Plays of the day from the match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bangalore at Eden Gardens
Abhishek Purohit11-Apr-2015Starting stutters
Royal Challengers Bangalore were the eighth and last franchise to begin their 2015 campaign, and for the opening over, their fielding was all over the place. Robin Uthappa began the match with a quiet steer to third man, and no more than a single was on as Abu Nechim bent to make a regulation stop. However, the ball slipped through Nechim’s grasp to gift Uthappa a four. Two balls later, Harshal Patel slid awkwardly to his left at midwicket and failed to prevent a Gautam Gambhir clip from racing for four. Two balls later, Uthappa was gifted an overthrow to add to an easy single to mid-on.Look who dropped it
This one was remarkable not only for what happened but also for the reactions that followed. On 31, Gambhir pulled Nechim flat and straight to deep square leg for the most takrable of catches, even for someone without the reputation of the man stationed in the position: AB de Villiers. But the South African did the unthinkable: he grabbed at the ball a touch too much and it popped out of his grasp. The habitually intense captain Virat Kohli was stunned enough to smile in disbelief. The disbelief was greater in de Villiers’ long, hard stare into blank spaces.You or me?
Bursts of confusion continued to appear in Royal Challengers’ fielding performance. In the 19th over, Andre Russell top-edged a slog off Harshal over cover. Sean Abbott and Varun Aaron ran after it from the inner circle. It stayed up in the air long enough for the men to have ideally decided who was to go for it. Abbott started to pull away as it came down, implying that Aaron was to be the man. Only, Aaron was nowhere near the ball as it plopped into the ground. He was closer to it than Abbott, though, and had to sheepishly pick it up.Mystery strikes back
Knight Riders’ latest mystery spinner, KC Cariappa, had already taken some punishment from Chris Gayle when de Villiers went after him. Cariappa was bowling a bit too full to make the batsman think about which way it was going to turn, and de Villiers hit him for a couple of fours and a six in the space of five deliveries. De Villiers jumped out to the last ball of the over, but this one was much flatter and zipped past the batsman. Uthappa did not deny his fellow Coorgi and pulled off a sharp stumping.
da bet nacional： Despite all the chaos of the previous two seasons at Chelsea, things are actually going remarkably well for the Blues right now.
da poker： Following Sunday’s 3-0 demolition of Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge, they’re currently third in the Premier League, below Arsenal by virtue of alphabetical order only, considering the two London rivals have an identical number of points, goal difference, goals scored and head-to-head record.
Enzo Maresca has given minutes to 30 different players this season, second only to Southampton across all competitions, rotating his squad heavily for EFL Cup and UEFA Conference League fixtures, keeping star players fresh for Premier League commitments.
Chelsea's plethora of attacking options
Going forward in particular is where Maresca has an abundance of options at his disposal.
The form of Cole Palmer and Nicolas Jackson means they are undroppable, but countless combinations featuring Pedro Neto, Jadon Sancho, Noni Madueke, Mykhailo Mudryk or Joao Felix have completed the attacking quartet in the Premier League so far.
Madueke appeared to be the first-choice on the right wing, starting 11 successive Premier League fixtures, a sequence that began in August when he bagged this hat-trick at Molineux, before being benched at the weekend.
Meantime, Neto’s Chelsea career appeared ready for take-off when he scored an absolute rocket from distance against Arsenal, his first league goal for the club, but a knock suffered on international duty has hindered his progress.
That’s not even mentioning Christopher Nkunku, who hasn’t started in the league since the opening day, despite scoring in all six European fixtures so far, on target 11 times across all competitions, but he still can’t get much of a look in.
Having said all of that, by next summer, there will be a new kid on the block, with Chelsea having already got their hands on a teenage sensation.
Chelsea's Brazilian superstar
Back in June, Chelsea announced the signing of Estêvão Willian, describing him as “one of the most exciting talents around”.
Chelsea summer signing Estevao
He’ll join from reigning Brasileirão champions Palmeiras, costing a reported fee of £29 million, arriving in the summer of 2025 following his 18th birthday, potentially in time for the ill-fated FIFA Club World Cup.
Upon arrival, the teenager will surely become the 15th Brazilian to make a senior appearance for Chelsea.
Some, such as Thiago Silva, Willian, Oscar, Ramires and David Luiz, were ultra-successful; others, looking at you Alexandre Pato and Lucas Piazón, not so much.
Estêvão certainly has the talent to fall into the former category, described as “the best player to have emerged from Brazilian football since Neymar” by João Paulo Sampaio, head of Palmeiras’ academy, adding “you watch him and you fall in love”.
Scout Jacek Kulig on Twitter compared Estêvão’s stats after 28 Brasileirão appearances to both Neymar and Vinícius Júnior stating “I’m not suggesting that Estêvão will surpass Vini or Neymar, but the way he’s started his senior career is absolutely crazy”.
Across all competitions, the teenager has 14 goals in 44 appearances for the Verdão, as well as providing ten assists, most recently the only scorer during a victory over Grêmio in early November.
According to FBref’s scouting report, Estêvão ranks extremely highly for all the key attacking metrics compared to positionally similar players in comparable leagues.
In The Pipeline
Football FanCast's In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.
He is in the top 10% for shots, assists, shot-creating actions, progressive carries, successful take-ons, touches and progressive passes, which isn’t bad for a 17-year-old.
Of course, he is plying his trade at a lower level and, a tale of caution, his former teammate Luis Guilherme, a year older, arrived at West Ham to similar fanfare for a fee of £25m last summer, but he is yet to make any discernible impact in East London, appearing only twice for a total of 11 minutes to date.
So, Chelsea unquestionably have a serious talent on their hands, but patience will be required and it may take time before we see the best of Estêvão in a blue shirt.
Their answer to Odegaard: Chelsea keen on signing "world-class" £42m star
Chelsea could be about to make a move for a huge European talent.
Liverpool are believed to have sent scouts to watch a young player with a big future in the game, according to a fresh transfer report.
Liverpool transfer news
Life under Arne Slot couldn’t be going much better for the Reds currently, having opened up a five-point lead at the top of the Premier League, following Saturday’s 2-0 win at home to Aston Villa. It is crucial that Liverpool don’t get too comfortable and rest on their laurels, though, and it is important that new signings come in, having had a largely quiet summer transfer window that left plenty of supporters frustrated.
Eintracht Frankfurt star Omar Marmoush has emerged as arguably the Reds’ primary transfer target and Michael Edwards is reportedly now preparing a £58m offer for the Egyptian. The 25-year-old was again in devastating form over the weekend, scoring and assisting in his team’s 3-2 victory away VfB Stuttgart in the Bundesliga.
Thre is also a huge amount going on behind the scenes regarding new contracts for Liverpool players currently, even away from the much talked-about trio of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah. Both Luis Diaz and Ibrahima Konate could also sign extensions at Anfield, as the club look to tie down their most influential figures.
Liverpool send scouts to watch £25m teenager
According to Caught Offside, Liverpool have sent scouts to watch Lille midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi in action for the Ligue 1 club, but other top clubs are also eyeing him up. The other teams in question are AC Milan, Juventus, Arsenal and Chelsea, with the 17-year-old considered a player with a massive future in football.
He is “highly rated across Europe”, and while he could cost as much as £25m, it is stated that FSG “could certainly afford him”, as could all the English clubs mentioned.
Bouaddi is understandably not yet a household name, given his age, but while Liverpool fans may not be overly excited about this rumour, his long-term potential makes him a hugely eye-catching option. Despite only being 17 years of age, the Frenchman has already made 30 appearances for Lille, assisting twice, with 18 of those games coming in Ligue 1, showing that he is being trusted at the highest level.
Bouaddi has been hailed as a “10/10 talent” by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, and while he wouldn’t be arriving at Liverpool as an immediate key starter, given the depth that Slot has in his midfield, he would be one for the future.
Appearances
9
Starts
3
Minutes played
308
Goals
0
Assists
1
Pass completion rate
90.3%
Tackles per game
1.6
A midfielder more of the ilk of Martin Zubimendi is arguably needed moving forward, in terms of a No.6 who excels sitting in front of the defence and keeping possession ticking over, and Bouaddi ticks that box, not only completing 90.3% of his passes this season, but also averaging 1.6 tackles per game.
Young pace bowler speaks of Shrubsole’s influence as she sets sights on ODI debut
Valkerie Baynes09-Jul-2022Lauren Bell is relishing her chance to join England Women’s next generation of fast bowlers as attention turns to the ODI leg of the multi-format series with South Africa.Bell finds herself at the forefront of England’s succession planning, forming part of a new-wave pace attack with Issy Wong during the recent drawn Test, which kicked off the series in Taunton last month.Both impressed sufficiently there to hold their places in the squad for the three ODIs, which also includes veteran Katherine Brunt, who has retired from Tests but is aiming to play a part in England’s white-ball fixtures this summer. England will, however, be without Anya Shrubsole, who retired from international cricket after the World Cup final in April.”Anya and Katherine have been so amazing for so many years now, but I think it’s really exciting that there’s a group of us coming through,” Bell said. “Me and Izzy and Freya [Davies] are all in the same situation, we’re all trying to break into the squad and doing everything we can so it’s really nice to have other people in the same situation.”Obviously, there’s that natural competition but it’s exciting for England cricket and it’s great to have so many options and so many youngsters coming through.”Related
Lizelle Lee retires from international cricket
Issy Wong, Lauren Bell seize chance to shine
Four-day cut-off robs yet another women's Test the room to thrive
Alice Davidson-Richards, Lauren Bell in England ODI squad
Bell took two first-innings wickets and played a part in reducing South Africa to 45 for 4 before Marizanne Kapp’s 150 rescued the tourists’ Test hopes and, while she went wicketless in their second innings, she only conceded 26 runs from 14 overs at an economy rate of 1.85.Wong, meanwhile, took three wickets in all, including two in as many overs late on the third evening to leave the Test intriguingly poised before rain ruined the final day.Wong received her Test cap in a stirring presentation by Brunt, and Bell said she had been moved after receiving her cap from Shrubsole, her team-mate at Southern Vipers, having joined as a player and bowling coach for this season, and at Southern Brave, where they will be reunited for a second season of the Hundred.”She’s been amazing,” said Bell who, like Shrubsole, can threaten with her inswing. “At training I could just learn so much and she was so invested in chatting to me.”Having her at the Vipers has been so great because it’s like she’s experienced everything that hopefully I can do in my career and it’s someone who understands what I’m going through, has probably been there and done what I might be struggling with or going through. It’s really great to have her around with a great perspective on everything.”Bell was also looking forward to the chance to play alongside Brunt during the ODI series, which opens in Northampton on Monday.”Everyone missed Katherine at the Test match, she’s got such an energy about her and it’s great to have her back,” Bell said. “In training she just wants to give off all of her knowledge and just share everything she’s got on to me and Izzy Wong, for example. She’s got a real energy about her and even though she’s played for quite a while now she still just loves it.”Bell’s Test call-up came after she toured Australia with the England Women’s A side during the Ashes at the start of the year and went on to New Zealand as a travelling reserve for the World Cup. As a result, she said she felt settled within the England set-up ahead of what she hopes will be her maiden ODI appearance.”We spent a lot of time with each other,” she said. “It’s a very open group but I feel really comfortable here now and I feel quite settled into this squad. It really helped being around and seeing how the system works, so I think it’s put me in a good place to hopefully put my hand up to make my debut.”Eng vs SA fixtures
1st ODI – July 11, Northampton
2nd ODI – July 15, Bristol
3rd ODI – July 18, Leicester
1st T20I – July 21, Chelmsford
2nd T20I – July 23, Worcester
3rd T20I – July 25, Derby
England have also retained Test debutant Emma Lamb, who was composed opening alongside Tammy Beaumont in Taunton, although she could move down the order depending on whether England decide to play Danni Wyatt as an opener or finisher. Alice Davidson-Richards, who made a century on her Test debut against South Africa, will be available for selection upon rejoining the squad after playing for South East Stars in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy on Saturday, scoring 42 and taking three wickets in a losing cause against Southern Vipers.Emily Arlott, another tall quick like Bell, was not considered for selection in the ODI squad as she continues her return to fitness following a bout of Covid-19. Davies, part of the Test squad but overlooked on match day, also missed out on the ODI squad and was instead part of the England Women’s A side which beat South Africa by seven wickets in their 50-over warm-up match on Thursday.Laura Wolvaardt, who fell to Wong twice for just 16 runs each time in the Test, and Kapp both made fifties in the warm-up while Chloe Tryon, who didn’t play in the Test, made 43.The tourists will be without batter Lizelle Lee, who announced her immediate retirement from international cricket on Friday having played 184 matches for her country, 100 of them ODIs.Bell expected South Africa, who won their group-stage fixture at the World Cup before England turned the tables in the semi-final, to prove “a real challenge” in the 50-over format.”They hadn’t played a Test match for many years and they were a little bit less experienced, but South Africa have played plenty of one-day cricket and are really, really experienced in this format,” Bell said.
Three matches this late aren’t likely to have much of a bearing on T20 World Cup plans, beyond the usual dotting of the i’s and crossing of the t’s
Alagappan Muthu27-Sep-20226:58
Jaffer: India would like to sort out their death bowling in this series
Big picture
You know those awesome rocket launch sequences where amid various shots of the vehicle looking all epic and the crew looking all steely there’s a disembodied voice that goes “T-minus…” Picture that… except instead of the wonders of space exploration, we’re talking about a bunch of people doing a bunch of things to get their hands on a cup that doesn’t even look like a cup… which they’ll only be able to hold onto for like a year. Two tops.It’s time for the T20 World Cup countdown, baby!India and South Africa are at T-minus three matches to the big party down under. So a lot of the focus will be on things like, is our death bowling doing alright? Oh, Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s not? But didn’t he – it sounds preposterous to even say it out loud but didn’t he – bowl a in the 19th over to stop Mumbai Indians from winning a game where they only needed 19 more runs? At least he’s off resting now, away from all the noise.And, what about the batting? Of course that’s doing fine. Anyone can wave a piece of wood around, can’t they? Plus there’s the AB de Villiersisation of it all. Twenty-two year old kids think they can now walk into the park and hit every ball for six. Thirty-two year old veterans, brought up in the mean streets maidans of Mumbai, no longer care about showing that straight bat. They be scoopin’, rampin’ and ballin’.That said, three matches, this late, aren’t going to offer a whole lot of clarity on what to do and what not to. The good only reinforces what they already know and the bad, well, that gets thrown in the bin because there’s no time for that. So in a way, this series could be a bit of a free hit for both India and South Africa. One last chance to go out and have utter, almost no-consequence fun. And it starts in T-minus…
Form guide
India WWLWL (last five completed matches, most recent first) South Africa WWWWL2:03
Shamsi: My focus is on the T20 WC but SA20 will be exciting
In the spotlight
Of all the gin joints in all the world, David Miller had to walk into one called Gujarat Titans. People had given up on him. That century he made against Royal Challengers Bangalore. That night where the words “in the arc, out of the park” were embossed into the cricketing dictionary had already become a punchline to beat him with every time he failed, especially at the IPL; he’s always gone alright for South Africa. But now, having been the single biggest influencer of a title-winning campaign, Miller is a boss wherever he goes. It’s even come to the point that the franchise that let him go – Rajasthan Royals – has chased him down and made him captain of not one but two of their other teams around the world.Failure is the likeliest outcome for a death bowler. It’s like playing Russian roulette with five bullets. And yet somehow Arshdeep Singh keeps beating the odds. So what’s his secret? How has he – at 23 years old – become one of the best at one of the worst jobs in cricket? “Lots of repetitions of length ball and yorker. After doing it so many times in practice, you start understanding where your ball will land if you run at this particular speed with this particular angle.” There is a chance that, if India make the final of the T20 World Cup, he will be fronting up to bowl their final over.
Team news
With Hardik rested and Deepak Hooda injured, India will have a job balancing their XI. Shahbaz Ahmed is the allrounder they’ve called up but he only bowls spin and that area is covered with Axar Patel and Yuzvendra Chahal. So perhaps the team management will bring back Rishabh Pant and roll the dice with five bowlers. It limits flexibility but hey, at least the frontliners will get even more experience of those pressure situations they’ll be put under at the World Cup.India (probable): 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 KL Rahul, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Suryakumar Yadav, 5 Rishabh Pant, 6 Axar Patel, 7 Dinesh Karthik (wk), 8 Deepak Chahar, 9 Arshdeep Singh, 10 Jasprit Bumrah, 11 Yuzvendra ChahalThe return of Temba Bavuma could see Reeza Hendricks miss out from the XI•AFP/Getty Images
What does Temba Bavuma’s return from injury mean for Reeza Hendricks, who has hit four half-centuries in his last five innings as opener? Will he drop to No. 3, which sounds easy enough, except it’ll mean no place for Rilee Rossouw and that doesn’t make sense given his exploits in franchise cricket.South Africa (probable): 1 Quinton de Kock (wk), 2 Temba Bavuma (capt), 3 Rilee Rossouw, 4 Aiden Markram, 5 David Miller, 6 Tristan Stubbs, 7 Andile Phehlukwayo/Dwaine Pretorius, 8 Marco Jansen, 9 Kagiso Rabada, 10 Anrich Nortje, 11 Tabraiz Shamsi
Pitch and conditions
Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram has only hosted two T20Is so far — and one of them was rain-hit and reduced to eight overs. So it’s still a bit of an unknown. The forecast suggests there is a possibility for showers on Wednesday night.
Stats and trivia
Only two South Africans have played over 100 T20s while maintaining an average above 30 and a strike rate above 140. One of them is de Villiers. The other is Rossouw.
One more indication of India’s new batting template: they have hit 62 sixes in the powerplay this year. That puts them on top. Then there’s daylight, eventually followed by Ireland in second place with 37 sixes.
Quotes
I remember we played here, the A side. To be honest with you, I can’t remember too much about the wicket – generally a good wicket, as it always is here in India. I think this field is a little bit bigger than the other fields, so probably a lot more running, a lot more gaps being available, but I think all basics stay the same when batting in India. You want to get through the new ball and then try and get that momentum going into the innings.
عبر هانز فليك، المدير الفني للفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي برشلونة، عن سعادته بعدما جدد تعاقده حتى عام 2027 بشكل رسمي.
ونجح هانز فليك في التتويج بثلاثية محلية الدوري والسوبر وكأس الملك والفوز في 4 مباريات أمام ريال مدريد بجميع المسابقات، مع الوصول لنصف نهائي دوري أبطال أوروبا لأول مرة منذ 6 سنوات.
وقال فليك في تصريحات لقناة برشلونة عقب التجديد: “أنا سعيد لأن الرحلة مستمرة، وأشعر أننا لم نصل للنهاية بعد، فلدينا الكثير من الإمكانيات في هذا الفريق”.
طالع | برشلونة يعلن تجديد عقد فليك رسميًا
وأضاف: “أريد أن يكون الموسم المقبل مثل الموسم الماضي، لأنني أستطيع أن أقول لهم إننا سنبذل كل ما في وسعنا. سنعمل بجد، وسنحاول أن نتحسن، وبالطبع نريد الفوز بالألقاب، هذا هو برشلونة ومن الضروري الفوز بالألقاب”.
وأردف: “لدينا فريق شاب، ونستحق كل ما حققناه هذا الموسم، وأنا سعيد جدًا بالعمل مع هذا الفريق”.
واستطرد: “أود البقاء هنا في برشلونة والعمل لهذا النادي الرائع، وبالطبع مع جميع هؤلاء اللاعبين لأنني أعتقد أن لدينا علاقة جيدة جدًا، وبالطبع”.
واختتم تصريحاته قائلًا: “الآن نبدأ الموسم القادم، نبدأ من الصفر وعلينا أن نعمل بجد، يجب أن نعمل بجد كما فعلنا من قبل، وعلينا أيضًا أن نتحسن، وسنفعل ذلك”.
Plays of the day from the second ODI between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka
Mohammad Isam20-Feb-2014The fine nuance
For the cricket connoisseur, the nuances of the game matter more. Kumar Sangakkara’s 128 was well-paced but he had another standout moment with a catch to dismiss Mominul Haque off Sachithra Senanayake. The ball offered a hint of away turn, even as it came into the batsman, and Mominul got a thick edge trying to work the ball through mid-on. Sangakkara grabbed it nicely, not standing up too much and not staying too low for the stumping.The wrong button
The crowd at the Shere Bangla National Stadium cheers for Bangladesh and they were clearing their throats for another celebratory roar in the 42nd over of Sri Lanka’s innings when the third umpire hit the ‘Out’ button, declaring Sangakkara run-out. The batsman, though, was inside his crease and the umpire, Sharfuddoula, had pressed the wrong button. Sharfuddoula quickly corrected himself and reversed the decision.The bad call
Mahmudullah had a stroke of bad luck when Mushfiqur Rahim, the man who has been backing him through such a bad time, called for a single and then sold him down the river. It was a crucial dismissal for Bangladesh in the 30th over. A single probably wasn’t on the cards but Mushfiqur stormed out of his crease without calling and once he saw the square-leg fielder get to the ball, he screamed a loud ‘no’. It was too late for Mahmudullah by then.The overtake
The tussle for the place of Bangladesh’s top run-scorer in ODIs will continue for a while but, for the time being, Shakib Al Hasan has a small lead. The batsman took his career tally to 3715 runs in the Mirpur ODI, and crossed Tamim Iqbal’s 3702 runs with a blast over square-leg off Angelo Mathews in the 20th over. Shakib has a better average than Tamim but both share a similar strike-rate while Shakib has five ODI hundreds, one more than Tamim.
The negativity that engulfed Stamford Bridge last season has dissipated. Chelsea are not flawless, but under Enzo Maresca, there is a new-found sense of promise, a feeling that the woes of recent years have been hurdled over.
The 1-1 draw against Nottingham Forest at home before the October international break – snapping a three-match winning run in the Premier League – was evidence that there is plenty of work to be done, but Chelsea still have a foot in the top four and one of the most talented frontlines on the continent besides.
Cole Palmer continues to sparkle, with pundit Jamie Carragher hailing the 22-year-old as “the best player in the Premier League”, though he is now joined by a wonderful array of quality, with fresh faces joined by the much-improved Nicolas Jackson and Noni Madueke.
That said, not everyone is on the up, with Mykhailo Mudryk still flattering to deceive. It would seem that the Blues are already considering moving for an upgrade.
Chelsea transfer news
As per recent reports, Chelsea are interested in bringing Muhammed Kudus to Stamford Bridge, though are also joined by Arsenal in keeping tabs on the West Ham United winger.
The Ghana international was on multiple clubs’ radar this summer but Chelsea might find that they are able to make their move in 2025, especially if Maresca and co decide to cut their losses with Mudryk.
What Mohammed Kudus would bring to Chelsea
Most Chelsea fans will be well acquainted with Kudus’ skillset, for the West Ham winger tore it up in the Premier League and is comfortably one of Europe’s finest ball carriers.
1.
Mohammed Kudus
West Ham
124
2.
Jeremy Doku
Man City
87
3.
Bruno Guimaraes
Newcastle
72
4.
Ebere Eze
Crystal Palace
69
5.
Luis Diaz
Liverpool
67
Indeed, he ranks among the top 2% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for successful take-ons (3.85) and the top 6% for tackles (2.13) per 90, as per FBref, emphasising not just a breakneck quality but a combative approach that makes him more than just a speedster.
Kudus hasn’t enjoyed the brightest of starts to the campaign by any stretch of the imagination, but there’s little doubt that he’s capable of big things, having even been described as a “generational talent” by journalist Gary Al-Smith in the past.
Mohammed Kudus celebrates for West Ham
Last term, for West Ham, the 24-year-old scored 14 goals and supplied six assists for the club, dazzling after his £38m transfer from Dutch team Ajax.
Chelsea and Brighton & Hove Albion had both hoped to sign the fleet-footed wideman but he opted to join the Irons in order to maximise his chances of rising to the fore on the English scene.
Kudus could be the final piece of the puzzle over in west London. But a player like Mudryk would need to be sold first.
Why Chelsea should ditch Mykhailo Mudryk
Chelsea have a bulging assortment of players, but much of the noise surrounding the size of Maresca’s squad was overinflated this summer, especially with Raheem Sterling, Romelu Lukaku and many more shipped on.
Mykhaylo Mudryk for Chelsea
Mudryk still plies his trade as a Blue, but he’s hardly proving himself to be worthy of a starting spot in the biggest moments, having started just once in the Premier League, against Wolverhampton Wanderers. Football.london branded the Ukrainian with a 5/10 match rating and criticised the ‘quiet’ display.
Chelsea signed Mudryk in a deal worth up to £89m in January 2023, sending the fanbase into rapture after Arsenal were beaten to his signature. The whole ordeal has been anything but successful, for Mudryk has posted seven goals and seven assists from 66 matches, which stands at a goal contribution rate of 0.21 per game.
He is improving and always carries a threat through his dribbling, ranking among the top 16% of positional peers for progressive carries (5.22) pr 90, as per FBref, but he’s hardly proving himself to be a central part of the club, finding the lion’s share of his success in cup competitions. Building blocks.
Transfer Focus
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However, is the 23-year-old really a superior player to Kudus? Would the West Ham man fail to spark a better effect with a cross-London switch?
Neither Mudryk nor Kudus have enjoyed particularly prolific careers in English football, but Kudus is more rounded, athletic and enterprising, also playing in a side that doesn’t exactly chalk up hordes of opportunities.
West Ham winger Mohammed Kudus
Indeed, West Ham are struggling to create under Julen Lopetegui, with just 11 big chances created from seven Premier League matches; Chelsea, by comparison, are joint-top of that metric, with 24. Last year, West Ham ranked 15th with 58 big chances created, further emphasising the lack of creative freedom that the Irons winger would find anew at Chelsea.
Mudryk was commented to be battling for his Chelsea future before the summer transfer window slammed shut, and although he’s survived and made noticeable improvements, it might not be enough to save his Stamford Bridge career – not when targets like Kudus could be signed, to elevate Chelsea to an even higher standing as the resurgence continues.
Chelsea could sign perfect Madueke upgrade with move for £42m "road runner"
da marjack bet： Glasgow Rangers were outclassed in the Europa League on Thursday evening, suffering their first defeat in the newly revamped league phase.
da bet7： Lyon emerged as 4–1 victors from the clash at Ibrox, with Philippe Clement’s side paying the price for not being clinical enough in front of goal.
It has been a problem which has persisted over the previous few years, as the Light Blues have struggled to replace Alfredo Morelos, who departed in the summer of 2023.
The result of the game might have been slightly different if Vaclav Cerny had slotted the ball into an empty net after just seven minutes, squandering a chance which looked harder to miss than actually finding the back of the net.
Vaclav Cerny's performance for Rangers vs Lyon
In a game which required the front four to be clinical with their chances, Rangers weren’t able to find the back of the net more than once.
Tom Lawrence scored yet again, his fourth of the season, while Nedim Bajrami also looked exciting on the left flank.
It was Cerny who spurned the biggest chance, and he continued to look poor throughout his time on the pitch, winning zero duels and making zero dribbles, before he was replaced by Dujon Sterling with 20 minutes left.
Vaclav Cerny’s Rangers statistics
The Czech winger arrived on a season-long loan deal during the transfer window as Clement was aiming to bolster his first-team squad.
Given that he had scored four Bundesliga goals for Wolfsburg last term, it looked like a solid piece of business by the Belgian.
During his first six games before the international break in September, the 26-year-old scored once and grabbed two assists for the Ibrox side, showcasing his class.
Despite starring for the Czech Republic in the Nations League tie against Ukraine, Cerny has looked a shadow of his former self in recent weeks.
One that got away
The transfers that nearly happened but never did. This article is part of Football FanCast's One That Got Away series.
Although he started both Europa League matches, the winger failed to create a big chance, averaged only 0.5 key passes per game and succeeded with just 0.5 dribbles each match.
With this in mind, could Clement drop him to the bench for the Premiership clash against St Johnstone on Sunday evening? As his heart doesn’t quite look in it right now.
This could give Ross McCausland the chance to showcase his abilities from the start against the Saints. Considering he scored against them in the League Cup back in August, the Northern Irishman could be given the chance to repeat the trick on the weekend.
If Clement had his way in the summer, however, it may have been another player who would be vying for a place in the side against the Saints, as the Gers missed out on a familiar face…
Rangers missed out on Abdallah Sima in the summer
Following the end of his loan spell, it was clear that the Light Blues were looking to potentially bring Sima back to the club for the 2024/25 campaign and beyond.
Clement even confirmed he had kept in contact with the winger, saying: “I’ve been in touch with him, of course. He’s like one of my sons. Abda loves the club. Abda loves the way of playing we had last season and his role in that. He loved his teammates and the staff.
Rangers winger Abdallah Sima.
“But at the end of the day, Brighton is the owner so it’s all about the money then. At the moment it’s not possible. But we will see along the way if there comes a possibility because we would love to get him back. We will see if it is possible.”
The Senegal attacker scored an impressive 16 goals for the Light Blues during his single season spell at the club, chipping in with two assists in the process.
After a summer filled with plenty of rumours regarding his future, it was clear Rangers were keen on him returning, but in the end, the promising gem ended up joining French side Brest on a loan deal for the 2024/25 season.
Abdallah Sima’s stats for Rangers last season
Metric
Premiership
Europa League
Goals
11
3
Assists
2
0
Big chances created
2
0
Key passes per game
0.8
1
Successful dribbles per game
1.2
1.8
Via Sofascore
Given how he has started the campaign for the Ligue 1 side, it represents a glaring error by Clement in not securing his signature during the summer.
Abdallah Sima’s stats for Brest
The winger – who is valued at €7.5m (£6.2m) by Transfermarkt – has enjoyed an impressive start to life in France.
Across seven games in the top flight and the Champions League, Sima has scored three goals, while grabbing an assist. It is in Europe’s premier club competition where he has demonstrated his true qualities.
On the first matchday, the winger netted in the club’s first-ever European game during the 2-1 win over Sturm Graz, but it got even better in midweek against RB Salzburg.
Not only did Brest claim a stunning 4-0 victory away from home, but Sima – who James Tavernier previously dubbed “electric” – was on the scoresheet twice.
Abdallah Sima
Along with his goals, Sima attempted three dribbles, missed a big chance and took four shots in total during the game, flaunting his attacking abilities in what was a wonderful display on the continent.
A performance like this would have helped Rangers massively during their tie against Lyon, suggesting that Clement should have tried to bring Sima back to the club this summer.
Of course, much would have depended on the fee Brighton would have demanded for the player, but surely he was a better option than Cerny?
Hopefully the Czech attacker gets better over the next few weeks, otherwise the fans will continue to turn on him, impacting his confidence.
If Sima continues to deliver on the big stage, Brighton will have several offers for him come next summer, which could see Rangers priced out, that’s for sure.
Fewer passes than Butland: Clement must drop 5/10 Rangers star after Lyon
Philippe Clement suffered his first Europa League defeat of the season
It’s been five years but James Pattinson finds it hard to forget the treatment meted out to his brother in the aftermath of one of the more bizarre selections of recent times
David Hopps04-Jul-2013James Pattinson needs no extra incentive to strive to win an Ashes series for Australia. But he has one anyway: when the fatigue builds in, and the scoreboard takes on a daunting look, he will vow to avenge the treatment of his brother in one of the great England selectorial botches of all time.It was not just that England’s selection of Darren Pattinson for the Headingley Test against South Africa in 2008 was bizarre, it was the reaction that followed that made it one of the more unsavoury affairs of recent English vintage.England’s captain, Michael Vaughan, was privately resentful that an Australian with a dual passport, and an Australian, more to the point, who he had seen only bowl a couple of balls, a former roof tiler who had not made his first-class debut until he was 26, was thrust upon him on the back of 29 wickets at 20 runs apiece for Nottinghamshire. He wanted Steve Harmison and suggested in his autobiography that he accepted Pattinson only because he assumed he would not play.As South Africa made 522, and an outcry followed in the media, there was no doubt who was cast in the role of scapegoat. Pattinson was used then abused. His return of 2 for 95 bore comparison with the rest but he would have been better sticking to his original intention and taking the kids to Alton Towers. His England Test career, a career of convenience on all sides, disappeared in a trice.James is now in England with Australia, 40 wickets in ten Tests to his name, at an imposing average of 23, his pedigree beyond debate, his selection for the first Investec Test at Trent Bridge assured. His career has seen irresistible bursts of brilliance mixed with frustrating absences because of injury. But as England prepare to face him for the first time, they will be wary of his natural talent: his vigorous run, heaps of aggression, and ability to bowl outswing around 145kph.While he plays his cricket aggressively, he is engaging off the field, a world away from the programmed responses so common among the current crop of international cricketers. He relates the family story with refreshing honesty. It is a story that the Pattinson family has never quite laid to rest. This is the series where they yearn to put their grievances to rights.”Darren didn’t know about his selection until eight o’clock the night before,” James said. “He drove to Leeds, didn’t meet anyone until breakfast, and the next thing you know, he was in. I dreamt of playing for Australia at a young age but I don’t think he dreamt of playing for England at a young age. It was different.”Darren was thrown in at the deep end and was getting all the media thrown at him, saying it was a disgrace. It wasn’t his fault he was picked. He was there, he was performing, he was an in-form cricketer at the time and he had an English passport, which always helps.”
“It wasn’t Darren’s fault that he played and was made the scapegoat. It would have been a different story if England had won, of course”
Back home in Dandenong, a suburb southeast of Melbourne en route to the Dandenong Ranges, the Pattinson family seethed. They were proud of their English background: James’ mum, Sue, was from Wombwell in Yorkshire, Dickie Bird country (“I think he’s the only umpire she knows,” laughed James), his dad, John, hailed from Grimsby, the Lincolnshire fishing port, where famously the Sri Lankans once got food poisoning munching fish and chips.During that week, the Pattinson pride took a battering. “It was quite a big thing, not only for him but for me, and I know it shook dad up a bit,” James said. “My dad is quite a hard-nosed type of bloke. He read something from Graham Gooch and felt like ringing him up and giving him his two bob’s worth. I owe a lot of credit to my dad for the way we’ve been brought up. He’s an aggressive type of bloke and I’ve got a lot of that attitude as well.”Gooch, now England’s batting coach, described the older Pattinson’s selection as “one of the most left-field decisions I’ve ever seen”, and declared “the international game is in danger of being devalued if we have any more selections like this”. He went on: “Pattinson’s father says he’s a proud Aussie, and his brother plays for their Under-19 side. Can you switch from being a proud Aussie to a passionate Englishman overnight?””At that stage Dad still supported English cricket a lot,” James said. “He’s always been that hard-nosed guy that stuck by where he’s come from. After that he didn’t like the way that Darren was treated over here. It wasn’t Darren’s fault that he played and was made the scapegoat. It would have been a different story if England had won, of course. Ever since then he has always supported me playing for Australia.Pattinson geared up for the first Test with a seven-wicket haul against Somerset•PA Photos”Growing up I always had a soft spot for England in soccer. But definitely they’re my No. 1 enemy now. I think it’s all about picking your times and there’s no better time than an Ashes series to show that aggression. In the good teams, ten years ago, they backed themselves and played naturally. The true Australian way comes out. At 23, it’s a good age to take on the world.”In the sort of entanglement that gives the Ashes series a special piquancy, England even made a token attempt to entice James into shifting allegiance. It was driven ahead by David Saker, England’s Australian bowling coach and James’ first coach at Victoria.”I have got a dual passport, too,” James said. “When David Saker moved over to be the coach over here I hadn’t played for Australia. I was picked in two T20s to play just after the Ashes but I was 12th man in both of them.”I was in the dressing room at the MCG when I got a call from Sakes. I don’t know if he was being serious. It was ‘Come over and play, Darren’s playing over here for Nottinghamshire.’ I just thought he was mucking around so I laughed it off.”It was quite funny. I have a good relationship with Sakes. He was my first bowling coach when he was at Victoria. He has the same mentality that Darren Lehmann brings to us as well. He is a great man with great knowledge. They teach you how to play cricket as well; they make you learn the game.”Darren Pattinson never had that luxury. His emergence came late. “He always had that ability, but never really went forward at a young age,” James said. “That’s one thing he taught me: that when you get your chances, to make the most of it – that’s one thing he probably regretted a little bit.”Darren is now training greyhounds and has started his own kennels a 45-minute drive out of Melbourne. “It’s always been a passion of his,” James said. “He has gone from roof tiling to playing for England to now training greyhounds.”There is no doubt, though, who in the Pattinson family now yearns to prove himself top dog.