Tag Futebol

The last few weeks in the Caribbean have been rough for Sam Konstas, and might be viewed as growing pains some day. But, for now, it’s back to the drawing board for the selectors

Andrew McGlashan14-Jul-20250:27

Sam Konstas gone for duck as tough Caribbean tour ends

It was meant, or at least hoped, to be the beginning of something. The new era of Australia’s top order. But as Sam Konstas walked slowly off Sabina Park in the glare of the floodlights having fallen for a duck, there was instead a familiar question being asked: who is going to open the batting for Australia going forward?In six innings against West Indies, he has made 50 runs at 8.33. That’s the lowest series average for an Australia opener in the 21st century, pushing David Warner’s 2019 Ashes into second place. Across all time, only Alec Bannerman, Rick Darling, Wayne Phillips and Keith Stackpole have scored fewer runs in six innings as an opener in a series. Those are harsh numbers to sit with a 19-year-old who has basically been asked to develop his game on the international stage: five of Konstas’ 20 first-class matches have been Tests.In his final innings of the series, Konstas could not have asked for a tougher set of conditions than West Indies’ very good pace attack with a new pink Dukes ball under lights. He left his first ball from Shamar Joseph, defended the second and third, and shouldered arms to the fourth. The fifth ball of the over was short of a length outside off and Konstas pushed at it off the back foot, the thick edge flying to Roston Chase at gully.Related

• Bailey declares Weatherald 'in the mix' for Ashes

• Konstas, Peake, McSweeney named in Australia A squad for India tour

• Lyon was 'disappointed on a number of levels' after being left out of Jamaica Test

• Australia's Ashes questions: Open season, two allrounders, four quicks?

• West Indies batting flops to give Australia the advantage after 15-wicket day

“It’s pretty hard, but you wouldn’t know how he’s been going, if he’s gone well or not. He seems pretty level,” Scott Boland said. “He’s always training hard. I see him hit hundreds of balls. I’m sure he’s got a big future. It’s not going to be the last he plays for Australia.”West Indies have bowled very well to Konstas and his opener partner Usman Khawaja throughout the series. Khawaja fell for the sixth time in six innings from around the wicket, dragging Shamar Joseph into his stumps, although has soaked up more than 300 deliveries in the three matches. Meanwhile, they have exposed Konstas on both sides of his bat, raising questions over whether he has technical issues that should be addressed at the level below.In Barbados, he was twice removed by in-duckers, targeting a weakness that had been evident in his early career, and it was a similar manner of dismissal in the first innings in Jamaica. In Grenada, he edged behind and then in the second innings dragged on looking to force through the off side. On the opening day of the second Test, Konstas got himself set on 25 – an innings termed a “small step forward” by coach Andrew McDonald – and in Jamaica, worked hard to 17 although he was given a life in the slips. It’s slim pickings.

And while the last few weeks have rough, in years to come it may be viewed as growing pains. Sam Konstas can still forge a long Test career. But, for now, it’s back to the drawing board for the selectors

There need to be some caveats. Conditions in the Caribbean have been torrid for openers. The highest score by any of them is 47. The overall collective batting average for the series from both sides currently sits below 20. When Steven Smith is all at sea as he was against Alzarri Joseph, you know it’s tough. Konstas is not alone. It was asking a lot, maybe too much.But the spotlight has been on him because Australia are desperate to find a settled opening pair, well aware that they may need new opener before too long. Prior to this series, McDonald said he wanted some stability before facing England in the Ashes. Now it feels a lot will have to go right for Konstas to be walking out in Perth.The Australian selectors had waited to bring Konstas back after his whirlwind debut against India. He sat out the Sri Lanka tour when the long-standing plan to open with Travis Head was retained and then Marnus Labuschagne was given one last chance to save his place in the World Test Championship final.”It’s not going to be the last he plays for Australia,” Scott Boland said of Sam Konstas•AFP/Getty ImagesBetween Konstas’ two Test series, there had been the extraordinary display in the Sheffield Shield match against Victoria, where he fell sweeping Boland in the third over. He managed to recalibrate himself somewhat for the latter stages of the season, but since the heady moments of his Test debut, it has felt like he is trying to work out the batter he wants or needs to be.At around the time Konstas was dismissed in Jamaica, the state fixtures from the Australian domestic season were released and it laid out the run of matches Konstas has before the start of the Ashes with Sheffield Shield matches at the WACA, Junction Oval, the Gabba and SCG. He is also a good chance of featuring for Australia A in the two four-day games on the tour of India in late September. Three or four hundreds, particularly at home Test venues and, perhaps, the Ashes isn’t out of reach.When it was put to McDonald last week that Test selection was heading for another “bat-off”, he smiled and said that was the media’s term not his. But he acknowledged there would be great opportunities. The Test-match dream for the likes of Marcus Harris, Cameron Bancroft and Matt Renshaw could well live on. There will be uncapped players such as Jake Weatherald thrown into the mix. Labuschagne may yet find a way back at the top of the order.And while the last few weeks have been rough, in years to come it may be viewed as growing pains. Konstas can still forge a long Test career. But, for now, it’s back to the drawing board for the selectors.

At the 2019 World Cup, Kuldeep was smashed by the same opposition, which started a downward spiral for him

Andrew Fidel Fernando28-Oct-2023If you’re a mystery spinner in 2023, there are countless close-ups of your grip, dozens of analysts breaking down your release from slo-mo footage, and opposition batters poring over every flick of your fingers.You think you’re the finished product? That deception will always be your friend? That you will forever leave batters gawking open-mouthed at clattered stumps? The world has news for you. Whatever trickery has brought you here may not last. Under the blinding spotlight of international cricket, so little of your game can remain in the shadows.So it was for Kuldeep Yadav in the 2019 World Cup, on a cloudy Birmingham afternoon. Kuldeep, partnered then with Yuzvendra Chahal (giving rise to #KulCha), had in 2018 magicked his way repeatedly through the England batting order, claiming nine wickets at 16.44, in a three-match ODI series.Related

• Kuldeep credits straighter run-up, increased pace for ODI success

• Unbeaten India look to push England further towards elimination

• Kuldeep: Everyone told me to bowl quicker, but no one told me how

• Faster, straighter, deadlier – Kuldeep 2.0 is India's ace in the hole

But a year later, there Kuldeep was, being bullied by the same opposition. Jason Roy smoked him repeatedly down the ground, Jonny Bairstow danced down the pitch and thumped him for sixes or stayed in his crease and reverse-swept him for fours. In his ten overs, Kuldeep was ransacked for 72.The next year was also unkind. After being dropped from the XI before the end of that World Cup campaign, Kuldeep went for a run-a-ball through his next nine ODIs. In that time he averaged 44.72 – a wristspinner both struggling for wickets and failing to build pressure through the middle overs. When he was let go from the squad entirely, you wondered if that had been the last of him at the top level.It wouldn’t be the first time, right? Mystery spinners – match-winners when they are hot, liabilities when unravelled. The genre of cricketers most likely to have a shelf life.That Kuldeep has successfully reinvented himself, and bowled his way back into the India XI, is credit to his own pursuit of evolution, of course. But it also speaks to an increasing resilience in Indian cricket, which provides players multiple paths back. If it is not the National Cricket Academy, it is a state body, and failing that, the IPL. Whatever ails you, there is knowledge, there is investment, there is support.Kuldeep Yadav was taken apart by Daryl Mitchell but came back strongly•ICC/Getty ImagesIn this World Cup, roughly four years after his game broke down, Kuldeep has been a vital part of India’s attack, never going wicketless, proving difficult to dominate, and mounting a strong resurgence even in the one match in which he was blasted.It is in that New Zealand game in Dharamsala that all of Kuldeep 2.0 was in evidence. He had bowled slower in the early overs, looking for big turn, but when Daryl Mitchell came down the pitch and repeatedly launched him straight, Kuldeep would find ways to reply. When Mitchell shaped to reverse-sweep, Kuldeep would usually slip in the quicker ball – sometimes bowled like a cross-seam delivery, not looking for sideways movement off the surface, but frequently bowled at more than 100kph, and occasionally gaining a little extra bounce when the ball hits the seam.In general, there is just more zip in Kuldeep’s deliveries now. The old revolutions on the ball, and the turn, is still there, but the most obvious of the technical changes is his straighter approach to the crease, which in turn means there is more body behind the action, which takes stress off the shoulder, and a stronger front arm. Essentially, when batters are crashing him for boundaries, as Mitchell – and to a lesser extent Rachin Ravindra – did in his first five overs, Kuldeep now has an entire defensive section of his bowling to fall back on. He can slide them quickly with the arm, get others to skid through into the pads out of the front of the hand, and slip in fast, wide googlies with the leg side open, tempting right-hand batters to drag him against the turn.As for many other successful mystery spinners, it is having strong defensive options for when pitches are flat, or batters are flying, that allows them to be more persistent with their attacking deliveries. If boundaries come, there is belief that control can be regained, both within the bowler, and from his captain. After going for 48 in his first five overs against New Zealand, Kuldeep was not rushed out of the attack. His last five overs cost only 25, despite his earlier tormentor Mitchell still being at the crease. He also claimed two wickets, both with quickish deliveries. He should have had another – the wicket of Mitchell – had Jasprit Bumrah held a straightforward chance at long-off.There is irony to Kuldeep showcasing his newfound mettle ahead of his next World Cup game against England. In their own way, England’s white-ball team has come full circle too, reprising that familiar England avatar, in which they drag their carcasses around the tournament.To the extent that they have been able to prepare for India, following their crushing defeat to Sri Lanka on Thursday, England will have pored over footage of Kuldeep 2.0. Perhaps they will have clocked too, that his game does not seem so easy to dismantle as it had once been in Birmingham.

The pandemic is partly to blame, but what they really need to raise their level is many more fixtures

Tim Wigmore18-Nov-2021T20 is cricket’s globalisation tool, as the ICC endlessly reminds us. The 2021 World Cup has not given reason to reassess that view, but for advocates of cricket’s expansionism, the Associates’ performances in the tournament have been a little disconcerting.Ultimately the best day for the emerging world was the tournament’s very first, when Scotland recovered from 53 for 6 to defeat Bangladesh by six runs in Muscat. The only other Associate scalp against a Full Member came when Namibia defeated Ireland to progress to the Super 12s. The closest that Scotland or Namibia got to a victory in their eight games against Full Members in that stage of the tournament was Scotland’s 16-run defeat to New Zealand.These performances amount to a regression from the Associates’ displays in the 2014 and 2016 T20 World Cups. In the first round of the 2014 tournament, Hong Kong defeated Bangladesh and Ireland beat Zimbabwe. Then, in the second round, Netherlands thrashed England by 45 runs and lost by only six runs to South Africa. Two years later, Afghanistan easily beat Zimbabwe to reach the Super 10s. There, they beat eventual winners West Indies, and had England at 57 for 6, before losing by 15 runs.Related

McMullen earns maiden call-up to Scotland squad for T20 World Cup; Wheal, Davey return

Namibia have big plans, and Lahore Qalandars are helping them along the way

Coetzer calls for 'bold and brave' moves to push Scotland forward

'If we create a brand people love, cricket will be a Namibian sport'

T20 World Cup exit prompts 'serious questions' of Ireland's operations

Associate nations have been more greatly impacted by Covid-19 than anyone else in elite cricket. Most Associates essentially played no international matches for 18 months until September this year. Scotland, often considered the leading Associate, put their players on furlough to save money; Chris Greaves, the Player of the Match against Bangladesh in the 2021 World Cup, spent the start of the year delivering parcels for Amazon. Nearly two months of playing in the UAE was particularly challenging for many of these players, who had never experienced intensive bubble life like this before.While these short-term encumbrances explain emerging nations’ challenges this year, there are other forces at work. The greatest is simply the evolution of T20. Since the last World Cup, there have been six editions of the IPL, but Associate players rarely feature in the league, and have scant experience in other major franchise tournaments.Even allowing for the profound difficulties caused by the pandemic, Associates are better T20 sides than five years ago. The problem is, so are the teams ranked above them. From 2010-15, the nine leading Full Members – those part of the World Test Championship – played 2.6 ODIs for every T20I. Since 2016, they have played only 1.2 ODIs for every T20I.In T20 World Cups, Associate teams used to have a curious advantage. They had greater knowledge about their opponents, because while video footage and data from games between Test teams was readily accessible, information about the Associate world was comparatively hard to find. In this World Cup, the sight of two fielders routinely placed to protect the boundary from George Munsey’s reverse sweeps attests to how Test teams have become shrewder in their planning against Associates.But the biggest issue for Associate teams is simply their paucity of fixtures compared to Test sides.Hong Kong beat Bangladesh by two wickets in their 2014 T20 World Cup match in Chattogram•Associated PressThe same was long true in ODIs before the Cricket World Cup League 2 guaranteed leading Associates 36 ODIs between the 2019 and 2023 World Cups. The upshot is that the gulf in playing experience between emerging nations and Full Members is now greater in T20 than 50-over cricket.Leading T20 players play around 50 matches a year, spread across international cricket and leagues. Between the World Cup qualifiers in 2019 and the 2021 World Cup, Namibia’s captain, Gerhard Erasmus, only played 11 T20s, and Kyle Coetzer, Scotland’s captain, five.Ostensibly T20 is the format best suited to emerging sides, but the assumption that this is automatically true is a lazy one. Ireland have defeated both England and South Africa in the ODI Super League, but the World Cup has highlighted that their T20I side is altogether less advanced.Scotland’s run in ODI cricket in 2017-18, when they defeated England, Afghanistan and came within six runs of defeating West Indies and nearly qualifying for the 2019 World Cup, exceeds any streak they have put together against top ten nations in T20I cricket.And so the T20 World Cup results should prompt serious thought about how to close the gap between emerging nations and leading Full Members in the format. More bilateral matches between Test teams and Associates would obviously help; how to fit them into the calendar is another matter.Creative thinking could help accelerate Associates’ T20 development. In women’s cricket, the ICC has previously funded contracts for Associate players in the Women’s Big Bash. A partnership that allowed, say, 20 leading Associate players to train with teams in the IPL and Big Bash would help them tap into the networks, knowledge-sharing and cutting-edge thinking happening in the format. Including Associates in domestic T20 competitions, like the T20 Blast and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, and giving them more cricket against A teams from leading nations would be a boon. All of this will require goodwill from Full Members – and extra funding during the 2024-31 ICC cycle.From 2024, the men’s T20 World Cup will expand to 20 teams, with the unwieldy first round abolished. For the first time in history, cricket will get a World Cup that, in its scope, will feel like a global affair to rival those in football or basketball.It is an unprecedented opportunity to turbocharge cricket’s growth. But the events of the last month in the UAE should serve as a reminder. More teams in the World Cup may be necessary to globalise the sport, yet what happens between World Cups is just as important.

The four week long period between this international break and the next, containing seven fixtures, could be season-defining for Celtic.

Having yielded just a solitary point from their first two Europa League outings, Brendan Rodgers’ team really need to get some points on the board against Sturm Graz at home and then Midtjylland in Herning, because the fixtures only get tougher after that.

Meantime, on the domestic front, the Hoops will visit current Scottish Premiership leaders Hearts the Sunday after next, an eagerly anticipated clash at Tynecastle, before the small matter of an Old Firm League Cup semi-final at Hampden a week later.

Given their underwhelming form so far, supporters are hoping to see players come to the fore and put their best foot forward, but which summer signing is showing early signs of a certain Tom Rogic?

Tom Rogic's Celtic career in numbers

Few players in modern Celtic history remain as beloved as Rogic.

After arriving from Central Coast Mariners in January 2013, the Australian made 272 appearances in hoops, scoring 46 goals and providing 51 assists.

He netted six times against Rangers, while also scoring, arguably, the most famous goal of the club’s recent history, firing home a stoppage-time winner in the 2017 Scottish Cup Final against Aberdeen to secure the invincible treble that bookended Rodgers’ first season in charge.

Affectionately known as the Wizard of Oz, this nickname encapsulates Rogic’s style of play, possessing the clichéd ‘wand of a left foot’, while Rodgers similarly labelled him a “magician”.

Meantime, then teammate Josip Juranović asserted that the Australian “is little Messi”, adding “he’s one of the best players I have played with”.

When he departed at the end of the 2021/22 campaign, Rogic received an emotional standing ovation from the Celtic faithful as genuine and heartfelt recognition for all the magical moments he had provided.

He cited wanting the move closer to home as the reason for his departure and, technically, he did that by about 280 of the 10,550 miles, joining West Bromwich Albion as a free agent, albeit he made only 23 appearances for the Baggies before retiring at the age of 30.

When Rogic arrived as a 20-year-old from an A-League club very few in Glasgow would ever have heard of, surely no one could’ve foreseen just how impactful he would be at the club, so is a current squad member set for a similar trajectory?

Celtic's next Tom Rogic

Supporters remain generally furious with the board’s inactivity this summer, believing that transfer deals were completed too late, costing Celtic a place in the Champions League.

Well, considering Marcelo Saracchi, Michel-Ange Balikwisha, Sebastian Tounekti and Kelechi Iheanacho all arrived after the play-off defeat to Kairat, they may have a point.

One new recruit who did join all the way back in June, instantaneously establishing himself as a first-choice starter, is Benjamin Nygren, and what an absolute bargain he could prove to be.

Into the final few months of his contract with Nordsjælland, the Hoops managed to sign the Sweden international for a reported fee of £1.7m, while Football Transfers believe his current value to be around £6m, having already increased just 13 appearances into his Celtic career.

The table below emphasises his importance to the team so far this season.

Nygren Celtic statistics
Stats	Nygren	Celtic rank
Goals	4	1st
Assists	4	1st
Shots	23	1st
Shots on target	11	1st
Key passes	6	1st
Big chances created	6	1st
Shot-creating actions	6	1st
Successful dribbles per 90	0.7	2nd
Average rating	7.67	1st
Stats via FBref and SofaScore

As the table documents, Nygren ranks first for a wide variety of attacking metrics this season, thereby very much part of Rodgers’ first-choice midfield trio, despite the fact many forecast he was joining to replace Nicolas Kühn on the right-wing.

The Swede, who was an unused substitute for both of the Blågult’s World Cup qualifying defeats this week, scored his fourth goal for Celtic against Motherwell last time out, having opened his account for the club against Aberdeen in August.

Following that victory at Pittodrie, Rodgers praised Nygren’s “excellent” performance, noting that “his intuition is to get in the box and score goals”, as Rogic often did, connecting with Kieran Tierney’s low cross to fire past Dimitar Mitov.

Meantime, following a 5-1 dismantling of Northern Ireland in March, international teammate Alexander Isak described Nygren as “fearless”, concluding that “playing with a winger like that who is able to provide good crosses can only be beneficial for someone like me”.

That is high praise from the most-expensive player in British football history, so the £1.7m Celtic paid to secure the 24-year-old’s signature looks like a genuine bargain.

Thus, supporters will hope he remains in Glasgow’s East End for nigh on a decade too, as Rogic did, the last player at the club who could boast possessing an equally majestic left foot.

Cost £0, now worth more than Tounekti: Celtic hit gold on "phenomenal" star

Sebastian Tounekti has made an impressive start to life at Celtic, but a “prolific” attacker who arrived for free has a higher estimated market value.

By
Ben Gray

Oct 10, 2025

Tottenham have been tipped to strike a ‘similar deal to Jack Grealish’ in January as Thomas Frank edges closer to his first winter window at Spurs.

Tottenham make January plans with a forward the priority

The Lilywhites are preparing to make attacking reinforcements their primary objective during the January window, with media sources confirming significant funds will be available for the right target as Frank seeks solutions to his struggling side’s creativity issues.

Co-sporting directors Fabio Paratici and Johan Lange will be drawing up a list of potential options spanning both domestically and abroad, if they haven’t already.

Reports suggest Spurs are more likely to pursue a wide forward rather than a central striker when the window opens, with Dominic Solanke slowly coming back to full fitness and Randal Kolo Muani starting to find his feet.

Premier League home form table

Team

Wins

Draws

Losses

Points

GD

16. Burnley

2

1

4

7

-2

17. Nottingham Forest

2

1

4

7

-5

18. West Ham

2

0

5

6

-9

19. Tottenham

1

2

4

5

-1

20. Wolves

0

1

6

1

-11

Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo has emerged as a very strong candidate to join the north Londoners.

The Ghanaian winger has been sensational this season, bagging six goals and three assists in 13 Premier League appearances for the Cherries so far this term.

His ability to threaten from both flanks, combined with his blistering pace, makes him ideal. The possibility of Mohammed Kudus on one side and Semenyo is pretty tantalising in itself, as is the 25-year-old’s £65 million release clause, which will be active early next month.

If Spurs do opt to sign a centre-forward in January, all signs point towards FC Porto’s Samu Aghehowa as their top target.

The 21-year-old Spanish international has seriously impressed in Portugal following his £15 million move from Atlético Madrid in 2024, scoring six goals across all competitions this season after his 27-goal haul last term.

Standing at a towering 6 foot 3, Aghehowa offers the physical presence and aerial threat Tottenham currently lack, though Porto president André Villas-Boas has publicly stated the forward is “not for sale at any price in winter,” with the club demanding at least £68 million for his services.

All that being said, the media remain adamant that a new attacker will arrive at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium next month, but a box-to-box midfielder also cannot be ruled out amid Yves Bissouma’s uncertain future.

The Mali international is yet to play a single competitive minute under Frank, largely due to injury, but it is worth noting that Spurs were open to offers for Bissouma in the summer.

Tottenham will entertain bids for the 29-year-old once again in January, but if they can’t find a suitor they’ll activate the one-year extension option in his contract to prevent a free transfer next year (The Mail).

If Bissouma does leave in the winter, Frank will need a replacement, and Atlético Madrid’s Conor Gallagher is available.

Tottenham tipped to strike Grealish-like deal for Conor Gallagher

Spurs did hold a serious interest in the England international before his switch to Atlético, with Diego Simeone’s side informing Gallagher that he can leave in January.

That is according to former Spurs scout Bryan King, who also believes that Tottenham could well sign Gallagher on loan in a ‘similar deal’ to Grealish at Everton.

King also thinks that the 25-year-old would ‘jump’ at the chance to move there, even despite his Chelsea connections.

Gallagher has made 70 appearances for Atlético since his 2024 move, scoring six goals and racking up another six assists.

He’s been in and out of Simeone’s eleven this season, and with the 2026 World Cup looming, he’ll be keen to battle his way back into Thomas Tuchel’s thinking.

The dynamic midfielder would offer a different option to the likes of Joao Palhinha and Rodrigo Bentancur in front of the back four, and he can play more offensively too.

Capable of pitching in going forward, signing Gallagher on loan would be a very astute bit of business.

Glasgow Rangers head coach Danny Rohl should be relatively pleased with his start to life in the dugout at Ibrox, with four wins out of four in the Scottish Premiership so far.

The Light Blues beat Livingston 2-1 at Ibrox in a controversial clash in their first game back after the international break, as no penalty was awarded for handball against Emmanuel Fernandez, who also scored the opening goal in the match.

Rangers got the job done, though, and claimed all three points thanks to a second-half strike from Mohamed Diomande, who tapped into an empty net at the back post.

The Ivorian central midfielder had an open goal in front of him because Bojan Miovski made a brilliant run over the top and poked the ball to Diomande as the goalkeeper came out to meet him.

It was a moment of real quality from the Macedonia international to help clinch all three points for the Scottish giants on Saturday, after what has been a difficult start to the campaign.

The Light Blues bolstered their attacking ranks with the £8m signing of Youssef Chermiti and the £4.2m signing of Miovski in the summer, and supporters may need to be patient with both of them.

Why Rangers fans need to be patient with Miovski and Chermiti

Rangers splashed the cash to bring those two centre-forwards to Ibrox, particularly Chermiti, and you can understand why some supporters may not be happy with what they have produced so far this season.

Both strikers have only scored one goal so far in the Scottish Premiership under Russell Martin, Stevie Smith, and Danny Rohl combined, which shows that they have rarely provided much in the way of quality in the final third.

25/26 Premiership	Bojan Miovski	Youssef Chermiti
Appearances	9	7
Goals	1	1
Minutes per goal	551	231
Big chances created	1	0
Assists	1	1
Duel success rate	33%	39%
Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Chermiti and Miovski have both failed to offer value for money in the league since their respective big-money moves from Everton and Girona in the summer.

Rangers and their supporters should still have some patience, though, because Miovski is a proven Premiership goalscorer who can offer quality if he hits his stride.

The left-footed attacker, as shown in the graphic below, was a prolific scorer during his time with Aberdeen, before his move to Spain last year, and this suggests that there is still hope that he can turn his Ibrox career around.

Chermiti does not have the same history of goalscoring, having failed to score a single first-team goal in two seasons with Everton, that Miovski behind him has to suggest that he will come good, but the Portuguese striker is only 21.

The former Toffees flop has plenty of time left ahead of him to develop and signed a long-term contract at Ibrox, which is why there may need to be patience with him to allow him to flourish as a player. It is not his fault that former sporting director Kevin Thelwell spent £8m on him, and he should be given a chance to prove his worth in the years to come.

Whilst patience is needed with Miovski and Chermiti, who were both permanent additions signed to long contracts, there are some other summer signings who should not be awarded the same patience.

Chalkboard

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

Nasser Djiga was brought in on loan from Wolverhampton Wanderers during the summer transfer window in an attempt to bolster Russell Martin’s defence, but he has been an even bigger waste of time than the two strikers.

Why Djiga has been a worse Rangers signing than Miovski and Chermiti

The Burkina Faso international is only on loan from the Premier League side until the end of the season and the club do not have an option to make the deal permanent next summer.

That means, as it stands, the central defender should only be judged on his performances in the short-term because he is not a player who the Light Blues will benefit from if he develops and improves by the end of the campaign, as he will be off down south to England again.

Therefore, on current performance levels, Djiga looks to be an even bigger waste of time than Miovski and Chermiti, because he is not delivering quality on the pitch for Rangers in the present.

Nasser Djiga’s last 10 matchday squad appearances for Rangers
Opposition	Minutes
Livingston	90
Dundee	8
Roma	90
Celtic	102
Hibernian	90
Kilmarnock	0
Brann	76
Dundee United	0
Falkirk	90
Sturm Graz	0
Stats via Sofascore

The Wolves loanee, as shown by the table above, has been in and out of the side in recent weeks and months, which has been because of his inconsistent performances.

Injuries to John Souttar and Derek Cornelius provided him with a chance to impress against Livingston, but his error for Tete Yengi’s equaliser was described as “appalling” defending by reporter Tom English, as the centre-back allowed the forward to run off the back of him to score from a long pass.

That mistake against Livingston on Saturday is far from the first one that he has made in a Rangers shirt. Four Lads Had A Dream claimed that he

“genuinely looks lost” during the 3-1 defeat to Celtic in the semi-final of the League Cup earlier this month.

Djiga also got off to a poor start to life at Ibrox in August. He was sent off in a 1-1 draw with Dundee at Ibrox before making a ‘disastrous’ error at the start of the club’s Champions League play-off qualifier against Club Brugge.

These examples show that the central defender has been an unreliable performer for the Light Blues throughout the season, for both Martin and Rohl, which is why he has been a dismal signing on current evidence.

That is also why he has been an even bigger waste of time than Miovski and Chermiti, because the two strikers were permanent signings on multi-year deals and have time to turn things around, whilst Djiga was a season-long loan signing who should be making an instant impact.

The new Ryan Kent: Rangers can unearth "electrifying" Gassama upgrade

Rangers have a possible upgrade on Djedi Gassama who could be their next Ryan Kent, but he has not played any minutes this season.

By
Dan Emery

Nov 23, 2025

Unless the Wolves loanee can drastically turn his form around and prove himself to be a reliable figure at the back for Rohl, he may go down as one of the worst signings of the Thelwell era, which lasted one summer.

Sri Lanka are on the brink of elimination in the Asia Cup after sliding to their second successive defeat

Madushka Balasuriya23-Sep-20251:39

What went wrong for Sri Lanka’s batters?

An unbroken stand of 58 off 41 between Hussain Talat and Mohammad Nawaz saved Pakistan’s blushes as they stumbled their way through a middling chase to eventually come away with a five-wicket win against Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup in Abu Dhabi.Having been set a target of 134, on a ground where the average winning total batting first was 183, Pakistan collapsed from 43 for 0 in five overs to 57 for 4 in the ninth over. Not long after it was 80 for 5 in the 12th over, but Talat and Nawaz got the job done for Pakistan without any further scares.Related

Abrarcadabra – the spell that left Sri Lanka stupefied

Talat: Middle-order batting the hardest job in T20s

Asalanka: Sri Lanka have to 'get combinations right'

Talat finished on 32* off 30, while Nawaz struck 38* off 24, while for Sri Lanka the wickets were spread between Maheesh Theekshana, Wanindu Hasaranga and Dushmantha Chameera.Talat had earlier made his initial impact with the ball, in a double-wicket over, removing both Charith Asalanka and Dasun Shanaka. It had followed a powerplay that saw Shaheen Shah Afridi pick up two wickets in the powerplay – he would end with three in total – as Sri Lanka lost their top three for the addition of 53 in the first six overs.From that point on Pakistan strangled Sri Lanka’s innings, as they only mustered 63 runs across the final ten overs. Kamindu Mendis’ 50 off 44 was the lone bright spot in an otherwise forgettable innings.The result means that Sri Lanka have lost two games, and are now dependent on Bangladesh beating India to keep their hopes of making the final alive.1:26

Aaron: Pakistan using three pacers up top made the difference

Afridi’s early impactPakistan got the best of the bowling conditions when the won the toss and elected to bowl, but it still needed to be utilised. Both Shaheen Shah Afridi and Faheem Ashraf found big movement early on, but that did not deter the Sri Lankan batters.Kusal Mendis clipped one in the air to short midwicket first ball, but Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Perera both found the boundary. Afridi then accounted for Nissanka as well, with the opener edging behind an attempted heave down the ground – one he had executed efficiently just a ball prior.Kusal Perera fell in the final over of the powerplay, miscuing one off Haris Rauf to mid-on. Sri Lanka had 53 runs in the powerplay, but Pakistan kept chipping away.2:09

Chopra: Talat holding one end up was important

Talat sets up the middle-overs squeezeDespite the loss of three wickets, Sri Lanka were still looking to attack – presumably reading that conditions were more than adequate for batting. However the two dismissals as a result of this approach, perhaps bordering on reckless at points, greatly reduced Sri Lanka’s ability to post a competitive total.The first was from Asalanka, who was batting well during his 19-ball 20, but ended up top-edging a short-arm pull to deep square leg. A ball later Dasun Shanaka nicked behind. Both those wickets came in Talat’s first over, and he went onto finish with 2 for 18 in his three overs.Sri Lanka’s scoring slowed to a trickle after that point, as they scored just 34 runs between overs six and 16. During this period Abrar Ahmed trotted through four overs, giving away just eight runs while picking up the wicket of Wanindu Hasaranga.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Talat and Nawaz finish it offSahibzada Farhan and Fakhar Zaman seemingly broke the chase with a 45-run opening stand, but when Theekshana picked up both batters in the final over of the powerplay – the latter courtesy an outstanding one-handed grab at mid-off by Hasaranga – Sri Lanka felt they had a sniff.Two Hasaranga overs later though and Pakistan had lost two more, and suddenly Sri Lanka were well and truly in it.A 23-run stand between Talat and Mohammad Haris briefly brought back some control of proceedings for Pakistan, but when Chameera burst one through Haris to peg back the middle stump, Pakistan still needed 54 more with half their side back in the dugout.Thankfully for them, Talat and Nawaz navigated the chase shrewdly, taking minimal risks to take the game deep. It was only in the death overs that they opened up, with Nawaz looking to take on Hasaranga and then finally Chameera. A trio of sixes off the latter brought the game to a rapid close.

Home side only manage one wicket on truncated final day

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay01-Aug-2025

Brooke Guest helped steer Derbyshire to safety•Getty Images

Derbyshire 377 (Andersson 105, Chahal 6-118) and 185 for 5 (Reece 61*, Guest 60*) drew with Northamptonshire 550 for 9 dec (Broad 171, Keogh 125*, Proctor 71, Bartlett 66) Brooke Guest and Luis Reece both made attacking half-centuries as Derbyshire salvaged a weather-assisted draw on the final day of this Rothesay County Championship fixture against Northamptonshire at Wantage Road.With heavy morning rain preventing play until 3.30pm, Northamptonshire were unable to press home their overnight advantage, having reduced the visitors to 52 for 4 on the third evening, still 121 behind.But while Rob Keogh (2 for 37) removed nightwatch Joe Hawkins without scoring in just the second over of the day, Guest and Reece quickly settled into their work, finding boundaries easy to come by as they posted a stand of 131 in 36.2 overs.With no further wickets falling, Derbyshire cleared the deficit and moved into the lead, the teams shaking hands at 5.30pm with the visitors on 185 for 5, both teams taking 13 points.Earlier Northamptonshire opened with spin at both ends. Yuzvendra Chahal (2for 79) had made a double wicket strike last evening and while he and Keogh both found turn and bounce to beat the bat, they were often inconsistent as Reece and Guest tucked in to the bad balls.It was Keogh who trapped Hawkins lbw as he attempted to steer to leg. But while he challenged Guest outside off stump, the right-hander found a way to score, sweeping him for consecutive boundaries before pulling Chahal for another four.Despite a ring of close fielders and several shouts for lbw, Derbyshire started to accumulate quickly. Reece swept Keogh for four and reverse swept Chahal to take Derbyshire past 100 in the 37th over. Guest brought up the 50 partnership off 82 balls by pulling Chahal through midwicket before going back to cut Keogh through extra cover.Northamptonshire turned to the pace of Liam Guthrie and thought they had the wicket of Guest on 36, appealing for what looked like an excellent diving catch by Justin Broad at short midwicket, the umpires conferring before giving the batter the benefit of the doubt.Chahal switched ends, but with the ball growing softer on a damp outfield, Guest cut him away for four, Reece then sweeping to bring up his 50. With the game drawing to a conclusion, Guest cracked George Scrimshaw through extra cover and then ran a single to reach his own half-century. Next over, Guest again powered Scrimshaw through the covers to take Derbyshire into the lead.

Heading into their showdown with Manchester United at Old Trafford at the weekend, Sunderland might well be judged as the favourites to pick up another early Premier League win over their hosts, despite the stature of their opponents.

Whilst it has been well documented in recent years, the drastic slide at the Theatre of Dreams, the Black Cats will still feel amazed that they’re four points ahead of Ruben Amorim’s Red Devils when making the trip down to Manchester, with just one defeat from their opening five league clashes lifting them all the way up to fifth in the early standings.

Regis Le Bris has managed to turn the one-time promotion nearly-men into a well-oiled unit in the daunting top-flight, with the defence – in particular – gaining many a plaudit, even so soon into the 38-game marathon.

Sunderland's incredible defence

Glancing at the Premier League table briefly, only two teams in the entire rest of the division have a sterner defensive record than Le Bris’ men, with Arsenal and Manchester City only leaking three goals so far this season.

Despite their newly promoted status having the potential to work against them, the Wearsiders have only given up four goals themselves, with both Omar Alderete and Robin Roefs sticking out as two standout aspects of this water-tight defence.

Alderete’s tough approach to proceedings – which has seen him average a commanding 4.3 duels won per league clash away from powering home this header against Nottingham Forest – has already resulted in Sunderland-based journalist Andy Tomlinson heralding him as an “unbelievable” signing, with the Paraguayan making his transition to the testing English game look effortless so far.

He has undoubtedly been backed by Roefs, constantly putting in game-changing displays, with the Dutchman coming up trumps with six huge saves last time out to deny Forest a goal in a 1-0 away win.

Slight rumours are swirling in the air that Mukiele, who is yet another sterling defensive signing, could be ruled out of the Black Cats’ upcoming trip to Old Trafford, with injury concerns being spoken of.

Yet, even if this gossip is proved to be true, Le Bris will know he does have some substantial depth to call upon, in the form of another particularly valuable defensive titan…

The "stunning" star worth more than Alderete & Roefs

With Luke O’Nien returning back to the squad at the City Ground after injury, it does feel as if Sunderland have strong reinforcements all across their backline, in case the newly formed unit does have to be unfortunately broken up.

Daniel Ballard also coming back into the first team fold only heightens the depth at Le Bris’ disposal, with the Northern Ireland international not looking out of place whatsoever this season when thrown into Premier League action as one of the more long-standing servants at the Stadium of Light.

Before Alderete and Roefs could properly settle into their new environment, Ballard was already leaving his mark on the intense division with this bullet header finding the back of the net on the opening day.

Amazingly, this commanding effort was the 26-year-old’s seventh goal for the club, with the ex-Arsenal man pulling on Sunderland red and white now a colossal 93 times, having been hailed as “stunning” by journalist Josh Bunting.

Purchased for just £2m back in 2022 as Sunderland regularly settled for mediocrity in the Championship, it’s staggering to see the journey the authoritative number five has gone on with the club, with his value now far exceeding his modest initial price tag.

Games played

93

Games missed with injury

71

Goals scored

7

Assists

2

Promotions

1x

Value when signed

£2m

Value now

£9.4m

Even with the centre-back’s injury setbacks seeing him miss a whopping 71 games over his four seasons to date on Wearside, Ballard’s value – as per Football Transfers – currently sits at a healthy £9.4m.

To further add to the intrigue, both Alderete and Roefs, despite taking to English shores like a knife through butter, have worths that come in slightly under Ballard’s bumped-up valuation, with the South American just shy of his defensive counterpart at £9.3m, while Roefs sits at £6.6m as a shrewd pick-up.

Therefore, while all the new defensive purchases continue to steal the limelight, Le Bris will have full faith in Ballard remaining resolute at the back throughout the challenging season to come when thrown into action.

Not Isidor: Sunderland "monster" is becoming the club's modern day Phillips

Regis Le Bris could now have his very own Kevin Phillips at Sunderland in this monster.

ByKelan Sarson Sep 30, 2025

Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernández is attracting serious interest from Real Madrid, with manager Xabi Alonso urging Los Blancos to strike a deal.

Real Madrid eye 2026 deal for Chelsea star Enzo Fernández

It’s approaching three years since Enzo Maresca’s side broke the British transfer record by signing Fernandez in a deal worth £107 million, and while Alexander Isak’s move to Liverpool has since smashed that fee, the midfielder remains one of Chelsea’s most expensive ever buys.

Chelsea’s most expensive signings of all time

Rank

Player

Fee

Signed from

Year

1

Moises Caicedo

£115m

Brighton

2023

2

Enzo Fernández

£107m

Benfica

2023

3

Romelu Lukaku

£97.5m

Inter

2021

4=

Kepa Arrizabalaga

£71m

Athletic Club

2018

4=

Kai Havertz

£71m

Bayer Leverkusen

2020

Click here to see the rest…

The £180,000-per-week star endured a very difficult first year at Stamford Bridge, failing to justify his mammoth price tag whilst even getting involved in a racism scandal in 2024, but he’s since been rejuvenated by Maresca.

The Italian shocked on-lookers by naming Fernandez as a captain just one month after his racism debacle with the Argentina national team. However, the 24-year-old repaid Maresca’s faith by becoming one of the linchpins of his engine room.

Since Maresca’s appointment, Chelsea’s tactical setup has played to Fernandez’s strengths, allowing him more freedom to influence the game in a more advanced role while also allowing him to maintain some defensive responsibilities.

This new place in the team has elevated his performances, and amid Fernandez’s surge in form, reports are seriously linking Real with a keen interest in signing the ex-Benfica star.

Some sources have suggested that Chelsea could be open to a part-exchange deal involving Fernandez and Fede Valverde, but a new report from Spain has made the Blues’ demands crystal clear.

Chelsea set mammoth price tag for Enzo Fernández amid Real Madrid interest

It is now believed that Real’s interest has intensified, with Alonso personally telling the La Liga giants to pursue Fernandez in a bid to upgrade his midfield.

However, Chelsea have placed a £100 million price tag on Fernandez, so if Real want to open talks, they could have to make him the Londoners’ biggest-ever sale.

Chelsea’s most expensive sales of all time

Rank

Player

Fee

Sold to

Year

1

Eden Hazard

£89m

Real Madrid

2019

2

Kai Havertz

£65m

Arsenal

2023

3

Oscar

£60m

Shanghai SIPG

2017

4

Álvaro Morata

£58.3m

Atlético Madrid

2020

5

Diego Costa

£57m

Atlético Madrid

2017

Sky Sports pundit Micah Richards best summed up Fernandez’s newly-found importance to Chelsea, praising him as a “leader” in the squad who has a “little bit of everything” after yet another great performance against Liverpool just prior to the international break.

He would now be difficult to replace, and Chelsea will hope that Fernandez’s knee problem isn’t too serious after he was forced to withdraw from international duty.