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Aston Villa plotting £18m bid for "tremendous" defender, Martinez is a big fan

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Aston Villa are now plotting a £18m bid for a “tremendous” defender, who is also being targeted by Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur, with Emiliano Martinez a big fan.

Villa keen on strengthening despite resurgent form

Villa have made major improvements over the past month or so, having won six of their last seven matches in the Premier League, which has propelled them to fourth in the table, and Unai Emery has been impressed by his side’s recent performances.

After the 2-1 victory away at Leeds United last time out, the manager said: “The second half (was) better, but overall, 90 minutes, I am so happy how we competed. Even the first half, we didn’t play brilliant, but we were always trying to set our gameplan on the field, and progressively we did it.”

The Villans went 1-0 down at Elland Road, with Martinez receiving criticism for his goalkeeping in the build-up to Lukas Nmecha’s opening goal.

However, a second-half Morgan Rogers brace turned the game on its head, with the goalkeeper’s blushes being spared, and Aston Villa have now joined the race for one of the Argentinian’s international teammates.

That is according to a report from Spain, which states Villa are now plotting a €20m (£18m) opening offer for River Plate defender Lautaro Rivero, having tracked the centre-back for months, and Martinez has provided positive feedback on his compatriot.

The Villans believe the 33-year-old’s personal relationship with the River Plate star could give them the edge in the race for his signature, despite rival interest from Man City and Tottenham.

Although the Argentinian has a €100m (£88m) release clause in his contract, River Plate would be willing to sanction a departure for considerably less, and there is a belief he could make an instant impact at Villa Park.

"Tremendous" Rivero has earned big Premier League move

Hailed as “tremendous” by journalist Juan Patricio Balbi, the 22-year-old may now be ready to test himself in England, having performed very well over the past year, placing in the 93rd percentile for tackles per 90, compared to other centre-backs, courtesy of averaging 2.27.

Aston Villa make Emiliano Martinez sale decision amid Unai Emery comments

There has been a key update on Martinez’s future, following the goalkeeper pushing for a move during the summer.

By
Dominic Lund

Nov 19, 2025

Villa are arguably well-stocked at centre-back, with Pau Torres and Ezri Konsa forming a reliable partnership as of late, but Tyrone Mings has been unable to put his injury problems behind him, and is potentially in the latter stages of his career at 32-years-old.

Tyrone Mings’ injury record

Games missed

12/08/23 – 30/10/24

70

Remainder of 2024/25

7

2025-26

17

As such, Emery could do with bringing in a younger centre-back, and having recently received his first cap for Argentina, Rivero could be capable of pushing for a starting spot.

Forget Delap: Cobham star who "lives & breathes goals" is Chelsea's future #9

by z3u9t.icu Uncategorized

While Chelsea made plenty of good signings in the summer, it would be fair to say that they’ve had mixed starts to life in West London.

Joao Pedro, for example, might have slowed down a little in recent weeks, but has already amassed an impressive tally of seven goal involvements.

On the other hand, Jamie Gittens has largely struggled this season and looks quite some distance off being good enough to start week in week out.

Someone who falls somewhere in the middle is Liam Delap, but if he doesn’t start performing soon, one of Cobham’s most exciting prospects could eventually take the nine shirt off his back.

Delap's start at Chelsea

When Chelsea were the ones to secure Delap’s services for around £30m in the summer, there was an understandable level of excitement from the fans.

After all, here was a young, physically imposing centre-forward who, in his first proper season of top-flight football, had just scored 12 goals and provided two assists in 37 appearances for a poor Ipswich Town side.

Expectations remained high at the Club World Cup as the former Manchester City academy ace provided an assist against LAFC and scored his first Chelsea goal against Esperance.

However, it would be fair to say that, so far, those expectations have not been met this season, as in six games, totalling 227 minutes, the 22-year-old has failed to score a goal or provide an assist.

Now, he was unfortunate to pick up a hamstring injury in the game against Fulham, but in the other games he has appeared in, he has not looked particularly threatening.

Moreover, upon his return from injury against Wolverhampton Wanderers, he stupidly got himself sent off, picking up two yellow cards in the space of 22 minutes.

With all that said, there is still plenty of time for Delap to turn things around and make this season a successful one.

However, should he continue to underwhelm, he could eventually see one of Cobham’s most exciting prospects take the nine shirt from him.

The Cobham gem who could replace Delap

When it comes to producing Premier League-quality prospects, few academies can truly rival Chelsea’s Cobham.

In The Pipeline

Football FanCast’s In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.

There are, once again, several youngsters in the setup who could see themselves become first-team regulars over the coming seasons, and the one who could rival Delap for the number nine shirt is Chizaram Ezenwata.

The 17-year-old gem joined the Blues from Charlton Athletic in October 2023 and has established himself as one of the most dangerous attackers in the academy.

For example, in just eight appearances this season, totalling 641 minutes, the Bexley-born marksman has already scored seven goals and provided one assist, which comes out to a goal involvement every game, or every 80.12 minutes.

The youngster isn’t just on a hot streak either; in 20 appearances last season, totalling 1,279 minutes, he managed to score 12 goals and provide three assists, which works out to an average of a goal or assist every 1.33 games, or every 91.93 minutes.

Appearances

26

Minutes

1913′

Goals

19

Assists

4

Goal Involvements per Match

0.88

Minutes per Goal Involvement

83.17′

With numbers like that, it is easy to understand why U23 scout Antonio Mango has told Chelsea fans to “get excited” about his development, and why Como scout Felix Johnston has described him as someone who “lives and breathes goals.”

The young poacher isn’t just making his mark at club level either.

For example, in seven appearances for England’s u17s he scored five goals, and in five appearances for the u18s, he has already scored twice.

Ultimately, Ezenwata is unlikely to challenge Delap for a place in the team this season, but if the former Ipswich man does not improve soon, next year could be a different story entirely.

Chelsea's Yamal rival can surpass Palmer & Caicedo to become the world's best

The incredible prospect could be an even bigger superstar than Palmer and Caicedo for Chelsea.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 11, 2025

Sammy confident pace attack will help West Indies pull a New Zealand on India

by h79snht.top Uncategorized

West Indies head coach Daren Sammy explains the recalls of Tagenarine Chanderpaul and Alick Athanaze, saying they expect the two to excel in spin-friendly Indian conditions

Vishal Dikshit19-Sep-2025

Coach Daren Sammy is banking on his bowling attack to excel in India•AFP/Getty Images

West Indies head coach Daren Sammy believes the seam attack they have picked in the Test squad for the two-match tour of India next month has the “variety” to “operate in any conditions” and “pick 20 wickets”.The West Indies pace attack features Alzarri Joseph, Shamar Joseph, Anderson Phillip and Jayden Seales, along with allrounder Justin Greaves. West Indies haven’t won a Test series in India in 42 years but Sammy said they would take inspiration from the way New Zealand blanked India 3-0 towards the end of 2024 and try to “emulate” that.”We have found ourselves in a position where our seam attack could operate in any conditions,” Sammy said in a press conference. “That six-to-eight-metre length works across the world. But in our fast-bowling department, we’ve got four different guys who have their own variety.Related

Pierre backs 'hard work over talent' as he inches towards West Indies Test dream

Injured Shamar Joseph out of India Tests, Johann Layne called up

Ind vs WI: Brathwaite dropped; Chanderpaul, Athanaze recalled

“You have Shamar Joseph, who’s very skiddy, Jayden, who has a strong front leg and can swing the ball both ways, then you have Alzarri Joseph with his height and the bounce he could extract. So, again, we take confidence in that, especially the way they’ve been bowling over the last year. The ability to take 20 wickets, because that’s what you will need in India. If you can’t take 20 wickets in India, you are on the back foot and we have a bowling line-up of that, especially from the seam department, that could take 20 wickets.”The process remains the same. The lines and lengths don’t change in terms of that six-to-eight-metre length. Maybe it’s just adjusting whether it’s a touch fuller or touch further back into the pitch. I have full confidence in that and it makes me smile knowing that we go out bowling and we take 20 wickets. And that’s the first objective in the Test match.”Sammy, who is also the coach of St Lucia Kings in the ongoing CPL 2025, said he had utilised the last six weeks he had spent with Test captain Roston Chase in the Kings dressing room to discuss and plan for the India tour and their attempt would be “to continue instilling that belief matched up by the work we put in to bring the technical aspects of the game up to where we could compete and win matches”.He also said that they had looked at “a lot of data” to come up with the “best squad” to identify the players for specific roles with their skill sets.”From my end, the ten days leading up to the [first] Test match [in India], we’ll be drilling in all these things and planning very well as to how we’re going to beat India in India,” Sammy said. “We’re definitely going down there with the mindset to win. We’re not just going to go down there and think, “oh, it’s India”. No. New Zealand went there and did incredibly well and that we should take inspiration from. But again, it’s understanding the things that New Zealand did in those conditions and try to emulate it with our guys as well.”Sammy also said former captain Jason Holder was “considered” for the tour but “the role that we’d love for him to play is being played by Justin Greaves.” West Indies also took the big decision of dropping their former captain Kraigg Brathwaite from the 15-man squad and have brought back Alick Athanaze and Tagenarine Chanderpaul. Sammy said recalling Chanderpaul, who last played a Test in January 2024, was down to many factors, such as numbers, form, and the other options available to the selectors.Tagenarine Chanderpaul is back after last playing a Test match in January 2024•Associated Press

“Before Tage got injured in the 4-Day Championship, he was averaging, I think, 47 [42 in the 2024-25 season, batting well and just looking at our depth chart, who we have with the opening spot over the last few series, not really giving us the numbers and the results that we want,” Sammy said. “When we look at the role needed for one of these openers, Tage brings that sort of clarity of thought that we’re looking at in terms of the skillset and what that role requires. And his experience, the ability to play spin, he was probably right up there as one of the better contenders for that role. So [he’s a] young man, you speak about transitioning, he made a very strong case for the opening spot.”And in the absence of Kraigg, the next best person that played that type of similar role would have been Tage. And we’re hoping that the build-up before, what he’s been doing here in Guyana, preparation he’s been putting in would be would be good enough to be executed in India.”Explaining the recall of Athanaze, Sammy said, “The return of Alick, again, looking at the conditions, looking at what we’ll face, Alick, we knew before Australia that Alick was always going to come back into the set-up, based on the conditions that we will face and the skillset that would require us to be successful. So again, we don’t just stay there and just pick and pluck players from nowhere. We do a lot of information, a lot of data collected, and we try to come up with the best squad in terms of the roles and the skillset required.”West Indies’ spin attack features Jomel Warrican, the uncapped Khary Pierre and Chase. They have rested left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie keeping in mind his workload in the lead up to the T20 World Cup early next year as he recently played the full CPL season. But Sammy said, “Motie is a very strong contender in all formats.”‘Durability’ brings veteran Khary Pierre rare opportunityExplaining the inclusion of Pierre, who will turn 34 next week and has never played Test cricket, for his maiden tour of India, CWI’s senior talent manager Jamal Smith said, “This year, Pierre was able to average just 13.56 and [had an] economy of 2.37 [at the WI Championship],” Smith said. “He’s actually topped the West Indies Championship list, followed closely by Joshua Bishop. I want to say here or insert here that Pierre, obviously, I like to title these cricketers as journeymen, who has been around for first-class domestic set-up for quite a while.Khary Pierre is a familiar face in T20 line-ups, but has never played Test cricket for West Indies•Getty Images

“He’s always been a consistent enough performer in terms of the areas that he bowled. Then he’s been afforded the opportunity to play just a level above the A team or I think the solitary ODI tour. He’s always just shown just enough. But last year in particular, or this season, I should say, we felt that he bowled really, really well.”Pierre has so far played 35 first-class matches for 111 wickets at an average of 22.81, with four five-fors. His last red-ball outing was for West Indies A against the touring South Africa A side in June earlier this year.”You take the extra spin in Khary Pierre because of his experience, first of all, and his durability, his consistency,” Smith said. “If you have managed to watch some CPL last night, for instance, you’ll be seeing him when they’re on the field, quite expertly, to be honest, taking the safest catches as well, to augment with the way that he struck the ball and also how he bowls. He’s the kind of guy that you can give the information to, especially on a tour to India.”Hopefully, he will be able to execute, basically back on his experience, his durability over a long first-class career. You’re hoping that he can put all those things together. At this stage, you’d prefer to go with a guy like Khary Pierre as opposed to probably a youngster.”The series will start on October 2 in Ahmedabad, with the second Test scheduled from October 10 in Delhi.

Tim Seifert 2.0 can bat anywhere and everywhere

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

The St Lucia Kings power-hitter has turned into an all-weather T20 batter who is especially dangerous against spin

Deivarayan Muthu16-Sep-2025Since July 2024, New Zealand wicketkeeper-batter Tim Seifert has been living out of a suitcase, enjoying stints in eight different T20 leagues around the world besides playing for the Black Caps. From Galle in the Lanka Premier League (LPL) to Guyana in the Caribbean Premier League, in which his team have got to the elimination stage, Seifert has stamped his authority in different parts of the world.Weeks or months of play-sleep-travel-repeat can be challenging but Seifert has embraced it. He is now gearing up to bring home back-to-back CPL titles for St Lucia Kings.”Yeah, I have enjoyed it [being a T20 globetrotter],” Seifert says before the CPL knockouts. “It can be a bit tough on the family at times as well, being away for so much. But it’s also good to bring them away on certain tours. On the whole, it’s been great. Not only T20 competitions but international cricket as well with the Black Caps.”When Seifert burst onto the international scene in 2018, he was billed as the next Brendon McCullum. Like McCullum, he was adept at charging at bowlers and playing a number of funky shots, including the reverse sweep and scoop.Related

  • Squad depth in focus for New Zealand, Australia amid key absences

  • Tim Seifert breaks out of the 360-degree prison (2020)

  • Tim Seifert is prepped and ready (2021)

  • Neesham, Allen, Seifert 'very hungry' to play for NZ as 2026 T20 World Cup prep begins

  • Kings rise to No. 1 after Shamsi, Seifert and Charles make short work of Patriots

McCullum himself was so impressed with Seifert that he brought him into the Trinbago Knight Riders team when he was their head coach in 2020. Seifert was part of the TKR side that enjoyed an unbeaten run to the CPL title that season, and he also had a spell as New Zealand’s main keeper-batter, but he needed a bit more time to mature.That growth was achieved by playing T20 cricket around the world. Seifert has expanded his range of shots in the past 14 months, and more specifically in this CPL, he has emerged as the best spin-hitter. He has smashed 200 off 103 balls from spinners at a strike rate of 194.17 – the highest among batters who have faced at least 50 balls of spin in this edition. It’s not common for an opening batter to be this proficient against spinners in spin-friendly conditions, and only highlights Seifert’s rise as an all-weather T20 batter.”No matter how good you are, you’re always looking to grow as a player,” Seifert says. “But most importantly, you’re learning. And one of these great opportunities that these [T20] tournaments give you is that you play with the world’s best players and learn from them and be in the same dressing room as well away from the guys back home in New Zealand.”When I first joined TKR, I think that was my first franchise competition. That was amazing. Not only to be coached by McCullum but to be in the same dressing room as the likes of [Kieron] Pollard, [Nicholas] Pooran and then [Andre] Russell. The CPL is not an easy place to come to, from an overseas point of view, for your first couple of years, but I’ve learnt off those guys, and with the Kings as well. Now into my fifth season at the CPL.”ESPNcricinfo LtdSeifert 2.0 can take down mystery spin too. When his former team, TKR, threw Sunil Narine and Akeal Hosein at him in the powerplay in Tarouba, he took 36 off 17 balls from them. He could have opted to sit back and play them out in what was a modest chase, but Seifert was keen to throw the first punch.”They are some of the best spinners in the world. Especially Narine, I rate him probably as one of the best spinners in the world still. But yeah, because we bowled first, we knew what the wicket was. I was hoping to get off to a good start and make the run chase easier. One thing I’ve tried to be working on is not try to think of Narine bowling at you. It’s just trying to watch the ball and reacting.”I’ve always had the square game – my hockey background helps me play those sweeps. I think over the past, those used to be my go-to shots. But now it’s actually just trying to pick the right times, right conditions, right situations of the games to play those shots. And if you are on a good wicket, you can look to hit straight more often. Batting against spin has definitely been one of my areas of focus over the last two years and it’s paying off.”Last month Seifert reached his zenith against Antigua and Barbuda Falcons at home in Gros Islet, when he cracked a 40-ball century, drawing level with Russell for the fastest in the league. He finished with an unbeaten 125 off 53 balls, the highest score by an overseas player and second-highest overall in the CPL. Seifert rates that innings as “one of the best knocks” in his career.”I just want to go out there and do my thing. Obviously, we were chasing 200 [205],” Seifert says. “Probably when I got to about 80-odd, I said: right, when it’s your day, make it your day and finish the job for the team. And I wanted to make sure I was there at the end, being that batter that helped win the game for the team rather than getting out on 80 and making someone else come in and finish the game. So that was probably one of my biggest ticks from that knock: getting the job done.”

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Seifert, like most New Zealanders, isn’t too big on celebrations, but on the day he broke into a hop dance. What was the story there?”I don’t think I did it right. (laughs) There’s a dance that’s going quite viral in St Lucia at the moment. One of the local artists has done the song and that’s the dance move for that song. We had a promotion at a street party the night before and that was the move. Everyone was doing it. I didn’t even think about it, leading into it. It just happened in the moment and everyone has loved it so far.”When Seifert joined Kings in 2024, he was picked as a like-for-like replacement for Heinrich Klaasen. But this season, after Faf du Plessis was sidelined from the tournament, Kings bumped Seifert up to the top, where he has been more destructive, scoring 338 runs in eight innings at an average of 48.28 and strike rate of 178.83. In the CPL alone, Seifert has batted at positions ranging from No. 1 to No. 7, which makes him an exciting T20 package.”In domestic cricket [at Northern Districts], I started in the middle order as a wicketkeeper. My coach Gareth Hopkins chucked me up to the top and I’ve done well since,” he says. “It’s one of those positions where it’s nice to bat at the top but there’s also a chance to bat in the middle order and I think it makes it good from a squad point of view if you can cover all areas.”Besides losing du Plessis, who captained them to their first title, last season, Kings are also without spinner Noor Ahmad (away on Hundred and Afghanistan duty) and seamer Matthew Forde (injured), but they have filled those holes. Seifert credits coach Daren Sammy with keeping the dressing room focused and happy.This year Seifert has scored over 440 runs for New Zealand in T20Is, with three half-centuries, including an unbeaten 97 off 38 balls against Pakistan in Wellington•Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images”Daren’s been amazing. He’s got this group running well over the years. I can only talk from the last two years being here, but the environment’s great fun. We’re having a good laugh off the field, but when we’re coming to the cricket point of view, we’re having some great meetings and cricket conversations. We’re taking that out to the field.”In the 12 completed seasons of the CPL, only TKR have managed to become back-to-back champions. With Seifert in top form and Sammy at the helm, Kings now have a chance to become the second team to get there.”I’s always a team’s goal to go back-to-back,” Seifert said. “But one good thing that we’ve done here at the Kings this year is focus on just about one game at a time. I think we have great experience from last year. A lot of the team was here. It’s a great vibe in the camp, and hopefully we can go all the way.”For Seifert there’s also the bigger picture of the 2026 T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka, another part of the world where he has had T20 success. He was the highest run-getter in the 2024 LPL, and more recently he won IPL 2025 with Royal Challengers Bengaluru, though as a reserve player.Seifert could team up with Finn Allen to open for New Zealand in the 2026 T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka•Sanka Vidanagama/AFP/Getty Images”Yeah, [the T20 World Cup is on my mind], but I have to make the World Cup squad first. No matter where you’re playing in the world, it’s about adapting to the conditions, understanding what shots are going to be easier than others. India can produce some very, very nice T20 wickets as well, so the difference between a good wicket and a not-so-good wicket does occur in India, and you have to adapt.”Same in Sri Lanka. As a batter you just have to adapt and assess as fast as you can on those wickets. And hopefully you can bounce off the past experience of playing spin.”If things go to plan, Seifert could be opening in the T20 World Cup next year along with Finn Allen, another powerful batter who has gained experience by playing T20s around the world. During their brief stint at the top, Seifert and Allen were dubbed “New Zealand’s Bash Brothers”.”Chris Lynn and Brendon McCullum are the OGs, but I won’t say no to the ‘Bash Brothers’ after those two guys,” Seifert laughs. “It has been great fun opening the batting with Finn. We’re great mates off the field as well, so to spend that time with one of your best mates, it’s fun. We just look to try and throw the first punch and put the pressure on the bowlers.”One half of the new Bash Brothers or not, Seifert has surely evolved into a versatile T20 batter.

Liverpool set to accelerate talks to sign "brilliant" defender who Amorim loves

by z3u9t.icu Uncategorized

Liverpool are now ready to accelerate talks to sign a key defensive addition, who could put an end to Ibrahima Konate’s struggles.

Romano shares update on Slot's Liverpool future

It’s been a disastrous season for Liverpool so far. The defending champions have seen their crown go from gold to paper in a matter of 12 Premier League games. Saturday’s 3-0 defeat at Anfield against Nottingham Forest turned a blip into a crisis and questions are now being asked of Arne Slot.

The Dutchman, for the first time in his Liverpool career, is under pressure to turn his side’s form around. According to Fabrizio Romano on his YouTube channel, however, the Reds are not searching for another manager just yet, even if everyone involved at the club is well aware that the current results cannot go on.

The news will come as a relief for Slot, who clearly has plenty of credit left in the bank after winning the Premier League title in his first season at the club.

There is still no denying that the Red must turn a corner sooner rather than later, though. They currently sit 12th and are on course for one of the worst title defences in Premier League history.

Having spent big in the summer, breaking their transfer record twice, those at Anfield could turn towards the January window to make further, much-needed additions.

Names such as Marc Guehi have continued to steal the headlines on that front, but reports are now claiming that Liverpool are ready to accelerate their talks to sign Goncalo Inacio.

Liverpool ready to accelerate Inacio talks

According to reports in Spain, Liverpool are ready to accelerate their move to sign Inacio from Sporting CP in 2026. The impressive central defender has a release clause worth €80m (£70m) in Portugal, but that looks unlikely to be enough to fend off the interest of those at Anfield.

Xabi Alonso makes decision about Liverpool role if he is sacked by Real Madrid

The Spaniard is also under pressure in Spain.

1 ByTom Cunningham Nov 26, 2025

By signing Inacio, Liverpool would also have the chance to rub salt in the wounds of Ruben Amorim. The Manchester United boss was a big fan of the centre-back at Sporting, telling reporters: “Gonçalo is perfect for the way we play. He can defend aggressively, step up to win the ball, and then start an attack with one pass. His ability to do both phases so well is rare.

“I’ve said it before—Gonçalo has everything to play at the highest level. His technique, his vision, his bravery. He’s brilliant, and he’s still improving every day.”

Minutes

990

976

Progressive Passes

98

45

Successful Aerial Duels

24

42

Ball Recoveries

69

30

It’s also worth noting how impressive Inacio has been compared to Konate this season. If the Frenchman does leave as a free agent next summer, then Inacio would provide Liverpool with the perfect upgrade.

Liverpool launch move to sign "perfect" right-back ahead of Arsenal

Kings rise to No. 1 after Shamsi, Seifert and Charles make short work of Patriots

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

The defeat, despite Mohammad Rizwan’s battling unbeaten 60 off 41 balls, left St Kitts and Nevis Patriots at No. 5 on the points table

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Aug-2025Tabraiz Shamsi was tough to score off, and earned himself two opportunities to show off his familiar shoe-phone celebration. Despite his 2 for 17, however, St Lucia Kings had a big chase on their hands in their CPL 2025 game against St Kitts and Nevis Patriots – 178. That Kings got there with 18 balls and seven wickets in hand was down to their openers Tim Seifert and Johnson Charles. 115 runs between them, in just 62 balls, made the chase a canter.Just five runs came off the first over of the chase, bowled by Kyle Mayers. Charles took off after that, against Naseem Shah, and kept going. Kings got 13 off the second over, then 18 off the third, and 21 off the fifth, and finished the powerplay with 72 on the board. Seifert, who was slow to start with – having scored only a run-a-ball 15 by the fourth over – was now batting as quickly as Charles. It was all looking rather ominous for Patriots.Waqar Salamkheil got them the breakthrough – the wicket of Charles for a 17-ball 47 – in the seventh over, but with Ackeem Auguste, the hero of Kings’ previous match, for company, Seifert didn’t let the advantage slip.Auguste and Seifert added 60 for the second wicket, with Auguste contributing 29 in 20 balls. Though Seifert fell in the 15th over for a 45-ball 68, his opening blast had left Kings with very few to get with a lot of time.Johnson Charles smashed 47 in just 17 balls•Randy Brooks – CPL T20 / Getty

Roston Chase (15*) and Tim David (16*) finished things off by the end of the 17th over.Earlier, after Patriots had been asked to bat by David Wiese at Kings’ home ground, the momentum they would have wanted never quite come. Theirs wasn’t a bad powerplay however, with Andre Fletcher especially showing enterprise as Patriots got to 57 for 1 after six overs.The brakes were applied soon after that, as Shamsi got Fletcher to miscue and attempted heave out of the stadium only to sky the ball to Charles behind the stumps. For his efforts, Shamsi was later named the Player of the Match.The fightback came from Mohammad Rizwan, batting at No. 3, who scored 60 not out in 41 balls, and put together partnerships of 71 in 52 balls with Mayers (27 in 25) and an unbroken 37 in 20 balls with Jason Holder (21* in 14). Still, neither Rizwan nor Mayers could score at the sort of rate Patriots would have wanted on a pitch that, as the outcome suggests, was good for scoring.The win took Kings to the top of the table with eight points from six games, while Patriots are now in fifth position with four points from seven games.

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

by rastrear-estafeta.com Uncategorized

Glasgow Rangers sporting director Kevin Thelwell was provided the funds to splash on a host of new signings for Russell Martin during the summer transfer window.

The former Everton surpremo was shaping the squad for the first time since his move to Ibrox in April, and there was plenty of movement in and out of the club.

As you can see in the graphic above, Thelwell was backed by the board when it came to incoming signings, as he splashed the cash on several significant additions.

The most expensive signing of the summer window was centre-forward Youssef Chermiti, who arrived from Everton in an £8m deal. So far, the Portugal U21 international has scored one goal for Rangers.

Bojan Miovski was also brought in for a reported fee of up to £4.2m to bolster the club’s attack. The former Aberdeen man has only scored two goals in all competitions, per Sofascore.

Another Thelwell signing who has been underwhelming since his move to Ibrox in a £3.5m deal from Luton Town has been attacking midfielder Thelo Aasgaard.

Where Thelo Aasgaard ranks among Thelwell's Rangers signings

Thelwell signed eight players on permanent deals in the summer, on top of the Oscar Cortes and Lyall Cameron deals that were agreed before his tenure, and the bulk of them failed to make much of an impact.

Djeidi Gassama has been the best addition to the squad out of those eight players. The French winger has scored six goals and provided two assists in all competitions, per Transfermarkt, which is more than any other summer signing has managed.

Oliver Antman, who joined from Go Ahead Eagles for £3m, has the most assists in the squad of any summer signing, with three, per Transfermarkt, and still has plenty of time left to improve at the age of 24.

Chermiti ranks just above Miovski, despite the fee, because he is five years younger than the Macedonia international and has more time ahead to develop and reach his potential at Ibrox.

1

Djeidi Gassama

2

Oliver Antman

3

Thelo Aasgaard

4

Youssef Chermiti

5

Bojan Miovski

6

Emmanuel Fernandez

7

Joe Rothwell

That is also why Emmanuel Fernandez, who has started two games, ranks above Joe Rothwell, who is 30 and did not even make the bench for the 3-0 win over Dundee at Dens Park.

That leaves Thelo Aasgaard in third place. That may sound like praise at face value, but it really paints a picture of how underwhelming Thelwell’s signings have been.

The Norway international has produced one goal and one assist in 16 appearances in all competitions, per Transfermarkt, and the assist was a short pass to Gassama before his wonder goal in the earlier clip.

Aasgaard was also sent off against Celtic in the semi-final of the League Cup at Hampden Park for Danny Rohl’s side, which means that he has as many red cards as goals for the club so far.

At the age of 23, the former Luton star has time ahead of him and may develop into a future star for the Gers, but his current performance level has been underwhelming, at best.

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That is why there may be some regrets over their decision to part ways with attacking midfielder Ianis Hagi, who was released by Thelwell at the end of his contract in the summer.

Why Rangers must regret releasing Ianis Hagi

The Light Blues chief may regret releasing the Romania international because he would walk into the starting line-up over Aasgaard based on his form for Rangers and his performances for his new club this season.

Hagi currently plays for Analyaspor in Turkey after moving on from Ibrox as a free agent in the summer, despite showing some impressive displays in the Scottish Premiership last term.

After working his way back into the squad under Philippe Clement after a contract issue, the 27-year-old attacking midfielder scored four goals, created six ‘big chances’, and registered five assists in 16 league starts for the Light Blues, per Sofascore.

These statistics show that the playmaker, who former Romanian international Ilie Dumitrescu dubbed “sensational” last term,provided a regular threat as both a scorer and a creator of goals for the Scottish giants, whilst being utilised as a number ten or as a winger.

As aforementioned, Aasgaard has not shown consistency as either a scorer or as a creator since his £3.5m move from Luton, which is why the decision to release Hagi in the summer looks like a misjudged one.

Appearances

9

8

Goals

1

2

Conversion rate

7%

13%

Key passes

7

17

Big chances created

0

2

Assists

1

1

Fouls won per game

1.4

2.5

As you can see in the table above, Hagi’s form in the Turkish top-flight is also vastly superior to the Norwegian midfielder’s for Rangers, as he has scored ten more chances and scored twice as many goals in fewer appearances.

These statistics show that the Romania international has taken the threat that he provided on the pitch for Rangers last season and carried it into his form in Turkey for his new club.

Hagi only turned 27 in October and is not a player who is heading into the final years of his career or is regressing as a player, as evidenced by his form this season, which makes it all the more surprising that the Gers allowed him to leave for nothing.

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Their respective statistics suggest that the Romanian star would walk into the current Rangers team over Aasgaard, and that says it all about Thelwell’s recruitment in the summer, as it stands.

'I expected to do much more' – Alexander Isak makes stark admission on slow Liverpool start but £125m man insists he still isn't fully fit after Newcastle transfer saga

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Alexander Isak has admitted he expected to do "much more" at Liverpool after a slow start to life at Anfield. The striker joined the Reds from Newcastle United for a Premier League record fee of £125 million ($167m) but so far he has failed to fire. The Swedish international also admits that injuries have hampered his progress, and he has never felt at 100 per cent so far.

  • Isak and Liverpool struggle

    Since his blockbuster £125m move, which entailed a lengthy transfer saga where Isak refused to play for Newcastle and trained alone for much of the summer, the 26-year-old has only scored two goals in all competitions this season. The Swede has struggled with injuries and form since arriving on Merseyside, and so have Arne Slot's team, with the defending Premier League champions currently ninth in the table. As a result, the former Real Sociedad man admits this has not been an "easy" period for him and his new club.

    He told : "It's not been easy, of course, individually and also collectively. We've not had the best results lately. Of course, I wish more from me as well, so I think that's pretty obvious. I'm trying to stay positive, we as a team as well, it's a really good group and we're just looking forward and trying to do better as a team."

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    Isak not at full tilt

    The forward admitted he was his own harshest critic and that he is not happy with his goal-scoring output so far. However, he still stressed that injuries have taken their toll on him.

    "I expect to do much more of course, I always do that. Even when I do really well, I want more, so that's not a problem for me. But yeah, I'm trying to stay positive, trying to work to do better and that's what we're looking to do," he said. "Yeah, of course. I think obviously I'm the first one to know and I know best when I'm doing good and when I'm not doing good. So I don't need anyone to tell me how I'm doing, so that's not a problem for me."

    When asked if he had felt at 100 per cent at any stage for Liverpool, Isak replied, "I would probably say no, physically. I probably haven't felt at my best. But yeah, that's not really the way I judge myself either. When I'm on the pitch, I want to do well anyway. But yeah, obviously, there's more of me."

  • Slot defends Isak

    Despite scoring just once in the Premier League this season, Liverpool boss Slot said the Reds are not bringing the best out of the Swedish star and must do all they can to maximise his strengths. 

    The Dutchman told reporters on Friday: "He is not the only No.9 who suffers in some games from not getting many chances. At this level it’s not like the No.9 is involved in eight, nine, 10 chances every single half. But it is obvious and clear that we want to bring him into more threatening situations. Before we went to only one goal conceded in two games [West Ham and Sunderland] we had a lot of chances. Because we are a little bit more compact and not taking as many risks, we have not been able to create as many chances as all of the games before. It is definitely one of the things on my list of things to improve to get our No.9 more involved in the game and more involved in the final third."

    The former Feyenoord manager also said that Isak's match fitness remains an issue and that it is "unrealistic" for him to complete three 90-minute games in a week. 

    "That’s not the way you want to start your career at Liverpool. It is far, far from an ideal situation but, again, this club doesn’t buy a player for half a year. We bought him for six years," he added.

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    What comes next for Liverpool?

    After playing 68 minutes in the 2-0 win at West Ham and 86 minutes in the 1-1 draw with Sunderland, it remains to be seen if Isak will start away at Leeds United on Saturday evening. If not, Hugo Ekitike may lead the Reds' attack at Elland Road.

As good as Hatate: Celtic flop showed he can be "world class" under Nancy

by rastrear-estafeta.com Uncategorized

On Thanksgiving Thursday in the United States, Celtic supporters across the world are thankful that their side has finally won an away European match.

In the Europa League’s early kick off, despite falling behind inside 11 minutes, Martin O’Neill’s side fought back to beat Feyenoord 3-1; Yang Hyun-jun and then Reo Hatate on target in double-quick time, before substitute Benjamin Nygren lashed home a clinching third late on

Before this, the Hoops had failed to win any of their previous 16 European away matches, dating back to a 3-2 victory over Ferencváros in Budapest in November 2021; Kyōgo Furuhashi, Jota and Liel Abada the scorers for Ange Postecoglou’s side back then.

In the context of this campaign, it takes Celts’ points tally up to seven from five Europa League games, boosting their knockout phase hopes, with fixtures against Roma, Bologna and Utrecht still to come on their schedule.

By the time the current Serie A leaders visit Glasgow in a fortnight, there could well be a new face in the home dugout, so which forgotten figure staked a claim in Rotterdam to be a key figure under Wilfried Nancy?

Reo Hatate's magical night

Plenty of Celtic players deserve praise following a famous win in Rotterdam, but Hatate was the star of the show.

The Japanese midfield maestro spectacularly set up the equaliser, before cooly slotted home the vital go-ahead goal, gently passing the ball into the net having been gifted possession by goalkeeper Timon Wellenreuther, after some excellent, trademark closing down by Daizen Maeda.

Since arriving in January 2022, Hatate has been one of Celtic’s best and most beloved players throughout; scoring twice in a thumping Old Firm victory mere weeks after joining helps!

However, his position in the starting lineup has come under scrutiny, given the Celts’ do have other good central midfield options, namely Nygren, Arne Engels, Luke McCowan and Paulo Bernardo.

However, Hatate’s mercurial talent and exquisite ability makes him a dream for any manager and, based on how his Columbus Crew team like to play, Nancy will surely make the Japanese international a central figure in his team, once he does arrive.

Meanwhile, which usually less heralded figure will also surely have impressed the incoming manager with his display at De Kuip?

Celtic's "world class" talent stars vs Feyenoord

There were many heroes bedecked in green and white hoops during Thursday’s victory over Feyenoord.

Teenaged full-back Colby Donovan was immense, Luke McCowan was excellent out of position, despite his inexplicable early miss, while Daizen Maeda worked his socks off as always.

Meantime, one of the surprise starters when the team sheets dropped was Yang, chosen over Sebastian Tounekti, Nygren and Michel-Ange Balikwisha by O’Neill, but the Korea Republic international certainly repaid the manager’s

Yang lashed home Celtic’s equaliser on the half-hour mark, connecting with Hatate’s looping cross, the ball squirming in between Wellenreuther and the post.

This was only Yang’s second goal of the season, also on target against Partick Thistle in the League Cup in September beforehand, but this one was rather more important.

Overall, he was a constant threat at De Kuip.

Goals

1

1st

Attempted dribbles

3

2nd

Completed passes

25

16th

Duels contested

6

15th

Touches

43

15th

SofaScore rating

7.3

4th

Since arriving from Gangwon FC in July 2023 under Brendan Rodgers, Yang has flattered to deceive, showing glimpses of quality but only doing so on a very irregular basis.

Upon making the move, Gangwon’s then-club president Kim Byung-ji stated that he had “world class” potential, backing him to become as good as the national team’s all-time leading scorer Son Heung-min.

Speaking during commentary for TNT Sports, Joe Hart, a former teammate of Yang, said that “there’s an excellent player in there”, but that he just has to show it on a regular basis, while manager O’Neill stated that he needs to now replicate his form in training in matches.

Thus, with Nancy seemingly poised to arrive, every member of the Celtic squad will have a clean slate, which will surely be good news for Yang, looking to become a key figure under the new manager, hoping to force his way into Hong Myung-bo’s South Korea squad ahead of next summer’s World Cup.

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Arsenal dealt Martin Odegaard injury blow after three-word Norway update

by h79snht.top Uncategorized

It’s been an unfortunate start to the season for Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard, who’s been sidelined multiple times through injury already and is now racing to recover from an MCL problem.

The North London derby on November 23rd takes on added significance for Arsenal as they await Odegaard’s potential return from a frustrating spell on the sidelines.

The Norwegian playmaker has become synonymous with Arsenal’s attacking fluency, and his absence has been an unwanted headache for Mikel Arteta.

Amid their pursuit of a first Premier League title in 22 years, the Gunners have done very well to cope through a torrid period of injuries to key attacking players at the Emirates. Odegaard’s latest setback came during their 2-0 win over West Ham in early October, when a collision with winger Crysencio Summerville resulted in a medial collateral ligament injury to his left knee.

The incident forced him off after just 30 minutes and made unwanted history. Odegaard actually became the first player in Premier League history to be substituted before half-time in three consecutive starts, and what makes this injury particularly cruel is the timing.

The 26-year-old had only just returned from a persistent shoulder problem that had already disrupted his campaign. That shoulder issue saw him withdrawn after 38 minutes of Arsenal’s 5-0 win over Leeds United at the very start of 25/26, before an aggravation of the same injury forced him off after just 18 minutes against Nottingham Forest.

Odegaard has completed a full 90 minutes only twice this season, and Arsenal rehab specialists have resorted to pretty unique methods to speed up his recovery.

The former Real Madrid midfielder has been using anti-gravity treadmills at Arsenal’s London Colney training centre to accelerate his comeback, a technique that reduces gravitational load while restoring muscle strength and mobility.

Arsenal’s unbeaten run in all competitions since defeat to Liverpool

Arsenal 3-0 Nottingham Forest

Athletic Bilbao 0-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 1-1 Man City

Port Vale 0-2 Arsenal

Newcastle 1-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 2-0 Olympiacos

Arsenal 2-0 West Ham

Fulham 0-1 Arsenal

Arsenal 4-0 Atletico Madrid

Arsenal 1-0 Crystal Palace

Arsenal 2-0 Brighton

Burnley 0-2 Arsenal

Slavia Prague 0-3 Arsenal

Sunderland 2-2 Arsenal

His return would provide a massive boost heading into one of the season’s most important fixtures against Spurs right after the international break, but Arsenal have now been dealt a pretty concerning update.

Credible reports had claimed that Odegaard is battling to be in contention for Tottenham alongside Gabriel Martinelli, Kai Havertz, Noni Madueke and Viktor Gyokeres, with Gabriel Jesus the only forward definitively ruled out (Simon Collings).

However, Norway boss Stale Solbakken has now made a suggestion that even the derby may be too soon for him.

Arsenal star Martin Odegaard "some distance away" from injury return

Speaking in a press conference this week, Solbakken stated that Odegaard is actually “some distance away” from his injury return — which makes for a pretty concerning admission ahead of Tottenham’s visit to the Emirates in just 10 days time.

Despite still being sidelined, Odegaard has travelled with the Norway squad to be a presence for morale ahead of crucial World Cup qualifiers against Estonia and Italy.

Arteta will be keeping a very close eye on his players during this international break, which always poses the threat of unwanted injury problems, and defender Riccardo Calafiori gave Arsenal a scare earlier this week after it was revealed the left-back is training alone with a hip issue.

Luckily for the Azzurri and Arteta, Italian medical officials believe that Calafiori will be fit to face Norway on November 16, with the individual training programme most likely a precaution and nothing too serious.

Immediately after their clash against Tottenham, the north Londoners take on Bayern Munich in the Champions League and Chelsea just four days later, with Arteta hoping he has most of his attacking contingent back and ready to contribute in these vital face-offs.

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