

The Leeds whiz, who was described as “explosive” and a counter-attack “weapon” by Jacek Kulig, has shown plenty of signs of quality in a Leeds shirt this season, particularly prior to his injury, though, and should be given another chance to build up his match sharpness.

Appearances

15

Starts

7

xG

2.59

Goals

3

Assists

1

Dribbles completed

14

As you can see in the table above, Ramazani has scored three goals and provided one assist this season, and all of those contributions came in his first eight appearances and six starts.

This shows that the potential is there for the 23-year-old whiz to be an excellent option for Farke in the final third, but he needs game time to build himself back up and that is why he should be unleashed against Hull today.

Big Rodon upgrade: Farke considering Leeds bid for "incredible" £10m star

Leeds United are reportedly keen to add a new central defender to their squad this month.

ByDan Emery Jan 1, 2025

Solomon started on the left and offered little against Blackburn, with zero shots and zero ‘big chances’ created, and should be dropped from the team to make way for the former Manchester United academy starlet.

Celtic have now made an enquiry about signing an “outstanding” Premier League player who wants to leave in January, according to a report.

Rodgers keen on a midfielder

Brendan Rodgers has set his sights on a new midfielder this January, and there are indications that there could be more than one new arrival, with claims suggesting a potential double signing could even be in the works.

The Hoops are now expected to push for Chelsea duo Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Carney Chukwuemeka, who have both found game time difficult to come by at Stamford Bridge so far this season.

With Rodgers looking for a potential long-term replacement for Callum McGregor, there have been reports that Celtic could also look to sign Ajax’s Benjamin Tahirović, with the Bosnian also struggling to force his way into his manager’s plans.

Fixture

Date

St. Johnstone (h)

December 29th

Rangers (a)

January 2nd

St Mirren (h)

January 5th

Dundee United (h)

January 8th

Ross County (a)

January 11th

Rodgers clearly has a number of options in mind ahead of the rapidly approaching January transfer window, and there are now indications that some groundwork has been done in pursuit of another target.

According to a report from The Boot Room, Celtic have made an enquiry over Manchester City’s James McAtee – and he looks like he could be on the move this winter.

The City midfielder wants to leave in January, having been unable to impress Pep Guardiola so far this season, with game time proving difficult to come by.

The Premier League outfit would rather not lose McAtee this January, but it has been claimed that Guardiola would not stand in the way of any player who wants to leave, meaning a January move could be possible.

There are a number of clubs from England and across Europe hot on the 22-year-old’s tail, so the Hoops will need to fend off significant interest from elsewhere if they are to get a deal over the line.

Three clubs keen on unhappy Celtic player who could now leave in January

He’s found minutes hard to come by at Celtic Park this season.

ByBarney Lane Dec 28, 2024 McAtee could go right to the top

Although the Salford-born midfielder has been unable to make a name for himself at City, his potential was on show for all to see during his two loan spells with English Championship side Sheffield United.

During the Blades’ promotion-winning campaign in 2022/23, the Englishman scored nine goals in 37 Championship games, showcasing his talent going forward.

Clinton Morrison was full of praise for the “outstanding” young midfielder during his time in Sheffield, while Leam Richardson stated he could go all the way to the top:

Previous reports have alleged that McAtee could cost £20m, which could prove to be a stumbling block for Celtic, but it is promising news that initial contact has now been made over a deal.

Leicester City have made an approach to a club over the signing of a new defender, according to a recent report. The Foxes suffered their first defeat under Ruud van Nistelrooy on Saturday, but the Dutchman will be hoping it doesn’t unravel the positive work he has already done at the King Power Stadium.

"Clever" £75k-p/w Leicester mainstay set to miss multiple games with injury

Frustrating timing for the Foxes.

ByTom Cunningham Dec 14, 2024 Leicester transfer news

The January transfer window opens in a couple of weeks, and like any new manager, van Nistelrooy will have his eye on potential new signings he would like the club to make.

It has already been claimed that Leicester have made an offer to sign Leuven midfielder Ezechiel Banzuzi. The 19-year-old is wanted by a few teams across Europe, but the Foxes may hold an advantage in the race, as they and Leuven are owned by the same person, Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha. It is believed that Banzuzi could cost the Premier League side as much as £12.4 million.

As well as looking at Banzuzi, Leicester are also in the race to sign winger Ryan Kent. The former Rangers man is currently without a club after leaving Fenerbahçe earlier this season, and a number of Premier League teams are interested in securing his services for the remainder of the campaign at the very least.

Ipswich Town and Crystal Palace are also interested in signing Kent, so the competition is fierce, but it could be a deal that doesn’t happen until the New Year, despite the player not being under contract.

Leicester make approach to Atalanta for Ben Godfrey signing

According to ASRomaLive.it, relayed by Sport Witness, Leicester City have made an approach to Atalanta over the signing of Ben Godfrey. The centre-back, who can also play at left-back and right-back, looks set for a possible January transfer, as his move to Italy hasn’t gone as he would have hoped.

The 26-year-old was snapped up by Atalanta in the summer from Everton, but it is a move that hasn’t worked out, as he’s only played four times for the Italian side in his six months there, two of which have been in the Champions League. Godfrey has yet to start a game for Atalanta, playing just 67 minutes in total from the bench, despite the fact that he cost them £10 million when he arrived from Goodison Park.

It is now being reported that Atalanta are willing to let Godfrey leave in January, whether it be a loan deal or a permanent switch. Manager Gian Piero Gasperini has given the “green light” for a transfer, as he will probably have his eyes on his own reinforcements. Godfrey is keen on leaving the Serie A side and has interest from Leicester, Wolves and Nottingham Forest.

Apps

15

Clean sheets

4

Interceptions per game

1.1

Tackles per game

2.0

Balls recovered per game

3.0

Clearances per 90

3.4

Total duels won

4.4 (52%)

Ground duels won

2.7 (53%)

Aerial duels won

1.7 (51%)

All three Premier League clubs have made enquiries over signing the England international, and given Atalanta are willing to let him leave, contacts between the clubs and the player’s agents are likely to be held imminently.

A team under pressure. A captain refusing to give up. The odds piling up against them. And then one fine day, the stars align.Pakistan cranked up the deja vu in Adelaide on Sunday as they sailed into the T20 World Cup semi-finals. If anyone is still working on time travel, please follow this cricket team. They’ve made it 1992 again.This game wouldn’t even have played out this way if not for Netherlands shocking South Africa. Some people might call that destiny.At the receiving end of this unreal series of events were Bangladesh and Shakib Al Hasan. His wicket turned this game, adjudged lbw on field, and upheld on DRS even though he was absolutely certain he’d nicked the ball.Bangladesh were 70 for 1 after 10 overs. Then they lost their captain and could manage only 127 for 8. Advantage Pakistan.Wasim Akram lite
Shaheen Shah Afridi admitted he’s not 100% at this tournament. Someone should splice that press conference video with the ball he bowled to Mosaddek Hossain. Left-arm. High pace. Around the wicket. Reverse swing. Bowled ‘iiiiimmmmmmm!Growing up, he would have shoved Wasim Akram videos straight into his veins. Now, he’s recreated his idol’s most famous dismissal on the grandest stage with everything on the line. How many people get to do that? How many people are good enough to do that?The good, the bad and the collapse
Najmul Hossain Shanto (54 off 48) was smiling. His leading edge had pretty much bunny-hopped for four over point. That was the first over. Back when Bangladesh had gained a sizeable advantage batting first on a used pitch where shot-making got harder as time went on.Even halfway through, they were sitting pretty. Then it happened.Shadab Khan looped one up over the batter’s eyeline. Shakib accepted the invitation and came charging out of his crease. The legspinner’s dip deceived him. A big hit turned into a scramble to put bat on ball.Shakib thought he did. Umpire Adrian Holdstock on field didn’t. DRS came into play, and everything turned murky. UltraEdge showed a spike, but the third umpire Langton Rusere thought that was bat hitting ground. Only there seemed a fraction of daylight between those two things.The on-field decision was upheld. And Shakib was distraught. He kept standing there, swinging his arms around, wondering what was going on. The Bangladesh captain had to literally be pushed out of the field.That wicket was part of a procession: 6 for 36.Mohammad Haris played a crucial innings of 31 off 18 balls•Associated Press

Another expensive no-ball
The Adelaide pitch wasn’t great for strokeplay. Batters kept trying to hit out but it just wasn’t happening. On the broadcast, a telling stat came up: the strike rate when pace was on was 122, but it was only 28 when pace was off.That kept Bangladesh in it. That’s the reason this game was even alive. Remember, earlier in the day, on this very surface, South Africa came undone against Netherlands’ slower balls to turn this into a quarter-final.Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan put on their first fifty partnership of this T20 World Cup. But Bangladesh fought back.They were an angry team. A team raging against the way the world was working. At one point, when an lbw didn’t go Bangladesh’s way, Shakib grabbed his cap and flung it into the turf. They could easily have been distracted by these things but they kept at it.They pushed this game into the death – and then unravelled.Taskin Ahmed, who could have had a wicket in his first over if not for a bad fumble from the wicketkeeper Nurul Hasan, who has carried his team on his back in these Super 12s, overstepped.The equation was 30 off 28. They had taken a wicket five balls ago. The pressure was piling on Pakistan.Then – much like in that game against India – a team that desperately needed a free-hit got one. And 21-year old Mohammad Haris whacked it for six.Pakistan are into the knockouts now. They even returned the favour to Netherlands, giving them a great chance of finishing fourth in Group 2 which ensures they will play the next T20 World Cup.Now, if India beat Zimbabwe in the last group game on Sunday, Pakistan will travel to Sydney, where once again conditions have been very helpful to slow bowling. Conditions that could favour Babar and his men if they go up against New Zealand in the first semi-final.

Following an inconsistent start to the season, Newcastle United and PIF are now reportedly willing to show the door to a player in January that Eddie Howe previously blocked from completing a departure.

Newcastle transfer news

It’s been one step forward, two steps back for the Magpies so far this season. Whilst Howe’s side secured impressive victories over Arsenal and Nottingham Forest before the international break, they’ve since suffered defeat at the hands of struggling West Ham United and were forced to settle for a point against relegation contenders Crystal Palace. With Premier League leaders Liverpool up next too, those at St James’ Park could be in for another difficult evening.

With the January transfer window just around the corner, Newcastle could be one of the most interesting clubs to watch, given how they failed to complete their recruitment during the summer.

Deals for players such as Marc Guehi never quite got over the line and amid their recent defensive struggles, it would come as little shock if the Magpies went again in pursuit of the defender, whose own goal to give Newcastle the lead this weekend was full of irony.

There could also be movement on the exit front, meanwhile. According to Wayne Veysey of Football Insider, PIF and Newcastle are now willing to accept offers to sell Kieran Trippier in the January transfer window just months since Howe reportedly blocked the right-back from leaving St James’ Park.

Howe must now ditch 6/10 Newcastle star who lost the ball 20x vs Palace

Newcastle failed to secure three points against Crystal Palace today

2 ByRoss Kilvington Nov 30, 2024

Now 34 years old and behind in the pecking order to the impressive Tino Livramento, a January exit could suit all parties. But Newcastle should act with caution, given just how fragile the depth of their squad has been throughout the current campaign. The last thing Howe needs is to be scrambling for internal solutions that have already headed for the exit door.

Newcastle must still replace "strong" Trippier

Although it’s far from in doubt that Trippier, on £120,000-a-week, is now past his best and is now a backup and backup only to Livramento at St James’ Park, Newcastle must still ensure that they replace the right-back if he completes a move away in the January transfer window. A player with experience on Europe’s biggest stage and someone who now offers key depth, the Magpies can’t afford to stretch their defensive options thinner than they have done already this season.

Trippier’s potential exit comes just one season after he found himself at the centre of Howe’s praise, with the Newcastle boss telling reporters as relayed by the Daily Mail last December: “Tripps [Trippier] is an incredibly strong character. As I’ve said many times he’s a transformative signing. Someone that’s taken the group onto a totally different level.”

All good things must come to an end, however, and after starting just three Premier League games all season, Trippier looks destined for the Newcastle exit door. Livramento, meanwhile, looks likely to only push on after making the right-back role his own in the last few months.

KL Rahul has been drafted in as the 16th member of India’s squad that will tour Zimbabwe for three ODIs between August 18 and 22. Rahul will also captain the squad, with Shikhar Dhawan, who was earlier set to lead, now named his deputy.Rahul’s inclusion follows a clearance from BCCI’s medical team that has earlier advised a two-week post-Covid-19 recovery time frame. Rahul is believed to have contracted the virus a week prior to his scheduled departure for the West Indies mid-July, for the five match T20I-series. Last week, Rahul was named in India’s full-strength squad for the Asia Cup that will be held in UAE from August 27.Since recovering from Covid, Rahul has had to pass the mandatory cardiovascular test following which he has slowly amped up his training routine. ESPNcricinfo understands Rahul has resumed batting and training full tilt over the past week, following which he underwent a medical assessment. Prior to contracting Covid, Rahul had been recovering from a surgery he underwent for sports hernia in Germany in June.Rahul hasn’t played any competitive cricket since IPL 2022, where he led debutant-franchise Lucknow Super Giants to the playoffs. He was initially set to be part of the England tour party for the fifth Test in Birmingham in early July, but had to pull out due to a groin strain, which was later revealed as a sports hernia.This will be Rahul’s second stint as India captain. His first stint was far from memorable, with India being blanked 3-0 in the ODIs in South Africa earlier this year.

Injury scare for Washington Sundar

Washington Sundar, who is also part of the squad, suffered an injury scare on Wednesday. In the midst of a stint with English county Lancashire, Washington landed heavily on his left shoulder after diving from mid-on to stop a drive in a Royal London Cup fixture against Worcestershire. He left the field immediately and didn’t take any further part in the match as a precautionary measure. Washington is likely to link up with India’s squad directly in Harare after Lancashire’s clash against Hampshire on Sunday.Like Rahul, Washington too has had a run of injuries this year. In February, he was sidelined from the West Indies and Sri Lanka T20Is at home due to a hamstring injury. During the IPL, he injured his bowling hand while playing for Sunrisers Hyderabad. He then underwent a month-long rehabilitation at the NCA in June and it is understood he had a shoulder issue to sort out before making his County Championship debut.The Indian team will depart for Zimbabwe later this week. All three ODIs will be played at Harare Sports Club, with the hosts on a high after an impressive 2-1 win over Bangladesh. While the series is part of the ICC World Cup Super League and massively important for Zimbabwe – finishing in the top eight on the Super League table means direct qualification to the World Cup – India qualify for next year’s World Cup automatically by virtue of being the hosts.Updated India squad: KL Rahul (captain) Shikhar Dhawan (vice-captain), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shubman Gill, Deepak Hooda, Rahul Tripathi, Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper), Sanju Samson (wicketkeeper), Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Avesh Khan, Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj, Deepak Chahar.

The newest trend emerging in football is the use of hybrid full-backs, which are commonly centre-backs that can fulfil the fullback role, allowing tactical versatility and extra physicality.

Chelsea attempted this at one stage with Marc Cucurella under Mauricio Pochettino but some high-class Premier League examples include Manchester City’s use of Josko Gvardiol, and Arsenal’s use of the likes of Ben White, Jurrien Timber and Riccardo Calafiori.

Most of these players were bought as natural central defenders, and have been converted into these hybrid fullbacks to provide tactical versatility for their side, and Chelsea are now after their very own archetype.

Chelsea looking at Bundesliga defender

According to reports from Spain, Chelsea are one of the clubs set to battle it out for the signature of RB Leipzig defender, Castello Lukeba. Other clubs interested include Real Madrid, Liverpool, and Aston Villa.

Leipzig would be willing to let the 21-year-old go for around £50m according to the reports, with his contract expiring in 2028. Labelled as a “gem” in the past by scout Jacek Kulig after his great start for Olympique Lyon in Ligue 1, he would be an eye-catching signing.

The French defender has made eight appearances for the German outfit so far this season, contributing to four clean sheets in his 648 minutes played.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

How Lukeba compares to Cucurella

Chelsea’s two left-back options this season have been Cucurella and new signing Renato Veiga.

Ben Chilwell is still at the club, but his 45 minutes played against Barrow is the only action he has had so far under Enzo Maresca, as he doesn’t seem to be in the long-term plans of the Italian.

Cucurella has played all seven Premier League games for Chelsea this season, totalling 593 minutes and contributing to two clean sheets. Meanwhile, Veiga has made eight appearances for the Blues in all competitions, scoring one goal, providing one assist, and totalling 487 minutes played.

But, how do they compare to Lukeba? We’ve got the answer.

Lukeba vs Cucurella vs Veiga comparison
Stats (per 90 mins)	Lukeba	Cucurella	Veiga
Goals + Assists	0.00	0.00	0.23
Progressive Carries	1.01	1.08	2.40
Progressive Passes	2.75	2.92	6.40
Passes Attempted	73.2	57.8	71.2
Pass Completion %	91.1%	88.8%	88.2%
Tackles	1.74	1.38	3.60
Blocks	2.03	1.54	1.60
Interceptions	0.42	0.83	0.91
Aerials Won	1.45	1.38	0.80
Stats taken from FBref

The metrics tell us what Lukeba would bring to the Chelsea squad, as well as backing up the excellent business to sign Veiga this summer from Basel for a fee of around £12m, which looks like a real bargain.

The 21-year-old Portuguese defender has the most goal involvements of the three, the best progression numbers, and the most tackles + interceptions, showing how effective he is on both sides of the ball. Veiga also made his senior Portugal debut the other night, starting against Poland in their 3-1 victory.

Said to possess a “freak profile” by data analyst Ben Mattinson, Lukeba, who is also just 21-years-old, would offer another full-back hybrid similar to Veiga. He’d bring a 6-foot stocky central defender build, with the on-ball quality to match, shown by his passing volume and passing accuracy, proving he is ready to play in ball-dominant sides.

As good as Cucurella has started this season, and he is clearly one of Maresca’s favourites, starting all seven Premier League games so far, a signing such as Lukeba could provide a lot of competition in that area, between himself, Cucurella and, of course, Veiga, who is showing all the signs of a top class player.

Bad news for Mudryk: Chelsea lining up move for £25m "wonderkid"

The Blues have reportedly sent scouts to watch the Bundesliga star in action.

By
Dan Emery

Oct 13, 2024

Glasgow Rangers will have the opportunity to win a second trophy under Philippe Clement after they reached the final of the League Cup on Sunday.

The Light Blues came from behind to win 2-1 at Hampden Park against fellow Scottish Premiership outfit Motherwell, who had been 1-0 up at half-time.

Goals from Cyriel Dessers and Nedim Bajrami turned the game around for the Scottish giants, who will now face Celtic in the final at the national stadium.

The star who was handed the Player of the Match award on the Premier Sports coverage did not get on the scoresheet, though, as Vaclav Cerny claimed that honour.

Vaclav Cerny's performance against Motherwell

The Czechia international was hailed as a bright spark for the Gers by Premier Sports pundit Alan Hutton, formerly of Rangers, for his involvements throughout the game.

On loan from Wolfsburg, Cerny continues to make a positive impression on the supporters, after an indifferent start to life at Ibrox, with his seventh goal contribution in the last five matches for the club – five goals and two assists – coming on Sunday.

The left-footed ace did not have his most efficient performance against Motherwell, however, as a number of his early touches and attempted passes were wayward and went straight back to the opposition.

He was direct, though, and kept trying things to make something happen in the final third, with one finally paying off in the 81st minute when his pass into the box for Bajrami led to the winning goal.

Cerny was not, however, the best performer on the pitch, despite his Player of the Match award, as Connor Barron was the star of the show for Clement.

Connor Barron's performance against Motherwell

The Scotland international was a shining star throughout the game for the Light Blues in the middle of the park, with an energetic display in and out of possession.

Barron was constantly buzzing around the pitch to put out fires and halt opposition attacks, which worked to great effect for the majority of the game, as Jack Butland barely had a save to make outside of the goal that was conceded.

The former Aberdeen man was also the game-changer for the Light Blues as it was his energy and clever work that created the equalising goal, which galvanised Rangers and propelled them to the win.

Barron made an intelligent run in the right channel of the box and then took a neat first touch before laying the ball off to Dessers to find the back of the net.

His performance was rewarded with a player rating of 8/10 from GlasgowWorld, who only gave Cerny a score of 7/10, and that was the highest rating of any Rangers player.

The 22-year-old dynamo was key to the Light Blues getting back into the game with his energy in and out of possession and changed the game with his brilliant assist for the equaliser, which is why he was the star of the show for Clement – instead of the Czechia forward.

Rangers could replace Clement with "kamikaze" 4-3-3 manager

Rangers may soon be on the lookout for a new manager.

2 ByRoss Kilvington Nov 2, 2024

da apostebet： Ruud Van Nistelrooy ended his interim time in charge of Manchester United by steering his reinvigorated Red Devils side to a 3-0 win in the Premier League, as Steve Cooper’s Leicester City offered very little in return to compete with the hosts at Old Trafford.

da bet7： The much-loved Dutchman picked up three wins and a draw in all competitions from the dug-out, with his first victory coming against the Foxes funnily enough in the EFL Cup, before another win against the newly promoted side came his way on Sunday afternoon.

Now, it’s up to Ruben Amorim to take on the permanent reins over the stand-in 48-year-old, with the exciting Portuguese manager no doubt pleased with the performances of some standout Red Devils figures this weekend.

Best Man United performers vs Leicester

Bruno Fernandes feels like a good player to kickstart this discussion off, with the playmaker excelling under the interim reign, with Amorim hopeful he can be key under his guidance too.

The 30-year-old got the ball rolling for his side in their pursuit of another three points, after the United number eight hammered home an early first-half effort past the Foxes goalkeeper.

That was Fernandes’ fourth goal in as many games, with the constantly creative attacking midfielder finding a new lease of life under Van Nistelrooy, away from the dire end of Erik ten Hag’s bumpy reign.

Manuel Ugarte also impressed in the midfield positions, shoring up the United defence, with a stunning ten ground duels won on top of only skewing four of his 50 passes on the day.

A favourite under Amorim during his Sporting CP days, the summer recruit will pray his spot in the United starting XI is now set in stone, especially when the new manager enters into the esteemed dug-out and makes the look of the team his own.

He’s not the only undroppable figure though…

Amad's performance in numbers

Amad Diallo will also be keeping everything crossed that he has made his position down the right wing as concrete as possible, with the Ivorian standing out again for United across the span of the 3-0 win.

Used sparingly under the previous regime, Amad had managed to spark into life under Van Nistelrooy’s stint in the hot seat, with two goals coming against PAOK in the Europa League before the showdown with Leicester back in the league.

Although the 22-year-old didn’t fire home another goal against Cooper’s men, he still stood out as a lively option down the right flank, with a little flick by the former Sunderland loanee setting up Fernandes for the opening goal of the one-sided contest.

Amad’s performance in numbers

Stat

Diallo

Minutes played

90

Goals

0

Assists

1

Touches

50

Accurate passes

19/26 (73%)

Key passes

1

Shots

4

Successful dribbles

4/5

Total duels won

10/14

Stats by Sofascore

The United number 16 excelled both as a livewire – with four successful dribbles on the day twisting and turning Leicester markers for fun – but also as an option getting stuck in to win the ball back to launch attacks, with a high ten duels won across the course of his bright 90 minutes.

Amorim could now see Amad as the best possible option he has on the right flank based on his promising showings under Van Nistelrooy, with Antony really the only other player he could rely on in his threadbare part of the pitch.

Having been largely frozen out of ten Hag’s plans when it came to being selected in the top flight, Amad must be delighted with how well he has done under the stand-in boss, having also picked up a glowing 8/10 match rating by the Express’ Joe Krishnan for his efforts versus the Foxes.

But, he will hope there’s plenty more to come, as United launch headfirst into a new era under Amorim very soon.

Related Amorim wants to sign "important" ex-Man City star in first Man Utd arrival

This would be a controversial move…

Posts 1 ByTom Cunningham Nov 9, 2024