Two West Brom players are "in contention to start" the Championship clash with high-flying Ipswich Town this weekend, according to an update from reliable journalist Lewis Cox.
West Brom injury news
The Baggies return to action after the international break with a huge game on Saturday evening, as Ipswich make the trip to the Hawthorns for an eye-catching meeting. Carlos Corberan's side find themselves sitting in seventh place and just outside the playoff positions going into the game, and they will be tested up against one of the most impressive teams in the division, with Ipswich currently second on goal difference behind leaders Leicester City.
It hasn't been plain sailing in the fitness department for West Brom of late, however, with Corberan having to make do without a number of key players. John Swift and Josh Maja are two individuals who have been unavailable – the latter has been absent for a number of months – while Jeremy Sarmiento is another who has been out injured.
With kickoff on Saturday now fast approaching, a key update has now emerged for the Baggies regarding the involvement of certain players in the weekend action.
West Brom's double injury boost
Taking to X, reporter Cox claimed that both Swift and Maja could start for West Brom' against Ipswich on Saturday, acting as a major boost for Corberan.
West Bromwich Albion midfielder John Swift.
"John Swift and Josh Maja in contention to start, Carlos Corberan reveals. Certainly available to feature on Saturday. Diangana fine after DR Congo fear."
This is great news for West Brom, who will need as many key players as possible available this weekend, in what is one of the biggest tests of their season to date. Ipswich may only have been promoted from League One last season, with few expecting them to be near the top of the table, but they continue to excel under Kieran McKenna, who previously managed Manchester United's Under-18s and was an assistant at Old Trafford after that.
It remains to be seen if Corberan will put Swift and Maja straight back into the starting lineup, but it could be a surprise if that was the case, given their lack of football and the calibre of their opponents on Saturday.
The importance of Swift to this West Brom side cannot be downplayed, though, which could give the manager a reason to start him. The 28-year-old scored in both Baggies matches before his injury in October, against Sheffield Wednesday and Birmingham City.
John Swift
6
Brandon Thomas-Asante
5
Matt Phillips
3
Grady Diangana
2
Jed Wallace
2
Semi Ajayi
2
Kyle Bartley
2
Meanwhile, Maja is someone who is still waiting for his Hawthorns career to ignite, with the 24-year-old only managing five appearances for West Brom to date, seeing injuries stunting his progress. He is someone whose end product could end up being vital to his side's promotion hopes as the season goes on, whether that be from the start or the substitutes' bench. It will be fascinating to see how the Baggies fare against Ipswich, with a win suggesting that promotion to the Premier League could be very possible this season.
Former Australia legspinner believes Big Bash contract will put Lancashire youngster on path to fulfilling his potential
Matt Roller24-Oct-2018Former Australia spinner Stuart MacGill is “really, really excited” by Matt Parkinson’s deal with the Melbourne Stars, and thinks that the young legspinner can use the Big Bash as a platform to stake an England claim.Parkinson, a 22-year-old who has starred for Lancashire in white-ball cricket, will play half the season for the Stars, sharing an overseas berth with Nepal legspinner Sandeep Lamichhane.He was mentored by MacGill in Sydney last winter as part of the ECB’s Pathways programme, while playing grade cricket for Gordon and when training with the England Lions, and the pair have kept in regular contact since.”I’m over the moon for him,” MacGill told ESPNcricinfo. “I think he’ll benefit from the experience immensely, and I think the Stars will too.”The big thing with Matt is how genuinely enthusiastic he is. He trains like crazy, and he plays at 100mph. Whenever he gets the ball in his hand he’s super excited, and he watches a lot of cricket, which is quite unusual for young pros nowadays. He’s always looking to improve himself: he wants to know what other people are doing so that he can keep up.Parkinson has established himself as one of the best limited-overs spinners on the county circuit since his first appearance in July 2017. He took 18 wickets in the Royal London Cup this year to finish as the tournament’s leading wicket-taker, and nobody has taken more than his 39 Blast wickets since his match-winning debut against Derbyshire.And in the days leading up to his man-of-the-match performance in this year’s T20 quarter-final win at Kent, Parkinson was effusive in his praise for his mentor.”I did some tweaks with Stuart to give me more energy and momentum towards the target and I’m now probably using my front arm a bit more,” he told ESPNcricinfo. “The six months with him were fantastic because they gave me confidence I could take with me into this season. They really helped me to understand my game more and to deal with the off days. I’m not saying it was s*** or bust for me last year, but this year I’m a lot more consistent and I’ve grown as a bowler. I understand my own bowling better.”For the ECB, Parkinson’s Big Bash deal represents a success for their development programmes. MacGill has now worked with several young English spinners, starting with Mason Crane in the 2016-17 season, as well as Josh Poysden, Matt Critchley and Delray Rawlins last winter, and his role as a mentor rather than just as a coach seems to be working perfectly.”All I did with him, as with any of the guys I work with, was really encourage him to become increasingly familiar with his cricket,” MacGill said. “Not just with his mental and tactical stuff, but with his actual action itself: make sure there’s that consistency, routines, and processes.”The opportunity the guys have when they come out to work here is that they just do get a little bit more time and less pressure – more training time I guess – and to really get to know themselves on the cricket field and in the cricketing context. Consequently, their consistency and the clarity with which they look at wicket-taking improves, so they know how they take their wickets. It’s different for each individual, but they just know their game a lot better.”[Parkinson] stays in touch almost religiously,” he said, “which is really nice for me to be honest, because when you’re a former player you do tend to feel like a bit of a grandpa!”But he lets me know how he’s going, what he’s doing – we flick messages backwards and forwards – and he was great with my family. He’s a good kid: he trains hard, he runs hard, and he really takes pride in everything he does, so I’m really really excited for him and I know he’s very excited as well.”Whether he gets on the field every game or just some games, I know that he’ll never let himself down – he’s one person who you know will never leave anything in the sheds.”Parkinson’s Lancashire performances have already won him England Lions recognition, and it is understood that an IPL franchise was interested in securing his services ahead of last year’s auction, so it comes as no surprise that MacGill thinks the Big Bash stage could further his case for international selection down the line.”It’s certainly good timing. If I were a young cricketer around the world at the moment, I’d be pretty keen to get involved in the Big Bash next season.”With the World T20 in Australia on the horizon, he couldn’t get a better training field, and he’s working with some good people there: Trent Woodhill [the Stars’ list manager and assistant coach] in particular is a very good operator. He’s in great shape.”
We all love a good transfer saga. We might pretend that we don't, but there is something about the drama of it all that is too entertaining to ignore. And when it comes to transfer sagas, few players have been involved in more than Kylian Mbappé.
The Paris Saint-Germain forward was at the centre of a transfer storm in 2022 when he opted to sign a new mega deal at the club instead of joining Real Madrid, and then he found himself in another this summer when he told the club he would be leaving next year for free.
The ensuing weeks of back and forth between the two sides led to a mountain of clubs being linked to the star.
Still, he ultimately remained at the club, with reports suggesting that he has signed, or will sign, a one-year extension, meaning that if he is to leave next summer, clubs will likely have to pay close to the £259m offered by Al-Hilal in the summer.
With that in mind, Football FanCast has created a list of nine teams linked to the Frenchman in the last year or so and ranked them out of ten for plausibility and fit.
9 Tottenham Hotspur
Right, so kicking off our list is Tottenham Hotspur, and we'll admit that this does feel like a bit of a pipe dream – and that's being generous – but the idea of Mbappé donning the white of Spurs already seems less farcical now than it did just a few months ago.
That said, we haven't just plucked this one out of thin air, as during the summer, in the midst of the Harry Kane debacle, there were, in fact, reports suggesting that Daniel Levy and co had an interest in signing the French supremo.
We have to admit that the idea of Mbappé playing under the ever-entertaining Ange Postecoglou and thriving in his uber-attacking style of football is pleasing.
Ultimately, are the Lilywhites going to offer PSG the money required to sign their superstar? No. And is Mbappé likely to accept a team that can't guarantee Champions League football? Also, no, but it's an entertaining thought nonetheless.
Chances: 1/10
8 Manchester United
Moving onto our second Premier League team on this list, and unlike Spurs, a transfer to Manchester United now seems infinitely less likely than it did in the summer.
The Red Devils were coming off of a relatively successful campaign that saw them lift the League Cup and finish in third place, all in Erik ten Hag's first season in charge, so why wouldn't Mbappé want to join?
They are Manchester United, after all.
The same Spanish reports that revealed Spurs' interest in the Frenchman also mentioned United as an interested party in the summer, and with the way the three-time European champions spend money, why couldn't they sign him?
Well, a disastrous start to their campaign this season and an increasingly hostile atmosphere around the club has made a deal such as this seem practically impossible. That said, a front three of Marcus Rashford, Rasmus Hojlund, and Kylian Mbappé would be a goals-fest.
Chances: 3/10
7 Al-Hilal
So this is the first of the really dull options on the list, and the team we – along with most fans – really hope he doesn't end up joining, Al Hilal.
In the midst of his stand-off with PSG in the summer, when it looked as if he would be spending this season sat in the stands, Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal decided that they would blow the lid off of the transfer market and offer an eye-watering transfer fee of £259m to sign the Frenchman.
If the fee wasn't obscene enough, the club also offered the forward about €700m (£604m) to play in Saudi Arabia for just one year, a deal that would have truly signalled the departure of sense and reason from the sport.
Luckily, Mbappé refused the offer and opted to stay in Europe, but who's to say the Saudis won't come back with an even more earth-shattering offer next summer, one that Mbappé finds too good to turn down.
Chances: 4/10
6 Barcelona
Yes, for all of the links to fellow La Liga side Real Madrid over the last however many years, staunch rivals Barcelona made a play to sign the World Cup winner this summer when it looked like his future would be anywhere other than Paris.
According to FootMercato, the Blaugrana made an offer to the Parisian side that included three players alongside a cash offer. TalkSport has claimed that the players included were Gavi, Ousmane Dembele and Raphinha.
We aren't surprised that this deal failed, and with Barca's well-documented financial fragilities, a deal for the number one player in Europe seems like an impossibility, especially as they were unable to re-sign their greatest ever player in Lionel Messi when he left PSG this summer.
That said, we would have loved to have seen the crowd reaction at the Santiago Bernabéu were he to turn up donning the blue and garnet of Barcelona.
Chances: 4/10
5 Arsenal
Back to these shores now, and alongside their north London rivals and Manchester United, Arsenal found themselves linked to Mbappé in the summer, somewhat surprisingly, it must be said.
The Gunners spent over £200m on their summer revamp, and so spending another £250m plus on the Frenchman was never really on the cards. Still, once it had been reported that the forward had said he would join the Premier League runners-up should he come and play in England, the rumour mill went into overdrive.
Now, that is it in terms of links to the club, but we can't help but imagine how utterly brilliant a front three of Gabriel Martinelli, Mbappé and Bukayo Saka would be.
That said, for as great a fit as this would be from an entertainment perspective, we really don't think this is a genuine possibility.
Chances: 4/10
4 Chelsea
We're staying in London for this one but moving from the north over to the west, as alongside the other English teams in this list, Chelsea were also rumoured to be interested in the 24-year-old this summer.
Now, we know we just said that the player himself has reportedly said he would join the Gunners were to come to England, but unfortunately, in this game, money talks, and while Arsenal aren't afraid to spend, the Blues take it to a whole other level.
Since Todd Boehly's takeover alone, Chelsea have spent close to £915m, so what's an extra £259m for the best player in the world?
Now, just as with every other Premier League team, this deal is unlikely – especially following Chelsea's start to the season – but if there is any club in European football that is happier to part with their cash, we don't know them.
Chances: 5/10
3 Liverpool
From west London to the northwest of England, and Liverpool are the next on our list of clubs linked with Mbappé.
Where the other English sides have only been rumoured to be after the player in the last year or so, the Red's potential interest goes back several years at this point.
In 2020, rumours suggesting that the Frenchman was on his way to Anfield were everywhere, but in the years since, those links have seemingly all but vanished.
However, amid the standoff between club and player this summer, the Mirror reported that the Reds could step in and offer the superstar the option of a one-year loan spell to help resolve things.
We know now that this report ultimately led to nothing, but that didn't stop the fans from dreaming and us from imagining just how good a three of Mohamed Salah, Mbappé, and Luis Diaz would've been.
While this deal seems a bit farfetched at the moment, the fact that Liverpool seem to have rediscovered their mojo this season can only help fuel the rumour mill.
They couldn't, could they?
Chances: 5/10
2 Paris Saint-Germain
Paris Saint-Germain striker Kylian Mbappe.
Here we are at the second-worst option on the list, and one we really hope he doesn't choose next summer: staying at Paris Saint-Germain for another year.
Now, this might seem like an unlikely option for Mbappé given his actions over the summer, but if the reports suggesting that a new deal is in the works are accurate, then we can't rule out him opting to run down that contract as well.
If he decided to stay until summer 2025, he wouldn't leave Ligue 1 until he was 26 years old. While the French top-flight is entertaining, it isn't as competitive as the Premier League or La Liga.
Fans want to see the supposed best player in the world actually challenge himself every week.
Hopefully, this doesn't happen, and the new deal is just to help the club earn a significant fee, but based on his past behaviour, we have a sneaking suspicion he could stay in Paris for another two years.
Chances: 6/10
1 Real Madrid
Here we are, the club we think Kylian Mbappé is most likely to end up at next year and come on, who else was it going to be?
Real Madrid are the clear favourite when it comes to landing Mbappé's signature next year, and it is pretty clear that Los Blancos are the only team that the Frenchman has any desire to join once he leaves Paris; he even said as much.
There is no denying that his behaviour over the last few years has seriously annoyed the Real Madrid hierarchy, especially Florentino Perez, who did not hide how he felt following the player's decision to stay in Paris in summer 2022.
That said, football is a fickle business. Whatever Real officials and fans might say, they will still be working on a way to sign Mbappé next summer and with their need for a striker more acute now than it has been in years, we don't see a world in which the Frenchman isn't wearing the white of Real at some point in the next couple of years.
Tottenham Hotspur are soaring above anything that supporters could have imagined just a matter of months ago, with new manager Ange Postecoglou transforming the confidence and quality at the club since arriving in the summer.
The Premier League's current table-toppers are in fantastic form and have leapfrogged holding champions Manchester City into first place after a battling victory over Luton Town at Kenilworth Road (though City will reclaim their spot should they defeat Arsenal on Sunday).
It's a far cry from the mess the club was in before the turning of the season, with Antonio Conte's dismissal in March – Spurs' fourth managerial sacking in as many years – the result of a failure to establish a clear identity and understanding on the pitch, Tottenham languished to an eighth-placed finish.
Harry Kane, star striker and record goalscorer, was consequently sold to Bayern Munich for £100m and Postecoglou was appointed from Celtic, viewed as a more grounded and astute approach than moves for Conte and Jose Mourinho.
Tottenham Summer Signings 2023
Player
Price (via Sky Sports)
Dejan Kulusevski
£25.6m
James Maddison
£40m
Guglielmo Vicario
£17.2m
Manor Solomon
Free transfer
Ashley Phillips
Undisclosed
Pedro Porro
£39m
Micky van de Ven
£43m
Brennan Johnson
£47.5m
Alejo Veliz
Undisclosed
While the departure of a stalwart club legend such as Kane was a moment no Spurs fan wished to see, the money recuperated has allowed club chairman Daniel Levy to invest in quality additions across the pitch, and the results have so far been nothing short of emphatic.
Victories over Manchester United and Liverpool, a noteworthy draw against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium, the Lilywhites are demonstrating title-winning credentials and while this would not have been conceivable before the summer, it is very much a possibility at present.
On top of the superb summer signings, Postecoglou has worked wonders in reviving some previously struggling stars, with captain Heung-min Son and star centre-back Cristian Romero looking like world-beaters this season.
Perhaps most impressive, however, has been the resurgence of midfield machine Yves Bissouma, who has been praised for his "standout" performances by The Athletic's Charlie Eccleshare.
He didn't enjoy his finest hour against the Hatters, picking up a yellow card and hence receiving a one-match suspension before inexplicably diving and being given his marching orders just before the break.
On top of departing the pitch a little hot under the collar, the Malian ace's absence now means, of course, that he will need replacing, and while Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg might appear the obvious choice, Postecoglou might want to think twice before deploying him from the start against Fulham.
How did Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg perform vs Luton?
While proving his worth and then some across the majority of his Tottenham career, Hojbjerg has not found a regular spot on the pitch this season,
An industrious and intelligent midfielder, the Dane has yet to make a Premier League start this season, called on as a substitute seven times, but flattered to deceive this weekend.
Tottenham's Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg
Coming on at half-time against the Hatters to combat the loss of Bissouma, the 28-year-old did not perform with the conviction his manager might've hoped for, picking up a yellow card, winning just 25% (1/4) of his duels, getting dribbled past once – as per Sofascore – and getting "skinned" by the energetic Chiedozie Ogbene, as was noted by Eccleshare.
Of course, he's a tried and tested midfielder and has been ever-present for the lion's share of his time in London, but given the success of his positional peer Pape Matar Sarr this season, Postecoglou might be inclined to offer 18-year-old starlet Rio Kyerematen a shot in the starting line-up.
Who is Rio Kyerematen?
Hojbjerg's lack of mobility has left him banished to the periphery under Postecoglou's wing, but his loss could be Kyerematen's gain, with the teenage prospect praised by club insider superhotspur, who wrote: 'Always looking to make decisive forward passes, Rio is a very good passer of a football, and he has a good range of passing'.
With Sarr alongside him, some might question the youthful tint to the Spurs centre, but the London club are already demonstrating the benefit instilling some precocious exuberance can have.
Certainly not a like-for-like change, Kyerematen has posted 13 goals and 11 assists across just 51 matches at youth level, and while he hasn't yet made his senior debut, it wouldn't be the first time an unknown commodity has announced themselves from the unknown. In addition, he is also 'very reliable on the ball, is very good at dribbling with the ball and at turning with it, and he uses the ball really well' – as per superhotspur.
Stepping up to the plate, the "big talent" – as he has been called by Tottenham podcaster Chris Miller – would bring a fresh angle to unlock a robust Fulham outfit, and enveloped by so much quality, he could be in a good position to impress on his prospective debut.
Kyerematen would have big boots to fill though, there is no question about that; Bissouma has been the engine behind his side's success, the flooding waterfall to fill the pool that is Tottenham's rising wealth of talent.
As per FBref, the £55k-per-week phenom ranks among the top 3% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for pass completion, the top 8% for passes attempted, the top 16% for successful take-ons and the top 21% for progressive passes and progressive carries per 90.
Such attributes appear tailor-made for a prodigy such as Kyerematen to assume, offering his own ball-playing prowess to serve as a conduit between the backline and the creative James Maddison.
And while he is only young, and very much inexperienced, Bissouma will only be unavailable for one match and, as such, this really could be the opportune moment for this stunning starlet to pounce and impress at senior level.
Tottenham Hotspur have "recently" made contact to sign a "fantastic" former player who ex-boss Mauricio Pochettino was a big admirer of.
Who have Tottenham signed 2023?
Spurs and new manager Ange Postecoglou have, so far, put the glorious Pochettino days well and truly behind them with an excellent run of early-season form. Tottenham supporters have witnessed the return of an exciting, very watchable brand of attacking football, with the Lilywhites scoring 15 goals over their first six league games.
Only Brighton, Man City and Newcastle can boast a better return than that so far, and the latter side are only up there due to a quite sensational 8-0 win at Sheffield United last weekend. Following Antonio Conte's regrettable last season in charge, it appears things are well and truly on up in north London.
Tottenham Hotspur manager AngePostecoglou
This has been helped by the summer signings of goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, young centre-back Ashley Phillips, assured defender Micky van de Ven, England midfield star James Maddison, winger Manor Solomon, exciting striker Alejo Veliz and Wales forward Brennan Johnson – who all signed for Spurs before summer deadline day on September 1.
Maddison and van de Ven in particular have taken to life under Postecoglou with real aplomb, with the former already scoring two goals and assisting two others; becoming a favourite of the fanbase as a result; Van de Ven, meanwhile, has been an assured partner for fellow centre-back Cristian Romero.
What's the latest Spurs transfer news?
Despite their summer business, it is believed Spurs could well be busy again in the January window. Moves for Bournemouth defender Lloyd Kelly and Juventus star Gleison Bremer are being mooted by sections of the press, while Tottenham are named as one of the possible destinations for Brentford striker Ivan Toney.
It will be interesting to see if they do sign much-needed defensive depth or an out-and-out replacement for Harry Kane. Another player to be linked with a move to north London is former player, Marcus Edwards.
Marcus Edwards
Now at Sporting Lisbon, where he's seriously impressing under Ruben Amorim, a report from Portugal this week says he remains a target for Postecoglou's Spurs side. According to newspaper O Jogo, as translated by Sport Witness, the club "recently" made contact to sign Edwards – who they actually have a 35 per cent sell-on clause for.
It's added that Edwards could well be considered for an England call up in the near future, as he's being monitored by the FA, and this should only heighten his chances of making a return to the Premier League.
How good is Marcus Edwards?
Speaking ahead of Tottenham's Champions League clash with Sporting Lisbon last season, pundit Owen Hargreaves called him a "fantastic" player who "leave people for dead".
Meanwhile, Pochettino was a big fan of Edwards during his time at Spurs, saying this on the player back in 2016: "He is a very good prospect and, potentially, he can be a top player but we need to be patient and tell him that he has a lot of talent, enough talent to be a top player, a great player, but now it’s how he builds his future – that’s very important."
Manchester United continued their Jekyll and Hyde start to the 2023/24 season with yet another defeat in the Premier League.
The 1-0 loss to Crystal Palace leaves the club sitting on just nine points from seven matches and Erik ten Hag will surely be feeling the pressure ahead of the Champions League tie against Galatasaray this week.
It’s safe to say that his summer signings have failed to really hit the ground running and this will need to be remedied if the Red Devils have any aspirations of winning trophies this season.
The likes of Mason Mount and Rasmus Hojlund have registered just one goal and one assist between them since arriving in the summer and considering the vast financial outlay Ten Hag shelled out to bring them to Manchester, these figures need to be much better.
The Dane in particular, hasn’t quite lived up to expectations and while he certainly has time on his hands, might Ten Hag have signed someone more experienced to spearhead his attack?
How has Rasmus Hojlund performed this season?
The 20-year-old has started three Premier League games so far for the Old Trafford side, yet has averaged a mediocre Sofascore rating of just 6.45, while averaging just 0.5 shots on target per game, created zero big chances while completing just 8.5 passes per game, signifying his lack of impact. Of course, he is still growing into the role but United needed someone ready to make an immediate impact.
Rasmus Hojlund
Having burst onto the scene last season at Atalanta, scoring ten goals for the Serie A side and emerging as one of the most talented youngsters on the continent, it was clear he would be moving away from the club sooner than expected.
It was evident that United needed a proper number nine, someone who could offer a direct threat through the middle rather than the Dutchman having to rely on wide players such as Marcus Rashford and Antony.
He is still a rough diamond, but if given the opportunity, he could develop into a wonderful striker who may remain at the club for the foreseeable future.
Was the move perhaps too much of a gamble, however? With Ten Hag clearly requiring someone who is already an established member of the game's elite in order to get the club challenging for both domestic and European honours.
One name that was being touted for a move to Manchester was Napoli centre-forward Victor Osimhen and their start to the season may have looked a lot differently had he been the man leading the line rather than Hojlund.
Did Manchester United nearly sign Victor Osimhen?
The Nigerian sensation had a season to remember for the Italian side during 2022/23 as he scored 31 goals across all competitions, leading Napoli to their first league title since the halcyon days of Diego Maradona and co.
Such was his impact, that he even received praise from Nigeria’s president-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who lauded his impact in their title triumph, saying: "The real deal, or idán gangan as younger folks may describe him; Victor has continued the fine tradition of Nigeria’s footballing excellence on the global stage. We are all proud of him and wish him well in what is already a remarkable career.”
This form naturally led to interest from a variety of clubs across the continent, and it looked as though he was going to leave the club during the summer transfer.
According to Italian news outlet Il Mattino, it was claimed that the Old Trafford outfit held an advantage in the chase for Osimhen as the chase was heating up for the striker.
The report stated that United would have to fork out a massive €160m (£139m) in order to lure the star to the Premier League. Although this was an eyewatering amount, it was claimed that the club were front-runners due to attempting negotiations the year before.
Is Victor Osimhen better than Rasmus Hojlund?
Both players played in Serie A last season and the 24-year-old got the better of the young Danish talent across a wide range of metrics.
Indeed, Osimhen not only scored more league goals (29 to nine) and assists (four to two) but he also registered more shots on target per game (1.7 to 0.9), averaged more key passes per match (1.1 to 0.8) and scored on a more frequent basis (every 99 minutes to every 204 minutes), clearly suggesting he was a far bigger threat in front of goal.
Victor Osimhen
Not only did Osimhen establish himself as one of the best forwards in Italy, but his performances also led to him ranking highly across a range of attacking metrics when compared to positional peers in Europe’s top five leagues.
According to FBref, he sat in the top 1% for none-penalty goals per 90 (0.88), the top 1% for total shots per 90 (4.48) and the top 2% for touches in the attacking penalty area per 90 (7.98), demonstrating how often he looked to get on the score sheet and into key attacking areas during matches.
In comparison, Hojlund failed to rank in the top 30% for both non-penalty goals (0.41) and total shots (2.78) per 90, while ranking in the top 14% for touches in the opposition box per 90 (6.28) when compared to positional peers, and It's clear to see why Osimhen scored far more goals last season.
Ten Hag may have found the Nigerian slightly out of his price range, yet a more concrete move should have been made to bring him to Manchester, especially as he aimed to build upon the steady progress from last term.
Not only does he find the back of the net more often, but the Napoli hitman is generally, a greater threat in the penalty area and there is no doubt he could have made a much bigger impact in a shorter space of time than Hojlund.
Napoli striker Victor Osimhen.
As reiterated, the Dane is only a couple of years into his professional career and clearly has enough talent to shine on the biggest stage, but perhaps a move to the Premier League has come too quickly.
His development may have been better aided by remaining in Serie A with Atalanta and building up his confidence.
Ten Hag certainly missed a trick by failing to sign Osimhen and the mistake is becoming even worse following every bad result.
Após engatar uma boa sequência de resultados, o Sport vive um momento de instabilidade. Neste domingo, o Leão foi superado pelo Botafogo dentro da Ilha do Retiro e perdeu a chance de subir na classificação.
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Na coletiva de imprensa, o técnico Jair Ventura analisou o desempenho da sua equipe e falou sobre a falta de eficiência na hora de decidir.
‘A gente teve mais posse que o adversário. Criamos sim, nós não fomos eficazes em fazer as oportunidades, mas tivemos chances’.
Com o revés dentro de casa, o Sport fecha a rodada com 20 pontos e na 9ª colocação do Campeonato Brasileiro.
O próximo jogo do Sport no torneio nacional acontece na próxima quarta-feira, quando encara o Internacional.
Sony Pictures Network India (SPN) has continued acquiring rights to broadcast overseas cricket in the Indian subcontinent, having signed a deal to telecast – and stream online – matches played in England for the next five years.Sony already has Indian rights to international matches played in Australia, South Africa, the UAE, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe and the West Indies, and their latest venture with the ECB comes ahead of India’s bumper tour in July, which includes five Tests, three ODIs and two T20Is. Pakistan are also scheduled to tour England this summer.”The acquisition of media rights of ECB for a five-year term, effective now through 2022, provides for some exciting cricket viewership,” NP Singh, managing director and chief executive officer of SPN said. “Cricket is a passion for most Indians and this term of ECB games includes three tours of the Indian cricket team which promises some thrilling cricket, the first of these coming close on the heels of the hugely exciting South Africa series.”Star Sports had previously held the broadcast rights for English cricket in India. This new cycle gives Sony access to upwards of 80 international matches played by both men’s and women’s teams from 2018 to 2022.Tom Harrison, the ECB chief executive, said: “Today’s announcement means millions of cricket fans across the Indian subcontinent can follow their favourite team in action the next time they tour England – as well as enjoying access to iconic cricketing contests like next year’s Ashes. It will also help further raise the global profile of the English game – giving both the England men’s and women’s teams valuable exposure in a part of the world where people are passionate about cricket and avid followers of the global game as well as their own national team.”Sony is also likely to be one of the contenders for the BCCI’s rights to international cricket played in India, which will be sold via an online auction on March 27.ESPN has a long-term collaboration with Sony Pictures Networks (SPN) for the launch of SONYESPN-branded television channels and digital assets in India and the subcontinent.
كشفت تقارير صحفية رغبة أحد المدربين السابقين لفريق تشيلسي في العودة إلى النادي الإنجليزي مرة أخرى، بعد الاستغناء عن خدمات ماوريسيو بوتشيتينو.
كان تشيلسي قد أعلن رسميًا، مساء أمس الثلاثاء، أنه قد تم الاستغناء عن بوتشيتينو بعد التوصل إلى اتفاق بين الطرفين.
وارتبط تشيلسي بالفعل بأكثر من مرشح لخلافة بوتشيتينو في “ستامفورد بريدج” الموسم المقبل، من ضمنهم روبرتو دي زيربي الذي رحل عن برايتون الأحد الماضي.
وذكرت صحيفة “مترو” الإنجليزية، نقلًا عن “سكاي ألمانيا” أن هناك رغبة لدى أحد مدربي تشيلسي السابقين بشأن العودة إلى النادي اللندني من جديد.
وأوضحت أن ذلك المدرب هو توماس توخيل، الذي أصبح بدون عمل بعد انتهاء مهمته مع بايرن ميونخ ورحيله عن النادي الألماني عقب انتهاء موسم 2023/24.
وأفادت بأن توخيل حريص على العودة إلى تشيلسي بعد أقل من عامين بعد مغادرته، حيث يشعر بأنه لا يزال لديه عمل غير مكتمل في النادي.
وتفاجأ الجميع بقرار إطاحة تشيلسي بـ توخيل من منصبه في سبتمبر 2022، رغم قيادته الفريق لتحقيق 3 بطولات، بما في ذلك دوري أبطال أوروبا.
ورغم العلاقة التي قد تبدو متوترة بين الطرفين، إلا أن توخيل لديه رغبة حثيثة في العودة إلى تدريب تشيلسي.
وأشارت “سكاي ألمانيا” إلى أنه قد تم إجراء مناقشات “مريحة” في الأيام القليلة الماضية بين الطرفين، قبل إعلان بيان رحيل بوتشيتينو.
ويشعر توخيل أن مهمته في تشيلسي لم تكتمل بعد، ويمكنه أن يتخيل نفسه يعود إلى النادي، على الرغم من أن مسؤولي تشيلسي قد يقررون السير في طريق مختلف.
وكما ذكرت صحيفة “تليجراف” الإنجليزية مساء أمس، فإن تشيلسي قد يلجأ إلى خيار مدرب شاب وذو رؤية مختلفة، حيث هناك قائمة من المرشحين بالفعل (لمطالعة التفاصيل من هنا).
Cape Town dealt almost exclusively in hair-raising action. The day began with three wickets in the first six overs. And it ended with three more in nine. The fast bowlers, from both teams, had fun
The Report by Alagappan Muthu05-Jan-2018 Scorecard and ball-by-ball details (Viewers in the Indian subcontinent can watch highlights of the Test here)Drama, thy name is Test cricket. At Newlands. On a pitch with a bit of spice. With a build-up that did not lack for shots across the bow.Faf du Plessis confessed he had a score to settle, and so he armed himself with four fast bowlers the envy of the world. Virat Kohli saw Dale Steyn, Kagiso Rabada, Morne Morkel and Vernon Philander during warm-ups. His only comment with regard to that was “we knew they were going a batsman short and we want to get at them with the new ball”.South Africa 12 for 3, India 27 for 3
39 – Runs aggregated by first three wickets for both sides in their first innings – 12 for South Africa and 27 for India – is the lowest in any Test in South Africa since their readmission. The previous lowest in South Africa was in their first Test after readmission – between the same two sides in Johannesburg in 1992-93.
22 – Runs scored by the openers from both sides in the first innings of the match, the least in a Test in South Africa in the last ten years and the fourth-lowest overall in the country.
2 – Instances of four India fast bowlers picking wickets in the same Test innings in the last 10 years – this Test and the other against Australia at the WACA in 2011-12. Overall, this is only the 11th such instance for India.
2013 – The last time South Africa’s Nos. 4 to No. 9 all scored 20-plus runs in a Test innings, as was in their first innings of this Test. The previous instance was also against India, in Durban in 2013-14.
114 – Runs added by AB de Villiers and Faf du Plessis for the fourth wicket – the most for South Africa after being three down for less than 15. This was the first 50-plus stand between de Villiers and du Plessis in 11 innings and in the last four years.
But really, how could anyone avoid the temptation of unleashing that attack, in any condition let alone a surface with both pace and lateral movement. Given 11 overs to turn the game, Philander dismissed M Vijay, Steyn claimed Dhawan to move into the top-10 wicket-takers in Test history and Morkel lured Kohli into a familar trap behind the wicket. India bowled South Africa out for 286 but then they limped to stumps at 28 for 3.Cape Town dealt almost exclusively in hair-raising action. Bhuvneshwar Kumar began proceedings by spiriting three wickets in his first three overs. To ensure there wasn’t one-way traffic, AB de Villiers produced a half-century that was downright delectable. He had total control of the game and the opposition at his mercy when the debutant Jasprit Bumrah – who played his last first-class game almost a year ago – knocked back the off stump.India’s hold-one-end-up bowler Hardik Pandya got rid of du Plessis for 62 mere moments after a remarkably tight lbw call went against the visitors. Kohli probably had that running in his head – and the South African captain’s pre-series comments about revenge – when he indulged in a send-off and was soon cautioned by the umpires.Worried that things had calmed too far down, Quinton de Kock played like he was the action hero who always gets shot at but never gets hit. He just looked so cool.1:19
Cullinan: India will have to come out playing positively
Now, it is more than fair for a home team to play to its strengths but that didn’t mean batting was a treacherous exercise. The outfield was lightning. The ball came on even better than expected. Fields were up. And fun was had. The run-rate through the first two sessions was 4.3Dean Elgar might not be too happy with how his day went though. Having finished 2017 as South Africa’s highest Test scorer, his first innings in the new year lasted only three deliveries. It wasn’t entirely his fault though. India had probably done their homework and realised that of his 44 dismissals to pace, 30 of them have been caught behind or in the cordon. So Bhuvneshwar forced him to deal with a back-of-a-length ball pitching on off stump and seaming away. He had to play. Then he had to go.Aiden Markram was lbw not playing a shot. Okay, that’s not quite true. He was trying desperately to bring his bat in line with a good length delivery pitching outside off and jagging back in but he just wasn’t quick enough. The young opener basically strung himself up with his habit of shuffling across and playing around his front pad.The third wicket of this phenomenal spell was probably the most important of them all. But it was the least sexy. Hashim Amla poked well away from his body and Wriddhiman Saha picked up his second catch of the first half hour, much to the cacophonous delight of the slip fielders beside him. Oddly, Ajinkya Rahane was not among that number with India choosing to go in with Rohit Sharma, a man in better recent form, and Hardik Pandya.With the new ball and the outside and inside edges hogging the limelight, the middle of the bat was off sulking somewhere. De Villiers found it and made sure it was front and centre for the entire time he was at the crease. He sent his first delivery through midwicket for a crisp boundary. He struck India’s best bowler of the day for four fours in an over. He played late. He met the ball close to his body. He used soft hands. And he punished anything even remotely short. In essence, de Villiers’ innings was an exhibition of how to bat on a difficult pitch. Playing only his third day of Test cricket over the last two years, he made 65 off 84 balls.Du Plessis was, as ever, scoring runs by simply making sure he was at the wicket. He waited for the wide ones to hit through cover and point. He feasted on the straight ones, that strong bottom hand coupling very nicely with a fast outfield. But the cut shot to get to a half-century in his comeback Test – he missed Boxing Day with a viral infection – was basically a dare. Try stopping that.India might have done even better if Mohammed Shami had found his rhythm sooner but he probably did not enjoy bowling into the wind; his run-up noticeably affected. It took 10 overs and three spells for his first wicket of the tour. It was one his team was hunting for though. Philander, in his pre-match comments, had indicated that he did not believe India were better travellers now. And while he did play some of the best cover drives in the match, helping string a vital 60-run stand for the sixth wicket at more than run-a-ball with de Kock, he left the field with his defences and his stumps shattered.Bhuvneshwar had the opportunity to take a fifth wicket just before tea was taken, but India’s old problem of having a porous slip cordon put paid to those plans when Dhawan dropped Keshav Maharaj on 0. The batsman had made 35 in enterprising fashion before he was dismissed, run-out by a direct hit from R Ashwin at mid-on. Later, the offspinner picked up his first wicket in South Africa, Rabada caught behind. The innings ended in the 74th over when Morkel was lbw to the same bowler for 2. The hosts’ last five wickets added 144 runs – that’s two more than the first five.