Australia are likely to abandon plans for a three-day intrasquad practice match in Brisbane due to the continued bad weather but have confidence in the Ashes preparation they are putting together.Australia had selected 24 players, minus the absent Tim Paine, to hold a three-day match at Redlands in Brisbane starting on Wednesday (Australia A will then play England Lions) but Queensland’s weather has ruined best-laid plans with up to 100 millimetres of rain expected to fall on Tuesday and Wednesday as heavy thunderstorms are forecast. There is also a further thunderstorm forecast for Thursday.The Australia hierarchy are confident the players who had returned from the T20 World Cup have received adequate centre-wicket practice during their 14 days quarantine with only one session lost to rain, while the remainder of the Test specialists have been able to play anywhere between two and five Sheffield Shield fixtures in the lead-up to the first Test.Despite Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc, David Warner and Steve Smith having not played a first-class fixture since last summer, assistant coach Andrew McDonald believed the prolonged three-week training block coming from the T20 World Cup will have those players well prepared for a change in format.Related

• Khawaja or Head? Bailey has an answer but he isn't telling

• 'Still up in the air' – Alex Carey and Josh Inglis neck and neck to replace Tim Paine

• Sports psychologist helps put Josh Inglis on right path

“We’ve had fantastic facilities up here,” McDonald said on Sunday. “The weather’s been challenging at times, but we’ve still been able to get on in the centre. I think we’ll be really well prepared.”And also these guys have got a lot of Test experience to draw upon. So changing formats is something that they’ve been able to do and deal with across their careers. This will be no different but I think the advantage in this one is that we’ve had two weeks of quarantine training to shift gears into Test mode and then we’ve got another eight days on the other side of that.”I don’t think there’s too many Australian teams that would have had potentially a month to build into a red-ball series. So I think that’s a real positive. I don’t think they’ll be too many excuses come that first session.”Cancelling the three-day game would mean the selectors wouldn’t have a full match scenario to make their final judgements, although that may not have a huge bearing.Travis Head and Usman Khawaja are fighting for the final batting spot in the middle order, but chairman of selectors George Bailey said two weeks ago that they were already leaning one way and that what happened ahead of the first Test would not have much of a bearing on the final decision. Bailey also noted that the three-day game was never designed to be a bat-off.The other choice Australia have to make is who will replace Tim Paine after he stepped away from cricket indefinitely for mental health reasons. Alex Carey and Josh Inglis appear to be neck and neck in the race to debut at the Gabba. Carey has played nine domestic matches, and five Shield games, this summer while Inglis has only played one back in September before he went to the T20 World Cup where he only played one practice game as a specialist batter and faced just three balls.Australia’s attack looks to be set heading into the first Test with Cummins, Hazlewood, Starc and Nathan Lyon likely to be the quartet again as they were last summer. Western Australia quick Jhye Richardson is putting pressure on Starc after taking 23 wickets in four Shield fixtures this year but Australia are keen to have the left-armer in the line-up for at least the Gabba and the day-night Test in Adelaide given Starc’s prowess with the pink ball.

Shakib Al Hasan’s inclusion for first Test against Pakistan subject to fitness

Mohammad Isam22-Nov-2021Batter Mahmudul Hasan Joy and fast bowler Rejaur Rahman Raja have earned their maiden call-ups to the Bangladesh Test squad for the first match against Pakistan, to be held in Chattogram from November 26. The team management, meanwhile, is waiting for Shakib Al Hasan’s fitness assessment as he works his way back from a hamstring injury he suffered during the T20 World Cup last month.Bangladesh will be without Tamim Iqbal who was ruled out of the Test series with a second fracture on his left thumb, sustained during an Everest Premier League match in October. Mahmudullah isn’t part of the squad either, having announced his Test retirement during Bangladesh’s last Test in Harare in July.Chief selector Minhajul Abedin said that both Joy and Raja were rewarded for their form in the National Cricket League. Joy made back-to-back centuries for Chattogram Division, scoring 345 runs overall at an average of 57.69. Raja, who plays for Sylhet Division, took 12 wickets at an average of 16.91, with best match figures of 8 for 82.”It is still early days for him but Mahmudul has showed good temperament for the longer version,” Abedin said. “He is also an in-form batsman. With injury concerns to Taskin (Ahmed) and Shoriful (Islam), we needed to keep our pace-bowling options open and Raja got the nod.  We have been monitoring his performances in first-class competitions. He is strong and energetic and has a knack for taking wickets.”Abedin also said that the team would be reliant on the likes of captain Mominul Haque and Mushfiqur Rahim, especially if Shakib is unavailable.”There is a fair bit of experience if you consider that Mominul (Haque), Mushfiqur (Rahim), Shakib, Taijul (Islam) and Miraz (Mehidy Hasan) are all part of the squad,” he said. “We will obviously have to wait to see if Shakib makes it for the first Test but these players have been the most consistent performers for us in Tests and their presence can make a difference.”We have options in the spin department as well as in pace. The team for the first Test is made up of cricketers who have been playing together regularly and they know the demands of Test matches.”Abedin was wary of Pakistan’s strength but backed Bangladesh to come good. “Pakistan are a formidable team but we are confident that Bangladesh will be competitive if we are disciplined and patient.”Bangladesh squad for first Test: Mominul Haque (capt), Shadman Islam, Saif Hassan, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Mushfiqur Rahim, Liton Das, Nurul Hasan, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Nayeem Hasan, Taijul Islam, Ebadot Hossain, Abu Jayed, Yasir Ali, Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Rejaur Rahman Raja, Shakib Al Hasan (subject to fitness)IN: Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Rejaur Rahman RajaOUT: Mahmudullah, Tamim Iqbal (thumb), Shoriful Islam (back), Taskin Ahmed

Everton fans haven’t exactly had much to be proud of over the last couple of campaigns, with the Toffees always seemingly finding themselves battling against the Premier League drop.

The last three seasons have seen the Merseyside outfit survive by the skin of their teeth come the final crunch game of the gruelling season, finishing in 15th, 17th and 16th after once being viewed as regular top-half finishers that constantly eyed up a spot in the top four of the table.

Sean Dyche has his work cut out for him again this campaign by the looks of things, but there is obvious talent in the current Toffees camp despite their already lowly position of 16th, with one star even sticking out as their next potential Ross Barkley.

Ross Barkley's time at Everton

Before his career went slightly pear-shaped at Chelsea, and then when he breathed life into his playing days on the books of Luton Town, Barkley was a beloved homegrown talent at Goodison Park.

The exciting attacking midfielder was front and centre of some top Toffees squads, with his stellar output of 12 goals and 11 assists in all competitions during the 2015/16 season a standout high from his seven-season stay on Merseyside, often linking up with sharp shooter Romelu Lukaku in the process.

The Toffees were always likely to face an uphill battle when attempting to keep Barkley happy at Goodison Park, especially when the Blues did come calling in 2017, offering the Liverpool-born midfielder a chance at more opportunities to pick up illustrious silverware, on top of a chance to line up alongside some exceptional talents at Stamford Bridge.

In total, Barkley would notch up a mightily impressive 27 goals and 25 assists donning Everton blue, eventually costing Chelsea £15m to win his services.

Much like Anthony Gordon is a pantomime villain for the way he exited Merseyside for Newcastle United, Barkley is also treated in a similar hostile manner for the way he deserted the Toffees, leaving mid-way through the 2017/18 campaign after a summer move went awry.

Whilst there is still very much bad blood between the two parties, Everton won’t say no to having a player in a similar ilk to Barkley in their current ranks.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast's Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

The player who could be the new Barkley

Now dazzling the Goodison Park faithful with top-drawer displays from attacking midfield, it could be argued that Dwight McNeil is slowly but surely turning into Everton’s new Barkley this season, with the former Burnley midfielder a definite standout performer for Dyche’s men even when things have been largely against them.

Regularly deployed as a winger by Dyche when the pair were together at Turf Moor, the 24-year-old is now shining in a number ten spot – the position Barkley loved at Merseyside – and a role that would have been alien to him when playing in Lancashire.

McNeil’s PL numbers by position this season
Position	Games	Goals	Assists
AM	4	2	1
LW	2	0	0
SS	1	1	1
Sourced by Transfermarkt

Now, it’s proving to have been a masterstroke of a decision to throw him into this fresh position, with zero goals coming his way when he has lined up in a more conventional left wing spot this season.

When utilised in his new spot, however, he has been key to Everton picking up some positive results, with two strikes finding the back of the net against Crystal Palace when McNeil was used centrally as Dyche’s men ended up picking up their first league win.

Managing to evade Eagles shirts to then lash home a tremendous strike in the 2-1 win, McNeil might well find more freedom has come his way operating in this new role, than bombing down the flanks ever gifted him.

Labelled as a “magic” talent in the past for the Toffees by football journalist Joe Thomas, he is very much coming into his own now, with Dyche potentially reliant on the ex-Burnley man to keep coming up trumps in moments of adversity that could follow.

He might well even be referred to in the same breath as Barkley if he continues to make that attacking midfield spot his own, as Dyche’s men aim to pick up another league victory against Ipswich Town up next courtesy of their breakout star.

He's like Martinelli: Everton lining up move for "unstoppable" £12m star

The Toffees need to add some quality in the January transfer window.

1

By
Angus Sinclair

Oct 12, 2024

كشفت صحيفة “سبورت” الكتالونية أن مدرب نادي برشلونة السابق، تشافي هيرنانديز، قد رفض فرصة التواجد في بطولة كأس العالم للأندية 2025.

وتقام بطولة كأس العالم للأندية في الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية خلال الفترة من 15 يونيو إلى 13 يوليو المقبل بمشاركة 32 فريقًا على رأسهم الأهلي، الهلال السعودي، الترجي، الوداد والعين.

اقرأ أيضًا | منافس الأهلي.. سواريز يحذر من خصوم إنتر ميامي في كأس العالم للأندية

وبحسب التقرير، فإن تشافي كان لديه اهتمام كبير من جانب نادي مونتيري الذي يضم بين صفوفه قائد ريال مدريد السابق، سيرجيو راموس.

ويشارك مونتيري بالفعل في بطولة كأس العالم للأندية لكنه يسعى للاستغناء عن مدربه الحالي، مارتن ديميكيليس، بسبب الأداء غير المُرضي.

لكن التقرير أكد أن تشافي رفض تدريب مونتيري، رغم مشاركته في المونديال، لرغبته في البقاء بأوروبا والبحث عن فريق قوي بالقارة العجوز.

الجدير بالذكر أنه خلال الفترة الماضية، سعت أندية أوروبية، مثل مانشستر يونايتد وأياكس أمستردام، للتعاقد مع تشافي، قبل أن يختار الفريق الإنجليزي، روبن أموريم.

MatériaMais Notícias

Na tarde deste domingo (30), o Atlético-GO foi até o interior do estado de Goiás e venceu o Iporá por 1 a 0. O único gol do jogo foi marcado por Marlon Freitas, de pênalti. Com o resultado, o Dragão chegou aos seis pontos e manteve o 100% de aproveitamento no Campeonato Goiano. Enquanto isso, o time da casa segue sem vencer no torneio, visto que empatou com a Aparecidense na estreia.

Agora, os dois times voltam a campo na próxima quarta-feira (2). Às 15h30, o Iporá visita o CRAC. Enquanto isso, às 20h30, o Atlético-GO recebe o Goiatuba. Ambas as partidas são válidas pela 3ª rodada do Campeonato Goiano 2022 e acontecem no horário de Brasília.

RelacionadasSeleção BrasileiraQuase quarentão, Daniel Alves cita qualidades que o credenciam para mais uma Copa no currículoSeleção Brasileira30/01/2022VascoBlog do Garone: Nenê se isola na liderança do Troféu Ademir Menezes 2022Vasco30/01/2022VídeoLANCE! Rápido: Inter confirma venda imediata de Yuri Alberto, Greenwood afastado do United e muito mais!Vídeo30/01/2022

>Aplicativo de resultados do LANCE! está disponível na versão iOS

POUCAS EMOÇÕES, ATÉ QUE…
Os primeiros movimentos no Ferreirão foram sem grandes emoções. Em casa, o Iporá respeitou a força do Atlético-GO e entregou a bola para o adversário. Entretanto, a criatividade da equipe da capital do estado de Goiás não vinha sendo o ponto forte.

A situação só melhorou aos 24 minutos. Em contra-ataque rápido, Rickson invadiu a área e foi derrubado. Com o pênalti marcado, Marlon Freitas foi para a cobrança e abriu o placar para o Dragão.

MUDOU A POSTURA
Depois do gol sofrido, o Iporá mudou o seu jeito de jogar. A equipe da casa começou a ficar mais com a bola e ditou o ritmo da partida ao longo dos 20 minutos finais da primeira etapa.

Apesar do domínio na posse de bola, o Iporá finalizou pouco no gol. Na melhor oportunidade, Tiago Pará recebeu dentro da área, protegeu da defesa e girou para o gol, mas Luan Polli encaixou firme, levando o 1 a 0 para o intervalo no estádio Ferreirão.

DESPERDIÇANDO CHANCES
​A volta para o segundo tempo continuou mostrando o Iporá mais interessado no jogo e, consequentemente mais perigoso. Mesmo assim, a primeira chance clara foi do Atlético-GO. Rickson encontrou Wellington Rato. O camisa 10 invadiu a área, deixou o adversário no chão, mas, cara a cara com o goleiro, isolou.

Por outro lado, depois do susto, o Iporá conseguiu as suas finalizações e ambas com Du Gaia. Na primeira, o atacante recebeu e tentou a finalização, mas Luan Polli saiu rápido do gol para abafar. Mais tarde, de cabeça, o camisa 16 mandou para fora.

FALTOU FÔLEGO
​Os últimos minutos do jogo no Ferreirão foram mornos. Precisando do resultado, o Iporá deixou de ter paciência para trocar passes e passou a tentar jogadas de ligação rápida com o ataque, facilitando o trabalho da defesa do Atlético-GO, que só administrou o tempo.

Sendo assim, o único lance de perigo aconteceu já nos minutos finais. Tiago Pará recebeu no lado direito da área, cortou a marcação e, ao invés de cruzar, tentou o chute, surpreendendo Luan Polli, mas a bola foi para fora. Do outro lado, Thiago tentou aumentar a vantagem, porém Cleriston voou para fazer a defesa e fechar o jogo em 1 a 0.

FICHA TÉCNICA
IPORÁ X ATLÉTICO-GO
​
Local: Ferreirão, em Iporá (GO)
Data e hora: 30/01/2022 – 15h30 (de Brasília)
Árbitro:Eduardo Tomaz (GO)
Assistentes:Hugo Correa (GO) eAdriano Mendes (GO)
​Cartões amarelos: Ramon, Rickson, Thiago (Atlético-GO)
Cartões vermelhos: –

GOL: Marlon Freitas (24’/1°T) (0-1)

IPORÁ (Técnico: Everton Goiano)

Cleriston; Douglas, Robson; Júnior Goiano e Ramon; Bosco, Regis (Renato Soares, aos 18’/2°T) e Denner (Odilávio, aos 18’/2/T); Du Gaia, Flávio (João Araújo, aos 25’/2°T) e Tiago Pará.

ATLÉTICO-GO (Técnico: Marcelo Cabo)
​
Luan Polli; Luan Sales, Wanderson, Michel e Jefferson; Ramon, Marlon Freitas, Isaac (Léo Pereira, aos 19’/2°T), Wellington Rato (Thiago, aos 40’/2°T) e Rickson (Lucas Silva, aos 47’/2°T); Brian Montenegro (Daniel, aos 40’/2°T).​

Federico Chiesa was savaged for his performance in Liverpool’s FA Cup defeat at Plymouth, with the winger looking like an ex-player in a charity game.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Italian struggling for form with RedsQuestions asked of injury recordAbject display in shock cup defeatFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The Italy international, who helped his country to European Championship glory in 2021, moved to Anfield from Juventus as part of a cut-price transfer in the summer of 2024. Arne Slot hoped to rekindle a lost spark in the winger despite questions being asked of his injury record.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Chiesa has struggled to make an impact in England, with the 27-year-old yet to start a Premier League game. He was included from the off in the cup clash at Home Park, but looked a shadow of his former self throughout a shock 1-0 defeat for the Reds.

WHAT THE FANS ARE SAYING

It did not take fans of various clubs, including Liverpool, long to tear into Chiesa on the back of his abject showing in Devon.

@adma23 said: “Chiesa looks like an ex player playing in a legends charity game.” @Jackobrfc999 added: “I'm actually a fan but this Chiesa performance is possibly the worst I've ever seen from a Liverpool player.”

@M1878D_ hit out with: “Chiesa has got to be the biggest fraud ever.” @TheFergusonWay went on to say: “How did Liverpool spend just €15m on Chiesa and still got scammed?”

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

AFPDID YOU KNOW?

In unfortunate comparisons to other flops, @AmorimBalll_ said: “Chiesa is worse than Sancho. I didn’t think that was possible.”

@allthatyouget added: “Chiesa is worse than Sterling, someone always has it worse than you”, and @_callumfowler said: “Chiesa wouldn’t get a game for Plymouth that guy stinks.”

The battles for the top positions at the Men’s T20 World Cup have brought NRRs repeatedly into focus. Here’s all you need to know about it

S Rajesh06-Nov-2021

It could all come down to NRR for India, as they tussle for the one remaining spot in the semis from Group 2 with New Zealand and Afghanistan•ICC via Getty

The battle for the top positions in the 2021 Men’s T20 World Cup – both in the qualifiers and the Super 12s – has brought in sharp focus the net run rate (NRR), which is the metric used to separate teams which are level on points. So here is ESPNcricinfo’s explainer on NRR, and how it works in various situations.What is net run rate and how is it calculated?
NRR is a metric which attempts to reward teams for winning convincingly. In other words, it attempts to quantify “plenty” in a statement like “Team A won with plenty to spare”. It is used in tournaments to separate teams that are on the same number of points, and is calculated by subtracting a team’s bowling run rate (runs conceded/overs bowled) from the batting run rate (runs scored/overs batted).For example, if a team scored 360 runs in 40 overs, and conceded 280 runs in 40 overs, their NRR would be 2. (Batting run rate = 9 minus bowling run rate = 7)What happens when a team is bowled out in less than their full allotment of overs?
In that case, for NRR purposes, the team is deemed to have played their full quota of overs. For example, in the Australia vs Bangladesh match on November 4, Bangladesh were bowled out for 73 in 15 overs – a run rate of 4.87 – but for NRR purposes, their batting run rate was 3.65 (73/20).This is to ensure that teams don’t get rewarded for getting bowled out in fewer overs. Imagine a scenario where team A wants to improve their NRR, without caring for the match result: they could then get bowled out for 60 in five overs; even if team B wins in 10, team A’s NRR for the match would still be twice that team B despite losing the match, if the actual overs played was taken into account. By considering the total overs available in such cases, the metric ensures that the winning team always has a higher NRR for that match than the losing team, which is how it should be.In the example above, team A’s NRR for the match will be -3.1 (60/20 minus 61/10), while Team B’s NRR will be +3.1.What happens in games where DLS comes into play?
In DLS-affected games, the par score or the target, as per DLS, is used in the NRR calculations instead of the actual scores. Here are a couple of examples to explain this: Team A scores 180 in 20 overs. The game is then reduced to 15 overs, and the revised target for Team B is, say, 151. For NRR purposes, Team A’s total will be 150 in 15. That is to ensure against situations where Team B scores at more than nine an over (team A’s original run rate), but still ends up losing the match because the revised required rate is higher. Team A scores 180 in 20 overs. Team B are 87 for 2 in 10 overs when the match is called off. Let’s say the par score for two wickets down is 82. In that case, Team B are winners by five runs, and for NRR purposes, Team A’s score is 82 in 10 overs. That again ensures that the winning team has a higher NRR for that match than the losing team (which wouldn’t be the case if you’d have calculated the NRR on Team’s A final score). If a team is looking to increase its NRR, does it make sense to bat first or chase?
There is no clear answer here which will work every time. Batting first allows the team to utilise the full quota of overs to improve their run rate, but chasing allows the team to aim at a higher run rate in fewer overs. If a team has already batted 60 overs in a tournament, batting for 20 more overs will impact overall run rate more than batting for just 10 overs, but it is obviously easier to score quickly in a few overs than to maintain it for 20 overs.For example, in the India vs Scotland game, India’s NRR went from 0.073 before game, to 1.619 after it. They achieved it by bowling out Scotland for 85, and chasing it down in 6.3 overs. To achieve the same NRR batting first, India would have had to score 203, and then restrict Scotland to 85. Thus, a batting run rate of 13.69 in 6.3 overs would have been equivalent to a rate of 10.15 in 20 overs.In this case, chasing a score worked well for India, but in other cases when teams are at the end of a long league and have already played several matches, NRR targets can be overcome only by batting first, when teams have the opportunity to bat 20 overs. That was the case for Mumbai Indians in their last match of IPL 2021, when their only hope was to bat first and win by over 170 runs.Do wickets matter in NRR calculations?
No, wickets lost or taken do not make a difference, which is a drawback of the system. This gets highlighted more in ODIs, where games can be extremely close despite a team winning with plenty of overs to spare, than in T20s, where balls remaining is usually the more scarce resource.In the 2015 World Cup, for example, New Zealand bundled out Australia for 151 in 32.2 overs, and chased it down in 23.1 overs, but only after losing nine wickets. New Zealand were one ball away from defeat, but their NRR gains from the match were a handsome 3.54, because they scored at 6.56 runs per over (152 in 23.1) and conceded only 3.02 (151 in 50).To bring wickets into the mix, one option is to convert all wins into run margins by bringing in the DLS par score at that stage. Since DLS par scores take both resources – balls remaining and wickets in hand – into account, it will reflect more accurately the margin of victory in such cases.

Aston Villa are among the clubs who are interested in signing a “talented” youngster who has been impressing in La Liga, according to a new report.

The Villans have had a disappointing few days, as they were knocked out of the Carabao Cup last week and then suffered a 4-1 hammering away at Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday afternoon. Unai Emery will be hoping his side find their form once again as they face two tough games before the international break.

Emery personally wants to sign £15m ace for Aston Villa and Martinez could help

The Villans could be boosted by Martinez…

ByTom Cunningham Nov 3, 2024 Aston Villa transfer news

Football is now starting to enter its busiest and most crucial period as the winter calendar kicks in, and while that will be Villa’s full focus, they also appear to have their eyes on potential business for January.

La Liga is a league Emery knows well, and he is seemingly keen on adding some players from Spain’s top flight to his Villa squad. It was reported last week that Villa are interested in signing Getafe’s Christantus Uche, a midfielder who has been putting in some impressive performances to catch the eye of a few Premier League teams.

Monchi and NSWE also have their eye on another La Liga rising star, as Sevilla defender Loic Bade is also a player of interest to Villa. The club is looking to strengthen their options in defence, and they see Bade as an opportunity to do just that. But he is not the only Sevilla player on the radar.

Aston Villa plotting swoop for Sevilla's 19 year-old sensation

According to Caught Offside, Aston Villa have a strong interest in signing Sevilla player Stanis Idumbo. However, Villa are not the only Premier League team to be interested, as Sean Dyche’s Everton are also keen on the 19-year-old.

Idumbo, who has been described as being “talented”, joined the La Liga side during the last summer transfer window from Ajax. He started his football career in Club Brugge’s youth academy before moving to KAA Gent’s youth team. In 2021, he then joined Ajax’s under-17s and worked his way up to their under-21s in 2024.

This report states that scouts from Villa as well as Everton and Brighton have watched Idumbo live in action, most recently against Barcelona, and they were left impressed by what they saw. The Belgium under-21 star, who is sponsored by Nike, has only just broken through into the Sevilla first team but has been considered an exciting prospect during his time at Club Brugge and Ajax.

Apps

5

Goals

1

Assists

0

Sevilla are not looking to sell the attacking midfielder, which could mean that if Villa are keen on landing the player they may have to pay “big money”. Emery’s side do face strong opposition in the form of Borussia Dortmund and Benfica too, as well as suitors from the Premier League.

Ruben Amorim revealed Marcus Rashford was not on the same page after the exiled Manchester United forward completed his loan move to Aston Villa.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Amorim discarded the forward from his plans
• Rashford joined Villa until the end of the campaign
• Amorim admitted Rashford did not buy into his ideas

Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Rashford made an immediate impact under Amorim by scoring the first goal of his reign against Ipswich Town. However, despite United's ongoing struggles, the manager continued to overlook him, leading to a sharp decline in his role at the club. His extended absence from the squad made it clear that he was no longer in the coach’s plans.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Rashford has now been granted an opportunity to revive his form under Unai Emery at Villa Park, thanks to a loan deal, which includes an option to buy for £40 million, suggesting that his time at United could be coming to a permanent end. Under the terms of the agreement, Villa will cover at least 75% of Rashford’s wages but have not paid a loan fee for his temporary switch.

• WHAT AMORIM SAID

  Speaking about Rashford’s departure, Amorim explained the situation, making it clear that the pair failed to establish a common understanding.

  “What I say is I couldn’t put Marcus to see the way you’re supposed to play football and to train the way I see it," he told reporters. "And sometimes you have one player who is really good with one coach and the same player with another coach is different. I just wish the best to Rashford and Unai Emery, and they can connect because he’s a very good player.”

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• DID YOU KNOW?

  When pressed on whether Rashford could still have a future at United, Amorim refused to offer any guarantees.

  "Like we said before, we are fighting for our jobs until the summer," he said. "So I am just focused on these games. Thankfully Marcus is in Birmingham now with Unai, so you can take these questions to another coach. We are just focused on our players.”

Over the last four to five years, Tottenham Hotspur have become far more willing to splash the cash.

The days of going through an entire summer without signing someone seem long gone, but that doesn’t mean managers always get the players they want.

For example, there was one striker Antonio Conte was supposedly keen to bring to N17 during summer 2022, a striker who was just named ahead of the great Harry Kane in last night’s Ballon d’Or ceremony.

Spurs' 2022 summer transfer window

Before we get to the player in question, let’s take a look at a couple of signings Spurs did actually make that summer, starting with one which hasn’t really worked out: Richarlison.

The Brazilian international cost the North Londoners around £60m when he made the switch from Everton, and while he has shown glimpses of quality for the club, he hasn’t justified his hefty transfer fee.

For example, in his 76 appearances for the club so far, the 27-year-old has scored just 16 goals and provided eight assists, equating to a goal involvement on average every 2.95 games.

On the other hand, the Lilywhites also signed Italian full-back Destiny Udogie in 2022, for around £15m, and following his loan back to Udinese he’s looked like a future star.

The 21-year-old made 30 first team appearances last season, scored two goals, provided three assists and was nominated for the Premier League Young Player of the Season, and while he has struggled slightly this year, he looks set for a bright future.

However, while Udogie has a claim to being the club’s best signing in 2022, he would have had some real competition had Conte got the striker he was really after.

Conte wanted Lautaro Martinez

Yes, the striker in question is none other than Inter Milan superstar Lautaro Martinez, who, according to reports from Italy via the Daily Mail, was one of Conte’s primary targets in the 2022 summer transfer window.

Obviously, we know now that the Italian coach didn’t get his way, but had Daniel Levy and Co paid what would have been an exorbitant fee, the North Londoners would have got their hands on an incredible player, someone renowned football podcaster Angelo Valdes described as “the best 9 in the world.”

Now, that might be slightly hyperbolic, but it’s not hard to see where he’s coming from, as in the two and a bit seasons since that summer, the 27-year-old has racked up a frankly ridiculous haul of 80 goals and assists in 112 games, equating to an average of a goal involvement every 1.4 games.

Martinez’s form since 22/23

Season

22/23

23/24

24/25

Appearances

57

44

11

Goals

28

27

4

Assists

11

7

3

Goal Involvements per Match

0.68

0.77

0.63

All Stats via Transfermarkt

So, with a level of output like that and a league triumph to back it up last season, it’s not surprising to see that he finished as high as seventh in this year’s Ballon d’Or, but what is surprising is that former Spurs phenom Kane finished three places lower in tenth.

The Englishman had a freakish individual campaign for Bayern Munich last season, scoring an absurd 44 goals in 45 appearances and providing 12 assists for good measure, equating to an average of 1.24 goal involvements per match.

However, what probably counted against the 31-year-old was that he ended the season empty-handed, becoming part of the first Bayern team in 12 years not to win the Bundesliga, which doesn’t help the usual boring narrative that has followed him his entire career.

Ultimately, both Martinez and Kane are incredible strikers, and had Spurs backed Conte and signed the former, maybe he would have been able to help the latter end his and the club’s long wait for a trophy.

Related After Moore: Ange has the next superstar brewing in Spurs' "pure talent"

Spurs have yet another superstar academy gem who looks ready to step up in the coming years.

Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes Oct 28, 2024