Netherlands took the match to the final over, courtesy fifties from Vikramjit and Cooper, but failed to prevent a 3-0 sweep

Danyal Rasool21-Aug-2022

Naseem Shah led Pakistan’s defence of 206 with a five-for•KNCB/Gerhard van der Laarse

Pakistan nearly paid the price for extreme caution with the bat, but standout bowling performances from Naseem Shah and Mohammad Wasim spared their blushes as they eked out a nine-run win in the third and final ODI in Rotterdam and sealed the series 3-0.For a large part of the chase, it seemed that Netherlands would topple Pakistan, particularly during a 71-run fourth-wicket partnership between Vikramjit Singh and Tom Cooper. But with the pressure at its most intense, Naseem and Wasim bowled with a composure that belied their inexperience, taking nine wickets between them to close out the game. Naseem registered career-best figures of 5 for 33, with Wasim backing him up with 4 for 36.Earlier, a miserly bowling performance from Netherlands saw Pakistan bowled out for 206 in 49.4 overs, handing the home side a golden opportunity to nab a win. Pakistan were exceptionally conservative with the bat for much of the innings; by the end of 30 overs, they were 105 for 3. Bas de Leede, Netherlands’ best player of the series, was once again exceptional with the ball as he ran through the middle order, striking thrice to prevent Pakistan ever really breaking away. Only Babar Azam, who scored a steady, if sedate, 125-ball 91, was able to keep the innings together, but in the absence of a supporting cast or an injection of impetus, a modest total was all that Pakistan could muster.Netherlands sniffed an opportunity, but they were abundantly cautious early on, and Naseem, as he had done all series, continued to punch holes in their batters’ defences. Max O’Dowd played at one that nipped away to cap an indifferent series before Naseem cleaned up Musa Ahmad with a ball that held its line from around the wicket. Wasim, who replaced the somewhat less potent Shahnawaz Dahani, took up the mantle from the other end, sending de Leede back after he nicked one through to Mohammad Haris.But with the target relatively low, the hosts were never out of the game, and one big partnership was enough to give Pakistan a real fright. Vikramjit and Cooper began to rebuild after the early blows, the former’s three successive boundaries off Wasim a clear signal of intent. The duo looked comfortable against most Pakistan bowlers.Pakistan needed a breakthrough fast, and for that, Babar turned to Wasim once more. In the second over of his new spell, he sent Vikramjit packing. Naseem, of course, was not to be outdone, removing Scott Edwards in his first over back with a dream delivery that beat the outside edge of the bat and crunched into off stump.But Netherlands rebuilt with Cooper and Teja Nidamanuru, a 56-run stand taking them to within 35 of the target. At that stage, the asking rate was under seven, and Netherlands were turning the screws once more.Aryan Dutt had Babar Azam caught and bowled on 91•KNCB/Gerhard van der Laarse

But the Naseem-Wasim duo refused to give up, combining in a scintillating death-overs display to remove the pair in the space of six balls and burrow into the tail. From thereon, it was an uphill task for Netherlands against two bowlers in top form and, while Pakistan were made to sweat, victory always seemed a touch out of their reach. Wasim rattled Aryan Dutt’s stumps to finish off the game, and Pakistan just about got away with one.In the morning, Pakistan made four changes to their side, bringing in Abdullah Shafique as opener for his ODI debut, as well as Haris in place of Mohammad Rizwan. After they opted to bat, Shafique had the opportunity to impress straightaway, but Vivian Kingma struck early once again.Kingma and Dutt kept things tighter than a taxman’s purse, never allowing Pakistan any freedom to accelerate. The fielding was lively, and with the batters finding the fielders with most shots, Pakistan began to feel suffocated. Neither Fakhar Zaman nor Babar could truly break away, and even when there were changes in the bowling, a change in fortunes for Pakistan did not accompany them.The pressure finally got to Fakhar, who went for a huge heave against Logan van Beek, only to be beaten by the pace and have his off stump rattled. Netherlands only squeezed harder, with the run rate continuing to snail along well under four.Babar was curiously passive through the innings, and the failure of the inexperienced middle order to capitalise made his wicket even more valuable. It didn’t come until fairly late in the innings, but his failure to break free meant he couldn’t inflict much damage anyway. It was Dutt, the pick of the bowlers, who got rid of him for the second time this series, taking a superb one-handed catch off his own bowling. Dutt had deserved it more than perhaps any other bowler, his figures of 10-1-34-1 a just reward for a sensational showing.The final few overs saw Pakistan trying to accelerate, only for Netherlands to shackle them further. The odd four or six gave hopes of a change in momentum, but it was swiftly followed by wickets. No. 10 Zahid Mahmood struck a six in the penultimate over, but Kingma returned to help Netherlands get the final two wickets.At that stage, Netherlands looked on track for their first home win of the summer. They might well have reached there but for two young Pakistani fast bowlers.

Still looking to welcome their first signing of 2025, Fulham are now reportedly considering a first offer to sign a 20-year-old defender who they’ve been captivated by this season.

Fulham transfer news

Much of the Cottagers’ transfer window has been centred around the future of Andreas Pereira amid links to Brazilian club Fluminense. It looked as though the attacking midfielder was edging closer and closer to a departure before Marco Silva poured cold water on the rumours.

The Fulham boss told reporters: “Completely false. Normally I don’t speak about this type of situation, but I think it’s a moment for us to be clear: it’s completely false that there was an increased offer or something like that.

“I spoke with the board yesterday – and completely zero. We are a bit surprised at how this news has come from nowhere. What we can control is ourselves and our work and what we can do.”

Marco Silva now personally wants Fulham to sign "strong" £42m midfielder

He’s Premier League proven…

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With that said and the midfielder seemingly set to stay put, those at Craven Cottage have the chance to turn their attention towards potential incomings. According to Africa Foot as relayed by Sport Witness, Fulham are now considering an offer to sign Ousmane Diao from Midtjylland having been captivated by the young defender’s performances.

Potentially valued at over €4m (£3m) by the Danish club, Fulham will have to spend if they are to welcome their first signing of the January transfer window. Still just 20 years old too, that £3m+ valuation could quickly turn into a bargain deal in years to come.

Given that Issa Diop was the only centre-back to make Silva’s bench in a 3-2 defeat against West Ham United, welcoming further depth in that role certainly wouldn’t be a bad idea, especially if Fulham have their sights set on shock European qualification this season.

"Dominant" Diao is one to watch

When looking at Fulham’s defensive options, what they lack is a young prospect to eventually play an important role. As things stand, it’s the more established options in Calvin Bassey, Joachim Andersen and Diop taking centre-stage, but there’s certainly room for a younger player to arrive and make his mark to hand Silva a welcomed boost within his backline.

Dubbed a “complete and dominant” centre-back by Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig, Diao is certainly one to watch for the rest of the season and beyond, especially if Fulham make their move.

As an established Premier League side these days, Fulham are better placed than they have been for a long time to swoop in and welcome impressive young talents of Diao’s calibre. And with that in mind, they should be an interesting side to watch in the coming weeks.

Using the winter window as a chance to look ahead to the summer, Brighton & Hove Albion are now reportedly in pole position to sign a new striker in a deal worth over £20m.

Brighton transfer news

The Seagulls have enjoyed a fairly quiet month as Monday’s deadline continues to approach, having initially kicked off their January transfer window with a bang by welcoming Diego Gomez from Inter Miami. It must be said, however, that those at The Amex rarely get things wrong on the recruitment front and any arrivals are likely to be worth the wait in the summer.

That doesn’t mean the rumours haven’t been coming thick and fast in recent weeks though, with names such as El Hadji Malick Diouf and Habib Diarra among those threatening to steal the headlines.

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The former would be a particular coup given that rivals Crystal Palace are also interested in his signature. The left-back could yet choose a move to Sussex over South London to hand Brighton an instant boost and the perfect way to end the transfer window.

Alongside the left-back, meanwhile, the Seagulls have already reportedly set their sights on a summer deal. According to Sky Sports’ Florian Plettenberg, Brighton are now in pole position to sign Stefanos Tzimas who FC Nurnberg value at €25m (£21m) plus bonuses this summer.

Of course, the German club themselves must first secure the 19-year-old’s signature on a permanent basis from PAOK Salonika, which they reportedly plan to do by triggering their €18m (£15m) option to buy.

Having already reportedly spoken to the young striker, it looks increasingly likely that Fabian Hurzeler will get his man this summer.

"Exciting" Tzimas could be latest Brighton coup

Brighton have built such a reputation for being ahead of the game when identifying top talents that any young star heading in their direction almost seems destined for great things. And Tzimas may well be no different. The Greek teenager has been the star of the show for Nurnberg at times in the 2. Bundesliga with 10 goals and two assists in just 17 appearances very much representing a player on the rise.

Dubbed “one of the most exciting teenage strikers in Europe” by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, Tzimas would certainly fit into the category of young Brighton players to watch if he does arrive this summer.

A player who only looks destined to find the back the net, Brighton could be about to pull off another piece of transfer genius.

He and D’Arcy Short put on an opening stand of 166 after Peter Handscomb had lifted a stuttering Victoria

AAP25-Sep-2022A massive opening partnership from Western Australian pair Josh Philippe and D’Arcy Short lifted the defending Marsh Cup holders to a commanding five-wicket win over Victoria in Melbourne.WA eased over the line with 14 balls to spare. The contest seemed settled as the WA openers put on a match-defining partnership of 166 at almost a run a ball.Philippe was dismissed for 100 the ball after reaching his ton, while Short made a more measured 90 before falling with victory in sight. Philippe, having brought up his half-century with a six, reached three figures off just 95 balls in a knock that featured three sixes.Victoria allrounder Will Sutherland, who had Philippe caught at the wicket, then produced an extraordinary one-handed catch to send Short back to the pavilion. Despite some late pressure, Hilton Cartwright helped WA home with an unbeaten 26.The visitors, in their first outing of the domestic summer and first since holding off Victoria in last season’s Sheffield Shield final, impressed with both bat and ball.Victoria won the toss but slipped to 5 for 92 in the wake of some fine pace and seam bowling.Jhye Richardson was absent from the WA line-up as a precaution with hamstring soreness. The Test quick’s absence had little impact with Andrew Tye returning 4-54 to headline a strong team bowling performance.Victoria captain Peter Handscomb held the home side’s innings together just as it threatened to crumble. He made 93 from 110 balls, while there were also fast-scoring contributions from middle-order pair Matt Short (43 from 38 balls) and Jake Fraser-McGurk (36 from 42).Victoria opened the domestic season on Friday with a contentious victory over New South Wales, with the umpires ending the weather-impacted match for bad light the ball after the lead had changed hands via the DLS method.Will Pucovski, having shone in the opener with a half-century, fell cheaply for just 5, while there was also a failure for another Test aspirant with Marcus Harris making 8.

Rohit Sharma has hailed Virat Kohli’s “work ethic” and his attitude of “never letting things go no matter what” following his first T20I century in India’s Asia Cup fixture against Afghanistan. In turn, Kohli credited the “space” Rohit and Rahul Dravid have given him upon his return from a six-week break for the recent success.”Personally, since I’ve come back from a break where I didn’t touch the bat for the longest time in the 13-14 years I’ve played, a lot of things were put into perspective,” Kohli told Rohit in a chat on BCCI’s official portal. “I got a lot of clarity from you guys [pointing to Rohit] and the team management, to just allow me to bat. That was very important.Related

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“The space I got made me feel very relaxed. When I returned, I was excited to see how I could contribute to the team. Playing this way was important for me because the World Cup is big and if I play well, I can contribute big for the team.”I’d spoken to Rahul [Dravid] three-four days back, where batting first, especially the middle overs phase, how I can improve my strike rate. My only goal was to work on whatever I need to improve, I will try it at the Asia Cup. I honestly didn’t expect it [to score a T20I century]. I was shocked, [and] as you also mentioned after that, no one expected a century from me in this format after a long time. I was pleasantly surprised, grateful and honest.”Kohli finished the Asia Cup with 276 runs in five innings, striking at 147.59. After India’s game against Afghanistan, he was the leading run-getter in the tournament, 64 ahead of second-placed Mohammad Rizwan. He had made two fifties and a century, his 71st in international cricket and first in over three years.The standout aspect of that hundred was his end-overs acceleration after having opened the batting. On 59 off 40 going into the last five, he switched gears and scored his next 63 runs off just 21 balls. There were no nerves even as he approached a landmark that had eluded him for 1020 days. On 94, he played a disdainful pull to bring up his century. It was a drought he broke in style.”I got a lot of clarity from you guys [pointing to Rohit] and the team management, to just allow me to bat,” Kohli said•AFP/Getty Images

Equally noteworthy was Kohli’s propensity to step out of his crease, especially against spin, something he’s done quite a lot at the Asia Cup, seemingly to try and increase his scoring options. Between April 1, 2018, and the start of the Asia Cup, Kohli stepped out once every 7.9 balls on an average in all T20s. This Asia Cup, as per ESPNcricinfo’s data, he stepped out once every 4.9 deliveries.In trying to raise the bar, Kohli also brought out shots he doesn’t often play, like the conventional sweep. The one he hit off Mujeeb Ur Rahman was only his 24th sweep against spinners in all T20s in this time period, out of the 1200-plus deliveries he has faced from them. This includes all kinds of sweeps, including the slog, so the numbers for the conventional sweep would be even lower.Kohli explained how his focus has been on playing good cricket shots, without worrying too much about strike rates and six-hitting, something he said had bothered him prior to his break. He admitted to having been “desperate to do something that wasn’t in my game” at that point.”My aim was to always to play all three formats, and I banked on good cricketing shots,” he said. “I always came to every tournament or series thinking six-hitting is not a big strength of mine. I can [hit sixes] when situation demands, but I’m better at finding gaps and hitting boundaries, so as long as I can hit boundaries, it will still serve the purpose for the team.”I told the coaches as well that I’m going to try and hit gaps rather than thinking I’ve to hit sixes to improve strike rates in T20 cricket. That thing I removed from my system in this tournament, and that helped because I was able to come back to my template. But it’s about being in a good space and enjoying your batting.”We can play in many ways, but my role is to play as per the situation and if it demands I have to take the scoring rate higher, I should be able to do it. My aim was if I can be in this zone, I can be relaxed because I know if I’m set for 10-15 balls, I can accelerate. I’m very happy that especially from the team’s point of view, I’m back to being in my template I’ve played for a while, which I was going away from because I was desperate to do something that wasn’t my game.”Rohit, who was conducting the interview, agreed that the knock against Afghanistan was a fine lesson in pacing an innings. “Obviously in T20 cricket we talk about big hitting and all of that. But that [century] was the perfect example of how to craft an innings without focusing so much on the big hitting,” he said. “That was wonderful to see. I know it personally because I’ve seen you bat long enough.”

Wrexham have been backed to sign Leicester City legend Jamie Vardy in the summer if they secure promotion to the Championship.

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• Wrexham backed to sign Vardy
• Contract expires this summer
• Leicester facing relegation

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Wrexham are pushing for promotion to the Championship this season and are currently placed second in the League One table, one point above Wycombe Wanderers. If they manage to secure a third consecutive promotion, the Red Dragons will have to make some big signings to compete and remain afloat in the second tier.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  As the 2024-25 season reaches the business end, Sky Sports pundit Lee Hendrie has backed Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney's side to sign Leicester legend Vardy. The former England international striker is in the final few months of his current deal, and with the Foxes set to go down once again from the Premier League, questions have been raised over his future.

• WHAT HAS BEEN SAID

  Speaking to , Hendrie said: "Jamie Vardy, obviously the links and the Wrexham chief, Humphrey Ker, that he would certainly consider taking Vardy next season, which is crazy to think of, but he is still capable, I think, of causing so many problems. It looks like Wrexham are going to stand a really good chance of getting into the Championship.

  "He knows that league. He's still got that pace and cleverness and something different that they could certainly use. Obviously his age is one thing (to consider), but for one season, I don't think it would be a bad signing whatsoever. So that'd be a good thing if that was true, and it'd be welcomed."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR WREXHAM?

  The Red Dragons will be back in action this Friday as they take on Bristol Rovers in a crucial League One fixture at home.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Flamengo enfrenta o Goiás, neste sábado pelo Brasileirão, e, além do jogo, a expectativa também é grande pela entrevista coletiva de Paulo Sousa, pressionado e protagonista do atrito com Diego Alves. Segundo o “ge”, o VP de futebol Marcos Braz e o diretor Bruno Spindel acompanharão o comandante no pós-jogo com a imprensa.

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Não bastassem os questionamentos e a pressão sobre o trabalho de Paulo Sousa, que não conseguiu aliar desempenho e resultados depois de cinco meses de trabalho, a recente crise entre comissão técnica e Diego Alves esquentou de vez os bastidores do Ninho.

Nesta quinta, na reapresentação do elenco após a vitória sobre a Católica, que garantiu classificação na Libertadores, lideranças do elenco estiveram reunidas com os “pivôs” do atrito e com Bruno Spindel, mas o assunto não foi zerado. As respostas virão no sábado.

Newcastle United are interested in completing the signing of a “phenomenal” Premier League player in the summer transfer window, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano.

Latest Newcastle news

The Magpies are still on cloud nine after reaching the final of the EFL Cup on Tuesday evening, following their 2-0 win at home to Arsenal. It sealed a 4-0 aggregate triumph across the two legs, setting up a highly-anticipated final clash with Liverpool at Wembley next month.

It is also vital that Newcastle keep up their previous good form in the Premier League – they have lost their last two home games, against Bournemouth and Fulham – ensuring they get back into the Champions League ahead of next season.

In terms of potential new signings moving forward, Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta has been mentioned as a target for the Magpies, having scored 10 goals in 22 Premier League starts this season. He hopefully wouldn’t be seen as a possible replacement for Alexander Isak, though.

Meanwhile, another Palace player, Marc Guehi, is also being talked about as a summer target, having been constantly linked with a move to St James’ Park in recent transfer windows. An exit from Selhurst Park looks likely at the end of the season, as he looks to kick on to the next level in his career.

Newcastle eyeing move for "phenomenal" ace

Speaking on his YouTube channel [via The Boot Room], Romano said Bournemouth centre-back Dean Huijsen is a target for Newcastle this summer: “What we can add is that also Newcastle are showing an interest in Huijsen.

“They are doing very well, and in case they will be in Champions League football next season, the investment on a centre-back back could be made, and Huijsen is one of the players they are monitoring.

“Remember the exclusive story from mid-January, he has a release clause in his contract valid in the summer. So Huijsen will be for sure one to watch in the summer transfer window.”

Huijsen is enjoying an exceptional season for an impressive Bournemouth side, excelling alongside Illia Zabarnyi at the heart of the defence, so he could be a great signing for Newcastle.

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At just 19 years of age, the Spain Under-21 international is already performing consistently at a high level, so he could be viewed as the future of the Magpies’ defence alongside Sven Botman. He has plenty of admirers, not least football talent scout Jacek Kulig, who has called him “phenomenal”.

Huijsen looks like one of the best young centre-backs in Europe in current form, so Newcastle going all in for him this summer is a no-brainer.

Middlesbrough are reportedly closing in on the potential double signing of two top-quality players before the current transfer window ends.

Latest Middlesbrough news

Boro aren’t in Championship action until Monday evening, at which point the window will be in its final hours, with clubs looking to strike some late business. Michael Carrick’s side host Sunderland in a vital derby clash, with both sides in the promotion mix currently.

There have been plenty of players linked with a move to the Riverside Stadium of late, but Tottenham youngster Will Lankshear has now joined Championship rivals West Brom on loan instead. The teenager was seen as an option for many clubs, but opted to move to the Hawthorns, acting as a blow.

Slovan Bratislava striker David Strelec has also been backed to move to Boro before deadline day reaches its conclusion, but once again, there is plenty of competition for his signature.

Even if nothing happens in terms of transfers in the next 24 hours or so, it has still been a productive window for Carrick, who has managed to sign George Edmundson on a permanent basis, as well as bring in Morgan Whittaker from Plymouth Argyle. It does look as though further additions are likely, however, following a fresh claim.

Middlesbrough closing in on double signing

According to The Northern Echo‘s Dominic Shaw on X, Middlesbrough are closing in on the possible double signing of Samuel Iling-Junior and Kelechi Iheanacho, with both coming in on loan and the former expected to arrive first:

“Boro are set to sign AVFC winger Samuel Iling-Junior on loan – and are making progress in a deal to bring former Manchester City and Leicester striker Kelechi Iheanacho to the Riverside. That would also be a loan.”

Since then it has been claimed that terms have also been agreed for Iheanacho to join or the second half of the season.

This is brilliant news for Boro supporters, with Iling-Junior and Iheanacho both potential signings of real pedigree, adding a huge amount of quality to the team.

Iling-Junior joined Aston Villa from Juventus last summer, and while he has struggled for playing time, he would be a loan signing of real intent, with football talent scout Jacek Kulig describing him as “superb”.

Capable of thriving mainly as a winger, the 21-year-old can also do a job as a full-back or wing-back, with his versatility sure to appeal to Carrick.

Meanwhile, Iheanacho has proven himself as a top striker for some time now, being hailed as “incredible” by Brendan Rodgers during their time together at Leicester City.

Championship Table: Latest standings for the 2024/25 season

Latest English Football League Championship standings 2024/25.

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He is a 15-goal and 55-cap Nigeria international, outlining his pedigree at international level, and a tally of 42 goals in the Premier League is also impressive.

If Boro can get both of these deals over the line, it will only increase their chances of earning promotion this season, and it would make their rivals sit up and take notice.

Glasgow Rangers’ hopes of winning domestic silverware ended on Sunday afternoon as Queen’s Park delivered a stunning upset to knock the Ibrox side out of the Scottish Cup.

The result is arguably one of the worst in the club’s illustrious history, right up there with the defeat to Berwick in 1967 and Hamilton in 1987, both early exits in the Scottish Cup.

Given the disparity between squads and the fact Rangers were playing at home, everything pointed to a routine home win. Philippe Clement even gave a first start to Bailey Rice, the brightest prospect to emerge from the academy in quite some time.

Surprisingly, the tie was evenly poised heading into the final 20 minutes as the Light Blues were labouring. Queen’s Park secured a corner from which Seb Drozd scored a sublime goal to open the scoring for the Glasgow side.

With just minutes left on the clock, the Gers were awarded a penalty after Cyriel Dessers was pushed in the box. The pressure rested on James Tavernier to slot the ball home and send the tie to extra time.

Goalkeeper Calum Ferrie produced a fine stop to deny the captain and the Ibrox side couldn’t score from the resulting corner, slipping to a 1-0 defeat.

This defeat surely settles Clement’s future, as a manager with no credit in the bank won’t be able to survive a loss like this.

It shouldn’t just be the manager who is on their last legs, however, especially as Tavernier delivered a soulless performance which proves exactly why he should be moved on at the first available opportunity.

Why James Tavernier must leave Rangers

Tavernier’s 268 goal contributions – 129 goals and 139 assists – across 496 matches for the Gers is a wonderful record, no doubt about that.

With regards to trophies won, however, his record is fairly dismal. Since joining the club in the summer of 2015, Tavernier has won just three major honours; the 2020/21 Premiership crown, the 2022 Scottish Cup and the 2023 League Cup.

2023/24

58

24

12

2022/23

55

18

10

2021/22

58

18

17

2020/21

46

19

16

2019/20

46

3

16

2018/19

57

17

20

2017/18

46

9

9

2016/17

44

2

7

2015/16

50

15

23

Celtic have been utterly dominant during this period and Tavernier has hid under the pressure, especially when the Gers are on the cusp of something special. Take last season for example. The Light Blues had clawed ground back on Celtic in the title race, they blew it by losing against Motherwell and Ross County, allowing the Parkhead side to surge ahead once again.

The less said about the current campaign the better. With the loss to Queen’s Park, Rangers’ domestic season is over, and it is only the start of February.

While his penalty miss will be the main topic of discussion, his performance against the second-tier outfit was terrible, lacking any sort of desire or dynamism. More importantly, it lacked heart.

Glasgow World journalist Ben Banks gave Tavernier a match rating of 2/10 for his display against the Spiders, explaining that the defender ‘couldn’t clear the ball on the line and failed to offer much of an attacking threat. Couldn’t lead his team out of a crisis then missed a penalty’.

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Rangers' other biggest underperformer against Queen's Park

It wasn’t just the Englishman who failed to deliver during the game. Nedim Bajrami has come under some criticism of late due to a host of underwhelming displays.

Clement unleashed the Albanian against Queen’s Park and many expected him to bounce back with a solid performance. Unfortunately, he was one of the worst players on the pitch.

The 25-year-old looked like an inspired signing when Clement paid £3.4m to secure his signature from Italian side Sassuolo.

Since then, Bajrami has played 33 games for the Light Blues, registering eight assists – four goals and four assists – during that time.

He has demonstrated a glimpse of his talents over the previous few months. A goal against Malmö on his European debut appeared to show that Bajrami would be a great addition to the squad.

The attacking midfielder also scored the winner against Motherwell in the League Cup semi-final back in November, but since then, he has largely been ineffective.

Stevie Clifford, who runs Four Lads Had a Dream, criticised the Albanian last month regarding his recent poor displays, saying:

Deployed on the left wing against the Championship side, Bajrami failed to link up well with Ianis Hagi, who operated in a more advanced role, or Hamza Igamane, during the match.

He was so poor that Clement subbed him at half-time, bringing on Dessers in his place.

Banks also gave him a match rating of 2/10 for his insipid performance at Ibrox stating that he was ‘found seriously wanting and not for the first time. Subbed at half-time after no impact’.

The next few months will be crucial if he wishes to extend his spell at Rangers beyond the summer. It is highly unlikely that Clement will still be in charge by that point, so much will depend on whether the new manager sees Bajrami as part of his plans.

A summer clear-out is required, no doubt about that. Tavernier and Bajrami could well be the top two players on the list that supporters will be keen to see leave Glasgow.

What next for Rangers? In the aftermath of arguably the worst result in the club’s recent history, Patrick Stewart and the board have some big questions that need to be answered.

The supporters won’t be happy until Clement leaves. He can take Tavernier and Bajrami with him, too.

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