صحفي إنجليزي: سأكون سعيدًا بتعاقد مانشستر سيتي مع نجم برينتفورد بدلًا من مرموش

حذر صحفي إنجليزي، نادي مانشستر سيتي من أحد نجوم فريق برينتفورد قبل مباراة الغد المرتقبة في بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، مقارنًا بينه بين نجم آينتراخت فرانكفورت عمر مرموش.

ويلتقي مانشستر سيتي، مساء الثلاثاء، مع برينتفورد في الجولة الحادية والعشرين من الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

ونجح مانشستر سيتي في استعادة توازنه بعض الشيء مؤخرًا، بعدما حقق تعادلًا وفاز في مباراتين في الدوري الإنجليزي، إلى جانب انتصار في كأس الاتحاد الإنجليزي.

وتأتي مباراة الغد في ظل ارتباط مانشستر سيتي بإمكانية الحصول على خدمات عمر مرموش من صفوف فرانكفورت هذا الشهر.

من جهة أخرى، يرى الصحفي الإنجليزي المتخصص في شؤون مانشستر سيتي، ستيفن ماكنيرني، أن بريان مبيومو لاعب برينتفورد سيمثل خطرًا لحامل اللقب، مع العلم أنه يتمتع بأداء مذهل مثل مرموش هذا الموسم.

وقال ستيفن ماكنيرني، في تصريحات لشبكة “سبورتس مول” الإنجليزية: “أنا متوتر، أعلم أن مانشستر سيتي حقق بعض الانتصارات مؤخرًا، ولكن إذا كان علي اختيار مباراة قد يتعثر فيها مانشستر سيتي، فربما تكون هذه المباراة، لأن برينتفورد دائمًا ما يزعجهم”.

وأضاف: “المشاكل التي يعاني منها مانشستر سيتي لا تزال قائمة، لن يتحسن خط الوسط فجأة، حتى يعمل النادي على تصحيح مشاكله، أنا قلق بشأن برينتفورد”.

وواصل: “لا أعتقد أن هذه مباراة يجب أن يثق فيها مشجعو مانشستر سيتي، أتوقع أن يكون اللاعبون جاهزين وواثقين بشأنها، لكنني لا أعرف حتى أرى أول 10-15 دقيقة كيف سنتعامل مع برينتفورد وقدراتهم الفريدة، ومدى مباشرتهم وقدرتهم على استخدام سرعة مهاجميهم الذين يتمتعون بكيمياء رائعة، إلى جانب تمركزهم في خط الوسط”.

اقرأ أيضًا.. سكاي: خطوة جديدة من مانشستر سيتي لضم عمر مرموش.. وموعد محتمل للصفقة

واسترسل: “هناك بريان مبيومو، إنه رائع للغاية، من المثير للاهتمام أنه يحظى بنفس القدر من التألق في مسيرته مثل عمر مرموش الذي يتطلع إليه مانشستر سيتي، هذا المهاجم الرائع، وفي نفس العمر، 25 عامًا، إنه رائع للغاية”.

وأوضح: “أعتقد أن مبيومو سيرحل إلى نادِ كبير في نهاية الأمر، هو يمر بفترة رائعة الآن، هو لاعب ماهر ذو قدرة على إنهاء الهجمات، رجل خطير ويتألق في المباريات الكبرى، هذا ما يجعلني مقتنعًا بأنه سينتقل إلى مستوى آخر”.

واسترسل: “أعتقد أنه سيلعب في دوري أبطال أوروبا، سيلعب لصالح نادٍ جيد لأنه يسجل في المباريات الكبيرة وبعض الناس يحبون حقًا الشعور بهذه المباريات”.

واعترف: “مانشستر سيتي يسعى إلى ضم مرموش، ولكن إذا اتضح غدًا أننا سنوقع مع مبيومو، فسأكون سعيدًا بنفس القدر لأنني أعتقد أنه لاعب رائع، منتصف العشرينات هي الفترة التي يجد فيها اللاعبين أنفسهم ويصبحون جيدين حقًا ويجدون ثقتهم، يعرفون قيمتهم”.

واستأنف: “بمجرد اختفاء عامل الخوف وتبدأ في الاعتقاد بأنك قادر على فعل أي شيء، سيكون لديك موسم مثل موسم مبيومو الحالي، حيث تكون أحد أفضل المهاجمين في الدوري الإنجليزي وتكون مستعدًا لاتخاذ هذه الخطوة”.

وشدد: “سينظر مبيومو إلى مانشستر سيتي وسيقول لنفسه (أعلم أن برينتفورد لا يلعب جيدًا ولكنني لست خائفًا)، لقد عانى جفارديول من وقت عصيب مؤخرًا، سيمنحه كابوسًا طلقًا، هذه هي أكبر نقاط ضعفنا المحتملة غدًا”.

واختتم: “سنحتاج إلى أداء دفاعي رائع بسبب مهارات مبيومو، يمكنه التغلب على لاعب، فهو سريع وهداف رائع، إنه يشكل تهديدًا كبيرًا”.

الجدير بالذكر أن مبيومو سجل 13 هدفًا وصنع 3 أهداف في الموسم الحالي من الدوري الإنجليزي.

Dropped catches 'really affected our chances in NZ' – Misbah-ul-Haq

There could be changes within the team and the coaching staff as Pakistan prepare for the home series against SA

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Jan-2021Misbah-ul-Haq, the Pakistan coach, was left to rue an age-old Pakistan shortcoming after a third successive Test series loss to New Zealand: dropped catches. Pakistan missed eight chances in the second Test in Christchurch, as well as a couple of more difficult ones at Mount Maurangui in the first. They ranged from the straightforward to the half-chance but all of them were dropped, and given that Kane Williamson was on the receiving end of this generosity on at least four occasions, the 2-0 scoreline is perhaps little surprise. The loss also means that Pakistan have now not beaten New Zealand in a Test series for a decade.”I think the biggest thing in front of us, that we have seen in the past with Pakistan cricket as well, is our dropped chances,” Misbah told the PCB podcast after the series. “I think that has really affected our chances in this series. We missed a lot in both Tests, in which if we had grabbed them, we could have taken the Test further, but we missed them. We need to work on that.”Related

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Pakistan's many misses in Christchurch

Pakistan’s fielding was generally poor throughout, continuing a dip in standards that coincided with the departure of fielding coach Steve Rixon in 2018.Under Rixon, Pakistan, especially their white-ball teams, had become the best fielding side in the country’s history but the board let Rixon go and Pakistan have slipped into older, bad habits.Shaheen Afridi reacts to a dropped catch•Getty ImagesBetter teams than Pakistan’s have come to New Zealand and lost, so expectations were low, especially given the absence of Babar Azam from both games with a thumb injury. The two losses mean that Pakistan have lost each of their last 15 Tests in New Zealand, Australia and South Africa. But the contrasting nature of the two losses – a fighting, near-draw in the first at Bay Oval which raised expectations, only to be followed by a wipeout at the Hagley Oval – means that criticism of the team has been fierce. Talk has begun of changes within the team as well as in the coaching staff though it remains just that for now.”The criticism is valid,” Misbah acknowledged. “The people who criticise are those who believe in this team’s capabilities and the potential of this team. And that potential they showed in phases, like in the first Test when we were down and out in both innings but fought and brought it to a stage where we were five overs from a draw, from nowhere. You see that and of course fans then have expectations and then from there when your performance goes down, then the criticism is justified.”When you perform below your potential in all three departments, we just need to get up from this and improve our performances. The main objective when you play sport is to win. When you don’t, there are disappointments. When your performances don’t match your expectations then there is sadness. You feel it, that we could’ve done better but we didn’t. On this tour we had opportunities, we created those by playing well but didn’t cash in on them. We have to see why we are getting in positions where we can close Tests but are not being able to do it ultimately.”Speculation will no doubt rumble along as to the future of Misbah as coach. The board’s cricket committee is due to meet later this month, just before South Africa’s visit, and Misbah will be a topic of discussion there. But there isn’t much time before that series – the first Test in Karachi starts in just under three weeks’ time. There are likely to be changes to the line-up that turns up for that, both in the batting order and bowling attack, though Misbah is looking forward to some home respite.”That’ll be a good opportunity for us to review and try and improve, and to bring back the confidence that has been shattered in this series,” he said. “We’ll have to plan our own changes keeping in mind home conditions and the South Africa team. In home conditions you’ve played all your life, that gives you confidence. The Quaid-e-Azam trophy has had good performers, so we will look at them too. The mistakes we made here, what we lacked, we need to analyse those and move forward and plan for the next series.”

Tom Rogic 2.0: Rodgers keen on Celtic swoop for "terrific" £9.4k-p/w star

The 2024/25 Scottish Premiership season kicks off in less than a month and Celtic are still yet to make their first signing of the summer transfer window.

Brendan Rodgers' side have already played two pre-season friendlies, drawing 1-1 with Ayr and beating Queen's Park 6-4, but are yet to dip into the market to bolster the squad.

The Hoops are in need of a new number one and have been linked with moves for both Newcastle United's Martin Dubravka and Croatia star Dominik Livakovic.

Joe Hart retired at the end of the 2023/24 campaign, after three years at Parkhead, and Rodgers must now find his first-choice goalkeeper for next season.

The Scottish Premiership champions are also reportedly closing in on a deal to sign Paulo Bernardo on a permanent deal, whilst they are plotting a second bid to sign Adam Idah from Norwich City.

Celtic could also make additions to their midfield ranks as they have been linked with an interest in a central midfielder from the English Championship this week…

Celtic's interest in Championship maestro

According to HITC, Rodgers is keen on a swoop to sign Australia international Riley McGree from Middlesbrough ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.

The report claims that the Hoops failed to sign the £9.4k-per-week midfield maestro during Ange Postecoglou's time in Glasgow but the Championship star has remained on their radar.

They are now looking at the 25-year-old whiz as a possible target to join the club this time around, as they look to bolster their midfield options before the end of the window.

It states that his current contract has one year left to run and this means that it could be the last chance for Boro to cash in on him before a free transfer exit next year.

They would either need to pin him down to a contract extension or sell him before the end of the window to ensure that they do not lose him for nothing.

This suggests that the door could be open for Celtic to make a move for the left-footed gem in the coming weeks. However, the report does not reveal how much Middlesbrough would demand for McGree or how much the Hoops would be prepared to pay for him.

If the Scottish giants could secure a deal to sign the midfield wizard, though, then Rodgers could find his next version of Tom Rogic in the middle of the park in Glasgow.

Tom Rogic's midfield spark for Celtic

McGree would not be the first left-footed midfielder from Australia to turn up at Parkhead in an attempt to make his mark on the pitch in the Premiership.

Rogic enjoyed a fantastic spell with the Hoops during his time in Scotland a midfield maestro who had the quality to chip in as a scorer and a creator of goals.

Former Celtic midfielder Tom Rogic.

The talented ace joined the club from Central Coast at the start of 2013 and eventually moved on in the summer of 2022, 18 months short of a decade in Glasgow.

In that time, the Australia international racked up 46 goals and 49 assists in 272 appearances in all competitions for the Bhoys, including 31 goals and 35 assists in 165 outings in the Premiership.

These statistics show that the central midfielder had the quality to move forward into attacking positions to contribute as both a scorer and a creator for the Hoops.

Appearances

32

Starts

20

Goals

6

Assists

6

Big chances created

10

Key passes per game

1.5

As you can see in the table above, Rogic enjoyed a strong final season at Paradise before his exit in the summer of 2022, with 12 direct goal contributions in just 20 league starts.

The Celtic whiz also provided a threat in transition with his ability on the ball as he completed 1.6 dribbles per game with a success rate of 57%, which shows that the experienced ace could glide past opposition players to make things happen in the final third.

Rodgers, who worked with Rogic throughout his first spell at Parkhead between 2016 and 2019, could now find his new version of left-footed ace by securing a deal to sign McGree before the end of the summer transfer window.

Why Celtic should sign Riley McGree

The Premiership champions should press ahead with a swoop to land the Australia international because he could add another attacking threat to the side.

McGree, who was hailed as "terrific" by manager Michael Carrick, was restricted to just 14 starts and 22 appearances in the Championship through injury last term, which limited his impact on the pitch.

The 25-year-old star only produced four goals and one assist from midfield in that time but did rank within the top 9% of midfielders in the division for progressive passes per 90 (5.72) and the top 35% for progressive carries per 90 (3.22).

This shows that McGree can provide quality in possession without being the player to carry out the final action, as a scorer or a creator, by being the one to progress the play through a pass or carry to get his teammates into dangerous positions at the top end of the pitch.

When he was able to get on the pitch on a regular basis in the 2022/23 campaign, though, the Rogic-esque ace showcased his ability in the final third.

Appearances

43

Goals

6

Assists

3

Big chances created

8

Key passes per game

1.1

Pass accuracy

83%

As you can see in the table above, McGree played in 43 of Middlesbrough's 46 Championship games and caught the eye with 14 goals and 'big chances' created combined.

He created more than one chance per game on average and proved himself to be a midfielder who can push forward to be a difference-maker in matches.

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This is why the Boro star could come in as Rogic 2.0 – alongside their shared nationality and favoured foot – for Celtic as a midfield maestro who can link up play between the midfield and the attack, with his progressive passing and carrying, whilst also being a threat as a scorer and a creator.

Chelsea may make formal bid for £50 million Brighton star on one condition

A decisive factor will ultimately have the say in Chelsea making a formal bid to sign another star from Brighton, with Enzo Maresca's side impressed and could look to raid the Amex Stadium yet again.

All players Chelsea have signed from Brighton since Boehly takeover

As well as stealing away some of their staff members over the last few years, with ex-head coach Graham Potter swapping the south coast for London, alongside Laurence Stewart, Paul Winstanley and Sam Jewell, Chelsea have also heavily recruited from Brighton on the player side.

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Indeed, club-record signing Moises Caicedo, left-back Marc Cucurella and goalkeeper Robert Sanchez all moved from Brighton to Chelsea for a combined total of well over £200 million – highlighting just how much Todd Boehly admirers the project built by Seagulls chief Tony Bloom.

Caicedo is arguably yet to justify his £115 million British-record fee, but the Ecuadorian was also compared to Arsenal star Declan Rice for the majority of the season, and you can make the case that there is room for him to blossom under Maresca in his second season with more experience at Stamford Bridge.

Moises Caicedo

£115 million

Enzo Fernandez

£107 million

Myhhailo Mudryk

£88 million

Wesley Fofana

£72 million

Marc Cucurella

£58 million

"I think it's a process," said Mauricio Pochettino on Caicedo in December.

"The temptation is to analyse and compare a player from one season to another when it's not fair. It's a different environment, different moment, how the situation is now. He arrived when we were already playing games in the Premier League, with no pre-season. It's an emotional situation that happened with him."

Maresca is actually believed to be a big fan of Sanchez in the goalkeeping department, so we could expect to see the former Brighton ace play a key role under the Italian. Meanwhile, Cucurella was praised for a late-season surge under Pochettino despite a slow start to 2023/2024.

Chelsea have also been linked with a move for Brighton starlet Evan Ferguson, but the Republic of Ireland international is expected to cost a premium.

Chelsea could lodge formal bid for Julio Enciso

Now, according to reports in Spain, it is believed Julio Enciso is yet another Brighton ace who has admirers in west London. The Paraguay forward has impressed at the Copa America, and his performances at the tournament could see his price tag rise to around £50 million.

It is believed Chelsea could make a formal bid for Enciso, dependent on if he continues to turn heads on Paraguay duty – with his Copa America displays seen as a "decisive factor" in their potential approach.

The club have shown "great interest" in him, though, and he is regarded as one of the most exciting prospects in South American football.

Cream rises to the top as Bob Willis Trophy gets a final to savour

Essex and Somerset prepare to do battle for the one-off Bob Willis Trophy final at Lord’s

Andrew Miller22-Sep-2020

Jack Brooks celebrates with his Somerset team-mates•Getty Images

Big PictureThere’s an unmissable irony in the ECB’s decision to name their emergency first-class competition after the late, great Bob Willis. For Willis was not exactly the most enthusiastic defender of the ancient county system. As a player in his international heyday, he was renowned for phoning in the occasional Warwickshire performance to save his best for England, while in 2003, he was at the forefront of the Cricket Reform Group, a body which argued for the abolition of under-performing counties, and a subsequent reallocation of the game’s limited resources.And yet, when the trophy bearing his name, and adapted from a cubist painting by his widow Lauren, is presented – at a suitably social distance – to the winning captain at Lord’s later this week, you can be pretty certain that Willis would be looking down on the occasion with approval.For this has been a competition to savour in spite of the invidious circumstances. A short, sharp shock of first-class intensity that has satisfied the cravings of county cricket’s die-hards, while giving a platform for the sort of conference system that Willis himself might have advocated. Certainly the notion of less-is-more is one that has traditionally been associated with Australia’s Sheffield Shield (six teams, ten matches, one final) – not least during Australia’s years of Ashes dominance in the 1990s and early 2000s – and while it would knee-jerk to suggest that the Bob Willis Trophy has provided a clear vision for the future of county first-class cricket, it would be remiss to ignore the buzz of interest that the format has created among those who find the marathon nature of the traditional league structure a touch too archaic for the 2020s.Yes, it’s been an imperfect competition, devised to fit a limited timeframe and featuring a messy qualification process in which three into two didn’t go very easily, especially once the Covid-influenced cancellation of Northamptonshire’s match with Gloucestershire had complicated the permutations. And yet, there was a pleasingly meritocratic thread to the available results – with a defiant upending of preconceptions in the first instance, as just one Test-hosting county, Yorkshire, finished in the top two of any of the three groups, followed by a worthy progression of the era’s two outstanding teams to the showpiece final at Lord’s.Essex and Somerset, the cream of the crop, were involved in last summer’s de facto showpiece too – a Championship final-round arm-wrestle on a Ciderabad special in Taunton, in which Essex did just enough to prevent their hosts from leapfrogging them to the title, with Alastair Cook reprising the dour survival methods honed at Ahmedabad and Mumbai to close out the contest with 83 preciously hewn runs in two innings.Somerset’s subsequent penalisation for a substandard pitch may have rendered that performance moot, but even that slap on the wrist – and their 12-point penalty, deferred to 2021 – comes with a curious footnote. Despite attracting opprobrium for tailoring their tracks to turn square (and in the process producing England’s two frontline Test spinners – yes, you are welcome), their path to this year’s glory-shot has been carved by their outstanding battery of fast bowlers – which suggests they may just be a quality outfit, irrespective of conditions.More’s the pity, therefore, that in a summer which was meant to offer a reconnection of cricket to its ostracised fans, it has not been possible to find a place for this contest in the TV schedules. The fact that Lord’s is a building site, amid the reconstruction of the Compton and Edrich Stands is a further factor. Sky Sports’ YouTube channel will have to suffice.For Essex in particular, this week offers their squad a shot at county immortality, a chance to confirm a dynasty to rival the heyday of their Gooch-Fletcher era in the 1980s, and to take its place in the recent county pantheon, alongside Jason Gillespie’s Yorkshire squad of the mid 2010s, and the Durham and Sussex outfits that won three Championships in quick succession since the turn of the Millennium.And at a time when the ECB is casting an understandably beady eye on its counties’ connections with their grass-roots, there can be no quibbling with the quality of Essex’s homegrown credentials. Seven members of the first-team squad were born in the same Whipps Cross hospital as the club grandee, Gooch, while 70 percent were educated at state school too. Their two key imports, Ryan Ten Doeschate and Simon Harmer, have rapidly assumed legend status in and around Chelmsford. They are advocates for a system that works, no matter what the naysayers may believe.As for Somerset, there would be few feats more typical of the county than finally claiming that elusive first-class crown in the one season that is destined to carry an asterisk.Every year that goes by, it seems less and less likely that Somerset will be able to land the prize that torments them the most – especially given the quality of the players they have lost since they first rose to become true contenders ten years ago. Marcus Trescothick and Peter Trego, local legends both, have moved on, to retirement and to Nottinghamshire respectively, while next season their bowling stocks will be shorn of both Jamie Overton and Dom Bess.And yet, Somerset too draw a strong local thread through their playing XI – the captain, Tom Abell and senior spinner, Jack Leach, are Taunton born-and-bred, while one of the brightest stars of the current campaign, the young opener Tom Lammonby, has been rustled over the border from Devon. They’ve got a West Country catchment area that promises recruitment and renewal for as long as their standards remain as high as they have been. But there’s little doubt that some silverware wouldn’t go amiss.Aaron Beard gets a celebratory foot bump•Getty Images

Form guide(last five completed matches)
Essex WDWWW
Somerset WWDWWIn the spotlightSimon Harmer’s impact at Essex has been nothing short of talismanic in the four years since he arrived at Chelmsford. He’s amassed 251 first-class wickets at 19.32 in that time, with 20 five-wicket hauls and five ten-fors, to provide the final stamp of class in the county’s two Championship-winning seasons in three years. And that’s excluding his starring role as captain of last season’s T20 Blast-winning outfit. In this truncated BWT campaign, however, he’s been more incisive than ever, his 34 wickets including a best of 8 for 64 against Surrey that was completed in spite of an abductor strain. In another era he would surely be a fixture in South Africa’s Test team – and at the age of 31, he claims not to have given up hope of adding to his five Test caps, in spite of several smouldering bridges in his wake – but this opportunity to play a high-stakes five-day match at Lord’s will stoke his competitive fires like few other challenges.His brother Jamie is reputed to be the fastest bowler in the family, but there’s something about Craig Overton’s spirit for a scrap that has nudged him ahead in the pecking order – both at county level, where Jamie has been forced to seek pastures new at Surrey, and for England, who value the tenacity he has shown in four under-rewarded Test appearances to date, and clearly have him earmarked for a spear-carrier’s role in next year’s Ashes. But in Somerset’s romp to the BWT final, Overton has shown himself to be more than just a willing toiler. His 28 wickets at 10.71 have provided the pointy tip of a spear that has conceded more than 200 just once in five games.Team newsEssex’s squad is broadly settled, with ten of the first-choice XI having played four or more of the five group-stage games. This includes the bolter in this season’s campaign, Paul Walter at the top of the order, who took his initial chance when ten Doeschate succumbed to injury, and has latterly cemented his role as Alastair Cook’s partner in the absence of Nick Browne. Browne’s experience may count for something come Lord’s, but so do Walter’s numbers – an average of 49.00 and a top-score of 46 point to admirable consistency, especially against a seam attack of Somerset’s quality.Essex (possible) 1 Alastair Cook, 2 Paul Walter, 3 Tom Westley (capt), 4 Dan Lawrence, 5 Feroze Khushi, 6 Ryan ten Doeschate, 7 Adam Wheater (wk), 8 Simon Harmer, 9 Aaron Beard, 10 Sam Cook, 11 Jamie Porter.James Hildreth’s absence with a hamstring injury is a grievous loss to his county, not to mention a cruel turn of events for one of English cricket’s great forgotten batsmen. At the age of 36, this might have been the closest to a Lord’s Test that he was ever going to come. Jack Leach’s availability post-England bubble means that, of the 13 players named in their squad, Roelof van der Merwe is liable to be squeezed out despite featuring in four of Somerset’s group-stage games. Dom Bess, England’s No.1 spinner but Somerset’s No.2, may also miss the chance to say an on-field farewell to his club, ahead of his permanent move to Yorkshire next season.Somerset (possible) 1 Ben Green, 2 Tom Lammonby, 3 Tom Abell (capt), 4 George Bartlett, 5 Eddie Byrom, 6 Steven Davies (wk), 7 Lewis Gregory, 8 Craig Overton, 9 Josh Davey, 10 Jack Brooks, 11 Jack LeachPitch and conditionsAs the ground’s first and only first-class fixture for 2020, there will be an inevitable sense of the unknown to this surface, even if Lord’s wickets have tended to be predictably flat in recent seasons, influenced no doubt by the extraordinary moisture mainlining of the under-soil drainage system. The central strip, reserved for last summer’s Ashes Test, has been allocated, and Somerset’s captain, Tom Abell, was excited about what it would offer. Either way, it is a venue where teams have traditionally looked up, rather than down, when assessing their prospects. On that score, the first two days of the match promise typically autumnal mixtures of sun and showers, although the weekend outlook is more settled.Stats and Trivia Essex are aiming for their fourth first-class trophy in five seasons, after winning the second division title in 2016, followed by County Championships in 2017 and 2019.Somerset are one of three counties, along with Northamptonshire and Gloucestershire, never to have won the County Championship. They have finished as runners-up five times since 2010, including in three of the last four seasons. Somerset were the victors on the previous occasion that a trophy was at stake at Lord’s – the 2019 Royal London Cup, in which they beat Hampshire by six wickets in the tournament’s final staging.Sam Cook is one wicket short of 100 first-class scalps.The final will be staged in association with Prostate Cancer UK. Willis died of the disease, aged 70, in December last year.Quotes””The best two teams in the country have reached the final. As things stand, Essex are the number one red-ball team and we are number two. It would be great to reverse those standings and that is the aim.”
“We believe if we play the way we know we can, we can beat any team in the country. I think the statistics have shown that over the last few years we have been the best red-ball team. And hopefully that can continue into this week.”
Tom Westley, Essex’s captain, is ready to defend his team’s status as top dogs.

CBF cita 'equilíbrio técnico' e afirma que vai recorrer da liberação de público nos jogos do Flamengo

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O conflito Flamengo e CBF está prestes a ganhar um novo capítulo.Após o STJD aceitar o pedido do clube rubro-negro de ter público em seus jogos como mandante no Brasileiro e na Copa do Brasil, a entidade se pronunciou na noite desta quarta-feira e disseque vai recorrer da decisão.

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Em nota oficial, a CBF cita uma possível quebra do equilíbrio técnico das competições e relembra um acordofechado entre os clubes em março deste ano, o qual veda a presença de público nos estádios até nova reunião entre as partes.

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Leia a nota da CBF na íntegra:

A respeito da liberação de público autorizada, em caráter liminar, pelo STJD do Futebol nas partidas de mando do Clube de Regatas do Flamengo no Campeonato Brasileiro da Série A 2021, a CBF esclarece que:

1. O pedido do C.R. Flamengo e a decisão proferida contrariam deliberação tomada pelos Clubes em reunião do Conselho Técnico da Série A, ocorrida em 24 de março de 2021 que, dentre outras questões, vedou a presença de público nos estádios até nova apreciação do assunto pelos Clubes. Tal vedação é objeto de Diretriz Técnica que integra expressamente o Regulamento Especifico da Competição.

2. Resolveram os Clubes, também, que nova apreciação da matéria somente ocorreria com a melhora dos índices epidemiológicos nas cidades-sede dos clubes participantes e desde que aprovado pelas autoridades sanitárias locais, em quantidade que garantisse a manutenção do equilíbrio técnico da competição.

3. Desde a temporada 2020, a Comissão Médica Especial da CBF implementou e vem aperfeiçoando continuamente seu protocolo sanitário para garantir a segurança de todos os envolvidos nas partidas de futebol.

4. A partir da melhora dos índices da pandemia e da liberação de várias atividades nos municípios, referida Comissão desenvolveu protocolo específico para o retorno do público aos estádios, com projeto piloto a ser implantado a partir das quartas de final da Copa do Brasil, conforme amplamente divulgado pela imprensa,

5. A CBF apresentará os esclarecimentos necessários ao STJD do Futebol e confia que o Pleno do Tribunal garantirá a manutenção do equilíbrio técnico da competição e a segurança dos torcedores.

فيديو | التعادل الإيجابي يحسم مباراة الجيش الملكي وصن داونز في دوري أبطال إفريقيا

حسم التعادل الإيجابي مباراة الجيش الملكي ضد ماميلودي صن داونز، التي جمعتهما اليوم السبت، ضمن منافسات بطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا.

وأقيم اللقاء بين الجيش الملكي وصن دوانز على ملعب العبدي في المغرب، ضمن منافسات الجولة الثانية من دور المجموعات ببطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا.

طالع..فيديو | الرجاء يتعادل مع مانيما في دوري أبطال إفريقيا

وافتتح صن دوانز أهداف المباراة عن طريق أكرام رايدرز الذي سجل في الدقيقة 66، بينما تعادل الجيش الملكي في الدقيقة 74 عن طريق محمد حريمات.

وشهد اللقاء حصول أوبري مونيبا لاعب صن داونز على بطاقة حمراء في الدقيقة 92 من عمر المباراة.

ورفع الجيش الملكي رصيده إلى 4 نقاط في صدارة المجموعة الثانية من البطولة، بينما صن دوانز في المركز الثاني برصيد نقطتين.

ويقع الفريقان في المجموعة الثانية والتي تضم أيضا فريقي مانيما يونيون الكونغولي والرجاء المغربي. أهداف مباراة الجيش الملكي وصن دوانز

£86m star the priority as Arsenal ready to break record on several signings

Arsenal are "set to smash" last summer's record spend of £208 million when the window reopens on "three or four marquee signings", with an £86 million star earmarked as their priority, according to a report this week.

Edu prepares for summer as Arsenal chase down title

Ahead of an all-important clash with Chelsea this evening, and one which will go a long way to determine if Arsenal can keep chase with Man City, sporting director Edu is already devising ways to strengthen Mikel Arteta's ranks for next season.

Update from "internal" source on rumoured Arsenal bid for Santiago Gimenez

The Gunners are desperately searching for a striker this summer.

ByBen Browning Apr 22, 2024

The Gunners are currently top on goal difference and will go a further three points clear with victory over Chelsea, but Pep Guardiola's City will have multiple games in hand, so the title is theirs to lose mathematically as things stand.

Liverpool are also locked firmly in the race as neutral supporters anticipate yet another exciting end to the Premier League season. If Arsenal are usurped to the title again, after coming close last season as well, it is back to the drawing board ahead of 2024/2025.

As fantastic as Arsenal have been over the campaign, there are some holes in Arteta's squad which need addressing, perhaps most notably the lack of a world-class 20-plus-goals-per-season striker.

As per Fabrizio Romano and many other reliable sources, Arsenal are set to sign an "important" striker this summer, and many feature in their thinking. The likes of Victor Osimhen, Ivan Toney, Viktor Gyokeres and others have been widely linked, and this comes as they also prioritise other positions.

Bukayo Saka

14

Kai Havertz

9

Leandro Trossard

9

Martin Odegaard

8

Declan Rice

6

"It's no great secret that Arsenal want to sign a striker this summer," said journalist Charles Watts last month. "When the window opens it will be the priority, along with a midfielder and potentially another wide attacker.

"It will be interesting to see whether they move for Victor Osimhen. He, like Toney, is a player they like and I know that his representatives have visited Arsenal's training ground for talks with Edu.

"Those talks took place in the summer when Arsenal eventually signed Gabriel Jesus. Jesus was always the priority that year, but Osimhen was definitely a player they viewed as a serious alternative."

Now, a report by Football Transfers has shared an update on their striker search, while making a pretty exciting claim on their ambition.

Arsenal ready to smash record on marquee signings with Gyokeres the priority

According to their information, Arsenal are ready to smash their summer transfer record on three to four marquee signings when the window reopens.

Their previous record outlay, £208 million last year, is likely to be beaten as Edu and co seek to spend. Their "priority" target is "unplayable" striker Gyokeres from Sporting Lisbon, who's scored a quite incredible 38 goals in all competitions while registering 16 assists in that time.

Sporting CP strikerViktor Gyokeres.

Arsenal are said to be dedicated to building a squad matching Europe's finest, which will come as an enticing bit of news for supporters, regardless of the outcome of their title challenge.

Boehly dealt real PSR worry as Chelsea face potential points deduction

Chelsea chairman Todd Boehly has been dealt a real PSR worry this week as the prospect of a 2024/2025 points deduction gets floated by the media.

June 30 approaching with Chelsea fire-sale possible

The west Londoners have spent £1 billion since Boehly and Clearlake Capital's takeover of the club in 2022, and this could have a major impact as Profit and Sustainability rules dictate clubs can only make a loss of around £105 million over a rolling three-year period.

Al-Ittihad already in talks to sign high-earning ace from Chelsea

The Saudi side are making moves.

ByEmilio Galantini Apr 17, 2024

Everton, Nottingham Forest and Leicester City have already been charged with breaches of PSR, with Sean Dyche's side deducted points as the Premier League clamp down on financial firepower.

Given the sheer amount of money spent by Chelsea on new signings over the last two years, speculation has been rife over whether Mauricio Pochettino's side could suffer the same fate as the aforementioned trio.

Moises Caicedo

£115 million

Enzo Fernandez

£107 million

Mykhalo Mudryk

£88 million

Wesley Fofana

£72 million

Marc Cucurella

£58 million

Rival clubs believe Chelsea may have to raise as much as £100 million through player sales by June 30, or risk potential sanctions, and this sentiment is echoed by financial expert Stefan Borson.

"Really, they have to find buyers for Trevoh Chalobah for £20m, Armando Broja for £40m, and Conor Gallagher for £50m," said Borson to talkSPORT.

"It's those sort of deals that need to be done. And by the way, they all need to be done by June 30. That, as we know, is articulated within the Forest decision. There's a whole conversation about how hard it is to sell players in the period before June. The Premier League actually suggested that more or less that it was impossible."

Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly

When asked if Chelsea could be in the same predicament as Forest, Everton and Leicester this time next year, Borson responded:

"Yeah. Well, possibly more severe. I think the scale of the losses they're currently forecasting, to me, appear to be vastly in excess of both Everton and Nottingham Forest."

There are a few opportunities for Chelsea to offload unwanted players, like flop striker Romelu Lukaku. Some reports have claimed that the Belgian is attracting real interest from Saudi Arabia. Al-Ittihad are already in contact with Chelsea over signing Lukaku (Rudy Galetti), and they may need deals like this to pull through.

Chelsea may have 2024/25 points deduction after update

According to Football Insider this week, Chelsea could have points deducted ahead of 2024/2025 following an investigation into their hotel sales.

The club sold hotels as assets for £76.5 million and registered it as profit, allegedly in an attempt to loophole financial regulations and abide by PSR. If they're found guilty of attempting to offset their major losses this way, they may face a points deduction ahead of next season and sanctions akin to that of already-punished clubs.

The sold hotels were also to a sister club, under their ownership, which may not comply with Associated Party Transaction rules.

Everton hit jackpot offloading Silva signing who cost them £19m in wages

Over the last couple of seasons, Everton have been forced to operate on a strict budget given their PSR and FFP troubles, with most signings either on free transfers or low transfer fees.

The FFP issues have seen boss Sean Dyche be restricted in his efforts to bolster his side and drag the Toffees clear of any looming relegation threat after the points deduction earlier this campaign.

Everton manager Sean Dyche.

The Toffees have been forced to cut costs in order to balance the books, with the likes of Alex Iwobi and Demarai Gray just two examples of players the club have had to sell to stay within the Premier League's strict rules.

Everton also allowed one other first-team member to depart the club back in 2021 and by offloading him and his extortionate weekly wage, it has helped the club massively in their battle with other finances.

Bernard's stats during his time at Everton

After arriving at Everton on a free transfer from Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk in 2018, Brazilian winger Bernard certainly took time to adapt to the demands of the intensity of the Premier League, scoring just once in his first season at Goodison Park.

The winger failed to produce any credible goal return during his time with the Toffees, only finding the net on eight occasions across his 84 appearances during his time at the club.

Undoubtedly, his best Premier League campaign came in the 2019/20 season, with Bernard registering three goals and two assists in his 27 league outings.

However, the attacker would fail to replicate his form from the previous season, with the Brazilian only making 12 appearances in the Premier League after falling down the pecking order under boss Carlo Ancelotti.

He would subsequently depart the Toffees during the summer of 2021, joining Sharjah FC in the United Arab Emirates on a two-year deal, ending his three-year stint on Merseyside.

Bernard's wage at Everton

Upon his arrival at Goodison Park back in 2018 under the tenure of Marco Silva, the winger agreed a three-year deal on a reported £120k-per-week, as per Capology.

His huge weekly wage saw the Brazilian become the club's joint-highest earner, alongside Colombian centre-back Yerry Mina and slightly ahead of Portuguese playmaker Andre Gomes.

Everton's highest earners in 2020/21

Player

Weekly wage

Yerry Mina

£120k-p/w

Bernard

£120k-p/w

Andre Gomes

£112k-p/w

Jordan Pickford

£100k-p/w

Gylfi Sigurdsson

£100k-p/w

Stats via Capology

Despite the former Everton man having 18 goal contributions in 28 appearances for Panathinaikos this season, the club did the right thing in offloading the 31-year-old.

His weekly wage saw him earn £6.2m a season during his time at Everton, taking his earnings to just under £19m over the course of his three years on Merseyside.

Given the club's recent struggles with their finances, it was imperative the club cleared his salary off the wage bill to allow the club to invest in younger talents and save funds where necessary.

Despite arriving with high hopes, it was a move that failed to flourish as both sides would've anticipated. However, it is brilliant to see a former Toffee excelling and regaining the impressive form that he showcased during the 2019/20 season.

Financial Fair Play: What is PSR, how does it work and who's in trouble?

Leicester City have become the latest club charged with an alleged PSR breach, but what could happen next?

ByStephan Georgiou Apr 16, 2024

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