Tag Futebol

When South Africa returned from a 0-3 drubbing in India in 2015, they went on to lose the subsequent home series against England. When Australia returned from a 0-3 drubbing by low-ranked Sri Lanka this year, they went to lose the subsequent (and ongoing) series against South Africa.New Zealand hope to break the trend; they hope their 0-3 in India will not have a similar effect on their home summer. Misbah-ul-Haq, though, has glimpsed a few weaknesses. He believed his varied attack can bring an ailing New Zealand top order down.”If you see, after the Indian tour, most of the Kiwi batsmen have been struggling and short of confidence,” Misbah said. “I know this is their own territory and they’ll be confident playing here, but as a batsman, and a cricketer, confidence can play a big role. Being short of confidence – we’ll look forward to exploiting that.”While New Zealand’s batsmen seek a return to collective form, Pakistan’s own top order must resist the likes of Trent Boult and Tim Southee on Hagley Oval’s green top. Pakistan did win two Tests in England this year, but both those matches were played in London, where pitches were less seam-friendly than elsewhere. It had, in fact, been the legspin of Yasir Shah that defined the Lord’s Test, as well as playing a crucial role in the second innings at The Oval. Tracks in New Zealand have not been so spin friendly recently.”If you look at the UAE conditions and New Zealand conditions, these are totally different,” Misbah said. “That’s the biggest challenge for us, especially for our batting. Most of our players have been to New Zealand before, and they know how these conditions can be different from what we are used to. We need to make sure that we bat with discipline and put good scores on the board. Our bowling is very much capable of performing well in any sort of conditions.”There may be rain in the air in Christchurch, but Pakistan had also had their three-day practice match in Nelson completely washed out, meaning their preparation in New Zealand has been less than ideal. Misbah said his team would fall back on their recent experience in England, and hoped the lessons learned on that tour would hold true here.”The England series was a tough series for us. That experience will really help us here, because of the confidence we gained from that. The players are up for this challenge, and we can prove ourselves here also. We need to learn some things from that tour – those conditions, and how we go about business. How we’ve batted, how our disciplines are, and how we’ve bowled.”It’s going to be a key for us because we missed the practice game here. A couple of practice sessions are the only experience we’ve got before the Test match. As professionals, we need to use that information and be ready enough for the Test.If India lose the series against England, Pakistan have an opportunity to reclaim the no. 1 Test ranking they had briefly held following Australia’s loss in Sri Lanka. Misbah said the prospect continued to spur his team.”Always the no. 1 ranking is a big motivation. If you play any sport, you want to be the best. That’s what we are looking forward to. That said, we need to improve ourselves every game. Every series and game becomes important for us. Looking forward to playing well in this series and in Australia.”

Everton are in desperate need of attacking reinforcements this summer to avoid another Premier League relegation scrap and now an update has emerged on a potential new transfer target.

What's the latest on Everton's interest in Brennan Johnson?

According to The Daily Mail, Everton are one of the Premier League clubs keen to sign Nottingham Forest ace Brennan Johnson this summer.

As per the report, the Toffees are competing with West Ham United to secure the young winger's services ahead of next season and it is claimed that the Tricky Trees value Johnson at no less than £40m.

Will Brennan Johnson sign for Everton this summer?

There is no doubt that Sean Dyche will be keen to bolster his forward line after a real struggle to compete and retain their top-flight status this season, with an Abdoulaye Doucuoure goal in the last 33 minutes of the season saving the club from the drop.

Everton has seen their attacking threat significantly weakened over the last 12 months with Richarlison departing last summer and Anthony Gordon making a shock exit in the January transfer window, whilst Dominic Calvert-Lewin has continued to struggle with injury issues throughout the campaign.

As a result, no other club in the entire Premier League scored fewer goals this season (34) over 38 fixtures clearly demonstrating how uninspiring and unreliable Dyche's attacking options have been, so the signing of Johnson could be the perfect chance to improve goal contributions and even secure an upgrade on Gordon.

Over 38 league appearances, the 22-year-old talent – hailed a "great finisher" by Steve Cooper – scored eight times, registered three assists and created four big chances, as well as averaging 1.4 shots on goal per game, proving that he could be a great attacking asset to Everton next season.

Not only that, when you compare Johnson's output to his positional peer Gordon over this season for their respective clubs, the Welsh winger has comfortably outperformed the Newcastle United ace in many attacking attributes.

That includes goal-creating actions per 90 (0.34 v 0.06), progressive carries (88 v 48), goals per shots on target (0.13 v 0.12) and goal contributions in total (11 v 4).

Considering Nottingham Forest were one of Everton's closest competitors in the relegation fight this season, it would be interesting to see whether the Trentside club would be willing to sell their homegrown prodigy to a rival that could strengthen with the services of Johnson next season.

Having said that, it would be a no-brainer for Dyche to secure a deal for Johnson should the opportunity arise, as he is not only showing huge potential as a threat in front of goal but has the Premier League experience needed to make an instant impact at Goodison Park next season.

Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe will be hoping to bolster the squad with firepower boasting Champions League credentials after securing top four, and Mohammed Kudus could be the perfect acquisition.

What's the latest on Mohammed Kudus to Newcastle?

According to The Athletic's David Ornstein, Newcastle – alongside divisional rivals Arsenal and Manchester United – have earmarked Ajax attacker Kudus following recent revelations over his availability this summer.

The Ghanaian World Cup star is contracted to the Johann Cruyff Arena until 2025 but rejected his outfit's proposal of a contract extension, sparking fresh life into rumours that a deal could be achieved.

Valued at £40m, the 22-year-old would be an affordable option with proven pedigree on the biggest stage both for club and country, offering dynamism and cutting edge that will only serve to enhance the thriving crop at St. James's Park.

Who could Kudus replace at Newcastle?

The aforementioned report states that Kudus might not be the first choice pick for the ambitious Premier League outfits, though this is something that could play into the hand of Magpies technical director Dan Ashworth as he charts a course for success at the recruitment table.

This season, the prolific gem has plundered 18 goals and six assists from 41 matches for Ajax, starting just 28 times; in the Champions League, Kudus has netted four goals and provided two assists, hailed as a "monster" by journalist Muftawa Nabila Abdulai.

Having scored seven times for his nation – including twice at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar – the 21-cap Ghanaian would be a brilliant addition to the Newcastle set-up, with one tactical report illustrating his incredible versatility, the ace flourishing in a deeper midfield role, the false-nine position and as an inverted forward out on the right flank.

Per FBref, the "electric" phenom – as lauded by talent scout Jacek Kulig – ranks among the top 2% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Men's Next 8 divisions – the leagues beneath the top European five – for rate of non-penalty goals, the top 1% for pass completion, the top 1% for successful take-ons and the top 3% for touches in the attacking box, underscoring his brilliance both as an assured passer and a direct presence, unflinching and destructive in swift transitions.

He would be the dream replacement for Newcastle star Allan Saint-Maximin, who boasts fleet-footed excellence himself but is certainly lacking potency in front of the net.

Saint-Maximin has only scored once in the top flight this season from 30 appearances, despite his side's resounding and resurgent success, and he has actually failed to get past the five-goal mark across all four of his campaigns on Tyneside.

With Kudus' versatility and 'electric' presence on the ball partnering an innate knack for sniffing out goals in abundance, securing his services could come at a providential time for Howe and co, who could certainly do with a player boasting success in the Champions League.

Glamorgan have qualified for the quarter-finals of the NatWest T20 Blast with a win over Somerset in Cardiff led by a career-best bowling spell and an innings of 54 from Colin Ingram

ECB Reporters Network22-Jul-2016
ScorecardColin Ingram has had a fine white-ball season•Getty Images

Glamorgan have qualified for the quarter-finals of the NatWest T20 Blast with a win over Somerset in Cardiff A career-best bowling spell and an innings of 54 from Colin Ingram allowed Glamorgan to make the knockout stages with two games still to play.Ingram has played as a white ball specialist this season as a result of an ongoing knee injury and he has made the most of his chances in the side, leading the run-scoring charts for Glamorgan in T20 and 50-over cricket.With victory enough to secure that prized quarter-final spot Glamorgan would have been pleased to win the toss and chase, their preferred method in Cardiff where they are convinced that the ball comes on to the bat better under the lights.An ugly looking pitch but one with decent pace and carry greeted the players but while the runs flowed for Somerset so the wickets fell. Midway, they were 90 for 5, a tendency begun by Mahela Jayawardene, who looked in supreme touch on his way to 16 from 10 balls, but who he fell when he mistimed a cover drive off the bowling of Timm van der Gugten.The most spectacular of those wickets to fall was that of Peter Trego who missed a rocket from Shaun Tait that knocked his stumps out of the ground. It that same over Tait induced an edge from James Hildreth with an outswinger that should have been caught by Mark Wallace but the Glamorgan ‘keeper could not hang on to it.Hildreth made the most of his life, going on to top score for Somerset with 39 from 28 balls. If Glamorgan had taken that chance they could have been chasing around 120; instead they would need 153 to claim victory.The surprise package of the night was Ingram’s bowling as he picked his best T20 figures of 3 for 20 with his occasional leg breaks. He bowled with real guile, with the ball that had Lewis Gregory out stumped particularly impressive. By adding bowling to his stellar batting form he has further cemented his place as Glamorgan’s star man in this competition.While van der Gugten impressed with his bowling, he was out done by his Dutch colleague Paul van Meerkeren who bowled with real pace and was unlucky not to claim more wickets. He did dismiss Mark Wallace who top edged a catch to long leg but there were a number of other chances that fell just short of a fielder. His figures of 1 for 45 did not accurately reflect how well he bowled.Glamorgan lost David Lloyd in the eighth over to bring together Ingram and Aneurin Donald who registered the fastest ever first-class double hundred against Derbyshire this week.Between them they turned what could have been a difficult chase into a stroll as they put together a stand of 76 from 53 balls. Ingram fell before the job was finished but he had done enough for Glamorgan to win by seven wickets with 12 balls to spare.Somerset captain Jim Allenby expressed his frustration at Somerset failing to perform on what he judged to be a very good Cardiff pitch.”It is disappointing and frustrating,” he said. “In all the years I played at Glamorgan and that his the best pitch that I have seen. That was a fantastic cricket pitch, short boundaries, everything that you want as a batsman and we have been bowled at for 150 on it.”So it’s really frustrated as a team and also individually on missing out on getting a big score out there. These things happened but it has happened all too often this season.”

It was by no means a vintage display, but Tottenham Hotspur clinched a crucial victory over Crystal Palace on home turf on Saturday afternoon, bolstering their hopes of European football next season.

It was Harry Kane with the decisive goal, expertly heading in Pedro Porro's looping cross to become the outright second-highest goalscorer in Premier League history, behind only Alan Shearer, scoring his 26th of the season in the process.

The win means Spurs leapfrog Brighton & Hove Albion into sixth place, though the Seagulls currently have three games in hand and sit just three points behind Ryan Mason's men.

Realistically, Tottenham will need to win their remaining three fixtures – against Aston Villa, Brentford and Leeds United – if they are to avoid a return to the Europa Conference League, and will now need the players to build upon the pleasing performance.

The aforementioned Porro is one such ace who impressed with a confident and effective display, and if he can create a late-season purple patch, his side might just maintain their hold on Europa League qualification.

How did Pedro Porro play against Crystal Palace?

Porro has endured something of a tumultuous ride since completing a £5m loan move to the Lilywhites – which has a £39m summer obligation to make the deal permanent – on deadline day of the winter transfer window.

Having forged 11 outings in the English top flight, Porro has plundered two goals and assists apiece, impressing with the offensive calibre of his skill set while offering some questionable displays from a defensive standpoint – chastened by the words of Jamie Carragher that he "can't defend" after Spurs' 6-1 drubbing at the hand of Newcastle United.

However, against the Eagles, he soared to his highest point yet in Tottenham white, with Sofascore recording his match rating at a laudable 8.0, with his assist complemented by 71 touches – in the thick of the action – four key passes and success in four of his 11 ground duels, while also completing his one attempted dribble.

The £85k-per-week ace also found his target with four of his 13 crosses, and is clearly starting to forge a deadly partnership with the prolific Kane, with The Athletic's Charlie Eccleshare hailing him as a "constant outlet".

Speaking of his dynamo after the match, Mason said: "Pedro [Porro] has been quite effective for us, even in the previous system. He's scored and provided assists. He works hard."

Tottenham have not quite been at the races this term after tantalising green pastures under Antonio Conte's wing with a fourth-place finish last term, but it has unravelled like a loose spool of string.

Woeful recent form has threatened to capsize the ship, but the victory over Palace certainly presents a path towards finishing on a high and securing a place in the Europa League next season.

Manchester United may well have claimed a vital three points yesterday, but the game was far from a classic as they barely scraped past Aston Villa.

It took Bruno Fernandes' finish late in the first half to separate the sides, and it would prove to be the decisive action in the end as Unai Emery's side could not muster an equaliser as the game finished 1-0.

Whilst the Portuguese maestro continues his blistering form, the clash actually was overshadowed by yet another disappointing afternoon for Marcus Rashford, who has gone off the boil of late despite enjoying some incredible mid-season performances.

Having started up front, it still feels like the England international is yet to fully recover from his injury, with Erik ten Hag happy to utilise a weaker version of the wide man as an improvement on others in that role.

However, it has seen his statistics drop off a cliff. For a period, the £200k-per-week wizard scored ten goals in as many games in the Premier League. That has now dropped to just two in his last eight. Even his role in the goal yesterday was branded as "unorthodox" by journalist Laurie Whitwell.

A win will always remain the priority, and by claiming that the Red Devils will be pleased. Despite that, the drop-off in form for their star man will remain a worry until he can recapture that scoring touch.

How did Marcus Rashford play vs Aston Villa?

It was a testament to his poor display that the Dutchman actually hooked the speedster with just over five minutes to go, opting for Anthony Martial to see out the game.

This was far from a surprising turn of events though, as the 25-year-old had recorded just 24 touches during his time on the pitch and six passes. Even David De Gea in the United goal enjoyed more touches (29).

During his small stint on the ball, Rashford was remarkably profligate, as outlined in his 67% pass accuracy, one big chance missed and the fact he finished the game without a goal despite accumulating 0.46 expected goals. This figure was nearly a third of the team's total sum of 1.19, via Sofascore.

To further compound the forward's misery, he would lose 75% of the eight duels competed in and lost possession 13 times. This meant that for every 1.8 touches of the ball, the 5 foot 11 finisher would surrender it.

Yesterday's win solidified their grip on the top four tenfold, so this loss of form is not an immediate worry. However, in rebuilding a brighter future for this historic club, such inconsistency will be a worry for Ten Hag.

فجرت تقارير صحفية إنجليزية مفاجأة قوية فيما يخص رغبة نادي برشلونة في الحصول على خدمات أحد لاعبي مانشستر يونايتد المُعارين في الوقت الحالي.

وكانت صحيفة “ذا صن” الإنجليزية قد ذكرت قبل ساعات أن برشلونة يريد ضم ماسون جرينوود، الذي يتواجد حاليًا في صفوف خيتافي (لمطالعة التفاصيل من هنا).

كان جرينوود قد فشل في العودة إلى اللعب بقميص مانشستر يونايتد بعد تورطه في قضية اغتصاب واعتداء جنسي وقسري ضد صديقته.

ورغم إسقاط التهم الموجهة ضد جرينوود من قِبل النيابة العامة، إلا أن مانشستر يونايتد أكد أن اللاعب لن يستطيع التواجد معهم مرة أخرى.

وتسبب ذلك الأمر في الموافقة على رحيل اللاعب الإنجليزي على سبيل الإعارة إلى صفوف خيتافي، في موسم الانتقالات الصيفي الماضي.

ونجح جرينوود في تقديم أداء رائع مع خيتافي، حيث سجل 5 أهداف وصنع 4، وساهم في صعود الفريق إلى المركز الثامن في جدول الدوري الإسباني.

ونشرت الصحيفة نفسها، منذ قليل تقريرًا جديدًا يفيد بأن خيتافي يتطلع إلى التعاقد الدائم مع جرينوود، ولكن برشلونة يخطط لتقديم عرض مغري بقيمة 40 مليون جنيه إسترليني لإتمام تلك الصفقة.

ليس هذا فقط، بل تكمن المفاجأة في أن برشلونة ينوي عرض رقم قميص ليونيل ميسي الشهير، 10، على جرينوود كجزء من الصفقة المذكورة.

كان أنسو فاتي قد حصل على قميص ليونيل ميسي، ولكن اللاعب انضم إلى برايتون على سبيل الإعارة في سبتمبر الماضي، ومن ثم فهو متاح في الوقت الحالي.

ويرغب برشلونة في استغلال ذلك القميص الأيقوني من أجل جذب جرينوود إلى “كامب نو”.

Tottenham Hotspur seemed set down a path towards steady success under Mauricio Pochettino, with the Argentine taking over in 2014 and slowly building up a team capable of fighting for consistent silverware, although he would never quite grasp it himself.

His sacking caused a shock, as it essentially unravelled the progress he had made across his five-year spell in north London.

Not only this, but that decision also marked a divergence in the strategy of chairman Daniel Levy, who assumed that because the club now sat amongst the elite they should start seeking out the 'elite managers'.

Straying completely from the model that had earned them praise, Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte were both appointed and expected to win trophies instantly, yet neither seem set to have done so.

This summer will see the Italian's contract conclude, but his reign could be cut short before then, marking another crossroads for the hierarchy to navigate.

Do they persevere with their current method, in a desperate search for a trophy of any kind, or do they return to their trusted old method which could see them take a few steps back before they can move forwards?

Either way, the touted appointment of Steve Cooper would essentially just see them secure a downgrade on their current boss, so it is one avenue that must be avoided.

Could Steve Cooper go to Spurs?

With his youth and impressive start to life in management, the suggestion is that the 43-year-old could well reignite the club as they tread down the latter of the two aforementioned paths.

However, he has hardly done enough to merit a jump up from a relegation battle to challenging for Champions League spots.

His work in seeing Nottingham Forest promoted was admirable, with his fluid three-at-the-back system earning praise, but since returning to the Premier League his side have admittedly struggled.

The Tricky Trees currently sit 16th, firmly entrenched within the myriad of teams vying to avoid the drop; but their goalscoring statistics make for depressing viewing.

Forest are currently the joint-lowest scorers in the division, and with 49 conceded in just 27 games, only AFC Bournemouth have shipped more goals.

The fact that they are still afloat after posting such abysmal numbers is arguably a testament to the weakness of the bottom half of the league.

Despite overseeing something of a mini-turnaround at the turn of the year, it seems they have now reverted to form, having not won since mid-February.

This abysmal play style paired with a lack of defensive security actually draws comparisons with Conte's Spurs side, who likely only boast an improvement because of the higher quality of players they boast.

With their system and the results yielded boasting striking similarities, to ditch Conte for Cooper would be a baffling decision that could only see them compound their initial mistake.

Gabby Agbonlahor had suggested only back in October that he was "out of his depth" at the City Ground, so to upgrade him to an even bigger club with far greater expectations would likely only exacerbate that statement.

The future of Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane is not believed to depend on what lies ahead for manager Antonio Conte.There is growing speculation surrounding the future of the England captain with just over a year currently remaining on his deal with the Lilywhites.Reports suggest there is strong interest coming from Manchester United with Erik ten Hag believed to be keen on bringing the 29-year-old to Old Trafford.And the future of the current Spurs boss, Conte, has been raised as a potential factor in the striker’s decision-making ahead of the summer with the Italian set to leave in the coming months.But reliable Spurs correspondent Alasdair Gold has claimed the 29-year-old is still open to discussing new terms with his boyhood club and Conte’s future will not affect that.Kane had provided an impressive return of 42 goals and 14 assists in his 74 appearances under Conte since his appointment in late 2021 (via Transfermarkt).Despite this, it seems as if Kane could be open to the idea of playing in north London under a new manager next season.This news was relayed on Twitter and the best of the reactions can be seen below…

Southampton’s youth system is not to be sniffed at, and over the years a multitude of top-class talents have been churned through Staplewood and unleashed onto the major stage, and once again, the south coast club might just have a new prodigy.

Indeed, there has been an abundance of talent dripping through the youth ranks over modern times, with the likes of Gareth Bale, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Ben White all earning their stripes with Saints before going on to forge successful careers – and, of course, James Ward-Prowse serves as Southampton’s main man to this day.

Who is Southampton’s next academy star?

One other star that burst onto the scene at full throttle was prodigious defender Luke Shaw, who impressed during the maiden stage of his career and chalked up 67 appearances with his boyhood club, before signing for Manchester United at just 18-years-old in a deal worth in excess of £30m in 2014.

While Southampton never got to fully utilise his talents, the left-back became the world’s most expensive teenager following his transfer and given his former outfit’s adroit nature when it comes to their expansive pool of talent, nurturing starlets for their own set-up or benefitting from lucrative fees, the powers that be at the outfit must be watching the development of the prodigious Jayden Meghoma like a hawk.

Last summer, the 16-year-old full-back was signed from Tottenham Hotspur’s development squad on an initial scholarship deal, with Saints’ head of youth development, Dan Rice, saying:

“Jayden is a modern-day left-back, who possesses a confident ball-playing manner combined with an energetic capacity to his game.”

Could Jayden Meghoma really be the next Luke Shaw?

According to The Athletic’s Jacob Tanswell, Meghoma is one “of the best talents” in the country for his age group, and given the platform that Southampton offer youth players to grow into their skin, there is no reason why this progress cannot continue to make increments over the coming seasons.

The teenager has forged ten outings for Saints’ youth team, having also made two appearances for Spurs’ U18 group, and with the likes of the Daily Echo’s Alfie House waxing lyrical and proclaiming him to be a “highly regarded” ace, he might only be inches away from earning a shot at Ruben Selles’ senior system over the forthcoming years.

Should he continue to dazzle and impress with his mentality, indeed naming the likes of former Saints stars Sadio Mane and Virgil van Dijk as inspirations, his chances of emulating the world-class phenom could increase by the month.

Given the aforementioned Rice’s comments about his ‘modern-day’ abilities and ball-playing aptitude, there is certainly no reason why he cannot adopt Shaw’s mantle, with the 27-year-old now capped 243 times by the Red Devils and on 28 occasions by England, ranking among the top 7% of full-backs for attempted passes and the top 18% for progressive passes per 90, also maintaining a career pass success rate of 83.2%.

Given the high fee garnered for the established pro, the Southampton hierarchy need only remember just how beneficial investing into a precocious talent can be, and even if Meghoma does not forge a lengthy career on the south coast, he can be sold for, perhaps, an exorbitant sum.

Despite still perching safely within the formative stage of his footballing development, Meghoma is offering every bit the promise that he will blossom into a formidable force over the coming years, and when this happens, Saints might just have the next Shaw within their clutches.