Arsenal are considering a move to sign Inter Milan star Carlos Augusto this summer as the Gunners continues to reshape their squad.
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A Rangers manager target is now ready to make his return to the dugout, with those at Ibrox keen on a move, according to a fresh update.
Rangers manager rumours ramp up
The 49ers Enterprises look set to be the ones tasked with appointing a new permanent Gers manager this summer after agreeing a deal in principle to take over in Glasgow.
Barry Ferguson is in charge until the end of the season and has done his chances of landing the job on a full-time basis no harm, especially with impressive performances in Europe and against rivals Celtic in the Scottish Premiership.
However, Ferguson isn’t the only name on Rangers’ manager shortlist. Former Newcastle and Everton boss Rafael Benitez was one of the early names mentioned, and recently, ex-Southampton manager Russell Martin and Strasbourg boss Liam Rosenior have both been linked with a move to Scotland.
Bye-bye: "Fragile" £416,000-per-year Rangers player now set to leave Ibrox
He’s set to be axed ahead of the 2025/26 season.
ByCharlie Smith Apr 16, 2025
Steven Gerrard has also been mooted with a possible return to Glasgow after leaving Rangers for Aston Villa back in 2021. Things didn’t work out for the 44-year-old in the Midlands and, after an 18-month spell in Saudi Arabia with Al-Ettifaq, Gerrard is currently without a job.
Talking recently, Gerrard said he wasn’t looking to return to the dugout just yet, saying: “I don’t want to be back in work, not at the moment. I’ve just come out, so I am happy waking up, being free, doing the family stuff and being free from the stress.
“I will go back in at some point but when it is round the clock for 18 months, I just want to be free and do normal things that you can’t do when you are coaching like a game of golf or go down the boozer. I want to do normal things that you can’t really do when you’re coaching, so I am all good. I’m good and stress free. I’m out of work in terms of the coaching and management, which is obviously 24/7.”
However, it now looks as if the attacking 4-3-3 boss is willing to return to the dugout ahead of the 2025/26 season.
Steven Gerrard ready for return to management with Rangers keen
Talking to EFL Analysis, reporter Graeme Bailey provided an update on Southampton’s search for a new manager. One of the Saints’ targets is Gerrard, and Bailey added that he is also on “Rangers’ list”, with the ex-Ibrox boss now “ready to return to the UK”.
“Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard are both on Southampton’s final shortlist to be their new manager. The two England legends have been on Southampton’s radar for the last few weeks and both are in their sights.
“Lampard only took over at Coventry earlier this season, but has impressed in his short time with the club and it is believed Southampton would be an option he would consider.
“Gerrard, who is on Rangers’ list to return to Ibrox, is out of work following his stint in Saudi Arabia and is ready to return to the UK – we understand.”
Games
192
Wins
124
Draws
41
Losses
27
Players used
65
Average goals scored per game
2.12
Average goals conceded per game
0.72
The former Liverpool midfielder guided Rangers to the Scottish Premiership title back in 2021, their first since 2011, so it is easy to see why the 49ers have their eye on Gerrard, and a move looks like one to watch following this update.
After lengthy talks, Guadalajara have struck a deal with FC Juárez to bring back the young defender.
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Campillo is Chivas’s third signing, joining Efraín Álvarez and Richard LedezmaThe club acquired 50 percent of his registration rights from Juárez
Made 52 appearances for FC Juárez
Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱Getty Images SportWHAT HAPPENED?
Chivas are finalizing their third addition ahead of the Apertura 2025, with defender Diego Campillo making his return to the club following a deal reached with FC Juárez. Campillo arrived in Guadalajara on Friday and shared a few words with the press.
“I’m happy to be back. It feels like home again, and I’m excited for what lies ahead," he said.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE
According to ESPN, Chivas acquired 50 percent of Campillo’s rights from Juárez, regaining full ownership of the defender. As part of the agreement, a couple of players from Chivas’ roster were included in the transaction.
Campillo, a product of Chivas's youth academy, never made his Liga MX debut during his first stint with the club. He rose through the ranks and helped Tapatío win the Clausura 2023 in the Liga de Expansión before joining Juárez, where he made 52 appearances and scored three goals.
Getty Images SportDID YOU KNOW?
Campillo is now expected to undergo physical and medical evaluations before officially signing with the team. If cleared, he could join first-team training either ahead of weekend friendlies in Zacatecas or later at the club’s facilities in Guadalajara.
The defender joins Efraín Álvarez and Richard Ledezma as the third signing in Chivas’s ongoing squad rebuild for the upcoming campaign.
Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR CHIVAS?
Chivas have stayed busy with three friendlies so far. This Friday, they’ll take part in a quadrangular tournament, facing Santos Laguna and then playing either the final or the third-place match on Sunday. The other bracket features Cruz Azul and a Liga de Expansión side. Next, they meet Fernando Gago’s Necaxa on July 5 in a friendly before their official return on July 19 against León in Matchday 2 – since their original opener vs Tigres was rescheduled due to renovations at Akron Stadium ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
Ryan Rickelton and Ottniel Baartman have also earned call-ups and are set to earn their first T20I caps
Firdose Moonda30-Apr-2024Anrich Nortje will make his international comeback after a nine-month absence at the 2024 T20 World Cup. Nortje, who has been in action at IPL 2024, has been named in South Africa’s 15-player squad that will be led by Aiden Markram. Opening batter Ryan Rickelton and seamer Ottniel Baartman – both standout performers at this year’s SA20 – have also earned call-ups and could earn their first T20I caps.Rickelton was the leading run-scorer in the SA20 and the second-highest run-scorer at the recent CSA T20 Challenge, and will likely partner Quinton de Kock at the top of the order.The T20 World Cup could also be de Kock’s last international appearance – he retired from ODI cricket last year but was persuaded to stay on in T20Is for this event. De Kock is no longer centrally contracted by CSA as he pursues opportunities in T20 leagues.ESPNcricinfo Ltd
White-ball coach Rob Walter confirmed that despite poor form in his last three tournaments, de Kock has been picked on historic performances. “Quinny, we’ve seen him do it time and time again for us,” Walter said. “Reeza [Hendricks] has been a star performer for us in T20 cricket, was a standout in this domestic CSA T20 challenge again, and Ryan Rickelton has had two outstanding competitions really where he’s played the brand of cricket that we’re looking to play. And then we’re going to have Aidan Markram and that’ll be the top order. It’s mostly a performance-based decision and from Quinton’s point of view is just a real knowledge of what he’s capable of.”Baartman, the second-highest wicket-taker at the SA20, has been chosen with the death overs in mind. “Over the last couple of years, he’s been outstanding. Butin particular in the SA20, he was a cut above the rest. He really showed himself as a quality death bowler,” Walter said. “We’ve seen particularly in the last couple of weeks in IPL being able to manage the death is going to be critical and he is someone who offers that speciality. If you look at the numbers, he’s been successful through all the phases of the game. He’s worked really hard to get his name into the mix through sheer performance.”The IPL has also given Walter the confidence to pick Nortje, who has taken seven wickets in six matches for Delhi Capitals so far. He has conceded at 13.36 runs an over but has bowled fast. “Anrich has got another month before the World Cup starts so I have no doubt he’ll hit his straps,” Walter said. “It’s good to see that his speed is up. The one thing Anrich has that separates him from others is raw pace. There’s not many guys who can bowl 150kph and he can. Pace is an X-factor.”Nortje’s speeds helped him be selected ahead of Lungi Ngidi, who missed the IPL with a lower back injury but returned during the CSA T20 Challenge and is one of two traveling reserves. Left-arm seamer Nandre Burger, currently with Rajasthan Royals, is the other. The squad includes four frontline seamers in Nortje, Baartman, Kagiso Rabada and Gerald Coetzee, with Ngidi and Burger as traveling reserves, and three spinners. Left-arm spinners Keshav Maharaj and Bjorn Fortuin are part of the squad, along with wristspinner Tabraiz Shamsi. That left room for only one allrounder: Marco Jansen, with Andile Phehlukwayo and Wiaan Mulder missing out.Their batting will include a strong middle order of Markram, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller and Tristan Stubbs and no batters among the reserves. Faf du Plessis, who was in line for an international comeback, has not been named while Rassie van der Dussen and Matthew Breetzke – the leading run-scorer in the CSA T20 Challenge and third-highest in the SA20 – have both been overlooked.Rassie van der Dussen hasn’t been included in the T20 World Cup squad•AFP/Getty Images
Van der Dussen and Breetkze will, however, travel with a second-string South Africa side to play West Indies in three T20Is that precede the World Cup, though that squad could change based on player availability from the IPL. That squad includes uncapped legspinner Nqaba Peter, who was the second-highest wicket-taker in the CSA T20 Challenge.The other absentees from South Africa’s last T20 World Cup squad, in 2022, are former captain Temba Bavuma, Rilee Rossouw and Wayne Parnell. Bavuma, Parnell and Ngidi’s exclusions, in particular, have created something of a complication for Walter because the squad is short on players of colour. The 15-man traveling group includes only six players of colour and one black African (Rabada), which will leave South Africa short of the targets at the tournament. The current target requires the national team to field an average of six players of colour of which at least two must be black African over the course of a season, so Walter has the opportunity to make that up in other matches but is mindful that he could face criticism over reduced representation.”My number one imperative is to create a winning team. In order to do that, every time I pick a side, I’ve got to pick the best team at the time that I think will give us a chance of doing that. That said, the system needs to really up the ante so that in six months, 12 months, or two years’ time, and in particular when we reach the 2027 [ODI] World Cup at home, that the demographics and the representation in our team starts to look a bit different.”Outside of the World Cup, we’ll continue to use our bilateral series to grow our base of players, to create international opportunity, to give opportunity for players to put their skills at a higher level and just make sure that we are delivering on a process that’s going to change what our team looks like as we move forward.”Asked whether, in the absence of a selection panel, he required special dispensation to fall short of the target, Walter indicated that the squad was chosen in collaboration with Enoch Nkwe, South Africa’s director of cricket. “No squad that I pick is picked without discussion with the director of cricket. It’s as simple as that.”South Africa begin their T20 World Cup campaign on June 3 against Sri Lanka in New York.
Aiden Markram (capt), Ottniel Baartman, Gerald Coetzee, Quinton de Kock, Bjorn Fortuin, Reeza Hendricks, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, David Miller, Anrich Nortje, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tabraiz Shamsi, Tristan Stubbs.
Travelling reserves: Nandre Burger, Lungi Ngidi
Ottniel Baartman, Matthew Breetzke, Bjorn Fortuin, Reeza Hendricks, Patrick Kruger, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Nqaba Peter, Ryan Rickelton, Andile Phehlukwayo, Tabraiz Shamsi, Rassie van der Dussen
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Getting back into the zone is never easy, not even if you’re returning to the Ranji Trophy after compiling one of the greatest overseas performances by an Indian batsman
Hemant Brar in Lucknow16-Jan-2019A meditation instructor once told me the most difficult thing in the world is to do nothing at all. Later, I came to know it was actually a quote from Oscar Wilde, but that did drive his point home: meditation is essentially achieving a state where one is not thinking about anything.”I don’t have any thoughts when I am batting,” Cheteshwar Pujara told after his 193 against Australia in Sydney earlier this month. “For me, batting is like meditation. I try and keep my mind blank. If you have any thoughts in the middle, then you can’t concentrate for long periods.”At the end of the series, Pujara said he would be playing first-class cricket after going back home.
***
Monday, January 14, Ekana International Stadium, Lucknow.11.30amSaurashtra are practising ahead of their Ranji Trophy quarter-final against Uttar Pradesh, but Pujara is nowhere to be seen. It’s learnt that his flight from Delhi is delayed.One hour has passed and there are murmurs that he may not turn up for training.12.45pmSomeone appears near the boundary. At the pavilion end. In jeans and a striped t-shirt. Dragging a suitcase. Beaming. Smiling ear to ear. Looking so fresh he could have come out of a spa. It’s Pujara.He waves excitedly to his team-mates who are practising in the middle. They wave back. And then Pujara disappears again.12.56pmHe appears again. This time in his training gear. T-shirt, shorts, spikes. A bit of warm-up. A banana. And he’s ready. He takes throwdowns before batting in the nets. The journalists at the ground are talking this up as Pujara vs UP. “We want his wicket, we’ll go all out for it,” UP coach Mansur Ali Khan says.
***
On Tuesday, UP captain Akshdeep Nath opts to bat. The day belongs to Rinku Singh, who counter-attacks to make 150 off 181 balls.On the second morning, UP’s lower order frustrates Saurashtra for almost an hour before the visitors bat. In the 11th over of Saurashtra’s innings, Ankit Rajpoot breaks through to remove Snell Patel.A fair sprinkling of spectators stand up in anticipation of Pujara walking out. The official photographer has been instructed to capture his every step to the crease. On video.But it isn’t Pujara who walks out. It’s Vishvaraj Jadeja, who has occupied the No. 3 spot in Pujara’s absence this season, scoring 282 runs in three innings at 56.40. Vishvaraj lasts only one ball, though, nicking Rajpoot behind and leaving Saurashtra 35 for 2.There’s anticipation again. And here comes the moment everyone has been waiting for. Finally, it’s time for Pujara vs UP.Cheteshwar Pujara gets ready for nets•Ekana Cricket Media/ Randhir DevPujara walks to the crease, fist-bumps Harvik Desai, the 20-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman. He seems to ask Desai about the last dismissal. Desai gestures, seeming to suggest Vishvaraj was done in by an outswinger.Now, Pujara is ready to face. He stretches, arches back, looks at the sticker on the back of his bat.”Where do I focus while concentrating?” makes it to the FAQs of most meditation manuals. Focusing on one’s breathing is a common answer. For Pujara, that focus point seems to be the back of his bat. He looks at it before every ball he faces.When you meditate, your immediate concern is the first thought that crosses your mind. For Pujara, it is Rajpoot’s hat-trick ball. There are four slips in place and he edges it to the fourth. The fielder gets his fingertips to it but fails to grab on.Pujara survives the first stray thought. He gets to the other end with a single.”Whenever I am at the non-striker’s end, I try not to think about anything, just enjoy the moment and still be aware of what is happening around me,” Pujara said in that interview. At the other end, Pujara is trying to re-focus – by looking at the sticker on the back of his bat.Rajpoot is bowling a tight line, in the corridor outside off stump. Pujara is trying to survive. Leaving outside off. Playing out dots. He’s getting beaten as well. In Rajpoot’s next over, he is distracted by something near the sightscreen. He’s definitely not in that zone where a batsman sees only the ball and everything else is a blur.He survives until lunch. Ten minutes before the start of the second session, he comes out to take throwdowns near the boundary.When play resumes, it looks like he’s getting there. Into that zone, or near it. Rajpoot pitches one short and he cracks it past point for four. Then Shivam Mavi pitches one right up, and he caresses it through the covers.Perhaps the 50 or so spectators who have gathered here will now get to watch the Pujara of Australia. The Pujara who blunted Starc, Hazlewood, Cummins and Lyon. The Pujara who amassed 521 runs at 74.42. The Pujara who looked invincible.Today he’s batting at a level below Test cricket, in Indian conditions. But Pujara knows more than anyone else that nothing is easy. There’s a bit of help for the fast bowlers, and Rajpoot and Mavi are making the most of it. Rajpoot is moving it away, Mavi is swinging it in. One of those inswingers has already nearly breached his defence.And whether you’re in Perth or Lucknow, one thing remains the same: it only takes one ball. Two balls after that cover drive, Pujara fends at a short one near his rib cage, and is caught at square leg.. For 11. His meditation has lasted 28 balls, 49 minutes.Normal life resumes. UP’s fast bowlers share seven wickets, and despite Desai’s 84, Saurashtra end the day 170 for 7 in reply to the hosts’ 385.
England will not be making any additions to the squad with one Test in Dharamsala remaining after the Ranchi encounter
ESPNcricinfo staff23-Feb-2024
Rehan Ahmed umpires for Tom Hartley and Shoaib Bashir during England training•Associated Press
Rehan Ahmed’s tour of India has been cut short, with the England legspinner returning home for an urgent family matter. In a statement, the ECB also said Rehan will not be returning for the rest of the series, and neither will England seek a squad replacement.Rehan, the 19-year-old, featured in England’s first three Tests against India. He picked up 11 wickets at an average of 44, including a match-haul of 6 for 153 in Visakhapatnam. He was, however, left out of the England XI for the fourth Test beginning in Ranchi. It is understood Ben Stokes’ decision to omit Rehan was not related to him having to return home, which only emerged after the team had been announced at 1pm on Thursday. Rehan was present at England’s final training session that afternoon, helping out with various drills. He flies home on Friday, day one of the fourth Test.Earlier this month, England had to wait on Rehan’s availability for the third Test after learning of “paperwork discrepancies” with him on arrival from the UAE before the third Test. However, it was resolved, and Rehan picked up three wickets in England’s 434-run defeat in Rajkot.For the fourth Test, England are lining up with offspinner Shoaib Bashir replacing Rehan. The other spinner in the England XI is left-arm spinner Tom Hartley, their highest wicket-taker on the tour with 16.
Liverpool squeezed past Wolverhampton Wanderers on Sunday afternoon, avoiding a setback to maintain their sizeable lead at the top of the Premier League.
Now, Aston Villa at Villa Park. It won’t be easy, although the Reds have avoided defeat in their last nine top-flight meetings with the upcoming opponents, albeit drawing two of the previous four.
With Manchester City hosting Arne Slot’s table-toppers at the weekend, change may be afoot. Liverpool have run roughshod over the majority of their league opponents this season but must be wary as nerves begin to dig their claws in.
Lifting the title is becoming a very real possibility, but Liverpool need to avoid a setback here and will have to do so without several first-team stars.
Cody Gakpo was absent against Wolves after picking up a knock during last week’s draw at Goodison Park and has been ruled out once again for this one.
It’s a blow, to be sure, but Liverpool have depth and a host of players who need to step up to the plate and ease Mohamed Salah’s burden.
Though Gakpo is in contention for a return against Pep Guardiola’s side, Slot has provided a begrudging update on Joe Gomez’s fitness, with the versatile defender set to be sidelined for several more weeks, potentially requiring surgery on a hamstring injury.
Of course, Villa have got a number of issues themselves, chiefly to their depleted defensive ranks. Liverpool can damage Unai Emery’s side, for sure.
However, the Lions did boost their ranks in January, and there’s one man in particular – Marcus Rashford – who will have the spotlight on him this evening.
Slot praised the 27-year-old’s quality and may be tempted to make a big change for the looming contest.
Trent Alexander-Arnold is one of Liverpool’s greatest latter-day players, but he looked somewhat off the boil during the narrow Wolves win, and Slot could replace him with Conor Bradley for this one.
The games are coming thick and fast, and Gomez’s injury update calls for caution, lest Liverpool lose another key part ahead of the business end of the season.
Alexander-Arnold said in 2020 that a clash against Manchester United two years before was “the most difficult” in his fledgling career, owing largely to being pitted against Rashford.
The Three Lions winger has felt more than most the ebb and flow of football, but there’s little question that he’s one of the dangerous forces in the Premier League when on his a-game.
It’s early days yet, but you feel that Rashford is ready to play with a new lease of life at Villa Park, and having scored five goals from ten games against Trent in his career, switching things up might pay off for Slot.
It would be a big – some may even say brazen – call from the Netherlands tactician, but Bradley’s mobile and athletic style of play could be the perfect way to neutralise Villa’s winter recruit.
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Marcus Rashford – Past 6 Premier League Seasons |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
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Season |
Apps (starts) |
Goals |
Assists |
|
24/25 |
16 (12) |
3 |
1 |
|
23/24 |
33 (26) |
7 |
2 |
|
22/23 |
35 (32) |
17 |
5 |
|
21/22 |
25 (13) |
4 |
2 |
|
20/21 |
37 (33) |
11 |
9 |
|
19/20 |
31 (31) |
17 |
7 |
|
Stats via Transfermarkt |
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He’s down but not out. Rashford has proved over separate campaigns his capacity for brilliance, and freshening things up, bringing Alexander-Arnold’s heir apparent to the starting fold, might knock Emery’s pre-game preparations askew.
There’s also the matter of Liverpool’s weekend fixture. Indeed, Manchester City await on Sunday, with Liverpool last winning at the Etihad Stadium in the league way back in November 2015, just two months into Jurgen Klopp’s tenure.
Days after, Liverpool meet Newcastle United at Anfield in the next crunch fixture in a sea of crunch fixtures. They have the following weekend off due to being dumped out of the FA Cup, but the last 16 of the Champions League rolls up the ensuing midweek.
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Liverpool vs Arsenal – Upcoming PL Fixtures |
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Liverpool |
Arsenal |
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Aston Villa (A) |
West Ham (H) |
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Man City (A) |
Nott’m Forest (A) |
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Newcastle (H) |
Man United (A) |
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Southampton (H) |
Chelsea (H) |
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Everton (H) |
Fulham (H) |
It’s relentless, but Liverpool are up for the task. However, Slot will likely be wary after his side’s uninspiring performances against Everton and Wolves, with Arsenal only too eager to pounce on a Reds setback and bridge the title gap.
Bradley is more than capable of silencing Rashford and helping his team toward a stirring Villa Park victory that would see Liverpool tackle the weekend fixture with renewed vigour and confidence.
As per FBref, the Northern Ireland star ranks among the top 10% of full-backs across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for both passes attempted and the top 5% for progressive carries and tackles per 90.
He’s dynamic and ceaseless. Bradley’s 4.28 touches per 90 in the attacking box also put him in the top bracket of positional peers, showcasing a different type of attacking flair to that of Liverpool’s vice-captain.
Against the likes of Rashford and Morgan Rogers, his defensive game will surely be called into play more than a few times – luckily he’s already proved against the very best that the game has to offer that he has no qualms about getting stuck in with crunching challenges.
Hailed as an “unbelievable talent” by Northern Irish footballer Richard Donnelly, Bradley’s proved time and time again that he’s capable of playing a central role in Slot’s project.
All of a Liverpool persuasion want Trent to stay put, but if he does leave for Real Madrid, Bradley is more than ready to step up.
Chalkboard
Should he start against Aston Villa, he will prove as much all over again.
He left in 2021: Liverpool flop sold for £12m is now outscoring Nunez in PL
He could have played a part for the Anfield side over the past few years.
By
Angus Sinclair
Feb 17, 2025
It would be fair to say that the last few weeks have been rough for Ipswich Town.
Kieran McKenna’s side have played arguably the best football of the three promoted sides in the Premier League this season, but following their 2-1 loss to Southampton last Saturday, their fourth on the bounce, they find themselves down in 19th and three points off safety.
Nevertheless, this afternoon’s FA Cup Fourth Round tie away to Championship side Coventry City offers the Tractor Boys the chance to forget about their lacklustre league form and pick up a much-needed win.
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Ipswich’s recent results |
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|---|---|---|
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Competition |
Opponent |
Result |
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Premier League |
Southampton (H) |
2-1 (L) |
|
Premier League |
Liverpool (A) |
4-1 (L) |
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Premier League |
Man City (H) |
6-0 (L) |
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Premier League |
Brighton (H) |
2-0 (L) |
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FA Cup |
Bristol Rovers (H) |
3-0 (W) |
However, McKenna must make one key change to the starting lineup and drop one of the worst performers against the Saints to ensure that happens.
It will likely come as no surprise to many of you that the player we are talking about is goalkeeper Arijanet Muric, who joined the club from Burnley in the summer for a fee of £10m that could reach £15m.
Unfortunately for all parties, if that higher fee is based on how the 26-year-old performs, it doesn’t look like it’ll be hit, as the Kosovan shot-stopper has been poor for some time now.
That was certainly the case last weekend, as his attempt to stop the Saints’ opener was laughable at best and while the second wasn’t quite as bad, he still should have parried the ball into a safer area.
It might sound harsh, but it’s an opinion shared by the East Anglian Daily Times’ Alex Jones, who awarded him just a 4/10 at full-time, and even that rating looks kind when you look at his statistics.
In 98 minutes, he made just two saves, prevented negative 1.55 goals, which means the shots he faced amounted to an expected goals figure of just 0.45, maintained a passing accuracy of just 76% and was accurate in just one of his ten attempted long balls.
In short, it was a shambolic showing from Muric, and while club captain Sam Morsy is probably fair to claim that he’s becoming something of a “scapegoat,” that is in large part down to his dire form, and therefore, he must be dropped.
The player McKenna should be turning to in place of Muric this afternoon is the club’s latest signing, Alex Palmer.
The 6 foot 3 shot-stopper joined the club on transfer deadline day for around £2m, and while you’d often want to give new arrivals time to settle into the club, he should be more than ready to come right into the starting lineup.
For example, before making the move to Suffolk, the Kidderminster-born keeper had already made 30 appearances for West Bromwich Albion this season, in which he had kept 11 clean sheets.
He was just as impressive last season, keeping 19 clean sheets in 48 games, and there’s no need to worry about his temperament either, as former manager Carlos Corberán described him as someone who plays “with a lot of maturity.”
Moreover, in that same article, The Athletic described him as a ‘calming influence’ on his teammates, which sounds like the sort of number one a team in a relegation scrap needs.
Ultimately, there is always a slight risk in signing a goalkeeper from a lower league, but given how poor Muric has been of late, it’s a risk the club had to take, and in turn, McKenna has to start him this afternoon.
He left in 2015: Ipswich loan flop is now outscoring both Delap & Lath
The incredible goalscorer would be perfect for Ipswich this season.
By
Jack Salveson Holmes
Feb 5, 2025
Manchester United have some exciting young talent in the first-team squad. One of their best players this term has been Amad. The Ivorian has been a pivotal player for Ruben Amorim so far, playing as either a wing-back or in the number ten role. So far this season, he has nine goals and seven assists in all competitions.
Another star youngster in the Red Devils squad is Kobbie Mainoo. Amorim has managed his minutes well this season, ensuring not to overplay him, something former boss Erik ten Hag was guilty of. Mainoo’s best performance of the season came away to FCSB on Thursday night in the Europa League, after he managed to score and assist in a 2-0 win.
United are now eyeing up a couple more young stars, Mathys Tel and Geovany Quenda, who could add to the quality that Amad and Mainoo give them.
It would be a bold move for Amorim’s side to bring in two premium talents in Europe. Tel is wanted by the Red Devils on loan, according to Florian Plettenberg, with fellow journalist Fabrizio Romano suggesting Tottenham Hotspur have had a £50m bid accepted by Bayern Munich, although the race is still open.
Although opportunities have been limited for Tel this term, he showed what he can do in the 2023/24 season. The Frenchman scored ten goals and provided six assists in 41 games, although he played the equivalent of just 16 games.
Quenda, who is valued at £33.4m according to David Ornstein, is wanted by the Red Devils next summer. The journalist suggests the 13-time Premier League champions are yet to make a formal offer but implies they are likely to make a move.
He was compared to Arsenal star Bukayo Saka by Sporting CP academy coach Fabio Roque. The youngster has two goals and six assists for Amorim’s former side this term, having played 34 times.
As good as these youngsters are, United might have someone even better in the first-team squad, who is actually worth even more than both of them combined.
The player in question here is United’s number 17, Alejandro Garnacho. It has been an exceptional rise to the top for the Red Devils “generational” star, as football statistician Statman Dave described him.
The Argentina international has played 121 times already for the English giants, despite being just 20 years of age. He has scored 23 times and registered 15 assists.
Perhaps his best goal for the club came against Everton, an incredible overhead kick which won him the Puskas award.
This season, the Red Devils attacker experienced a dip in form but still has eight goals and six assists in 35 games. It has been a tough campaign for United as a team, but Garnacho has still put in some impressive performances this term.
|
Garnacho stats by competition 2024/25 |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Competition |
Games |
Goals |
Assists |
|
Premier League |
22 |
3 |
1 |
|
Europa League |
8 |
1 |
1 |
|
EF Cup |
3 |
3 |
3 |
|
Community Shield |
1 |
1 |
0 |
|
FA Cup |
1 |
0 |
1 |
|
Stats from Transfermarkt |
|||
There has been talk of the winger departing Old Trafford in the January transfer window. Romano reported earlier in the month that Chelsea and Napoli were interested in signing the winger, although that seems unlikely at this stage of the window.
Market Movers
In terms of a price, the 20-year-old is valued at far more than both Tel and Quenda, with CIES Football Observatory pricing him at as high as £95m.
Whilst that might be considered a lot of money for suitors to pay, it also seems an insignificant amount given what he offers United.
He has already made many key contributions in a United shirt, including a goal in an FA Cup final against Manchester City and the Puskas award-winning goal against the Toffees. That, surely is worth more than £95m.
It surely seems like a mistake for United to sell Garnacho, given his potential, ability and knack for scoring big goals. He might well form a key partnership with Tel and Quenda, but the fact he is worth more than both combined speaks great volumes about his ability and value to the club.
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