Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal are keen to appoint Carlo Ancelotti as manager in a move which could help lure Vinicius Jr away from Real Madrid.
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Ancelotti future at Real Madrid uncertain
Al-Hilal want Italian as club's new coach
Believe he can help bring Vini Jr to Saudi Pro League
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WHAT HAPPENED?
Ancelotti's future is in the spotlight currently amid talk of a Real Madrid exit. The Italian coach had appeared ready to take the Brazil job but the move is reportedly set to break down. Al-Hilal could now move for Ancelotti as the Saudi club want to replace manager Jorge Jesus, according to . The club also think appointing Ancelotti could prove key in tempting Vinicius to move to the Middle East.
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THE BIGGER PICTURE
Vinicius Jr has regularly been linked with a blockbuster Saudi move as he is yet to sign a contract extension with Los Blancos. According to Sports Zone, Al-Hilal are ready to splash out a total of €800 million (£680m/$909m) to sign the Brazilian superstar this summer. Vinicius Jr is said to be Al-Hilal's "priority" in the next transfer window as they aim to bring in another big name after losing Neymar in the winter.
DID YOU KNOW?
Ancelotti may no longer be heading to Brazil but he could still be heading for the exit at Madrid. Bayern Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso has been lined up to succeed the Italian after the Club World Cup in June.
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WHAT NEXT FOR REAL MADRID
Real Madrid are still in the title race in Spain but sit four points behind Barcelona with five games to play, meaning a trophyless season is on the cards. A summer shake-up may well then follow at the Santiago Bernabeu, although fans will have to wait and see what happens with both Ancelotti and Vinicius.
Estamos perto de completar cinco meses de competições oficiais no futebol brasileiro neste ano e dificilmente vamos colocar algum clube que tenha sido melhor do que o Palmeiras até aqui. Testado nos mais diversos níveis nacionais, continentais e mundiais, o time de Abel Ferreira sobra no país e assume a liderança do Brasileirão com méritos, mas tem faltado ressalvas para tentar desmerecer.
continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasVídeoVÍDEO: Abel diz que Palmeiras entrará em campo ‘sobrecarregado’ nos próximos jogosVídeo12/06/2022PalmeirasGustavo Scarpa entra em Top-10 de jogadores que mais venceram pelo Palmeiras no séculoPalmeiras12/06/2022PalmeirasAbel Ferreira utilizou pelo menos uma ‘Cria da Academia’ nos últimos oito jogos do PalmeirasPalmeiras12/06/2022
GALERIA > Confira os públicos do Palmeiras no Allianz Parque em 2022
TABELA > Veja classificação e simulador do Brasileirão-2022 clicando aqui
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Aliás, tem faltado, mas há quem ainda tente buscar argumentos para não reconhecer o que o Verdão tem feito em 2022 e nas últimas temporadas. A questão não é elogiar o clube a qualquer custo, nem impedir que seja criticado. O bom debate permite que se faça pontuações a favor e contra determinados assuntos, é assim que as discussões têm potencial para enriquecer o conhecimento por aqui.
O problema é que os argumentos utilizados para colocar os pontos negativos no Palmeiras deste ano estão sendo cada vez mais vazios. Parece até que as ponderações são feitas pela necessidade de não ter apenas elogios. “Vamos criticar aqui para fazer uma média”, ou “não é interessante levantar tanto esse feito”. Me parece raso demais, para não dizer que sentimos um certo teor de clubismo no tema.
Algo que foi falado em algumas oportunidades após a vitória sobre o Coritiba, no último domingo, foi a “falta do futebol vistoso”, ou seja, por mais que tenha feito tudo o que já fez, ainda falta apresentar o futebol bonito, que absolutamente nenhuma equipe tem mostrado. Classificar o futebol de 2022 do Verdão como “eficiente” é de uma pobreza atroz, esse patamar já foi superado há algum tempo.
Em algumas entrevistas coletivas, Abel Ferreira costuma usar o termo “professores de Deus” para se referir aos críticos e àqueles que parecem saber de tudo, mais do que qualquer outra pessoa. Me parece ser esse o caso de quem lança a “carta” do “mas o Palmeiras não joga bonito”, é o toque do especialista sobre o tema em voga. Anteriormente, os mesmos já falaram em sorte e falta de repertório.
A liderança do Verdão no Brasileirão é conquistada com o melhor ataque, a melhor defesa e o melhor saldo de gols. Embora tenha somente um ponto de diferença para o Corinthians, o nível de apresentação de cada um é incomparável, com uma distância de qualidade e trabalho que não cabe em uma página para explicar.
No entanto, o campeonato no Brasil tem suas particularidades, que por vezes impedem que resultado e desempenho caminhem juntos na tabela. O Timão joga mal e vem somando pontos, o Alviverde demorou um pouco mais para juntar os dois fatores e atinge o topo com mais méritos do que qualquer outro time que já esteve lá nesta edição, pois já vem jogando bem desde o início da competição.
Isso tudo não quer dizer que o Palmeiras não tenha defeitos, pelo contrário, tem sim. Há questões que precisam ser aperfeiçoadas, como a conclusão das jogadas, que já tiraram pelo menos quatro pontos em casa da equipe: contra Fluminense e Atlético-MG. Apesar do volume grande no ataque, ainda falta um capricho final para que a eficiência seja ainda maior, mas nada a ver com futebol vistoso.
A opinião aqui é em relação ao vazio que se imprime em um debate que poderia ser muito mais rico, mas é empobrecido por motivações que ficam difíceis de entender. Quando um clube, sua gestão, seu treinador e elenco fazem quase tudo certo, por que a gente coloca uma ressalva tão subjetiva? O que estamos contribuindo para a discussão? Brigar com o óbvio fica feio demais. Pensemos melhor.
Números do Palmeiras na temporada 2022 37 jogos 27 vitórias 8 empates 2 derrotas 80,2% de aproveitamento 78 gols marcados (2,11 por jogo) 19 gols sofridos (0,51 por jogo) Saldo de 59 gols
– Melhor mandante do ano: 88,33% – 2º Melhor visitante do ano: 70,59% (Ceará é o melhor com 72,55%) – Melhor campanha geral e título Paulista – Campeão da Recopa Sul-Americana – Melhor campanha da história da fase de grupos da Libertadores – Líder do Brasileirão, melhor ataque e melhor defesa
The Spain international is still only 17 but there's arguably no more feared forward in the game today
Denzel Dumfries was outstanding for Inter in last week's Champions League clash with Barcelona, scoring two goals and creating another in an absorbing 3-3 draw. The Dutchman deserved his Player of the Match award – but he was by no means the star of the show. Lamine Yamal was the name on everyone's lips after another logic-defying display of quality from a 17-year-old that wowed the watching world.
"This guy is incredible," Manchester City striker Erling Haaland wrote on Snapchat. Bukayo Saka, meanwhile, struggled to find the words to describe Yamal: "Honestly, doing what he is doing at his age, what can you say?… He's unreal. It's not normal. No one does that."
And Saka's right: Yamal is unquestionably the finest teenage talent the game has ever seen. Nobody has ever been so good so young. Not Lionel Messi. Not Cristiano Ronaldo. And not even Pele.
Yamal lit up a Euro 2024 semi-final at 16. Now, he's taking the Champions League by storm. Consequently, the question is no longer whether Yamal is the best young player in the world, it's whether he's the best player in the world full stop…
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'I don't think I've seen a 45 minutes like that before'
Inter and Italy defender Alessandro Bastoni was asked ahead of last week's game in Catalunya how he and his team-mates intended to stop Yamal. "I don't know," the centre-back admitted to the , "because the last time at the Euros it didn't go so well." That was putting it mildly, of course.
Bastoni and Federico Dimarco had been part of an Italy backline that was incessantly tormented by Yamal and fellow Spain winger Nico Williams in one of the most comprehensive 1-0 defeats in football history.
Last Wednesday was even more trying for the Inter duo, because while their team managed to claim a deserved share of the spoils at Montjuic thanks to Dumfries, they were caused even more problems by Yamal from a defensive perspective, particularly during a stunning first-half performance in which the teenager dragged Barca back into the game with a Messi-like solo strike before hitting the crossbar after leaving more defenders trailing in his wake.
"I don't think I have seen a 45 minutes like that from one individual before in my life," pundit Ally McCoist confessed. "It is unbelievable."
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'Talent that comes along every 50 years'
Yamal's influence waned somewhat in the second half, but that was only because Nerazzurri coach Simone Inzaghi felt he was left with no other option but to treble up on the teenager.
"Lamine is the kind of talent that comes along every 50 years and, to see him up close, really impressed me," the Nerazzurri coach told . "He caused us huge problems, as we had to double up the marking every time, but it wasn't enough. We had to put three players on him and, obviously, spaces opened up elsewhere and we were forced to sit deeper."
Despite the closer attention, Yamal still ended up having more touches of the ball (102) than every other player on the pitch bar Barca midfield duo Pedri (107) and Frenkie de Jong (112), while he also completed the most dribbles (six) and whipped over more crosses (10) than Inter's entire team combined (six).
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'Best player in the world is French'
Marcus Thuram, who opened the scoring at Montjuic with a wonderful back-heel finish, was even asked after the game if Yamal were now the world's best player.
"No," the forward replied in an interview on , "the best player in the world is French, and the second is too! They are Ousmane Dembele and Kylian Mbappe. After the two of them comes Lamine Yamal."
Thuram clearly didn't intend for his response to be taken seriously – it was more an amusing show of patriotism than anything else – but Yamal undoubtedly has a legitimate claim on the title of the world's best player. His importance to Barcelona certainly can't be downplayed, that's for sure.
Hansi Flick's side is packed with world-class talent. Raphinha, who has been involved in more goals than any other player in this season's Champions League (20), is one of the leaders in this year's Ballon d'Or race, while Pedri should also be in the running for the way in which he is bossing games for Barca.
However, the Blaugrana are simply not the same side without Yamal in the starting line-up.
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Yamal-dependencia?!
Yamal has missed three Liga games this season through injury and Barca dropped points in each one, losing away to Real Sociedad and at home to Atletico Madrid, while also being held to a 2-2 draw by Celta Vigo.
Furthermore, Barca have only won two of the four matches that Lamal has started on the bench – and even then, they were losing both before they brought him on, including on Saturday at already-relegated Real Valladolid.
As a result, the question has been asked several times already this season if the Blaugrana have become overly reliant on the youngster, in much the same way that '' was so often a topic of debate at Camp Nou during the Argentine's heyday.
Yamal has not yet reached that level of leadership, but the mere fact that it's already a talking point is staggering. After all, against Inter, Yamal became the youngest player ever to score in a Champions League semi-final, at 17 years and 291 days old. Messi, by contrast, had only made one appearance in the competition at the same age.
علق الإسباني خوسيه ريبييرو، المدير الفني لفريق النادي الأهلي، على مشاركة الفريق في كأس العالم للأندية 2025، ومواجهة إنتر ميامي الأمريكي.
ويستعد فريق النادي الأهلي لمواجهة إنتر ميامي الأمريكي في افتتاح بطولة كأس العالم للأندية 2025، والمقرر لها في الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية.
طالع| قبل مباراة إنتر ميامي.. ريبييرو يتخذ قرارًا بشأن لاعبي الأهلي
ويلتقي الأهلي مع نظيره إنتر ميامي الأمريكي في افتتاح بطولة كأس العالم للأندية 2025، في التاسعة مساء يوم 14 يونيو بتوقيت أمريكا – الثالثة صباح يوم 15 يونيو بتوقيت القاهرة.
ويتواجد فريق النادي الأهلي في مجموعة تضم كلا من: إنتر ميامي الأمريكي، وبورتو البرتغالي، بالميراس البرازيلي.
وقال ريبييرو في تصريحات لشبكة إي إس بي إن، الأمريكية، إنه متحمس للمشاركة مع الأهلي في البطولة، مضيفا أنه يعلم حجم المسؤولية التي تقع على عاتقه لتقديم لاعبيه أداء قوي.
وأضاف ريبييرو: “الأهلي سيلعب أمام فرق قوية، وجئنا مبكرا لنتأقلم مع الأجواء، وهدفنا أن نكون جاهزين في لقاء الافتتاح أمام إنتر ميامي”. ريبييرو يتحدث عن ميسي
وتعليقا على مواجهة إنتر ميامي بقيادة نجمه الأرجنتيني ليونيل ميسي، تابع مدرب الأهلي: “الاستعداد لمباراة بحضور لاعب مثل ميسي صعب، لكن علينا الانضباط والتنظيم ومنع وصول الكرة إليه”.
وتغزل ريبييرو في أفضل لاعبي العالم، كاشفا أن ميسي لاعب استثنائي يتطلب رقابة خاصة، مشيرا في الوقت ذاته إلى أنه فرد ضمن فريق تحت قيادة مدرب متميز.
واختتم ريبييرو تصريحاته: “جئنا إلى هنا لتمثيل الأهلي في هذه البطولة وهدفنا تقديم ما يليق بتاريخ هذا النادي العريق”.
It wasn’t pretty, but Manchester United are through to the next round of the FA Cup. The defending champions beat Leicester City, managed by club legend Ruud van Nistelrooy, running out as 2-1 victors thanks to two second-half goals.
The Red Devils were, quite frankly, disappointing in the first half. Leicester took the lead in the 42nd minute, with the ball bouncing in off Bobby Decordova-Reid after Andre Onana made a strong save.
United did bounce back in the second half. Joshua Zirkzee, who came on in the 64th minute, converted a loose ball in the six-yard box to draw United level. Then, with extra-time approaching, United found their winner.
After winning a free kick in stoppage time, Bruno Fernandes whipped the ball onto Harry Maguire’s head, and he fired home to win the game. Incredibly, he was in an offside position, but with no VAR to intervene, the goal stood.
It was not the best night for the Red Devils, although Zirkzee and Maguire both played well, aside from their goals.
Zirkzee & Maguire’s performances vs Leicester
Both goalscorers on the night for United performed well and had a big impact. Zirkzee offered Ruben Amorim’s side a focal point which they previously didn’t have. He was able to link up play for United and bring others into the game.
His performance was held in high regard by Samuel Luckhurst, writer for The Manchester Evening News, who gave the United number 11 an 8/10 for his night’s work. He explained the Dutchman made “a big improvement on his teammates”.
As for Maguire, the England international was impressive aside from his goal, helping to keep out a Leicester side that knocked on the door in the first half. With that being said, he perhaps could have done better for the Foxes’ goal, leaving Wilfred Ndidi unmarked in the box.
Maguire’s stats from the game show just how well he performed against his former side. As per Sofascore, the United number five won six duels and made four clearances, as well as completing 85% of his passes.
Despite the fact that Zirkzee and Maguire ultimately saw their side through, some United players struggled against Leicester. One of those was striker Rasmus Hojlund.
Hojlund’s stats vs. Leicester
It was another frustrating night for United’s number nine against the Foxes. He has been in frustrating form for much of the season, and it was a similar story against Van Nistelrooy’s side, with the striker having very little involvement in the game.
Hojlund didn’t make many runs in behind, aside from one occasion in the second half when he looked threatening. Once again, he struggled with his hold-up play, losing key duels against the centre-backs.
His stats from the game reflect how disappointing he was on the cold Friday night at Old Trafford. He had just 23 touches, fewer than Onana’s 27, completed 62% of his passes, and won 2 out of 8 duels. Worryingly, the striker did not manage a shot at goal.
Hojlund stats vs. Leicester
Stat
Number
Touches
23
Pass accuracy
62%
Passes completed
8/13
Ground duels won
2/4
Aerial duels won
0/4
Number of times possession lost
9
Shots on target
0
Stats from Sofascore
Luckhurst was critical of the Denmark international, giving him a post-match rating of 3/10 for his efforts. The journalist said he “did little right all night”, a scathing review which was clearly backed up by his stats.
Hojlund is a player who looks short of confidence at the moment. He has not scored since the 12th of December in the Europa League, which is frustrating for the Red Devils. He was a big investment, and to see him struggling so much will be a worry.
The 22-year-old will certainly have been relieved to see Maguire score the winning goal in Fergie Time but while the defender will continue to play a regular role, the Dane must find himself on the bench next time out.
Tottenham Hotspur have endured their fair share of frustration this season, with Ange Postecoglou’s ambitious project stunted by an unrelenting surge of injuries.
It’s left Spurs stranded in 14th place in the Premier League, with the poor and lasting form eradicating any hopes of qualifying for European competition next season through the top flight.
However, Postecoglou’s side are still in the FA Cup, meeting Aston Villa at Villa Park later today, and finished fourth in the league phase of the Europa League, bypassing the additional knockout round.
TottenhamHotspur manager Ange Postecoglou celebrates after the match
There’s hope yet that an exciting finish to the campaign could be forged from the scalding flames of recent months, with Son Heung-min captaining the side and eyeing a maiden piece of silverware.
The skipper is now 32 and has come under fire for some of his performances this term, but he’s still a major influence capable of driving the Lilywhites forward.
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In 2015, Tottenham signed Son from Bayer Leverkusen for a reported £22m fee when he was 23 years old. The dynamic forward has since forged a fine career for himself in England, posting 172 goals and 92 assists across 440 appearances and being hailed for his “world-class” quality by Postecoglou last season.
Having taken the armband from the departed Harry Kane at the beginning of Ange’s tenure, Son has been the standout attacker, and even though he’s discernibly on the decline in regard to athleticism and energy this term, he’s still scored 10 goals and supplied 8 assists across 32 matches in all competitions.
Son’s still got enough in the tank to play a big part for his long-served side, but there’s no doubt that he’s struggling, and the recruitment to aid him on the left flank hasn’t been good enough.
Timo Werner is playing in his second successive loan spell at the club and was singled out for his lack of fight and determination by Postecoglou in December, with the Australian manager saying it was “not acceptable”.
Moreover, Wilson Odobert is dealing with a long-term injury after joining from Burnley for £25m last summer – the 20-year-old only featured three times in the league, failing to hit the target or create a big chance while also failing with 68% of his dribbles, as per Sofascore.
Rewarded for his loyalty with a new contract in January, the veteran forward needs to be playing with a higher calibre of support, more energy and impetus. He can’t play twice a week to the same level anymore, and given that Spurs are struggling for players to compete with Son, our mind is cast back to Steven Bergwijn.
Spurs must rue losing Steven Bergwijn
Son is still a potent attacking force. Technically, the South Korean captain is still one of Postecoglou’s best players and his goal record reflects his value.
1
Brennan Johnson
32
12
2
Dominic Solanke
29
11
3
Son Heung-min
32
10
=4
James Maddison
31
9
=4
Dejan Kulusevski
38
9
However, his underlying energy has been diminished, with pundits such as Sky Sports’ Jamie Redknapp picking up on the changes.
With Son’s aforementioned positional peers struggling to impose themselves, Bergwijn’s particular approach could have gone down a treat in this Postecoglou system.
Plainly, Son is a victim of the system crashing this season and would have benefited greatly from a more stable, less injury-affected campaign, but instead, he’s toiling.
Bergwijn, 27, is now playing his third season since leaving the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but his energy and potency in front of goal would have been the perfect mix to lessen Son’s load and play off the left flank when he tires in Ange’s fast-paced team.
Tottenham signed Bergwijn from PSV Eindhoven for a fee in the region of £25m in January 2020, but the electric-paced winger only managed to score 8 goals across 83 matches for the north Londoners.
Embroiled in the thick of Antonio Conte’s downfall, Bergwijn was set up to fail.
Now playing for Al-Ittihad in the Saudi Pro League, Bergwijn has enjoyed a healthy return of seven goals and seven assists over 24 matches this season, though his athletic metrics further underscore the quality that Tottenham are missing on their left flank.
Ajax winger Steven Bergwijn
He has averaged 4.3 successful duels, 1.8 dribbles and 1.2 tackles per game in the league this term, as per Sofascore, perfectly illustrating the kind of robust style of play that would be so well suited to Postecoglou’s free-flowing and high-octane football.
Moreover, the 27-year-old has been hailed as a “big-game monster” in the past by journalist John Cross – something that Spurs could have done with, for example, at Anfield earlier this week, with Son branded with a 5/10 match score by Football.london’s Alasdair Gold after his performance, where he was singled out for his inability to get on the ball against Liverpool.
The saving grace is that Tottenham were able to recoup £26m for the failed signing, who fled back to the Dutch Eredivisie to sign with Ajax in July 2022.
However, given that Spurs turned their transfer cannon toward Richarlison, signing the Brazilian for a whopping £60m fee, it’s perhaps less satisfactory.
Tottenham Hotspur's Steven Bergwijn celebrates
Ultimately, Bergwijn was “unlucky at Spurs” – a comment made by pundit and ex-Spurs goalkeeper Paul Robinson – and it’s quite possible that in different circumstances, perhaps under Postecoglou, he would have enjoyed far greater success in the Premier League.
He’s still firmly in his ostensible prime years, and thus, the likes of Daniel Levy must have some big regrets about letting him leave, for he could have been the perfect option to mitigate Son’s struggles at present.
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It has been a really poor season for Manchester United. The Red Devils are fighting hard to even finish in the top half of the Premier League table, and are surely set for their lowest-ever finish since its inception in the 1992/93 campaign.
Should Ruben Amorim’s side finish outside of the top ten, it will be the first time that has happened since 1988/89, when they finished 11th in the first division. Their lowest Premier League finish came last term, under Erik ten Hag, when the 13-time Premier League champions finished eighth.
Manchester United manager RubenAmorimreacts on the touchline
They could certainly do with some inspiration this season to drag themselves up the league. Perhaps they wish some of their former players performing well in the Premier League could be on hand to help.
Former United players who are shining this season
One of the former United players who is standing out in the top flight this term is winger Anthony Elanga. He is now into his second season at Nottingham Forest and is thriving in a side managed superbly by Nuno Espirito Santo.
Anthony Elanga.
The Sweden international has been an assist machine in Garibaldi Red this term. In 26 appearances in the top flight this campaign, Elanga has three goals and eight assists, including three in a single game in the 7-0 thrashing of Brighton and Hove Albion.
Another player who United could have done with this season is Aaron Wan-Bissaka. They have really struggled for depth at wing-back, with the likes of Luke Shaw facing large spells on the sidelines.
Wan-Bissaka, who made the move to West Ham United over the summer, is renowned for his defensive ability, and Jamie Carragher once said no player “can get the better of him” in a one-vs-one scenario.
However, he has also scored two and assisted two for the Hammers this term, including a brilliant assist in their 1-0 win away to Arsenal last weekend.
Where Are They Now
Perhaps Amorim wishes he had the likes of Elanga and Wan-Bissaka in his squad now. However, in a team short of goals, there is a former United player who could have been incredibly useful.
The former United star who they need this season
No matter how well United are playing, there will always be plenty of pride in their academy. Well, one of the most underrated academy stars they have produced over the years is Danny Welbeck.
Now playing on the South Coast for Brighton, the Red Devils could certainly do with the goals of their former number 19. In 2024/25, Welbeck has been in impressive form.
He has scored seven goals and registered four assists in 20 Premier League games. One of those goals came against his former side on the second day of the season.
Welbeck, who hails from Manchester, was very well regarded by one of the most important people in United’s history, Sir Alex Ferguson.
Way back in 2013, the legendary Red Devils manager described his former striker as a “marvellous” player. He scored 29 goals and registered 16 assists in 142 games for his boyhood club.
Welbeck record by season for Man Utd
Season
Games
Goals
Assists
2008/09
13
3
2
2009/10
11
2
1
2011/12
39
12
5
2012/13
40
2
5
2013/14
36
10
3
2014/15
3
0
0
Stats from Transfermarkt
Manchester Evening News journalist Samuel Luckhurst was full of praise for Welbeck’s performances this season, following his latest strike in the 2-1 win over high-flying Bournemouth.
He explained on X that the Seagulls attacker would be deserving of a spot “in Tuchel’s England squad” for the March internationals, having been “playing the best football of what has already been a great career”.
Danny Welbeck
Oh, how United must wish Welbeck – who Ten Hag was reportedly keen to re-sign last summer – still donned that famous Red shirt today.
He could have made a huge difference for Amorim’s side, who are battling hard to save the club from finishing in their worst league position since the 1980s.
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Rishabh Pant is out of the ICU, but the extent of injuries on his knee, toe and ankle is not yet known as he is still not in shape to go through MRI scans.Pant was on his way from Delhi to see his mother in Roorkee in Uttarakhand when his car crashed into a road divider on December 30. He miraculously escaped without life-threatening injuries even as the car went up in flames.After immediate emergency care in Roorkee, Pant was moved to Max Hospital in Dehradun where he currently awaits discharge in a private ward. The BCCI has formed a panel of its own doctors who are in touch with the doctors at the Dehradun hospital. The line of treatment is being determined by both panels in unison.Related
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Pant's brain and spine MRI scan results normal
Rishabh Pant suffers multiple injuries in serious car crash
Preliminary scans were done on December 30 to eliminate brain and spine injuries, but the scans on the knee and foot were held back because of the pain and swelling. Also, plastic surgery was performed to treat lacerative and abrasion wounds and facial injuries. However, the pending MRI has not yet been performed.The BCCI is hopeful Pant gets discharged and is fit to travel in the coming two to three days so that its panel of doctors can start determining the extent of the two suspected ligament tears as early as possible. It is not yet known if the injuries will require a surgery or just rehab. It is too early to think of a timeframe in which he can come back to athletic activity first and then top-flight cricket. He hasn’t started walking yet.Rishabh Pant’s car was severely damaged after a crash•PTI
Hardik: Pant ‘would have made a big difference’ against Sri Lanka “What happened is very unfortunate, no one has control over it. As a team we wish him all the best, our love and prayers are always with him,” Hardik Pandya, India’s captain for the T20I series against Sri Lanka which starts on Tuesday, told reporters. “Wish him a speedy recovery. Obviously, he was a very important part of the team, now everyone knows the situation and lot of other people can get opportunities.”Yes, Pant, if he was also there, he would have made a big difference because of the player he is, but now he is not there so we can’t control it. We will see what the future holds for us.”India’s three big assignments in 2023 are the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (Tests against Australia) in India in February-March, a possible World Test Championship final in England in their summer, and the ODI World Cup in India’s early winter.Pant’s chances of making it to the first of these are slim although it can’t quite be ruled out. The other big event for Pant will be the IPL where he captains Delhi Capitals.
Incoming Rangers owners 49ers Enterprises are believed to have a “dream appointment” as Philippe Clement’s long-term successor, according to a new update.
Rangers plotting permanent managers after Ferguson
The Gers have started life under interim boss Barry Ferguson in positive fashion, with the former Ibrox favourite a popular appointment earlier this week, following the unsurprising sacking of Clement last weekend.
It proved to be a memorable first game in charge for Ferguson, with Rangers overcoming a 2-0 deficit to win 4-2 away to Kilmarnock in the Scottish Premiership on Wednesday evening, thanks to Vaclav Cerny’s opener, a Cyriel Dessers double and a Nedim Bajrami strike.
It would be a surprise if the 47-year-old remained in charge of the Gers beyond the end of the season, though, with a more proven manager needed to come in, in order to narrow the gulf between themselves and rivals Celtic, heralding the start of an exciting new era at the club in the process.
A host of names have been mentioned in recent days, including Kevin Muscat, Ashley Cole and Derek McInnes, but it looks like another name is at the top of Rangers’ wishlist, following a fresh update.
49ers have "dream appointment" at Rangers
According to a new report from Football Insider, 49ers see Steven Gerrard as the “dream appointment” to come in as Rangers’ next permanent manager this summer. The Gers’ next owners will have a major say as to who Clement’s long-term replacement at Ibrox will be, and they want to bring the 44-year-old back to the club at the end of the season.
Former Rangers manager Steven Gerrard.
Gerrard enjoyed a successful period in charge of Rangers during his first stint, memorably winning the Scottish Premiership title in 2020/21, which has been an all-too-rare occurrence at Ibrox this century.
Al-Ettifaq
55
1.33
Aston Villa
40
1.18
Rangers
192
2.15
In fact, the Liverpool legend had a big admirer in Ferguson at the time, who heaped praise on the job he was doing with the Gers back in 2019: “When the new campaign kicked off I was crossing my fingers and toes in the hope Gerrard might be able to make a decent fist of this fight.
“Now though the whole game has just been changed. I look at Davis and Defoe joining the camp in Tenerife and I think, ‘Here we go!’ Overnight a team that went into the shutdown with a chance of taking Celtic all the way now looks like one that truly believes it will. Like a proper Rangers team should.”
49ers can forget Ferguson by hiring new Rangers boss who's wowed Guardiola
With Philippe Clement having been sacked, Rangers are searching for a new long-term successor, so could it be a manager ‘approved’ by Pep Guardiola?
ByBen Gray Feb 28, 2025
Granted, Gerrard’s reputation in management has been hampered a little after being sacked at Aston Villa and having a forgettable spell in Saudi Arabia in Al-Ettifaq, but he is still a young coach, and if 49ers see him as the best option, they need to be trusted.
Trinta jogos, quatro gols e quatro assistências. Quantitativamente é o melhor de PH Ganso que desembarcou no Fluminense em 2019 sob olhares desconfiados. Mas a expectativa (que é cruel, é de quem vê e não de quem joga), sempre foi que Ganso se nivelasse aos destaques do Brasileirão. Ganso conseguiu. Escolhi dez importantes métricas de análise e coloquei PH Ganso ao lado de Nacho Fernández (Atlético-MG), Arrascaeta (Flamengo), Gustavo Scarpa (Palmeiras) e o menos conhecido, porém não menos importante, Marlon Freitas (Atlético-GO). Os números serão sempre de jogos do Brasileirão para não poluir a amostra.
+ Veja a tabela do Brasileirão e simule os resultados dos jogos
Começando pelo que Ganso menos faz, são apenas 1.28 passes longos por jogo, menos da metade dos outros quatro jogadores e uma diferença enorme em relação a Marlon Freitas, que lança 8.23 bolas por partida e, percentualmente, acerta mais que o tricolor. Outra ação individual que pouco se vê no futebol elegante de Ganso são as corridas em progressão com a bola, necessárias na procura de espaços menos congestionados contra times que encaixam a marcação individual. Ganso tem uma média de 6.4 conduções a cada 10 jogos. Arrascaeta conduz a bola pelo menos uma vez por jogo e Nacho corre com bola uma vez e meia por partida. Ganso é mais cadência e o Fluminense de Diniz, também, mas o número mostra a identidade do seu futebol que não era diferente com Abel Braga ou Odair Hellmann, técnicos de estilo bem diferente.
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Outro ponto sempre questionado é a contribuição de PH Ganso na fase defensiva do jogo. Aqui aparece a grata surpresa. 0 10 do Fluminense tem métricas iguais ou melhores que os demais jogadores aqui trazidos como espelho. Ganso tem 4.69 duelos defensivos por jogo e ganha 68% deles. Nacho é quem mais vai pro embate com 7.38 duelos e Arrascaeta é o pé-de-ferro da turma, com 73% de vitórias. Quem menos contribui é Scarpa, com 2.2 duelos por jogo, ganhando somente 46% destes. Ganso também tem sido muito participativo na bola aérea, a famosa disputa da “primeira bola”. Do grupo, é quem mais briga no alto e, novamente, a maior taxa de vitória é de Arrascaeta com 37% de bolas ganhas. Por cima o pior é Nacho, tanto em quantidade de duelos quanto em vitórias. Já a perda da bola, seja por erro no passe ou tentativa de drible, também mostra um Ganso em ótimo nível. Somente Ganso e Marlon Freitas perdem menos de oito bolas por jogo, enquanto que Nacho, Scarpa e Arrasca perdem, cada um, mais de dez por partida.
Ganso é um deleite para quem gosta do futebol criativoe gera sempre o comentário de que jogar parece fácil quando a bola está a seus pés
Deixei para o final as métricas relativas ao passe, de propósito, porque é a hora em que PH Ganso brilha. Tanto Ganso quanto Marlon Freitas passam em média 57 vezes por jogo e também são os mais eficientes, com o 10 do Flu acertando 89% e o volante do Dragão chegando a ótimos 87%. O palmeirense Scarpa passa 30 vezes em média e Arrascaeta é o menos eficiente com 78% de acertos. Se contarmos somente os passes para o último terço do campo, a eficiência de Ganso (79%) só é menor que a do argentino Nacho, que acha, normalmente Hulk, em 84% das vezes. Se o passe é, na verdade, uma assistência para chute, PH Ganso só fica atrás do grande assistente dos últimos tempos no Brasileirão. Ganso entrega 2.45 assistências para chute por jogo e o garçom Scarpa entrega 3 assistências em média.
+Desafio: em quais clubes jogavam os heróis do penta?
E o texto encerra com a marca registrada de Ganso que é carimbar e dar o ritmo na organização de suas equipes. O Fluminense aciona PH Ganso 48 vezes por jogo! Arrascaeta é procurado 30 vezes por seus companheiros e Scarpa, mesmo sendo o grande assistente, recebe a bola 23 vezes em média a cada 90 minutos. Toda essa procura por Ganso o deixa possuidor de 83 ações individuais por partida, uma onipresença quase inatingível para meio-campistas. Nacho (76), Marlon Freitas (75), Arrascaeta (72) e Gustavo Scarpa (53), jogadores acima da média não conseguem competir com a atual fase do meia tricolor.
Ganso é um deleite para quem gosta do futebol criativo e gera sempre o comentário de que jogar parece fácil quando a bola está a seus pés. Isso não se discute. O que se analisa é o nível de performance e o quanto ele entrega durante uma partida. Nesta temporada Ganso vem unindo o útil ao agradável.