Back at Perth Scorchers for another BBL, he believes his decision to play last year was a major reason why he lost his New Zealand spot

Andrew McGlashan30-Nov-2021Colin Munro insists he has moved on from likely seeing the end of his international career although believes his record still stacks up against others at the top of New Zealand’s order.When he was omitted from New Zealand’s T20 World Cup squad, Munro said his career had appeared to be ended “not by choice.” He had made himself unavailable for the pre-World Cup trips to Bangladesh and Pakistan, but pinpoints his decision to play the Big Bash last season for Perth Scorchers – where he is returning this summer – as probably the defining moment.That continues to leave Munro confused, given that Adam Milne was able to leave his New Zealand domestic contract to play for Sydney Thunder, but he is adamant he made the best decision for himself and his family.”Yeah, at the time, to be honest I was very disappointed,” Munro said. “But now I’ve made peace with it, towards the back end my career, I can’t be too bitter.Related

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“I’ve grown up a little bit, if this was 25 or 26-year-old Colin getting that information I would have been all over social media too much. Whereas now I’ve sort of just gone about my business and know that chapter is probably closed. And I’m just fortunate enough that there are some leagues around the world that I can still ply my trade and get looked after pretty well.””I’m pretty comfortable. I think the thing that probably hurt me the most was coming to the Scorchers last year and not playing the home summer. Then I asked about Milney [Adam Milne], he gave up his contract and I was sort of told that it’s comparing apples and oranges. So I just sort of left it at that.”Financially for me, and it’s not always about finance, but when you’ve got two kids and you’re trying to set them up as well as you can, it was a no brainer for me to come over and play.”Munro’s last T20I came in February 2020 against India. Since cricket resumed amid the pandemic he has played CPL, BBL, PSL and the Hundred. This year he is averaging 38.39 with a strike-rate 130.46 and has passed 1000 runs for the second time in a calendar year after his prolific 2018 where he made 1530 runs at 34.00.”My records are there and everyone can have a look at it,” he said. “But since opening the batting three, four years ago, my numbers are really, really good. But it’s not always about the numbers, I think I also fit in really well to the team, offer a little bit of leadership, which would probably help playing franchise cricket where you go in as an overseas player and try and give back to that environment as much as you can.”He admitted he was difficult at times watching the T20 World Cup, where New Zealand finished runners up, particularly when they changed tack and opened with Daryl Mitchell, but conceded that the success the team has had means it is difficult to pick holes in the decisions made.”It was a bit tough,” he said. “Especially when you see somebody that doesn’t open the batting but give credit to Daryl Mitchell, he batted really well.”All the things that Gary Stead’s doing at the moment, and Kane Williamson, they are ticking off quite nicely. So you can’t really go up against them and say that they are not doing their job as well as they can. I watched a lot of the games because I was doing a little bit of TV [work] which was probably quite good for me. You’re trying to analyse the game and think about it more rather than just sit back and be a little bit bitter that you that you’re not there.”He is still a little uncertain what role he will play for Scorchers this season but expects it to be either opening or at No. 4 because of Mitchell Marsh’s form at No. 3 for Australia in recent months. Marsh is likely to be absent for the club’s first two matches due to being part of the Australia A squad.

Government may take “nuclear option” of independent regulator if game doesn’t “get house in order”

Andrew Miller18-Nov-2021Nigel Huddleston, the UK sports minister, has warned the ECB that the government may be moved to take the “nuclear option” of appointing an independent regulator, unless urgent progress is made to confront the issue of institutional racism in cricket.Speaking to the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport select committee on Thursday, Huddlestone told fellow MPs that the government was “impatient” for cricket to “put its house in order” and confront the issues raised in Azeem Rafiq’s testimony to the same panel on Tuesday.Related

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“Cricket in the UK is not nationalised, we don’t have direct control [over the sport],” Huddlestone told the committee. “But if they don’t get their act together, then we have the nuclear option of legislating in order to bring in potentially an independent regulator. That is probably the route that, if we absolutely had to, we could go down.”Huddlestone’s comments pile further pressure on Tom Harrison, the ECB’s embattled chief executive, who endured an uncomfortable session before Parliament on Tuesday, and is expected to face an equally tough grilling on Friday, with a game-wide meeting due to take place at The Oval to address the implications of the crisis.Harrison’s discomfort at the DCMS hearing centred around the ECB’s dual role as cricket’s governing body and regulator – in particular its decision to allow Yorkshire to run, and then suppress, their own investigation into Rafiq’s claims. It was a state of affairs which Julie Elliott MP, a member of the DCMS panel, said was “a system open to abuse”.Harrison’s performance has been described by one senior county administrator as “a train-wreck”, and with all 41 of the ECB’s members – including the 18 first-class counties, the MCC and the national counties – due to attend Friday’s meeting, it’s conceivable that Harrison could yet face the same fate as the board’s former chairman, Ian Watmore, who was forced to resign last month in the wake of England’s controversial abandonment of their proposed tour of Pakistan.Harrison, who has been chief executive since 2015, was instrumental in securing the ECB’s £1.1 billion rights deal with Sky and the BBC, which runs from 2020-2024. However, his relationship with the counties was soured by the manner in which the Hundred was driven through the game, and though the ECB was credited for its initial handling of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, the decision to award a £2.1million bonus pot to Harrison and other senior executives remains a deeply divisive issue, especially given the sport’s multi-million pound losses in the last financial year, and the extensive redundancies that followed.Tom Harrison, ECB chief executive, arrives for the DCMS select committee hearing•Getty Images

Those financial issues could yet be deepened by government intervention, with Huddlestone warning that cricket’s funding through Sport England – worth approximately £2.5 million a year to the grassroots game – could also come under review.”I have had extensive conversations with the secretary of state, Nadine Dorries,” Huddlestone said, “and she has been very clear to me that if we don’t see sufficient action being taken, then we as a government will intervene.”There is financial flow through Sport England, in some cases UK Sport, into cricket. Interestingly, most of that money is going into the various initiatives which we all applaud, about equality, diversity and inclusion. So for people saying we need to pull all the funding from cricket, we’ve got to be very careful about that. But we also need to be very conscious about how we are using taxpayers’ money in cricket, and make sure it’s doing the right things.””We’ve had very frank conversations with ECB and others involved in cricket over the last couple of weeks,” Huddlestone told the House of Commons earlier on Tuesday. “I have had reassurance that they take the issue seriously and will act.”Tom Harrison has promised me that with every fibre of his being he will take action here. We will judge them on their deeds and not their words, and if they fail to act appropriately we will not hesitate to intervene further.”

Ange Postecoglou is now a few months into his second season in charge of Tottenham Hotspur, and while it hasn’t been the smoothest of rides, it would be fair to say the majority of fans would rather be where they are now than where they were before he joined.

The Australian has taken a team that was playing dull and ineffective football under the previous string of managers and has turned them into arguably one of the most entertaining sides in the country.

Granted, there are still some problems with defending and wilting under pressure, but overall, the team look far more effective when in the swing of things, and some of his additions, like Brennan Johnson and Micky van de Ven, have made a real difference.

That said, a few players are still underwhelming and should probably be moved on next year, including Richarlison. Fortunately, the club were linked to the perfect upgrade in the summer.

Richarlison's Spurs career

In the summer of 2022, while Antonio Conte was still at the helm, Tottenham opted to spend £60m on Everton’s star attacker Richarlison, who had just come off a strong season in which he scored 11 goals and provided five assists.

So, there was an expectation that in a stronger team like Spurs, he would only improve his attacking output, but that didn’t happen.

Instead, he ended his first campaign in the capital with a paltry return of three goals and four assists in 35 appearances.

Things did improve slightly under Postecoglou last season, as a hot streak midway through the campaign saw him finish with a more reasonable tally of 12 goals and four assists in 31 games, but he still wasn’t justifying his massive price tag.

Injuries have limited the former Toffees star to just six appearances this season, in which he’s scored once.

Richarlison’s Spurs career

Season

22/23

23/24

24/25

Appearances

35

31

6

Goals

3

12

1

Assists

4

4

0

Goal Involvements per Match

0.2

0.51

0.16

All Stats via Transfermarkt

However, cameo appearances like the one against Manchester City last night have only further entrenched the idea that he is simply not clinical enough. So it’s probably time he was moved on next year, and the good news is that his ideal replacement should be available for free.

Why Spurs should replace Richarlison with Jonathan David

Yes, the striker in question is Canadian international and LOSC Lille star Jonathan David, who was heavily touted for a move to N17 during the summer for fees in the £20m to £25m range.

However, the 24-year-old ultimately opted to remain in Northern France for another season, and while that’s good news for Les Dogues on the pitch, it might not be off of it, as David’s contract is set to expire in the summer, meaning he can start negotiating with foreign clubs in January for a free move in the summer, and Spurs should be all over this.

The former Gent star might not be a household name in the UK, but he has been a consistent and reliable scorer of goals in France over the last few years and would be a dream upgrade on Richarlison as well as someone who could even challenge Dominic Solanke for a starting berth.

Jonathan David’s recent club career

Season

2021/22

2022/23

2023/24

2024/25

Appearances

48

40

47

16

Goals

19

26

26

11

Assists

0

4

9

2

Goal Involvements per Match

0.39

0.75

0.74

0.81

All Stats via Transfermarkt

For example, in 47 appearances last year, the “world-class” forward, as dubbed by ex-Canada manager Iain Hume, scored 26 goals and provided nine assists, and in just 16 games this season, he’s racked up a haul of 11 goals and two assists – talk about efficient.

Moreover, the New York City-born marksman has scored six goals in just 11 Champions League appearances and racked up two goals and two assists in four qualifiers, so he is not someone who’ll wilt under pressure.

Ultimately, Richarlison is a talented player, but he has only been able to show it in glimpses since moving to North London.

In contrast, David has consistently demonstrated that he’s an elite goalscorer, and considering he’ll be available on a free next summer, this is a transfer Spurs cannot afford to miss out on.

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Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes Oct 31, 2024

India vice-captain Smriti Mandhana is full of praise for the leadership of teenager Hannah Darlington, having relished a chance to learn more about Indigenous culture during her WBBL stint.Darlington, aged 19, was named skipper of WBBL defending champions the Sydney Thunder after border closures and a newborn baby prompted the withdrawal of veteran Rachael Haynes.The Thunder dropped the opening four games of their title defence. They have since posted wins over Hobart Hurricanes and Melbourne Stars, setting up a crunch clash with Brisbane Heat at Adelaide Oval on Sunday. Darlington was a picture of composure and positivity throughout the poor start, according to Mandhana.”That’s the key thing as a leader that you don’t let the pressure or anything show on your face,” Mandhana told AAP. “She was really good throughout those four matches, just kept focusing on the positives and she had a major role to play in it [the turnaround].”She looks pretty relaxed and calm for her age. She’s doing an amazing job to lead a team at her age. She’s quite approachable, that’s the best thing about her and that’s what you want as a captain.”Darlington made her international debut during the recent multi-format series, becoming just the third Indigenous woman to play cricket for Australia. The Kamilaroi woman was part of an Indigenous team that visited England in 2018, retracing the steps of the 1868 Aboriginal tour.Smriti Mandhana comes out to bat•Getty Images

Darlington’s appointment as the youngest ever WBBL captain came at the Thunder’s customary shirt presentation on the banks of the River Derwent, where traditional owners performed a smoking ceremony.Darlington and team-mate Anika Learoyd, a Gumbaynggirr woman, spoke from the heart while starting conversations about Indigenous culture with new team-mates like Mandhana.”It’s amazing to learn more about the culture…hear their stories and learn more about them,” Mandhana said. “Especially for those of us not from Australia. Within the team, we discuss the culture and the land where we are going to play.”Mandhana, who celebrated a record-breaking Test ton earlier this season, has posted two half-centuries from her past three WBBL games. She has represented India on 150 occasions, with her first match against Australia coming at Adelaide Oval in 2016. The 25-year-old is thrilled to return to the venue that also triggers memories of “watching Virat score a lot of runs”.”It’s a good wicket to bat on,” Mandhana said. “I’m excited. We didn’t start this tournament the way we wanted to but there were positive signs. Hopefully we continue this momentum, we can’t afford to lose many other matches.”The WBBL continues on Saturday with three games, including a showdown between the second-placed Heat and table-topping Melbourne Renegades at Karen Rolton Oval.

After West Ham United ruthlessly dispatched of Ipswich in a 4-1 win a week and a half ago, Julen Lopetegui must have been wishing the international break away.

At long last his Hammers side looked like the real deal. This is what was promised when the Spaniard entered the building over the summer but it hasn’t all gone according to plan.

Well, there’s certainly some positivity in the air now after that four goal salvo and they will be bullish about their chances heading into a game with Tottenham who recently slumped to a 3-2 defeat to Brighton having led the game at half-time.

So, how’s the break gone for those of a West Ham persuasion?

West Ham during the international break

The big news ahead of club action pausing was that there was no place for Jarrod Bowen in Lee Carsley’s England team.

The Irons winger was selected during Carsley’s first camp but was perhaps harshly excluded on this occasion. Still, with Thomas Tuchel set to arrive as the new Three Lions boss, Bowen will be hoping there’s a space for him in the setup come 2025.

Speaking of England, West Ham defender Dinos Mavropanos was part of the Greek team that incredibly defeated them at Wembley last week, a game in which he won five of his six duels.

Further afield, Lucas Paqueta did not feature in Brazil’s 4-0 win over Peru in the early hours of Wednesday morning, but he did start the 2-1 win over Chile, although was withdrawn at half time.

Mavropanos vs England
Minutes played	90
Touches	44
Accurate passes	30/34 (88%)
Long balls	3/4
Dribble attempts	1/1
Ground duels won	3/3
Aerial duels won	2/3
Tackles	2
Clearances	4
Stats via Sofascore.

Michail Antonio went goalless for Steve McLaren’s Jamaica, as too did Mohammed Kudus whose poor season to date continued over in Africa.

Kudus' performances for Ghana

Missing captain and Arsenal star Thomas Partey, it was an incredibly poor break for not just Ghana but Kudus too.

In African Nations qualifying, they drew 0-0 with Sudan last week and then slumped to a 2-0 defeat on Tuesday night in what was a shocking performance by the Black Stars, as the Ghanaian national team are commonly known.

Unfortunately, Kudus hardly played his part, most notably in the reverse fixture this week. Handed a dismal 4/10 match rating by the national media, Pulse wrote the following words about his performance.

‘The captain of the side, Mohammed Kudus tried to lead by example by creating magic from the first whistle but that wasn’t enough to inspire the team.’

So, it wasn’t the most scathing of reviews but it’s easy to see why he was handed such a low rating when you look at the stats.

During the game, the former Ajax man lost the ball a whopping 20 times and, as Pulse said, failed to create many moments of magic having failed to register a key pass or dribble in the match. To make matters worse, he only completed 67% of his passes.

The 24-year-old enjoyed a wonderful debut campaign in east London, scoring 14 goals and registering six assists but he has been some way off his best in his second term.

To date, Kudus has only scored once – against Ipswich last time out – and supplied just a sole assist as well.

If West Ham are to recover from their current slump under Lopetegui they will need one of their main men firing. That begins against Spurs this weekend.

Lopetegui could already have his own Jhon Duran in West Ham machine

West Ham could already have their own Jhon Duran at the club.

1

By
Angus Sinclair

Oct 16, 2024

MatériaMais Notícias

Rogério Ceni busca recuperação no São Paulo depois de um início ruim no Campeonato Paulista em 2022. Isso colocou ainda mais pressão depois de o Tricolor quase ser rebaixado no Campeonato Brasileiro sob o seu comando, ainda que tenha se salvado da primeira queda da história do clube.

Ceni já soma nessa segunda passagem 17 jogos pelo São Paulo, com mais derrotas do que vitórias. Sendo assim, o LANCE! mostra os números do começo da trajetória de Ceni em sua primeira experiência no São Paulo, e também no Fortaleza, Cruzeiro e Flamengo.

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SÃO PAULO – 2017
Começando pela sua primeira passagem no São Paulo. Em 2017, Rogério Ceni estava iniciando a sua carreira como treinador e assumiu o clube onde é ídolo para ter sua primeira vivência profissional na área. Naquela ocasião, Ceni foi contratado como esperança para sair da seca de títulos, que já durava cinco anos e foi quebrada em 2021, com o título paulista sob o comando de Hernán Crespo.

Ceni até chegou na semifinal do Campeonato Paulista, mas a eliminação na Copa Sul-Americana, para o então desconhecido Defensa y Justicia-ARG em pleno Morumbi e o começo ruim no Brasileirão, com três vitórias em 11 rodadas culminou na sua demissão. Um atrito com Leco, então presidente do São Paulo, também foi fator decisivo para sua saída. Nos primeiros 17 jogos, foram nove vitórias, seis empates e duas derrotas. Ceni saiu com37 jogos, 14 vitórias, 13 empates e dez derrotas.

FORTALEZA – 2019
Depois do São Paulo, Rogério Ceni acertou com o Fortaleza, clube onde ele teve mais sucesso em sua carreira até o momento. Na sua primeira passagem, nos primeiros 17 jogos foram 12 vitórias, um empate e quatro derrotas. Val destacar que Ceni chegou como um treinador promissor e conseguiu erguer a imagem do Leão do Pici no cenário nacional, com um título da Série B do Brasileiro, um bicampeonato cearense e uma Copa do Nordeste. Deixou o Fortaleza para assumir o Cruzeiro.Pelo Fortaleza, Ceni disputou 93 partidas, venceu 51 jogos, empatou 18 e perdeu 24 na sua primeira passagem.

CRUZEIRO – 2019
Buscando se livrar da queda para a Série B, o Cruzeiro apostou em Rogério Ceni, então consolidado no Fortaleza. A Raposa tirou o treinador do Leão do Pici como uma forma de ‘chacoalhar’ o time em busca da salvação. No entanto, a passagem de Rogério em Belo Horizonte foi muito ruim. Em oito jogos, foram duas vitórias, dois empates e quatro derrotas. O principal motivo apontado para o insucesso do trabalho foi o relacionamento de Ceni com os jogadores, principalmente os mais experientes, como o zagueiro Dedé e o meia Thiago Neves, que chegou a criticar o treinador em uma entrevista.

Ceni ficou somente de agosto a setembro de 2019 no Cruzeiro, somando 46 dias de trabalho na Toca da Raposa.

FORTALEZA – 2019
Após sua demissão do Cruzeiro, Rogério Ceni voltou ao clube onde foi mais vitorioso na carreira: o Fortaleza, substituindo Zé Ricardo, em setembro. Naquela ocasião, o Leão do Pici vinha em campanha ruim no Brasileirão e apostava em Ceni para uma recuperação. Nos primeiros 17 jogos, foram nove vitórias, quatro empates e quatro derrotas. Nessa segunda passagem, Rogério chegou ao clube já com muita moral, por tudo o que tinha realizado na primeira experiência, inclusive nas melhorias da infraestrutura.

No entanto, mais um time entrou no caminho do Fortaleza. Desta vez foi o Flamengo, que buscava um treinador após a demissão deDomènec Torrent. Ceni saiu do Fortaleza somando as duas passagens com 153 jogos, 81 vitórias, 33 empates e 39 derrotas.

FLAMENGO – 2020
Já no Flamengo, Ceni foi contratado para substituir Domènec Torrent. Em sua chegada, foi cercado de expectativas pelos treinamentos diferenciados e inovadores. No entanto, o seu relacionamento com os atletas sempre foi um ponto fraco durante o seu período na Gávea.Rogério Ceni estava no Flamengo desde novembro de 2020. Nos primeiros 17 jogos, foram oito vitórias, quatro empates e cinco derrotas. Ao todo, foram 45 jogos, 23 vitórias, 11 empates e 11 derrotas. Ele conquistou três títulos (Brasileiro, Carioca e Supercopa do Brasil).

A demissão de Rogério Ceni aconteceu após um dia conturbado no Flamengo. Um áudio de Roberto Drummond, analista do departamento de scout do clube rubro-negro, vazou nas redes sociais com duras críticas ao treinador.

No áudio, de cerca de três minutos, Drummond não poupou Ceni. O funcionário destacou a postura no dia a dia e as indicações de jogadores como fatores negativos do treinador. Segundo ele, o técnico teria pedido cinco atletas do Fortaleza. O funcionário chegou a classificar o treinador como “uma pessoa ruim”. Após o episódio, a diretoria do Flamengo demitiu Drummond.

SÃO PAULO – 2021/2022
Após a demissão de Crespo, o São Paulo, que estava mal no Campeonato Brasileiro, apostou no velho conhecido para animar a equipe. Ceni chegou em outubro após uma negociação que não durou nem um dia e sem assinar contrato. Aos trancos e barrancos, ele conseguiu salvar o São Paulo do rebaixamento no Brasileirão. Apesar da desconfiança da diretoria, Rogério conta com o apoio dos torcedores nessa sua segunda passagem. Até aqui, são 17 jogos, com seis vitórias, quatro empates e sete derrotas.

NÚMEROS DE ROGÉRIO CENI EM SEUS PRIMEIROS 17 JOGOS NOS CLUBES
São Paulo 2017
17 jogos
9 vitórias
2 derrotas
6 empates

Fortaleza 2018
17 jogos
12 vitórias
1 empate
4 derrotas

Fortaleza 2019
17 jogos
9 vitórias
4 empates
4 derrotas

Cruzeiro 2019
8 jogos
2 vitórias
2 empates
4 derrotas

Flamengo 2020
17 jogos
8 vitórias
4 empates – eliminação Libertadores
5 derrotas

São Paulo 2021
17 jogos
6 vitórias
4 empates
7 derrotas

Over the last couple of years, Chelsea may have made some rash decisions in the transfer market, splashing over £1.2b on new additions since Todd Boehly’s takeover in May 2022.

Cole Palmer will undoubtedly go down as one of the best additions of his tenure at Stamford Bridge, registering 52 combined goals and assists in his 56 appearances in all competitions.

The £40m fee forked out for his services last summer now looks to be an absolute bargain, helping new boss Enzo Maresca in his quest to potentially win a trophy in his debut season in charge.

Nicolas Jackson may have had various amounts of criticism since his transfer from Villarreal in 2023, but the Senegalese striker has been a constant source of goals in the Premier League.

The 23-year-old has registered 23 goals since his own move, often providing that focal point at the top end of the pitch. However, the club have often conducted below-par business, none more so than the transfer window during the summer of 2021.

Chelsea’s transfer window in the summer of 2021

During the 2020/21 campaign, the Blues won the Champions League under former boss Thomas Tuchel, with the German doing a phenomenal job on the European stage.

As a result, he found himself with the opportunity to further improve the squad during the summer of 2021, forking out huge money on a new centre-forward.

Romelu Lukaku rejoined Chelsea in a then club-record £97.5m transfer from Inter Milan, in an attempt to add further power to the attacking department.

However, the move was a disaster, with the Belgian only featuring 44 times, scoring just 15 goals, before being sent on various loan moves away from Stamford Bridge.

He would subsequently depart the club permanently this summer, joining Serie A side Napoli in a £30m deal – seeing a £67.5m loss on their big-money investment.

To fund the move, various academy graduates were sold, with the likes of Fikayo Tomori and Lewis Baker leaving their boyhood club to create room for Lukaku’s move.

The aforementioned pair weren’t the only academy stars to permanently depart West London, as another youngster was prematurely offloaded.

The man who Chelsea offloaded too soon

Centre-back Marc Guehi left Chelsea in the summer of 2021, joining fellow Premier League side Crystal Palace in a deal for around £18m – a bargain given his rapid rise to stardom at Selhurst Park.

In the three years since his transfer, the 24-year-old has cemented his place as a regular starter, even becoming the Eagles’ club captain in the process.

Guehi, who’s been dubbed a “monster” by journalist Bobby Manzi, has made 122 appearances for the Eagles, scoring on six occasions, a record that has caught the eye within the England national team setup – earning him various call-ups over the last few months.

He was subsequently included in England’s squad for this summer’s Euro 2024 tournament in Germany, where Gareth Southgate’s side fell to a 2-1 defeat against Spain in the final.

Marc Guehi’s stats for Crystal Palace since leaving Chelsea
Season	Games	Goals	Assists
2021/22	42	4	1
2022/23	40	1	0
2023/24	29	0	1
2024/25	11	1	0
Total:	122	6	2
Stats via Transfermarkt

As a result of Guehi’s consistent performances across London, his market value has since skyrocketed, with Newcastle United strongly linked with a move for the defender.

The Magpies registered four bids for the defender over the summer, but Oliver Glasner’s side were unwilling to budge on their £75m valuation for the talent.

Given his rapid development away from Stamford Bridge, there must be some form of regret in allowing the youngster to leave with Guehi undoubtedly having the ability to star at the heart of Maresca’s side.

It’s great to see another Cobham academy graduate starring in the Premier League, but it’s now a case of what could’ve been for the Blues had they kept hold of the talent.

Chelsea wasted £63m on Lampard signing who earned more than Palmer does

Chelsea wasted £65m on Lampard signing who earned way more than Palmer does.

By
Angus Sinclair

Oct 29, 2024

The January transfer window cannot come soon enough for Glasgow Rangers and Philippe Clement.

Despite overhauling the first team squad in the summer, there are still plenty of areas that require major surgery, notably the defence and centre-forward departments.

It remains to be seen just how much money Clement will have to spend during the winter window, especially as several million was used to sign players such as Mohamed Diomande, Nedim Bajrami and Hamza Igamane a few months ago.

The failure to qualify for the lucrative Champions League group stages could set the Light Blues back significantly, which means player sales might be the only way in which the manager will be able to strengthen when the transfer window opens in a few weeks.

Date

Opposition

Competition

23/11/2024

Dundee United (H)

Premiership

28/11/2024

OGC Nice (A)

Europa League

01/12/2024

St Johnstone (A)

Premiership

04/12/2024

Kilmarnock (H)

Premiership

08/12/2024

Ross County (A)

Premiership

There are a few first-team players who are either failing to contribute, or constantly injured, who could be moved on in January to raise some funds for new signings.

Another one has seen a remarkable drop-off in form compared to last season and appears to be approaching the end of his Ibrox career.

With that in mind, here’s a look at three players who Rangers could sell in January…

1 James Tavernier

This may seem unlikely, but there are several reasons why the Gers should cash in on their captain in a few weeks.

Firstly, his scoring rate dropped drastically this season. Across the entirety of 2023/24, Tavernier netted 24 goals and grabbed 12 assists in all competitions, a stunning record for a defender.

He finally completed the domestic set, scoring the winner in the League Cup final against Aberdeen, but with the club in a title race, his form suffered and Rangers lost both the Premiership and Scottish Cup to Celtic.

Interest in him was reportedly high during the summer, as Steven Gerrard wanted to lure him to the Middle East, while Giovanni Van Bronckhorst was keen on signing the defender for Besiktas.

In the end, no move materialised as he remained at Ibrox, but his attacking stats this term are poor. After 20 games, the 33-year-old has scored just a single goal, while registering four assists.

His contract expires in the summer of 2026, which means January 2025 could be the final opportunity for the Light Blues to secure a decent transfer fee for the former Newcastle United starlet.

While it seems unrealistic, Tavernier has looked poor for large stretches this term, not offering much in the final third compared to previous seasons.

Age is certainly catching up with him too. Having just turned 33 in October, Tavernier is approaching the end, whether he likes it or not. He has been subbed off in four League and Cup games this term already, more than the whole of last term.

If he doesn’t go in January, then surely the summer – which has been touted as a potential point of exit – will see Tavernier finally depart the club, a decade after he joined.

2 Kieran Dowell

The former Everton starlet was announced as a Rangers signing in May 2023, before the 2022/23 campaign had even finished, as Michael Beale was building his own squad.

In his maiden season, Dowell started just six times, with Beale even leaving him out of the Europa League squad for some strange reason, hardly the confidence booster the Englishman needed at the time.

Around Christmas, with a midfield injury crisis engulfing the squad, it looked like Dowell could play a key part, even scoring in a win over Motherwell on Christmas Eve.

Once others were fit, Dowell suffered his own injury and played just five times during the second half of the season.

The 27-year-old is earning £16k-per-week. Considering his contributions so far for the Light Blues, this is certainly a waste of a wage, that’s for sure.

The 2024/25 campaign has brought just two starts – against St Johnstone and Dundee United – with Dowell failing to record a goal or assist in ten appearances overall.

Like Tavernier, he has a contract running until 2026, meaning this winter could be the final chance for Clement to move him on and raise some funds.

His presence in the squad is stunting the growth of youngsters such as Bailey Rice and Cole McKinnon, who are both much better options for the Gers.

3 Rabbi Matondo

Van Bronckhorst signed Rabbi Matondo in the summer of 2022, paying a fee of around £3m to lure the rapid Welshman to Scotland.

Following a season on loan to Cercle Brugge – registering 12 goal contributions – Matondo was looked upon as an exciting signing, one who could cause plenty of chaos to opposition defences in Scotland.

It didn’t quite work out like that, unfortunately. His first campaign saw the winger contribute just five assists in 28 games.

Last season saw Matondo enjoy a positive start, scoring his first goal for the club against PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League qualifiers. Before that, he shone in the League Cup clash against Morton, with journalist Euan Robertson hailing the player a “bright spark” for the Ibrox side.

By the end of the campaign, Matondo had scored six goals and grabbed four assists, but injury problems were proving to be a problem yet again, as the former Manchester City gem failed to secure a consistent run in the starting XI.

The same problems have persisted this term. Two goals and three assists in just six games is certainly impressive. Missing 13 games through injury isn’t, however.

Indeed, during his two-and-a-half seasons in Glasgow, Matondo has missed a total of 56 games and counting for the club.

A few good performances are followed by a spell on the sidelines, hardly a figure of consistency at Ibrox. Clement may not recoup the £3m that was spent on him, but it is clear that signing someone with a better injury record is surely a priority.

Time will tell which players the Belgian moves on, but these three are surely the prime options in order to bring in some much-needed transfer funds.

Rangers loan flop now looks "incredible" & is worth £18m after leaving

Rangers had a loan player under Van Bronckhorst who is now worth £18m and shining

ByRoss Kilvington Nov 16, 2024

England captain commits to leading side in final two Tests despite Ashes loss

Andrew Miller28-Dec-2021Joe Root says that he will not be considering his position as Test captain until the end of England’s tour of Australia, and instead pledged to “put some pride back into the badge” in the final two matches at Sydney and Hobart, after a humiliating conclusion to the decisive third Test at Melbourne.England’s Ashes challenge ended with their third defeat inside 12 days of action, in little more than an hour’s play at the MCG, as Australia’s debutant quick Scott Boland finished with figures of 6 for 7 in four overs to rout England for 68 – their 13th score of 200 or less in 29 completed Test innings in 2021.England’s innings-and-14-run defeat was their ninth of the calendar year, equalling a record set by Bangladesh in 2003, while two more scores of 0 on the final morning earned the team a share of another unwanted record, as they finished with 54 ducks for the year, equal with the England side of 1998.Root once again top-scored for England with 28 on the final morning, to finish 2021 with 1708 runs at 61.00 – the third-highest tally in a single year, behind Mohammad Yousuf (1788 in 2006) and Viv Richards (1710 in 1976). However, no one else in the side managed more than Rory Burns’ haul of 530, and even Extras (412) contributed more than the third-most prolific batter in the squad, Jonny Bairstow (391).”Everyone in that dressing room is gutted,” Root said after the match. “That’s not a good enough performance. We all know that. We need to put some pride back into the badge and make sure we come away from this tour with something. It’s as simple as that.”Related

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Despite the speed of England’s demise on the third morning, Root insisted that all had not been lost when play resumed with England on a sickly 31 for 4, in the wake of a pulsating new-ball burst from Australia’s quicks on Monday evening. “You turn up today and you walk out with Ben Stokes and you feel like anything’s possible,” Root said. “We’re bitterly disappointed to find ourselves in this position.”Stokes, however, fell in the fifth over of the morning, bowled by Mitchell Starc for 11, whereupon Boland added to his two wickets in his solitary over on the second evening to claim four more in his next 15 balls. Cameron Green then applied the finishing touch by bowling James Anderson for 2 to condemn England to their 12th defeat in their last 13 Tests in Australia.Root himself has played in 11 of those losses, and acknowledged that the standards of England’s domestic red-ball cricket were not currently good enough to prepare county batters for the challenge of competing on equal terms in Australian conditions, let alone elsewhere in the world.”I’d say that the best 18 players from the county game are definitely on this tour,” Root said. “There’s some very talented players within this squad and we have to find ways of upskilling ourselves and each other, and managing pressure points within the game better.”Unfortunately, where the game is at in our country right now, the only place you can really learn that is in the hardest environment,” he added. “For what is quite a young batting group, they’re having to learn out here. The environment that they’re coming from, it’s not readying them well enough for Test cricket.”It’s a very difficult place, with everything that surrounds Test matches and the different conditions and environments. If you’re not ready going into it, it makes it very difficult to improve in that environment.”Cameron Green claimed the Ashes-clinching wicket•Getty ImagesAs a member of the England team that was humiliated at the 2015 World Cup, also in Australia, Root acknowledged that this defeat may well need to be viewed in a similar light, given that England’s group-stage exit from that campaign was the single biggest factor in the ECB’s subsequent white-ball focus that culminated in their 2019 victory.”You look back at 2015 and the reset that happened in white-ball cricket, maybe that’s something that needs to be had in our red-ball game as well,” Root said. “But that is a long conversation that I should probably have with you guys another time.”More than anything, we have to stay very mentally resilient,” he added. “Just keep working very hard at our games, keep looking at ways to get better. And we have to make sure that when we get our opportunities to get ahead of the game, we take them.”It’s bitterly disappointing to be 3-0 down but there are still two Test matches to go. We have to try and make sure we come away from this tour with a couple of wins.”In leading England for the 59th time in this Test, Root drew level with his predecessor, Alastair Cook, as England’s most-capped captain. But his 24th defeat is two more than Cook oversaw, and though he also holds the record for victories as England captain (27), he is also the first man to oversee two losing tours of Australia in more than 100 years.However, when asked if he felt the time had come to hand over the leadership to someone else – potentially his deputy Ben Stokes – Root insisted that with the series not yet over, it would be “wrong to look past that”.”As a player, you talk about the next hour, or the next session, or the very next ball and managing that to the best of your abilities,” he said. “That applies to me as well, as captain of this team.”I’m in the middle of a very important series. My energy has to be all about trying to win the next game. I can’t be selfish and start thinking about myself.”That’s a big part of captaincy. You’ve got to ready the players, and try to instil that belief in every single one of your team and your squad. More than ever now, going into the last two games.”

Lamine Yamal sung praises of Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick when reflecting upon his relationship with the German.

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• Yamal praises Flick's leadership qualities
• Relationship not affected by age gap
• Called Flick among the best coaches

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Lamine Yamal has described his relationship with Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick and explained why he was thoroughly impressed with the German manager's personality and leadership skills. Yamal also indirectly highlighted how Flick has played a part in helping him become one of world's best players at just 17 years of age.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  It is well-known that Flick really admires Yamal and has been very protective of one of his most effective players. Whether it's taking Yamal off a bit early when the game has been put to bed to afford him some rest, or singing his praises in press conferences, Flick has brought his managerial acumen to the fore.

  Despite the fact that the former Bayern Munich manager is more than three times Yamal's age, the La Masia graduate feels no awkwardness with his head coach. Yamal also mentioned that Flick shows the same level of affection and care for all of his players.

• WHAT LAMINE YAMAL SAID

  "Very good from the start," Yamal began when Mundo Deportivo asked him about his relationship with Flick.

  "Before I came here in the summer, he was at the Euros and I was talking to him. Honestly, I was really surprised by the affection he has for all of us; he tries to talk to everyone," he added.

  "He tries to explain the reasons behind things, whether he’s substituting you or you’re not playing. Anything. He tries to explain things. He makes an effort to ensure we’re all doing well, and I think he’s one of the best coaches I’ve had. I haven’t had many so far, but honestly, he’s a ten."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR LAMINE YAMAL?

  The 17-year-old will be expected to feature in the starting lineup in Barcelona's next game on Saturday, February 22, when they visit Canary Islands to take on Las Palmas in what appears to be a tricky LaLiga fixture.