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Will Young makes 91 to lead Northants reply but target of 354 remains out of reach

ECB Reporters Network02-Aug-2022

Will Fraine made a career-best 143•Getty Images

Centuries from openers Will Fraine and Harry Duke underpinned Yorkshire’s convincing start to the Royal London Cup as Northamptonshire were beaten by 33 runs DLS at York’s Clifton Park.Fraine’s all-format career-best 143 was ably supported by Duke’s contrasting 111 as Yorkshire racked up 343 for 5 in 46 overs, also including teenager Will Luxton’s 84. Fraine and Luxton dominated to start a batting day, while wicketkeeper Duke played the supporting role after the Vikings were inserted.In reply, New Zealand opener Will Young, captaining Steelbacks in this opening Group B fixture, kept their hopes alive with a top-score of 91. But he was out with just under 200 runs still required, and they were bowled out for 320 inside 45 overs. Dom Bess finished with 3for 63 off nine.Lewis McManus nearly matched Young with an entertaining, consolatory 82. Four overs per side were lost due to late morning rain.Fraine displayed power on the leg side and touch on the off as he hit 12 fours and eight sixes in 107 balls, usurping his Championship 106 against Surrey at Scarborough in 2019.In posting a second county century in front of a 3000-strong crowd, the 26-year-old made a Northamptonshire attack who erred on a pitch with good pace and bounce pay. Fraine pulled Tom Taylor over the pavilion and later hoisted Nathan Buck over the hospitality marquee at long-on.Duke, 20, also faced 107 balls. Shortly after Fraine had reached his century off 85 balls – at which point Yorkshire were 142-0 after 23 overs – Duke’s fifty came off 62. The busy Duke scooped with increasing regularity as he moved to his second List A century after 125 versus Leicestershire last year.When Fraine sliced Saif Zaib’s left-arm spin to backward point, the damage had been done at 209 for 1 in the 30th. But there was more to follow.England Under-19s batter Luxton followed Fraine’s dominance, hitting well straight for 10 fours and three sixes in 53 balls as the Steelbacks failed to stem the flow of runs until the final two overs when only 11 were conceded.Duke reached three figures off 97 balls, and Luxton’s second career fifty came off 35 a delivery later. Both men were caught in the penultimate over off Buck, the pick of the visiting attack with 2 for 66 from nine, following a second-wicket partnership of 134 inside 15 overs.Northamptonshire slipped to 36 for 2 inside six overs of their reply, including debutant seamer Ben Cliff inducing a leading edge from Ricardo Vasconcelos to wide mid-on after only four balls. Ben Coad also had Emilio Gay caught at slip.Young and Zaib shared 82 for the third wicket to get the innings back on track, though the road ahead remained a long one.Young was strong square on both sides of the wicket in his 64-ball innings, adding two straight sixes off the left-arm spin of debutant Harry Sullivan to a dozen boundaries. But he and Zaib fell in the space of five overs, leaving Northamptonshire at 158 for 4 in the 24th over. Zaib was stumped off Bess and Young miscued a pull at Coad to mid-on.Steelbacks had little option but to plough on. And they did, first through Rob Keogh’s 59.A feature of this fixture was that runs were largely scored with authenticity rather than agriculture. Keogh was no different. But he handed Sullivan his maiden wicket by picking out deep cover, and it was the first of three wickets for 17 runs which all but ended the contest as the score fell from 237 for 4 in the 34th over to 254 for 7 in the 37th.Sullivan also bowled James Sales and Bess had Taylor caught and bowled. Bess struck again before wicketkeeper McManus threatened a late and remarkable heist with four sixes in 62 balls, before falling lbw to Tom Loten.

The keeper is under the spotlight after two costly errors against Lyon – but how does he compare with others who struggled at Old Trafford?

Andre Onana put huge pressure on himself before Manchester United's Europa League clash with Lyon and when the game began, he caved in to it. Onana had become one of the main characters ahead of the quarter-final first leg by first declaring that the Red Devils were "way better" than the Ligue 1 outfit a few days earlier.

Nemanja Matic responded to his comments in the most brutal manner by labelling him "one of the worst goalkeepers in Manchester United's history" but Onana did not need to rise to it. He could have let his performance do the talking. Instead he came back with a spiky response about winning trophies and was ridiculed for it. After all, Matic had won two Premier League titles with Chelsea.

But the most ridiculous thing was Onana's performance at the Groupama Stadium. He feebly let Thiago Almada's free-kick, which was intended as a cross, slip past him. Paul Scholes rightly labelled it "a terrible goalkeeping error" and everyone on social media was saying the same thing: Matic was right.

It was the eighth error leading to a goal made by the Cameroonian in all competitions, more than any other goalkeeper in the Premier League since he joined United in 2023. But United responded well to the setback and looked to be on their way to a crucial victory thanks to headers from Leny Yoro and Joshua Zirkzee. Lyon came back at them in the last minute though and Onana let United down again, pushing a central shot from Georges Mikautadze straight back into the danger zone and at the feet of the last person you would want it to fall to: Lyon talisman Rayan Cherki.

Now United must beat Lyon at Old Trafford next week to reach the Europa League semi-finals and keep their nightmare season alive, when a draw would have been enough had they been able to cling on. But the errors are likely to have bigger ramifications for United and Onana. How can the club continue with a goalkeeper who is so unreliable, who rival players are openly laughing about?

So after one of the lowest points of his already dismal United career, GOAL asks whether Matic is right and if Onana is indeed the worst goalkeeper United have had in the Premier League era….

Getty8Ben Foster

Foster was a long-term project of Sir Alex Ferguson's that ultimately did not work out. He was by no means a disaster compared to the other goalkeepers on this list, but he had the chance to become the club's first English No.1 in the Premier League era and could not take it.

Foster was back-up to Edwin van der Sar for two seasons and his highlight was winning the 2009 League Cup after a penalty shootout victory over Tottenham. An injury to the Dutch veteran at the start of the following campaign gave Foster a golden opportunity to prove he should be United's first-choice. However, costly errors against Arsenal, Manchester City, and Sunderland saw him removed from the starting XI as soon as Van der Sar returned to full fitness and by the end of the season he was gone.

AdvertisementGetty7Mark Bosnich

The Australian can claim to be the only player that Ferguson signed twice. He made two appearances for United in the pre-Premier League era before returning Down Under when his visa expired. After developing into one of the division's top goalkeepers with Aston Villa, Bosnich returned to United in 1999 following Schmeichel's departure.

Replacing the Great Dane was a daunting task for anyone, but Bosnich did not help his cause, according to Ferguson, who described him as "a terrible professional". Among his misdemeanours were turning up to training three hours late and overeating. After one match at Wimbledon, Ferguson claimed the goalkeeper ate everything on the menu before ordering a Chinese takeaway when he got home.

Still, Bosnich made the most appearances of United's three goalkeepers in that first post-Schmeichel season as the Red Devils romped to the Premier League title and won the Intercontinental Cup. He played no part in his second season, though, and left for Chelsea in January 2001. A year later he tested positive for cocaine.

Getty6Tim Howard

The American goalkeeper was unknown in England when he signed for United in 2003, and to tell the truth he never quite dealt with the pressure. There were some acrobatic saves in his first few months, but Howard's impressive start unravelled in the Champions League last-16 clash with Jose Mourinho's Porto. Howard spilled a late free-kick into the path of Costinha, who scored to send United out and spark the young Portuguese upstart coach's unforgettable knee slide celebration across the Old Trafford turf.

Howard's confidence never recovered and so began a battle for the No.1 spot between him and Roy Carroll over the next 14 months. Neither goalkeeper could truly convince Ferguson they were up to the task, and the ultimate winner was Van der Sar, who signed from Fulham in 2005 and remained first-choice until he retired six years later.

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Getty5Roy Carroll

The Northern Ireland 'keeper began life at United as Fabien Barthez's understudy and eventually graduated to No.1 in the 2004-05 campaign after finally winning the battle with Howard.

He was an ultimately unremarkable goalkeeper, though, and like his American rival for the jersey, cracked under pressure, above all in the Champions League last-16 defeat to AC Milan. He also couldn't save a single penalty in the shootout defeat to Arsenal in the 2005 FA Cup final.

Carroll's most high-profile mistake for United did not lead to a goal, however. That was when he spilled Pedro Mendes' looping shot from near halfway over his own line against Tottenham, but managed to scramble the ball away without the referee or his assistant noticing. The officials' error could not save Carroll's United career, however, and he was released in May 2005.

It’s not been the best of campaigns for Arsenal so far this season.

Despite once again having the best defence in the Premier League, they find themselves in third and some ways off the top spot, making it hard to ignore the fact that they just do not score enough goals.

So, with this in mind, it’s hardly surprising to see the team linked to a plethora of incredible attackers over the last few weeks, from Dušan Vlahović to Mohammed Kudus.

However, recent reports have now touted another sensational forward with a move to the Emirates, a forward who might not be as well known in England but has won comparisons with the unreal Alexander Isak.

Arsenal transfer news

According to a recent report from Spain, Arsenal are one of several clubs interested in signing Eintracht Frankfurt striker Omar Marmoush.

Alongside the Gunners, the report has revealed that fellow Premier League sides Chelsea and Liverpool are keen to secure the Egyptian’s services.

The story does not mention a potential transfer fee, but reports from earlier this month revealed that an offer in the region of £60m could be enough to tempt the German outfit into selling.

It could be a complicated and costly transfer to get over the line, but given Marmoush’s unreal ability, it is one well worth pursuing, especially as he’s won comparisons to the incredible Isak.

Marmoush's comparisons to Isak

So, before we address some of the other reasons Arsenal might want to sign Marmoush, we have to examine this comparison to Isak and where it has come from.

It primarily stems from FBref, which compares players in similar positions in Europe’s top five leagues, the Champions League and Europa League, then creates a list of the ten most comparable players for each one, and in this instance, has concluded that the Swede is the ninth most similar forward to the Egyptian over the last 365 days.

The best way to see where this comparison has come from is to look at the underlying metrics in which the trio ranks closely, including, but not limited to, non-penalty expected goals, progressive passes and passes received, goals per shot and shot on target, key passes and more, all per 90.

Non-Penalty Expected Goals

0.80

0.87

Progressive Passes

2.70

2.88

Progressive Passes Received

7.45

7.06

Key Passes

2.13

1.96

Goals per Shot

0.18

0.23

Goals per Shot on Target

0.41

0.50

However, there is another similarity that is arguably the most important and the main reason the Gunners should sign him: his output.

For example, in 20 appearances this season, the Toon marksman has scored 13 goals and provided four assists, which works out to an impressive average of 0.85 goal involvements per game.

Yet, somehow, the “electric” Frankfurt ace, as football presenter Dougie Critchley described him, has managed to do even better than that this season.

In his 24 appearances, he has scored 18 goals and provided 12 assists, which comes out to a simply staggering average of 1.25 goal involvements per game.

Ultimately, while a player like Isak may just be out of reach for Arsenal at the moment, Marmoush might not be, and based on his form this season, he could be just as game-changing for the title-chasing side.

Therefore, while it could be challenging, the North Londoners must do all they can to try and bring the sensational forward to N5 this month.

Arsenal chasing dream Martinelli & Trossard upgrade all for just £46m

The exceptional talent would be an unreal signing for Arsenal.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Dec 31, 2024

Arsenal thought they were back in the groove. The Gunners had dispatched the likes of West Ham, Sporting and Manchester United since the last international break of the year but fell short when they travelled to Fulham.

We know the Premier League isn’t easy. The way Mikel Arteta’s men have relentlessly attempted to chase down Manchester City is a testament to that.

Well, they are ahead of City this time around but the trouble is, Arsenal still only sit in third place.

Chelsea leapfrogged them courtesy of a remarkable 4-2 win over Spurs and even though Liverpool didn’t play due to adverse weather conditions, the gap between them and Arteta’s side is still six points.

So, where’s it all gone wrong so far this season? Well, three red cards certainly haven’t helped. Neither did skipper Martin Odegaard’s 12-game absence due to an ankle injury.

The bottom line, however, is that Arsenal simply haven’t been good enough for long periods of time. A lot of that can be owed to an underperforming attack.

Arsenal's underperforming attackers

Let’s get this out of the way first. When at their best, Arteta’s forward line is one of the very best in Europe. Bukayo Saka – the division’s top assister – has proven he is now one of the finest wingers on the continent and coupled with Odegaard, Arsenal have created perhaps their most dynamic duo since the days of Thierry Henry and Robert Pires.

Alas, it is the players on the opposite flank who have often let the club down in crucial moments this season.

Leandro Trossard may have found a degree of form in recent weeks, scoring against Sporting and West Ham nine days ago. Yet, there was that foolish red card at the Etihad and it was his misplaced pass that ultimately led to William Saliba’s sending off against Bournemouth.

The Belgian may have finished as the club’s second-top scorer last term on 17 goals but he simply hasn’t been at the races this term, registering just four goals in 20 games.

Gabriel Martinelli has not fared much better and his piece of play deep in the game at Craven Cottage as Arsenal drew 1-1 typified his season.

The Brazilian did incredibly well to cut inside and curl a tantalising ball to the back post where Saka headed home. It looked like Arsenal had a late winner. But wait…what’s this? It’s the dreaded VAR.

It was a “criminal” mistake in the words of Paul Merson, as Martinelli strayed offside and ruined Arsenal’s chances of narrowing the gap at the top to four points.

That being said, some of the blame should lie at the feet of another Brazilian; Gabriel Jesus.

Why it's time for Gabriel Jesus to go

Over the summer, the club finally decided to part ways with Eddie Nketiah. He had become the third choice option behind Jesus and surprisingly, Kai Havertz.

It was predominantly the German’s form as a centre-forward that provoked that sale and since then he scored four goals in his first seven league matches of 2024/25.

While the goals haven’t been quite as forthcoming in the Premier League since, he still brings a great deal to the attack with his pressing and hold up play.

Unfortunately, like Nketiah, Jesus does not offer much at all. He has scored just one league goal in 2024 to date and ruined his chance to rescue things for Arteta on Sunday afternoon.

Truth be told, it was a rough old day for Havertz who didn’t have a single shot on target in the clash. Change was needed and the more dynamic and tricky Jesus was a wise option to call upon.

His cameo was rather dire, though. The former Man City striker registered a truly awful pass success rate of 17% after he left the field and also messed up a goalscoring opportunity in bizarre fashion.

Minutes played

17

Touches

8

Accurate passes

1/6 (17%)

Shots

0

Dribbles

0

Key passes

0

Crosses

0

Duels won

1/1

Possession lost

5x

Tackles

1

The ball was lifted over the Fulham defence by Declan Rice and the 27-year-old had an ideal opportunity to tuck the ball away when one-on-one with Bernd Leno. Except Jesus didn’t actually make contact with the ball. He paused, seemingly unsure as to whether the ball would come to him and rather than being gifted with a simple chance it fell straight into Leno’s arms.

That lack of confidence, that lack of conviction typified his sorry calendar year. Perhaps rather harshly, Arsenal reporter Connor Humm noted that the £45m signing “doesn’t look like he could score in League 2.” It does feel like that at times, it must be said.

Gabriel Jesus (centre) could have won the game for Arsenal

Truth be told, Jesus’ decline has been particularly sad. Yes, the Brazil international has struggled with injuries over the last 18 months or so but let us remember the immediate impact he made at the Emirates.

After signing from title rivals City in the summer of 2022, he scored five goals in his first eight league outings. That form has never been replicated since.

Unfortunately, it feels as though this could be the beginning of the end of Jesus’ time in an Arsenal shirt. They will undoubtedly recruit a new forward in 2025 and as a result, someone will have to be shipped on. He is now a prime candidate.

5/10 Arsenal star just had his worst game all season

Arsenal were held by Fulham at Craven Cottage on Sunday afternoon.

ByMatt Dawson Dec 8, 2024

Who's hot, who's not? INDIVISA ranks all 14 teams across the National Women's Soccer League

The Orlando Pride picked right back up where they ended last season, exploding over Chicago Stars FC for a 6-0 win at Inter&Co Stadium over the weekend. Apart from the Pride, the Washington Spirit and the Kansas City Current were the only two other teams to walk away with wins after Week 1.

The other four games across rest of the league games ended in 1-1 draws.

So, who's leading the pack, and who's falling short of expectations? INDIVISA presents the first 2025 NWSL Power Rankings.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  14Chicago Stars FC

  Chicago Stars FC had a tough go in Week 1, yielding six goals to the Orlando Pride. Despite trying to hold on, and Sam Staab making her way back onto the pitch after a long absence, the team struggled on all sides of the ball. The question still remains if Mallory Swanson will be back, but from the look of this first week, they could use someone to create up top.

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  13Portland Thorns

  The Portland thorns had a challenging first test, facing the Kansas City Current in Week 1. Despite leaning into many new faces and young talents, the Thorns fell 3-1 to a dominant Current side. The Thorns will have to find a leadership solution after big-name retirements and Sophia Wilson announcing her pregnancy earlier this month.

• Getty Images
  

  12Houston Dash

  The Houston Dash came back against the Spirit, in a pretty even match, to at least get a goal. Despite falling in Week 1, they still put on a promising performance especially with the new faces in the lineup – Yazmeen Ryan and Messiah Bright. Maggie Graham scored the lone goal for the Dash in the 75th minute. Perhaps with a little more time, the Dash will continue to sync and find their rhythm this season.

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  11Utah Royals

  The Utah Royals are hoping to turn things around this season after falling to the bottom of the table last year. While strong through the midfield, especially by way of Ally Sentnor, the Royals seem to be struggling once again with attacking opportunities and cohesion defensively. Perhaps when they travel to San Diego next week it'll be a different story.

Manchester United have submitted a new offer worth more than £55 million to sign “one of the best” defenders for Ruben Amorim, according to a recent report.

The Red Devils are just a few days away from getting the Amorim era underway, but since his appointment was made official a couple of weeks ago, it seems behind-the-scenes work was getting underway ahead of the January transfer window.

Amorim pushing Man Utd to sign £58m Spurs star with agents expecting offer

He’s made 98 appearances under the Red Devils boss.

ByBrett Worthington Nov 21, 2024 Man Utd transfer news

United are heading into the January window under a strict budget, as finances appear tight due to their heavy spending during the summer. Therefore, it is unclear what the Premier League side will be able to do once the window opens in the New Year.

If money is available for Amorim, it could be a busy month, as United have been linked with several players in recent weeks. The Red Devils remain interested in signing Jarrad Branthwaite from Everton. United chased the centre-back during the summer, seeing several bids rejected, and despite the change of manager, he remains a top target for the Premier League side.

As well as Branthwaite, United are also interested in a deal for Tottenham Hotspur’s Pedro Porro. The right-back is known to Amorim, as the pair worked together at Sporting Lisbon, and now the Portuguese is said to be pushing United to bring him to Old Trafford. However, Porro is not the only right-back/wing-back the club are looking at, as they have now made a bid for another player who is performing well in that position.

Man Utd submit £55m+ offer to sign new wing-back for Amorim

According to El Nacional, relayed by TEAMtalk, Manchester United have made an improved offer to sign Jules Kounde from Barcelona after failing with a bid in the summer. The France international has been with the Spanish giants since July 2022 and has been a regular for both club and country since then.

Kounde, who was called “one of the best defenders in the world” by Xavi, has started 15 of the 17 games he has played for Barcelona so far this season. The 26-year-old has a great ability to get up and down the right-hand side and do his job both defensively and attacking, as shown by him scoring one goal and collecting four assists in all competitions so far this season.

Kounde has impressed that much; he is now on the radar of United. This report states that the Red Devils are keen to sign a new right-sided defender, as Amorim sees Kounde, who United were linked with during the summer, as an ideal option to play as a right wing-back. United have now made an improved offer for the defender worth €68 million (£56.7m) in the hope it will be accepted by Barcelona.

Apps

13

Starts

11

Minutes per game

78

Goals

1

Assists

1

Big chances created

2

Clean sheets

3

Interceptions per game

0.4

Tackles per game

2.0

Dribbled past per game

0.6

Clearances per game

1.8

However, the Spanish side have knocked back this offer from Amorim’s side, as Kounde is considered a “fundamental pillar” in Hansi Flick’s squad. Barcelona have reportedly told United and Amorim that the only way they get Kounde to Old Trafford is by paying his full release clause, which stands at €1 billion.

An INEOS official has reportedly been branded a "spy" for Sir Jim Ratcliffe amid ongoing cost-cutting measures from the Manchester United ownership.

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Ratcliffe set to cull 200 club employees in AprilMan Utd staff believe Ratcliff has planted a spyHas been frequently spotted with the top bosses Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

This latest development comes as INEOS continues to implement major restructuring plans. The latest round of job cuts will see around 200 employees made redundant, with affected staff expected to learn their fate in April. This follows a previous set of layoffs last year, where 250 positions were eliminated. According to reports from certain staff members have started to perceive a certain individual as an observer on behalf of Ratcliffe and his leadership team, prompting them to be more cautious about their discussions in his company.

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The official in question has been identified as Josh Thompson, who has been described as INEOS’ “eyes and ears” within Manchester United as revealed by Thompson serves as a junior aide to Ratcliffe and effectively acts as the personal assistant to Sir Dave Brailsford, INEOS’ Director of Sport. He is the son of David Thompson, CEO of INEOS Olefins and Polymers Asia. Some within the club have reportedly accused him of benefiting from nepotism, labelling him a "nepo baby" due to his familial connections.

DID YOU KNOW?

Since joining INEOS Sport as a project manager in 2022, Thompson has been seen at several Manchester United matches, often appearing alongside high-ranking club officials, including Ratcliffe and Brailsford. He was also present during Ruben Amorim’s official introduction after the Portuguese coach was appointed in November. Nonetheless, while some members of the club have been sceptical about Thompson’s role, others have reportedly found him "nice guy" and "personable".

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR MANCHESTER UNITED?

Brailsford had temporarily relocated from Monaco to be more involved in the club’s affairs, particularly overseeing the £50 million redevelopment of Carrington. His frequent presence at the training ground has reportedly unsettled some employees, especially as INEOS continues its restructuring efforts. With uncertainty lingering over job security and operational changes, staff morale remains fragile.

Birmingham City have been blessed with a number of top talents coming through their academy over recent years, away from the star-studded quality at Chris Davies’ disposal currently in League One.

Jordan James was the latest breakout star from the Blues youth structure when he departed for Rennes this summer, costing the Ligue 1 club a sizeable £4m to pick up, after he had exploded into life for his boyhood club from the middle of the park.

Of course, there is a more notable midfield ace who used to call Birmingham his home as a starlet learning the ropes before a major move took place, in the form of Real Madrid superstar Jude Bellingham.

Bellingham's time with Birmingham

Before all of that occurred for the former Blues youngster, Bellingham was the cream of the crop for the EFL club when it came to top homegrown prodigies rising up the ranks, with the then-teenager making his Birmingham debut back in 2019 at just 16 years of age.

The rest is obviously now history, with Bellingham going on to tally up four goals and two assists from 44 first-team appearances at St. Andrew’s, before leaving his boyhood side behind for Borussia Dortmund only a season into his men’s team development.

At least Birmingham managed to salvage back some pretty pennies from Bellingham’s sad departure though, which even saw the club retire his number 22 jersey, with Dortmund paying up a hefty fee around the £25m ballpark.

Now, the 21-year-old has reached unbelievable heights at the Santiago Bernabeu to fully justify Birmingham’s decision to set aside his number 22 strip, with a sublime 23 goals and 16 assists next to his name now from 52 clashes in Spain.

He would also become a national treasure this summer at the Euros for England by scoring this dramatic overhead kick, further cementing himself as a world-beater away from being adored in Madrid and the West Midlands.

Birmingham haven’t always been so fortunate in raking in lots of money off the back of selling some of their top academy products, however, with this low sale in 2013 no doubt irking those looking back.

Nathan Redmond's time at Birmingham

Nathan Redmond was arguably the original Bellingham before the teenager left his mark on proceedings at St. Andrew’s, having also been launched into the first team set-up from a young age.

He too made his debut in the men’s fold at the tender age of 16 in 2010, before going on to become a regular under the likes of Lee Clark in the Birmingham dug-out.

Top five youngest players in Birmingham’s history
Player	Age when making debut
1. Jude Bellingham	16 years, 1 month + 8 days
2. Jobe Bellingham	16 years, 3 months + 16 days
3. Nathan Redmond	16 years, 5 months + 20 days
4. Jordan Mutch	16 years, 8 months + 24 days
5. Romolle Donovan	16 years, 10 months + 25 days
Sourced by Transfermarkt

In illustrious company in the table above with the well-known Bellingham brothers, Redmond would go on to make far more appearances at St. Andrew’s than the now La Liga star managed, with an impressive nine goals and 11 assists notched up from 82 overall games.

You would think that would result in a club having to break the bank to land Redmond’s services, therefore, but in the wake of Birmingham’s disappointing 12th placed finish in the Championship during the 2012/13 campaign, top-flight Norwich City swooped in to land him for a cut price.

The Canaries would land the pacey winger from Clark and co for only £3m, with the Birmingham-born attacker going to become a Premier League regular for both Norwich and then Southampton for many seasons, amassing 276 Premier League appearances mainly donning a Saints strip.

The Blues must wish now that they had driven a harder bargain, but will strive to find their next Bellingham and Redmond in the here and now, with St Andrew’s obviously fertile ground for youngsters to prosper from.

Clotet struck gold selling Birmingham star who's now worth millions less

Birmingham City raked in the cash with this substantial sale.

By
Kelan Sarson

Oct 24, 2024

Glasgow Rangers decided to lower the average age of their playing squad over the summer transfer window by making moves in and out of Ibrox.

The Light Blues immediately cut a host of experienced stars at the end of the 2023/24 campaign, as Jon McLaughlin, John Lundstram, Borna Barisic, Ryan Jack, and Kemar Roofe were allowed to depart at the end of their respective contracts.

Philippe Clement and head of recruitment Nils Koppen also allowed the likes of Connor Goldson, Todd Cantwell, Scott Wright, and Ben Davies to move on from Glasgow, albeit Davies has only left on loan to join Birmingham City for the season.

Those exits allowed the Gers to dip into the market to sign the likes of Nedim Bajrami, Hamza Igamane, Connor Barron, Jefte, and Oscar Cortes, among others.

The average age of the squad in the 2023/24 campaign was 26.2 and the work done over the course of the summer transfer window has lowered it by almost an entire year to 25.3 this term.

Their work may not be done yet, though, as the Scottish giants have been urged to part ways with another player in the January window – Rabbi Matondo.

Rangers told they should have sold Rabbi Matondo

Speaking to IbroxNews, Derek Ferguson has claimed that the Light Blues should have cashed in on the Wales international ahead of the 2024/25 season.

The former Gers man believes that the winger, who is one of the higher earners in the squad, should have been moved on from Ibrox as part of the summer exodus at Ibrox.

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He told IbroxNews: “Ah! Matondo, he’s one of the highest paid players. He gave one of his best performances against a team that’d been beat by one of the lower-league teams, thats Spartans beating Ross County, then he had a good game against them at Hampden.

“That, plus the other moment that he’s given us was the goal against Celtic. No, Matondo should have been out the door.”

Interestingly, Rangers did have an opportunity to part ways with the former Manchester City man during the last transfer window, as Championship side Norwich City came in for him.

It was reported that the Canaries attempted to sign the forward on loan from the Scottish giants towards the end of the window, and that they saw their enquiry knocked back by the Gers.

Whilst it would only have been a temporary deal to send him to Carrow Road, that move would have given him a chance to go and play regular football.

That could, then, have attracted interest from other clubs to facilitate a permanent exit from Ibrox, either in January or next summer, whether that would have been to Norwich or another team.

Rangers must now rectify their mistake in the summer by finally ditching him in the next transfer window, as he currently earns even more than Tom Lawrence – who has enjoyed a strong start to the season.

Tom Lawrence's form this season

Another Wales international, the former Derby County playmaker has emerged as a key performer for Clement in the number ten role so far this term.

=He has showcased his quality in the Europa League and the Scottish Premiership and has made it clear that he is ready to fight for his future at Ibrox, with his contract due to expire at the end of the season.

Lawrence recently scored in the 4-1 defeat to Lyon in the Europa League and created one ‘big chance’ for his teammates before being withdrawn with an injury at half-time.

As you can see in the clip above, his razor-sharp reactions allowed him to find the back of the net to draw his side level in the game at the time.

The 30-year-old dynamo, who turns 31 in January, has also caught the eye with his impressive displays in the top-flight so far this term for Rangers.

24/25 Premiership	Tom Lawrence
Appearances	6
Starts	5
Goals	3
Big chances created	3
Assists	1
Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the former Championship star has produced six goals and ‘big chances’ created combined in five appearances in the division.

His teammates have let him down at times with their wasteful finishing as they have only scored once from the three ‘big chances’ that he has provided.

Lawrence appears to be on his way to earning an extension on his current £22k-per-week contract, which expires next summer, as he is consistently proving his usefulness to Clement and Rangers with his strong performances in the Premiership and the Europa League.

Why Rangers should ditch Rabbi Matondo

Matondo, meanwhile, is reportedly on £23k-per-week and the Gers must take Ferguson’s advice and move him out of the door in the January window.

As the ex-Rangers man stated, the winger enjoyed one good game against a struggling Ross County – providing two goals and two assists – but has struggled aside from that.

The Light Blues forward has not been able to enjoy a consistent run of form throughout his career at Ibrox so far, as he has endured a string of injury issues. He has missed at least 17 games, including the current campaign, in all three of his seasons in Glasgow.

Matondo has already missed 17 matches in all competitions with a hamstring injury this term and is not expected to return to action until December, after he was absent for 19 games for club and country in the 2023/24 campaign.

Last season, the 24-year-old attacker only made 19 appearances in the Premiership for the Light Blues, which shows that he was only available for half of the league season – due to injuries.

23/24 Premiership	Rabbi Matondo
Appearances	19
Goals	5
Assists	3
Key passes per game	0.6
Duel success rate	46%
Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, he did contribute with eight direct goal involvements in that time, which is a respectable return from 19 games.

However, Matondo has become a liability at Ibrox because Clement cannot rely on him to perform week-in-week-out, or to be fit for a consistent period of time during a season – as illustrated by his current injury absence.

Therefore, the Belgian boss must now brutally ditch the winger from the club in the January transfer window, if they can take advantage of potential interest from south of the border from the summer.

Rangers could make Cerny unplayable by starting Ibrox ace in new role

The Light Blues could experiment by unleashing the “outstanding” ace in a different position.

By
Dan Emery

Oct 15, 2024

Stephen Baard described Namibia’s final game against India on Monday as “the big one”

Matt Roller05-Nov-2021Namibia will relish the chance to “play with freedom” in the final game of their maiden men’s T20 World Cup campaign against India on Monday according to opening batter Stephan Baard, in the knowledge that their progress to the Super 12s has ensured them a berth in next year’s tournament in Australia.Victories over Netherlands and Ireland in the initial group phase sealed a spot in both the Super 12s and the 2022 T20 World Cup for Namibia, and while they have been heavily beaten in their three second-round fixtures against full-member nations following a tight victory over Scotland, Baard said that they had made the most of the chance to play against the world’s best players.Watch cricket live on ESPN+

Sign up for ESPN+ and catch all the action from the Men’s T20 World Cup live in the USA. Match highlights of Namibia vs New Zealand is available in English, and in Hindi (USA only).

“It gives us the opportunity to express ourselves a little bit more,” Baard, the opening batter, said of playing against Afghanistan, Pakistan, New Zealand and India. “We’re used to playing in qualifiers where every game is almost a do or die type game. Here, the intensity is so much different to what we’re used to and the discipline is so much better than what we’re used to but it’s a great learning experience.”It is tough, I’ll be honest about that. It is tough to learn in a short space of time in between games when you only have two or three days in between. To execute your plans and talk about different approaches to different players at this level, it can be quite tough, but it’s a great experience and it’s great to be part of it. Going forward, I know we’re going to the World Cup next year as well, so it’s something that we need to work on for the next 12 months.”Baard described Namibia’s fixture against India on Monday – in a game that could see their opponents needing a huge win in order to take their net run-rate above Afghanistan’s to ensure semi-final qualification – as “the big one”, and said that it would be the final stage in a “surreal” month for the squad.”It gives us the chance to play with freedom,” he said. “That’s the big one. It’s a big group and every game is a big game, but to finish off with the India team? It’s something to look forward to. It’s something that a couple of months ago, you didn’t even think about, so yeah – we’re looking forward to that one.”It’s been absolutely massive. We’ve enjoyed every single minute of it. We want to compete, we’re here to compete, but in the same sense, we want to learn as much as possible. We want to see what these guys do on and off the field and up until this point, it’s been surreal.”Baard said that New Zealand’s late charge when batting first – which saw Jimmy Neesham and Glenn Phillips add 67 runs in the final four overs to take the game away from Namibia – provided them with opportunities to learn how to improve at the death with both bat and ball.”On the bowling front, it will definitely be about executing certain plans, especially on a field where the one side is a lot bigger than the other,” he said. “The big part from the batting side will just be to see how they execute at the back end. That’s one of the things I spoke about along with their batters next to the field – how they change it up in the last four or five overs and where their options would be.”