Glasgow Rangers head coach Danny Rohl is only a few weeks away from having the chance to make changes to his playing squad for the first time since he joined the club.
The German boss arrived after the summer transfer window, which was spearheaded by Russell Martin and Kevin Thelwell, which means that he does not have any of his own signings.
Whilst the former Sheffield Wednesday boss will want to make some signings of his own to bolster the squad, Rohl may also want to move some of the current players on in the January transfer window.
The Rangers players who should be let go in January
There are several current first-team duds who should be moved on ahead of the second half of the season because they do not look like key players for the new manager.
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Clinton Nsiala, for example, is yet to play a single minute of football in the 2025/26 campaign, per Transfermarkt, and has only made the matchday squad on four occasions.
With John Souttar, Derek Cornelius, Nasser Djiga, and Emmanuel Fernandez ahead of him in the pecking order when fit, an exit in January could be the best move for his career.
Rabbi Matondo, per Transfermarkt, is another player who has not played a single minute of action this season and has not made any matchday squads, which suggests that he may be free to find a new club in January if he is not part of the manager’s plans.
Finally, Kieran Dowell should also be moved on in the winter amid reported interest from English Championship side Hull City, who are looking to sign him on loan.
Why Kieran Dowell should never play a minute under Danny Rohl
The English attacking midfielder, who spent the second half of last season on loan at Birmingham, played 384 minutes across six appearances in July and August under Martin and failed to score any goals before picking up an injury.
He was even described as “non-existent” by Heart & Hand content creator David Edgar in the 2-0 win over Panathinaikos in July, as he failed to create a single chance in 75 minutes on the pitch, per Sofascore.
Now back fit, having played for the U19s with Dujon Sterling last month, Dowell has not been involved in a single matchday squad for Rohl, per Sofascore, which suggests that he is not in the manager’s thoughts for the first-team.
With Hull said to be interested in signing him, Rangers appear to have the opportunity to move him on from Ibrox on loan for the second half of the season, before his contract expires in the summer, per Transfermarkt.
The Light Blues would, therefore, be allowing him to leave on a free transfer after his loan spell at Hull ends, which would give the Tigers a chance to assess whether or not they want to sign him permanently ahead of the 2026/27 campaign.
On top of having that option, Dowell should also not play a single minute for Rohl between now and January because Lyall Cameron would be a better player to bring in if the manager wants to change his attacking midfielder.
Appearances
12
33
Goals
0
9
Conversion rate
0%
17%
Key passes per game
0.7
1.6
Big chances created
3
6
Assists
0
5
The Scottish starlet, as shown in the table above, appears far more likely to make an impact in the Scottish Premiership as an attacking midfielder, after a return of 15 goal contributions last season.
Cameron, however, has been an unused substitute in seven of the last eight games in all competitions, and in all of the last four, per Transfermarkt, which shows how difficult it is to get a place in the team under the German head coach.
Therefore, given how far down the pecking order he is, it is hard to see a situation where Dowell ends up playing any minutes on the pitch for Rangers before he has the chance to join Hull on loan at the start of next month.
This is why the former Norwich City playmaker, who has registered zero goals and one assist in six games this season, should never play for Rohl, and why he should be allowed to leave on loan in January before being released on a free transfer next summer.
Bid already submitted: Rangers could sign a "very pacy" Gassama replacement
Rangers could replace Djeidi Gassama on the wing by signing this reported target in the January window.
ByDan Emery 2 days ago
The left-footed flop has only provided two goals and three assists in 38 appearances for Rangers, per Transfermarkt, since his move from the Canaries in 2023, which illustrates how little he has contributed as an attacking force on the pitch in his time at Ibrox.
The selectors are again planning for the possibility of needing to call on fast bowling depth against India
Tristan Lavalette15-Oct-2024Australia fielding an unchanged frontline pace attack last summer might have been an “outlier” as selectors strategise over their seam options in the wake of losing allrounder Cameron Green.Emphasising their remarkable durability, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood have played in Australia’s last nine Tests stretching back to the Ashes tour.Related
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Last summer they were aided by bowler-friendly conditions at home and in New Zealand where none of the seven matches went into a fifth day. In only three of the innings did Australia need to bowl more than 78 overs which helped them keep fresh.But India’s imposing batting line-up represents a different challenge with the expectation that Australia will be made to toil in the upcoming five-match series played over seven weeks. There are doubts over whether Cummins, Starc and Hazlewood can replicate what they did last season and play the entirety of what should be a gruelling series.Australia’s pace depth has been tested with several fringe bowlers working their way back from injuries. Quick Lance Morris, uncapped at Test level but a regular squad member over the last couple of years, suffered an injury setback having picked up a quad strain in training recently but should return before the end of the month.Scott Boland and Michael Neser, who had a five-wicket haul for Queensland against Western Australia to start the Sheffield Shield season, have overcome off-season niggles and will be part of Australia A’s upcoming red-ball series against India A.”If you look at the quicks last year we were certainly prepared that they might not be able to play all the Tests and they did,” George Bailey, Australia chair of selectors, said on Monday.”Potentially that might have been an outlier and again this summer we’ll be prepared that if we do need to make some adjustments throughout the summer that we are ready to go.”The triumvirate’s workload could increase with Green sidelined for the entire summer due to a stress fracture of his back. Green’s bowling has been cautiously utilised in his Test career, but he was set to play a bigger role with the ball against India.”Someone like Cam basically started in Shield cricket as a bowler but hasn’t had to bowl heaps in Test matches. Now he is a few years older, I think we will be leaning on him a bit more,” Cummins said in August.1:08
Can India risk taking Shami to Aus if he misses the NZ Tests?
Mitchell Marsh might be required to help cover Green’s absence, but has bowled just four overs – all of which were in the fourth ODI against England at Lord’s – since tearing his hamstring during the IPL. He blasted 94 at No. 4 for WA in their second innings against Queensland, but did not bowl in the match as he mostly fielded in the slips and occasionally helped carry the drinks.If selectors decide on a like-for-like replacement then Aaron Hardie and Beau Webster will be in the frame. Hardie did not play in the opening Shield round due to a quad injury he picked up at the end of the England tour, but he is set to return for WA’s next match against Tasmania at the WACA starting on October 20.Bailey believed having an allrounder was a “luxury” rather than a necessity. “Even looking at the three quicks that we generally play in Test cricket, they’ve played a lot of Test cricket together where they haven’t had an allrounder as well”, he said.”Think it certainly depends on the personnel that are available. Guess the role that Cam and Mitch have played is that they’ve been able to hold down a spot purely on the back of their batting and think that’s still fundamentally what’s most important in that top six.”Will continue preparing for Mitch Marsh to bowl some overs as well, that’s been part of his management for the last couple of months.”Australia’s hierarchy have carefully managed workloads of the quicks ahead of the India series, with Cummins missing the entire white-ball England tour to give him a break from bowling.Cummins is unlikely to play a Shield game before the India series and will instead prepare by leading Australia in their ODI series against Pakistan. But Hazlewood and Starc are set to play in at least one Shield match before the Pakistan series.”Pat’s obviously had an individual prep, but if you go through the Test team from the end of last year and their build up to the first Test this year, everyone’s slightly nuanced,” Bailey said.”There’s always an eye to the individual as to what their best preparation is for any Test summer. I think the proliferation of franchise cricket means that there are plenty of opportunities and temptations for players to fill gaps.”Pat, Mitch and Josh have been pretty amazing over how they’ve been able to select which franchise tournaments they play. And they always give themselves good breaks when it’s appropriate as well.”
Thomas Muller revealed his reasons for joining Vancouver Whitecaps after leaving a long stint at Bayern Munich.
Müller signs with Whitecaps after Bayern exitCites ambition, and clear plan as reasonsSet for August 17 debut vs Houston DynamoFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Bayern legend Muller has officially joined Major League Soccer side Vancouver Whitecaps, bringing down the curtain on his legendary 25-year spell at the German champions. The 35-year-old forward has signed a short-term deal that will see him join immediately, with the option to become a Designated Player from the 2026 season. Muller is expected to make his debut on August 17 against Houston Dynamo, pending match fitness and final paperwork.
The Whitecaps, currently battling for a playoff spot in the Western Conference, have made it clear they’re aiming higher, and Muller’s arrival is a signal of serious intent.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportWHAT MULLER SAID
Muller shed light on the motivation behind his decision to join the Canadian club, making it clear in his monthly newsletter that the move was carefully thought out.
He wrote: "What I particularly like is that since the season is already entering its final phase, I'm getting straight to the point. My first minutes of play will probably be on August 17 against Houston Dynamo. The overall package just worked. From a sporting perspective, we/they are in contention for the title and are currently in second place in the Western Conference. The discussions with managing director Axel Schuster and coach Jesper Sorensen were really good from the start, I noticed they know where they want to go. Clear words, as you know, I've always liked that.
The 2014 World Cup winner also threw light on being present at the turf with old team-mates until recently: "To be honest, this doesn't feel as strange as you might think. I've known about my situation since March and have had time to adjust. I'm now happy that my next stop has been decided and I can continue doing what I love: playing football. In the last few days, I've met my old team-mates and shared some wonderful moments. It was relaxed, with no feeling of farewell or anything like that."
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Muller’s move to Canada marks one of the most high-profile European arrivals in MLS history. While many stars choose larger US-based franchises, Muller’s decision reflects both personal and sporting factors, from club vision to lifestyle. Besides, the weather in Canada is also quite suitable for the Bavarian. It’s a major coup for the Whitecaps and a signal that the MLS continues to evolve as a genuine destination for world-class talent who still want to compete at a high level.
Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR THOMAS MULLER?
Muller is set to link up with his new teammates immediately and is expected to feature against Houston Dynamo later this month. With Vancouver firmly in the playoff mix, he could have a decisive impact on their title push. The club also has the option to register him as a Designated Player in 2026, a move that would further elevate his role as the face of their project both on and off the pitch.
حلل رينيه مولينستين، مدرب نادي مانشستر يونايتد السابق، تراجع مستوى محمد صلاح مع ليفربول خلال هذا الموسم، موضحًا أن الدولي المصري تأثر برحيل أحد اللاعبين عن صفوف الريدز هذا الصيف.
وغادر عن صفوف ليفربول العديد من اللاعبين ومن بين أبرزهم هذا العام هو ترينت ألكسندر أرنولد، والذي رحل عن الريدز منضمًا إلى ريال مدريد مقابل 10 ملايين يورو.
كما رحل عن ليفربول عدد من اللاعبين الآخرين من بينهم داروين نونيز، والذي انضم إلى صفوف الهلال مقابل 58 مليون يورو.
ويرى مولينستين في تصريحات نقلتها صحيفة “ديلي ميرور”، أن محمد صلاح قد تأثر حقًا برحيل أرنولد إلى ريال مدريد، مشيرًا إلى أن النجم المصري لم ينسجم مع الصفقات الجديدة بعد.
وقال مولينستين: “أعتقد أن رحيل ترينت ألكسندر أرنولد قد يكون عاملاً في أداء ليفربول، حيث غالبًا ما يبني اللاعبون شراكات وعلاقات في الملعب ويعرفون غريزيًا أين يمررون الكرة، أعتقد أن هذا الفهم بالغ الأهمية”.
اقرأ أيضًا.. تطورات جديدة بشأن مستقبل تير شتيجن مع برشلونة
وأضاف: ”فلوريان فيرتز لاعب آخر لا يزال يستعيد مستواه، لم يبدأ أساسيًا ضد مانشستر يونايتد لكنه قدم أداءً جيدًا عند دخوله بشكل أساسي أمس، يحتاج خط الهجوم إلى التناغم، كودي جاكبو الذي قدم أداءً جيدًا يوم الأحد ضد مانشستر يونايتد لا يزال يلعب بشكل جيد، لكن محمد صلاح بدا غير مستعد”.
وأوضح: “كان هذا غريبًا بعض الشيء خاصةً أن محمد صلاح سجل مؤخرًا هدفًا لمصر في تصفيات كأس العالم مساهمًا في وصولها إلى النهائيات، وهو إنجاز كبير، مع ذلك كانت هناك لحظات يوم الأحد ضد مانشستر يونايتد لم يظهر فيها على حالته الطبيعية، مثل التسديدة التي وضعها بجانب القائم”.
وأردف: “من الناحية الفنية، كان الأمر مجرد سوء فهم فعادةً ما كان يعدل جسده ويضع الكرة في الزاوية البعيدة”.
وتابع: “صلاح لاعب ذو خبرة، برأيي لا ينبغي أن نرهقه كثيرًا، كما قلت مع آرنولد علينا فقط أن ندعم صلاح، في العام الماضي وجدوا دورًا دفاعيًا جيدًا لصلاح مع منحه حرية التمركز في مواقع معينة يمكن لليفربول من خلالها شن هجمات مرتدة سريعة”.
واختتم: ”لقد نفذوا هذا ببراعة، أعتقد أن الأمر يعود إلى تأقلم العديد من اللاعبين الشباب الجدد وصلاح يمر بفترة سيئة حاليًا، لكنه سيتحسن، لن يصبح لاعبًا سيئًا بين عشية وضحاها”.
أعلن نادي برشلونة تعرض مهاجمه البولندي روبرت ليفاندوفسكي، مهاجم الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بالنادي الكتالوني لإصابة قوية في عضلة الفخذ.
وشارك ليفاندوفسكي في مباراة بولندا، أمس، ضد ليتوانيا في تصفيات قارة أوروبا المؤهلة إلى كأس العالم نسخة 2026، حيث فاز منتخب بلاده بهدفين وسجل هدفًا.
وتزداد التكهنات حول مستقبل ليفاندوفسكي، خلال الفترة المقبلة، حيث من المقرر أن ينتهي عقده الصيف المقبل.
وقدم ليفاندوفسكي مستويات متميزة مع برشلونة خلال السنوات الماضية، ولعب صاحب الـ37 عامًا دورًا كبيرًا في حصول الفريق الكتالوني الموسم الماضي على ثلاثية الدوري الإسباني وكأس السوبر الإسباني وكأس ملك إسبانيا.
اقرأ أيضًا | وجهة محتملة غير متوقعة لـ ليفاندوفسكي حال رحيله عن برشلونة
وأعلن نادي برشلونة اليوم الثلاثاء، أن روبرت ليفاندوفسكي يعاني من تمزق عضلي في العضلة ذات الرأسين الفخذية (الفخذ الأيسر) وستعتمد مدة تعافيه على حجم تطور الإصابة.
وسيغيب اللاعب البولندي عن الملاعب لمدة تتراوح بين 4 و6 أسابيع، حسبما ذكرت صحيفة “موندو ديبورتيفو” الإسانية، مما يعني غيابه المؤكد عن مباراة الكلاسيكو ضد ريال مدريد المقرر إقامتها يوم الأحد على ملعب سانتياجو برنابيو.
عاد ليفاندوفسكي إلى التدريبات في المدينة الرياضية يوم الثلاثاء، حيث خضع لفحوصات طبية بعد الألم الذي عانى منه عقب مباراة الأحد في تصفيات كأس العالم أمام ليتوانيا رفقة منتخب بلاده بولندا.
حتى اليوم، يعتمد هانز فليك فقط على ماركوس راشفورد، وفيران توريس، العائد من المنتخب الإسباني بسبب الإصابة، وروني باردجي في خط الهجوم لمباراة السبت المقبل ضد جيرونا على ملعب “مونتجويك”.
Glamorgan 247 for 9 (Douthwaite 55, Ingram 47, Root 46, Barnard 4-34) beat Warwickshire 208 (Burgess 85, McIlroy 3-42) by 39 runsDan Douthwaite turned into a matchwinner with both bat and ball as he guided Glamorgan into the Metro Bank One-Day Cup final at Trent Bridge next month with a 39-run victory over Warwickshire at Sophia Gardens.It was his lusty batting that first caught the eye as he hauled the home side through to a 50-over total of 247 for 9 after they had earlier been floundering at 44 for 4 in the 15th over. He hit four sixes – one out of the ground and into the River Taff – in his sparkling 55, hitting 16 off the final over from Oliver Hannon-Dalby.Prior to that Colin Ingram (47) and Billy Root (46) had steadied the innings. Then Douthwaite got into his bowling rhythm and removed Chris Benjamin and Kai Smith to catches at the wicket by Will Samile as he reduced the visitors to 62 for 6 in reply in the 21st over. They were eventually all out for 208.Timm van der Gugten, who had earlier scored 26 with the bat, picked up the wickets of Rob Yates (4) and Will Rhodes (4), while fellow paceman Jamie McIlroy got rid of the dangerous Ed Barnard (14) and Hamza Shaikh (8).Tight bowling and energetic fielding by the home side turned the screw on Warwickshire as the run-rate climbed to more than seven per over in the 26th over. The 100 came up in the 32nd over as the rate rose to more than eight per over.Michael Burgess was the only batter to provide some solid resistance in the middle order and he reached his half-century with a six off the spin of Ingram. He obviously enjoyed the experience as he hit the next two over the boundary for maximums.His seventh wicket stand with Jake Lintott reaped 87 runs and his 85 contained four sixes and six fours. His departure, caught at mid off by Douthwaite off the bowling of the returning McIlroy, left Warwickshire at 149 for 7 – still 99 short of their target with 11 overs to go.When Lintott was caught off a reverse sweep of the bowling of Ben Kellaway for 26 the game was up. There were a few big hits in defiance at the death – Michael Booth hit three sixes – but Warwickshire ended 40 runs short of the victory target.Warwickshire captain Barnard had no hesitation in asking Glamorgan to bat when he won the toss. Playing on the same Sophia Gardens wicket as used for the home side’s win last week over Yorkshire that earned them a straight semi-final tie, Barnard had obviously taken note of the help the pitch had given the seam bowlers in that match.It proved to be a good choice for the seam attack that he led. Opening the bowling and running straight through his allotted 10 overs, the visiting skipper ripped through Glamorgan’s top order and ended with 4 for 34 in his top-class spell.Three of his victims were caught in the slips by Rob Yates – Asa Tribe (13), Kiran Carlson (2) and Will Smale (13) – and he trapped Sam Northeast (8) lbw. That reduced the home side to 4 for 44 in the 15th over and he could have had a fifth wicket had Yates not put down an easy chance Colin Ingram in the 17th over.At that stage the Ingram had only scored 18 and he went on to notch 47 before he was fifth out, trapped lbw by Michael Rae. Ingram steadied what looked like being a sinking ship in tandem with Billy Root as they put on 46 for the fifth wicket.Building on his midweek half-century in the win over Yorkshire Vikings, Root five fours in his 46, sharing in invaluable stands of 55 with Ben Kellaway and then 22 with Douthwaite before his departure in the 40th over made it 167 for 7.At that stage Warwickshire must have been hoping to mop up the tail quite quickly, but Douthwaite, van der Gugten and Andy Gorvin had other ideas. Between them they conjured up 92 runs as they plundered 79 off the last 10 overs to set the visitors a target of 248.Douthwaite ended on 55 and thumped four enormous sixes and four fours as he took 15 and then 17 off the final two overs. That meant the Welsh side at least had some sort of total to defend – which they managed to do with a few overs to spare.
da 888casino： Manchester United have turned more corners than a Formula 1 driver over the last decade or so, with every seemingly positive step followed by a hefty tumble backwards in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era.
da stake casino： Only last year, the Red Devils were riding high after seeing off rivals Manchester City in the FA Cup final, a moment that looked like one which could kickstart the Erik ten Hag regime. Less than six months later, the under-fire Dutchman was belatedly shown the door.
Even under the new Ruben Amorim reign, high points such as the statement performances at the Etihad and Anfield failed to inspire a consistent run of form, with the Portuguese’s debut campaign ending on a deserved sour note amid last week’s Europa League final defeat.
That limp showing will now have real ramifications heading into the upcoming summer window, with Amorim already admitting that he will likely work with a smaller squad due to the lack of European football, while incomings may also be at a premium.
Indeed, the suggestion remains that the Old Trafford side will need to sell before they can buy, with exits for the likes of Antony, Jadon Sancho and the exiled Marcus Rashford set to be prioritised by Amorim and INEOS.
The gutting of the squad could not only impact the ‘deadwood’, however, with a handful of key figures also facing uncertain futures. One deal, in particular, could evoke echoes of the past.
Man United's biggest transfer mistakes
Starting with more recent sales, there is more than a tinge of regret over the £25m sale of academy graduate, Scott McTominay, with Scotland star having scored 12 goals as the MVP of Napoli’s Serie A triumph this season, after being deemed surplus to requirements back in Manchester.
That decision to cash in will sting considering United’s current woes, although it’s worth remembering that McTominay had actually only started 18 Premier League games last term. Hardly an irreplaceable figure.
The same goes for the likes of Anthony Elanga and Dean Henderson too, even with the 2023 sales having enjoyed fine seasons at their new clubs. Indeed, Elanga has helped to steer Nottingham Forest to Conference League qualification, while Henderson starred in Crystal Palace’s FA Cup final masterclass.
Again, in hindsight, those deals may appear a mistake, although Elanga had scored just four goals in 55 games for United, while Henderson was never able to truly dislodge David De Gea during his stint in the first team.
Looking further back, it is hard to think of too many departing stars who have truly gone on to sparkle elsewhere. Danny Welbeck did end the campaign with ten league goals for Brighton, although he had endured an injury-ravaged time at Arsenal after leaving United, scoring just 32 goals in total for the Gunners.
In the view of Jose Mourinho, Welbeck – alongside Javier Hernandez and Angel Di Maria – were players the Red Devils should “never” have sold, albeit with Di Maria never managing to settle in Manchester, while Hernandez has hardly ripped things up since his 2014 exit, notably scoring just 17 times in a forgettable spell for West Ham United.
Prior to that, questions are likely to be asked of Ferguson for allowing Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez to depart in the summer of 2009. Ronaldo, however, was hellbent on joining Real Madrid, with United at least raking in a world record fee. As for Tevez, the Argentine had seemingly “downed tools” under ‘Fergie’, in the view of teammate Gary Neville.
Carlos Tevez
The Scotsman himself has pointed to the sale of Jaap Stam in 2001 as arguably “his biggest mistake”, although it is the decision to let go of another centre-back – Gerard Pique – that perhaps ranks among his greatest errors. Is that move about to be repeated?
Why Man Utd sold Gerard Pique
It was almost 17 years ago that a young Pique was allowed to return to boyhood club, Barcelona, after four years in England, with the LaLiga outfit – and new boss Pep Guardiola – forking out just £5m for his services.
The promising defender had failed to usurp Ferguson’s starting pairing of Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand, prior to his exit, with former colleague Wayne Rooney stating that the Spaniard had lost the manager’s faith after being “bullied” in a game against Bolton Wanderers in 2007.
A peripheral figure in Manchester, the now legendary Pique went on to become a central part of Barca’s success over the next decade or so, having memorably started in the Champions League final in 2009, in which Guardiola’s men ran out 2-0 winners in Rome.
FC Barcelona's GerardPiqueduring the warm up before the match
In all, the ball-playing hero would score 53 goals in 616 games at Camp Nou, winning a plethora of major honours that include three European titles and nine Spanish titles – alongside a World Cup and European Championship with La Roja.
A “phenomenon” whom his compatriot and colleague Carlos Puyol described as the “best central defender in the world” in 2019, Pique represents one that got away as far as United are concerned.
The same could be set to happen with Alejandro Garnacho…
Selling Garnacho would be Man Utd's biggest mistake in 17 years
There are no doubt parallels between Pique and young Garnacho, with the wing wizard having also been plucked from Spain as a teenager in the summer of 2020, after signing from Atletico Madrid for a fee of just £420k.
Alejandro Garnacho
Like Pique too, the Argentine could be set for a swift exit at such a young age, with the 20-year-old in line to follow in the footsteps of the centre-back, who was 21 when he left Manchester 17 years ago.
The suggestion is that Garnacho – who was left out of United’s win over Aston Villa on the final day of the season – has been told by Amorim that he can leave this summer, having also started on the bench in the defeat to Tottenham Hotspur in Bilbao.
The £50k-per-week winger publicly outlined his disappointment at that decision following the 1-0 loss, albeit with Amorim pointing to the “big opportunity” that the player had missed in the semi-final second-leg victory over Athletic Club.
And so, even despite racking up 21 goals and assists this season, finishing behind only Bruno Fernandes in that regard, the rising star looks in line for an exit, having previously been the subject of a bid from Napoli in January.
Bruno Fernandes
Fernandes himself has been touted for a departure of his own, amid interest from Saudi side Al Hilal, although whether Amorim and INEOS would sanction a sale remains to be seen.
Equally, with the talismanic skipper set to turn 31 in September, it could be argued that his best days may well be behind him, after 5 years of magnificent service. For Garnacho, by contrast, his peak years are likely to be ahead of him.
Man Utd – 2024/25 squad stats
Player
Goals & Assists
Goals
Assists
Bruno Fernandes
39
19
20
Alejandro Garnacho
21
11
10
Amad Diallo
20
11
9
Rasmus Hojlund
14
10
5
Joshua Zirkzee
10
7
3
Marcus Rashford
10
7
3
Christian Eriksen
10
5
5
Casemiro
8
5
3
Diogo Dalot
8
3
5
Manuel Ugarte
8
2
6
Stats via Transfermarkt
Thankfully, unlike Pique, United could look to rake in a sizeable fee if they do indeed cash in on the Spain-born starlet, with a £60-£70m price tag having been mooted. That said, even amid the benefits of meeting PSR regulations, would this not be an almighty mistake?
This writer was at Old Trafford the day that Garnacho announced himself to the United faithful after scoring a brilliant brace in the FA Youth Cup final, with the scrawny teenager stealing the limelight after replicating the celebration of his idol, Cristiano Ronaldo.
The words ‘Viva Garnacho’ have rung out in Manchester since that day, not least when supporters have demanded his introduction off the bench to change a game, with the electric talent one of few who regularly gets the crowd off their seats. As journalist Samuel Luckhurst noted, he is a “game-changer”.
Also described as a “diamond” by talent scout Jacek Kulig in the past, Garnacho has enjoyed a catalogue of fine moments, be it his stoppage time winner at Fulham in November 2022; his clincher away at Elland Road just a few months later; or even his remarkable overhead kick against Everton at Goodison Park last season.
His crowning moment, of course, came following his opener at Wembley in last year’s showpiece, with it showcasing a sorry state of affairs that both he and Kobbie Mainoo now face uncertain futures at the club.
As The Telegraph’s James Ducker has noted, selling Garnacho, in particular, “would come with all sorts of warnings”, with INEOS needing to be certain that such players will be “replaced with upgrades”.
A player once described as looking “like a young Cristiano”, according to Paul Scholes, Garnacho actually boasts a greater scoring record for United than the great Ronaldo, before turning 21. Is this a player whom the Old Trafford hierarchy should really be selling?
Yes, there may be doubts over his suitability to Amorim’s 3-4-3 system, but that should not define his future. Equally, concerns over his attitude have rumbled on since Ten Hag’s early days, but that is perhaps to be expected over a player still learning his trade.
There is, of course, a need to rip up this squad and start again, although if drawing up a list of players who need to be sold, Garnacho should surely be nowhere near the front of the queue…
Xavi believed Man Utd star was the 'best midfielder' in the world and as good as Iniesta
He claims the United legend would have got in Barcelona’s iconic team…
da poker： O São Paulo encerrou a preparação para enfrentar o Tigre (ARG), em duelo que acontecerá nesta terça-feira (27), às 21h30, no Morumbi, pela última rodada do Grupo D da Copa Sul-Americana. Na primeira posição da chave, com 13 pontos conquistados, o Tricolor está a três de distância dos argentinos, com um saldo positivo de sete gols, primeiro critério de desempate.
da pinnacle： Para os tricolores apaixonados: produtos a partir de R$39,90 na FutFanatics!
Por conta da situação confortável, o técnico Dorival Júnior deve escalar uma equipe alternativa para o confronto. Um setor que deve ser modificado é a defesa. Com Arboleda e Beraldo vindo de uma grande sequência de jogos, a tendência é que a dupla seja poupada. Alan Franco deve receber uma oportunidade entre os titulares. O outro zagueiro é uma incógnita, já que Diego Costa, desfalque diante do Cruzeiro devido a um trauma na coxa direita, participou da atividade com os companheiros, mas é dúvida.
+ Clique aqui e veja como apostar no Brasileirão
O técnico Dorival Júnior abriu o dia exibindo um vídeo para os jogadores. Na sequência, já no gramado, houve o aquecimento comandado pelos preparadores físicos seguido de um treino tático posicional para os prováveis titulares, além um ensaio de bolas paradas. Os demais fizeram um trabalho técnico em espaço reduzido, seguido de complemento físico.
Uma provável ecalação do São Paulo tem: Rafael, Raí Ramos, Beraldo (Diego Costa), Alan Franco e Caio Paulista; Luan, Gabriel Neves, Rodriguinho e Marcos Paulo; Luciano e Juan (David).
CSK batting coach says Dhoni “keeps his cards very, very close to his chest” when asked if he would be back next year
ESPNcricinfo staff16-May-20241:19
Hussey: We are hoping MS Dhoni keeps going
Is this going to be MS Dhoni’s last IPL season?Michael Hussey, Chennai Super Kings’ batting coach, has little idea but he is hoping Dhoni carries on for “another couple of years”.”Your guess is as good as mine at this stage,” Hussey said on ESPN’s Around the Wicket show when asked if Dhoni would be back next year. “He keeps his cards very, very close to his chest. We are hoping he does keep going.Related
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The CSK transition from Dhoni to Gaikwad
“He is still batting so well. He does prepare well – he gets into the camp very early and hits a lot of balls. He has been in good touch all season really. I guess we just got to try to manage him from the body side of things. He had a knee surgery after the last season. So he has been managing that from the initial stage of the tournament.”From a personal point of view, I hope he keeps going for another couple of years. But we will just have to wait and see. He is the only one who will make that call. And he likes to sort of build the drama a little bit as well. So I wouldn’t expect a decision anytime soon.”Because of the knee surgery, CSK have been managing Dhoni’s workload. He comes out to face only a handful of deliveries. Against Punjab Kings, he even batted at No. 9. Despite that, he has been able to make an impact. In ten innings, he has scored 136 runs at a strike rate of 226.66.”I know fans probably want to see him batting a little bit higher in the order,” Hussey said, “but that [the knee surgery] is why we have had to manage him a little bit and he only comes in at the back end. But there has been no one better in being able to come in and hit the ball so cleanly from ball one than MS. He has been phenomenal.”MS Dhoni has been around to guide Ruturaj Gaikwad•Associated Press
At the start of the season, Dhoni caught many, including Hussey, by surprise when he handed over the captaincy to Ruturaj Gaikwad. But the transition has been smooth as Gaikwad was already being groomed for the role. Plus, Dhoni is also around to help him.”MS sort of announced that he was not going to be attending the pre-tournament captains meeting. And we’re like, ‘Oh, no. What’s going on?’,” Hussey said. “He said Ruturaj was going to be captain from then on. So it was a little bit of a shock to start with but it has been managed really well.”I know Stephen Fleming [head coach] had been working closely with Ruturaj in the lead-up to the tournament. In fact, he has been grooming him for a couple of years now. We have sort of known for a little while that he was the right man to take over the job when MS decided to step aside.”MS wanted to still be here while the new captain took over, to try to help him along the way and sort of mentor him a little bit. So that’s worked really well as well. And obviously, Stephen Fleming is a great role model for him [Gaikwad] as well. So it’s been quite seamless actually.”Under Gaikwad’s leadership, CSK have won seven out of 13 games so far. They are currently third on the points table and a win against Royal Challengers Bengaluru on Saturday will assure a playoffs spot. Gaikwad himself has played a key role with bat. With 583 runs at a strike rate of 141.50, he is the second-highest run-getter in the league at the moment.”He is a great guy, Ruturaj, very calm,” Hussey said. “He is a good thinker of the game. I mean it was always going to be a massive challenge for him, you know, how do you follow someone like MS Dhoni – it was going to be tough. But he has done a great job. He has been really calm and measured on the field. I think he will just get better and better the more he does it and the more support we keep around him.”From my point of view, the pleasing thing is, it has not affected his batting at all either. He has performed extremely well with the bat. So it has been really good so far.”
Bangladesh captain Shanto meanwhile said his batters weren’t used to playing bowlers with a slingy action like Thushara’s
Mohammad Isam10-Mar-2024Kusal Mendis was reminded of Lasith Malinga when he watched Nuwan Thushara bowl a match-winning spell of 5 for 20, which included a hat-trick, in the third T20I against Bangladesh.”I’m very happy for him,” Mendis said. “With the World Cup around the corner, it’s great to have many of our bowlers in such form. He’s been playing in franchise leagues for some time – he played well in South Africa [SA20] as well – I think that’s also why he was able to give his best for the team when we needed him.”It was those three wickets [in his hat-trick] that the match turned in our favour. It reminded me of how [Lasith Malinga] bowled.”Related
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Coming in to bowl in the fourth over of Bangladesh’s chase of 175, Thushara, who has a slingy, low-arm action similar to Malinga, removed the Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto off the second ball and then dismissed Towhid Hridoy and Mahmudullah to complete his hat-trick. All three were full, swinging deliveries as he deceived the batters with his pace, swing and low bounce. He later removed Soumya Sarkar and Shoriful Islam to complete the five-for, his best figures in T20Is.”I agree that the whole match pivoted in that one over,” Shanto said. “He bowled a very good over. I think we have to credit the bowler. We were held back by that over. I felt that if we could have handled that over better, or generally held our own against the new ball, we could have had a different result.”He got a bit of swing. He has that action. He wasn’t getting a lot of bounce due to his side-arm action. It was keeping low. This won’t happen all the time, but we have to tackle these things better in the future.”We don’t usually get to play a bowling action like his. We played well against [Matheesha] Pathirana in the first two matches. I think the new ball swung a lot. We have to plan better, and accept such things in international cricket.”Kusal Mendis was in top form in the series•AFP/Getty ImagesBangladesh also had to contend with a familiar threat in the form of Mendis, who made 86 off 55 to single-handedly take Sri Lanka to a competitive 174 for 7. He now has six fifties against Bangladesh, the the most by any batter in T20Is against this opposition. He also finished the T20I series as the highest run-scorer with 181 from three games.”In the previous couple of T20s before this series I wasn’t really in the runs, so in the first game I was focusing on providing the team with what it needs,” Mendis said. “More than me scoring runs, I wanted to do what was best for the team, and I’m glad I was able to do that consistently over the series.”It gets a little easier to bat here [in Sylhet] once you’re at the crease for a while, especially under lights. The boundaries are also close in, so you can score boundaries in any way that you’re comfortable. I’m happy with the way I performed in these conditions.”Shanto meanwhile said there were a few positives in Bangladesh’s defeat, picking out legspinner Rishad Hossain for his all-round abilities. “He [Rishad] bowled very well according to the conditions,” Shanto said. “We needed his batting because we now play with six specialist batters and an allrounder. I think his batting is one to look out for the future.”There were positives in this series. The way we fought back even after losing early wickets, in the first match and the third match. The way the bowlers made a comeback in this game.”