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Ruben Amorim has admitted he "will not have the time" to fix Manchester United after their latest Premier League defeat away at Nottingham Forest.

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• Elanga strike sank Man Utd at City Ground
• It was their 13th PL defeat of the season
• Amorim believes he is on borrowed time

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  United suffered yet another setback in what has been a dismal season on Tuesday, with Anthony Elanga’s early strike proving enough for Forest to secure a deserved victory at the City Ground. The result left United languishing in 13th place in the Premier League, further increasing scrutiny on Amorim’s tenure.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Tuesday’s loss marked United’s 13th league defeat of the season, putting them just one short of their worst-ever tally in a single Premier League campaign (14). This has put Amorim's tactical blueprint under the spotlight, and the Portuguese manager believes that he might be on borrowed time at Old Trafford.

• WHAT AMORIM SAID

  "In Manchester United, you don't have the time," Amorim said to reporters after the game. "I will not have the time. We have to get it right fast.

  "In here, the pressure is too big sometimes. We start the game suffering a goal and put Nottingham in the place they want to be — defending with lots of men — then they have really fast players to make transitions. Even with that, we controlled the game quite well, especially in the second half. We push forward but again, in the final third, we were not good enough."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MAN UTD?

  Amorim will need to find quick solutions to address the team’s ongoing struggles, as the season threatens to spiral even further out of control. Moreover, the pressure is unlikely to ease as United prepare for a massive derby clash against Manchester City at Old Trafford this weekend.

Tottenham Hotspur are now seen as the major contenders to sign a “complete” centre-back in January, with Ange Postecoglou’s side entering pole position to acquire his services as we quickly move towards the winter window.

Spurs target new central defender for Postecoglou amid injury crisis

Spurs links to new central defenders carry on emerging at a very consistent rate ahead of January, coming as the Lilywhites contend without Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven and Ben Davies, who are all sidelined due to injury.

£41m centre-back now open to leaving club after Tottenham express interest

Spurs need new defensive options.

By
Emilio Galantini

Dec 21, 2024

Postecoglou has just Radu Dragusin and a makeshift Archie Gray as his centre-back pairing right now, and this has reportedly motivated technical director Johan Lange to dip into the market for reinforcements mid-season.

A number of astute defensive options have been linked via the media in the build up to next month, with Feyenoord’s David Hancko, RC Lens starlet Abdukodir Khusanov, Getafe mainstay Omar Alderete and Inter Milan defender Yann Bisseck all mentioned as potential targets.

Hancko is open to leaving Feyenoord amid Spurs’ interest, while it is believed Postecoglou’s side have made an approach for Khusanov, as Lens instruct super-agent Jorge Mendes to find him a new club.

There are some suggestions that Tottenham have held talks over a move for Alderete already, but this is yet to gain traction in the national media, even if the Paraguay international is available for a very doable £13 million – the value of his release clause.

Meanwhile, CaughtOffside believe that Spurs are considering January bid for Bisseck, who has impressed for Serie A champions Inter since signing for the Nerazzurri from Aarhus.

That being said, the German may not come cheap when taking into account the fact he signed a new deal last month.

Tottenham in pole position to sign Leeds defender Pascal Struijk

Alongside Bissek, another report from CaughtOffside has tipped the north Londoners to make a potential move for Leeds United stalwart Pascal Struijk.

The 25-year-old is a crucial figurehead at the heart of Daniel Farke’s backline as the Whites push for Premier League promotion again this season, which has earned him admiring glances from Spurs, Wolves and Brighton.

However, Tottenham are the team in pole position to sign Struijk right now, with Postecoglou’s side viewed as favourites to secure his signature over both Wolves and the Seagulls. Leeds will want around £25 million to sell the defender in January, but that price could be worth considering.

Journalist Suleyman Ozturk, speaking to Voetbal Zone, urged Spurs to make a move for Struijk as far back as last year – claiming he is the “best” defender in England’s second tier and a “complete” player.

“He is a complete and mature defender,” said Ozturk in November 2023. “Now that Micky van de Ven has been injured, I would like to give Ange Postecoglou some advice: Struijk can easily join the defence of Tottenham Hotspur.

“That boy really plays at too low a level. I can well imagine that a big club will come for him in January. He really is the best defender in the Championship at the moment.

“I think he will make that step, because getting into the Dutch selection from the second level is difficult. I really think he’s great.”

Outgoing NZC chief says while the priority will be given to contracted players, conversations with Boult have been “very positive”

ESPNcricinfo staff11-May-2023Days after Trent Boult expressed his desire to feature in the 2023 ODI World Cup, New Zealand Cricket’s outgoing chief executive officer David White has said he will be “surprised” if the left-arm quick does not represent New Zealand in the tournament later this year.Boult was released from his central contract last August at his own request in order to spend more time with his family and increase his availability for franchise leagues around the world. However, White, who had taken NZC’s charge in 2012, said that centrally contracted players would be at the front of the selection queue.”We have made it very clear that priority is given to centrally-contracted players,” White told New Zealand radio station this week. “That was the case during the summer. It is very important for the integrity of the competition and of the contracting model that we give priority to our centrally-contracted players.”Related

• Hesson: Boult's 'flexi' NZC deal untidy, will open 'a can of worms'

• David White to step down as NZC chief executive in August

• Trent Boult: 'It felt bizarre to have a Test on down the road and not play in it'

• Boult still has a 'big desire' to play ODI World Cup in India

White revealed that NZC had kept the communication open with Boult, hinting the seamer was likely to be on the flight to India for the World Cup.”In saying that, we’ve had a lot of conversations with Trent over the last few weeks and months,” White said. “I’d be very surprised if he wasn’t representing New Zealand in the World Cup, and we’re having very positive conversations with him.”Boult has not played international cricket since New Zealand’s T20 World Cup semi-final defeat to Pakistan in November 2022 and has not played a Test match in nearly a yearIn February, New Zealand’s coach Gary Stead said he had spoken to Boult ahead of the two-Test series at home against England and explained why he would not be in contention despite injuries to Matt Henry and Kyle Jamieson at the time. Even then, Stead had left Boult optimistic for future New Zealand assignments.”It does not mean we have ruled Trent out from anything in the future,” Stead had said. “There will be ongoing discussion and we’re not sure what the landscape of the cricket world will look like in six months. It might change again.”Boult, who is currently playing in the IPL for Rajasthan Royals, told ESPNcricinfo in a recent chat that he remains hopeful about playing another ODI World Cup, a desire which took seed as soon as New Zealand lost the 2019 World Cup in a heart-breaking finish. “I remember after the 2019 final, I said to Kane [Williamson] that we’ve got to be there again, come 2023 in India. One hundred percent, I’ve got that desire to be out there.”

‘Representing country still the pinnacle’

T20 leagues like the IPL offer big money and a better work-life balance, which force players to reconsider their career paths. Along with Boult, New Zealand allrounder James Neeesham too had declined a central contract, while Colin de Grandhomme retired from international cricket.But White felt a lot of present-day cricketers still preferred representing their country over playing in franchise cricket.”I think that the players still say that Test cricket and representing their country is still the pinnacle,” he said. “[With] the majority of the players, that is certainly the case. It would be fair to say that a lot of the players that are going into leagues are former [internationals], or [are] towards the end of their career. So I am not so concerned about that.”The really positive thing about cricket compared to a lot of other sports is that it’s being bankrolled primarily by India, which is now the most populated country in the world. There are huge resources and a lot of revenue, which is good for cricket. So it’s just important that New Zealand Cricket ensures that we stay relevant. That way we influence the international game at the ICC level, and we can compete at the highest level.”I think over the next year or two, there’ll be a little bit more certainty about where that goes. But the international game is strong. I think we are very well-positioned, and I’m very proud of what we have achieved over my tenure.”

Two successive Championships and a strong White Rose flavour to the national side and already they are wondering in the Broad Acres whether Yorkshire would beat England

Alan Gardner22-Sep-2015During the 2012 Olympics it became a popular exercise to work out where Yorkshire would be on the medal table if it were an independent country. For a good stretch of the Games they were ahead of Australia and, to general delight in the Broad Acres, the efforts of Jessica Ennis, Nicola Adams and the Brownlee brothers saw Yorkshire finish a very respectable (and entirely theoretical) 12th.That same summer, Jason Gillespie got started on the business of reviving Yorkshire cricket. Relegation in 2011 had provoked another famous Yorkshire characteristic: plain speaking. Colin Graves, the club’s chairman, called performances a “disgrace”, and although what followed was hardly the doldrums – a year in Division Two, during which they were unbeaten – it was easier to express pride in Yorkshire’s Olympians than their cricketers.Three years on and Yorkshire have celebrated back-to-back Championship titles for the first time since the 1960s, when God’s Own County seemingly had a divine right to the trophy. To the surprise of no one, Yorkshiremen all over the land are rather happy again. Their bubble may have been burst by defeat at Lord’s three days after retaining the pennant – thus allowing Yorkshire supporters the existential ambrosia of being able to crow and grumble at the same time – but by then the nationhood question had raised its flat-capped head once again.Essentially, could Yorkshire beat England?Club-versus-country arguments in English cricket have become less vociferous since the advent of central contracts but the rumblings were there at the start of the season, when six Yorkshire players were whisked off to the Caribbean just as the Championship began. To make matters worse, England only deigned to pick three of them against West Indies. In all, Yorkshire donated seven of their number to the national team over the summer but shrugged off such privations (eventually) to win the title with two and a half games to spare.Where would Yorkshire rank as a Test nation, asked the agents provocateur excitedly on Twitter. Joe Root had led the way with the bat as England regained the Ashes but what if he swapped his brilliant-whites for the White Rose and took guard against Jimmy and Broady?It is here we move back into the realms of the hypothetical. England would clearly have to allow the likes of Root, Jonny Bairstow and Adil Rashid to turn out for their county – you might say they began the process this summer by unceremoniously handing back Adam Lyth and Gary Ballance – but who would take their places? And where would the match be played? Headingley would only provide one of the two with home advantage, while Lord’s, the only place Yorkshire have lost over the last couple of years, seems the natural counterbalance. Perhaps the Midlands could host a series decider.England actually lined up against county opposition in recent years, generally avoiding embarrassment during drawn Ashes warm-up matches, against Warwickshire in 2009 and Essex in 2013. This would not be quite the same as making a few runs against Naqaash Tahir or struggling to dismiss Jaik Mickleburgh, however.Many feel that Ryan Sidebottom is still wily enough to perform in Tests and he would surely give Alastair Cook, who is regularly troubled by left-arm seam, a thorough working over. Rashid has not yet been trusted at that level, but given how often English batsmen have been befuddled by legspin over the years, he would have a decent chance of upstaging Moeen Ali.While the first-class stats of England’s Yorkshire replacements in the batting order* – Alex Hales, James Taylor and James Vince – stand up to scrutiny, the inclusion of all three in the Test side would perhaps best be described as experimental. And while Jos Buttler is the England incumbent behind the stumps, Jonny Bairstow’s 1071 Championship runs at an average of more than 100 suggests Yorkshire would have the form man.Yorkshire can rely on passionate support at Headingley, as Gary Ballance can testify•Getty ImagesShould James Hildreth get a mention? Who decided to drop Steven Finn? Could Yorkshire still field an overseas player? These are all imponderables that I am going to ask here before you do.It’s unfortunate, at least in the matter of petty parochial rivalries, that there is only one Lancastrian in the England XI – though Jimmy Anderson would happily wage a War of the Roses on his own. This selection also features a broad mix of north and south, which might produce an inclusive and harmonious environment that blends together the best aspects of the United Kingdom; or quite possibly see their weak regional bonds torn apart by the juggernaut belligerence of England’s largest county.Then again, as David Cameron alluded to in his surprisingly astute/gravely offensive (delete as preferred) comments about Yorkshire folk last week, membership of the White Rose is hardly a guarantee of unity. Both the Yorkshire committee and the ECB seem to have put the infighting behind them but the chances of the cricket not being overshadowed by a barney must be minimal during what many are already calling the hold-a-grudge match.Anyway, the lobbying for this fixture to replace the MCC-Champion County match at the start of the season begins here. The only thing that we can agree on is total disagreement. You can, of course, have your druthers below.*As selected on last week’s county blogEngland (probable) 1 Alastair Cook (capt), 2 Alex Hales, 3 Ian Bell, 4 James Taylor, 5 James Vince, 6 Ben Stokes, 7 Jos Buttler, 8 Moeen Ali, 9 Stuart Broad, 10 Mark Wood, 11 James AndersonYorkshire (probable) 1 Adam Lyth, 2 Alex Lees, 3 Gary Ballance, 4 Joe Root, 5 Andrew Gale (capt), 6 Jonny Bairstow (wk), 7 Adil Rashid, 8 Tim Bresnan, 9 Liam Plunkett, 10 Jack Brooks, 11 Ryan Sidebottom

The January transfer window is officially set to open for business next month and it remains to be seen whether or not Celtic will be busy in the market.

Brendan Rodgers’ side have already won a trophy this season, beating Rangers on penalties in the League Cup final on Sunday, and have been impressive in the Scottish Premiership and the Champions League.

Celtic came out on top on penalties against their Glasgow rivals at Hampden Park at the weekend after a thrilling 3-3 draw during regular time.

The Hoops have also won 14 of their 15 matches in the top-flight and are already nine points clear of Aberdeen in second place, which shows that they are well on their way to sealing a fourth straight title.

Meanwhile, they have only lost one of their six matches in the Champions League, with a 7-1 hammering by Borussia Dortmund their only defeat of the season in all competitions so far.

Despite the team’s fantastic performances, domestically and in Europe, Rodgers and the club are reportedly looking at possible signings to bolster the playing squad when the January transfer window opens up.

Celtic's interest in English defender

According to Football Insider, Celtic are ‘pushing’ to sign Hertha Berlin right-back Jonjoe Kenny to add to their defensive depth ahead of the second half of the season.

Transfer Focus

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

The report claims that the Hoops are monitoring the 2. Bundesliga full-back ahead of a possible swoop for his services next month, although there is no mention of how much the German side would want for his services.

It states that Rodgers is hoping to make additions to his playing squad in January to ensure that his team can continue to compete on all fronts, with the Premiership, the SFA Cup, and the Champions League still to play for in the coming months.

Football Insider adds, though, that it is currently unlikely that Kenny will complete a move to Parkhead because of his existing history with the Scottish giants.

The English defender spent time on loan in Glasgow in the second half of the 2020/21 campaign and the report claims that his bad experience during that spell is a stumbling block ahead of a possible return to Celtic.

Football Insider reveals that the Hoops are pushing to get a deal done, though, and they could be, as a result, pushing to repeat the same error that Neil Lennon made in 2021.

Jonjoe Kenny's first spell with Celtic

The England U21 international arrived at Parkhead on loan from Premier League Everton in the winter transfer window at the start of 2021, as the club were looking for a replacement for Jeremie Frimpong.

Bayer Leverkusen had swooped for the Dutch starlet in January and Kenny was subsequently brought in on a short-term deal to start at right-back until the end of the season.

Unfortunately, the Englishman ended up playing a part in the team that failed to secure a tenth straight Premiership title, with Steven Gerrard’s Rangers side ultimately winning the division.

Lennon, who brought Kenny to the club on loan, was sacked later the same month and John Kennedy was in interim charge for the remainder of the campaign, before being replaced by Ange Postecoglou – who arrived after the Everton loanee had returned to Goodison Park.

As you can see in the table above, Kenny started all 14 of his appearances in the Premiership but failed to impress, making as many errors that led to opposition shots as he registered assists.

Football Insider pundit Noel Whelan accused him of “schoolboy” defending after his poor pass that led to a corner and then subsequent marking led to a goal from Alfredo Morelos in the Old Firm, in a 1-1 draw.

The same pundit went on to say that Kenny was one of the players who was “not good enough” and would likely leave to never return at the end of the season, as his loan came to an end.

Why Celtic should avoid Jonjoe Kenny

Celtic are reportedly pushing to bring the 27-year-old dud back for a second spell and are in danger of repeating Lennon’s flop with the “schoolboy” defender.

Firstly, signing a player who has already tried and failed to impress at Parkhead, as part of a poor team that failed to win the title, would immediately put him on the back foot with the fanbase, which is not an ideal situation for a player coming in midway through a season.

Also, his performances in the 2. Bundesliga for Hertha Berlin this season do not suggest that he would come in and improve the Celtic squad, which would mean that the Hoops would be taking a big gamble – given his disastrous first spell – by bringing him back.

The £13k-per-week defender has started 16 matches in the second division of German football and contributed with one goal and two ‘big chances’ created for his side.

This shows that he has not provided a consistent, quality, threat at the top end of the pitch from a right-back position, which Rodgers does get from his current first-choice in that role – Alistair Johnston.

As you can see in the table above, the Canada international offers significantly more as an attacking threat whilst also being less vulnerable defensively.

These statistics suggest that it is unlikely that Kenny, who has already struggled at Parkhead in the Premiership once, would come in to offer an upgrade on Johnston.

This is why Rodgers and the recruitment team must opt to avoid a move for the Hertha Berlin defender next month, and identify alternative targets to come in and bolster their squad.

Celtic star "just secured his departure" with 5/10 cup final showing

The Celtic defender endured a difficult afternoon in the League Cup final against Rangers.

By
Dan Emery

Dec 16, 2024

Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney are reportedly seeking “further partners” at Wrexham, with more investment required en route to the Premier League.

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• A-list owners funding ambitious project
• Have brought billionaire Allyn family on board
• Plan is to reach the top tier at some stage

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Hollywood co-owners in North Wales have never shied away from the fact that they want to take the Red Dragons into the top tier. The most ambitious of targets were drawn up after seeing a stunning takeover completed in 2021.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Wrexham have risen as far as League One, having enjoyed back-to-back promotions, and now find themselves knocking on the door to the Championship. Another step up the EFL ladder would leave them just one away from joining the elite.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Reynolds and McElhenney have helped to fund an action-packed adventure, which has been documented for the ‘Welcome to Wrexham’ series, but even they do not have the funds required to compete in the billionaire world of Premier League life.

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  TELL ME MORE

  A stake in Wrexham has already been sold to the New York-based Allyn family, who boast deep pockets, but reports that “further partners” are being sought “who may wish to pump money into the club in exchange for a shareholding”.

Wrexham recorded a comfortable 2-0 win over Exeter City on Saturday to strengthen their hopes of winning automatic promotion.

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• Wrexham won comfortably
• Rathbone and Rodriguez scored
• Red Dragons second behind Birmingham

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  TELL ME MORE

  In Devon, Wrexham had the lead against Exeter within 23 minutes, as Ollie Rathbone's shot found the back of the net via a deflection in the area.

  The goal came after Sam Smith thought he had opened the scoring, only to see the offside flag raised.

  In the second half, Wrexham doubled their lead on the hour; after Jay Rodriguez was fouled in the area, the former Southampton striker stepped up to score from 12 yards.

  The Welsh side pressed for more, but they were held back by a determined Exeter backline.

  Phil Parkinson's side now sit nine points behind leaders Birmingham, but the Blues have two games in hand, and are almost certain to win the title, barring a spectacular collapse. Perhaps more encouraging is the fact that Wrexham are now three points clear of third-placed Wycombe Wanderers, although they have a game in hand on the Red Dragons.

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• THE MVP

  Rodriguez can bring a touch of class to League One and he did so for Wrexham on Saturday. Not only did he convert from 12 yards, he was a constant menace leading the line, and was also regularly willing to drop deep to collect possession, thus confusing Exeter's defensive organisation.

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  THE BIG LOSER

  It's becoming increasingly difficult to envisage Wrexham restoring Paul Mullin to this team. With Rodriguez leading the line so well, and the likes of Smith and Steven Fletcher also still capable of providing real quality, it is hard to disagree with the assessment that the formerly indispensable forward is "finished" in Wales. That he was not even in the squad is surely a sign that he will soon be on his way.

• WHAT COMES NEXT?

  Wrexham face Cambridge United on Tuesday before a clash with Burton Albion on Saturday. Both sides are currently in the bottom four of League One.

Steven Croft adds unbeaten fifty in match dominated by Surrey over first three days

Paul Edwards09-Apr-2023Towards the end of the Amazon Prime video Sam Mendes risks challenging the film’s central figure, Ben Stokes, with a famous quotation from Albert Camus: “A man’s work is nothing but the slow trek to rediscover, though the detours of art, those two or three great and simple images in whose presence his heart first opened.” The experiment is not a success. “Dunno what you’re on about, mate,” says England’s Test captain.All the same, as Josh Bohannon made a match-saving century against Surrey this afternoon, one was reminded of Camus’ words by the pleasure the Lancashire batsman now takes from his sport and how he has blended simple enjoyment with professional accomplishment.It has not always been so. There was a time when Bohannon called his morning drive to Emirates Old Trafford “going to work” and when his cricket seemed inhibited by the intensity with which he played it. Some sessions with a sports psychologist followed and in time he was able to understand that dismissals were batting’s inevitable occupational hazards. That, of course, is not the same as tolerating the sort of sloppy cricket that led to his getting out in the first innings of this game; it is merely an acceptance of one of the truths of his chosen trade. It enables a cricketer to relax, to see his life in clearer proportion.Related

• Essex state their Championship case with comprehensive victory over Middlesex

• Tom Lammonby, Craig Overton bat Somerset to safety in draw with Warwickshire

• Ben Compton's 114* leads Kent to victory over Northamptonshire

Now Old Trafford on this final afternoon. Bohannon and Steven Croft have put on over a hundred runs for the third wicket but there is still a shedload of work to do if Lancashire are to save this game. What’s more, Sean Abbott and Kemar Roach are bowling short and nasty with at least three close fielders somewhere on the leg side. Bohannon fends one off and a half-smile plays across his face. At the end of the over he chats with Croft; they are two blood-Lancastrians at different stages of their careers. They punch gloves and then go back to their creases to dig in again.Eventually, the bowlers became tired and were replaced by part-time spinners. Bohannon came in to tea on 85 and Surrey’s scrap of hope now rested on the new ball. Before that could be taken, however, Rory Burns had to find somebody to send down a few “filler” overs and so absolutely nothing was more out of keeping with the temper of Bohannon’s innings than the ease with which he stroked Ollie Pope’s fifth ball in first-class cricket to the off-side boundary, thus reaching his century off 173 balls with his 14th four. To be truthful, though, you can disregard some statistics; it was Bohannon’s 173-run stand for the third wicket with Croft that mattered. As for Pope, his one over may already be a cricket society quiz questionHaving made 108, Bohannon opted not to play a ball from Dan Worrall that knocked out his off stump. It was a misjudgement and, although by no means his first, it barely mattered. Less than four overs later, the players were shaking hands with Croft taking quiet comfort from his third-fiddle innings of 56 not out. At that point, it was useful to recall that Surrey had dominated the first three days of this game and also that the pitch on which it had been played was as dry and true as any of Old Trafford’s April wickets in recent memory.And it was even more useful, perhaps, to remember the first session of this match, when the intensity of the cricket had offered a graphic rebuttal to those who deride the domestic game. For three quarters of an hour Luke Wells and Keaton Jennings resisted the accuracy of Surrey’s high-quality seamers with all the technical resources at their disposal. Nothing happened to disturb the calm of Easter Sunday morning apart from Wells clipping Worrall over square leg for six.Then both openers were winkled out in the space of seven balls. First Jennings, who had been cramped for room by Ben Foakes standing up and bowled off his pads by Jordan Clark in the first innings, was dismissed by the same combination when he played an indeterminate cut but only inside-edged the ball into his middle stump. They are dismissals that video-analysts around the circuit will be studying. Then Wells, having played capably for his 45 runs, pulled Kemar Roach straight to Worrall at long leg and, as ever with this batsman, felt the sins of the world on shoulders that were now hunched over his bat. Eventually the Lancashire opener hauled himself off the ground – but it took a while.And Surrey could have enjoyed further success. When he had made two, Bohannon nicked Abbott to slip where Pope put the two-handed chance down. The ball travelled quickly and it was a tough opportunity but one allowed oneself the thought that Easter Sunday morning was hardly the most apt time for any Pope to drop a bollock.Bohannon put the escape away and was soon enjoying the first of his many chats with Croft. As it happens, this was his 26th birthday and there were worse ways to celebrate it than batting with a mate and making a hundred. The achievement will have mattered to him – but not too much. Four years ago success and failure were everything. But then Josh was so much older then; he’s younger than that now.

Despite all the chaos of the previous two seasons at Chelsea, things are actually going remarkably well for the Blues right now.

Following Sunday’s 3-0 demolition of Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge, they’re currently third in the Premier League, below Arsenal by virtue of alphabetical order only, considering the two London rivals have an identical number of points, goal difference, goals scored and head-to-head record.

Enzo Maresca has given minutes to 30 different players this season, second only to Southampton across all competitions, rotating his squad heavily for EFL Cup and UEFA Conference League fixtures, keeping star players fresh for Premier League commitments.

Chelsea's plethora of attacking options

Going forward in particular is where Maresca has an abundance of options at his disposal.

The form of Cole Palmer and Nicolas Jackson means they are undroppable, but countless combinations featuring Pedro Neto, Jadon Sancho, Noni Madueke, Mykhailo Mudryk or Joao Felix have completed the attacking quartet in the Premier League so far.

Madueke appeared to be the first-choice on the right wing, starting 11 successive Premier League fixtures, a sequence that began in August when he bagged this hat-trick at Molineux, before being benched at the weekend.

Meantime, Neto’s Chelsea career appeared ready for take-off when he scored an absolute rocket from distance against Arsenal, his first league goal for the club, but a knock suffered on international duty has hindered his progress.

That’s not even mentioning Christopher Nkunku, who hasn’t started in the league since the opening day, despite scoring in all six European fixtures so far, on target 11 times across all competitions, but he still can’t get much of a look in.

Having said all of that, by next summer, there will be a new kid on the block, with Chelsea having already got their hands on a teenage sensation.

Chelsea's Brazilian superstar

Back in June, Chelsea announced the signing of Estêvão Willian, describing him as “one of the most exciting talents around”.

He’ll join from reigning Brasileirão champions Palmeiras, costing a reported fee of £29 million, arriving in the summer of 2025 following his 18th birthday, potentially in time for the ill-fated FIFA Club World Cup.

Upon arrival, the teenager will surely become the 15th Brazilian to make a senior appearance for Chelsea.

Some, such as Thiago Silva, Willian, Oscar, Ramires and David Luiz, were ultra-successful; others, looking at you Alexandre Pato and Lucas Piazón, not so much.

Estêvão certainly has the talent to fall into the former category, described as “the best player to have emerged from Brazilian football since Neymar” by João Paulo Sampaio, head of Palmeiras’ academy, adding “you watch him and you fall in love”.

Scout Jacek Kulig on Twitter compared Estêvão’s stats after 28 Brasileirão appearances to both Neymar and Vinícius Júnior stating “I’m not suggesting that Estêvão will surpass Vini or Neymar, but the way he’s started his senior career is absolutely crazy”.

Across all competitions, the teenager has 14 goals in 44 appearances for the Verdão, as well as providing ten assists, most recently the only scorer during a victory over Grêmio in early November.

According to FBref’s scouting report, Estêvão ranks extremely highly for all the key attacking metrics compared to positionally similar players in comparable leagues.

In The Pipeline

Football FanCast's In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.

He is in the top 10% for shots, assists, shot-creating actions, progressive carries, successful take-ons, touches and progressive passes, which isn’t bad for a 17-year-old.

Of course, he is plying his trade at a lower level and, a tale of caution, his former teammate Luis Guilherme, a year older, arrived at West Ham to similar fanfare for a fee of £25m last summer, but he is yet to make any discernible impact in East London, appearing only twice for a total of 11 minutes to date.

So, Chelsea unquestionably have a serious talent on their hands, but patience will be required and it may take time before we see the best of Estêvão in a blue shirt.

Their answer to Odegaard: Chelsea keen on signing "world-class" £42m star

Chelsea could be about to make a move for a huge European talent.

By
Ethan Lamb

Dec 3, 2024

In a game of fine margins, isn’t it wrong to assume that a delivery delivered from 21.8 yards would yield the same result as one delivered from 22.2 yards?

Rodney Ulyate26-Aug-2015Steven Finn draws an edge from Steven Smith, but turns out to have overstepped the mark. Cue several minutes’ angst in the Sky commentary box about ill-disciplined bowlers and umpires who don’t bother checking for no-balls anymore. If Finn’s heel had been behind the line, rather than eight yards over it, he would finally have had a wicket to his name, and England would be right back in the contest. So, at any rate, goes the unspoken assumption.But let’s try something that isn’t often tried in the Sky commentary box: let’s try thinking about this for a moment. If Finn’s delivery had been legal, it would not have pitched where it did – probably would have been several inches shorter – for the simple reason that Finn would have delivered it from a few inches further back. It would likely also have been straighter, given the angle of the delivery. And slower! It takes less time to travel 21-and-a-bit yards than the licit 22.Smith, in other words, would have been facing an entirely different delivery. Is there any justification for assuming (as everyone does) that he would have nicked that one, too? I don’t think there is. Belike he would have whopped it to the fence.The difference between a foot fault and a legitimate ball is roughly equivalent to the difference between an outside edge and a play-and-miss, or an outside edge and one of those bat-shimmying miscues so beloved of the slow-motion montages, which is to say that it makes all the difference in the world.Could we please stop being stupid about this now?If you have a submission for Inbox, send it to us here, with “Inbox” in the subject line.