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Their next Kuhn: Celtic reach agreement to sign "dangerous" star

by z3u9t.icu Uncategorized

Excitement is starting to build amongst Celtic supporters ahead of the new season.

Kieran Tierney’s return to Glasgow was confirmed last week, and fans cannot wait to see their beloved homegrown hero bedecked in green and white hoops again.

It’s safe to say the transfer window is really starting to take shape for Brendan Rodgers’ Celtic side.

Indeed, despite the arrival of Tierney, the Bhoys have an interest in signing Liverpool’s Andy Robertson while another defender, this time of Japanese origin, could also join.

Talks are reportedly underway to sign Hayato Inamura from J League club Albirex Niigata but he’s not the only player Celtic appear to be in conversations to sign.

Celtic targeting a new winger

According to a report by Anthony Joseph of Sky Sports News, Celtic have now ‘agreed’ a fee of £1.7m with Nordsjælland as they attempt to sign attacker Benjamin Nygren, adding that the Hoops ‘will now look to finalise’ the deal.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Joseph states that an agreement was reached on the player side last week and that talks have progressed well with the club since.

Given that the 23-year-old is out of contract with the Danish Superligaen side in December, Nygren is available for significantly lower than his estimated current market value of around £5m, making the agreed fee appear an absolute bargain.

The winger began his senior career with hometown club IFK Göteborg and, after unspectacular spells with Genk in Belgium and then Heerenveen in the Netherlands, he arrived at Nordsjælland in January 2022, with whom his career has really taken off.

Now, he’s set to become the 11th Swedish player to appear for Celtic, hoping to follow in the footsteps of club legends Mikael Lustig, Johan Mjällby and, of course, Henrik Larsson.

Benjamin Nygren​​​​​​​: the new Nicolas Kühn?

Similar to Nygren, Nicolas Kühn​​​​​​​ had bounced around numerous clubs at a young age, representing RB Leipzig, Jong Ajax, Bayern Munich Amateure, Erzgebirge Aue​​​​​​​ and Rapid Wien before joining Celtic for a reported fee of £3m in January 2024.

Well, the German has certainly found a home in Glasgow, exploding onto the scene this season, as the table below illustrates.

Minutes

3,285

8th

Goals

21

2nd

Assists

15

1st

UCL goals

3

2nd

Average SofaScore rating

7.29

2nd

This end product led to Rodgers labelling Kühn’s performances as “outstanding”, while Michael Shearer of Breaking the Lines asserted that he is ‘poised to become’ the Celts’ ‘next great attacking player’.

This has seen a £25m price-tag placed on his head, with countless Premier League and Bundesliga clubs purportedly interested.

So, could Nygren have a similar impact upon his imminent arrival?

Well, let’s assess how the two wide-attackers compare to one-another.

Appearances

107

51

Minutes

6,206

3,416

Goals

35

7

Minutes per goal

177

488

Assists

8

10

Shots per 90

2.8

2.11

Shots on target %

41.7%

46.4%

Take-on success %

60.6%

57.8%

As the table shows, Nygren was significantly more impressive at his previous club than Kühn was upon his own arrival, with Global Football Rankings actually rating the Superligaen (13th) nine places higher than the Austrian Bundesliga (22nd).

The 23-year-old’s form for Nordsjælland​​​​​​​ has seen him earn his Sweden debut earlier this year, featuring in all four of the Blågult’s friendlies so far in 2024, scoring against both Northern Ireland in Stockholm and Hungary at the Puskás Aréna earlier this month.

Analyst Will Glavin labels Nygren a “versatile​​​​​​​” attacker who possesses a “killer instinct in front of goal”, given his ability to appear in “dangerous areas” at the right time.

Meantime, Sakhu Mpofu of Total Football Analysis documents how, at his best, he “inverts into the centre’ from the right-flank, which could also be used to describe Kühn.

Thus, in short, Celtic supporters should be extremely excited about the arrival of the Swedish youngster.

​​​​​​​

Bigger talent than Tierney: Celtic eyeing move for "world-class" Hoops fan

Having already secured the services of Kieran Tierney, could Celtic snap-up another boyhood Celts fan, who is a “world class” Premier League star?

1 Jun 18, 2025

Dimitar Berbatov claimed Tottenham legend was as good as Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic

by z3u9t.icu Uncategorized

Tottenham Hotspur have had some of the greatest players in Premier League history down the years, from Ballon d’Or winners like Luka Modric to international superstars such as Gareth Bale, but former striker Dimitar Berbatov believes one Spurs star was even better than people realised.

Ending their trophy drought by winning the Europa League against Manchester United, Tottenham’s 2024/25 campaign was one of their worst ever seasons with one of the best ever endings, as Ange Postecoglou made good on his promise that he “always wins things” in his second season at a club.

The Lilywhites had gone 17 years without winning a major honour, seeing legendary players like Harry Kane go their entire careers at the club without ever winning a trophy.

Tottenham's best Premier League players in pictures

One famous player who did manager to secure silverware for the club was defender Ledley King. The Tottenham academy graduate made 268 league appearances for the club to go with 21 caps for England, and was a part of the last Tottenham team to win a trophy before the triumph in Bilbao, winning the League Cup in 2008.

However, his career was largely a case of ‘what if’, as former manager Harry Redknapp once revealed he rarely trained due to his injuries.

Berbatov: Ledley King was as good as Ferdinand and Vidic

One man who was lucky enough to play with several of the best centre-backs in Premier League history was Berbatov, who joined Manchester United in 2008 after two successful seasons with Spurs, and he claimed King may just have been the best of the lot.

20 Best Centre-Backs in Premier League History Ranked

Where does Virgil van Dijk rank?

ByCharlie Smith May 9, 2025

The Bulgaria legend revealed in an interview with TalkSPORT that for all his success at United – winning two Premier League titles – it was King who was right up there as one of his best ever teammates.

Arsenal legend Thierry Henry is another of King’s admirers, revealing he was the “only defender” in England who could take the ball off him “without you even noticing”.

King spent the 2020/21 season on Jose Mourinho’s first team staff and has since continued his work with the club in an ambassadorial role, while his name can still be heard ringing out around the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the 26th minute on match days.

Hopefully, he won’t have to wait another 17 years to see his favourite club lift another trophy.

Moyes has personally requested Everton to sign "excellent" £15m midfielder

by z3u9t.icu Uncategorized

Everton manager David Moyes has now personally requested the signing of an “excellent” midfielder this summer, according to a journalist.

Toffees in need of summer rebuild

There has been a major improvement in performances since Moyes returned to Goodison Park, and the manager has achieved his main aim of avoiding relegation from the Premier League ahead of the move to Bramley-Moore Dock this summer.

However, the Toffees have made a habit of drawing far too many games, meaning they have now won just one of their last ten matches, most recently slipping up against already-relegated Ipswich Town in the penultimate match at Goodison Park.

Moyes’ side raced into a two-goal lead against the Tractor Boys, but the visitors fought back to earn a point on the road, which underlined the need to bring in new reinforcements in the summer transfer window.

The next Barkley: Everton considering move for "unbelievable" £15m star

David Moyes is looking to overhaul his Everton squad this summer.

ByAngus Sinclair May 2, 2025

Targets have been identified in several key areas, including striker, with the Merseysiders now leading the race for Jamie Vardy, while the Friedkin Group are also ready to back Moyes by making a move for Sheffield United midfielder Gustavo Hamer.

Everton are interested in bringing in a new midfielder from elsewhere, but they also need to secure the future of Carlos Alcaraz, who has shown some promising signs since arriving on loan from Flamengo back in January.

Evertonmanager David Moyes withEverton's CarlosAlcaraz

According to journalist Bruno Lemos (via Sport Witness), Moyes has now personally requested for the Friedkin Group to sign Alcaraz on a permanent basis this summer, regardless of whether the mandatory clause to sign the midfielder for €18m (£15m) is triggered.

There are conflicting reports as to how many games Alcaraz will have to feature in for the Toffees to be obligated to sign him permanently, but Moyes wants a deal done either way, having seemingly been left by his performances in the second half of the campaign.

"Excellent" Alcaraz has earned permanent move

Upon arrival at Goodison Park, the 22-year-old was described as an “excellent ball carrier who can add real quality to our attack” by sporting director Kevin Thelwell, and he has since gone on to put in some impressive performances for Moyes’ side.

The attacking midfielder has featured 13 times in the Premier League, picking up one goal and two assists, most recently setting up Beto’s opening goal in the 2-2 draw against Ipswich at the weekend.

Not only does the Argentine contribute going forward, but he is also more than willing to pitch in defensively, ranking highly across some key defensive metrics over the past year, when compared to other attacking midfielders and wingers.

Statistic

Average per 90

Tackles

1.60 (80th percentile)

Interceptions

0.99 (99th percentile)

Clearances

1.35 (95th percentile)

Alcaraz has proven he is well worth snapping up on a permanent basis this summer, so it is no surprise that Moyes has made it clear he wants club chiefs to get a deal over the line.

Arteta must ruthlessly axe Kiwior & unleash Arsenal's "warrior" instead

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

It’s a massive season-defining week for Arsenal.

Mikel Arteta’s side are still technically in the Premier League title race, but with Liverpool now 11 points ahead with seven games to play, it is all but over.

The Champions League, however, is most certainly not. The Gunners play host to European royalty Real Madrid on Wednesday, and to ensure they have the best chance of heading to Spain with a lead to protect, Arteta has to make a few changes.

Heroes could certainly be made but whether Jakub Kiwior goes on to evoke memories of Philippe Senderos and Co remains to be seen.

Why Arteta has to drop Kiwior

Kiwior played most of the game against Fulham last week and then started against Everton on the weekend due to Gabriel Magalhães’ recent hamstring injury.

To his credit, the Polish international was fine against the Toffees, but against the Cottagers, some of the same issues which have plagued him throughout his time in North London showed themselves again, such as lacklustre ball-playing and questionable positioning.

For example, he was partially to blame for their late goal after getting into and losing a tussle with the rapid Adama Traore.

Moreover, we’ve already seen how he fared against top European opposition in the past, when he started at full-back at home to Bayern Munich last time and seriously struggled, picking up a 3/10 match rating from the Standard’s Dan Kilpatrick, who described him as ‘flat-footed’ while content creator and fan Alexander Moneypenny labelled him as “shakey.”

In all, while Kiwior is a useful squad player and perhaps someone who can come on towards the end of the game, he’s not got the quality to start, especially when there is already a perfect replacement in the squad.

Chalkboard

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

The Arsenal star to replace Kiwior

So, given the extent of the injuries to the team’s defensive options at the moment, there are only really two options to replace Kiwior at centre-back tonight, and Arteta should go with Ben White.

The Englishman started at right-back at the weekend and, when fit, has almost exclusively started off the right of a back four across the last three seasons.

However, the former Brighton & Hove Albion ace was initially signed as a centre-back and spent the majority of the 21/22 campaign there, with 34 of his 37 appearances that year coming in a back two.

White’s positional versatility

Position

Appearances

Goals

Assists

Centre-Back

208

4

9

Right-Back

113

5

13

Defensive Midfield

13

0

0

Left-Back

4

0

0

Right Midfield

1

0

0

All Stats via Transfermarkt

In fact, across his career to date, it’s been his most played position by quite some margin.

He has made 208 appearances there, so he should be able to slot in without an issue.

Moreover, by starting the Gunners’ “warrior,” as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, alongside Willliam Saliba, Arteta can once again start Jurrien Timber at right-back, where he has made 26 appearances this year.

Doing this would at least keep most of the team as they have been for much of the season, and when coming up against a team like Real, the rest of the starters need to be confident that those around them will know exactly what they are doing.

Ultimately, it’s not an ideal solution, but Kiwior has not shown enough in his limited appearances to warrant starting a game of this magnitude.

In contrast, White has been Mr reliable during his time at Arsenal and has yet another chance to show why his £50m price tag was more than justified all those years ago.

His agents will be in London: Arsenal step up move for £58m Sesko upgrade

The “complete” striker would be incredible for Arsenal.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Apr 7, 2025

Sanju Samson tees off: one over, five sixes

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Oct-20249.1, Rishad Hossain to Samson, no run
Good length, no turn, beats his slog, hits the pad, but headed down leg9.2, Rishad Hossain to Samson, SIX runs
Too full as he often was last match. Samson clears the front leg, and eases him back over his head for another nonchalant-looking six9.3, Rishad Hossain to Samson, SIX runs
He is having his way with Hossain. Again, right in the drop zone. This is poor spin bowling. You can’t bowl so full that a batter can hit you down the ground without using his feet. Goes over long-off this time9.4, Rishad Hossain to Samson, SIX runs
Dead straight, lower in trajectory, but a third straight six. Again Samson doesn’t even have to stretch himself. Not a half-volley but this is a true pitch9.5, Rishad Hossain to Samson, SIX runs
Goes slower in the air, but gives him another half-volley. This is just average bowling. He clears the front leg, and goes over long-on for the fourth six in a rowAround the wicket.9.6, Rishad Hossain to Samson, SIX runs
That is five sixes in a row. Not a bad ball, but Samson goes deep in the crease to manage to pull it with a vertical bat, and goes over deep midwicket for a small six. Does that matter when it is the fifth in the over? Samson into the 90s

How Robin Uthappa struggled to find himself and succeeded

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

The India and Karnataka batter, who retired from international cricket recently, spoke about his long-running battles with mental-health issues off the field

Sidharth Monga03-Oct-2022Robin Uthappa has on his right forearm a tattoo that says “I am.”It is a commemoration, he says, of finding himself, of recovery. It is what he pointed to when I asked him to introduce himself on the podcast.I didn’t want to introduce him because over three days of extended conversations, I knew cricket was an important part of his life, part of his oldest memory even, but it is not what he should be defined by. He spoke a lot about the role of spirituality in recovery. He knew who he was. He was at peace with who he was. It was best he told people who he was.We recorded on the last day of Suicide Prevention Week, which was nothing but a coincidence. The only instrument we had was a phone. We were not in a studio but in my hotel room, a few doors down from his. At 9am sharp he knocked on my door in the oversized co-ords that he loves to wear and changes into the moment he goes off air. He carried two pouches of instant coffee in his hand.He was fascinated that I found peace in my belief that everything in life is random: good fortune and bad fortune exist but they are random. We debated that before we started recording. I told him I was not going to prod him; he could share however much he wanted to share. I told him about a Jeff Finlin book on recovery that I was reading.Finlin is possibly the greatest modern Western singer-songwriter without a Wikipedia page. He had a traumatic childhood, battled alcoholism and PTSD, and his work has never made it popularly. JR Moehringer, the Pulitzer-winning writer who, among other things, co-wrote Andre Agassi’s autobiography, called Finlin “an undiscovered Bob Dylan”. Listen to him. You will find it is no exaggeration.

Listen to the podcastIn his book , Finlin writes of the five or sheaths that make up a human body according to “yogic lore”. The first four sheaths are a physical accumulation of human experiences, of reactions to trauma, of addiction centres. For sufferers of addiction, trauma and codependency, Finlin says it is important to access the self beyond these four sheaths.That is when one really finds themselves, and ceases being just an accumulation of experience and hardwiring. When those in recovery identify themselves through the fifth, spiritual, sheath, they identify as “I am”.”That is what we are trying to recover,” Finlin writes.

****

As a boy, Uthappa was a prodigy. At 14 he scored a triple-century in the final of an Under-16 zonal selection tournament. When he came back to Karnataka, his home state, he was told he was not being selected because other children and their parents complained he was too “aggressive”. They used to think he was over-age. You sit in a room with him and you realise how big he is without being imposing or intimidating. The steroidal medication he took for epilepsy made him grow a little disproportionately. He was a big boy but didn’t get as tall as he ought to have been for the size of his limbs.Related

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The son of a gifted hockey player who couldn’t realise his potential because of what Uthappa describes as bureaucracy in team sport in India, he quit cricket and went to Coorg with his family, only to be coaxed back by Makarand Waingankar of the newly formed Karnataka Cricket Academy.Three years later, at 17, Uthappa made his first-class debut and scored 40 off 32 batting at No. 3 on the first morning.Uthappa has retired from all forms of cricket in India with no international century or Test cap to his name. His most important innings, though, carries on.

****

Uthappa was a child trapped in his parents’ bad marriage. He was a prodigy who somehow believed – we make weird correlations when we are kids – the only way to keep his parents from imploding was to keep playing cricket well. He played what should have been the best years of his cricket with the responsibility of his family on his mind, the fear their dysfunction would spill out into the open. He envied those with more stable families. and bore the guilt that comes with not wanting to be seen as the child of your parents.Clinically depressed, given to suicidal thoughts, Uthappa spent his twenties clutching on to dear life. He knew little else. He told me on the podcast of how he eventually had to cut his family off, which took a lot of courage. In his mid-20s he would change his phone number every few months.Uthappa at the 2004 Under-19 World Cup, where he made 237 runs from seven games to be India’s third-highest top scorer, struggling with the weight of off-field problems•Farjana K Godhuly/AFP/Getty ImagesThe number I had for him was from around 2012. Life was just a haze for him back then. He played in it but doesn’t remember anything from the 2011 IPL. I felt bad I hadn’t contacted him other than outside nets and on cricket grounds in ten years. I don’t like to bother cricketers unnecessarily. I imagine them to be strong, with support systems in place for when they are not strong. Nor am I under any illusion that I am capable of helping.It is all wrong. Uthappa is a reminder to us that cricketers suffer much the same as others, perhaps even more because of the hyper-competitive environment they find themselves in – which can be at odds with the ethos of a team sport. Not everyone has a support system; thankfully Uthappa had his counsellor in addition to his partner, Sheethal, to help him recover. He is an inspiration to cricketers who are not feeling well, telling them that it is okay to be vulnerable, that help is available and that they don’t need to hide their anguish. He is an inspiration to everyone, and not just cricketers, that family dysfunction and mental disorder are not things to be ashamed of; you are better off acknowledging and addressing them.To cricketers, Uthappa’s advice is that they have a professional team: a personal cricket-skills coach and a mental-skills coach. Apart from the cricket-skills coaches, teams should have a psychologist, even if only to be called on in an emergency when cricketers are on tour. The BCCI needs to set up systems to look after the mental health of every cricketer under its ambit, and not let the sheer volume of talent available in the country breed contempt and neglect. That’s something Uthappa would love to help set up.

****

Knowing what you know, it is impossible to look at Uthappa the cricketer independent of Uthappa the person, but the scorebooks don’t make that allowance. They will tell you he averaged around 25 in internationals and around 41 in first-class cricket – meagre returns for a prodigious talent.Uthappa with his wife, former tennis player Sheethal Goutham, whose support has been instrumental in his battles against mental illness•Getty ImagesAt 13 he was already part of the Karnataka U-19 camp, smacking future India and Karnataka bowlers – a good five-six years older – for sixes. When those expecting some respect for days cricket confronted him, he said it was not his fault but that of bowlers who bowled in his zone. Those watching the camp expected him to be an India cricketer in five years. Waingankar, who convinced him to come back at 14 and remained a mentor to him, used to call him Viv.Uthappa was a new-age batter with scant regard for survival over run-scoring, but he also held the Test cap in high regard. In pursuit of it he hired a personal coach, Praveen Amre, dismantled his game completely and built it from the bottom up. It showed results in two seasons when he averaged over 50, 2014-15 and 2015-16. In the first of those seasons Karnataka successfully defended their triple of Ranji, Vijay Hazare and Irani titles.The Test cap was not meant to be. In limited-overs cricket Uthappa was forever doomed: the top four was jampacked with Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir and Rahul Dravid, and the three middle-order batters had to be MS Dhoni and two batters who could also bowl. When slots opened up and Rohit Sharma got room to move up the order, Uthappa wasn’t mentally there. In hindsight he empathises with the calls leaders had to make, but he would have liked better communication because the cricketer is a human and not a commodity.Uthappa wasn’t everyone’s cup of tea. He himself will tell you he was a difficult, unpredictable colleague. And a mischievous one. That was perhaps a manifestation of the angst and turmoil he experienced at home.With Sourav Ganguly in 2007. Uthappa has spoken about that having been a year where he feared his parents’ rocky relationship would damage his own life•AFPHe spent the two 2007 World Cups and tours of England and Bangladesh in constant fear of his parents’ issues spilling out into the open. All the time he fought fires remotely. When he was dropped from the international side in July 2008, he decided to spend the time before the start of the domestic season actively helping his parents mend their relationship, as opposed to just playing, in the belief that that was what kept them happy. It didn’t work. Finances had always been a problem, so he spent his IPL money. As expected, that too didn’t help. He gave them time and presence, but that didn’t work either. Before he knew, what he thought would be a quick off-season job consumed all of him and half his cricketing life was over.It was only in the second half of his career that Uthappa found himself. Keeping wicket rejuvenated him on the field. He enjoyed this period, though there was little international cricket available to him. He retires knowing he is a T20 World Cup champion and a two-time IPL winner. He still loves cricket. More leagues outside India hopefully await.Uthappa knows the pitfalls of mental health never disappear, but he is confident he can stay vigilant. Most importantly he knows: “I am.” It is a state of bliss that doesn’t need scorebooks.If you or someone you know has thoughts of suicide or self-harm, know that there is help available. Please call one of these helpline numbers (India)

KL Rahul links tempered-down approach to captaincy, says 'strike rates are very, very overrated'

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

Explains why looking to bat through was important given the middle order hadn’t fired until then in IPL 2020

Shashank Kishore09-Oct-20202:46

KL Rahul on his slow starts: ‘Strike rate is over-rated’

KL Rahul began IPL 2020 in sparkling form, allaying his own fears of not being able to play a cover drive even. But six games in, after his slightly tempered-down approach – as compared to his blitzkrieg that the Kings XI Punjab have been mostly used to at the top – raised questions over his changing role as an anchor, Rahul countered them by stating that “strike rates are very, very overrated.”On Thursday, Kings XI were chasing 202, and Rahul was stuck on 11 off 14 balls after first being involved in a run-out with Mayank Agarwal and then seeing Prabhsimran Singh falling to a catch early in the chase. As per ESPNcricinfo’s data, Rahul didn’t look to attack any of the 14 deliveries he faced before top-edging a sweep off left-arm spinner Abhishek Sharma to Kane Williamson at square leg. By then, the pressure was already on Kings XI.He linked his sedate approach with the bat to captaincy, and explained why batting through was important because the middle order hadn’t really fired until then in the tournament. Rahul’s change in approach has become increasingly visible since he struck 132, the highest by an Indian in the IPL, against the Royal Challengers Bangalore in his second game.”Look, I think strike rate is very, very overrated. For me, it’s only about how I can win games for my team,” Rahul said at the post-match press conference. “On a certain day if I think 120 can win the game for my team, I will do that. This is how I bat. I like to take responsibility as a leader.”Yes, we make mistakes. I’m not saying I haven’t made a few mistakes, but you learn each day as a leader and batter. It’s a partnership when you’re in the middle as a batting group, every player has different roles in the team and those roles change with each game. So I try to do the best I can, try and assess and play according to that. At the end of the day, I need to walk out of the ground knowing I’ve got my team as close to winning or try to win the game. That is the most important thing.”An animated KL Rahul addresses his team ahead of play•BCCIRahul then fielded a question on whether his team was too reliant on himself and Agarwal. On Thursday, Kings XI had hedged their bets on a five-bowler strategy, which left them a batter light. They left out Sarfaraz Khan, who had only faced 29 deliveries in the tournament until then, and had a very long lower order that had Mujeeb Ur Rahman, who nearly has the same number of T20 runs as his appearances, come in at No. 7.”When you see a team at the bottom of the table, you start thinking a lot of things are not going right,” Rahul said. “We can accept a lot of things haven’t gone right, but no team has their top six firing. Couple of them will be in good form, couple of them may not, so it’s important for the in-form players to get as many runs for the team. Openers are always – I won’t say under pressure – expected to give good starts. I’m not very worried but if the set batsmen or those in good form can get as many runs for the team, that will help, make the team look good.”Amid the disappointments, Kings XI have had a number of young Indian bowlers step up. Ravi Bishnoi, the teen legspinner from Rajasthan, has shown the tenacity to pick wickets regularly. Against the Sunrisers Hyderabad, Bishnoi orchestrated a turnaround of sorts by dismissing David Warner and Jonny Bairstow in the space of three deliveries. Warner mistimed a slog off a googly to long-on and Bairstow, after making 97, was foxed by a flipper.At the other end, left-arm seamer Arshdeep Singh, impressed immediately, bowling excellent yorkers and denying batsmen any room in the death overs. He finished with figures of 2 for 33 off four overs. Arshdeep isn’t express quick and is more the mid-130s bowler, but he made up for his lack of pace with his accuracy.”IPL is the biggest platform, the youngsters have been working really, really hard in the three weeks that we’ve been here,” Rahul said. “Arshdeep and Bishnoi – so good to see them me among the wickets. They bowled high-pressure overs, and it’s great to see how they held their nerve to bowl those big overs for the team at this platform. That will give them and the group a lot of confidence. Small things like these are infectious. It can spread to the rest of the group quickly. So really happy to see how they bowled.”

Quem será o goleiro titular? Veja defesas de Bento, Rafael e Léo Jardim no treino da Seleção

by h79snht.top Uncategorized

MatériaMais Notícias

O Brasil se prepara para enfrentar a Inglaterra no próximo sábado (23), e uma das indefinições no time titular é a posição de goleiro. Nesta quinta-feira (21), Bento, Rafael e Léo Jardim fizeram grandes defesas durante o treino da Seleção Brasileira. Assista ao vídeo acima.

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Léo JardimRafaelSeleção Brasileira

Rangers dud was as “rotten” as Miovski, now he’s Rohl’s most improved player

by z3u9t.icu Uncategorized

Glasgow Rangers head coach Danny Rohl should be delighted with the way that his team ran out 3-0 winners against Kilmarnock with relative ease on Saturday night.

Two goals from Bojan Miovski and a strike off the bench from Mikey Moore sealed all three points for the Gers, who had drawn their previous two games to Dundee United and Falkirk in a frustrating manner.

The German head coach should be particularly pleased with Miovski’s two-goal burst because it will provide the centre-forward with some much-needed confidence after a poor start to life at Ibrox

Why Bojan Miovski has been Rangers' most frustrating player

Out of all of the club’s summer signings, the Macedonia international has been their most frustrating player because he has not delivered at the level that everyone knows he is capable of.

Unlike most of the other signings, Miovski arrived as a proven Scottish Premiership performer who is in the prime years of his career, at 26, after a return of 32 league goals in two seasons with Aberdeen.

Prior to Saturday’s game against Kilmarnock, though, the left-footed forward had only scored one goal in nine league starts for the Light Blues, per Sofascore, and has lost 68% of his physical duels in the division.

Miovski was much improved against Kilmarnock, with two goals, which makes his poor form up to that point all the more frustrating, because that is the kind of performance that he can deliver.

It’s a display that Rohl recognised too. In quotes taken from PA Media, the manager said: “We had a conversation with each other and then he made step-by-step a huge step forwards against Dundee United. He had some good chances. He’s more adaptable at the moment, not just staying on the last line, it helps in building up as well.

“I’m happy when a striker scores two goals, it’s fantastic. In general, we spoke about what I demand from him. He told also what he is thinking at the moment. And then I think, especially after the Falkirk game, we spoke about spaces, what I want to see from the centre-forward and big spaces.”

The 26-year-old marksman is not the most improved player under Rohl, though, as that title has to go to Nasser Djiga, who has stepped up in recent weeks.

Why Djiga is the most improved Rangers player under Rohl

After Rohl’s fourth match in charge, against Celtic in the League Cup, Heart & Hand content creator David Edgar described the Wolves loanee as a “rotten” signing.

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Football FanCast even suggested playing James Tavernier at centre-back at the start of November because of Djiga’s poor form for the club up to that point.

That criticism was fair after several high-profile errors, including a red card against Dundee, an inexplicable defensive mix-up against Club Brugge, and Four Lads Had A Dream claimed that he “genuinely looks lost” during the loss to Celtic in the semi-final defeat that led to Edgar dubbing him “rotten”.

It did not seem like there was any way back for the Premier League loanee, who was as ‘rotten’ as Miovski was, but his run of form since John Souttar and Derek Cornelius picked up injuries has been an impressive response to that criticism.

Because there was an argument, due to his high-profile mistakes, that Djiga was the worst performer in the club, it is only logical that his recent showings make him the most improved player in the squad.

Whilst Miovski scored two goals against Kilmarnock, the striker had not scored in his previous 11 games and is yet to show his quality consistently, and the Wolves defender has now strung several performances together.

Appearances

4

Sofascore rating

7.3

Clean sheets

2

Tackles won

6/8

Clearances

18

Ground duels won

14/18

Aerial duels won

7/14

Error led to shot or goal

0

As you can see in the table above, Djiga has really stepped up in the right-sided centre-back role since Souttar picked up an injury on international duty with Scotland, winning an eye-catching 14 of his 18 ground duels in four league outings.

The Burkina Faso international has shown that he can be reliable at the back for a stretch of games, with no direct errors leading to shots or goals, whilst being dominant in his defensive duels.

Rangers have kept two clean sheets in the last four league games with Djiga at the heart of the defence alongside Emmanuel Fernandez, and Rohl will be hoping that his new defensive partnership continues to shine over the festive period.

The 23-year-old loanee, in particular, needs to prove that his current form is not a flash in the pan and that he has put the mistakes that he made earlier in the season behind him to be a reliable option for the German manager moving forward.

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On current evidence, Djiga is the most improved player under Rohl, going from “rotten” to reliable, but now he needs to do it over a prolonged period of time.

Rangers can forget Souttar & Cornelius by unleashing "left-footed Van Dijk"

by h79snht.top Uncategorized

Everyone seems to have a different opinion on international breaks. Any Scotland-supporting Glasgow Rangers fans may be loving them at this moment in time, after Scotland beat Denmark 4-2 to qualify for next year’s World Cup.

However, some supporters may not like the break from club football or may not be happy with watching their country play, for whatever reason that may be.

Another reason as to why someone, and possibly Danny Rohl, may not enjoy international breaks is that it means that Rangers stars can pick up injuries without playing for their club.

For example, the German head coach will currently be sweating over the availability of central defender John Souttar, after he was forced out of the starting line-up against Denmark during the warm-up.

The Scotland international picked up an unknown injury before kick-off, after initially being named in the starting line-up, and it remains to be seen whether or not he will be available this weekend.

On the same night, Derek Cornelius was forced off after just 30 minutes for Canada in their clash with Venezuela, with what is suspected to be a thigh injury, which makes him a doubt for the clash with Livingston at Ibrox in the Scottish Premiership.

Ranking Rangers centre-backs this season

Losing both Souttar and Cornelius would be a blow for Rohl ahead of Saturday’s match because they were the starting centre-back pairing in the 3-0 win over Dundee at Dens Park last time out.

The Canadian centre-back, who is on loan from Marseille, missing the match would be a significant blow because he has been in impressive form for the Gers this season, particularly since Rohl came through the door.

Cornelius has started all three of the new manager’s league matches and won 21 of his 32 duels, per Sofascore, in those matches, helping Rangers to keep two clean sheets and concede just one goal.

The Marseille loanee, with those dominant displays, has been the top-performing centre-back at the club this season, whilst Souttar has started all 11 of the club’s league matches, under Russell Martin, Stevie Smith, and Rohl, per Sofascore.

Ranking Rangers’ best centre-backs this season

Rank

Player

1

Derek Cornelius

2

John Souttar

3

James Tavernier

4

Emmanuel Fernandez

5

Nasser Djiga

6

Clinton Nsiala

As you can see in the table above, we have placed James Tavernier in third place because he has filled in at centre-back, most recently against Kilmarnock and Roma, and done a reliable job.

Emmanuel Fernandez has started two matches for Rangers since his move from Peterborough. He scored in his start against Alloa Athletic and won 12 of his 15 duels, per Sofascore, in his only Premiership start against St Mirren, which makes it hard to put him too high or too low, as he has impressed in limited game time.

Nasser Djiga, meanwhile, ranks below him in fifth because the Wolves loanee has played 17 times for Rangers this season and was recently described as “rotten” by Heart & Hand content creator David Edgar.

The Burkina Faso international has made several costly errors, including a red card against Dundee in August and an inexplicable mistake, letting his man race clear through on goal, against Club Brugge in the Champions League play-off tie.

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

Finally, Clinton Nsiala has to rank sixth out of the six first-team centre-back options, including Tavernier, simply because he has not played a single minute of football for the Gers this season.

However, if Souttar and Cornelius are both unavailable for selection against Livingston on Saturday because of the injuries that they picked up on international duty, it could finally be time to unleash the left-footed star.

Why Rangers should finally unleash Clinton Nsiala

The former AC Milan centre-back was seemingly not in Russell Martin’s plans at Ibrox, as he did not feature in a single matchday squad, but Rohl has the chance to change that this weekend.

As aforementioned, Djiga has not had the best of starts to life at Ibrox, hence why Edgar dubbed him “rotten”, and his mistakes for the Gers suggest that another player should be given an opportunity to shine.

If Souttar and Cornelius are both unavailable, Fernandez could come in to replace the former as the right-sided centre-back, after his dominant display last time out in the Premiership against St Mirren earlier this season.

That would leave Rohl in need of replacing Cornelius against Livingston and Nsiala could be the ideal player to step in for the Canada international, as he is the only other left-footed senior centre-back option in the squad.

The 21-year-old centre-back played 11 times in the Premiership under Philippe Clement and Barry Ferguson in the 2024/25 campaign, and rarely let the Light Blues down with his performances.

Clinton Nsiala’s Premiership appearances for Rangers

Opposition

Result

Dundee

1-1 draw

St Johnstone

3-1 win

Aberdeen

3-0 win

Dundee United

3-1 win

Ross County

4-0 win

Hearts

3-1 win

St Mirren

2-0 loss

Kilmarnock

4-2 win

Celtic

3-2 win

Aberdeen

2-2 draw

St Mirren

2-2 draw

Per Transfermarkt

As you can see in the table above, the Scottish giants only lost one of those 11 matches in the division, which shows that he was far from a disaster in the senior team.

In fact, former teammate Ross McCausland admitted that he and some of the other players in the squad had described him as “a left-footed Van Dijk” when watching his performances on the pitch for the first-team.

Nsiala, though, has not been given a chance to build on that respectable start to his senior career with the Light Blues, as he has not played a single minute this season.

That is why Rohl should finally unleash the left-footed defender against Livingston if Cornelius is unavailable for selection, as he is a left-footed defender who has proven that he can perform in the Premiership.

Thelwell let Rangers star go for £0, now he'd walk into the XI over Aasgaard

This former Rangers star who was released by Kevin Thelwell would walk into the current team over Thelo Aasgaard.

ByDan Emery Nov 18, 2025

The 21-year-old, given these new injury blows and Djiga’s disappointing form, deserves an opportunity to show that he can play a role for Rohl moving forward, starting with the game on Saturday.

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