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Jason Gillespie’s first tour since being named Pakistan’s Test coach will see him back in Australia as he oversees two four-day matches for the Shaheens (Pakistan A) in Darwin next month.Pakistan Shaheens will play two four-day games against Bangladesh A between July 19-22 and 26-29 with Gillespie head coach for those matches before returning to Pakistan to prepare for a two-Test series against Bangladesh.Related

• Bangladesh to play seven red-ball matches to prepare for 'grueling Test schedule'

• Jason Gillespie's philosophy for Pakistan: 'Don't try to be something that you're not'

The Shaheens will remain in Darwin during August, playing 50-over matches against Northern Territory and Bangladesh A, before taking part in an expanded nine-team Top End T20 series for the second year running.”The opportunity to be the head coach of Pakistan’s Test side is fantastic,” Gillespie, who quit as South Australia and Adelaide Strikers coach, told a PCB podcast shortly after his appointment. “It’s an honour. I’ve been coaching for quite a while now in various roles around the world, but one thing I haven’t done is coach an international Test side. When this opportunity presented itself, I jumped at it.The Top End series, staged from August 9 to August 18, will also feature a Bangladesh High Performance side. Perth Scorchers and Adelaide Strikers will send teams while Tasmania will also feature. Academy sides from Melbourne Renegades and Stars will again take part as in previous seasons while defending champions NT Strike and the ACT Comets make up the tournament.The PCB has announced a Shaheens’ squad, with one further player and a captain to be confirmed before the tour, which features fast bowler Khurram Shahzad who made his Test debut against Australia in Perth last year before his tour was ended early by injury.”I am grateful to Northern Territory for inviting the Pakistan Shaheens for the second successive year,” PCB director of international cricket Usman Wahla said. “Last year, the players had a memorable experience and enjoyed playing and performing in excellent playing conditions, in front of enthusiastic cricket fans.”This year we have added red-ball cricket matches to give more exposure to our cricketers and I am confident the players will benefit from this tour and will return as better cricketers.”During the Test series, which Pakistan lost 3-0 but pushed Australia in Melbourne and Sydney, then team director Mohammad Hafeez said there were discussions between the PCB and CA on future touring opportunities for development teams.For the Australian domestic cricketers involved, the Top End T20 series will provide pre-season opportunity for those not in action overseas.”The competition adds another layer to what our pre-season would typically be, exposing players to tournament conditions ahead of the Australian domestic season,” Kade Harvey, Perth Scorchers’ general manager, said. “It’s also a great opportunity for some of WA’s most promising prospects to test themselves against quality opponents from Australia and Asia.”Last year the tournament featured Jake Fraser-McGurk and Will Sutherland who have since represented Australia, and in Fraser-McGurk’s case taken the T20 world by storm at the IPL.”To have two cricket powerhouses in Pakistan and Bangladesh now participating alongside half of the Big Bash League franchises is a testament to the potential of winter cricket in the Territory.” NT Cricket CEO Gavin Dovey said.Further squads for the Top End T20 series will be confirmed in the coming weeks.Pakistan Shaheens to tour Darwin Haseebullah, Hunain Shah, Kamran Ghulam, Kashif Ali, Khurram Shahzad, Mehran Mumtaz, Mohammad Huraira, Mubasir Khan, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Omair Yousuf, Sahibzada Farhan, Shahnawaz Dahani, Tayyab Tahir, Umar Amin

It’s finally confirmed. Matheus Cunha has left Wolverhampton Wanderers to join Manchester United in a £62.5m deal.

The move was agreed last month, but the Brazilian has now officially departed, giving Vitor Pereira some funds to work with this summer.

Pereira will have to spend wisely to replace the former Atlético Madrid star, as he was capable of moments of genius for the club during his two-and-a-half-year stint in the Midlands.

Indeed, he perhaps single-handedly kept the club in the Premier League last season, especially after they suffered a dreadful start to the campaign.

Matheus Cunha's 2024/25 season in numbers

Last season, he finished with 23 goal contributions – 17 goals and six assists – across 36 matches for the club in all competitions.

It was his displays in the top flight, however, that earmarked him as a target for several clubs.

Season

Games

Goals

Assists

2024/25

36

17

6

2023/24

36

14

8

2022/23

20

2

1

In the Premier League, he ranked first among the Wolves’ first-team squad for goals and assists (21), shots on target per match (1.3), big chances created (13) and key passes per game (1.8).

These statistics were mighty impressive, and it makes Pereira’s job of sourcing a replacement that much harder.

He has money to spend, that much is certain. But spending it on the right players will be the most important aspect.

Wolves search for a Matheus Cunha replacement

As reported by journalist Sebastien Denis earlier this week, writing for Foot Mercato, Wolves are reportedly targeting a swoop for FC St Gallen striker Willem Geubbels this summer.

Leeds United are also keen on securing his services following a prolific campaign in Switzerland.

A €10m (£8.5m) asking price is all that stands in Pereira’s way and given the financial rewards on offer for another season in the top flight, this fee won’t be any issue whatsoever.

Across 31 matches in the Swiss Super League for St. Gallen, Geubbels scored 14 goals and grabbed three assists.

Although typically deployed as a centre-forward, the youngster is also able to operate on either wing, and this flexibility will be a major bonus for the club.

This is evidenced by his performance across a range of metrics. Geubbels created seven big chances in the Swiss top flight, while also averaging 1.4 key passes and 2.5 total shots per game for St. Gallen.

Not quite at Cunha’s level, yet. But a move to Wolves could see him improve swiftly, especially with exposure to some of the best defenders in Europe.

Hailed as both “powerful” and “quick” by Kai Watson writing in the Rangers Journal in January 2024, Geubbels will offer plenty to the current Wolves squad.

Watson also stated that the youngster “plays the deeper role as part of a front two because of his creative ability.” And this could see him exuding the qualities that made Cunha such a hit at Molineux since joining in 2023.

Pereira must act quickly to snap up the young forward, especially as plenty of interested parties are keen.

Wolves now in transfer race with Leeds to sign "future star" for £8.5m

Wolves are among the teams keen on signing an exciting young forward.

ByBrett Worthington Jun 12, 2025

Manchester United are willing to pay a relatively low fee of £38m to sign a “clinical” Premier League winger this summer, according to a fresh transfer update.

Man Utd need new signings as Amorim laments domestic form again

The Red Devils lost yet again in the Premier League on Sunday, being beaten 2-0 by Crystal Palace at Old Trafford, with not even their place in the Europa League final able to hide such an awful domestic campaign.

Ruben Amorim suggested as much, lamenting his team’s form in the top flight after the defeat: “I feel embarrassed when looking at the Premier League table For me it doesn’t matter if we win the Europa League because the problems are much bigger than that.”

Major surgery is required for United’s squad when the summer arrives, and they will be hoping that Champions League qualification has been secured by beating Tottenham in Bilbao next week, allowing them to bring in better players.

A new centre-back is needed, especially with Lisandro Martinez becoming an injury-plagued figure, and Bayer Leverkusen defender Jonathan Tah has been linked with sealing a free transfer to the Red Devils.

Another face in United’s midfield also wouldn’t go amiss, especially with Casemiro an ageing player, and a surprise move for Newcastle United hero Sandro Tonali has been mooted. He could cost as much as £85m, though, and the Magpies will surely be desperate to keep hold of him.

Man Utd willing to pay £38m for Bournemouth star Semenyo

According to a report from Spain, Manchester United are happy to pay £38m to sign Bournemouth attacker Antoine Semenyo this summer, although it is not clear if his club would be willing to drop that low. The Cherries star has been mentioned as a target for the Red Devils, having scored against them in a 3-0 win at Old Trafford earlier this season.

Semenyo has been outstanding for Bournemouth throughout the campaign, standing out as arguably their best player alongside many key performers, including Dean Huijsen and Milos Kerkez.

The 25-year-old has bagged nine goals and five assists in the league, also averaging 1.8 aerial duel wins and 1.5 tackles per outing, highlighting his effectiveness in other areas of his game.

He has also been lauded by teammate Lewis Cook: “As a team, we knew the quality he has and we saw that last year. He’s got to just keep working hard – being aggressive and being clinical. He’s got a lot better at running back and helping out the team too. He’s a powerful lad and has all the ability in the world. Hopefully he can continue to show that.”

At 25, Semenyo is primed to join United and hit the ground running, providing a level of end product from out wide that the likes of Marcus Rashford and Antony failed to this season, prior to being sent out on loan.

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The Ghanaian looks like a fantastic option for United, as they look to make their attack more potent, and if they can beat rivals such as Liverpool to his signature, it could look like a huge coup in years to come.

With other Premier League sides emerging in the race to sign James Trafford this summer, Newcastle United have reportedly turned their attention towards an impressive Ligue 1 alternative.

Interest growing in Trafford as Newcastle consider other options

Whilst the Magpies have reportedly had personal terms agreed with Trafford since last year, they’re yet to get a deal over the line with Burnley and may lose out amid the fresh interest of Manchester United and Nottingham Forest. Suddenly, Newcastle could be left scrambling to find another top target to replace the ageing and struggling Nick Pope.

The Newcastle No.1 has had plenty of injury struggles in the last year or so and is yet to provide convincing form since returning to full fitness. Now, for the first time in his time at St James’ Park, the shot-stopper’s place is in doubt.

Trafford would arguably be an instant upgrade on Pope too, having enjoyed an excellent season in the Championship with Burnley, who have been one of the best defensive side’s in the division’s history.

Starts

41

21

Clean Sheets

28

5

Saves P90

1.78

3.14

Save Percentage

85.2%

71%

More clean sheets than Pope has managed Premier League starts this season, Trafford is one that Newcastle will not want to miss out on in the coming months.

On that note, however, it seems as though those in Tyneside are at least planning for the worst, having identified a number of alternative options. The likes of Aaron Ramsdale, for example, have been among the headlines as of late and reportedly finds himself on Newcastle’s radar despite suffering relegation at Southampton.

Newcastle in talks to sign Marseille winger Luis Henrique

The Magpies want to beat one of their league rivals to his signature.

BySean Markus Clifford Apr 15, 2025

What’s more, the Magpies have also reportedly turned their attention towards an option outside of English football and one who has attracted plenty of attention from the Premier League.

Newcastle make first checks on "incredible" Fofana

According to The Boot Room, Newcastle have now made their first checks in the race to sign Yahia Fofana from Angers this summer. They’re not alone in their interest, however, with Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United and Manchester City all reportedly sending scouts to watch the goalkeeper secure a clean sheet in a recent 2-0 victory over Montpellier.

So, just like in the race to sign Trafford, Newcastle must battle their way past a growing line to get themselves front of the queue for Fofana, who has already earned plenty of praise this season.

Praised for an “incredible breakout season” by U23 scout Antonio Mango in the last campaign, Fofana has only improved since then and now rightly finds himself on the radar of the Premier League. If Newcastle miss out on Trafford this summer, then turning towards the 24-year-old would certainly be a good idea.

What’s different, what’s the same? Where and when will the matches be played? What’s new about this season?

Ashish Pant20-Feb-2024Will it all be played in Mumbai again?
Unlike last year, when the tournament was held in its entirely across Mumbai, WPL 2024 will be played in Bengaluru and New Delhi. The M Chinnaswamy Stadium will host the first 11 games, while the second-half of the season, including the eliminator and the final, will be held at Delhi’s Feroz Shah Kotla.Is the format any different from last year’s?
No, the same number of games (22) will be played this year too. Each of the five teams plays the other four twice. The table-toppers directly qualify for the final, while the second and third-placed teams square off in the eliminator.After the Mumbai vs Delhi game, Royal Challengers Bangalore will open their campaign the following day against UP Warriorz, with Gujarat Giants, the fifth team, facing Mumbai on day three.Here’s a detailed look at the fixtures.What are the timings?
All the matches will start at 7.30pm IST and, unlike last year, there are no double-headers this time.Let’s go back to the auction: how did that go? Were there any major buys?
The biggest surprise in this year’s auction was the uncapped duo of Kashvee Gautam and Vrinda Dinesh pocketing bids of INR 2 crore (Giants) and INR 1.3 crore (Warriorz) respectively. Gautam, however, has been sidelined by injury and won’t feature in the competition.Amandeep Kaur is the only left-arm wristspinner in the WPL•Mumbai IndiansAustralia allrounder Annabel Sutherland, who was released by Giants ahead of the auction, was the most expensive overseas pick (Capitals) at INR 2 crore, while Shabnim Ismail, released by Warriorz, was picked up at INR 1.2 crore by Mumbai. Australia’s Phoebe Litchfield attracted a handsome bid of INR 1 crore from Giants. This will be 20-year-old Litchfield’s maiden WPL appearance.Related

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Kate Cross, who was working as a broadcaster last year, has gone to RCB, and Danni Wyatt (Warriorz) will also be a part of WPL 2024 after being unsold at the auction the last time. Scotland’s Kathryn Bryce (Giants) is the lone Associate player in the tournament.Did any major player miss out? Any withdrawals?
Chamari Athapaththu seemed set to miss out for a second straight season, but was picked up by Warriorz as a replacement for England’s Lauren Bell, who opted out to prepare for England’s tour of New Zealand (starting March 19). RCB’s Heather Knight too will miss the season for the same reason; she has been replaced by South Africa allrounder Nadine de Klerk.Among the notable exclusions are Australia bowling-allrounder Kim Garth, who was released by Giants after last season, and former West Indies allrounder Deandra Dottin. On the Indian front, there were no bids for Devika Vaidya, who was picked up for INR 1.6 crore in the inaugural season by Warriorz.Australia fast bowler Lauren Cheatle (Giants) too has withdrawn from this year’s WPL after undergoing a medical procedure for skin cancer on her neck. New Zealand veteran Lea Tahuhu has replaced her.And, along with Gautam, spin-bowling allrounder Kanika Ahuja has had to opt out with an injury. Gautam has been replaced by uncapped allrounder Sayali Satghare, while Ahuja has been replaced by Shradda Pokharkar at RCB.Gouher Sultana and Harmanpreet Kaur are the only Indians in WPL 2024 to have made their international debuts before 2010•Gouher SultanaAre the captains and coaches for the teams the same as last season?
While the five captains: Harmanpreet Kaur (Mumbai), Meg Lanning (Capitals), Smriti Mandhana (RCB), Alyssa Healy (Warriorz ) and Beth Mooney (Giants) remain unchanged, there have been some movements on the coaching front.Most notably, Giants parted ways with Rachael Haynes after just one season, bringing former Australia batter Michael Klinger on board as the head coach. Luke Williams, who won the WBBL with Adelaide Strikers, takes over from Ben Sawyer as RCB’s head coach.Which country – apart from India – has the maximum representation?
Australia has the biggest representation with 13 players, including three captains. Capitals lead the way with four Australians in their squad, while Giants, Warriorz and RCB all have three each. Mumbai are the only team to not have a single Australian player in their set-up. England have six players taking part in the tournament, while South Africa have five.Who were the breakout stars of WPL 2023?
Mumbai’s left-arm spinner Saika Ishaque and RCB allrounder Shreyanka Patil have gone on to play for India. They are considered to be products of the WPL to an extent.Recognising the need to reward performers, the BCCI has ensured that players who were capped between the two seasons automatically received an upgraded WPL contract. Signed at base price (INR 10 lakh) at the inaugural auction, both Ishaque and Patil will be paid INR 30 lakh this season following their India debuts.

Long gone under the radar among the superstars of the IPL, he is now producing results that no one can fail to notice

Karthik Krishnaswamy16-Apr-20224:46

Jaffer: His attitude separates Tripathi from other uncapped Indian players

At one level, batting in T20 has grown increasingly specialised. There are powerplay hitters and end-overs hitters, pace hitters and spin hitters, and the most successful teams line up all their specialists in a way that gets the best out of their specific skillsets.Every now and again, though, a batter will come along who defies easy categorisation. What box, for instance, do you put Rahul Tripathi in?This graph features a small collection of batters who’ve faced at least 150 balls of pace and 100 balls of spin in the IPL since the start of 2020, and who have strike rates of 120 or above against both styles of bowling. If your favourite player isn’t in this graphic, he’s failed to meet at least one of these criteria. Shimron Hetmyer, for instance, has a strike rate of 183.33 against pace but has gone at just 113.46 against spin.Related

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Of the batters who’ve met the qualification critera, only six – Mayank Agarwal, Jos Buttler, Kieron Pollard, Nicholas Pooran, Sanju Samson and Prithvi Shaw – have managed 140-plus strike rates against both pace and spin.Tripathi falls just outside this group, striking at 144.59 against pace and 138.69 against spin.In the same time span, only four batters who’ve faced at least 100 balls in both phases have managed to strike at 125-plus in the powerplay and 140-plus in the middle overs: Agarwal, Buttler, Shaw and, once again, Tripathi.And while he’s only got to face 42 balls in the death overs in these three seasons, Tripathi has shown he can handle the demands of that phase as well, scoring 78 runs at a strike rate of 185.71.If this versatility has made Tripathi a valuable asset at multiple IPL teams, it’s also kept him from having a settled role at – and becoming an indispensable member of – any of those teams. The versatility hasn’t been the only double-edged sword in his locker; his batting also exudes a sense of selflessness that is perhaps both cause and consequence of his relatively under-the-radar existence among the superstars of the IPL. Relatively, because he’s clearly valued by those within the game: Sunrisers Hyderabad shelled out INR 8.5 crore to beat off rival bidders at the auction in February.How do you quantify selflessness? Well, this season, Tripathi has a strike rate of 158.13 over his first 10 balls. He’s always been quick off the blocks, and was encouraged by his previous franchise, Kolkata Knight Riders, to bat that way. Knight Rideres try to play that way right through their innings, and the fact that their batters haven’t scored a single hundred in the IPL since the inaugural match of the tournament is perhaps a consequence of that style of play.Tripathi, unsurprisingly, hasn’t crossed a lot of personal milestones in these last three seasons: just the four fifties in 32 innings, and an average of 29.55. KL Rahul, who in the same period has drawn a significant amount of criticism for his conservative approach in the powerplay and middle overs, has 13 scores of 50 or more in the same number of innings, and an average of 52.88. His strike rate (133.20) isn’t as good as Tripathi’s (142.50), of course, but while you can debate the relative merits of their approaches from the perspective of winning T20 games, nothing brings wider recognition – and international selection – quicker than scoring mountains of runs.Just for now, though, Tripathi’s sails seem to have caught the winds of a rare and heightened sort of ball-striking form, and his versatility and selflessness are combining to produce results that no one can fail to acknowledge. After five innings in IPL 2022, he has 171 runs at an average of 57.00 and a strike rate of 178.12. Among batters who have faced at least 50 balls this season, only Dinesh Karthik, Liam Livingstone and Andre Russell have better strike rates. In Tripathi’s wake sit Hetmyer, Shivam Dube and Shaw.Tripathi’s new-age virtues and new-age numbers are the products of a style that’s mostly but not entirely old-school. On Friday night, for instance, he tried, and failed, to lap-scoop Pat Cummins over short fine leg off the first legal ball he faced.At most other times, however, Tripathi brings to the crease a turbocharged version of longer-format virtues. Quick judgment of length, for one, and quick feet.When Andre Russell bowled a short ball designed to cramp Tripathi for room, he unweighted his front foot in an instant and swivelled on his back foot to pull it for a flat six.Tripathi’s new-age virtues and new-age numbers are the products of a style that’s mostly but not entirely old-school•PTI Then, when Varun Chakravarthy – who usually delivers flatter trajectories and shorter lengths than most spinners – seemed to develop a puzzling tendency to float the ball into the slot, Tripathi responded with three glorious, back-to-back lofted drives over extra-cover. As you watched the replays from side-on, however, you began to wonder if these balls were really that full, because Tripathi was stretching so far forward that he was ending up with his back knee on the ground.As impressive as the length of Tripathi’s stride was how he maintained his shape at the end of it, never lifting his head too early, and each time finishing with left elbow high and bat face pointing skywards.The shots kept coming, with no prolonged intervals of risk-free strike rotation. The first 10 balls brought Tripathi 22 runs, and by the time he’d faced 20 balls he was on 49. His fifty was the joint-second-fastest of IPL 2022, and when he was done he had left Sunrisers Hyderabad, who were chasing 176, just 43 to get off 34 balls.This was a special innings, certainly; it was one of those times when form and conditions – both teams suggested later that dew had made life considerably easier for Sunrisers’ batters – conspire to add an almost otherworldly layer of fluency to a batter’s efforts. But it was also, in its own way, a typical Tripathi innings: packed with skill and intent against both pace and spin, gathering pace even after the fields spread out, and entirely selfless.

علق عادل عبد الرحمن، لاعب الأهلي السابق، على خسارة الفريق أمام إنبي بهدف نظيف، ضمن منافسات بطولة كأس الرابطة المصرية، اليوم الجمعة.

والتقى الأهلي مع إنبي، اليوم الجمعة، في الجولة الأولى من دور المجموعات من بطولة كأس الرابطة المصرية.

طالع | علاء ميهوب: كأس الرابطة أفضل فرصة لـ توروب.. وألوم لاعب الأهلي

وقال عادل عبد الرحمن في تصريحات لقناة الأهلي: “طاهر محمد طاهر من اللاعبين الذين يحبهم المدربون لما يتمتع به من التزام وأخلاق وجهد كبير في التدريبات، إضافة إلى انضباطه الدائم داخل الملعب وخارجه”.

وتابع: “أما حراسة المرمى في الأهلي فهي بخير، فبوجود سيحة ومحمد الشناوي ومصطفى شوبير يظل المرمى آمنا، وشوبير حارس كبير يمتلك إمكانات عالية”.

واختتم: “سيحة أيضا حارس مرمى على أعلى مستوى، يتميز بمهارة كبيرة، والمركز الذي يشعر فيه بالراحة والأفضلية هو حراسة مرمى الأهلي”.

Gill was stretchered from the stadium to a private hospital at the end of the second day

Sreshth Shah15-Nov-20251:27

‘Brave call to make’: Morkel on Sundar at No.3

Shubman Gill’s participation in the remainder of the Kolkata Test is in doubt after he was hospitalised as a precautionary measure with neck spasm. Gill was stretchered from the stadium to a private hospital for scans at the end of the second day. He was spotted wearing a neck brace and was accompanied by the team doctor and a security liaison officer out of the stadium.Gill felt discomfort three balls into his innings after unfurling a sweep to get off the mark with a boundary off Simon Harmer, and immediately called for the physio as he clutched the back of his neck.Gill was quick to leave the field, retired hurt, and didn’t return to bat as India were bowled out for 189.”Shubman Gill has a neck spasm and is being monitored by the BCCI medical team,” the BCCI said after the first session.Related

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Before the day’s play, Gill was spotted by the broadcasters doing neck exercises in front of the coaching staff and a member of the medical team. In October 2024, too, he missed a Test against New Zealand due to neck stiffness.Terming the injury as “unfortunate”, India bowling coach Morne Morkel ruled out major concerns when asked about Gill’s workload and participation.”Gill is a very fit guy, he looks after himself very well,” Morkel said. “So, it’s just unfortunate this morning that he woke up with a stiff neck and that carried him into the day, which was crucial for us. Another sort of partnership with him batting around was going to be needed for us at the time and… just bad timing.”If he returns to bat in the Test, it may not be at No. 4 since it wasn’t an external injury.Gill’s injury scare comes at a time when his workload has been under constant monitoring. He has played non-stop cricket across formats since IPL 2025 and was among four Test players who flew to Kolkata straight from Australia after the T20I series.In Gill’s absence, Rishabh Pant captained the side during South Africa’s second innings. Ravindra Jadeja’s 4 for 29 put a leash on them, reducing the visitors to 93 for 7 by stumps, ahead by only 63 runs.

تحدث ديكو، المدير الرياضي لنادي برشلونة، عن أحد لاعبي البارسا وأسباب معاناته في ناديه السابق قبل أن يتعاقد البلوجرانا معه.

وأبرم برشلونة صفقتين فقط خلال الميركاتو الصيفي الأخير، وهما ماركوس راشفورد وروني بردجي.

وتعاقد برشلونة مع راشفورد هذا العام قادمًا من صفوف نادي مانشستر يونايتد على سبيل الإعارة حتى نهاية هذا الموسم.

وعلى الرغم من معاناة راشفورد مع مانشستر يونايتد خلال السنوات الأخيرة، إلا أن ابن الـ28 عامًا ظهر بشكل مختلف مع برشلونة هذا الموسم وقدم مستويات مميزة ليحصل على إشادة كبيرة من الجميع.

ويعتقد ديكو في حديثه إلى صحيفة “التايمز”، أن راشفورد قد تعرض إلى ضغوطات كبيرة في مانشستر يونايتد، خصوصًا مع معدل أعمار الفريق الإنجليزي والذي لا يمتلك لاعبين كثر ذو خبرة.

وقال ديكو عن راشفورد: “إنه سعيد معنا، ماركوس لاعب رائع ولقد واجه مسؤولية أن يصبح لاعبًا مهمًا في مانشستر يونايتد ، هم مثلنا، أحد أكبر الأندية في العالم ويمتلكون فريقا صغيرا جدًا في السن”.

اقرأ أيضًا .. جوهرة برشلونة يثير إعجاب خوان لابورتا بعد عودته للمشاركة في المباريات

وأضاف ديكو في حديثه: “لقد عانى أيضًا بعض الشيء مع هذا التغيير في جيل يونايتد، إذا نظرت إلى مانشستر يونايتد في السنوات الخمس الماضية، ستجد أنهم واجهوا صعوبات في إعادة بناء الفريق ليصبح أقوى من جديد”.

وأوضح: ”كان راشفورد حاضرًا، لذا ليس من السهل على لاعب يطالبه الناس بالكثير أن يلعب بشكل جيد، عندما تكون لاعبًا مهمًا تقع على عاتقك مسؤولية كبيرة”.

وأردف ديكو في حديثه عن راشفورد: ”كنا نبحث عن لاعبٍ مثله في السوق، لاعب قادر على اللعب في جميع مراكز الهجوم الثلاثة، تمكنا من التعاقد مع ماركوس على سبيل الإعارة لرغبته في اللعب مع برشلونة”.

واختتم: ”انتظر كثيرًا، كان يعلم أننا نتعامل مع قواعد مالية لكنه كان صبورًا، انتظرنا راشفورد ونحن سعداء بوجوده”.

Celtic were saved by their captain yet again on Saturday night when they were heading for a drab 0-0 draw away at St Mirren before Callum McGregor stepped up with seconds remaining.

The Hoops skipper picked the ball up from range in the 95th minute and unleashed a screamer of a shot that nestled in the top corner to secure all three points for the visitors.

Up until that point, Martin O’Neill’s side had struggled to show much in the way of quality against St Mirren, despite holding 73% of the possession, per Sofascore, which is why the game was tied with seconds remaining.

The hosts even created a ‘big chance’ from one of their 13 shots on goal, but, thankfully, they were unable to convert any of the opportunities that they created on the night.

Celtic, meanwhile, did not create a single ‘big chance’ from their 16 efforts against St Mirren, per Sofascore, which is why they needed a long-range strike from their captain to win the match.

Whilst McGregor’s sensational strike from distance bailed the club out in general, the skipper also bailed out several of his underperforming teammates on the night.

Celtic's worst performers against St Mirren

It would be remiss of us to speak about the worst performers on the night without starting with the player who was withdrawn from the match after 45 minutes, Johnny Kenny.

The Ireland international, who scored four goals in four matches for Celtic before Saturday’s game, won just one duel and lost possession six times from 17 touches in the first half, per Sofascore, as he failed to provide a focal point up front.

Kenny’s withdrawal meant that Daizen Maeda moved into the centre-forward role, after starting out wide. However, he ended the 90 minutes with two out of seven duels won, no key passes, and no shots on target, per Sofascore, which illustrates his ineffectiveness in the final third.

Minutes

67

90

Shots on target

0

0

Key passes

1

0

Big chances created

0

0

Dribbles completed

2/6

1/2

Duels won

3/11

2/7

Possession lost

14x

12x

As you can see in the table above, Sebastian Tounekti and Maeda both struggled out wide, and the latter up front in the second 45, throughout the game against St Mirren.

These statistics show that all three of the forwards who started on Saturday night failed to do enough to suggest that O’Neill should keep them in place for the club’s trip to play Feyenoord in the Europa League on Thursday evening.

Tounekti, Maeda, and Kenny were not the only underperforming Celtic players who failed to provide enough quality on the pitch against the Saints, though, as one Hoops flop is now looking like the new Luis Palma.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Supporters will likely remember Palma, who is currently on loan at Lech Poznan, as a player who made a fast start to life in Glasgow before falling off and eventually being deemed surplus to requirements.

The Honduras international produced seven goals and nine assists, with 14 ‘big chances’ created, in 28 Scottish Premiership games during the 2023/24 campaign for the club, per Sofascore.

Unfortunately, though, the winger followed that up with a return of zero goals and zero assists in eight league matches the following season before being sent out on loan to Olympiacos for the second half of the campaign.

Whilst his fall-off this term may not be quite as drastic as Palma’s was, Celtic central midfielder Reo Hatate appears to be heading in the same direction.

Why Reo Hatate should be dropped by Celtic

The Japan international was a sensation in the middle of the park for the Scottish giants in the 2024/25 campaign with a return of nine goals and 14 ‘big chances’ created in 37 outings in the Premiership, per Sofascore.

Hatate provided regular quality at the top end of the pitch with his ability to make a difference as both a scorer and a creator of goals, as evidenced by his statistics, and that made him a vital player for Brendan Rodgers.

This season, however, the 28-year-old star has failed to deliver consistent quality in midfield for Celtic, with the clash against St Mirren being his latest underwhelming performance, which is why he should be ruthlessly dropped by O’Neill.

The Japanese midfielder, who was described as “sloppy” by ex-Hoops boss Neil Lennon during the game against Sturm Graz in the Europa League, ended the night with no shots on target, no ‘big chances’ created, and a duel success rate of 20% (1/5), per Sofascore.

This shows that his performance was lacking in both quality and physicality, as he lost 80% of his physical tussles without providing any moments of genuine quality on the ball, and that has not been a rare occurrence for him this season.

Appearances

37

10

Goals

9

1

Minutes per goal

241

708

Conversion rate

14%

10%

Big chances created

14

2

Assists

4

1

Dribble success rate

70%

57%

As you can see in the table above, Hatate’s performances have dropped off since the end of last season, as he is scoring and creating goals far less frequently for the Premiership champions.

The Japan international’s last league goal for the club came against Aberdeen on the 10th August, and he has only produced two goals – including one penalty – and one assist in 18 appearances in all competitions this term, per Transfermarkt.

His concerning drop-off in form this season suggests that he may be on the road to becoming the next Palma, as a once supreme talent who now looks too inconsistent to be reliable to the Celtic manager.

Therefore, O’Neill should ruthlessly drop the central midfielder from the starting line-up to face Feyenoord away from home, as the Hoops may need quality and physicality to beat their Dutch opponents, and Hatate did not show either against St Mirren.

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