Having sacked Erol Bulut following a 2-0 defeat against Leeds United, Cardiff City are now reportedly plotting a move to sign a replacement who’s just 39 years old.
Cardiff City sack Erol Bulut
With just a single point in the Championship, Cardiff were left with little choice but to give Bulut his marching orders after just six games. The manager has left them bottom of the league and in a place of growing desperation if they don’t turn things around before the festive fixtures start coming thick and fast.
Having only appointed Bulut back in June 2023, those in Wales should see their decision as one that led to failure, with the manager lasting just six Championship games this season before being given the boot – highlighting just how bad things got.
Releasing a statement to provide an update on what comes next, Cardiff said on their official website: “First Team Coach Nikolaos Karydas will also depart and leaves with the Club’s best wishes. Further backroom staff confirmation will follow in due course. Omer Riza will take charge of the First Team on an interim basis, while the Club look to recruit a new permanent First Team Manager.”
Cardiff City eyeing move for "highly regarded" Buckingham
Whilst Cardiff have endured a nightmare start to the campaign, newly promoted Oxford United have enjoyed an excellent opening period, winning three and losing three to leave them sitting ninth and making an early claim for shock play-off contention. That success could now come at a cost, however.
According to Football Insider, Cardiff could move to appoint Des Buckingham from Oxford following their solid start to the campaign, with the 39-year-old seen as a young and progressive manager.
Des Buckingham for Oxford United.
It remains to be seen whether the Bluebirds can convince the Oxford boss to make the switch though. As things stand, pitching a manager to jump a steady ship in favour of attempting to patch one up that looks almost certain to sink in the early stages of the campaign doesn’t exactly make for a strong sales pitch in what could be a frustrating blow.
Oxford, meanwhile, will be desperate to keep hold of the manager who brought them up from League One last season, with Head of Recruitment Ed Waldron praising Buckingham from the off. After appointing the young manager last November, Waldron told Oxford’s official website: “Des is someone we’ve been monitoring for a while. He’s young, highly regarded and already has a wealth of coaching experience.
“His attacking style of play and philosophy suits the squad we are building and will help this outstanding group of players continue their excellent start to the season.”
Seemingly the type of football that Cardiff now want to see take place in Wales, Buckingham may well be one to keep an eye on.
West Ham United transfer chiefs have drawn up “fresh plans” to sign a £40 million player, with manager Julen Lopetegui personally identifying him as a possible new addition.
Lopetegui under pressure as West Ham eye new attackers
Chairman David Sullivan and the Hammers hierarchy gave their green-light for technical director Tim Steidten to splash nearly £120 million on nine new signings in the summer, but their form hasn’t exactly reflected the new quality in Lopetegui’s squad so far.
What Julen Lopetegui has done to leave West Ham players very "surprised"
The Spaniard is dividing opinion behind the scenes.
ByEmilio Galantini Oct 2, 2024
West Ham are without a win in all competitions since late August, with their last victory coming against Bournemouth in the EFL Cup. Since then, Lopetegui has watched his side fall to Liverpool, Chelsea and Man City while also being held against Fulham and Brentford in the Premier League.
While it is still very early days, questions are being asked about West Ham’s lack of memorable moments in games, despite the quality and fresh new additions to choose from.
Match
Date
Opponent
Competition
Result
#8
28/09/2024
Brentford (A)
Premier League
1-1 draw
#7
25/09/2024
Liverpool (A)
Carabao Cup
5-1 loss
#6
21/09/2024
Chelsea (H)
Premier League
3-0 loss
#5
14/09/2024
Fulham (A)
Premier League
1-1 draw
#4
31/08/2024
Man City (H)
Premier League
3-1 loss
#3
28/08/2024
Bournemouth (H)
Carabao Cup
1-0 win
#2
24/08/2024
Crystal Palace (A)
Premier League
2-0 win
#1
17/08/2024
Aston Villa (H)
Premier League
2-1 loss
Some critics believe Lopetegui is at risk of losing his job if their form doesn’t pick up quickly, with West Ham also unable to call upon striker Niclas Füllkrug, who is still recovering from an achilles injury and unavailable for selection.
“I think there’s more pressure on him after what David Moyes managed to do,” said ex-West Ham recruitment chief Mick Brown to Football Insider this week.
“When 60,000 people are saying they don’t want this and they want a different type of football, the board have had to be careful with their decision.
“It’s always difficult trying to judge what the owners and directors will do. Their knowledge of the game is not great and they’ve made many mistakes in the past. They were warned to be careful what they wished for, but having made that decision [replacing Moyes with Lopetegui], they’re wary of making another mistake.
“I don’t know Lopetegui and I don’t know how he works, but if we’re looking at the results he’s had so far, which is what the game is about, he’s definitely at risk.”
Fullkrug’s absence has exposed West Ham’s lack of striker depth, for both the present and for the long-term. Indeed, Danny Ings and Michail Antonio are on the wrong side of 30 and out of contract next summer, leading to the club’s reported interest in Eintracht Frankfurt star Omar Marmoush.
West Ham draw "fresh plans" to sign Marmoush after Lopetegui call
GiveMeSport have shared a fresh update this evening.
It is believed that West Ham have drawn up “fresh plans” to sign Marmoush, with Lopetegui personally earmarking the Egypt striker as a possible new signing at the who can give them that extra bite going forward.
Marmoush is also being chased by Newcastle United and Aston Villa, as all three Premier League sides prepare to battle it out over the £40 million forward’s signature at the turn of the year.
Omar Marmoush for Frankfurt.
The 25-year-old has started this campaign in absolutely electric form – scoring six goals and registering five assists in just seven games across all competitions – which has surely turned many heads in east London.
Praised for his “tireless” work rate by Eintracht boss Dino Toppmöller as well, other reports have claimed that Marmoush is “most likely” to join West Ham or Crystal Palace, so this could be one to watch heading into 2025.
Manchester United have enjoyed a somewhat solid transfer window this summer. Erik ten Hag has managed to bring players such as Lenny Yoro, Joshua Zirkzee, Noussair Mazraoui and Matthijs de Ligt to Old Trafford over the previous couple of months.
These four players will bolster the core of the first team squad and despite the club winning just one of their opening two Premier League matches, the onus will be for the new signings to settle in quickly.
Erik ten Hag
INEOS have already greenlit one last addition to the team, signing Manuel Ugarte from Paris Saint-Germain.
How much Man Utd spent on Manuel Ugarte
According to Fabrizio Romano, Ugarte completed his medical tests at Carrington on Friday which has subsequently seen the Old Trafford side shell out a fee of around €50m (£42m) along with a further €10m (£8.4m) in add-ons.
The Uruguayan is still only 23, indicating he could be part of the United midfield for the next few years if he remains fit. Ugarte made 37 appearances for PSG last term in all competitions, firmly establishing himself in the heart of the midfield.
According to Transfermarkt, the former Sporting CP starlet is currently valued at €45m (£38m), which suggests Ten Hag has overpaid slightly.
If he hits the ground running in Manchester, the fee surely won’t matter, but there is another new signing who is already valued much higher than Ugarte – De Ligt.
Matthijs de Ligt’s market value at Manchester United
It was clear during the summer that Ten Hag was keen on signing a few more defenders to bolster this area of the team.
Yoro arrived in mid-July, costing the club £52m. It was clearly seen as a signing which would stand United well in the future as the manager continued to explore the market for more additions.
Market Movers
Football FanCast's Market Movers series explores the changing landscape of the modern transfer market. How much is your club's star player or biggest flop worth today?
De Ligt was a target, eventually joining midway through August. The Dutchman may have played only 22 Bundesliga matches last season, yet he averaged a 94% pass success rate, recovered 3.3 balls per game, was dribbled past on just 0.2 occasions each match and won an impressive 59% of his total duels for Bayern Munich.
These statistics, and his ability to develop into a better player, led Ten Hag to reunite with his former centre-back this summer.
Matthijs de Ligt’s statistics last season for Bayern Munich
Metric
Bundesliga
Champions League
Accurate passes per game
50.8
46.5
Total duels won per game
3
3.8
Balls recovered per game
3.3
2.8
Tackles per game
0.7
1.3
Possession lost per game
3.8
5.2
Via Sofascore
His career hasn’t quite progressed how it was expected to after he left Ajax for Juventus, but the chance for a fresh start at Old Trafford should provide plenty of incentive for the 25-year-old to become one of the finest defenders in the Premier League.
De Ligt cost £38.5m a few weeks ago, which, considering how highly rated he was just a few years ago, could turn into a bargain.
According to Transfermarkt, his current market valuation is €65m (£55m), which proves United have already struck gold on the defender, and he has only been in Manchester for a handful of weeks, with the former Ajax gem already worth more than Ugarte’s price tag.
This is exactly the sort of transfer business that Ten Hag is expected to carry out. Hopefully, the move pays off for both parties.
Dream Bruno successor: Man Utd hold advantage in race to sign "top talent"
The Red Devils remain in the mix to seal an exciting attacking addition…
The winger scored his first hat-trick to make amends for another terrible collective display from Ruben Amorim's side
Where would Manchester United be without Amad Diallo? In the relegation zone, quite possibly.
The Red Devils were on their way to their most humiliating defeat yet as they trailed 1-0 at home to Premier League basement club Southampton after a Manuel Ugarte own goal in the first half. But Amad took matters into his own hands, equalising in the 82nd minute and completing a hat-trick within the final 10 minutes to give United a 3-1 win they barely deserved but which they badly needed, taking them 10 points clear of the drop zone.
Southampton turned up at Old Trafford bottom of the table with six points and having just taken two points from all their away games this season, the lowest amount of any team in the four top divisions in English football. The Saints also had the lowest points total after 20 games in Premier League history and in their last league outing they had been humiliated 5-0 by Brentford. But it did not take long for Ivan Juric's side to start playing as if they were Real Madrid.
Kamaldeen Sulemana bullied Leny Yoro while Tyler Dibling was also too hot to handle for a United side which looked nothing like the team that had held Liverpool to draw at Anfield and knocked Arsenal out of the FA Cup. The Saints scored from a corner, their first such goal all season but the latest demonstration that United cannot cope when defending from set pieces.
Amorim took swift action from the bench, hooking Kobbie Mainoo at half-time and Rasmus Hojlund and Manuel Ugarte early in the second half. But Antony, who had replaced Mainoo, made things even more embarrassing for the hosts by missing an absolute sitter. United fans were tearing their hair out, as was Amorim, but Amad kept believing and equalised almost on his own, cutting through down the right wing and then lashing inside the near post.
He struck what looked to be the winner in the 90th minute before making sure with another goal in added time to complete his first ever hat-trick.
GOAL rates Man United's players from Old Trafford…
Getty Images SportGoalkeeper & Defence
Andre Onana (6/10):
Made an outstanding double save to thwart Dibling and Fernandes but needed a stronger arm to prevent the goal.
Leny Yoro (3/10):
Got repeatedly destroyed by Kamaldeen Sulemana as United really suffered without the security Harry Maguire gives them.
Matthijs de Ligt (5/10):
The best of a bad bunch in defence, making several important blocks.
Lisandro Martinez (4/10):
Struggled against Dibbling and was targeted from the corner leading to the goal due to his height, being out-jumped by Dibling. Forced into a couple of tactical fouls, getting booked for taking out Ugochukwu.
AdvertisementGettyMidfield
Noussair Mazraoui (5/10):
Had some joy down his flank in United's best spell of the first half but couldn't keep it up.
Kobbie Mainoo (4/10):
Had one promising foray into the area only to bungle the pass. Otherwise he couldn't get a grip on the game. Hauled off at half-time.
Manuel Ugarte (4/10):
Cumbersome in possession and powerless to stop Southampton's quick advances. Taken off, looking furious, in the 53rd minute.
Amad Diallo (10/10):
The one player who kept believing, almost single-handedly turning a wreckage into a masterpiece.
Getty Images SportAttack
Alejandro Garnacho (5/10):
Got off to a bad start when he missed a glaring chance but at least he kept going and kept playing with positivity.
Rasmus Hojlund (4/10):
Put chance on a plate for Garnacho but that was his only positive contribution and he could not argue with being substituted early, even tough he did.
Bruno Fernandes (6/10):
Looked like he and Amad were carrying the team for large parts of the game.
Getty Images SportSubs & Manager
Antony (3/10):
Created a chance within moments of coming on but gets a dire rating for his dire miss.
Joshua Zirkzee (7/10):
Gave United an outlet and his passing created lots of attacking moves.
Toby Collyer (7/10):.
His energy made a big difference.
Christian Eriksen (N/A):
Threaded through the pass for the winner.
Harry Maguire (N/A):
A late addition and the performance showed he has to start all the time.
Ruben Amorim (7/10):
His proactive and ruthless substitutions saved the game.
As he prepares to make his return to Warwickshire, four months after flying home from the Ashes, Jonathan Trott speaks openly and candidly to ESPNcricinfo about the emotional challenges he has faced up to
George Dobell14-Mar-2014It should have been a special occasion. The Ashes match in Adelaide should have been Jonathan Trott’s 50th Test. His father was flying out from England to watch it. His uncle was flying from South Africa. His mother was already there.But Trott didn’t make it to Adelaide. Instead he took a decision that he thought, at the time, would end his career. He went home.Now, four months later, he is prepared to reflect upon what went wrong and his preparations to return to the game that has been his life since the age of three.If that sounds like an exaggeration then it is important to understand what has driven Trott since the start. The son of a cricket coach and the half-brother of a professional cricketer, Trott was always going to follow in their footsteps. Every weekend he can remember, he was at the cricket club watching one or other of them play, he was playing on the outfield, he was dreaming of his future. Cricket was his life.And that has been part of the problem. Because when other England players took three weeks off at the end of the summer of 2013, Trott returned to the nets. Knowing that he had failed, by his high standards, in the Ashes in England, he challenged himself to dig deeper, work harder and be better. “I batted for two-and-a-half hours every morning,” he says now. “I trained rigorously.” In all, he allowed himself just four days off. He was an exhausted man pushing himself to the brink.The warning signs had been there for some time. Months earlier, emotionally drained by the effort and eventual disappointment of reaching the Champions Trophy final on his home ground at Edgbaston, Trott started to struggle to retain that legendary concentration that had, for a time, earned him both a Test and ODI average in excess of 50.Batting had started to feel exhausting. The effort of reaching 40 had become, in his words, “the same as it used to feel when I reached 100.” By the time the Ashes reached Durham, he knew he was in trouble.”I was caught at short-leg off Nathan Lyon in the first innings and, as I walked off, I remember thinking, I didn’t even see the ball,” he says. “I wasn’t watching it. I was so tired, I couldn’t think, I couldn’t concentrate and I couldn’t bat. It was as if my processing speed was slower.”To put that in perspective, Trott was on 49 at the time. Indeed, he reached 40 five times in that series but, whereas he would usually convert one or two of those platforms into centuries, now he was falling in uncharacteristically loose ways.”It began to seem impossible,” he says. “I had set myself this unrealistic scale of success and I was beating myself up trying to live up to it.”The more people said ‘Oh, you’ll be great against Australia’ the worse it was. I averaged 90 against them so, in my head, I needed to score 180 runs a game to sustain that. And that meant, if I made 100, I was still left thinking, ‘Oh no, I need to score another 80 in the second innings just to break even.’ I had set myself unsustainable standards.
I couldn’t think. I couldn’t concentrate. I couldn’t stand still or watch the ball. Everything I had practised went out of the window
“I chopped-on in the first innings at Trent Bridge and then was given out incorrectly in the second. And, all of a sudden, I was questioning myself. I was going into games anxious. I wasn’t as patient as I had been in the past. I was chasing the game a bit; looking for shots that maybe weren’t there. I was putting myself under pressure and getting a bit desperate.”England had been on a long run of games, too. The away series against New Zealand merged into a home series against New Zealand. The Champions Trophy merged into the Ashes. And with the Ashes series being held back to back, the entire team knew there would be no respite.”The Ashes was joyless,” he says. “Even when we won, the sense was we were just at half-time. We had put so much into the Champions Trophy and to lose the final from the position that we were in was a huge setback. And then the knowledge that we had 10 Ashes Tests in succession… it just seemed it would never end.”Kevin Pietersen was the first to notice a problem. As early as the Old Trafford Test, he urged Trott to push himself less and try to relax. The England management, also sensing a problem, offered him the chance to be rested from the ODI series at the end of the summer. “But I didn’t think I deserved a rest,” Trott says now. “My answer has always been to work harder. I can see that was a mistake now.”This was not completely uncharted territory. In 2007, struggling in a grim run of form, he pushed himself into more net sessions. While the rest of the team would arrive at the ground at 9am, he would sometimes arrive two hours earlier, looking for someone to feed the bowling machine. His form fell away completely. It was not until the end of the season and a holiday in the US that he began to relax.Then again, at the end of 2008, he pulled out of a Lions tour. He had always pushed himself hard. That work ethic is what helped make him the ICC’s player of the year in 2011. It’s what helped earn him the highest batting average of any man to play more than 20 ODIs for England. It’s what helped England to No.1 in the Test and ODI rankings. It is his great strength and his greatest weakness.This time, though, the situation was compounded by a series of off-field challenges: a family bereavement – Trott was actually present when his wife’s grandmother died quite suddenly – some complications in building and then moving into a new home and a row with a high-maintenance member of his extended family. While none of these issues were the cause of his problems on their own, they amounted to make even the smallest obstacle appear insurmountable. A similar catalogue of issues accumulated before the Johannesburg Test of 2010.And then there was Mitchell Johnson. Trott laughs at the suggestion that he was in some way intimidated by Johnson’s pace – “have you not watched my career?” he says, pointing out his record against Johnson and others. “The quickest pitches I’ve played on were in the ODI series after the 2010-11 Ashes and they had an attack featuring Johnson, Brett Lee, Shaun Tait and Doug Bollinger. And I averaged about 100.” – but he does admit to struggling against him.”He’s a very good bowler,” he says. “You’ve seen lots of batsmen struggle against him.”In normal circumstances I would have been fine. I’m not saying I would have scored lots of runs, but I’d have gone out there with confidence.”But I couldn’t think. I couldn’t concentrate. I couldn’t stand still or watch the ball. Everything I had practised went out of the window. In those circumstances, any problem you have with your technique – and when I’m out of form I tend to fall over to the off side – is magnified and you saw me walking towards him, stepping across my stumps and trying to hit everything into the leg side. It wasn’t that I was scared or anything, it was just the result of a cluttered mind. It would have been the same against any bowler.”Does it bother him that some people think he was frightened of Johnson?”Do they?” he asks. “Well, they can’t know much about cricket. But yes, I know that after this, I’ll never convince everyone. Some will think I was frightened, some will think I’m mad. People believe want they want to believe. All I can do is tell the truth and allow people to make up their own minds. But I know this will never go away now.”**************************’Cricket meant so much to me. Too much’•AFP”Will someone listen to me?” Trott pleaded in the dressing room in Brisbane. He had tried to ask for help. And now he knew he needed it. He was tired of people looking the other way. He was tired of people telling him ‘It will be alright.’ He was tired of people saying ‘You’ll score some runs tomorrow.’He knew none of that was true. He knew he had a problem. He had known for some time.His head was pounding. His chest was tight. He hadn’t been able to sleep. He felt he could barely breathe. His mind was racing; everywhere and nowhere all at once.Trott is effusive in praise of Andy Flower in those hours and days when he was at his most vulnerable. Flower, he says, was immensely sympathetic. He gave Trott the choice of staying in the side, staying on the tour but missing the next game, having his family join him immediately or going home. His voice broke with emotion when he informed the team of Trott’s decision moments after the conclusion of the Brisbane Test.That, according to Trott, was the worst moment.”Andy was clearly very upset,” he said. “His voice broke as he told the team the news. Then I think it was Stuart Broad came and gave me a hug. I think all the guys did. They couldn’t have been more supportive. Most of them had no idea what was going on.”At the time, I thought that was the end. I thought I’d never play for England again. I thought I’d never play for Warwickshire again. I thought I was walking away from everything I had ever worked towards.”His emotions were conflicted. Relief flowed through him. But at the same time, he felt he was letting down his team-mates. The team-mates with whom he had travelled for four years and witnessed some of the best times in the history of England cricket.”I felt guilty,” he said. “I still feel guilty.”I was there for the good times. I should have been there for the hard times. I hated seeing what they went through in Australia. At my best, I know I could have made a difference. But even below my best, I felt I should be there to share the experience. We’ve shared a lot together.”Look, I could have played that 50th Test. But I felt I wasn’t in a state where I could give 100% and I didn’t want to let anyone down. I tried to do the right thing.”I knew I had to go home. I had to get cricket off the agenda. I had to be in a place where it wasn’t relevant; where I wasn’t thinking about the next game. I was no use to them in that state. But I still feel guilty.”Telling my dad was terrible. He has been there all the way through. He instilled my love for the game. He taught me to bat. He has supported me every step…” his voices trails away. “Yeah, maybe that was the worst bit.”Within 36 hours he was home. Flooded with relief, he slept all the way. As he walked through the front door of his new home, his three-year-old daughter Lily asked her mum “Is Daddy going to stay the night?”We ask an awful lot of our cricketers.**************************Back in Birmingham, a woman approaches Trott in a supermarket.”I know what you’re going through,” she says, sympathetically. “I’m going through Waitrose,” Trott replies.Trott’s life has changed since he came home from Australia. Where once he was viewed as something of a machine – the ice-cool accumulator of runs and records – now he is seen more sympathetically. He is seen for the man he is: as vulnerable and flawed as the rest of us.But he cannot be the new poster-boy for depression. Much as people seem to want to carve out that niche for him, he cannot do it. He has not suffered with it. Nor can he talk with great knowledge about mental health issues. He has no more experience of them than anyone else.Had he pursued any other career – had he been a butcher, a baker or a candlestick maker – Trott would have been signed-off by his doctor for three weeks and then returned to work refreshed. His has been a classic case of burn-out. No more, but no less.Jonathan Trott will resume life in Warwickshire colours early next month•Getty ImagesBut it’s different for a professional sportsman. A player cannot be seen to pick and choose his games. He cannot walk away and expect to come back as if nothing happened. And, for all the talk of the ECB understanding such issues much better these days, they are still groping in the dark.Many other players have been in touch to share their own experiences of burnout. Some of the best-known names in cricket, renowned for their resilience and toughness, have suffered similar episodes, though most have managed to do so in less high-profile circumstances.While the paparazzi have been found lurking in the bushes outside his home and the nursery school where he drops off his daughter, the ECB have given Trott space since he returned home. No doubt with the best of intentions, they have left him alone to recover away from expectation or pressure.Whether that is the best policy is debatable. While Trott clearly needed the break, he also needs to know there is a way back. That he will not be punished for his actions. He needs to know that, for all the talk of compassion and understanding, this episode is not going to be held against him. The way some talk about him suggests they have very little knowledge of the situation.Certainly he looks a new man now. He looks younger, happier and more relaxed. He laughs at the suggestion he should have entered the IPL auction just to watch the reaction from the media, he laughs at the suggestion he should have travelled to the Caribbean to watch the limited-overs matches from the grass banks with a rum in his hand, he laughs at the image people seem to have of him as a raving loon. He laughs a lot.The hunger for the game has crept back, too. As early as January, the distinctive sound of bats being knocked in could be heard around his Harborne home. He will return for Warwickshire at the start of April and hopes that, if he scores runs in the first month of the season, he will be considered for selection on merit ahead of the ODI against Scotland in Aberdeen on May 9. He has not been replaced: England have barely averaged 10 from the No. 3 position in ODIs since his departure.”This is the longest I’ve ever gone without picking up a bat,” he says. “I mean the longest since I was about three years old. I’ve been four months without cricket and it’s been fine.”I’m annoyed I let myself get into that state. I should have recognised the signs and taken a step back much earlier. It just didn’t cross my mind.”I will never let myself get like that again. I know better now and I am surrounded by people who know better, too.”Of course I want to play for England again. But it would be silly to look too far ahead. If I do make it back, I will just take it one series at a time and one tour at a time. I’ll get the balance right between rest and preparation and I’ll try and enjoy it.”That’s been the best thing to come out of this, really. Cricket meant so much to me. Too much. But now I know there is life outside cricket. I know that, when the time comes for me to stop playing, it will be fine. Cricket is important but it became too important. My perspective is better now. Family and health is much more important.”*Jonathan Trott declined several offers of payment for his first interview since returning from Australia and chose to speak to ESPNcricinfo for free.
Liverpool defeated Ipswich Town to start the Arne Slot era with three points, and while a clean sheet in the Premier League was greatly appreciated, the Reds weren't without defensive deficiencies.
Carved open on the counter in a grim reminder of lingering issues under Jurgen Klopp's later-stage leadership, the newly-promoted hosts will rue a lack of incisiveness in the opening half that they paid dearly for after the break, with Diogo Jota and Mohamed Salah doing the damage as Slot's slick system clicked and wreaked chaos.
Ah, but it's not at all doom and gloom: Liverpool are up and running and boy did they look intoxicating toward the end. However, Jarell Quansah's half-time substitution – due to Liverpool's lack of duel success – highlighted a cutting edge to Slot's tactical mind, a ruthless streak, that only deepens the argument that Liverpool need reinforcements at the rear.
Goals scored
0
2
Big chances
0
6
Shots (on target)
3 (0)
15 (5)
Possession
58%
66%
Dribbles completed
2/8 (25%)
9/14 (64%)
Tackles won
5/12 (40%)
4/8 (50%)
Duels won
22/53 (42%)
24/44 (55%)
Ball recoveries
26
19
Skipper Virgil van Dijk is indispensable, but Ibrahima Konate started only 17 Premier League matches last season and Quansah, aged 21, just 13. Both are robust and imposing ball-playing defenders, but with Joe Gomez free to pursue a transfer before the month's end, FSG might just be forced to make a move.
Liverpool transfer news
According to TEAMtalk, Liverpool might be in with a shout of signing Marc Guehi this month, with the touted centre-back at the centre of a protracted transfer campaign from Newcastle United.
Guehi, who starred for England at Euro 2024, has been a rock for Crystal Palace in recent years, with the Eagles playing hardball and rejecting a string of Newcastle approaches in recent days.
TEAMtalk's report claims that Guehi has admirers at Anfield, opening up the possibility of a potential hijack for the £75m-rated star – especially if Gomez is sold for a fee of around £45m.
Why Marc Guehi is so sought-after
Gomez is Liverpool's longest-serving senior player and was acknowledged for having a “renaissance” last term by writer Joel Rabinowitz after previously falling by the wayside.
Liverpool defender Joe Gomez
After a long Anfield career that has seen every emotion and a heap of silverware and success, Gomez has probably earned the right to call time and seek out pastures new, and there's a growing sense that a deal could be struck for a defender inside the next two weeks.
Guehi would be the dream fit, regarded as one of the Premier League's finest rising centre-halves and rewarded for his progress with a crucial role in Gareth Southgate's Three Lions squad this summer, starting six matches en route to the final and being hailed for his "excellence" by renowned journalist Henry Winter.
In the Premier League last season, as per Sofascore, the 24-year-old played in 25 fixtures and impressed with his intelligent and industrious approach to his craft, completing 87% of his passes, winning 67% of his ground duels and averaging 3.5 clearances and 4.8 ball recoveries per game.
Effectively, such metrics suggest that he is a player of the Van Dijk mould, composed and almost languid in his movements but expertly reading the game and positioning himself just so.
England defender Marc Guehi
His high level of performance last term is made all the more impressive by the fact that he only played three times under Oliver Glasner because of injury, who transformed Selhurst Park in February following a dreary end to Roy Hodgson's tenure.
He's even been described as a "beast" by talent scout Jacek Kulig, and given that he just continues to go from strength to strength, Guehi might prove to be a sensational signing for the Redmen, securing a spot alongside Van Dijk this season.
Why Marc Guehi would start for Liverpool
Guehi has proved his worth over recent years, completing an £18m transfer to Palace from Chelsea in 2021 and since featuring 112 times, even donning the armband for the outfit's Premier League opener against Brentford last weekend.
He has an underrated passing game that would align with the football that Slot hopes to instil on Merseyside and a natural fortitude too – it's more than conceivable that he could leapfrog over Quansah and Konate and take his place as the No. 1 centre-back (Van Dijk notwithstanding, obviously).
Quansah, make no mistake, is a top talent and has been an integral part of Liverpool's first team since integrating last summer following a loan spell in League One.
Jarell Quansah celebrates for Liverpool.
As per FBref, the 6 foot 6 colossus ranks among the top 3% of positional peers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for passes attempted, the top 18% for progressive passes and the top 16% for tackles per 90, as per FBref.
A system is an important thing in football, and loose comparisons can be dangerous, should key underlying points not be observed. Guehi hasn't had the same level of ball-playing success over the past year since he's largely performed in a faltering and pragmatic Hodgson system.
Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi.
Let's take a look at his Euro 2024 metrics instead… ahh, the picture becomes clearer. Guehi ranked among the top 6% of centre-backs in Germany for assists per 90 and recorded a 93.5% pass completion rate. In a different system, he would bloom into a player of greater ball-playing distinction than Quansah – at this stage, anyway.
Hailed as a "monster" of a defender by Palace reporter Bobby Manzi, Guehi is the real deal, and his complete-package style of play could be perfect alongside Van Dijk, consigning the top talent that is Quansah to a more bit-part role for another season.
Liverpool have just discovered they have their own version of Zubimendi
A new era opened with three points in the Premier League…
Carlo Ancelotti has set out his vision for Real Madrid's attack, explaining how Kylian Mbappe, Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Junior can play together.
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Ancelotti compliments his strikeforce Says stars can work togetherSets out vision for 2025Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Speaking at a press conference ahead of Madrid's final La Liga clash of 2024 against Sevilla, Ancelotti insisted that Mbappe's "adaptation period" is over. The highly-decorated manager explained his plans for the New Year and said that he expects Mbappe to start working more productively with the rest of the team's star-studded attack, including Bellingham, Vinicius and Rodrygo.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesWHAT ANCELOTTI SAID
Speaking about his front four, Ancelotti said: "They haven’t played together much because sometimes Rodrygo or Bellingham have been injured. But from what I’ve seen, they combine and adapt very well to each other’s characteristics. Sometimes Mbappe has played on the left, sometimes Vini has played inside and other times Bellingham has dropped to the left. I’m not going to set a position for the four of them, I’ll give them freedom to find the right position.” On Mbappe, he added: "His adaptation period is over. He has shown a good version and can improve. He has played some good games, he has recovered from the small injury he had. He is motivated and happy to be here. He needed this adaptation period, like everyone else, but it is over now."
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Los Blancos' big summer signing has had a fairly slow start to life in Spain, although his current return of nine goals in 15 games is still more than respectable. Thankfully, the stunning array of talent accompanying him at the top end of the pitch means even when the Frenchman isn't on top form, Ancelotti's side has enough firepower to beat any team in world football.
AFPWHAT NEXT FOR ANCELOTTI?
Don Carlo recently became the most successful manager in Real Madrid's history after winning his 15th trophy with the club, the 2024 Intercontinental Cup. The Italian will be looking to extend that record haul by seeing off challengers Barcelona and Atletico to defend his La Liga title this season. However, there's a long way to go, with Madrid's next test a potentially problematic fixture against mid-table Sevilla on Sunday — win it, and they could top the table at Christmas if results go their way.
Arsenal have got their Premier League campaign off to a brilliant start this season thanks to impressive back-to-back wins against Wolverhampton Wanderers and Aston Villa.
However, with their next fixture scheduled for Saturday lunchtime, the focus of many fans has switched to the club's transfer dealings, and so far, there has been less to get excited about on that front.
Italian defender Riccardo Calafiori and Spanish midfielder Mikel Merino remain the only officially announced additions to the first team this summer. However, Edu Gaspar and Co have been busy working on several departures, including Eddie Nketiah's reported £30m move to Crystal Palace.
Interestingly, the Englishman's proposed move to South London and the hole in the squad he'll leave may have inspired the board to act, as recent reports have now linked the club with a player who'd be his dream replacement.
Arsenal transfer news
According to a recent report from Football Transfers, Arsenal are very interested in Brighton & Hove Albion youngster Evan Ferguson.
In fact, the report claims that the Gunners are now lining up a move for the 19-year-old and 'are ready to make an offer to Brighton' for his services.
However, there are two significant barriers to the North Londoners getting their man: the £70m fee the Seagulls want and the interest from title rivals Manchester City.
Brighton's Evan Ferguson
In all, it could prove to be a costly and complicated transfer to get over the line, but given Ferguson's sky-high potential, it is worth pursuing, especially as he'd be a dream upgrade on Nketiah.
How Ferguson compares to Nketiah
Okay, so the first thing to clear up is that at his age and within the context of Nketiah being sold to Palace, Arsenal will not be looking towards Ferguson to be a starter this season, or even next season, regardless of the price.
Evan Ferguson celebrates scoring for Brighton & Hove Albion.
Yes, he would likely feature in plenty of games and get plenty of chances to show his quality, but it seems unlikely that Arteta would throw a teenager who hasn't got a ton of first-team experience into the deep end, especially with a title on the line.
However, the young "superstar", as dubbed by former professional Danny Murphy, could be the perfect man to replace the Gunners' number 14 and become an excellent backup striker for the next couple of years while he continues to develop into the world-class centre-forward so many seem to believe he's destined to be.
With that said, how does his output from the last two campaigns stack up against the player he could be set to replace?
Interestingly, while he was slightly less effective last season, he was far more so in the campaign prior. Overall, he's racked up 16 goals and four assists in 61 appearances in that time, equating to a respectable average of a goal involvement every 3.05 games.
Appearances
25
39
Goals
10
9
Assists
3
2
Goal Involvements per Match
0.52
0.28
Appearances
36
37
Goals
6
6
Assists
1
3
Goal Involvements per Match
0.19
0.24
In contrast, the Palace-bound dynamo scored 15 goals and provided five assists in 76 appearances in the same period, meaning he maintained a slightly worse average of a goal involvement every 3.8 games.
While you cannot extrapolate too much from this, it is encouraging to see that the young Irishman has already outperformed the Arsenal ace in recent seasons, despite playing for a weaker team and being significantly younger.
Ultimately, if Arteta wants to ensure his next backup striker is better than Nketiah today and has the potential to be a first-teamer in the future, then he could do a lot worse than Ferguson. Therefore, Edu and Co should do their best to get this deal over the line.
Dream Trossard rival: Arsenal in the race to sign "world-class" attacker
The experienced international would add another dimension to Arteta’s attack.
نجم مسئولو النادي الأهلي، برئاسة محمود الخطيب، في حسم صفقة جديدة لتدعيم صفوف فريق اليد بالقلعة الحمراء.
وتوصل الأهلي لإتفاق للتعاقد مع محمد عماد أوكا، لاعب فريق طلائع الجيش، في صفقة انتقال جديدة ضمن خطة تدعيم فريق كرة اليد استعدادًا للموسم المقبل.
طالع.. الأهلي يفوز على طلائع الجيش في دوري كرة اليد علم بطولات أن أوكا وقع على عقد يمتد لأربع سنوات، حيث سينضم إلى صفوف الأهلي اعتبارًا من بداية الموسم الجديد، في خطوة تهدف إلى تعزيز قوة الفريق في المنافسات المحلية والقارية.
تأتي هذه الصفقة في إطار جهود إدارة النادي الأهلي لدعم فريق كرة اليد بعناصر مميزة، استعدادًا لخوض الموسم المقبل بقوة والمنافسة على الألقاب ومن المتوقع أن يواصل النادي الإعلان عن صفقات جديدة خلال الفترة المقبلة.
Hrishikesh Kanitkar, SS Das, Sitanshu Kotak to be batting coaches while board considers rolling out exclusive contracts for fast bowlers
Edited PTI story17-Nov-2021The BCCI is set to appoint Australia’s Troy Cooley as fast-bowling coach, and former India batters Hrishikesh Kanitkar and Shiv Sunder Das, along with Sitanshu Kotak, as the batting coaches at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru.Former India and Mumbai legspinner Sairaj Bahutule will be the spin-bowling coach.Cooley is being roped in with an aim to create the country’s next generation of fast bowlers. A reputed fast-bowling coach, Cooley was with the England set-up during their historic 2005 Ashes campaign in which their fast bowlers, on home soil, became a nightmare for the Australian batters. The success of Andrew Flintoff, Matthew Hoggard, Simon Jones and Steve Harmison was in part attributed to Cooley. Cooley was then roped in by Cricket Australia the following year and he worked with the national team till the 2010-11 season after which he joined the board’s Centre of Excellence in Brisbane.”I would say one of the biggest success for both Sourav [Ganguly, the BCCI president] and Jay [Shah, the secretary] is to convince Troy Cooley to work with India’s next batch of pacers at the National Cricket Academy,” a senior BCCI official told PTI on the condition of anonymity. “We are hearing that BCCI is giving Cooley a three-year contract and he will closely co-ordinate with the NCA head of cricket, VVS Laxman.”BCCI set to introduce exclusive fast-bowlers’ contracts
The BCCI is planning on how to prepare the next crop of fast bowlers and one of the decisions set to be taken is an ‘Exclusive Young Pacers Contract’.It is understood that Ganguly, Shah, head coach Rahul Dravid and NCA’s new head VVS Laxman are trying to devise a contract that is exclusive and different from the central contract.It is learnt that Cooley and Laxman will hand-pick 10 young fast bowlers who are currently not in the national reckoning or do not have central contracts. These young pacers will be selected from the junior and first-class set-ups and handed ‘BCCI fast bowlers’ contract.’ They will be evaluated by Dravid and Laxman to see if they can be fast-tracked into the pathways team (India A) and then the senior side.Kanitkar, Das appointed batting coaches
Kanitkar and Das are back in the NCA fold in their familiar role as batting coaches, along with Kotak, who is set to travel to South Africa with the India A team.The three fielding coaches at the NCA will be Subhadeep Ghosh, T Dilip and Munish Bali. Dilip is currently working with the India senior team for the series against New Zealand while Ghosh will travel to South Africa with the A team. Bali is expected to work with the India men’s U-19 side.Both Ghosh and Das were part of India Women’s support staff for the multi-format tour of Australia in September-October.