Category Uncategorized

Everyone associated with Birmingham City will be hoping that 2025 is the year they triumphantly return to the Championship, with the demoralising relegation down to the third tier acting as a major wake-up call for those at St. Andrew’s to start afresh.

Chris Davies is now in the hot seat for the Blues and is doing a competent job at the moment, helped by lots of cash being thrown at the squad to make that instant return up a league a reality, with the sleeping giants in and around the promotion spots in League One.

Still, he will want more from his troops who have shown chinks in their armour as of late, with a shock 3-2 defeat to Shrewsbury Town in November a reminder that teams in the tricky division won’t just roll over for Birmingham to pick up routine victories.

January will act as a crucial month for Birmingham to flex their muscles once more in the transfer market, with a couple of incomings no doubt on their mind as games become tenser near the summit of the league, in order to add in even more quality.

Here is what their dream lineup could look after that hectic month has come and gone, with a new £3.4m recruit potentially entering the building…

1 GK – Ryan Allsop

Ryan Allsop is likely to retain his spot in-between the sticks for Birmingham past the transfer window, having recently taken over duties of being the club’s number one goalkeeper from Bailey Peacock-Farrell.

From his eight league contests, Allsop has kept an encouraging three clean sheets, with Davies hopeful more will come his way as the season drags on.

2 RB – Ethan Laird

Ethan Laird will also feel he’s worthy of keeping his first-team spot at right-back moving forward, having impressed when thrown into action this season in League One.

Laird has won a stunning 6.3 duels on average when playing and will want to make this position in the team even more his own as a frantic 2025 comes into view.

3 CB – Christoph Klarer

Christoph Klarer begins in the centre-back spots and rightly so, with the towering Austrian a revelation at the back for Davies’ men ever since leaving Germany behind this summer for new English shores.

His importance at the back as a cool customer was exemplified in Birmingham’s last win in the league versus Exeter City, with 82 touches of the ball amassed, alongside also imposing himself onto the game with four duels successfully won.

4 CB – Phil Neumann

He could be joined by another recruit from the German leagues in the form of Phil Neumann, with Birmingham reportedly interested in the Hannover 96 star this summer but to no avail.

They could go back in for Neumann this January, which could result in Krystian Bielik shockingly dropping out of the first team fold, with the potential £3.4m purchase not acquired to warm the substitutes bench.

He has very much impressed in the 2. Bundesliga for his current employers too, accumulating six clean sheets across his 14 displays in the league.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

5 LB – Alex Cochrane

Finishing the back four is former Heart of Midlothian defender Alex Cochrane, who has shone in spurts for the League One titans this season to date.

He also stood out versus Exeter last time out, with two key passes tallied up as a left-back not afraid to join in with attacks, alongside also making five interceptions to preserve his team’s clean sheet.

6 CM – Seung-Ho Paik

The first central midfield spot in the side is occupied by South Korean gem Seung-Ho Paik, who is yet to miss a league game for Davies’ men since making the drop down.

He’ll hope he keeps this up versus Stockport County later on, as his side hunt down their 11th win of the campaign to date.

7 CM – Tomoki Iwata

Much like his teammate next to him, Tomoki Iwata has turned into a real fan’s favourite at St. Andrew’s this season.

The ex-Celtic man has stunned supporters with some stylish displays from the middle of the park, alongside chipping in with five goals and an assist.

If Birmingham amazingly miss out on an instant jump back up to the Championship, expect a whole host of suitors to be eyeing up the confident Blues number 24.

8 RM – Sontje Hansen

The other bit of business Birmingham should explore – away from strengthening at the back – could be to go after a former target in Sontje Hansen down the right wing, as Davies goes about making his side even more eye-catching in the attacking areas.

Birmingham have had lots of success shopping in Holland, with the NEC Nijmegen winger – who has been hailed as “special” by former Netherlands U17 coach Peter van der Veen – needing to be back on their radar, having bagged four goals in Eredivisie action this season.

9 CAM – Jay Stansfield

Birmingham fans must have found the whole transfer saga involving Jay Stansfield rather surreal, especially when the money-rich Blues managed to convince him to return on a permanent basis.

He has shone for Davies’ promotion-chasers since his return, with a brace managed on his second debut against Wrexham bedding himself back in nicely to his familiar location.

Since then, the smooth former Fulham attacker has helped himself to another five league strikes, as he strives to be a key performer in the crunch months to come to ensure promotion is reached.

10 LM – Willum Thor Willumsson

Alongside Stansfield, Willum Thor Willumsson has equally been an important source of goals and assists.

The tall Icelandic winger is amazingly matching Stansfield’s output, with four goals and four assists next to his teammate’s haul of eight, and he will hope he can play a starring role in another win being picked up tonight.

MatériaMais Notícias

No estádio Rei Pelé, em Maceió, em partida realizada pela 4ª rodada da Copa do Nordeste, o clássico alagoano entre CRB e CSA acabou empatado pelo placar de 1 a 1. O marcador foi inaugurado pelo Galo ainda na primeira etapa, gol de Anselmo Ramon. O empate do Azulão veio no segundo tempo, gol de Werley. Com o resultado, o CSA assume de forma isolada a vice-liderança do grupo A, com 7 pontos. Já o CRB está em 3º lugar no grupo B, com 5 pontos.

RelacionadasPalpites de HojePalpite CRB x CSA – Copa do Nordeste 2022 – Rodada 4Palpites de Hoje11/02/2022CRBAllan Aal fala sobre a pressão em cima do seu trabalho no CRBCRB10/02/2022Futebol NacionalCampinense e CRB ficam no empate em jogo da Copa do NordesteFutebol Nacional09/02/2022

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

Na próxima rodada, o CSA enfrenta o Bahia, na Fonte Nova, em Salvador, dia 16 de fevereiro. No dia seguinte, o CRB recebe o Globo-RN, em partida que será realizada no estádio Rei Pelé, em Maceió.

O jogo
PRIMEIRO TEMPO
CRB ASSUSTA NO COMEÇO
No clássico alagoano, o CRB foi quem começou mais perigoso. Em 15 minutos, o Galo criou duas boas oportunidades, mas nos dois lances a bola acabou saindo pela linha de fundo, para alivio da defesa do CSA.

CSA RESPONDE
O susto protagonizado pelo ataque do CRB fez o CSA se mexer. O Galo foi para o ataque e respondeu. É bem verdade que o goleiro Diogo Silva ajudou bastante. Aos 26, o goleiro demorou para dar o chutão e perdeu a bola. Rodrigo Rodrigues dominou a bola e chutou girando. A bola passou raspando a trave e quase entrou.

Mas não ficou só nessa chance. Aos 37 minutos, Lucas Barcellos, dentro da área, bateu prensado e quase conseguiu encobrir o goleiro Diogo Silva, que se esticou e fez a defesa para salvar o time do Galo.

DEFESA DO CSA ERRA, CRB APROVEITA E ABRE O PLACAR
Tudo indicava que o jogo acabaria mesmo indo para o intervalo empatado. Entretanto, na saída de bola a defesa do CSA errou o passe. A bola acabou no pé de Marthã, que deu um passe brilhante para colocar Anselmo Ramon na cara do gol. Na saída do goleiro, o centroavante finalizou com maestria e abriu o placar: 1 a 0.

SEGUNDO TEMPO
ETAPA COMPLEMENTAR COMEÇA EQUILIBRADA
Após o intervalo, os dois times começam se estudando. Aos pouquinhos, o CSA foi adiantando mais o time e procurando mais o ataque, enquanto o CRB priorizava a defesa e a segurança da vantagem no placar.

CSA EMPATA O JOGO
CRB se segurava bem na defesa, mas os “deuses” do futebol resolveram premiar quem buscou o ataque. Aos 13 minutos, Luiz Henrique cruzou. Lucas Barcelos forte, o goleiro Diogo Silva mostrou bom reflexo e espalmou. Werley, que havia errado no gol do CRB, aproveitou o rebote e colocou para dentro: 1 a 1.

ATAQUES BUSCAM O GOL, MAS DEFESAS LEVAM VANTAGEM
Os dois times, cada um à sua maneira, foram ao ataque atrás do gol da vitória no clássico alagoano. Entretanto, as defesas mostraram sua força e conseguiram se sobressair e evitar que as redes de lado a lado fossem balançadas.

CRB 1 x 1 CSA – COPA DO NORDESTE
Estádio: Rei Pelé, em Maceió (AL)
Data/horário: 13 de Fevereiro de 2021, às 18h30 (de Brasília)
Árbitro: Caio Max Augusto Vieira (CBF-RN)
Assistentes: Lorival Cândido das Flores (CBF-RN) e Luiz Carlos de França Costa (CBF-RN)
Cartões Amarelos: Gilvan, Marthã, Rafael Longuine, Marcinho e Anselmo Ramon (CRB); Wellington Nascimento e Luiz Henrique (CSA)
Cartões Vermelhos:
GOLS: Anselmo Ramon (48’/1ºT) (1-0); Werley (13’/2ºT) (1-1);

CRB (Técnico: Marcelo Cabo)
Diogo Silva; Reginaldo, Gum, Gilvan e Guilherme Romão; Claudinei, Marthã (Jean Patrick, aos 27’/2ºT), Rafael Longuine (Gustavo Apis, aos 22’/2ºT) e Diego Torres (Richard, aos 42’/2ºT); Marcinho (Maycon Douglas, aos 22’/2ºT) e Anselmo Ramon (Nicolas Careca, aos 42’/2ºT).

CSA (Técnico: Mozart)
Marcelo Carné; Cedric (Lucas Marques, aos 12’/1ºT), Wellington Nascimento, Werley e Ernandes; Geovane, Luiz Henrique (Giva Santos, aos 35’/2ºT) e Gabriel; Marco Túlio (Didira, aos 24’/2ºT), Lucas Barcelos (Osvaldo, aos 24’/2ºT) e Rodrigo Rodrigues (Dalberto, aos 35’/2ºT).

Former Arsenal and Manchester United striker Robin van Persie has been appointed as Feyenoord's new head coach.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Van Persie impressed at HeerenveenAppointed new Feyenoord bossDays after UCL triumph at AC MilanFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Following the sacking of manager Brian Pliske earlier this month, Feyenoord have confirmed Van Persie as their new head coach. The club, who were without a manager as they knocked AC Milan out of the Champions League in midweek, state the recently departed Heerenveen boss has signed a deal until mid-2027.

AdvertisementAFPWHAT ROBIN VAN PERSIE SAID

The 41-year-old, who started and ended his playing career at Feyenoord, told the club's website: "Everyone knows how special my bond with Feyenoord is. I am really looking forward to working with the group of players on 1908, together with a strong staff, and then playing matches in De Kuip, supported by the legion, and achieving success together."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Van Persie is only in his first year of management but already he has acquired one of the biggest jobs in Dutch football. The ex-forward has guided Heerenveen to ninth in the Eredivisie and now he can look forward to trying to challenge for the league title and a last-16 Champions League clash with Inter.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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

AFPWHAT NEXT?

Van Persie's first game in charge will be against NEC in the league on Saturday in a battle between third and 14th respectively.

It’s taken Regis Le Bris just over three months to transform Sunderland from Championship strugglers to bona fide promotion contenders. Last term, under Michael Beale and Mike Dodds, the Black Cats finished 16th in England’s second division, just six points above the relegation zone. This season, however, after nine games played, they are top of the table, having won six and drawn one.

Biggest coup since Defoe: Le Bris could land a 'lifelong Sunderland fan'

Sunderland would love to secure this mammoth deal in January.

1 ByKelan Sarson Oct 8, 2024

Le Bris’ side looked to be facing defeat against Leeds last week after Joel Piroe and Junior Firpo had canceled out Chris Rigg’s opener, however a stoppage-time error from Leeds goalkeeper Illan Meslier gifted Sunderland a point.

“The mindset of the team was good because right until the end we believed that it was possible and then it happened with a mistake,” Le Bris, who was appointed as Sunderland boss in July, said after the draw. “I think we deserved this draw.”

Tommy Watson loving life under Le Bris

One player who is particularly enjoying life at The Stadium of Light right now is youngster Tommy Watson. The 21-year-old winger, who came through Sunderland’s academy, has been a regular feature in Le Bris’ matchday squads this season, despite not having too many minutes to strut his stuff in front of fans.

He made his first-team debut in a 2-1 defeat to Watford in late September, coming on as a late substitute, and has since made two further cameos against Derby and Leeds. Speaking with Sunderland’s official website, Watson spoke of his delight at finally being given a chance to shine on the big stage.

Talking about making the transition to the first-team under his new manager, Watson said: “It’s a bit of a jump up. The games in the Championship are more organised and teams are set up better and harder to break down so you get fewer chances.

“It’s class to be honest. I’ve been waiting a long time for the opportunity. I’ve been on the fringes for quite some time, but the idea of working towards more first-team minutes is a real target.”

Poveda injury update dampens Sunderland mood

Life might be looking up for Watson at the moment, but for Ian Poveda, things aren’t so great. The Colombia international, who joined Sunderland in the summer from Leeds United, has seen his start to life on Wearside hampered by injuries, limiting him to just 44 minutes of Championship action so far this season.

Speaking with the media ahead of last week’s draw with Leeds, Le Bris revealed that he will now have to make do without Poveda for a further “four to six weeks” after the 24-year-old suffered yet another injury setback.

“It’s a shame,” Le Bris said. “But the Championship is long, we still have 38 games to play. Ian is going to be helpful for the team, but he is going to need time to recover.”

Glasgow Rangers return to Ibrox stadium this evening for the first time this season for a League Cup quarter-final clash.

Dundee are the visitors to Glasgow and the clash gives Philipe Clement a chance to perhaps rejig his starting XI from the tie against Dundee United in the Premiership last week.

The Light Blues are the holders of the League Cup, defeating Aberdeen in the final last December. Despite the sluggish start to the campaign, Clement will be aiming to defend the trophy as it could certainly give the club a boost by reaching the semifinals.

The Belgian stuck by his tried and tested XI last week, but ahead of the home tie tonight, he could make four changes to the starting XI, which will see a few of his summer signings finally make their maiden starts.

With that in mind, here’s a look at the team that the manager could send out to try and claim a spot in the last four…

1 GK – Jack Butland

The goalkeeper has played every minute of every game so far and this is highly unlikely to change heading into the match tonight.

He hasn’t quite shown the form that he displayed during his first few months at Ibrox, although he has conceded just seven goals in eight matches, keeping four clean sheets in the process.

2 RB – James Tavernier

Like Butland, the captain has featured in every minute of the campaign, registering two assists across all competitions.

This is a far cry from the attacking numbers he displayed last season, with many reckoning he has regressed over the summer. While this could be a chance to give him a rest, it appears as though the Englishman is the first name on the team sheet, regardless of the opposition.

If he can open his account for the season tonight, it could give him a major confidence boost.

3 CB – John Souttar

Ever since Connor Goldson departed Ibrox during the transfer window, Souttar has emerged as the main centre-back in the squad.

Aged 27, the defender is coming into the peak years of his career, finally overcoming the injury issues that plagued his first season in Glasgow. If he remains fit, the former Hearts man could be a vital asset to the Light Blues over the next few years.

4 CB – Neraysho Kasanwirjo

The League Cup clash represents a chance for the Dutchman to make his first start for the Gers.

He spent last season on loan at Austrian side Rapid Vienna, making 28 appearances for the club.

His inclusion in the starting XI will mean Robin Propper drops to the bench. The Dutchman, who cost just £1.5m from FC Twente during the summer, has played five times for the club this term, but it could be time for a rest.

5 LB – Jefte

The Brazilian has impressed since joining permanently during the summer, showing flashes of brilliance.

He is only 20, but there is no doubt that Jefte has a promising career ahead of him. Clement will be wary of overusing him, especially with Ridvan Yilmaz missing due to injury, but it appears Jefte is taking everything in his stride.

Another start beckons against Dundee.

6 CM – Connor Barron

Like Jefte, Barron is another young talent who joined the Light Blues in the summer, proving he could generate the club millions in profit in the next few years. The former Aberdeen man has been excellent domestically, averaging a 91% pass success rate while recovering four balls per game.

There are other options that could slot into the heart of the midfield, but Clement will persist with the Scot tonight.

7 CM – Mohamed Diomande

The Ivorian is beginning to form a solid partnership with Barron in the middle of the pitch, but he certainly needs a big performance tonight.

While he has created three big chances and averages one key pass per game, Diomande loses possession 10.4 times on average per game, showing that he could be slightly better when on the ball.

8 RW – Vaclav Cerny

It was clear that Clement had to bolster this area of the team during the summer and Cerny arrived with a big reputation. He scored four goals in the Bundesliga last season, proving he has what it takes to shine in one of the best leagues on the continent.

The winger missed the clash with Dundee United due to illness, but if he has recovered, he will slot straight back in this evening.

9 AM – Nedim Bajrami

Tom Lawrence may have scored the winner last week, but he could be dropped in order to give Nedim Bajrami his very first start for the Light Blues.

The Albanian scored after just 23 seconds for his nation against Italy at Euro 2024, and it will be intriguing to see how he performs at Ibrox tonight. If he delivers a solid display, it might mean Lawrence remains on the bench from then on.

10 LW – Oscar Cortes

The on-loan Colombian returned to the starting XI last weekend but was given only 45 minutes as a precaution by Clement following his return from injury.

45 minutes in the tank would have helped his overall match fitness. Due to Rabbi Matondo being injured, Cortes will once again be unleashed from the starting XI in a bid to terrorise the Dundee defence.

Adam Milne, the New Zealand fast bowler, has set his sights on October’s T20 World Cup in the UAE despite injuries limiting him to two T20I appearances since November 2018.Milne played only 12 professional games in a two-year period between November 2018 and December 2020, twice undergoing surgery on his left ankle, but has been able to string games together more consistently since the start of the 2020-21 Big Bash League and has been the standout fast bowler in the group stages of the ongoing Hundred to date, playing for the table-topping Birmingham Phoenix.He won an international recall for New Zealand’s T20I series against Bangladesh earlier this year and while he proved expensive in that series, he has been in contact with the selectors in recent weeks to discuss his potential involvement in the upcoming tours of Bangladesh and Pakistan before the World Cup.New Zealand are expected to confirm squads for those tours at the start of next week, though it is unclear at this stage whether Milne and the other players with IPL deals will be part of them. Milne confirmed he is expecting to fly to the UAE to fulfil his contract with the Mumbai Indians where he will link back up with Shane Bond, Mumbai’s assistant coach and his Sydney Thunder head coach and mentor.Related

• Adam Milne's 'roller-coaster ride' brings him into New Zealand's T20 World Cup plans

• Moeen Ali, Liam Livingstone, Rashid Khan and Adam Milne in men's Hundred team of the tournament

• New Zealand to tour Pakistan for first time in 18 years

• New Zealand to tour Bangladesh for five T20Is in September

• T20 World Cup 2021: New Zealand in Group 2

“I’d obviously love to play more for New Zealand,” Milne told ESPNcricinfo. “I’ve had a lot of injuries over the last three years which has stopped me playing any cricket at all really, and you can’t play for New Zealand if you’re not playing any domestic cricket.”It’s nice to be playing well over here, and I feel like out of all of the formats, I’ve got a really good record in T20. I know this is slightly different with the 100-ball format, but I’d obviously really like to be part of that World Cup team and there has been a little bit of communication behind the scenes back home.”The hardest thing for a fast bowler is stringing a whole period of cricket together. It’s all been short-format for me, so it’s not as taxing as longer forms, but it’s been nice to be able to play consistently and gain a bit of trust in the body and get a bit of rhythm in my bowling. When you’re coming in and out, you’re not quite getting that rhythm, so it’s been nice to keep that going.”Milne’s preparation for the Hundred was not ideal. He was due to play six games for Kent in the group stages of the Vitality Blast but one was washed out and he was forced to self-isolate for 10 days during the final two as a close contact of a team-mate who had contracted Covid-19.But he has still managed to hit the ground running over the last two weeks. He is the competition’s fourth-highest wicket-taker with seven in his first five appearances, and has the best economy rate (1.02 runs conceded per ball) out of any seamer. He has also hit speeds of 93mph/149kph – only Marchant de Lange has bowled a fast ball in the tournament – and produced one of its first viral moments with an outrageous caught-and-bowled to dismiss Ravi Bopara.