Tag Futebol

Wrexham are currently preparing for a season in the Championship after they finished second in League One to earn promotion up to the second tier.

The Red Dragons are yet to make their first signing since the end of last season, but there will be plenty of work going on behind the scenes to identify targets to improve the team.

Phil Parkinson will have to judge which of his players are ready to make the step up to the Championship after a season in League One, which means that some difficult decisions could have to be made.

Why Thomas O'Connor may be replaced

One player who could be replaced as a regular starter is left-sided central defender Thomas O’Connor, who has been at the club since they were in the National League.

The former Southampton academy graduate has never played above League One level in his career to date, and was a regular starter – starting 25 of his 31 appearances in the 2024/25 campaign – for Wrexham this season.

O’Connor was, however, an unused substitute in five of the last seven matches and it remains to be seen whether or not he will be able to handle the step up to the Championship, a level that he has never played at before.

Transfer Focus

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

The BBC reported earlier this month that Wrexham, Norwich, Birmingham, and Sheffield United are among the teams interested in a deal to sign Harry Darling on a free transfer from Swansea City.

His contract with the Welsh side is due to expire at the end of this month, and the Red Dragons are one of the sides looking to snap him up for nothing.

Why Darling would be an upgrade on O'Connor

Parkinson must push to convince Darling to make a move across Wales rather than joining Birmingham, Norwich, or Sheffield United, as he would improve the club’s options at the back.

Despite being right-footed, the 25-year-old Englishman often plays on the left-side of a centre-back pairing and this means that he could take O’Connor’s place as the left-sided centre-back in a back three at Wrexham.

Unlike the current Red Dragons defender, Darling is an experienced Championship defender who has made 108 appearances at that level, which means that he would arrive at the Racecourse as a proven second tier star.

He would be a relatively risk-free signing as someone who has been there and done it and could immediately improve Wrexham’s team, particularly when you take his performances this season into account.

Appearances

31

39

Goals

0

5

Clearances per game

2.9

5.0

Dribbled past per game

0.5x

0.3x

Ground duel success rate

53%

66%

Aerial duel success rate

57%

64%

As you can see in the table above, Darling’s defensive work in the Championship, in terms of his success rate in duels and how often he was beaten by opposition attackers, was more impressive than O’Connor’s was at a lower level.

This suggests that the Swansea star, who was hailed as “outstanding” by former boss Luke Williams, is a big upgrade on the current Wrexham left centre-back, particularly from a defensive perspective.

Darling also, as shown in the table, scored five goals from centre-back, compared to O’Connor’s barren return in League One, and this suggests that he would offer a much greater goal threat in the 2025/26 campaign.

The English titan, who ranked in the top 31% of centre-backs in the league for progressive passes per 90 (3.70), is a ball-playing defender who has shown that he can mix technical quality and class on the ball with strength and reliable out of possession at Championship level.

Big Rathbone upgrade: Wrexham still in race to sign "outstanding" PL star

Wrexham could be about to land a big upgrade on Oliver Rathbone by signing this Championship-experienced ace.

ByKelan Sarson Jun 12, 2025

Therefore, he would be the perfect signing, as a proven second tier star, to come in as a big upgrade on their left-sided centre-back position this summer.

أصدر عمر عصر لاعب منتخب مصر لتنس الطاولة، بيانًا رسميًا بعد الأزمة الأخيرة في بطولة إفريقيا لتنس الطاولة.

وكانت مباراة مصر ونيجيريا في بطولة إفريقيا لتنس الطاولة، شهدت مشادة وأزمة كبيرة بين اللاعب عمر عصر وزميله محمود أشرف، نجل رئيس اتحاد اللعبة.

طالع.. وزارة الرياضة تصدر بيانًا رسميًا بشأن واقعة عمر عصر ونجل رئيس اتحاد تنس الطاولة

وجاء بيان عمر عصر على النحو التالي:

“أتقدّم بخالص التهنئة لـ منتخب مصر لتنس الطاولة على تحقيق إنجاز تاريخي غير مسبوق منذ أكثر من عشرين عامًا، بعد الفوز بجميع الميداليات الذهبية في بطولة أفريقيا الأخيرة، هذا الإنجاز هو ثمرة جهد جماعي مميز من اللاعبين والجهاز الفني والإداري، ويعكس المكانة الحقيقية لتنس الطاولة المصرية على الساحة القارية”.

وأضاف: “بصفتي كابتن المنتخب الوطني، أُدرك تمامًا حجم المسؤولية الملقاة على عاتقي، ليس فقط في الأداء داخل الملعب، بل أيضًا في تمثيل المنتخب والقيم التي نعتز بها جميعًا، وقد صدر مني في بعض اللحظات ما لم يكن في الإطار الذي تعوّدنا عليه داخل المنتخب الوطني، وهو ما يدفعني دومًا للتأكيد على أهمية الحفاظ على الصورة التي تليق بمصر”.

وتابع: “إن تمثيل مصر شرف عظيم، ويستوجب دائمًا أعلى درجات الانضباط والالتزام، وأعد جماهيرنا العزيزة وكل من يساند المنتخب أن أكون عند حسن الظن، وأن أعمل بكل طاقتي ليبقى اسم مصر في الصدارة”.

وواصل: “كما أتقدّم بخالص التقدير والاعتزاز للجهاز الفني والإداري، ولمجلس إدارة الاتحاد المصري لتنس الطاولة، وللجنة الأولمبية المصرية، وكذلك لمعالي وزير الشباب والرياضة الدكتور أشرف صبحي على دعمه المتواصل”.

واختتم: “أؤكد من جديد التزامي الكامل بدوري ككابتن المنتخب، وحرصي الدائم على أن يكون ما نقدمه داخل الملعب وخارجه انعكاسًا لقيمة مصر ومكانتها، وتفضلوا بقبول فائق الاحترام”. 

Also: why didn’t Gayle play and what exactly happened with Mujeeb’s review

Matt Roller08-Oct-20201:23

Agarkar: Kings XI need Rahul the batsman more than Rahul the captain

Why did Rahul not play with more intent?KL Rahul has been tasked with batting through the innings for Kings XI Punjab, but the effectiveness of that role was up for debate in a chase of 202. After selling Mayank Agarwal down the river with a run-out in the second over, and seeing Prabhsimran Singh crunching Khaleel Ahmed straight to cover point, Rahul ticked over in the powerplay: he was 11 off 15 balls after six overs, without playing a single attacking shot according to ESPNcricinfo’s ball-by-ball data.When he eventually freed his arms, it was a poor option: the left-hand batsman Nicholas Pooran had hit left-arm spinner Abishek Sharma’s first two balls for six, then taken a leg bye, and the right option for Rahul was to pinch a single to get Pooran back on strike to continue exploiting a good match-up for the batting team. Instead, he took on the sweep, and top-edged a catch to Williamson at deep backward square leg.Why did Gayle not play?Wasim Jaffer, Kings XI’s batting coach, had suggested ahead of this game that Chris Gayle and Mujeeb Ur Rahman would come into the side, so it was a surprise to see Gayle miss out when they named their side.But Anil Kumble, their head coach, clarified during the game that Gayle would have played if he had been available. “He was going to play,” he told Star Sports, “but he’s sick. He’s down with some food poisoning so last couple of days he’s not had a good time.”How did Mujeeb use a review after the third-umpire’s decision?The scorecard read: Mujeeb Ur Rahman c Bairstow b Khaleel 1. But that only tells part of the story. Mujeeb edged behind, the on-field umpire Anil Chaudhary gave it not out, but Sunrisers Hyderabad didn’t review the decision. Chaudhary, however, referred the decision to third umpire Yeshwant Barde to confirm whether it had been a bump-ball.Barde, using the spin-vision replay, confirmed that the ball had bounced only before passing the bat, and therefore decided to overrule the on-field decision and give Mujeeb out. But Mujeeb, after he had started walking back, then reviewed that decision, since UltraEdge cannot be used for an umpire review. When it eventually was, it showed that he had edged the ball.”So the umpire’s original decision, overturned by the umpire himself, is reviewed by the batsman, who is in fact, out,” wrote Varun Shetty on our ball-by-ball commentary. “At the end of it all, KXIP are a review short. Welcome to cricket.”Should Bishnoi have bowled sooner to Sunrisers’ openers?Jonny Bairstow has an intriguing record against legspin across his IPL career: coming into this game, he had scored at an impressive strike rate of 173.21 against it, but was also dismissed once every 18.67 balls. Dig into his record, and you’d notice that his overall numbers were enhanced by some particularly brutal overs against inexperienced players – 41 off 15 balls against Prayas Ray Barman, for example, but two dismissals and 16 runs in 18 balls against Yuzvendra Chahal.As a result, Ravi Bishnoi could have been a good match-up to Bairstow early on, but with so many new-ball bowlers to choose from, KL Rahul did not use him until the eighth over. By that point, both Bairstow and David Warner were set. Bairstow hit Bishnoi for three boundaries in five balls, and Rahul pulled him out of the attack. Bishnoi returned for the 16th, and then dismissed both openers within the space of four balls; it seemed like a mistake to only give him three overs, two of them late in the innings.The 16th over, and the dismissal of Warner, also brought the end of the longest wicketless streak by a team within a single IPL season, spanning 219 balls, or 36.3 overs.Kings XI Punjab’s bowling woes continued against opposition openers•ESPNcricinfo LtdSunrisers’ death-over struggles with the bat continueIt is no secret that Sunrisers’ batting is top-heavy, but that was demonstrated in dramatic fashion when they stumbled in the final five overs of their innings having been 160 for 0 after 15. Abdul Samad was promoted to No. 3, but made only 8 off seven balls, while Rashid Khan, a useful boundary-hitter against pace bowlers in particular, didn’t face a single ball.Sunrisers added 41 in the last five overs, for the loss of five wickets. It was the third time this season that they had added 45 runs or fewer in the final five overs while batting first, while the other seven teams have done it only twice among them. Even after a massive opening stand and a rejigged line-up, they fell back on Kane Williamson, who was pushed down to No. 5, to score 20* off 10 for a 200-plus finish which proved that their over-dependence on the big names continues.Why did Warner bowl spin to Pooran early on?Sunrisers’ team combination meant that Warner needed to share four overs between Sharma, Samad and Williamson. When he turned to his occasional bowlers, he was perhaps anticipating Pooran and Glenn Maxwell would look to consolidate after the powerplay. In fact, they are two of the fastest-scoring batsmen in the middle overs in IPL history, and Pooran – an exceptional player of spin, and the ball turning into him in particular – was in no mood to nudge and nurdle.ESPNcricinfo LtdAfter those two sixes off Sharma, Pooran pounded a four and four more sixes in Samad’s only over, the ninth, fulfilling the desire he expressed to ESPNcricinfo before the tournament to hit the fastest IPL fifty of the season. Perhaps, having taken three early wickets and with only Mandeep Singh and the bowlers to come, Warner could have looked to kill the game by attacking with his seamers or Khan, rather than looking to get through the fifth bowler’s overs so early.What was Cottrell’s new-ball plan?Both Bairstow and Warner have punished anything full from seamers this IPL, which must have influenced Sheldon Cottrell’s decision to bowl short and back-of-a-length early on. In his first two overs, not a single ball was classified as ‘full’ according to ESPNcricinfo’s length data. If that was Kings XI’s plan, it didn’t work: Cottrell is at his best when pitching the ball up and giving it the chance to swing or seam, and by dragging his lengths back he removed any chance of that happening.Instead, his two powerplay overs disappeared for 28 runs combined, and Sunrisers were up and running. With Kings XI front-loading – picking several new-ball specialists in Cottrell, Mujeeb and Mohammed Shami – in order to tie Bairstow and Warner down, they could not have anticipated such a poor start with the new ball.

Believe it or not, Liverpool fans, the summer transfer window hasn’t actually opened yet. You’d be forgiven for assuming the contrary, with sporting director Richard Hughes moving like a man possessed before the Premier League campaign has even concluded.

Arne Slot has bagged the league title in his maiden year at the helm, and will celebrate in front of the fans as Anfield hosts FA Cup winner Crystal Palace in the final fixture of the top-flight season tomorrow afternoon.

The frustration and negativity around Trent Alexander-Arnold’s decision to leave at the end of his contract and join Real Madrid has been offset by a flurry of exciting activity, to be sure.

His direct replacement, Jeremie Frimpong, has completed his medical and will likely be announced next week. Meanwhile, talks for Bournemouth left-back Milos Kerkez are advancing, Fabrizio Romano confirming the news.

These deals in themselves are rather spectacular, but that’s without even acknowledging Florian Wirtz, who looks set to move to Merseyside.

The latest on Florian Wirtz to Liverpool

This one’s moving apace. Liverpool have long held an admiration for Bayer Leverkusen’s Wirtz and have joined Manchester City and Bayern Munich in pursuing a deal for the Germany international, but developments in the past day or two have swung the pendulum in Anfield’s favour.

With Pep Guardiola’s side having pulled out of the race earlier in the week, Liverpool were poised to lock horns with the Bundesliga champions for German football’s brightest talent, and they’ve won the battle.

As per The Athletic’s David Ornstein, Liverpool are engaged in official talks with Leverkusen for the talented number ten, having already opened communications through the nearly-complete transfer of Frimpong.

Leverkusen value Wirtz at about €150m (£126m), though whether FSG can engineer a more agreeable figure, and how the structure of the deal will play out, remains to be seen at this stage.

Any move for the German would make him the most expensive in his country’s history and indeed Liverpool’s record signing – but maybe not for all that long.

But, Liverpool could also be in the market to add another attacking player on top of Wirtz, and he could an even better signing for the club…

Liverpool confident about signing new striker

As per GIVEMESPORT, Liverpool are growing increasingly confident they can convince Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak to jump ship this summer, financially secure after several windows on the low.

The windfall from winning the Premier League and returning to the Champions League will have helped, of course. However, it will prove strenuous to drive a deal toward completion, for United are holding out for around £120m, though other reports suggest that figure could stretch toward the £150m mark.

Liverpool know that Eddie Howe will fight tooth and nail to keep his focal frontman at St. James’ Park, but FSG are willing to test Newcastle’s resolve with a formal offer in the coming months.

Why Liverpool should sign Alexander Isak

The justification behind an official bid for Newcastle’s star striker is pretty self-explanatory: he’s an incredible goalscorer, and with a dynamic and nuanced skill set which would be perfect for Slot’s specific system.

It’s hard to see a world in which Isak wouldn’t hit the ground running at Liverpool. He’s powerful, athletic, pacy and deadly in front of goal. He’s the finishing piece from which someone like Wirtz could target to create an unstoppable attacking line.

Leverkusen’s man has been hailed as “a defender’s nightmare” by journalist Bence Bocsak, now imagine him combining with Isak, a terror in his own right.

The 25-year-old joined Howe’s side from Real Sociedad in 2022 for a club-record £63m fee and has since hit 73 goal contributions from 108 matches in all competitions, bringing a completeness that could be perfect for Slot’s fluent system.

Described as “the best striker in Europe” by Toon teammate Anthony Gordon, Isak would of course be a stunning addition to a winning Liverpool formula, replacing the flagging Darwin Nunez, the declining Diogo Jota, and taking Slot’s system to the next level.

It’s for this reason that Isak could be the better signing, surpassing Wirtz, especially with an overreliance on a soon 33-year-old Mohamed Salah being a dangerous thing moving forward.

Isak has just produced his finest campaign, behind only Salah in the Premier League’s scoring charts. It’s frightening to think the pair could ply their trade side by side next term, and with Wirtz nestled in behind them too.

1.

Mohamed Salah

37

28

2.

Alexander Isak

33

23

3.

Erling Haaland

30

21

4.

Chris Wood

35

20

5.

Yoane Wissa

34

19

5=

Bryan Mbeumo

37

19

Salah is one of the greatest goalscorers the Premier League has ever known, but Isak is proving himself quite the menace on Tyneside, five goals behind the Egyptian but having played five matches fewer.

He’s also missed just 18 big chances in the top flight this term, as per Sofacore, denoting a cutting edge that Liverpool’s central striking options simply haven’t showcased since Slot took to the dugout.

Transfer Focus

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

Now that is a style Wirtz would delight in playing with. The German ranks among the top 9% of positional peers across Europe this season for assists and the top 7% for both shot-creating actions and progressive passes per 90, as per FBref, illustrating an approach which would overwhelm Liverpool’s opponents.

While Wirtz has also created 17 big chances in the Bundesliga this season, his creativity is only one facet of a kaleidoscopic skill set. His combativeness, tenacity and workrate all make him the player he is, a superstar in the making.

This just goes to show he’s tailor-made for a place in Slot’s title-winning squad. For sure, Liverpool have a load of technical quality in their ranks, but they are built on their determination and application, flair enabled through hard graft and toil.

Make no mistake, if Liverpool manage, somehow, to sign both Isak and Wirtz, they will be a force to be reckoned with for many years to come, if they are not already.

Isak, however, might just take the cake as the cream of an audacious transfer window, should he sign.

Open to leaving: Liverpool “machine” would be finished if FSG sign Wirtz

Liverpool are going punch-for-punch with Bayern Munich in the fight to sign Florian Wirtz.

ByAngus Sinclair May 23, 2025

Cricket Australia chair says, “the Gabba has a use for life that ends in 2030. We need a solution, and are working on it”

Andrew McGlashan18-Aug-2024

The Ashes encounter in 2025-26 will be the 49th consecutive season of Test cricket at the Gabba, but there may be no half-century•Getty Images

The Gabba in Brisbane has played host to plenty of iconic Test moments – the 1960 tie, Ian Botham’s last great Test innings, Shane Warne’s career best, Peter Siddle’s birthday hat-trick, India’s famous 2021 heist and Shamar Joseph’s heroics to pick out a few – but there are now major questions over its future as an international venue.On Sunday it was confirmed that the Queensland government had only signed a two-year hosting agreement with Cricket Australia which means beyond the upcoming India Test and next year’s men’s Ashes fixture there is great uncertainty when, or if, the famous ground will be back on the schedule.The Ashes encounter in 2025-26 will be the 49th consecutive season of Test cricket at the Gabba, but there will be no half-century with it not having one of the four New Zealand Tests the following year. There are, however, discussions ongoing about white-ball internationals with England due to visit that summer for ODIs and T20Is.Related

Gabba to be demolished after 2032 Olympics, cricket to get new home in Brisbane

'Where does Australian cricket play?' Queensland Cricket renews talks over Gabba future

Ashes 2025-26: CA schedules Brisbane day-night Test after Perth opener

'He can be successful as an opener' – Watson thinks Smith should stay put

MCG to host one-off Australia-England Test in 2027 to mark 150 years of Test cricket

The Gabba is coming towards the end of its viable working life in 2030. Brisbane will host the 2032 Olympics and initially, there had been plans to completely rebuild the venue, but that was ditched by the Queensland government due to costs and instead, there is expected to be a renovation along with other stadiums in the city.While a complete rebuild would have taken the stadium out of commission for a number of years, there is still uncertainty over whether it will be usable during a renovation.In an open letter, the chair of Queensland Cricket Kirsten Pike and chief executive Terry Svenson outlined the organisation’s frustrations and concerns for cricket in the state.”The State Government’s decision to not progress with its commitment to rebuild the Gabba and downgrade its proposed Olympic role has resulted in direct and indirect changes to how we proceed with our business,” they wrote.”It is deeply disappointing that the 2026-27 Gabba Test has become a casualty of the uncertainty around the infrastructure planning and development ahead of the 2032 Olympic preparations, specifically around the Gabba.”…and while not being unduly alarmist, the potential outcome of this continuing uncertainty could have a significant impact on participation statewide and fan engagement across men’s and women’s cricket.”The future of the Gabba is under threat by new stadiums around the country, including a proposed indoor venue in Hobart•Tasmania Government

Speaking last week, former Australia and Queensland captain Allan Border called for a new multipurpose venue to be built in the city.”It’s sad, but they [Cricket Australia] have got to have some certainty, probably over the next four years, if they can use the Gabba or not,” he told the . “I’d be knocking down the Gabba and building a new venue from scratch at Victoria Park. A brand new 60,000-seat stadium suits rugby, cricket, Aussie rules and the Olympics, and the Gabba becomes housing.”Whatever the future of a major cricket venue in Brisbane, there could be a potential challenger on the horizon with Tasmania having ambitions to host indoor Test cricket in the proposed new Hobart stadium which is set to be ready in 2029. However, Cricket Australia chair Mike Baird said it was hard to envisage a future where Brisbane was not part of the regular Test schedule.”That’s hard to imagine, but we have to have the facilities and a ground that supports it,” he said. “We want the fans to have the best experience as they come and see the world’s best players.”What we do know is the Gabba has a use for life that ends in 2030. We need a solution, and are working with the AFL as well on a long-term solution. We want a great venue in Brisbane, that can support Queensland Cricket and Australian cricket for years to come.”The Queensland Cricket letter added: “We remain hopeful that Test cricket will return to the Gabba after the summer of 2026-27 despite the current lack of detail and uncertainty surrounding the upgrades to the Gabba.”Queensland does have other smaller international venues. Allan Border Field in Brisbane regularly hosts the women’s team and Australia A and the Gold Coast hosted a T20I against West Indies in 2022. In regional Queensland, Mackay is used while Townsville and Cairns hosted the T20I and ODI series respectively against Zimbabwe and New Zealand in 2022.The men’s Future Tours Programme has some winter home cricket on Australia’s schedule in the coming years which could open the door for venues such as Cairns and Townsville. South Africa are due to visit for ODIs and T20Is in August 2025 while Afghanistan have a Test and three T20Is allocated in July 2026 although those would appear unlikely to happen given Cricket Australia’s current stance on bilateral series with Afghanistan.

Bayer Leverkusen boss Erik ten Hag is looking to move on Matej Kovar for a second time after selling the goalkeeper at Manchester United.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Ten Hag looking to sell KovarSold goalkeeper when in charge of UnitedUnited looking for new goalkeeperFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The Czech goalkeeper joined Leverkusen in 2023, making six Bundesliga appearances under Xabi Alonso, and is set to depart the club already. As per , Leverkusen have agreed a deal with PSV to sell Kovar who is looking to become a first-choice number one on a permanent basis. While it marks the second time Ten Hag has shifted Kovar, with Brentford's Mark Flekken arriving to become the main option between the sticks, it was inevitable Kovar would have to leave for regular game time.

AdvertisementAFPTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Ten Hag has been tasked with rebuilding a Leverkusen side that has been torn apart by the departure of manager Xabi Alonso to Real Madrid and key first-team players Jeremie Frimpong and Florian Wirtz to Liverpool. The Dutch manager, who despite winning the League and FA Cup, endured a torrid time at United and will be hoping to repair his managerial reputation in Germany. The moving on of apparent deadwood will be necessary if Ten Hag is to unleash a revolution at side pipped to the Bundesliga title by Bayern Munich last season.

DID YOU KNOW?

United are looking to revamp their own goalkeeping options. Ten Hag's signing, Andre Onana, has proved to be an unreliable figure in-between the sticks at Old Trafford and Ruben Amorim is desperate for a new number one. The Botafogo goalkeeper John has impressed at the Club World Cup and is the latest option United are considering as the Onana replacement.

AFPWHAT NEXT FOR TEN HAG?

Ten Hag will continue to look to improve his Leverkusen squad and put his own stamp on the club. Lukas Hradecky and Flekken provide strong options in net for the Dutchman, but replacements for Wirtz and Frimpong may prove more vital.

تحدث ماريو إيليتش قائد فريق أوكلاند سيتي النيوزيلندي، عن مواجهة بيراميدز، التي تقام بين الفريقين، مساء غد الأحد، في إطار منافسات بطولة كأس إنتركونتيننتال.

ويلتقي بيراميدز مع أوكلاند سيتي، في التاسعة من مساء غد الأحد، على استاد الدفاع الجوي، في الدور الأول من بطولة كأس إنتركونتيننتال.

وقال إيليتش خلال تصريحات عبر قناة “أون سبورت: “نحن دائمًا نضع لأنفسنا توقعات عالية، في كل مباراة نلعبها نريد فيها الفوز، نركز على الأداء أولاً، وحافظًا على صلابتا الدفاعية بالتاكيد ستكون فرصتنا كبيرة للفوز”.

وأضاف: “سندخل مباراة بيراميدز بهدف تحقيق الفوز، مع إدركنا بصعوبة المباراة، وقوة المنافس، لكن لدينا ثقة كاملة في أنفسنا، وقدراتنا على تحقيق المفاجأة”.

وتابع: “نعلم أن بيراميدز فريق كبير وخطير هجوميًا، قد أثبت جدارته بالفعل، بالفوز بدوري أبطال إفريقيا، سبق وأن خوضنا مباراة قوية أمام النادي الأهلي، نتوقع أن تكون هذه المواجهة بنفس الصعوبة”.

طالع | وقت إضافي أم ركلات ترجيح؟.. فيفا يوضح مصير مباراة بيراميدز وأوكلاند سيتي حال انتهائها بالتعادل

وأكمل: “قمنا بدراسة فريق بيراميدز تفصيلاً وحددنا عناصر القوة لديهم، لكنا على علم أنهم متماسكون في جميع الخطوط، وضعنا خطة واضحة ونسعي للالتزام بها حتي نقلل من خطورة بيراميدز ونحقق النجاح المطلوب”.

وواصل: “نعلم أن اللقاء سيكون مرهق بدنيًا خاصة أن الفريق معتاد على الأجواء ونحن قادمين من أجواء شتوية في نيوزيلندا، لهذا قضينا عدة أيام في أبو ظبي قبل اللقاء للتكيف مع الأجواء”.

واستطرد: “استفدنا من تجربتنا السابقة ضد الأهلي كما أن مشاركتنا في عدة نسخ في بطولة كأس العالم للأندية منحتنا خبرة وثقة كبيرة، خوضنا 3 مباريات قوية في مونديال الأندية بأمريكا”.

وأستكمل: “دائمًا ندخل في مثل هذه اللقاءات ونحن الطرف الأضعف، خاصة أننا فريق من الهواة ولاعبينا لديهم وظائف يومية خارج مجال كرة القدم لذلك يكون الضغط الأكبر على المنافس”.

وأتم: “نركز على المباراة دقيقة بدقيقة ونتمسك بالأسس الدفاعية ونعرف أننا قادرون على صناعة الفرص ويبقى الأهم استغلال تلك الفرص عندما تأتي، كرة القدم هي لعبة المفاجآت، حققنا نتيجة تاريخية بالتعادل أمام بوكا جونيور الأرجنتيني في كأس العالم للأندية، لذلك طالما على أرضية الملعب نملك الفرصة في الفوز في النهاية 11 لاعبا أمام مثلهم، سنلعب بخطة واضحة وسنترك الباقي لكرة القدم”.

da poker： Sheffield United are thought to be looking to tie down three different key players to new contracts, according to an exciting new update regarding their futures.

Sheffield United reach defining moment in season

da realbet： The Blades are seven games away from returning to the Premier League, with Chris Wilder’s side topping the Championship table heading into the vital remaining weeks of the season.

United have won four of their last five league matches, seeing them leapfrog a stalling Leeds United side, going two points ahead of them in the process. Perhaps more importantly, they are also only two ahead of third-place Burnley, highlighting how tight things are in the automatic promotion battle.

While on-pitch matters are clearly huge, tying down certain players to new contracts is also essential, with Wilder making it clear that he wants deals for Rhian Brewster, Anel Ahmedhodzic and Jack Robinson sorted: “For me, as you can imagine, all the focus and concentration is on what happens here but if you’re asking me, would I like them all to re-sign, yes. One hundred per cent. They’ve all been outstanding for us and have still got a part to play going forward.”

Sheffield United want new deals for key trio

According to The Star, the futures of Sheffield United trio Brewster, Ahmedhodzic and Robinson were “discussed last week when members of the group that own United, including Steven Rosen and Helmy Eltoukhy, visited Sheffield”.

Wilder has also claimed that “Steve Bettis is on with that and in discussion with the owners”, as they look to get some big in-house business over the line.

This would be great news for United, with the £90,000-a-week-combined trio of Brewster, Ahmedhodzic and Robinson such important players this season. This season, they have made 89 appearances in the Championship in total, showing how important they are to the cause, with 67 of those starts.

Ahmedhodzic and Robinson have both been reliable members of the Blades’ defence, but the emergence of Brewster has arguably been one of the biggest feel-good stories of the campaign at Bramall Lane.

Having suffered so much with injuries and not kicking after leaving Liverpool as a highly-rated player, the 24-year-old has scored in his last two appearances, including the priceless winner in the 1-0 victory away to local rivals Sheffield Wednesday.

The Englishman’s influence is going to be big in these next few weeks, given his form, and he has the ability to steer United back to the Premier League.

Related Sheffield United ready to sign £25k-p/w "natural leader" from league rivals

Chris Wilder could bolster his Sheffield United squad by snatching one of their rivals’ finest talents.

Posts BySean Markus Clifford Apr 3, 2025

New deals for him and his two Blades teammates feels like a no-brainer, especially as Wilder values them all so much, and the hope is that all three of them are still at Bramall Lane next season, at which point United are back where they belong.

Towhid Hridoy, Imran Tahir and Will Jacks were some of the standout performers in week four of the BPL

Mohammad Isam15-Feb-2024

Hridoy, Jacks, Shakib, Tahir put in starring performances

Comilla began and ended the week with contrasting chases. Towhid Hridoy was superb in both games, making unbeaten scores of 108 and 91. Comilla aced a 176-run chase against Dhaka with a ball remaining. Hridoy, not quite showing his form from the last season till that point, smashed the tournament’s first century while the others failed around him. His unbeaten 108 came off just 57 balls.Then, Hridoy’s 91 not out helped Comilla chase down 164 against Khulna, which they did with seven wickets and 21 balls to spare. Between these two wins, Will Jacks’ century helped Comilla equal BPL’s highest total when they made 239-3 in their big win against Chattogram.Jacks blasted ten sixes in his 108* off 53 balls, while Litton Das also scored a quick half-century. Moeen Ali struck a quick fifty and then finished off the Chattogram innings with a hat-trick. There was also enough time in the match for legspinner Rishad Hossain to take his maiden four-wicket haul. There was no such luck for Chattogram’s Al-Amin Hossain, who conceded 69 runs in his four overs, the most by any bowler in BPL history.Imran Tahir became the first legspinner to take a five-for in the BPL•Rangpur Riders

Later in the same day, Rangpur crushed Khulna by 78 runs, racking up 219 for 5 batting first. Shakib Al Hasan and Mahedi Hasan blasted fifties before Imran Tahir took a five-wicket haul, the first by a legspinner in the BPL. Alex Hales also struck a quickfire 60, but he was fighting a lone battle.Tahir apart, Rangpur’s other new recruits Reeza Hendricks and Jimmy Neesham also gave them strong performances in their 53-run win against Chattogram.The likes of Soumya Sarkar, Mahmudullah and Tamim Iqbal struck fifties to get Barishal important wins against Dhaka this week. Khulna, however, crashed and burned. After winning their first four games in a row, they have now lost five consecutively.

Batter of the week – Towhid Hridoy

Towhid Hridoy has had one of those dream weeks, having struck an unbeaten century and an unbeaten 91 this week. Both came in chases for Comilla, and he kept his cool throughout both knocks. Particularly against Dhaka, when Comilla were in trouble after a regular fall of wickets. Hridoy played gorgeous shots, particularly his whips and hoicks through midwicket; his cover-driving when in full flow is good to watch too.

Bowler of the week – Imran Tahir

Imran Tahir has added the fun element to the BPL after his late arrival. He had come after completing his SA20 assignments – it’s his first time playing in the tournament in Bangladesh. Tahir took just one wicket in his first game, but then followed it with a five-wicket haul. His celebrations have really struck a chord with the fans in Dhaka and Chattogram, and Rangpur will hope he plays a big role in the latter part of the tournament.

Everton are gearing up for investment in the transfer market this summer, with David Moyes’ impressive return to Goodison Park stabilising the club after many turbulent years.

But things are still changing. The Toffees will drape the curtain on their long and distinguished history at Goodison this summer, moving to the new and fashionable Bramley Moore.

It’s a seismic leap, but one fans hope will advance the club’s restoration. New owners, The Friedkin Group, are reported to have promised Moyes he will be granted significant transfer powers this summer, and he may even be prepared to rock the boat a little (per The i Paper).

So, with that in mind, let’s have a look at how Everton might look on new turf next season.

How Everton's squad is shaping up for Bramley Moore

Everton are set to part ways with no less than 15 first-team players this summer, a staggering number though one which is contextualised by the inclusion of players out on loan, such as Mason Holgate and the notorious Neal Maupay, and loanees such as Jack Harrison and Jesper Lindstrom.

By and large, Everton’s soon-to-depart cohort consists of twilit players. Abdoulaye Doucoure, Seamus Coleman, Ashley Young and Asmir Begovic illustrate that point.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s contract is also up for expiry. Beto’s fine form under Moyes’ wing attenuated the need for a new striker this season, but with Armando Broja’s buy clause unlikely to be activated after an injury-blotted season, fresh firepower will be needed at number nine.

What, then, sits as the first port of call for Moyes and inbound Director of Football Angus Kinnear, who will leave Leeds United at the end of the season?

The door is wide open for incomings. Alongside Charly Alcaraz, whose purchase option will surely be activated, the rumour mill is beginning to speed up. The Blues have been reliably linked by Sky Sports with Sunderland talent Chris Rigg.

Lastly, there’s a growing sense that Jarrad Branthwaite is tempted by a move away from Merseyside. However, the Toffees are understood (via the earlier iNews report) to hope to initiate talks for a fresh deal to ward off suitors.

Everton must part with "struggling" star

If Branthwaite were to leave, it may feel like a pragmatic move to tie Michael Keane down to an extension, but this would actually be a move of stagnancy, maybe regression.

In either scenario, Keane is ageing and approaching the final few months of his contract, having fallen into the realm of insignificance over the past several years.

Everton signed Keane from Sean Dyche’s Burnley in a deal rising to a club-record-equalling £30m in 2017, part of a summer splurge after Farhad Moshiri first appeared on the scene.

He’s paid his due, for sure, but Keane’s deficiencies have been glaring in recent years.

Matches (starts)

22 (20)

10 (9)

Goals

0

2

Assists

1

0

Clean sheets

7

2

Touches*

50.5

41.3

Pass completion

82%

83%

Ball recoveries*

3.1

2.3

Tackles + interceptions*

2.4

2.0

Clearances*

6.3

5.0

Ground duels won*

2.0 (74%)

1.0 (42%)

Aerial duels won*

1.6 (53%)

1.9 (58%)

Branthwaite was out injured for the opening weeks of the campaign, and so Keane deputised alongside James Tarkowski in his stead.

When comparing the respective metrics across the 2024/25 campaign, it becomes clear Keane is dramatically outstripped by his younger peer in relation to defensive security. To his credit, he does have a shrewd eye for goal.

Failing to match Branthwaite isn’t of itself to Keane’s detriment, but he’s long been at odds with fans’ satisfaction, with talkSPORT pundit Terry Groves even commenting that he’s “always struggling.”

As per FBref, the dormant England international ranks among the bottom 18% of Premier League defenders this season for pass completion and the bottom 1% for progressive passes per 90.

While Everton hardly enforce possession-centric football, Keane has failed to uphold even the most rudimentary of ball-playing games. Branthwaite, by comparison, ranks among the bottom 21% of divisional defenders for progressive passes per 90, which is of course still low but indicates more initiative and enterprise on the ball.

And when considering the fact that he earns about £80k per week for the Blues, it becomes very clear that Keane needs to leave when his contract is up this summer.

Considering this, Keane has actually cost Everton more than £26m in wages since arriving from Burnley way back when. Though he’s made 226 appearances for the Toffees across his stay, his positive impact has been nominal in recent years, and it’s the right time to move on.

It’s been an eight-year stay at Goodison for this veteran, but his expiration will coincide with that of the club’s hallowed stomping ground. It’s for the best.

With West Ham United’s Vladimir Coufal on Everton’s radar as he nears the end of his contract at the London Stadium, Jake O’Brien may well find a more permanent home at centre-back, thus mitigating Keane’s potential departure. There would also, for sure, be a central fresh face brought in to deepen the ranks.

Keane still has gas left in the tank at 32 but certainly hasn’t proved in recent years that he is worthy of playing a significant part in the coming era.

Everton need to act with firm intent in the coming months; parting with Keane and replacing him with a younger, more exciting talent would issue a statement to hungry fans: this is a new era, and sights are set on lofty goals.

Moyes can forget Branthwaite by unleashing Everton's "special" academy gem

Everton might need a replacement for Branthwaite if he leaves

2 ByJoe Nuttall Mar 26, 2025