Wrexham recorded a comfortable 2-0 win over Exeter City on Saturday to strengthen their hopes of winning automatic promotion.
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Considered a de facto captain of the India bowling unit during his time in international cricket, Zaheer Khan is embracing a formalised leadership role with Delhi Daredevils in the twilight of his career
Arun Venugopal in Rajkot03-May-2016Zaheer Khan is the only bowler captain in IPL 2016. This isn’t the first such instance – Shane Warne, Anil Kumble, Harbhajan Singh and Daniel Vettori have led with varying degrees of success in the past – but it is significant on two counts.Firstly, Zaheer’s elevation, in tandem with a new coaching staff, has turbo-charged a franchise numbed by continuous failures in the past. Secondly, and more importantly, Zaheer’s tactical smarts have finally been recognised with an official title. Not that he ever needed one, as for years he was India’s de facto bowling captain: formulating plans, managing fields and counselling youngsters. MS Dhoni once said he was the Sachin Tendulkar of the bowling unit.Following his retirement from international cricket, Zaheer has used the same style sheet at Delhi Daredevils with greater gusto. Watching him do his job is to watch a leader who has climbed up in the hierarchy through plenty of elbow grease. With his shabby stubble and tucked out jersey, he looks the part. Even Zaheer’s field placements tell you appearance comes a distant second to efficiency.In the first over of Gujarat Lions’ innings, Zaheer stood only one delivery at square leg before moving to cover to remain within the bowler’s overshot. When he came on to bowl to Dwayne Smith in the third over, he had a straightish mid-off and a short cover. When Brendon McCullum came on strike, the short cover, Sanju Samson, went to a third slip. Daredevils’ fielders had to cope with not just rotation of strike but also Zaheer’s high-speed field shuffle.While he was bowling short and at Smith’s body, the length to McCullum was fuller. Ahead of the fifth ball, Zaheer pushed midwicket to the line and opened up a big gap in front of square on the leg side. He delivered a cutter, and McCullum, shaping to pull towards the vacant region, realised belatedly the ball wasn’t as short and lost his bails.As soon as the over was completed Zaheer was swiftly by Shahbaz Nadeem’s side, second-eyeing the field the bowler had asked for. Smith’s dismissal, though, involved no great strategy as the West Indian punched it uppishly straight down long-on’s throat.Zaheer then brought long-on in with a short fine leg already in place. After three incident-free deliveries, Aaron Finch gave himself room and biffed one over mid-on for four. The field remained unchanged, and Nadeem went fuller the next ball. Finch brought out the slog sweep, but top-edged it to Rishabh Pant, who was placed at short fine leg for precisely such a shot. Three wickets fell in eight balls, a phase that Lions coach Brad Hodge felt had dragged his team behind.Zaheer continued to work the batsmen out. When Chris Morris bowled short to Suresh Raina, he had a leg gully in place and soon an uneasy flick flew over the head of the fielder. There were some unusual fields too. Zaheer had a short cover point – who was only a few yards away from being called a silly point – and backward point for Dinesh Karthik, with a sweeper cover and long-off in the deep.Going round the stumps, he bowled full and outside off to bring his fielders into play and subsequently dried the boundaries. In the 17th over, Zaheer bowled with no one inside the circle on the leg side, and exploited the relative slowness of the surface with his knuckleballs. He continued to attack even during the last five overs – where only five boundaries were scored – by having at least one fielder in a catching position. Daredevils batsman Sam Billings said Zaheer sets such unorthodox fields even at training.”He set a field to me – Mohammad Shami and one of the young guys were bowling yorkers – that was totally out of the box,” Billings said. “There was no long-on, he kind of moved around to cow corner because he knew I was a slogger anyway.”As a batter, you don’t know he’s going to bowl a yorker. He can bowl a bumper, he can bowl a slower ball. Knowing exactly where the bowler is going to bowl makes it a lot easier. Zaheer is turning the tables on that and giving the bowlers more options.”Pant, who scored 69 in Daredevils’ chase of 150, said Zaheer’s field placements were never random acts.”Zak bhai has a different field placement in every match because we plan according to [opponents],” he said. “We are not just going to the ground and putting fielders here and there. We just plan and are executing that.”While Zaheer’s mental agility and street-smartness has not dimmed with age, he has had a history of injuries. For Daredevils to go the distance, his physical fitness will be just as critical as the mental.
The Real Madrid winger has repeatedly underwhelmed at international level but he has the talent – and support – to turn things around
There was an incredible incident right at the end of Brazil's dramatic World Cup qualifier against Colombia on Thursday evening.
Just moments after Vinicius Junior had scored what proved to be the winner with a deflected strike from distance in the ninth minute of injury time, coach Dorival Junior decided to take off the Real Madrid superstar to waste a little time. Vinicius, though, was intent on eating up even more seconds, so he made his way from the field as slowly as possible, unsurprisingly upsetting a couple of Colombia players as he did so.
It was at this point that one of the winger's own team-mates got involved – and not to protect Vinicius but to physically remove him from the fray. Knowing the Real Madrid star was a yellow card away from being suspended for Tuesday's massive clash with Argentina, Raphinha repeatedly pushed his colleague towards the touchline to save him from sanction.
The whole episode proved two things: firstly, Raphinha is now firmly established as one of the key characters in Dorival's Brazil squad; and, secondly, the Barcelona man has an important role to play in Vinicius belatedly becoming the Selecao's 'new Neymar'.
AFP'No respectable leaders'
Ronaldinho resigned as a Brazil fan before last year's Copa America.
"That's it folks, I've had enough," the iconic No.10 posted on Instagram. "This is a sad moment for those who love Brazilian soccer.
"It's getting hard to find the spirit to watch the games. This is perhaps one of the worst teams in recent years, it has no respectable leaders, only average players for the majority."
Coming from a living legend, those words devastated Dorival's squad, all of whom had grown up idolising Ronaldinho.
They also failed miserably to prove him wrong during a calamitous Copa campaign.
After winning just one group game, against Paraguay, a Selecao shorn of the services of the injured Neymar were eliminated on penalties in the quarter-finals after performing abysmally in a scoreless draw with Uruguay.
Advertisement'This time it's my fault'
Vinicius took a significant share of the blame for Brazil's atrocious tournament and he was the first to admit that he had contributed to the national team's embarrassingly early exit.
At the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, he'd been forced to watch helplessly from the sidelines as the Selecao suffered a heartbreaking shootout loss to Croatia, having been replaced after 66 ineffective minutes at the Education City Stadium.
He found himself in the same position last summer, only this time he'd sat out the entire game having stupidly got himself suspended for the meeting with Uruguay in Nevada.
"The Copa America is over and it's time to reflect, and know how to deal with defeat," he wrote on social media. "The feeling of frustration kicks in again, and again on the penalties.
"I received two yellow cards [in the group stage] and watched elimination from outside again, but this time it's my fault. I apologise for that."
Getty Images Sport'I have three or four players marking me'
Vinicius didn't know it at the time but his desperately disappointing Copa America effectively cost him the Ballon d'Or he believed was in the bag after the starring role he'd played in Real Madrid's 2023-24 Champions League triumph, resulting in the most pathetic of hissy-fits.
In fairness, plenty of his compatriots were outraged by the perceived snub (even though Rodri was a most worthy winner of the game's most prestigious individual accolade) but a significant number were also quick to acknowledge that Vinicius had consistently failed to replicate his club form at international level.
There have been mitigating factors, of course.
Playing in the same left-wing position as Neymar certainly didn't help. Even when Brazil's all-time leading goalscorer was deployed more in a central role as a No.10, the pair never clicked, partly due to the elder man's propensity for instinctively drifting out to his favoured flank.
It also has to be said that Ronaldinho had a point about the quality of the current crop of players. This is definitely not a vintage era for the most successful country in World Cup history, with Brazil having made the semi-finals just once in the past 23 years – and even on that occasion, they were utterly humiliated on home soil by Germany.
The Selecao did win the Copa America in 2019 but Vinicius missed out on inclusion in the squad and was a second-half substitute in the painful 2021 final loss to hated rivals Argentina at the Maracana. He's been a regular in the starting line-up since then, though, and usually struggled to impose himself on games in the manner one would expect from one of the world's top talents.
That is a problem in itself, of course. The threat posed by Vinicius, coupled with the lack of genuine world-class quality around him, has emboldened opponents to commit more men to containing him.
"Every time I enter the field for the national team, I have three or four players marking me," the attacker complained after a dismal display in the 0-0 draw with Costa Rica at last year's Copa America.
AFPRaphinha the role model
At the end of the day, though, six goals and five assists is an undeniably poor return from Vinicius' 38 international appearances – especially when one considers that Raphinha has already surpassed both tallies in fewer games. The latter is also displaying the kind of captaincy qualities we've not yet seen from the former.
Age is obviously a factor. Raphinha is four years older than Vinicius and very much a late bloomer. Indeed, it was Vinicius who helped Raphinha settle when he first broke into the Selecao set-up.
The 28-year-old has never had to deal with anything like the same weight of expectancy as his younger colleague, who was tipped for superstardom long before he agreed a move to Madrid at just 16. That's the kind of pressure to which only a select few footballers can relate.
Raphinha has also pointed out that not even he can comprehend the mental strain facing racist abuse on an almost weekly basis in Spain has had on Vinicius, who has simultaneously had to take on La Liga's authorities almost singlehandedly while also trying to do his incredibly demanding day job at the Santiago Bernabeu.
"We don't know what happened in his childhood. We don't know the things he heard when he was little," Raphinha said in response to allegations that separate criticism of Vinicius' on-field conduct (diving, mocking opponents, gamesmanship etc.) was justified. "These things push people to their limit and it bothers him a lot.
"Vinicius is a very smiling boy, he is always making jokes. The only issue that bothers him a lot is this, I understand his anger. But I'm not in his situation, so I can't tell him what I would do [in his place]."
Raphinha added in an interview with : "We get along very well and I also often talk to him and tell him that it is not necessary to do the things he does on the pitch, but I understand it. Each person is different, he is like that and I think it gives him confidence on the field to do that.
"For example, Gavi on the pitch, in my opinion, is crazy, he's very annoying. But off the field he is an incredible person, loving, caring… Vinicius is the same.
"However, it's hard to convince people that he's like that when they see him in a certain way on the pitch. Only if you live moments with him will you see that I am right."
علق أحمد حسن قائد منتخب مصر الأسبق، على الصفقات التي تعاقد معها الأهلي في الفترة الأخيرة قبل المشاركة ببطولة كأس العالم للأندية.
ويستعد الأهلي للمشاركة في بطولة كأس العالم للأندية، ويستهل مشواره أمام إنتر ميامي، في الثالثة فجر يوم الأحد الموافق 15 يونيو الجاري.
وقال أحمد حسن في تصريحات تلفزيونية عبر قناة “أون سبورت”: “الصفقة المفاجأة بالنسبة لي هي ضم تريزيجيه، لأنه لاعب يمتلك إمكانات كبيرة جدًا، وقادر على حسم العديد من المواقف في الملعب، وقد نضج بشكل ملحوظ”.
وأكمل: “نسبة تهديف تريزيجيه أصبحت مرتفعة، ما يجعله صفقة مهمة وكبيرة جدًا، وهي الأهم في رأيي، وجميع الصفقات في الأهلي مهمة، لكن الصفقة الأفضل بالنسبة لي هي تريزيجيه”.
وتابع: “زيزو لاعب مهم ومميز، لكن الوضع صعب بالنسبة له للمشاركة في مباراة باتشوكا، لأنه وصل اليوم فقط”.
طالع | محمد شوقي: صفقة الأهلي الجديدة لن تتألق أمام إنتر ميامي.. وإمام عاشور الأفضل في مصر
وواصل: “ريبيرو قد يستعين بـ زيزو في جزء من المباراة، لكنني أعتقد أن ذلك صعب، لأن زيزو بعيد عن المباريات منذ فترة طويلة”.
واختتم: “ديانج لاعب مهم جدًا ومن أقوى اللاعبين، وكنت مقتنعًا بقدراته حتى قبل رحيله”.
West Ham United manager Julen Lopetegui has been handed a Niclas Fullkrug fitness boost, as news from a “club source” has been shared in the last 24 hours.
West Ham striker Niclas Fullkrug absent through injury since September
The £27 million summer signing has scored just once this season, a goal for Germany against Hungary in the UEFA Nations League, and he’s been absent through injury ever since.
Manager approves "surprise" exit for star as West Ham eye move to sign him
The Hammers could sign him in January.
1 ByEmilio Galantini Nov 26, 2024
Fullkrug picked up an Achilles tendon injury on international duty and has been sidelined ever since, with West Ham receiving around £17,000 of compensation from FIFA every day of the 31-year-old’s absence.
The ex-Borussia Dortmund star, who scored 16 goals in all competitions last season, and two at Euro 2024, was brought in by technical director Tim Steidten as the solution to West Ham’s striker shortage going forward.
Arsenal (home)
November 30
Leicester City (away)
December 3
Wolves (home)
December 9
Bournemouth (away)
December 16
Brighton (home)
December 21
Both Michail Antonio (34) and Danny Ings (32) are out of contract in the summer, as they also reach the twilight phase of their careers, but Fullkrug has been unable to showcase his abilities as a prolific striker due to his injury hell.
This has led to reports that Fullkrug could even leave West Ham in January, with Steidten in the market for a new striker, potentially on loan (GiveMeSport).
The Telegraph named West Ham as contenders to sign Brighton starlet Evan Ferguson on a temporary deal in the winter, with the Seagulls green-lighting his January exit so he can accumulate more game time and further his development.
In the meantime, West Ham will be hoping Fullkrug can return to the field as soon as possible and justify his price tag.
“Niclas [Fullkrug] is improving, but he’s still out and is not ready for Newcastle,” said Lopetegui on Fullkrug’s fitness last week.
“We have a little problem with two players, but we have to check tomorrow, and I hope they’re going to be ready for the next challenge on Monday. I hope they’re going to be better tomorrow as they are little things, so we hope we can overcome this problem.
“We’re very happy with Alphonse [Areola]. He’s working well, but let’s see what’s going to happen.”
Lopetegui handed Fullkrug injury boost as West Ham insider shares fresh update
According to club insider Claret & Hugh on Wednesday, Fullkrug is “nearly back” from injury for West Ham, and the report suggests that he could feature on the bench against Arsenal this weekend.
Failing that, the forward could be named on the bench for their following game against Leicester City.
However, there is a caveat, as the outlet also refuses to rule out the possibility of Fullkrug leaving in January – and the club signing a new striker in January will depend on this, not to mention his overall performances once he returns to action.
Other strikers who West Ham have been linked with are Fotis Ioannidis and Vangelis Pavlidis, with the latter Greek international scoring a brace against England at Wembley recently.
Batter looking forward to experiencing the ‘atmosphere’, with the IPL set to return to home-and-away format from 2023
Srinidhi Ramanujam30-Sep-2022
File pic: Ruturaj Gaikwad: ‘I was imagining the crowd and CSK entering the stadium. So actually, I am just waiting for the moment.•BCCI/IPL
Ruturaj Gaikwad is “waiting for the moment” that Chennai Super Kings return to Chepauk, which is the ground where “it all started” for him.Since Covid-19 hit, the IPL has had to adapt and make do without its usual home-and-away format. In 2020, it took place behind closed doors in the UAE. In 2021, it had to be suspended midway and then shifted overseas. In 2022, all 74 matches were held in Mumbai, Pune, Kolkata and Ahmedabad. Next year, the BCCI believes the tournament will go back to normal, which means the Super Kings will once again be back at their fortress.Related
Chennai joins the Sanju Samson fan club
Thakur: India are looking at me for all three formats
Ganguly: IPL to return to pre-Covid home and away format in 2023
'Rushed' Gaikwad finds his red-ball rhythm to score a fine century
Gaikwad has been in Chennai over the last week or so, playing for India A against New Zealand A. While he has been part of the Super Kings side since 2019, he made his debut only in 2020 and has never had the experience of playing in front of the Chepauk crowd in the yellow jersey.”I had seen the atmosphere, I had seen the electrifying noise. I have experienced everything. So, obviously that was going on in mind when I would practise for two days [with India A in Chennai],” Gaikwad said in a video for the Super Kings website. “I was imagining the crowd and CSK entering the stadium. So actually, I am just waiting for the moment. But the first time when I played here was actually special because I feel this is the place where I started my journey. Coming to CSK and getting to learn a lot of things, getting to know the first experience of what it is at the higher level. So this is the place where it all started.”Beyond the fanfare that greets the Super Kings at Chepauk, the ground has played a significant role in the team becoming one of the best in the IPL. Super Kings sides over the years have been built to exploit the spin-friendly pitches here and they’ll be looking forward to that bit of home advantage when the league kicks off again. Plus there’s a small matter of a big farewell (potentially). In 2021, MS Dhoni said he hopes to finish his career at Chepauk.Shardul Thakur got four wickets in the first one-dayer•PTI
Shardul Thakur, who was also part of the India A series, was hit by nostalgia too. Having represented the Super Kings for four seasons, the fast bowler was picked up by Delhi Capitals in the 2022 auction. He was a vital cog in the CSK set-up and signed off his stint as their leading wicket-taker in IPL 2021.”It feels really great, I mean, the moment I entered the stadium, it felt all nostalgic,” Thakur said. “Yes, I have had my times with CSK, I have played a few games here, but even before that, I have played Ranji [Trophy] games. 2010 was my first game here in Chepauk. The stadium and the ground have changed a lot since then but I would say the weather is still the same. [It’s an] amazing experience, I would always look forward to playing in Chepauk whenever there is an opportunity.”The Chennai crowd really got behind the India A team too. If the first one-dayer had 200-odd spectators, it only grew, in both numbers and noise, until roughly 2,000 people were on hand to watch the home side produce a 3-0 sweep. They cheered especially loudly every time Thakur ran in and pick up a wicket. Chants of “CSK, CSK” rang around the stadium whenever Gaikwad produced a good piece of fielding or whenever he hit those pleasing cover drives.Both players have been in good nick recently with Thakur claiming a four-wicket haul in the first one-dayer against New Zealand A and Gaikwad racking up 108 and 94 against the same opponent in an unofficial Test.”Obviously, I have known him for quite a few years,” Thakur said of Gaikwad. “I actually remember someone telling me about him in 2017. Then, I saw him doing well in the domestic circuit and then India A, and then he came into the CSK set-up. Seeing him do so well, and when he got his real opportunity, I mean when he played a full season in the IPL, he straightaway made a mark [scoring 635 runs in 16 innings]. He had played a few games in 2020 but he played a couple of games in the middle order and opened in one of the games.”It was not a very kind stint towards him. But, in 2021, he made a mark from game one till the finals. He was the top performer of CSK, and he actually delivered to everyone’s expectations. It’s good to see when a youngster comes and delivers for the team and straightaway makes the mark in lifting the trophy I’d say – not only in the league phase or knockouts but to lift the trophy.”
في خطوة جديدة تحمل الكثير من الطموح والتحدي، علق الدولي المغربي نور الدين أمرابط على انضمامه رسميًا إلى صفوف نادي الوداد الرياضي، في صفقة انتقال حر بعد انتهاء مشواره مع نادي هال سيتي الإنجليزي.
اللاعب البالغ من العمر 38 عامًا، والذي يمتلك مسيرة حافلة مع أندية أوروبية كبرى مثل جلطة سراي التركي وواتفورد الإنجليزي، وقّع عقدًا يمتد لموسم واحد مع الوداد، وذلك في ظل استعدادات الفريق للمشاركة في كأس العالم للأندية 2025.
طالع أيضًا | رسميًا | الوداد المغربي يضم 3 صفقات سوبر استعدادًا لـ كأس العالم للأندية
وعبر حسابه الرسمي على “إنستجرام”، وجّه نور الدين أمرابط رسالة إلى الجماهير، قال فيها: “سعيد بالانضمام إلى الوداد وأن أكون جزءًا من هذا المشروع الطموح، شكرًا لكل من جعل هذه المحطة الجديدة في مساري ممكنة”.
وأضاف في منشور آخر يحمل نبرة حماس وتحدٍ: “أتواجد هنا بأحلام وأهداف كبيرة، لنفعل كل ما نستطيع حتى نجعل هذا الموسم ناجحا ونُحرز الألقاب”.
وتُعد مشاركة أمرابط في مونديال الأندية المرتقب إحدى المحطات البارزة في مشواره، حيث يتواجد الوداد في مجموعة نارية تضم كلاً من مانشستر سيتي الإنجليزي، يوفنتوس الإيطالي، والعين الإماراتي.
انضمام اسم بحجم أمرابط يمنح الوداد دفعة معنوية كبيرة قبل دخول المعترك العالمي، في وقت يسعى فيه الفريق المغربي لاستعادة بريقه القاري والدولي عبر بوابة البطولة الأهم على مستوى الأندية.
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MatériaMais Notícias
da bet esporte： Mais uma cena lamentável de racismo foi registrada na Copa Libertadores. Desta vez ela aconteceu no Estádio General Pablo Rojas, em Assunção, onde Cerro Porteño e Palmeiras disputaram a partida de ida das oitavas de final da competição. Um torcedor paraguaio foi flagrado imitando um macaco para a torcida alviverde.
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O vídeo, que circulou nas redes sociais, foi feito por um dos torcedores palmeirenses que estiveram no estádio para acompanhar o time vencer por 3 a 0 e encaminhar a vaga para as quartas de final do torneio continental. No entanto, eles tiveram de presenciar mais um episódio de racismo, como é possível ver no vídeo acima.
Na última terça-feira, na Neo Química Arena, outras cenas lamentáveis foram registradas por parte de torcedores do Boca Juniors, que cometeram desde injúrias raciais com imitações de macacos, quanto apologia ao nazismo em direção aos torcedores do Corinthians. A partida terminou 0 a 0 e a volta será em Buenos Aires.
Logo após o duelo desta quarta-feira, o Palmeiras emitiu nota oficial em suas redes sociais repudiando os atos de racismos pelos quais os torcedores do clube foram vítimas em Assunção. O Verdão pediu que as autoridades tomem as providências para que o crime seja evitado.
Confira, na íntegra, o comunicado publicado pelo Alviverde:
“A Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras vem novamente a público repudiar as manifestações racistas praticadas contra a nossa torcida em um jogo da Libertadores.
Não podemos aceitar que cenas como essas se tornem rotineiras durante a disputa do mais importante torneio de clubes da América do Sul.
Esperamos que as autoridades tomem as providências necessárias para coibir esse crime. É hora de darmos um basta à discriminação!”
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da apostebet： Manchester United have been in talks with Ruben Amorim to become their new manager this week, but they have also made an approach for a “fantastic” manager, according to a new report.
da bet sport： The Red Devils have begun their search for an eighth manager since Sir Alex Ferguson retired back in 2013, and INEOS will hope they can find the perfect fit this time, as they try desperately to get the club back fighting for the top honours in football.
Not Ruud: Man Utd face Solskjaer 2.0 by hiring "bland" Ten Hag successor
Ruud van Nistelrooy will only be in temporary charge of Man Utd
ByJoe Nuttall Oct 29, 2024 Man Utd manager latest
Since United announced the departure of Erik ten Hag on Monday morning, there have been several names linked with the vacancy, as there were even before the Dutchman had left his post.
Spanish great Xavi Hernández was a name that emerged recently, as it was reported that Omar Berrada held meetings with the now unemployed manager in Barcelona. However, that looks to be a non-starter, as Xavi is keen to take a year away and then start a new project in the summer. Meanwhile, Julian Nagelsmann also emerged as an option on Monday for the Red Devils, but as of yet, that is as far as it’s gone.
The frontrunner and the man who looks set to land the Man United job is Sporting CP manager Amorim, as he’s agreed in principle to take the United job. United are now working on completing a deal with the Portuguese side and are ready to pay his 10 million euros (£8m+) release clause in order to bring him to the club.
However, it doesn’t stop there for United, as a report from a top Spanish reporter overnight revealed there is another name in the frame for the managerial role.
Man Utd have approached "fantastic" Fulham manager
According to Guillem Balague, Manchester United have made an approach to Fulham manager Marco Silva. Amorim looks to be the favourite to secure the job still, but he could opt to wait for the Manchester City opening instead, revealed the reporter late on Monday evening.
Balague adds that United are pushing to complete a deal for the 39-year-old Amorim despite his apparent interest in succeeding Pep Guardiola. But even though that is the case, United have made an approach to Silva, who has been described as doing “fantastic work” at Craven Cottage by West Ham boss Julen Lopetegui.
Marco Silva’s Fulham record
Games
151
Won
69
Drawn
29
Lost
53
Silva, another Portuguese manager, has been at Fulham since July 2021 and has taken charge of over 150 games for the club. The 47-year-old guided the Cottagers to Championship promotion in his first season and has since helped establish the club as a solid midtable to top half Premier League team.
Ipswich Town are one of four sides in the Premier League to have failed to win any of their opening eight matches so far this campaign – a new record for the division.
It’s been a stark reminder for the supporters about the gap between England’s first and second division, with this season the first real challenge for boss Kieran McKenna to overcome.
However, the 38-year-old can be proud of his side for their displays so far this campaign, putting up a fight against some of the very best sides in European football, including Liverpool and Manchester City.
His side have been competitive in recent weeks due to the investment from the hierarchy over the summer which saw the Tractor Boys spend around £100m on new additions.
Many of them, including striker Liam Delap, who’s scored four goals, have made an immediate impact at Portman Road, allowing them to reach the next level in their development.
Ipswich Town’s international stars
During the recent international break, Ipswich had eight first-team members away featuring for their country, hoping to bolster their nation’s chances of qualifying for their respective tournaments.
Centre-back Dara O’Shea has been an excellent addition to McKenna’s squad after joining for a reported £15m from Burnley, providing the top-flight experience needed to push through a relegation battle.
He’s started five times in the league since his summer transfer, being part of the backline that kept a clean sheet against Brighton back in September.
The 25-year-old has since featured twice for the Republic of Ireland in the recent break, helping Heimir Hallgrimsson’s side pick up all three points in a hard-fought battle with Finland.
Goalkeeper Aro Muric also starred for Kosovo, featuring just once against Cyprus, but keeping a clean sheet in a 3-0 triumph in the Nations League.
He’s been a solid addition after arriving from the same side as O’Shea, with a Man of the Match display against Brighton securing one of their four points so far this season.
However, the club may have made a mistake allowing a player in a similar position to leave the club as a youngster – going on to have a remarkable career in England’s top flight.
The England international who Ipswich let go for free
Goalkeeper Nick Pope was a player who spent his youth years in East Anglia with Ipswich, but ultimately, like many youngsters, his dream would be shattered.
Where Are They Now
Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast's Where Are They Now series.
The shot-stopper was released at the age of 16, potentially ending his promising career as a professional, well, so he thought anyway.
He would drop into non-league, joining Bury Town, spending three years with the Suffolk outfit before moving to join League One side Charlton Athletic – a move that would kick-start his professional career.
Pope would spend eight separate loan spells away from The Valley, making just 33 appearances for the London side, but it was enough to catch the eye of Burnley, who bought the ‘keeper in 2016.
Games played
8
Goals conceded
8
Clean sheets
2
Saves made
35
Save percentage
81%
Goals prevented
3.1
Pass accuracy
64%
Fast-forward to 2024, the 32-year-old now plays for Newcastle United and has made 200 Premier League appearances, whilst also being a consistent member of the England national side – which has seen his value rise to £13.5m as per Transfermarkt.
It’s certainly been a rollercoaster of a career for Pope in recent years, still making an excellent living for himself despite the bitter disappointment of his release 16 years ago.
No one could’ve predicted his rise to the very top of the English game, but given his success, there must be some regret in his release, with the goalkeeper undoubtedly improving the options currently at McKenna’s disposal.
Ipswich let youth star leave for £0, now he’s outperforming Hutchinson
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ByKelan Sarson Oct 21, 2024