Tag Futebol

Setting their sights on their seventh arrival of the summer, Rangers have now reportedly made their first approach to sign a talented young winger for Russell Martin.

Rangers open pre-season with Club Brugge draw

It’s been all change at Ibrox so far this summer. New owners have arrived in the form of the 49ers and a new manager soon followed in the form of Martin. Since then, to no surprise, several much-needed fresh faces have also made their way to Glasgow as the Gers look to turn things around after last season’s failure.

First through the door were Oscar Cortes, who completed a permanent move following his loan spell, and young Scottish talent Lyall Cameron. But those two were just the start for Rangers. Since then, they’ve welcomed four others, with Emmanuel Fernandez, Joe Rothwell, Max Aarons and Thelo Aasgaard all putting pen to paper on Ibrox deals.

The likes of Aarons and Fernandez featured as Rangers opened their pre-season with a 2-2 draw against Belgian side Club Brugge and there are still some debuts to come in the next few weeks.

Following his first game in charge, Martin told reporters: “It was very good opposition. It will really help prepare us to get better and we will learn a lot from today.

“It was nice to walk out at Ibrox with the team. I got a great reception which I’m incredibly grateful for when I walked out for the warm-up. The first half, we started okay then conceded a goal.

“What was interesting, and we’ll learn a lot, is that the habits we’re trying to instill changed a little bit and the team didn’t quite look how we wanted it to, and they managed to gain a bit of momentum again.”

As pre-season continues and fresh faces enter the Ibrox turf, however, Rangers reportedly still have unfinished business in the transfer window and may yet welcome another attacking reinforcement.

Rangers make first approach to sign Ballo

As reported by Florian Plettenberg, Rangers have now made their first approach to sign Thierno Ballo from Austrian side Wolfsberger AC this summer. The impressive 23-year-old has also attracted interest from Ajax and Mainz 05 to form a busy race to secure his signature as he looks to move on ahead of next season.

The Chelsea academy graduate left the Blues in 2022 for Wolfsberger AC on a free transfer. He was praised for his “great” form for both club and country by scout Jacek Kulig back in March, and he could now bring that form to the Scottish Premiership.

Rangers line up bid for 26 y/o Vardy alternative and Celtic transfer target

He has scored four times against the Gers in the past.

1 ByHenry Jackson Jul 9, 2025

After scoring 13 goals in all competitions last season too, there’s every chance that the Austrian would be capable of replacing Hamza Igamane if the Rangers star did complete a departure this summer.

The start of Newcastle United’s pre-season fixture list is fast approaching.

Eddie Howe’s team will be back in action on 19 July, taking on Celtic at Parkhead, and 10,000 Georgies will be joining them in Glasgow for the game, which should make for quite the atmosphere.

In the meantime, the Magpies have been busy in the transfer market, looking to bolster their squad ahead of a return to the Champions League, so will it be a busy week of unveilings on Tyneside?

The latest on Newcastle's transfer activity

As has been widely reported, Anthony Elanga is on his way to the North East to complete a £55m move from Nottingham Forest.

The winger scored six goals and registered 11 assists in the Premier League last season, now set to become the Magpies’ second-most expensive signing of all time, behind only his Swedish international teammate Alexander Isak.

Newcastle are far from done there though, because, according to a report by GIVEMESPORT, they are ‘working to sign’ and ‘remain hopeful’ of landing Crystal Palace defender Marc Guéhi.

The report adds that Howe wants to ‘prioritise the addition of a centre-back’, while Chris Waugh of the Athletic documents that those inside the club believe the England international ‘would be an ideal addition’, noting their long-standing interest, having unsuccessfully bid for Guéhi both last summer and in January.

Well, speaking on the Athletic FC podcast, Crystal Palace correspondent Matt Woosnam believes the club captain could leave Selhurst Park this summer, mainly due to the fact he has just one year remaining on his contract, valued at around £60m.

Palace’s summer plans are somewhat on hold at the moment, as they wait to find out whether or not they’re allowed to compete in the Europa League; a decision is belatedly expected this week.

Meantime, Arsenal are attempting to sign Eberechi Eze for around £67.5m which, should he depart, would increase the Eagles’ determination to keep hold of their other star player Guéhi.

Transfer Focus

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

Nevertheless, with Liverpool also seeking to sign the centre-back, it appears very possible that he could be on the move, so will the 24 year old end up on Tyneside?

Why Guehi would be a better signing than Elanga for Newcastle

Guéhi’s performances have earned widespread praise, with then-England manager Gareth Southgate describing his displays at Euro 2024 as “exceptional”, starting six of the seven matches last summer, including the final at Olympiastadion in Berlin.

Meantime, Nathan Jackson of Total Football Analysis notes that the 24-year-old stands out for all defensive metrics, while Sam Tabuteau of Breaking the Lines praises his ‘resilience’ and ‘composure’, asserting that he is impressive both in and out of possession.

This would be such a transformational addition for Howe, given that he had very few options at centre-back last season, largely due to Sven Botman’s injury issues, with Dan Burn alongside Fabian Schär by far the most-used partnership.

So, let’s see how Guéhi compares to Newcastle’s current central defenders.

Appearances

34

34

37

8

Minutes

3,060

2,938

3,330

414

Pass accuracy

84%

85%

89%

89%

Tackles

1.8

1.2

1.1

2.7

Aerial duel success %

54%

44%

66%

61%

Ground duel success %

63%

48%

50%

71%

Interceptions

0.9

1.4

0.7

1.1

As the table outlines, when compared to Schär and Burn in particular, Guéhi’s statistics are very impressive.

The fact Botman made just eight appearances skews the data somewhat, boosting his per-90 statistics, while it will come as a surprise to no one that Burn comes out on top in terms of aerial duels.

Nevertheless, as well as being a top-class player, Guéhi would be transformational for Newcastle because centre-back is such an obvious area of need.

At the other end of the park, Elanga too will be a shrewd addition, but Howe’s team have scored plenty of goals without him.

Jacob Murphy continues to exceed all expectations, enjoying a career-best campaign in which he scored nine goals and supplied 14 assists in all competitions. Meanwhile, Anthony Gordon has been deployed on the right wing on occasion too and is a fine player himself, now a regular part of the national team.

So, while Elanga’s arrival is certainly worth getting excited about if you’re a passionate member of the Toon Army, getting Guéhi over the line might be the key bit of business.

Newcastle set to "prioritise" new striker signing after Elanga and Trafford

More business incoming from the Magpies…

ByHenry Jackson Jul 8, 2025

Birmingham City have already stunned League One with the quality of transfer they can get through the door, meaning the Championship could see the Blues go after even more exciting and bold talents.

Indeed, Chris Davies’ men sent shockwaves through the third tier when obtaining the services of Jay Stansfield for around £15m, with that high fee going on to be justified when he bagged 19 league strikes on the way to Birmingham being crowned champions.

Therefore, the ambitious Blues could now try and bring in even more dazzling faces up a division to replicate this success story, with the likes of Che Adams being linked with a stunning return to St. Andrew’s.

The last time Birmingham competed at this level culminated in them falling through the relegation trapdoor, but one deal involving ex-Manchester United ace Tahith Chong still sticks out from memory, considering his star quality was on show throughout his short-lived Blues stay.

Chong's memorable Birmingham spell

Chong would initially only join Birmingham on loan, but the ex-Manchester United academy product went on to permanently call St. Andrew’s his home after impressing in the Championship.

His output across the 2022/23 season stuck out in particular, with Chong ending his sterling individual campaign by collecting a hefty tally of four goals and five assists from 40 clashes, even as his new employers finished in a flat 17th position in the overall league standings.

Losing Chong to Luton Town that off-season would prove to be a costly sale as Birmingham finally fell to League One after years of teetering on the edge, whilst the 25-year-old began to make a name for himself in the Premier League with the Hatters.

Of course, Chong will now be plying his trade in League One next season with Matt Bloomfield’s side after back-to-back relegations, but Birmingham will hope they can win an equally exciting attacker from another top-flight outfit soon by sealing this standout loan capture.

Birmingham could sign their new Chong

Whilst the Blues did fork out an excessive amount to land Stansfield, they also utilised the loan market effectively the summer before lifting the League One title, as seen in Ben Davies collecting 20 clean sheets on loan from Rangers.

Birmingham could strike gold again in this department by landing Aston Villa forward Louie Barry – as per reports by GIVEMESPORT – with the young forward, regardless of his Villa connections, chomping at the bit to succeed in the Championship if snapped up by Davies’ men after setting League One alight whilst on the books of playoff-chasing Stockport County.

Games played

23

Goals scored

15

Assists

2

Big chances missed

6

Big chances created

5

Much like Chong – who must have felt restless about his lack of senior chances at Old Trafford when arriving to Birmingham – Barry would instantly show those back at Villa what he was about by ripping up the third tier for Dave Challinor’s promotion chasers this season, resulting in the 21-year-old picking up an eye-catching 15 goals from just 23 clashes.

It will all just rest on whether the “incredible” attacker, as Declan Rice once openly praised him, can take to the league above swimmingly in a Blues shirt, having failed to register a single goal or assist when leaving Stockport behind last campaign when joining Hull City temporarily.

Yet, everything just clicked into gear for the Dutch-born 25-year-old when he was pushed into the deep end in the West Midlands, even though he had only collected a weak two goals in total for former loan employers Werder Bremen and Club Brugge.

Therefore, Birmingham might well just be the ideal next environment for Barry as he attempts to advance his game, regardless of whether a cross-city switch would be controversial or not.

The only difference between Chong and Barry here will be the fact that the explosive 21-year-old will be expected to come in and help the Blues rise in the EFL, away from the former loan menace being a bright spark during some gloomy recent times for the blue half of Birmingham.

Birmingham could sign big £12m Anderson upgrade who's "incredible"

Birmingham could land an upgrade on Keshi Anderson by signing this attacker.

ByDan Emery Jun 4, 2025

Aston Villa are pushing hard to sign an “exciting” £25m La Liga star, having now submitted a proposal, according to a report.

Villa set sights on new goalkeeper

Emiliano Martinez may well have signed off in the worst possible way in a Villa shirt, having been dismissed for a foul on Rasmus Hojlund at Old Trafford, before his side went on to lose 2-0 against Manchester United in controversial fashion.

However, the goalkeeper will, of course, be fondly remembered, should he decide to move on, given everything the Villans have achieved in recent years, securing a second European campaign on the spin despite the defeat against the Red Devils.

Not only that, but there have been hints that Martinez could remain at Villa Park beyond the end of the campaign, with Unai Emery simply saying “no way” when asked whether the Argentine has played his final game for the club.

Aston Villa could sign their new version of Grealish for £65m this summer

Aston Villa have been linked with a Premier League sensation

ByRoss Kilvington May 26, 2025

That said, while Emery clearly retains hope of keeping hold of the shot-stopper, Villa and Monchi’s pursuit of potential replacements suggests there is concern the 32-year-old will move on during the upcoming window.

According to a report from Spain (via Sport Witness), Aston Villa are now pushing hard to sign Espanyol goalkeeper Joan Garcia, having submitted a proposal, but there is likely to be fierce competition for his signature from some top clubs.

Indeed, Newcastle United, Barcelona, Arsenal, Napoli and Bayer Leverkusen have also made proposals for Garcia, and with all the aforementioned clubs set to take part in next season’s Champions League, it could be difficult for the Villans to win the race.

The Spaniard, who has a reported asking price of £25m, is set to meet with his agent later this week, in order to choose his next club, having set his sights on joining a top side, so a decision could be on the horizon very soon.

"Exciting" Garcia could be solid Martinez replacement

Having proven himself with Espanyol, scout Ben Mattinson believes the Spanish shot-stopper is now ready to make the move to a top club, saying: “An uber-athletic keeper with dominant cross claiming, composure on the ball, standing at 6’3” tall, García is an exciting keeper ready for a step up.”

The 24-year-old is at a good age to be a long-term success at Villa Park, and he was an indispensable member of the Espanyol starting XI last season, appearing in all 38 of the Spanish side’s La Liga outings.

It will be a concern for Villa that so many other top clubs are in the race for the Espanyol star, but it was recently revealed that he has set his sights on being a regular starter, rather than playing second fiddle to another goalkeeper.

As such, if Martinez moves on this summer, a move to Villa Park could appeal to Garcia, given that a starting spot will be up for grabs.

Newcastle United’s campaign hangs in the balance, the uncertainty cloaking the gateway back into European competition.

Fourth in the Premier League, two points behind sixth-place Nottingham Forest (who sit just outside a Champions League-qualifying spot), Eddie Howe’s Carabao Cup champions need to hold their nerve over the final few weeks, with fixtures against Chelsea, Arsenal and Everton looming.

It’s a good position the Magpies hold, though, and Howe will be confident that he can get back into the big time and convince some exciting players to join the St. James’ Park cause.

Indeed, Newcastle have already put an offer on the table for one player searching for a way back into the Champions League.

Newcastle eyeing up new midfielder

Although Alexander Isak’s departure from St James’ Park this summer now looks unlikely, it hasn’t stopped a whole wave of new attackers being linked with a move.

Bryan Mbeumo is one hot topic in the Toon right now, with recent reports suggesting Newcastle ‘can afford’ to get a deal over the line if they were to push hard enough this summer.

Transfer Focus

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

Expand Collapse

While strengthening in attack will be key, particularly if Howe’s men reach the Champions League, they must not neglect other areas.

According to Spanish reports, Newcastle have put a firm offer on the table for Girona midfielder Yangel Herrera, with the La Liga club open to the 27-year-old’s sale this summer.

Whether the proposal, worth about €25m (£21m), will be enough to convince Girona to part with Herrera remains to be seen, especially with Atletico Madrid and Nottingham Forest also keen on a deal.

What Yangel Herrera would bring to Newcastle

Howe likes his midfield to pack a punch. Bruno Guimaraes is silky, stylish and all the superlatives, but he’s also a combative little player, tenacious in the tackle.

Sandro Tonali also has a certain bite to his game, interspersing defensive efforts between the many long, stroking passes that define his style. According to Sofascore, he’s won 1.4 tackles per top-flight fixture this term, winning 54% of his ground duels.

Then there’s Joelinton. A raging bull of a midfielder, he’s a fantastic asset, so much energy and flair as he lopes around the pitch, winning duels, recovering loose balls and generally just menacing his opponents.

That’s not to negate his technical ability, of course, but it’s clear where Joelinton’s strengths lie. Such strengths are hard to replicate, but Newcastle could do just that with Herrera, who for the past three seasons has played for Girona, the first of which he was a loanee, sent out by Manchester City.

Like Joelinton, Herrera likes to get forward and score, ranking among the top 12% of midfielders across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for goals scored and the top 13% for touches in the attacking box per 90, as per FBref. He also ranks among the top 9% for aerials won per 90. He’s been described as a “monster” of a player by Opta journalists Jamie Kemp and Robbie Dunne.

The Newcastle midfielder’s data follows a similar track. He ranks among the top 18% for goals, the top 9% for shots, the top 8% for touches in the box and the top 5% for aerial battles won per 90 (also FBref).

Such similarities have actually seen the stat-driven site record Joelinton as Herrera’s most comparable player, hardly that surprising after collating the two pieces of data.

League Stats 24/25 – Joelinton vs Yangel Herrera

Stats (* per game)

Joelinton

Herrera

Matches (starts)

29 (29)

26 (24)

Goals

4

4

Assists

3

3

Touches*

51

52.7

Pass completion

84%

84%

Key passes*

0.8

0.7

Dribbles*

0.5

0.7

Ball recoveries*

5.1

3.7

Tackles + interceptions*

2.8

3.3

Duels won*

5.7 (45%)

7.0

Stats via Sofascore

It’s curious that the players’ metrics are so closely aligned, and it’s more interesting still that Herrera actually outstrips Joelinton across defensive areas. The 27-year-old is a real La Liga menace, and one who could complete Newcastle’s midfield next season, blending that technique and combativeness that Howe likes so much.

With the Champions League on the cards once again, Newcastle have an attractive project which could convince the Girona man to jump ship.

Related Liverpool could sign dream Trent successor who's 'one of the best in the PL'

Alexander-Arnold’s decision has left Liverpool in search of a new right-back.

Posts ByAngus Sinclair May 6, 2025

Leeds United dropped out of the automatic promotion places in the Championship after they were held to a 1-1 draw by Luton Town at Kenilworth Road on Saturday.

The Whites found themselves 1-0 down early on in the game when Isaiah Jones was left completely unmarked to volley into the back of the net from close range.

Dan James equalised for the away side with a sublime left-footed strike into the bottom corner from the edge of the box before half-time, but the West Yorkshire outfit were unable to push on for a winning goal.

There were several players who let head coach Daniel Farke down with their performances on the pitch, and Wilfried Gnonto was one of those flops.

Why Wilfried Gnonto was ineffectual against Luton Town

The Italy U21 international was selected to play in the number ten position ahead of Brenden Aaronson, who scored against Swansea last time out, and failed to justify the manager’s call.

Gnonto played the opening 63 minutes of the match before Farke decided to withdraw him from the pitch to bring Patrick Bamford on, and failed to register a single shot on goal.

The 21-year-old attacker also failed to create a single chance for his teammates to find the back of the net, whilst completing just 13 passes in his 63 minutes.

He was ineffectual in the number ten role because Gnonto was unable to find pockets of space to cause damage in the final third, hence why he ended the game without a shot or a chance created.

Chalkboard

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

There was a Leeds attacker, however, who was even worse than the Italian flop against Luton, as Joel Piroe put in a disappointing showing up front.

Why Leeds should drop Joel Piroe

Farke must ruthlessly ditch the Dutch centre-forward from the starting line-up when the Whites return to action against Middlesbrough in the Championship on Tuesday night.

Piroe started the game as the lone number nine ahead of Gnonto and let his team down with a weak display against the Luton centre-backs, who dominated him with ease throughout the game.

Whilst Gnonto, at least, won four of his eight duels, the former Swansea striker lost a whopping seven of his eight ground duels and all eight of his aerial contests during his 79 minutes on the pitch, which shows that it was far too easy for the Hatters to bully him out of the match.

Minutes

79

Shots

0

Key passes

0

Dribbles completed

0/3

Ground duels won

1/8

Aerial duels won

0/8

As you can see in the table above, like the Italian attacking midfield, Piroe also failed to register a single shot or key pass to trouble the Luton goal, to go along with his woeful play out of possession.

He was tackled in all three of his dribble attempts, further illustrating how ineffectual the forward was in the final third, and it was an easy afternoon for the Hatters centre-backs up against him.

The Dutch lightweight, who lost 94% of his physical duels, was as bad as Gnonto in possession, but even worse than him off the ball with his weak play.

Not Caprile: Leeds had "incredible" Meslier upgrade & let him leave for £0

Leeds had an incredible replacement for Illan Meslier and let him leave for nothing.

ByDan Emery Apr 4, 2025

That is why Farke must, now, ruthlessly ditch him from the starting line-up for the clash with Middlesbrough next time out, because his performance against Luton was simply not good enough in any context.

Hampshire captain on the playing and personal reasons for his decision to turn back on Championship

Matt Roller20-Jan-2025James Vince believes that the ECB’s new policy on No-Objection Certificates (NOCs) is inadvertently driving players away from first-class cricket and towards the franchise T20 circuit. Vince, who stepped down as Hampshire’s club captain last week, will not play in the County Championship this year and expects “more and more” English players to follow suit.Vince’s decision was primarily informed by family reasons: after unexplained attacks on their home in Hampshire last year, his family – his wife, Amy, and their two young children – are relocating to Dubai. The move made playing in the Championship impractical, not least because playing the full English domestic season would have significant tax implications.But it was also a necessary step in order for him to be granted an NOC for the Pakistan Super League by the ECB, following changes in the board’s policy in late November. While designed to “protect” English competitions, according to chief executive Richard Gould, the details went down poorly with players and the threat of legal action continues to linger in some cases.”When they first mentioned it, a WhatsApp group of players was created and there was a lot of discussion,” Vince tells ESPNcricinfo from Dubai. “The initial feeling was that it was going to drive people away from red-ball cricket. It felt like it was going to limit opportunities. Players were frustrated by it… There were a few things in there that [we] didn’t really understand.”A scheduling pile-up has pushed the PSL back into an April-May window for 2025, clashing with both the IPL and the start of the county season. Vince, retained on a six-figure contract by Karachi Kings, is among six English players with deals and believes that number would have been significantly higher if not for franchises’ fears about their availability.Vince is the fifth of those players to have signed a white-ball county contract, while Tom Kohler-Cadmore is set to renegotiate his Somerset deal along similar lines. Some players have privately expressed their frustrations that the IPL is being treated as an outlier, with English players granted NOCs for that tournament regardless of their contractual situation.”That’s a big one that has caused a lot of confusion,” Vince said. “It’s got to be something to do with relationships between the ECB, PCB and BCCI as to why they’ve come up with that rule. The PSL’s a shorter competition, so if you’re going to play in that, you’re probably missing less domestic cricket than if you’re going to the IPL… It just didn’t seem right.Vince has been a stalwart for Karachi Kings in the PSL•PCB”There’s more and more opportunities for guys to play white-ball cricket and earn decent money during our domestic season… You’re talking quite large sums of money in terms of what they forego by playing red-ball cricket. Particularly further down their careers, when there’s a big difference in those numbers, I’m sure more and more people will go down that route.”Vince will be a significant loss not only to Hampshire, but to the Championship as a whole: he has played 197 first-class games for his county across 15 years, captained them 92 times, and led them to three consecutive top-three finishes. He insists he is not “officially retired” from red-ball cricket but, turning 34 in May, his career in the format is likely over.He has also come to terms with the end of his international career, two years on from the most recent of his 55 appearances for his country. “I’d say it’s probably pretty much done,” Vince concedes. “There’s no point announcing your retirement when you’re not playing for England, but in my head I’ve kind of moved on from the possibility.”It’s certainly not something where, when squads get announced, I’m looking at my phone expecting someone to call me. I had a taste of it, which was good; I obviously would have liked to have done better and played more for England but as that hasn’t worked out, I’m trying to make the most of my career.”It will be April when Vince’s decision sinks in, when Hampshire start their season against Yorkshire without their long-serving captain. “When I’m there in Pakistan, no doubt I’ll flick the live stream on and be looking at the scorecards. That’s when it’ll really hit home that something I’ve been involved in for the last 15 years, all of a sudden I’m not… It’ll be a strange feeling.”Related

PCA reiterates fatigue concerns ahead of county domestic review

Moeen Ali set to skip Hundred as part of English domestic retirement

New PCA chair: Hundred gender pay gap 'needs to be addressed'

Brown: Hampshire can win Championship despite 'huge' Vince hole

A typewriter in a smartphone world: has first-class cricket become irrelevant in India?

But he will return at the end of May to captain them in the Blast, and says Hampshire have been “very supportive” since his stable family life was upended last year. The Vinces have been living in hotels for nine months after two attacks on their home, which they have now sold, but will soon relocate to Dubai where they hope to resume “a fairly normal life”.”The instances themselves were fairly scary,” Vince recalls. “It was people causing damage, smashing windows and stuff as opposed to actually coming into the house. The police said straightaway it looked like a threat of some sort… We haven’t had concrete information of exactly what happened, but we’ve got a fair idea that it wasn’t intended for us.”It was pretty scary. It was more as the man of the house, making sure the kids and Amy weren’t affected by it was my main priority… We sat down as a family and tried to make a plan going forwards, left the UK in mid-October, came away for a month in Dubai before the Abu Dhabi T10 and the Big Bash, and took the time to do a bit of exploring the option of moving across here.”They hope to have the keys to their new home by the end of the ILT20, where Vince is captaining Gulf Giants for the third year in a row. It will leave him with a short break before the PSL starts in April to reflect on the most turbulent year of his life, one which culminated in the major career decision Hampshire announced last week.”My wife and the kids are quite excited about the prospect of living over here. We don’t really have a timeframe on how long that’ll be. If we like it, it could be indefinitely; if, after a couple of years, we feel it’s not for us, then I guess we’ve got the option to move back to the UK. It’s a case of taking it step by step and seeing where it leads us.”

With several teams stacked together on eight points, it’s anyone’s guess as to who will make the playoffs

Shashank Kishore27-Apr-2023David Warner, Ricky Ponting and Sourav Ganguly have a lot to ponder over•BCCIDelhi CapitalsPlayed 7, Won 2, Lost 5, Points 4, Position: tenthChallenges:Top-order stabilityThe missing piece:Rishabh Pant, who is recovering from multiple injuries following a car crashHow they’ve fared:David Warner the white-ball destroyer is still finding his gears and Prithvi Shaw as an Impact Sub seems woefully out of form, returning a highest of 13 in six innings, with familiar questions raised around his handling of swing and pace. Sarfaraz Khan was given just one game to prove himself in a role – wicketkeeping – he was groomed to perform in Pant’s absence but lost his place completely after two matches. He’s back again after four games to shore up a misfiring batting line-up. Elsewhere, Mitchell Marsh’s early unavailability due to his wedding led to a roulette with Rilee Rossouw and Rovman Powell coming and going. The chop-change is a reflection of the uncertainty in the camp as they fight near the bottom.Mayank Agarwal and Co can’t afford to take their eye off the ball for the remainder of the season•AFP/Getty ImagesSunrisers HyderabadPlayed 7, Won 2, Lost 5, Points 4, Position: ninthChallenges:Top order in a fluxHow they’ve fared:Mayank Agarwal has struggled and when he was shunted down the order against CSK, it seemed like an eerie rerun of his previous year with Punjab Kings. Abhishek Sharma has faced a similar fate, of being moved up and down while England’s Harry Brook, signed to play a middle-order role, has come good as an opener only once in the five knocks he has played at the top. Meanwhile, lower down, Washington Sundar* has elicited debates if he should be batting a lot higher, especially in the CSK game where their right-handedness in the middle order played into Ravindra Jadeja’s hands on a typical Chepauk deck.KKR have started the second leg of league matches on the right note•AFP/Getty ImagesKolkata Knight RidersPlayed 8, Won 3, Lost 5, Points: 6, position: seventhChallenges:Top order instabilityThe missing piece:Shreyas Iyer, their designated captain, who is undergoing rehab following a back surgery in UKHow they’ve fared:The 17 wickets they’ve lost are the most by any team in the powerplay this season. They had tried five different opening combinations in their first seven games. Against RCB on Wednesday night, they tried a sixth and had their highest opening stand of the season – 83 between Jason Roy and N Jagadeesan. Part of the reason for this chop and change has been due to injuries. Rahmanullah Gurbaz’s niggle meant bringing in Jagadeesan and Roy’s absence during the initial stages meant they tried a number of others up top – Mandeep Singh, Venkatesh Iyer, Gurbaz, Litton Das and Sunil Narine among them. Their win on Sunday night brought the promise of a more settled pairing at the top.Mumbai have plugged the Bumrah-Archer gap by using Arjun Tendulkar, Riley Meredith, Cameron Green and Jason Behrendorff•Associated PressMumbai IndiansPlayed 7, Won 3, Lost 4, Points: 6, position: eighthChallenges:Death bowlingThe missing piece(s):Jasprit Bumrah, who is out of the season, and Jofra Archer, who has featured in just two games so far to manage his elbow condition.How they’ve fared:They’re feeling the absence of the Bumrah-Archer pairing that they hoped would give opponents sleepless nights. It’s a gap they’ve plugged by using Arjun Tendulkar, Riley Meredith, Cameron Green and Jason Behrendorff. Since the win against Sunrisers, where Tendulkar defended 20 in the final over, they’ve conceded 200-plus in two losses. Kings ransacked 109 off their last six overs, while Titans managed 94. Mumbai are fast running out of options.Kings have struggled to make strong starts in the absence of Shikhar Dhawan•Associated PressPunjab KingsPlayed 7, Won 4, Lost 3, Points 8, position: sixthChallenges:Soft under-belly to their top order in Shikhar Dhawan’s absence due to a shoulder niggleHow they’ve fared:It looks among the weakest top-three on paper without Dhawan, who brings his experience of being able to anchor or explode based on situations. Matt Short has been inconsistent, Atharva Taide inexperienced and Harpreet Bhatia unable to force the pace despite getting starts. This has meant there’s been an over-reliance on Prabhsimran Singh and the returning Liam Livingstone to fuel their starts. They can’t wait for Dhawan to be back.Glenn Maxwell and Faf du Plessis have been crucial to RCB’s prospects•Associated PressRoyal Challengers BangalorePlayed 8, Won 4, Lost 4, Points 8, position: fifthChallenges: Overcoming the Rajat Patidar voidHow they’ve fared: It has been Faf du Plessis, Virat Kohli and Glenn Maxwell, or nothing. The overreliance on the big-three has become their biggest talking point yet again. When Rajat Patidar came in as replacement and set the stage alight by hitting the IPL’s first century by an uncapped player in the playoffs, he brought with him the promise of being able to switch between being an accumulator and an enforcer. But in his absence due to a heel injury, Mahipal Lomror and Shahbaz Ahmed haven’t been able to grab those opportunities. Shahbaz has managed scores of 2 and 2 at No. 3, while Lomror had scores of 26, 0, 7* and 8. On Sunday, just when it appeared as if he’d repay the faith, he was out for 34 in a steep chase.KL Rahul slowed down, went deep, but couldn’t finish the job for LSG against Titans•AFP/Getty ImagesLucknow Super Giants Played 7, Won 4, Lost 3, Points 8, position: fourthChallenges: Capitalising in the PowerplayHow they’ve fared: Poorly. All said, conditions at home in Lucknow have been challenging. They’ve played on black soil decks that have aided turn and low bounce, where 150 and perhaps not 200 have been the order of the day. Yet, KL Rahul’s powerplay approach continues to be a subject of raging debates. It was partly justified in a two-paced Jaipur deck last week, when he went slow and built a platform with Kyle Mayers to set up 154, which they defended superbly. But the same approach cost them a win and a place in the top-two at the halfway mark when he dropped anchor until the final over to make a 61-ball 68 only for LSG to lose by seven runs in a chase of 136, especially after needing 31 off 36 with nine wickets in hand at one stage. All said, Rahul’s powerplay strike rate of 113.91 is the third lowest this season among batters who’ve faced at least 100 deliveries.Dhruv Jurel has done his credentials no harm in recent matches for Royals•BCCIRajasthan RoyalsPlayed 7, Won 4, Lost 3, Points 8, position: thirdChallenges: Absence of an Indian finisherHow they’ve fared: They invested heavily in Riyan Parag to play a finisher’s role, but after meagre returns – 54 runs in five innings at a strike rate of 112 – it appears they may have begun looking elsewhere for the moment. Fortunately, they’ve found Dhruv Jurel. The 20-year-old was in their camp for the entire 2022 season as an apprentice, and when it appeared as if Royals may have erred in sending him ahead of the seasoned Jason Holder, Jurel let his bat do the talking on debut. Not even the prospect of needing 74 off 30 proved daunting enough as he smashed an unbeaten 15-ball 32 in an innings full of eye-catching strokes. The Royals lost narrowly, but Jurel did his credentials no harm. Since then, he’s featured in five more games. In their most-recent outing against RCB, he was preferred over Parag and threatened another jailbreak in making an unbeaten 15-ball 34 in a chase of 189.Sai Sudharsan has scored 176 runs in five innings at a strike-rate of 123.94•BCCIGujarat Titans Played 7, Won 5, Lost 2, Points 10, position: second Challenges:Finding an anchor in Kane Williamson’s absenceHow they’ve fared:When Williamson damaged his ACL and limped off the field in their IPL opener, Titans may have yearned for someone to take over his role. They’ve found B Sai Sudharsan who has proven his capabilities in stepping up by leaving his imprint in a team full of explosive hitters. He’s gotten off to starts in each of the five games, with the back-to-back half-centuries against Capitals and KKR being the standouts. His 176 runs in five innings have come at a strike-rate of 123.94.Eden Gardens turned a fair bit yellow for MS Dhoni’s visit•BCCIChennai Super KingsPlayed 7, Won 5, Lost 2, Points 10Challenges:Inexperienced seam-attack after injuries to Deepak Chahar, Ben Stokes and Mukesh ChoudharyHow they’ve fared:Their bowling frailties could’ve been exposed but MS Dhoni has backed rookies Tushar Deshpande, Akash Singh and Matheesha Pathirana to do the heavy lifting upfront and at the tail end. At the halfway mark, they’ve repaid the faith. Deshpande has stepped up and has seemingly overcome a no-ball problem, while Akash has impressed with his zip and swing with the new ball. Deshpande has picked up 12 wickets in seven games and is only the second CSK player, after Ravindra Jadeja, in the top 10 charts for the most impactful bowler of the season.

And what has led to the transformation in Dhawan’s strike rate over the years?

Saurabh Somani18-Apr-20213:29

Can KL Rahul learn a trick or two from Shikhar Dhawan?

Here are the main Talking Points from the 11th game of the IPL, in which the Delhi Capitals chased down 196 in the 19th over.Is KL Rahul being too conservative at the top?
This was a more or less constant debate during IPL 2020. Rahul then started IPL 2021 with a sparkling 91 off 50 balls against the Rajasthan Royals. However, he reverted to 2020 type in the third match against the Capitals, ending up with 61 off 51 balls for a strike rate of less than 120, while his opening partner Mayank Agarwal smashed 69 off 36 in a game where 196 was chased down with 10 balls to spare.Since IPL 2020, there have been only five instances of a batter facing 50 balls in the first innings and ending up with a strike rate of less than 140. The lowest three are all by Rahul, and the Punjab Kings have lost the game each time.As Shiva Jayaraman from ESPNcricinfo’s stats team pointed out: “Rahul got seven scores of 40 or more in IPL 2020, all but one helping them to post scores in excess of 170. But five of those scores by Rahul were at a strike rate of less than 130, and the Kings ended up losing four of those games. Even the only game they won was off the last ball of the match. Perhaps the Kings are getting the ‘big’ scores with their captain batting through the innings, but these totals are not proving enough for the conditions.”KL Rahul’s strike rates have not been too hot since the start of IPL 2020•ESPNcricinfo LtdESPNcricinfo’s Smart Stats calculated that Rahul’s 61 runs were worth only 44, taking into account his low strike rate, and even though he was one of only three players to score a fifty, his impact was only the tenth-best in the match. More damningly, Luck Index calculated that Steven Smith dropping Rahul in the second over actually the Kings 16 runs. Which is another way of saying that the Capitals benefitted more from Rahul staying at the crease than the Kings did.What has led to the transformation in Dhawan’s strike rate?
Before IPL 2019, Shikhar Dhawan was traded out from the Sunrisers Hyderabad to the Capitals, a trade the batter was in favour of. Playing under head coach Ricky Ponting, Dhawan began 2019 poorly, with the first six matches yielding an average of 25.33 at a strike rate of 116.03. Before their next match on April 12, Ponting delivered some blunt words to Dhawan, and made it clear he expected more of the senior batter. That seemed to unlock something prolific in Dhawan as he went on to hammer an unbeaten 97 off 63 .”It was a conscious effort from my side,” Dhawan said of the rise in his strike rate, at the presentation on Sunday. “I knew that I have to improve on that, then I started taking more risks. It paid off nicely for me. I’m not afraid of changes and I’m not scared of getting out as well.”No one, for instance, has scored more IPL runs than Dhawan’s 1773 since April 12, 2019. But what’s more impressive are the conjunction of a high average (45.11) with an elite strike rate (147.73). To illustrate better, Dhawan has averaged higher than David Warner and Virat Kohli in this period, and amongst the top ten run-getters, only AB de Villiers has a better strike rate than Dhawan’s.Where Dhawan’s value is really shown, though, is through ESPNcricinfo’s Smart Stats. With his 92 off 49 on Sunday night, Dhawan has moved ahead of even de Villiers, and since April 12, 2019, in the IPL than Dhawan.Shikhar Dhawan has been a batsman transformed since mid-2019•ESPNcricinfo LtdDid Punjab Kings give themselves enough options?
That dew can cause a massive impact on the game is known, especially at this time of the year in India. The Kings were unlucky that they got a particularly heavy-dew evening and lost the toss, being forced to bowl second. However, the make-up of their XI meant they had no cushion for the dew. All of Mohammed Shami, Riley Meredith and Jhye Richardson were carted to all parts of the ground, and Rahul had only Arshdeep Singh as a pacer who could offer some control. While Shami had an off day, the Australian quicks were faced with conditions they have not encountered. Could the Kings have drafted in someone like Chris Jordan instead?With a sameness to the attack, the conditions that affected one affected them all.Who are Jalaj Saxena and Lukman Meriwala, and why were they picked?

Both teams had an IPL debutant each, and both had sound reasons to bring them in. The Kings brought in Saxena, an offspinning allrounder, to counter the left-hander heavy Capitals’ top order. They might have thought Shimron Hetmyer would play too, ahead of Steven Smith, which would have meant the Capitals had Dhawan, Rishabh Pant and Hetmyer as left-hand batters. That meant a good offspinner was key, and Saxena has proven to be just that over years of domestic cricket.Saxena has been the foremost red-ball allrounder in the Ranji Trophy for Madhya Pradesh and Kerala over the years. A wily offspinner who has drift and loop, Saxena also bats anywhere in the top six. He had been part of the Mumbai Indians, the Royal Challengers Bangalore and even the Capitals earlier in the IPL without getting a game.Meriwala was brought in by the Capitals because he offered the left-arm angle, with all their other pacers being right-armers. When the Capitals left out Ajinkya Rahane and Tom Curran on Sunday, and brought in Steven Smith, they could bring in an Indian bowler, and it was Meriwala.Meriwala has been a consistent performer for Baroda especially in white-ball cricket, and moreover, Ponting said during the game that he had been impressive during their training sessions. With Ishant Sharma still not fully fit and Umesh Yadav probably lacking full match fitness, Meriwala was the natural choice in the XI.

أدت الأحداث الأخيرة في ليفربول إلى زيادة اهتمام الأندية بالتعاقد مع النجم المصري محمد صلاح، والذي عاد لتصدر عناوين الأخبار مرة أخرى.

وكان محمد صلاح قد خرج في مقابلة نارية بعد التعادل بين ليفربول وليدز يونايتد في إيلاند رود، ليصرح حول تدهور الأمور في الريدز خلال الفترة الحالية.

واضطر آرني سلوت مدرب ليفربول لإعادة تنظيم غرفة الملابس بعد إعلان محمد صلاح أن هذا الشهر قد يكون الأخير له مع ليفربول، قبل أن يجلسان في محادثات صلح أمس الجمعة ويعود النجم المصري لقائمة الفريق أمام برايتون اليوم السبت.

أقرأ أيضاً.. رومانو يكشف تفاصيل اجتماع محمد صلاح وسلوت

وإلى جانب اهتمام الدوري السعودي للمحترفين بالتعاقد مع محمد صلاح، وبحسب صحيفة “ديلي ميل” البريطانية فقد أبدى سان دييجو وشيكاغو فاير في الدوري الأمريكي اهتمامهما بضم النجم المصري.

ورغم ذلك فإن فرصة انتقال محمد صلاح لأحد الناديين قد تكون صعبة بسبب العرض المالي المتوقع تقديمه، بينما لا يعد إنتر ميامي المملوك للأسطورة ديفيد بيكهام مهتم بالتوقيع مع جناح ليفربول.

وقال أليكسي لالاس لاعب المنتخب الأمريكي السابق: “بالنظر لموهبته وشعبيته، فإن صلاح سيحصل على عروض من الدوري الأمريكي، هناك ارتباط منطقي بين امتلاك الملياردير المصري محمد منصور لنادي سان دييجو، وستعتبر فرق أخرى في الدوري الأمريكي التعاقد مع صلاح صفقة مميزة”.