Category Uncategorized

Danny Röhl has made an encouraging start to life as Rangers manager, but there is still plenty of work to do.

Last Sunday’s 3-0 drubbing of Dundee makes it three Premiership victories out of three for the German, likely to maintain that perfect record when bottom-of-the-table Livingston visit Ibrox after the international break.

However, the Gers remain rock bottom of the Europa League table without a point to their name, beaten by both Sturm Graz and Roma under Röhl, while also dumped out of the League Cup in the semi-finals by Celtic, albeit Thelo Aasgaard’s red card at Hampden did not help their cause.

So, having inherited a complete mess, Röhl is still figuring out which plays he can rely on as well as who he wants to build around for the future.

Jack Butland, James Tavernier, John Souttar and Nicolas Raskin have quickly established themselves as key figures, with the new manager showing faith in expensive new striker Youssef Chermiti too.

However, other players are not seeing as much game time as they may have anticipated, so is one summer signing in danger of becoming the club’s latest Óscar Cortés?

Óscar Cortés: Rangers transfer bust

One of Rangers’ 14 summer signings, officially at least, Cortés was one, albeit he’d been with the club since 1 February 2024 on loan.

Despite making little impact in Glasgow, the Colombian’s move from Lens was made permanent for £4.5m, due to a pre-agreed obligation to buy.

At the time of his arrival, Rangers supporters were very excited, considering Cortés had starred at the 2023 U20 World Cup, scoring four goals and registering two assists for Colombia, awarded the tournament’s Bronze Ball.

Scout António Mango thereby labelled him an “insane talent”, while the Rangers Journal forecast that he would “provide pace, power and… goal contributions” to Rangers’ forward line, which certainly has not been the case thus far.

In just 21 appearances to date, 764 minutes, he has scored only one goal for the Gers, missing 58 matches entirely, the majority of which have been due to injury.

Thus, he was sent out on loan to Sporting Gijón on deadline day, but is yet to do very much in the Segunda División either, as his market value continues to diminish at a rapid rate.

So now, which current Rangers forward could follow a similar path if he continues to be under-utilised by Röhl?

Rangers star becoming Cortés repeat

They say that first impressions are the most important, and Oliver Antman certainly made a good one at Rangers.

The Finnish forward joined from Go Ahead Eagles for a reported fee of £3.5m, thrown straight into Champions League qualifying action.

Less than 24 hours after landing in Glasgow, Antman put in a man of the match performance as Rangers demolished Viktoria Plzeň 3-0, providing two assists and playing a starring role in, by some distance, the club’s best performance of the ill-fated Russell Martin era.

Considering the forward’s performances in the Netherlands last season, his signature was viewed as a major coup, as the table below documents.

Oliver Antman Eredivisie stats 24/25
Stats	Antman	Eredivisie rank
Goals	6	38th
Assists	15	1st
Expected assists	9.1	1st
Big chances created	16	1st
Shots	54	22nd
Key passes	50	10th
Big chances missed	11	7th
Goal-creating actions	19	4th
Progressive carries	96	10th
Stats via FBref & SofaScore

As the table documents, Antman was one of the most creative players in the Eredivisie last season, racking up 15 assists as well as ranking first for expected assists and big chances created.

This is made all the more impressive by the fact he was not playing for one of the Netherlands’ traditional powerhouses, his Go Ahead Eagles team ending up seventh, albeit they did win the KNVB Beker for the very first time, defeating AZ Alkmaar on penalties, with Antman starting the final victory at De Kuip.

Jacek Kulig of Football Talent Scout was certainly impressed, labelling him “creative” while, upon his arrival, sporting director Kevin Thelwell described him as an “exciting talent” who boasts “great technical ability”.

However, following that promising start to life at Rangers, Antman has not lived up to expectations, registering just a solitary assist since his blistering debut, yet to score for his new club.

Furthermore, since starting Röhl’s first match as manager against Brann, Antman has been an unused substitute on three occasions, coming off the bench against Celtic and Dundee, but making very little impact.

In the German’s 3-4-3 formation too, there is one fewer attacking position up for grabs, very much currently behind Chermiti, Danilo, Djeidi Gassama, Mikey Moore, all of whom have scored in recent matches, and others in the pecking order.

Antman is clearly a quality player, he’s already shown glimpses of this in a Rangers jersey, and unlike Cortés, availability is not a huge barrier to him featuring in matches.

Nevertheless, the Finn is seemingly currently not in Röhl’s plans, so a January loan is very much not out of the question, and he is in danger of becoming the latest big-money signing to disappear out of Ibrox without a trace.

Ferguson 2.0: Rangers' "best player" is now more important than Tavernier

Rangers’ “best player” who is reminiscent of Barry Ferguson has emerged under Danny Röhl and it is not captain James Tavernier.

By
Ben Gray

Nov 14, 2025

Set pieces in the Premier League are back in fashion, with teams looking to exploit corners, free kicks and long throw ins once again after a period of tiki-taka football inspired by Pep Guardiola.

Now, plenty of the 20 top-flight clubs have set-piece coaches, with title contenders Arsenal arguably the best in the world at dead-ball situations, led by Nicolas Jover.

If used correctly, teams can cause havoc from corners, throw-ins and free kicks, leaving no stone unturned. Here you can find a live ranking of every Premier League club in the 2025/2026 season, with every goal scored from set-pieces updated weekly.

Rank

Team

Corners/Free Kicks/Throw-Ins

Penalties

Total

1

Arsenal

10

2

12

2

Chelsea

8

1

9

=3

Crystal Palace

5

2

7

=3

Man Utd

6

1

7

=5

Brighton

4

2

6

=5

Bournemouth

5

1

6

=5

Brentford

3

3

6

=8

Tottenham

5

0

5

=8

Leeds

4

1

5

=8

Sunderland

4

1

5

=8

Aston Villa

5

0

5

=12

Newcastle

3

1

4

=12

West Ham

3

1

4

=12

Everton

3

1

4

=15

Burnley

3

0

3

=15

Nottingham Forest

2

1

3

=17

Fulham

2

0

2

=17

Liverpool

1

1

2

=17

Wolves

1

1

2

20

Man City

0

0

0

20 Man City Set-Piece Goals Scored – 0

Surprisingly, Man City are rock bottom of the set-piece goal table and are yet to register from a corner, free-kick or throw in.

Pep Guardiola’s side were awarded their first penalty of the season against Liverpool, however, Erling Haaland failed to convert. That hasn’t stopped the striker leading the way in the goalscoring charts, though.

19 Wolves Set-Piece Goals Scored – 2

Rock bottom of the league table, Wolves don’t fare much better in the set-piece table, registering two goals from dead-ball situations.

Vitor Pereira lost his job after 10 games without a win, with those at Molineux facing a huge task to remain in the Premier League in 2026.

18 Liverpool Set-Piece Goals Scored – 2

Defending champions Liverpool haven’t been at their best so far this season, and are also struggling at set-pieces, netting just twice from dead-ball situations.

Excluding penalties, the Reds only scored five times from corners, free-kicks and throw-ins last season, showing a side of the game Arne Slot’s side could do with improving.

17 Fulham Set-Piece Goals Scored – 2

Now an established Premier League team, Fulham, under Marco Silva, have the likes of Rodrigo Muniz and Raul Jimenez in attack looking to get on the end of any set piece.

The Cottagers have also benefited more from own goals than any other side in the top flight so far with three.

16 Aston Villa Set-Piece Goals Scored – 2

Aston Villa netted 14 times from set pieces in 2024/25, however, Unai Emery’s side have only registered two goals from dead-ball scenarios so far this season.

On the up after a poor start, Villa will be looking to increase their set-piece tally while also balancing Europa League football at Villa Park.

15 Nottingham Forest Set-Piece Goals Scored – 3

Nottingham Forest, who netted 12 times from corners, free-kicks and throw-ins in 2024/25 under Nuno Espirito Santo, are on three set-piece goals.

After sacking Nuno and his replacement Ange Postecoglou, Sean Dyche is the man in charge at the City Ground, so Forest’s set-piece record could quickly improve.

14 Burnley Set-Piece Goals Scored – 3

Burnley have so far scored six Premier League goals, three of which have come from dead-ball situations.

The Clarets under Scott Parker, could rely heavily on set pieces if they are to avoid the drop back to the Championship.

13 West Ham Set-Piece Goals Scored – 4

Struggling at the bottom of both tables are West Ham. The Hammers were among first to make a managerial change, with Nuno replacing Graham Potter at the London Stadium.

He’s improved on the Irons’ poor record from set pieces with four goals, which has helped them record some crucial wins.

12 Everton Set-Piece Goals Scored – 4

Everton, under David Moyes, appear to be settling in to their new Hill Dickinson Stadium and will be looking to avoid another relegation battle.

Iliman Ndiaye scored the first penalty at Everton’s new stadium in the 2-1 win over Crystal Palace, and the Toffees have scored three more from corners, free-kicks or throw-ins.

11 Newcastle Set-Piece Goals Scored – 4

With Champions League football back on offer at St James’ Park, Newcastle have struggled by their recent standards in the Premier League.

The Magpies have managed to score three goals from corners, free-kicks and throw-ins, with the other among from the spot, so they are on track to surpass their 24/25 tally of nine excluding penalties.

Ghana boss Otto Addo has urged Antoine Semenyo to take the "next step" and leave Bournemouth amid links with Liverpool and Manchester City. The 25-year-old has a £65 million ($87m) release clause, which is only active until a specific date in the January transfer window. As teams consider a move for him, his national manager thinks it is "natural" for the flying winger to secure a transfer away.

Semenyo happy at Bournemouth for now

Over the summer, the former Bristol City star, who has also been linked with Tottenham, penned a new bumper deal until 2030 – seemingly putting paid to a Bournemouth departure. 

At the time of extending his contract, he said: "I've grown so much at the club, both on and off the pitch, and I'm really happy to have signed ahead of returning for pre-season. From the fans to the staff and my teammates, I can't speak highly enough of the people around the club. It's a great place to be and I'm excited to get back to Bournemouth and continue the hard work with the new season just around the corner."

However, it recently emerged that Semenyo has a £65m January release clause, which reportedly is set to drop to £50m ($66.6m) next summer. The wide man – who has scored six goals and bagged three assists in 13 Premier League appearances this season – seems destined for a big-money move, something Ghana head coach Addo is pushing for.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportSemenyo urged to make transfer exit

After it was revealed that Semenyo's Ghana would take on England in the group stages of the 2026 World Cup, Addo spoke about the in-demand player's future.

He told at Friday's World Cup draw: "He has done very well at Bournemouth, but with all the respect for Bournemouth and what they’re doing, surely it is natural for him to take the next step. Whether its in the winter or summer, it is a difference question but it won’t make a difference for us. I’m looking forward to him showing more of what he can to the world."

Incidentally, Ghana and England will also face off against Croatia and Panama in Group L.

Iraola not thinking about Semenyo's future

In November, Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola stated he is not worried about speculation that Semenyo could leave the club in January. However, since these remarks, the Cherries have slid down to 14th in the Premier League after being in the top four earlier this season.

He told reporters last month: "We are in November. Antoine is our player, he will continue being our player. In January, you can ask me about the market in January, but right now I'm not worried about the next markets. It's something that especially you know that I hate to talk about in August, January, the moments when the market is open, but it is not one of those moments. It's November. I'm more worried about the situation of the players to play tomorrow, the short-term, the things that really matter and in January, we will talk about whatever happens, the players we need. But it is not something that I'm worried about today."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty Images SportWhat comes next for Semenyo?

Bournemouth, who have lost four of their last five league games, will hope to end their wretched run of form when they host Chelsea – who will be looking to bounce back from their own shock 3-1 defeat to lowly Leeds United in midweek. They may need Semenyo to be firing on all cylinders if they are to win this contest on Saturday afternoon in front of their home fans.

Iraola added: "I expect the best Chelsea. We know this before we play tomorrow, so we have to be at our very best because the opposition is playing very well. They are getting better and better with Enzo [Maresca] and I think they will demand a lot [from us] defensively.

"The players understand that now we are in a period where we will need to rotate the team a little bit to change players because we are playing every three, four days. Obviously, everyone wants to start but I'm also very happy with the performance of and the attitude of everyone that comes on the bench."

The final international break of the year came at the worst time possible for West Ham United.

After months of dire football and worse results, Nuno Espírito Santo looked to have finally got a tune out of the East Londoner, beating Newcastle United and Burnley in back-to-back Premier League games.

Fortunately, the break has come to an end and the Hammers finally get the chance to continue their good form with a challenging game away to Bournemouth, albeit without the talismanic Lucas Paqueta, who is suspended.

However, while the loss of the Brazilian is a big one, Nuno can minimise its impact by letting Mateus Fernandes pick up the attacking slack and starting someone with shades of Declan Rice alongside Freddie Potts.

Why Fernandes should start in Paqueta's place

Now, in the last two games, Nuno has opted for a midfield three of Paqueta, Potts and Fernandes, with the Brazilian obviously playing as the more attacking midfielder of the three.

With him out of contention, it makes sense for the responsibility of being more forward-thinking to fall on the Portuguese star’s shoulders, as the Englishman is far better suited to being an all-action box-to-box type.

While this change might worry some fans, it shouldn’t, as while he’s not reached the level of the former Lyon ace just yet, he is more than capable of doing so.

For example, while he’s spent plenty of time in the central midfield role, he spent more time playing as an attacking midfielder during his time at Southampton.

Moreover, during his time in Portugal, respected analyst Ben Mattinson highlighted the fact that he could play “those KDB-type passes” with relative ease.

Furthermore, despite playing for a team that, for some time, looked in danger of breaking Derby County’s most unwanted record last season, the 21-year-old still produced six goal involvements in 36 league games.

Finally, FBref ranked him in the top 11% of attacking midfielders and wingers in the league last season for attempted and completed long passes as well as the top 14% for passes into the final third, all per 90.

Overall, Fernandes is more than good enough to pick up the creative slack in Paqueta’s absence, and Nuno has someone in the squad who can come in as a partner to Potts to help with the less glamorous side of the game.

The Rice-like midfielder Nuno should start

While Nuno might be tempted to bring someone like Tomáš Souček back into the side for this game, he really shouldn’t, as Bournemouth will make it an intense and frenetic encounter.

Chalkboard

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

Expand Collapse

Therefore, the manager should turn to someone capable of dealing with that, if not thriving in it, someone like £17m summer signing, Soungoutou Magassa.

The Frenchman is still relatively young and certainly needs to develop some areas of his game, but he has all the ingredients to be a monstrous all-action midfielder.

Described as a “a forward-thinking” talent by respected analyst Ben Mattinson, who is blessed with “pure athleticism” and can “spray passes wide out to the wings,” the 22-year-old would be excellent alongside Potts.

Moreover, his profile, combined with his ability to play centre-back, makes comparisons to a young Rice impossible to ignore.

With that said, if you are still unconvinced, you only need to look at his underlying numbers to see how promising a player he is.

For example, FBref ranks him in the top 1% of midfielders across Europe’s top five leagues for tackles and blocks, the top 2% for ball recoveries, the top 4% for interceptions, the top 12% for switches, and more, all per 90.

Magassa’s Scout Report

Statistics

Per 90

Percentile

Tackles

3.78

Top 1%

Tackles (Def 3rd)

1.72

Top 1%

Dribblers Tackled

2.05

Top 1%

Dribbles Challenged

3.86

Top 1%

Blocks

2.22

Top 1%

Tkl+Int

5.42

Top 1%

Ball Recoveries

7.31

Top 2%

Tackles (Att 3rd)

0.57

Top 4%

Shots Blocked

0.66

Top 4%

Passes Blocked

1.56

Top 4%

Interceptions

1.64

Top 4%

Tackles (Mid 3rd)

1.48

Top 8%

Shots on Target %

42.9%

Top 9%

Successful Take-On %

61.9%

Top 10%

Switches

0.66

Top 12%

Through Balls

0.41

Top 13%

Tackles Won

1.64

Top 13%

Successful Take-Ons

1.07

Top 13%

All Stats via FBref

In other words, the “composed” midfielder, as dubbed by Mattinson, is superb when it comes to the defensive side of the game, but is also more than capable of kick-starting an attack from deep.

Ultimately, while it’s not ideal, Nuno should start a midfield three of Fernandes, Potts and Magassa against Bournemouth, as that should be the best way to deal with Paqueta’s absence and pick up three points.

Related Bigger talent than Potts: West Ham must rue losing England's future 9 for £0

The incredible attacker would have been just the player West Ham United need.

Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 21, 2025

Stats highlights from Australia’s ten-wicket win against India in Adelaide

Sampath Bandarupalli08-Dec-20241:41

India bowlers ‘not relentless’ against Australia

8-0 Australia’s win-loss record in pink-ball Tests at the Adelaide Oval after their ten-wicket win against India. Their overall record in day-night Tests is 12-1.1031 Balls bowled in the second Test between Australia and India, the fewest in a completed Test between these two teams. The previous lowest was the Indore Test in 2023 that lasted only 1135 balls.