Inter boss Simone Inzaghi is on Liverpool's list of possible replacements for outgoing Jurgen Klopp, but he is set to reject any approach.
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Celtic extended their lead at the top of the Scottish Premiership table back to seven points as they beat Hearts 4-1 away from home on Sunday.
The Hoops took the lead through Matt O'Riley and goals from Daizen Maeda and Kyogo Furuhashi made it three, before a consolation goal from Lawrence Shankland, and Tomoki Iwati added the fourth.
Reo Hatate also had the opportunity to get his name on the scoresheet as he missed from the penalty spot just seconds into the second half after Kyogo was brought down in the box.
O'Riley was one of a number of impressive performers for Brendan Rodgers' side as he caught the eye with a stunning midfield display.
Alongside the Denmark U21 international, Cameron Carter-Vickers was an unsung hero at the back for the Hoops with his fantastic contributions towards the three points.
How did Matt O'Riley perform against Hearts?
The former Fulham midfielder was exceptional in the middle of the park and at the heart of most of Celtic's good play to carve open the Hearts defence.
His sublime left-footed finish on the volley from Luis Palma's pass inside the opening four minutes set the tone for the match as his side went on to win fairly comfortably.
As per Sofascore, O'Riley created three chances and completed 84% of his passes, along with two dribbles out of five attempted. This shows that the talented youngster was reliable in possession whilst also being creative and able to take risks without giving the ball away regularly.
The ex-MK Dons man played a clever pass to Hatate in the build-up to Maeda's goal and was constantly looking to stretch and make the defence work with his movement and passes.
He played a crucial role in Celtic's victory but Rodgers' central defender – Carter-Vickers – also deserves plenty of credit for his performance in defence.
How did Cameron Carter-Vickers perform against Hearts?
The USA international, who donned the captain's armband after Callum McGregor was substituted, produced a dominant display at the back for the Bhoys.
Carter-Vickers was a rock in defence for the Hoops and did not allow Kenneth Vargas or Shankland to get the better of him during the early exchanges when the home side tried to press and probe to find an equaliser after O'Riley's strike.
He brilliantly dealt with any balls in behind, including one fantastic last-ditch challenge on Vargas, and did not allow any opposition player to get the better of him in the air.
As per Sofascore, the former Tottenham Hotspur prospect won 93% (13/14) of his duels throughout the game, which included a 100% aerial battle success rate (8/8).
The 25-year-old titan made three clearances, one block, two tackles, and two interceptions. This shows that it was far from a quiet game for the defender and his interventions were important to allow the attackers to push on and win the match comfortably.
Carter-Vickers, who completed 84% of his 69 attempted passes, provided the solid base from which the rest of the team were able to build an impressive performance in possession.
Therefore, he was the unsung hero as an excellent defender in what turned out to be a fantastic goal-filled showing from the Scottish giants.
Harsha de Silva has been appointed Sri Lanka women’s head coach, reprising the role he had performed between 2010 and 2013. De Silva’s term is for two years, and he officially begins on August 15, several weeks before India women’s forthcoming tour of the island. The other major assignment on the horizon is the World T20 in the West Indies, scheduled for November this year.A domestic right-arm seamer in his playing days, de Silva holds a Level 3 coaching qualification, and had been the women’s head coach at the Valley District Cricket Club in Brisbane. De Silva replaced Hemantha Devapriya in the position, after Devapriya resigned five months before the end of his stipulated contract, in June.Among de Silva’s long-term concerns will be to shake Sri Lanka out of an ODI rut that has now stretched for several years. Sri Lanka have lost 12 of the last 13 matches they have played – a sequence that stretches back to last year’s World Cup. Their T20 form is marginally better, but not by much. They had defeated Bangladesh in the recent Asia Cup – a tournament which Bangladesh went on to win – but have won only three of their last 11 T20 internationals.SLC has, however, recently begun to invest in women’s domestic cricket, and will hope that de Silva can help translate those investments into results at the top level.
Ashwin will extend his stay in England to take in the final two rounds of the County Championship
ESPNcricinfo staff23-Jul-2018
R Ashwin’s guile was too good for the batsmen•BCCI
India spinner R Ashwin will extend his stay in England after the upcoming Test series after signing for Worcestershire. Ashwin, who had his first taste of county cricket with Worcestershire last season, will return for their final two Championship games in 2018.Ashwin, the fastest bowler to 300 Test wickets, is likely to start as India’s lead spinner for the five-match series with England, while also providing vital runs in the lower order (he has four Test hundreds). Currently out of the limited-overs sides, he has joined up with India’s Test squad for their warm-up match, against Essex at Chelmsford, starting on Wednesday.Last season, Ashwin had a major impact at Worcestershire, taking 20 wickets in four matches while averaging 42.50 with the bat. As reported by ESPNcricinfo in May, the club were keen to bring him back and clearance has now been agreed with the BCCI.”We are delighted to have Ashwin coming back for what could be a key part of the season,” Worcestershire’s chief executive, Matt Rawnsley, said. “He is one of the best spinners in world cricket and the influence he had when here last season cannot be underestimated.”The lads all speak so highly of him, the impact he had on the field and the way he slotted in so well off the pitch and he was willing to offer advice to our young spinners like Ben Twohig.”Ashwin will be available for Worcestershire’s trip to Essex, starting on September 18, and the home game against Yorkshire the following week. Currently bottom of the table, they are looking to avoid being relegated to Division Two for the fourth time in ten years.”Ashwin is world class and he loved it at Worcestershire,” head coach Kevin Sharp said. “Conversations have been ongoing about him coming back and I’m sure he will be a great fillip for us. He had a massive input for us on and off the field last summer in helping us gain promotion and he is a high class individual.”Although Virat Kohli had to pull out of a stint with Surrey due to injury, several Indians have enjoyed spells in county cricket this summer. Cheteshwar Pujara spent the first half of the season at Yorkshire, while Ishant Sharma and Varun Aaron played for Sussex and Leicestershire respectively, and Axar Patel has signed for a spell at Durham.
Newcastle United are already searching long and hard for January signings to replace the suspended Sandro Tonali, and a surprising new name has now emerged as a target.
Sandro Tonali banned for ten months
The Magpies may have made another good start to this season, impressing in both the Premier League and the Champions League, but it's fair to say that they have not enjoyed a good week on and off the pitch.
Eddie Howe's side were beaten 1-0 at home to Borussia Dortmund in Europe in midweek, hampering their chances of reaching the knockout stages, but most significantly, Tonali's ban has been confirmed, with the Italian suspended from playing football for ten months after beaching betting rules.
It is a monumental blow for Newcastle, who snapped up the 23-year-old from AC Milan in the summer, seeing him as a top-quality signing who could help take the Magpies up another gear, and they will now have to face life without him until early next season.
It is no surprise that the search is now on for the club to bring in a tailor-made replacement for Tonali in the January transfer window, in order to fill the void that he has left, and not allow Newcastle to suffer too much without him around.
Newcastle eye former Man Utd star to replace Tonali
According to a new report from Fotomac [via Sport Witness], Fenerbahce midfielder Fred is of interest to Newcastle. The former Manchester United player is considered a "surprise suitor" by the club, and they are considering tabling an offer for his services once January arrives. It is believed that the player is valued at €20m (£17m) by his current club after signing for around £13m in the summer.
This could be a transfer update that divides opinion among the Newcastle fanbase, with Fred someone who wasn't exactly rated highly during his time at United.
The Brazilian spent five years there, and was often seen as someone who wasn't good enough to turn United's midfield into an elite one, which is why he was ultimately moved on during the summer.
That being said, Fred's statistics and achievements show that he is still a player who had enjoyed a stellar career, with 32 caps coming his way for Brazil, which is no mean feat, considering the competition for places in arguably world football's most famous international team.
Former United boss Ralf Rangnick hailed the veteran midfielder in the past, clearly valuing his influence greatly and saying of him: "For me, he is an extremely valuable player, a team player in the true sense, a player who puts in every effort that he has and would give his last drop of blood for the team. He’s also a player who can score goals and has those surprising elements in his game, little flick-ons, and he can be a technical player too."
At 30, Fred wouldn't be seen as a long-term signing by Newcastle, but a loan deal until the end of the season, or a short-term permanent move until 2025 or 2026, could make sense, given the Premier League experience he has and the depth he would provide.
Manchester United’s recent 2-1 victory over Brentford was reminiscent of the comeback wins and late, late goals scored when Sir Alex Ferguson was in charge of the club.
Indeed, ‘Fergie time’ was often the moniker used when the Red Devils were deep into the game and required a goal to secure a positive result and nothing is more famous than the two dramatic goals in the final moments of the 1999 Champions League final against Bayern Munich.
This never-say-die attitude has been missed at Old Trafford over the previous decade with a succession of managers failing to carry on the legacy of the great man and the club are a shadow of what they were.
His longevity will likely never be surpassed, and the Scot continued to build great teams across all four decades he was in charge of the Red Devils, yet might he have won more had he signed everyone that he wanted?
The legendary gaffer managed to lure some incredible names to Old Trafford during his reign, including the likes of Ruud van Nistelrooy, Rio Ferdinand, Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo and Robin van Persie among others.
They all played a significant part in their success, yet there may have been another couple of Premier League crowns or European titles added to the collection had Fergie managed to sign some of the names United were linked with throughout the years.
Manchester United’s new signing, Dutch striker Ruud van Nistelrooy (L), poses for photographers holding a Manchester United shirt with coach Sir Alex Ferguson at Old Trafford April 27, 2001. Van Nistelrooy will join Manchester United from the Dutch club PSV Eindhoven from July 1st, 2001 for a #19 million transfer fee. NO ONLINE/INTERNET USAGE WITHOUT FAPL
Icons such as Alan Shearer, Gabriel Batistuta, Gareth Bale and even Spaniard Raul were once linked with a move to Manchester as Fergie sought to bolster his starting XI and these are just a few of the many glamorous figures that were touted for big money moves to Old Trafford.
They all forged legacies at other clubs but one name that the club were linked with went on to become a legend at a club very close to home – Manchester City.
Remarkably, Ferguson tried to lure David Silva to the red half of the city before he eventually joined Man City, and it might well be one of his few regrets in the transfer window given Silva’s impact in the Premier League.
It appeared that United were keen on the attacking midfielder, yet Fergie wasn’t convinced by his defensive skills which scuppered a move.
“We watched Silva a lot when he was at Valencia,” said the wily Scot. “And the other player they had, the same type, years before it, played in that No.10 role.
“My problem with that was you have to be very, very good to play in that position, because there's no defensive duties for them.
“So if you're wanting to be really successful, everyone has to do their turn, has to work, you know?
“So I had a difficulty with that. But, in the end, of course, there's the greats. You could say Lionel Messi was a No.10 type, Maradona, some fantastic players, and I don't dispute that.”
His attacking prowess surely would’ve made up for his lack of defensive contributions had United signed him, and it proved to be a massive mistake, as he eventually joined City from the Spanish side for a fee of £24m in 2010 and gave Fergie a first-hand account of exactly what he missed out on.
Following 168 appearances for Valencia – scoring 32 goals and grabbing 36 assists – the time for Silva to test himself in the Premier League had come, and he joined the City revolution two years after their takeover.
The signing proved to be one of the greatest value-for-money buys in their history as he flaunted his creative talents in England.
|
David Silva's clubs |
Games |
Goals |
Assists |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Manchester City |
436 |
77 |
140 |
|
Valencia |
168 |
32 |
36 |
|
Real Sociedad |
93 |
7 |
19 |
|
Celta Vigo |
36 |
4 |
0 |
|
SD Eibar |
10 |
1 |
0 |
|
Stats via Transfermarkt |
|||
Silva played a prominent role in City’s first league title since 1968 during the 2011/12 season, registering a staggering 23 goal contributions from an attacking midfield role, and he was also a factor for their second Premier League crown in 2014, managing 18 contributions from just 27 games.
He flourished under Pep Guardiola, becoming the main link between midfield and attack and during the title-winning season of 2017/18, Silva averaged a mammoth 97.7 touches per game while holding an 89% pass success rate as he controlled games on a regular basis.
His talents in the final third were still outstanding under his enigmatic compatriot, however. He created 16 big chances and averaged 2.3 key passes during the 2018/19 season and these statistics ranked him fourth and fifth across the whole league, indicating that he was still one of the better performers in the top-flight despite his advancing years.
He enjoyed one more season at City before bowing out having won four league titles among a handful of other honours and his creative talents have certainly been missed, despite the club securing a wonderful treble last season.
Jonathan Liew heaped praise on him following his departure from City back in 2020, saying: “Genius. Magician. Best City player ever. One of the greatest-ever Premier League imports. After 10 years, David Silva finally has his due. Maybe in time, Yaya Toure will get his too. This week’s column.”
There is no disputing any of those when describing the Spaniard and might United’s recent history been radically altered had Ferguson looked over his supposed defensive fragilities?
The former Valencia starlet emerged as one of the finest ever Premier League imports during his decade in Manchester, but there is no doubt the recent history of the competition would’ve changed had United lured him to Old Trafford.
£24m may have seemed a lot in 2010 for a player who hadn’t played in England, yet it turned into a wonderful bargain for City and he only got better.
Ferguson didn’t have that many transfer mishaps over the course of his 27 years at the Red Devils, but missing out on Silva might be one which stung rather hard, especially as he got to see his talents up close during his final three seasons in charge of United.
Would the Old Trafford side be in their current predicament had Silva joined them instead of City? Who knows, but they may have been a far better team to watch during their first few years after Fergie’s retirement, that’s for sure.
علق كرونسلاف يورتشيتش المدير الفني لبيراميدز على خسارة فريقه خلال مباراة اليوم أمام الأهلي والتي جمعت بينهما ضمن منافسات الدوري المصري.
وسقط بيراميدز في فخ الهزيمة أمام الأهلي بنتيجة 3-2 في اللقاء الذي أقيم على أرضية استاد القاهرة الدولي بالمواجهة المؤجلة من الجولة 14 من المسابقة المحلية.
وقال يورتشيتش في تصريحات خلال المؤتمر الصحفي عقب المباراة: “أنا فخور إن فريقي لعب الكرة الخاصة بنا باستحواذ وعرضيات كثيرة، خسرنا ومبروك للأهلي، ومرة أخرى أنا فخور باللاعبين كانوا أبطالًا اليوم”.
وبسؤاله عن سبب تأخر مشاركة محمد الشيبي؟، أوضح: “(هارد لك) هي أسوأ كلمة في العالم، لا أحبها، الشيبي من أحسن اللاعبين، دائمًا أفكر في طريقتي سواء الفنية أو النفسية، وكان قراري أنه سيلعب اليوم ولعب مباراة جيدة وخرج بالمستوى الذي قدمه اليوم هو من أحسن اللاعبين عندي”.
طالع | كولر يشكر مسؤولي استاد القاهرة ويؤكد: ما يحدث في الدوري المصري لم أره في حياتي
وأكمل: “الشوط الأول كان مباراة اليوم، أما الشوط الثاني فسيكون بعد 10 أيام وعندما يقول لي أي شخص (هارد لك) لا أحبها لأني أكون خاسرًا وعندنا مباريات كثيرة وأعتقد إن الأهلي سيخسر النقاط”.
وتابع: “سنحضر أنفسنا لمباراة الأهلي القادمة وأنا مؤمن بفريقي وهذه طريقتي وأنا مؤمن بها”.
واختتم: “أنا أرى أننا هاجمنا الأهلي من الأطراف، ولكن بالنسبة لي فخري لاكاي ومصطفى فتحي يكونا أخطر في العمق، ولعبت بـ لاكاي جناح أيمن وإبراهيم عادل ليس متواجدًا”.
Yorkshire’s interest in Liam Plunkett lapsed the moment he accepted a late IPL deal, leaving Surrey to offer him a three-year contract
David Hopps26-Jul-2018Liam Plunkett has signed a three-year deal with Surrey and will leave Yorkshire at the end of the season after becoming the first casualty of the IPL rivalry to England’s county gamePlunkett’s future at Yorkshire was thrown into question on the eve of the season when he accepted a last-minute offer to go to the IPL as a replacement for the injured South African quick Kagiso Rabada at Delhi Daredevils.His departure, plus that of his team-mate David Willey, who also won a late deal with Chennai Super Kings, severely weakened Yorkshire in the early part of the season and prompted Martyn Moxon, the county’s director of cricket, to call for a cut-off window for late IPL call-ups.Willey did sign a new contract at Headingley, but Yorkshire came to the conclusion that Plunkett no longer offered value for money, also taking into account his regular absence with England’s ODI side, and presented white-ball only deals as an inevitable future consequence of divided loyalties.Surrey have the financial clout to play the longer game, in the anticipation that Plunkett may soon be available more regularly, but even for them, and even considering Plunkett’s exceptionally high level of physical fitness, a three-year deal at 33 for an out-and-out fast bowler represents a calculated risk.Alec Stewart, Surrey’s director of cricket, made light of that, saying: “When a player of Liam’s ability and experience becomes available it makes perfect sense to sign him. Adding him to our squad gives us great options in all formats and we look forward to seeing him playing for Surrey over the coming years.”
“We are trying to assemble a squad that has availability and is within our budget to compete in all three domestic competitions”Martyn Moxon, Yorkshire director of cricket
Yorkshire’s emphasis, meanwhile, is on developing a group of young pace bowlers with good availability to foster consistency and togetherness.Moxon said: “We are trying to assemble a squad that has availability and is within our budget to compete in all three domestic competitions. With that in mind we are not in a position to be able to offer Liam a new contract. He has played a big part in our recent success and we obviously thank him for that and wish him well for the future.”In 2017, Plunkett claimed 36 one-day international wickets in the calendar year, the joint-second best haul in the world behind only Afghanistan legspinner Rashid Khan. He is ranked No. 20 on the ICC’s list of ODI bowlers.But 2017 saw him play only 10 times across all three forms for Yorkshire, with injury ruling him out for large parts as well as the regular international commitments. This year could be even more unproductive as he has played only three Royal London Cup matches and one game in the Vitality Blast.Plunkett, a four-time Specsavers County Championship winner – twice with Durham in 2008 and 2009, and twice with Yorkshire in 2014 and 2015 – was a faltering county pro when Yorkshire took him from Durham, his confidence low and his accuracy awry.Moxon, who had worked with him at Durham, retained faith in his ability and he rebuilt his career under the tutelage of Jason Gillespie, Yorkshire’s former coach, as he concentrated on fast, aggressive bowling – short or full.That method should be suited to The Oval’s pitches and Surrey will surely make better use of him than Yorkshire as a dangerous lower-order hitter in T20. That reluctance in a side not overstocked with late-order firepower has been hard to understand.”It’s disappointing that it has come to an end,” Plunkett said. “Obviously Yorkshire took a chance on me after Durham and I appreciate everything they’ve done for me. I feel as though I’ve played some of my best cricket at Yorkshire, including getting myself back in to the England team.”There comes a time in people’s careers where you don’t get offered a contract. Obviously, Yorkshire want to go in a different direction. I feel like I’ve met some really good people, made some fond memories and won some good trophies for an incredibly passionate club.”
It is believed a "key player" at Chelsea is "now increasingly likely" to leave Mauricio Pochettino after some news this week.
Who will leave Chelsea?
Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital have invested significantly since their takeover of the west London club; spending nearly £400 million on new signings in the summer window alone. To balance the books and avoid FFP trouble, they decided to offload a host of players either on loan or permanently.
Indeed, Kalidou Koulibaly, N'Golo Kante, Edouard Mendy, Kepa Arrizabalaga, Mateo Kovacic, Mason Mount, Kai Havertz, Christian Pulisic, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Cesar Azpilicueta, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Ethan Ampadu and Callum Hudson-Odoi all left for £230 million in total (Transfermarkt).
While they got off to a slow start this season, even going from late August to early October without scoring a league goal, their Premier League form has slightly picked up recently with two wins from their last two.
While Pochettino attempts to steer his Chelsea side in the right direction, there are reports that more members of the squad could depart Stamford Bridge sooner rather than later. Left-back Marc Cucurella is one of the rumoured names, alongside defender Trevoh Chalobah, who is said to be attracting real interest from English rivals.
Veteran defender Thiago Silva, whose contract expires at the end of this season, most recently penned an extension back in February and has been an excellent servant to Chelsea since joining on a free transfer from Paris-Saint Germain in 2020. Winning the Champions League and becoming a real fan favourite, it will be painful for supporters to watch the Brazilian depart.
Thiago Silva update
Now, sharing a Thiago Silva transfer update, journalist Pete O'Rourke has some bad news on the matter. Writing for Football Insider, the reporter claims Silva is "now increasingly likely" to leave next year despite being a "key player" for Pochettino. The 39-year-old is approaching his final days in west London, "expected to quit" Chelsea upon the expiry of his deal in 2024. It appears he won't be penning a new deal or extending his stay at the Bridge, meaning Chelsea may well have to consider a replacement for him next year.
The South American has been praised for his contribution in recent seasons, being called a "leader" and "legend" by his teammates.
"First and foremost, it's a real honour to play alongside him," said Benoit Badiashile to talkSPORT this year. "And do you know what? For a young player like me, he's someone that makes things easy. He's a legend, isn't he? He's a real leader, he's very, very experienced of course. Any of the advice that he gives me is always welcome, he's advised me not only when we've been playing – he's spoken to me during the game.
Thiago Silva strengths
Passing
Concentration
Blocking the ball
"But also before the game and in training as well. So he's someone that you can only learn alongside. And as I say, it's an absolute honour to line up alongside him."
Erling Haaland is not the same "animal" that he was last season for Manchester City as ex-defender William Gallas says the striker's game has changed.
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