Test and white-ball formats too far apart to land any psychological blows, says captain

Andrew Miller29-Oct-2021England versus Australia is always a high-stakes contest irrespective of the format, but Eoin Morgan believes that the result of Saturday’s T20 World Cup clash in Dubai will have no bearing “whatsoever” in the build-up to December’s Ashes opener in Brisbane.England go into the third match of the Super 12s on a high after thumping victories over West Indies and Bangladesh in their opening two games, but anticipate a stiffer test against Australia, who are also unbeaten in Group 1 following a forceful run-chase against Sri Lanka on Thursday.”It’s probably going to be one of our most difficult games,” Morgan said. “Australia are a very strong side. Coming into the tournament, they would probably be considered joint-second favourites, along with us. They’re a side that we know pretty well – we’ve played against them a lot over a number of years, so looking forward to a really good game.”The two teams played out an absorbing pair of white-ball series in England last summer – England claimed the T20 leg 2-1, but lost by the same margin in the ODIs for their first home series defeat since 2015. Australia also won convincingly at the same stage of the 2019 World Cup, before being overwhelmed by eight wickets in a pulsating semi-final at Edgbaston.”You learn a hell of a lot about how they play their cricket, how disciplined they can be,” Morgan said. “When they get on top they can be a difficult to side to play, when you try and wrestle momentum back.”The challenge for us and them is that we’re not playing at home so it’s about trying to adapt our style of play. Early momentum in any game can go a long way to winning. But like we’ve witnessed over the last couple of years, if we don’t manage to gain that momentum, I think we have guys that can either wrestle it back or counter-punch.”Related

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One key operator who has yet to feature in the tournament is Mark Wood, England’s fastest bowler, who has been resting an ankle niggle during the opening week. Morgan said that both he and Tom Curran were “progressing really well” and that a call on Wood’s availability would be made on the morning of the match.But, Morgan insisted, despite Wood also being earmarked for a frontline role in the Ashes, there would be little point in trying to read too much into his display across four overs in the UAE, compared to the challenge that awaits in Australia in the coming weeks.”I’ve played Test matches and have played 50-over and T20 for a long period of time,” Morgan said. “There was a time and place where 50-over cricket was closely aligned with Test match cricket and the way that it was played.”Particularly top of the order and how your quicks bowled, but I think white-ball cricket has moved so far away from red-ball cricket that there’s just day and night between a psychological blow in one format in comparison to the other.”In the wake of the controversy surrounding Quinton de Kock and his refusal to take a knee ahead of South Africa’s match against West Indies, Morgan acknowledged that England and Australia may need to co-ordinate their own anti-racism gestures, particularly given that their failure to show solidarity during their 2020 series attracted criticism, not least from the former West Indies great Michael Holding, who decried their lack of action as “lame”.England’s cricketers have taken to wearing T-shirts denouncing all forms of discrimination prior to their home internationals, but because this approach is not permitted at ICC tournaments, Morgan said that the team would need to discuss the appropriate action.”If we’re not allowed to take our stance against all discriminations, we need to try to find something else that makes a difference,” Morgan said. “There’s a chance [we will take a knee]. The collective message [is] more powerful [when] everybody agrees to what we’re buying into. That’s the best way to raise awareness, educate and come across with a more powerful message.”We’ll talk at length today but we are quite restricted in what we can do at ICC events. If we come to something that can be supported by Australia, we will speak to them and see what their thoughts are as well.”

Everton have put their poor start to the season behind them, with a three-match unbeaten run following the dismal four defeats in a row to kick off the year.

As such, the Toffees have clambered out of the drop zone and will be confident that they can put it all behind them, especially with a favourable (on paper) run of fixtures coming up in the Premier League. Sean Dyche will be looking ahead with renewed optimism.

19/10/24

Ipswich Town (A)

17th

26/10/24

Fulham (H)

8th

02/11/24

Southampton (H)

19th

09/11/24

West Ham (A)

12th

23/11/24

Brentford (H)

11th

Let’s not forget that Jarrad Branthwaite has been sidelined for six of the seven fixtures thus far, and with the young titan set to return after the current international break, there’s reason to be sanguine.

The defensive issues of recent months have been concerning, but Branthwaite’s return will go a long way toward fixing that for good. All this fragility at the rear has made us think about what it would have been like to have Yerry Mina at the top of his game in this Everton side – unfortunately, the Colombia international scarcely claimed top fitness across his years at the outfit.

How much Yerry Mina cost Everton

Everton signed Mina from Barcelona in August 2018. The towering defender was only 23 at the time and cost £27m, which was a steep figure but seemed worth it for a player of high-standard quality.

He had just risen to fame after his performances on his nation at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, scoring an equaliser against England in the first knockout phase before the Three Lions surprised the globe with a competitive penalty shootout victory.

However, Mina would fall heavily by the wayside on Merseyside after a lasting series of injuries ravaged his chances of living up to and surpassing that initial price tag.

2022/23

7 (7)

2

0

1

2021/22

13 (11)

0

0

2

2020/21

24 (23)

2

0

5

2019/20

29 (25)

2

1

4

2018/19

13 (10)

1

0

3

Former Everton manager Marco Silva commented on the South American’s “unlucky” track record on the fitness front back in 2019, having been restricted to a bit-part role in his maiden term, but as you can see, he only enjoyed two seasons of comparatively high availability.

And when considering that he earned £120k per week during his time at Goodison Park, more than starting number nine, Dominic Calvert-Lewin (£100k per week), took home both then and now, the misfire is really underscored.

Combining his transfer fee (£27m) with the centre-back’s total earnings across the five-year period he plied his trade in the Premier League, it can be unravelled that Mina cost the club from £58m in total, or, to put it another way, £760k per top-flight start.

It’s poignant, mostly because Mina – like Calvert-Lewin, who has endured his own injury woes in recent years – could have reached such loftier heights.

Yerry Mina's Everton career

Perhaps the most frustrating point of all this is that Mina is actually an excellent defender. When fit, the Colombian showcased his quality and indeed cannot be fully discredited after recovering his fitness levels at the perfect time toward the business end of the 2022/23 term.

Everton were in an imperilled position, and time was running out to craft a purple patch. He scored two goals from just seven Premier League appearances that year, but started all four of Everton’s final matches and indeed had a vital say in this proud club’s future after bundling home against Wolverhampton Wanderers in the penultimate week to salvage a last-gasp point.

It fuelled Goodison for the finale, which saw Bournemouth fended off and Abdoulaye Doucoure volley in a second-half winner to preserve top-flight status. Mina played the full 90 on his final display and kept a clean sheet, winning eight of his 11 contested duels, as per Sofascore.

He encapsulated the phrase short but sweet, putting in some colossal performances to save a club from falling. It’s fair to say that without his efforts, the Toffees wouldn’t have found the verve to avoid the maw of relegation.

Oh, what could have been. Fans will cherish the defender’s best moments, but sadly, they were few and far between for a player who arrived with a weight of expectation and took home a pretty penny besides.

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ByJoe Nuttall Oct 9, 2024

For the first time in Liverpool’s 132-year history, distinguished and draped in honours, 11 matches from 12 have been won to start a campaign, with the club’s six successive away victories since August equally setting a significant record.

RB Leipzig, unbeaten in the Bundesliga, were put to the sword in Germany despite threatening throughout their Champions League clash, allowing Liverpool to claim their third continental win on the trot.

To think that Merseysiders had failed to bring in a new midfielder this summer, as had been the plan as Arne Slot settled into the chair, also neglecting ostensible fragilities at the back, and have still emerged as the most in-form team across Europe’s top five leagues is quite a thing.

The winter period looms large. There are many top teams both domestically and abroad who will seek to stifle Slot’s success, but the Dutchman’s Reds will continue to fight for silverware to the last.

27/10/24

Arsenal (A)

Premier League

30/10/24

Brighton (A)

Carabao Cup

02/11/24

Brighton (H)

Premier League

05/11/24

Leverkusen (H)

Champions League

09/11/24

Aston Villa (H)

Premier League

Darwin Nunez stepped up big time to score and put in a big performance against Leipzig, but Liverpool owe much to the continued rebirth of Ryan Gravenberch, with Mohamed Salah’s ceaseless output proving vital, yet again.

Salah & Gravenberch continue to thrive

Let’s get to Salah in a moment. We have Gravenberch to discuss first. Against Leipzig, yet again, the rekindled midfielder showcased his quality in the middle of the park, battling hard in a fierce war of attrition

It wasn’t his finest performance, but the 22-year-old’s energy and press resistance were both on full colourful show against the German side. So alert to potential threats, the Netherlands international made a crucial intervention early into the second half and looks like he’s shaping into one of Europe’s finest number sixes, playing a role that no one envisaged last year.

Liverpool’s promising start to the season has since developed into something more special, and with every passing fixture, Gravenberch continues to prove his worth in Slot’s system. It’s like he’s been tailor-made for it.

Minutes played

90′

Touches

76

Accurate passes

60/63 (95%)

Long balls

2/2

Tackles

3

Interceptions

3

Clearances

1

Blocked shots

2

Total duels (won)

7 (5)

Peter Gulacsi was fantastic for the hosts, making seven saves and repeatedly denying the hungry Reds. The one-time Liverpool reserve goalkeeper denied Salah and saved three shots from Nunez, but it wasn’t enough to stop the Slot machine from ploughing forward.

It bears testament to Salah’s almighty skillset that he had a bit of an off day, failing to win a duel or complete a dribble, while still playing a crucial part in the match-winning moment, setting up his Uruguayan teammate.

That’s seven goals and seven assists apiece for the 32-year-old this season, whose £350k-per-week contract is entering its final stretch, heightening Liverpool’s fears of a departure by the end of the campaign.

It’s an eventuality that feels inconceivable. Unacceptable. Salah is still Liverpool’s main man in the final third, so influential and indomitable in his prolific ability. Alongside Gravenberch, the Egyptian has been one of the players of the season for sure.

He hasn’t quite been the cream of the club’s crop, however. Slot will have nestled into sleep in Saxony last night, where the squad remained until the morning, but awoken with a fresh solemnness that derives from the driven coach’s knowledge that the mountain yet scaled is vast and vertiginous.

Liverpool have it all still to do. Attack might win you games, as the axiom has it, but it is your defence that wins you titles. Virgil van Dijk has hardly been away from the pantheon of modern centre-backs over the final years of Jurgen Klopp’s tenure, but he’s back with a vengeance this season and is spearheading the revolution at Anfield.

Virgil van Djik has been Slot's hero in 24/25

12 matches, 11 victories, seven clean sheets. Liverpool conceded mere minutes into their Champions League campaign following fine work from AC Milan’s Christian Pulisic, but they rallied to win that one 3-1 and have since claimed slender but significant victories over Bologna and Leipzig.

Van Dijk has been imperious. Liverpool’s vanguard might be earning praise for its potency in the final third, but let’s take a minute to hail the backline, leaps and bounds above its level under Klopp, where the gegenpressing nature of the style perhaps negated defenders from making the most of their acumen.

Penny for the thoughts of rivals who had written Liverpool off, consigned them to the wastebasket following the end of an era. One tenure might have taken its final breath but the body of the outfit has been given new life, and it is thriving.

In Germany, the Liverpool and Netherlands captain was the cement of his side’s football, keeping it together against a talented Leipzig frontline, swatting the danger away like a fly, barking at those around him, organising, marshalling, leading.

Duly rewarded with an 8/10 match rating by This Is Anfield, Van Dijk, 33, didn’t catch the eye as his robust partner did, and in fairness, hat tipped to Ibrahima Konate for yet another remarkable display.

Oh how he counterbalances Van Dijk’s style, melding together to form one utterly ridiculous defensive wall that has foiled all but Nottingham Forest this season. The one blot on the copybook. The lonely blemish that Slot cannot shake from his mind, revealing a layer of this man’s determined mind.

But Konate’s flashy athleticism and spatial awareness, as eye-catching as it was, were not mimicked by Van Dijk because the skipper’s intelligence and anticipation are almost prescient.

Both of his duels were won at the Red Bull Arena, and it was indeed Van Dijk who claimed more touches of the ball (81) than any other player on the pitch, having recorded a standout 95% pass accuracy.

Partner such facts with his expertly-saved header, and domination in possession, and it’s really not hard to piece together the focal point of Liverpool’s success this season.

Van Dijk is simply the best, and he proved once again on Wednesday evening that he is the driving force behind Liverpool’s pursuit of glory this year.

He’s been Slot’s main man. Van Dijk is playing with unparalleled verve and the wiseness of one who has been around the block many times, but still craving another taste of the pinnacle.

Winning one of football’s biggest prizes would surely consolidate his name, but just take a look at his performances. He’s the best in the world.

As bad as Trent: Slot must drop 6/10 Liverpool star who lost the ball 13x

Liverpool made it three wins from as many games in the Champions League in Germany last night.

ByEthan Lamb Oct 24, 2024

رد لاعب وسط الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي برشلونة، جافي، عن أنباء خلافه مع المدرب، هانز فليك، وإمكانية رحيله عن العملاق الكتالوني.

وجدد جافي عقده مع برشلونة قبل أسابيع قليلة حتى 30 يونيو 2030، ولكن على الرغم من ذلك هناك شائعات بأنه لا يحظى بثقة فليك.

حيث لم يشارك جافي في أي مباراة أساسيًا منذ 17 فبراير الماضي أمام رايو فاييكانو، بسبب بعض الإصابات مثل نزلة البرد ضد ريال سوسيداد وبنفيكا في الفترة السابقة.

اقرأ أيضًا.. رافينها يوجه رسالة نارية بعد تأهل برشلونة إلى ربع نهائي دوري أبطال أوروبا

وقال جافي في تصريحات نقلتها صحيفة “ماركا” الإسبانية: “الناس يختلقون الكثير من الأمور، يقولون إن هناك عروضًا لي من هنا وهناك”.

وتابع: “لكن كلها أكاذيب، أنا سعيد في برشلونة، لقد وقعت عقدًا لمدة 5 سنوات وسألتزم به”.

وأتم: “لأنه النادي الذي أعشقه، وسأبقى فيه لأطول فترة ممكنة، المدرب يقوم بالمداورة دائمًا، أشعر بالهدوء التام لأن المدرب يثق بي وفي قدراتي”.

Crystal Palace sealed a deadline day loan move for Chelsea outcast Ben Chilwell and will pay half of his wages.

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Chilwell joins Crystal PalacePalace will foot half of his wagesHas not played since SeptemberFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱Getty Images SportWHAT HAPPENED?

Chilwell has been cast out of the Chelsea squad by Enzo Maresca since the Italian signed with the Blues last summer. The left-back was told by the west London side that he was not a part of his plans for the season but failed to secure a move away from Stamford Bridge and has only played once this season – a 45-minute-stint in the Carabao Cup third-round clash against fourth-tier side Barrow.

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Chilwell has been looking for an exit this winter and has been linked with a number of clubs. However, Crystal Palace have now struck a deal with Chelsea and signed the England international on a six-month loan until the end of the current season.

WHAT CHILWELL SAID

He told the club's media: "I'm very excited to be here. Crystal Palace are a club that's going in a great direction. You look at the last few months, with the results and how the team's playing, and it was a no-brainer to make the decision to come here."

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DID YOU KNOW?

As per The Telegraph, Crystal Palace have agreed to foot half of Chilwell's massive wages during the period of the loan. The England international earns close to £200,000-per-week at Stamford Bridge and his wages had been a major factor in all of his failed moves since the start of the summer as clubs did not want to foot that massive a wage.

Emma Hayes' departure hasn't hindered the Blues, with Sonia Bompastor only building on the strong foundations laid by the United States boss

When Emma Hayes brought her iconic 12-year stint as Chelsea boss to an end last summer, it was perfectly natural for fans to be a little anxious about a new era. While the squad and club certainly felt in a good place for her successor, to follow in the footsteps of such a legendary figure and one of the best managers the women's game has ever seen was not going to be straight-forward for any candidate. And yet, the events of the last six months mean any nervous feelings have dissipated remarkably fast.

With nine games of the Women's Super League season remaining, the Blues are seven points clear at the top of the table and still yet to lose under new head coach Sonia Bompastor, putting them firmly on course for a sixth-successive league title while success on all four fronts remains possible.

If that wasn't a marvellous position to be in already, Chelsea only strengthened it in the January transfer window, making an almighty splash by signing two genuinely world-class footballers, in American centre-back Naomi Girma and England midfielder Keira Walsh. The prices of those acquisitions, at £890,000 ($1.1 million) and £457,000 ($563,000), respectively, highlighted the Blues' ambition, with no English rival coming close in this regard. Both deals are among the top five most expensive in the history of women's football.

Manchester City, Arsenal and Manchester United have all tried and failed to dethrone this winning machine in the past five years; what chance do any of them have of succeeding in the next half-decade, as Chelsea continue to only get stronger?

• Getty
  

  Adjusting to change

  There was some speculation about Chelsea having a transitional season this term, given all the change taking place in west London. As well as Hayes' departure, stalwarts like Fran Kirby, Maren Mjelde, Jess Carter, Ann-Katrin Berger and Melanie Leupolz all moved on, meaning a lot of winning experience and players with strong personalities and mentalities vacated the dressing room.

  But what Hayes built was built to last. It was built over a long period, and the time and effort put into that was never going to fall apart in the space of one summer. Perhaps there might be a small adjustment period, especially with Bompastor having a new environment to adapt to, like many of her signings. Perhaps there would be a chance for the rest of the WSL's 'big four' to have a real go at them in the title race. But Chelsea were always going to be up there still – that was the minimum expectation.

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  Unbeatable start

  The ease at which Bompastor is moving closer towards what would be her first WSL triumph, then, is extremely impressive. She's taken the challenge of battling on four fronts in her stride, rotating well to balance things out and maintain a remarkable unbeaten streak that now stands at 21 games and spans the entire season to date.

  Chelsea have had some really eye-catching displays in that time, but they've also done that admirable thing of winning (or not losing) when not playing particularly well. That's the mark of a champion that was evident throughout Hayes' reign and has continued under Bompastor, who knows all about winning from her all-conquering days at Lyon.

  So far, it has put them seven points clear at the top of the WSL table, into the Champions League quarter-finals, the FA Cup fifth round and preparing for a League Cup semi-final, in which they face West Ham on Wednesday.

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  Forward-planning

  That's all good for the now – and there's a lot about it that is good for the future, too. After all, Walsh has just signed a four-and-a-half-year contract, aged 27. She's already one of the best midfielders in the world, and now her prime years are going to come in a Chelsea shirt. In Girma, they've secured the services of one of the best centre-backs in the world, too, for the same length of time. She's still only 24 years old and is guaranteed to get better.

  Chelsea were always good at forward-planning, at signing players in their early twenties who could become stalwarts in the XI for years to come. Hayes did it with many rising stars in the English game, such as Millie Bright and Kirby, while also identifying foreign talents like Guro Reiten and Ji So-yun to do similar.

  Now, as Bright prepares to celebrate her 32nd birthday this summer, it looks like Chelsea have that forward-planning nailed down in an extremely important position and for an extremely important player, who is by no means done yet. This was a key strength under Hayes and looks set to continue under Bompastor.

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  Talent spotting

  Underneath all of that star power, alongside the Walshs and the Girmas, and the likes of Sam Kerr and Lauren James, there is also a pipeline of young prospects. Hayes' final few years at Chelsea saw a significant shift towards recruiting teenage talents who could develop into stars in due course. In her last season in charge, one of those, Maika Hamano, came up with some huge contributions to help deliver a fifth-successive WSL title. This year, Wieke Kaptein, signed by Hayes, has been an important figure under Bompastor.

  There are plenty more looking to follow in their footsteps, such as PSV defender Veerle Buurman, who recently scored on her senior Netherlands debut, and Bompastor, as the former manager of Lyon's academy, is well-placed to continue the work of the last few years.

Arsenal are “plotting to sign” a wonderkid, who is already travelling to London after the club’s employees were left impressed by scouting reports.

Arsenal 2-0 PSG as Gunners continue unbeaten run

The north Londoners are in imperious form right now and are yet to taste defeat in all competitions, with only Man City and Brighton getting anything against Mikel Arteta’s side who have just put PSG to the sword.

Darren Bent criticises Arsenal star who lost the ball 18 times against PSG

It is a surprising verdict to say the least.

By
Emilio Galantini

Oct 2, 2024

Arsenal managed the game extremely well against France’s champions, after two first-half goals from Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka handed the home side a quick-fire deserved lead.

Havertz fed off a looping cross from Leandro Trossard to head the ball over Gianluigi Donnarumma to make it 1-0, before Bukayo Saka’s free-kick found its way through a host of bodies and into the bottom corner to double their advantage.

Arsenal’s next five Premier League games	Date
Southampton (home)	October 5
Bournemouth (away)	October 19
Liverpool (home)	October 27
Newcastle United (away)	November 2
Chelsea (away)	November 10

The score remained until full-time, and it could’ve been more if Havertz converted his gaping free header 10 minutes after the restart. It was a statement performance by Arsenal, who were given precious little trouble by PSG despite their elite European status and star players.

Saka was criticised by some for a fringe performance overall (Darren Bent), but that verdict was arguably a harsh one, and every Arsenal player did their part. Thomas Partey was a general in midfield against PSG, alongside Declan Rice, with Arteta heaping praise on the latter.

“I am very happy,” said Arteta on Rice’s performance against PSG.

“We have to understand the context of games that we played, for example last Saturday when we played here he was very dominant with the ball I think he created one of the best starts that they were producing in the Premier League but obviously we play different context and this player has got the capacity to play different games and still be very, very important for the team. Today we used him as a six in the second half, it’s a great quality that he has as well, he gives us so much.”

It was a landmark night for other players too, with summer signing Mikel Merino making his Arsenal debut after recovering from a fractured shoulder. Meanwhile, Hale End academy ace Myles Lewis-Skelly made his first Champions League appearance.

Arsenal "plotting to sign" Marcello de Barros

Arsenal’s famed academy has produced many more talents than Lewis-Skelly, including Saka and latest rising star Ethan Nwaneri.

However, according to Football Insider journalist Pete O’Rourke today, it appears Edu Gaspar and the Gunners recruitment team are aiming to add another highly promising teenager to their set-up.

It is believed Arsenal are plotting to sign Marcello de Barros, who is very highly rated in Scotland with St. Mirren. The teenage wonderkid is already on his way to London for a trial, where he will be assessed by club employees after the centre-back impressed scouts with his performances for Scotland’s Under-15s.

The defender turned heads during an international youth tournament in Serbia at the end of last month, with Arsenal now looking to analyse his talents closely ahead of a potential contract offer.

يرى محمد صلاح مدرب ونجم الزمالك السابق، أن لاعب الفريق الأبيض لم يقدم أي شيء إيجابي منذ بطولة السوبر المصري، كما علق على المواجهة المرتقبة أمام الأهلي في قمة بطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز.

ويلتقي الأهلي مع الزمالك، مساء الثلاثاء 11 مارس، في إطار الجولة الأولى من المرحلة الثانية من عمر منافسات بطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز، للموسم الحالي 2024-2025.

وقال صلاح خلال تصريحات عبر برنامج “بوكس تو بوكس” المذاع على قناة “ETC”: “مصطفي شلبي، الدلع أصبح موجوداً في كل الملاعب، هو يُقدم أداء سيئا منذ مباراة السوبر المصري التي أقيمت في الإمارات، ولا يُقدم أي شيء إيجابي في الملعب، ولا أعرف سبب غضبه في كل مباراة يتم استبداله فيها”.

وأضاف: “عليه أن يطور من مستواه، هو لاعب جيد والجميع ينتظر منه أفضل من ذلك، خاصة وأنه يلعب رفقة كوكبة من النجوم التي ستساعده على الظهور بشكل أفضل، كان يجب أن يجلس مع المدير الفني ليفهم لماذا يستبدله في المباريات، خاصة إن جوزيه بيسيرو لا يظلم أحدًا، وعلى اللاعب أن يطور من نفسه لأن الزمالك يحتاجه”.

طالع | عدلي القيعي: بيراميدز قريب من لقب الدوري.. وأحب تواجد لاعب الزمالك في الأهلي

عن مباراة القمة، علق: “المباراة الماضية بين الفريقين الاستحواذ كان متبادلًا، الفريق الذي سيستثمر أخطاء المنافس في الملعب هو من سيفوز، بيسيرو يخوض المباريات بطريقتين، وكولر (اتخض) من تشكيل الزمالك وطريقة لعبه في القمة الماضية”.

وأكمل: “ثنائي الزمالك محمود بنتايج وعمر جابر، ساعدا بيسيرو في طريقة 3-4-3، وأرى أنه من الأفضل مشاركة عبد الله السعيد بجوار نبيل عماد دونجا في وسط الملعب، وأعتقد إن ناصر ماهر هو الأقرب للمشاركة من مصطفى شلبي، وهذا سيساعد الفريق على امتلاك وسط الملعب”.

وواصل: “يجب أن يلعب أحمد سيد زيزو كجناح أيمن ثابت، لأنه سيتمكن من تشكيل ضغط قوي على الظهير الأيسر للأهلي”.

وأردف: “المباراة لن تكون سهلة على الفريقين، ولا أحد يستطيع توقع النتيجة، أشرف بن شرقي سيصنع الفارق في أداء الأهلي في الناحية الهجومية، لكنه لا يُجيد الدفاع، وتواجد زيزو مع عمر جابر في جبهة واحدة سيجعلها قوية، على الجانب الآخر إمام عاشور وحسين الشحات لديهما أنانية ومستواهما ليس ثابتًا”.

وأستمر: “في حال انتهت المباراة بالتعادل، سيصب ذلك في مصلحة بيراميدز، وسيمنحه التتويج بالدوري، أتمنى فوز الزمالك، وحاليًا هو الأفضل”.

وعن تصريح عدلي القيعي بشأن تمنيه ضم محمود بنتايج إن لم يتواجد الأفضل منه في الأهلي، رد: “يجب أن يعمل مجلس إدارة الزمالك على الحفاظ على اللاعب، وضرورة تفعيل بند الشراء، لأن حرب التصريحات بدأت، وبنتايج أفضل من علي معلول في الوقت الحالي، لكن في حالة أن شارك معلول واستعاد مستواه المعروف، فهو رقم واحد في مصر، ومن أفضل المحترفين بالدوري المصري خلال الـ 20 سنة الماضية”.

 

Leeds United temporarily moved to the top of the Championship table on Tuesday night with a relatively comfortable 2-1 win over Watford at Elland Road.

Largie Ramazani handed the home side the lead after just four minutes as his strike from distance was fumbled by Hornets goalkeeper Daniel Bachmann, who was then unable to prevent it from crossing the line.

It was then 2-0 just three minutes later thanks to another gift from the shot-stopper, who parried a cross from Wilfried Gnonto straight into the path of Brenden Aaronson, for him to find the back of the net.

The Whites are now top of the league and will be hoping that their rivals slip up on Wednesday night to maintain their place in the automatic promotion places ahead of the weekend.

Daniel Farke’s side travel away from West Yorkshire to take on Bristol City at Ashton Gate in the lunchtime kick-off in the Championship on Saturday.

The German head coach may be forced into making a couple of changes to his starting line-up from the win over Watford, though, after a couple of issues cropped up on Tuesday night.

The Leeds players who could miss out against Bristol City

Firstly, there will be a change at left-back for the Whites after Junior Firpo picked up his fifth booking of the season in the second tier, which has triggered an automatic one-match suspension.

The 28-year-old star has produced one goal and three assists in 11 appearances for Leeds so far this term, along with 3.9 tackles and interceptions per match.

This shows that he has made an impact at both ends of the pitch and will, therefore, be a loss in the game against Bristol City, with Isaac Schmidt and Sam Byram potential replacements for him on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Ramazani also looks set to be unavailable for selection after he was withdrawn from the game after just 14 minutes with an ankle injury.

After the match, Farke revealed that it was a “painful” roll or twist of the ankle for the Belgian forward, who was caught with a strong challenge on the touchline.

The German head coach added that it would be “difficult” for the summer signing from Almeria to be available for the clash with Bristol City, due to the short turnaround between Tuesday night and Saturday lunch.

This suggests that Leeds will have to make a change to their starting XI on the left flank when they travel to Ashton Gate on Saturday, and it is down to Farke to decide on his best option to come in.

The summer signing has been in impressive form since his move to Elland Road during the last transfer window, in an attempt to replace Crysencio Summerville partially, and will be hard to replace.

Largie Ramazani's form this season

The 23-year-old star has not taken much time at all to settle back into life in England, having come through the academy system at Manchester United prior to his move to Spain to shine for Almeria.

His goal against Watford was certainly fortunate, as Bachmann made a huge error to palm the ball back into his own net, but it was still a strong strike from distance by the winger and he gave the goalkeeper a chance to make a mistake by fizzing the shot with pace and swerve to make it difficult.

That was his third goal in six starts for Leeds in the Championship so far this season, as the young attacker has shown that he can provide a big goal threat from a wide left position.

Starts

6

xG

1.82

Goals

3

Assists

1

Tackles + interceptions per game

1.8

As you can see in the table above, Ramazani has produced four direct goal contributions in six starts in the second tier, whilst outperforming his xG tally.

He has also contributed defensively, with 1.8 tackles and interceptions per game, and these statistics show that the forward has made a positive impact at both ends of the pitch.

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Manor Solomon came on to replace him against the Hornets on Tuesday night but he must move aside for Farke to unleash Dan James from the start, to ease the blow of losing Ramazani through injury.

Why Dan James should start over Manor Solomon

The Tottenham Hotspur loanee came on in the 14th minute and put in a solid, if unspectacular, performance down the left flank for the Whites.

He failed to provide a goal or an assist in his 75 minutes on the pitch, before being substituted for Sam Byram in the final minutes, and managed one shot on target and zero ‘big chances’ created.

Since his move to Elland Road in the summer, Solomon has produced zero goals, one assist, and one ‘big chance’ created in four appearances for the club – assisting Mateo Joseph’s goal against Hull.

James, meanwhile, came on for the last 18 minutes and earned a player rating of 8/10 from LeedsLive’s Beren Cross, who hailed his pace, energy, and creativity.

In those 18 minutes, the Wales international created two ‘big chances’ for his teammates – twice as many as Solomon has in four appearances – but was not rewarded with an assist for his efforts.

Appearances

40

Starts

28

Goals

13

Assists

7

Big chances created

13

As you can see in the table above, James is also a proven Championship performer who showcased his quality as both a scorer and a creator in the division during the 2023/24 campaign for Farke.

The winger contributed with a stunning 26 goals and ‘big chances’ created in 28 starts in the league to help Leeds reach the play-offs and should, therefore, be trusted by the manager to come in and perform on Saturday.

Solomon is yet to prove himself in a Leeds shirt and James outperformed him in just 18 minutes on Tuesday night, which is why he should be the man to ease the blow of losing Ramazani through injury.

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Heading into the game off the back of an impressive point against Atalanta in the Champions League, Celtic could once again be forced to cope without a key player against Motherwell.

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After they lost main man Matt O’Riley to Brighton & Hove Albion in the summer transfer window, some may have worried about Celtic and their chances of retaining the Scottish Premiership once again. So far, however, they’ve barely skipped a beat and sit top of the league once again, though only ahead of surprise challengers Aberdeen on goal difference.

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Meanwhile, the Bhoys have been responsible for a couple of surprising results, themselves. One of many test subjects in the new Champions League format, Celtic have so far smashed Slovan Bratislava, been humiliated in 7-1 fashion by Borussia Dortmund and earned a solid and impressive 0-0 draw against last season’s Europa League winners Atalanta.

What made that point all the more impressive is the fact that the Scottish champions were forced to earn it without one of their star defenders in a scenario they may face again this weekend. As alluded to by Rodgers and relayed by Daily Record, Cameron Carter-Vickers is now a doubt to face Motherwell after missing out on Celtic’s trip to Atalanta despite initial hopes he may play in Italy.

The American was pictured in training prior to that Champions League clash but missed out nonetheless. Rodgers has since remained fairly coy when asked about the defender’s fitness, telling reporters via Daily Record: “Cam, we’ll just see when we get back.”

After missing the last six games in all competitions, Carter-Vickers won’t be rushed back which may leave him with no choice but to be a frustrated spectator once again this weekend.

Return of "brilliant" Carter-Vickers will be crucial

As Celtic have re-established their dominance in the Scottish Premiership in recent years, Carter-Vickers has been at the centre of both Ange Postecoglou’s side and now Rodgers’ champions. The American captained the Bhoys in their final five league games last season in a crucial run towards the title which included a dramatic 3-3 draw against Old Firm rivals Rangers, and now has the chance to step back into the side when he is back to full fitness.

The former Tottenham Hotspur defender has earned plenty of praise during his time at Celtic Park, including from former manager Postecoglou, who said via The National after Carter-Vickers earned a World Cup call-up for the USA: “He has just been brilliant for us since the day he arrived. He has embraced everything within the club and his performances speak for themselves.

“He has now taken on leadership as well. “It’s a credit to him, he is the one that has put in the hard work and I couldn’t be happier for him.”

Whilst they’re still waiting for his return, Celtic’s patience should prove worthwhile once Carter-Vickers is back firing on all cylinders after missing a total of six games so far.