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15Dec

Aston Villa in contact to sign "magnificent" ace who dominated England U21s

Already thinking ahead about potential summer reinforcements, Aston Villa have now reportedly made contact over a deal to sign a £25m sensation who recently dominated England’s U21 side.

Aston Villa join race to sign France U21 star

Whilst it has seemed as though they’ve endured a season full of inconsistency at times, Aston Villa find themselves in an FA Cup semi-final, a Champions League quarter-final and in with every chance of qualifying for Europe’s top competition for a second season running in the Premier League. And that qualification would undoubtedly play a large part in their pursuit of summer targets.

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On that front, a number of potential reinforcements have already emerged, including the likes of Arda Guler. The Real Madrid youngster has struggled for game time in Spain in the face of such talented competition and has now reportedly attracted the attention of Villa sporting director Monchi.

The Turkish international would certainly be quite the coup. Although he has struggled to steal the headlines at Madrid, Guler could become an instant star in the Midlands just as Marco Asensio and Marcus Rashford have fresh from their own struggles.

He’s not the only young star that the Villans have set their sights on, however. According to The Boot Room, Aston Villa have now made contact to sign Rayan Cherki, asking Lyon to be kept informed about the winger’s transfer status in the coming months.

Available for just £25m this summer, Cherki is likely to be one of the bargains of the window and has already attracted a list of interested parties as a result. Joining Villa in the race for his signature is reportedly Manchester United, Liverpool, Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur in what should prove to be a hectic battle to welcome one of Europe’s rising stars when the summer arrives.

"Magnificent" Cherki is a rising star

The interest in Cherki from the Premier League should come as little surprise after he put on the show of all shows against England U21s during the international break, scoring once and assisting twice in a 5-3 victory for France. It was an evening stroll for a player whose quality belongs and is destined for the highest level.

It’s not the first time that the 21-year-old has impressed this season either, having scored eight goals and assisted an eye-watering 18 in all competitions for Lyon to earn the praise of Jacek Kulig. The scout/analyst described Cherki’s campaign as “magnificent” at the beginning of March and has seen him get better and better ever since.

As the race for his signature heats up, Cherki looks destined to have a decision to make which could yet end in a summer switch to Villa Park.

15Dec

The uncomplicated joy of a Babar Azam century

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

His century, after 83 innings and 807 days, shows why Pakistan cricket refuses to move on from him

Danyal Rasool15-Nov-2025Above all, it was the authenticity. At a moment when all around him struggled to capture the moment, Babar Azam simply wanted to live it. Waqar Younis, on commentary, tried to come up with something lyrical to say. Ultimately, he only managed “here we go” as Pramod Madushan ran in, and then “there we go”, when Babar pulled him in front of square to bring up his 20th hundred. ESPNcricinfo’s own ball-by-ball strained for effect as it tried to sum up the magnitude of the event. Fans at the ground, and at home on TV, and on social media, had their phones out, looking for the shot that would surely go viral.The man himself cantered to the other end, his beaming smile shining through his helmet. When he removed it, there was no exaggerated celebration for the cameras, no feigned nonchalance. It was a relieved smile when the helmet came off. He glanced to the skies, he looked down at the floor, and then, he fell to his knees, his face out of the shot. At that moment, he was falling in love with cricket once more.Tellingly he had not, until now, raised his bat to acknowledge the crowd. The sport that has bestowed him with a level of individual fame and popularity perhaps not seen for a cricketer in this country since the days of Imran Khan has, of late, also felt like the chain that shackled him. For now, however, the moment was about him, as well as the uncomplicated joy of batting – a joy that first got him into this position of sport as a vocation, long before everything else about it became so very complicated.Related

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It was also just a reminder of how genuine Babar can be, in an age where sportspeople have even the semblance of a personality media-trained out of them. Babar had no contrived soundbites at the post-match presentations, and then the press conference, which stars tend to reserve for their comebacks. In fact, there really wasn’t anything beyond the banal at all.He was at the business end of criticism for similar banality during his stint as captain so often. On Pakistan’s bad days, he didn’t have much to say, and on the good ones, there wasn’t much to say at all. He hasn’t done much press in the years since, but as he stood in front of the mic after his century, the years appeared to melt away: he thanked God, he was happy to be back among the runs, and he was grateful to his supporters. He ignored his critics, and he wanted to win matches for his team. What more was there to say?The relief is palpable on his face after Babar Azam completes his century after a long wait•AFP/Getty ImagesPerhaps nothing to say for Babar, but his fans and detractors alike haven’t exactly kept silent. We are all now beholden to a social media algorithm, and there is no name in Pakistan cricket that whirs it into gear as much as Babar’s. Whether he is captain or not. Whether he scores runs or not. Whether he’s even playing or not. After all, this is a man who – in a surreal period around late summer 2024 – saw the positioning of the big toe on his left foot become a focus of almost comical scrutiny as a potential explanation for his loss of form.Over the best part of the last three years, when all Babar may have wanted was just a little bit of space – to go away and be forgotten about for a little while – the asphyxiating attention only squeezed tighter. Fans and media alike kept him on display like an exotic animal at a tawdry petting zoo. Those who once prematurely anointed him as “King Babar” had, by now, turned it into something of a meme.But for all the toxicity in Pakistan cricket and the ferocity of its critics, legitimate and otherwise, they never stood a chance against his tsunami of supporters. At the depths of his nadir, stadiums across Pakistan – and indeed wherever its diaspora exists – would pack themselves to watch him bat, however fleeting his innings might be. In the Cape Town Test earlier this year, after he scored 81 and came to do press, the Pakistan team bus’s departure was delayed because Babar’s supporters tried to mob him, hoping for an autograph, a selfie, or indeed just a couple of words. Similar scenes have played out in Melbourne, London, and even New York.

Perhaps disconcertingly for the rest of the team, the fall of Pakistan’s first wicket has begun to be cheered loudly, simply because it brings Babar to the crease. The streaming out of supporters from stadiums whenever he gets out is a throwback to the days of Shahid Afridi, when one man’s performance was often the spectacle within the spectacle.

Perhaps disconcertingly for the rest of the team, the fall of Pakistan’s first wicket has begun to be cheered loudly, simply because it brings Babar to the crease. The streaming out of supporters from stadiums whenever he gets out is a throwback to the days of Shahid Afridi, when one man’s performance was often the spectacle within the spectacle.It was no different on Friday, with Rawalpindi Stadium never fuller than in the chilly evening when Saim Ayub fell in the tenth over. Babar’s knock began like any other innings – with a few solid shots, a brief scare here and there. It may have ended with a whimper very early on, as plenty of his 83 century-less knocks have over the past couple of years. Like when, after scratching five runs off his first 14 balls, he mistimed the 15th one almost straight back to Madushan. Or when he played a pull off a long hop and found short midwicket, who couldn’t quite cling on.It would also be a superb feat of narrative chicanery to suggest anything was written in the stars. The last two years have been littered by “predictions” from fans who are certain the next innings is the one Babar finally breaks his drought in, when every cover drive and every time he ticks up beyond 20 is a harbinger of something special. But things began to get serious when, instead of those prophecies, a tense silence emerged. On this site’s ball-by-ball commentaries, any references what he was approaching were angrily hushed by his supporters, afraid the mere mention of it would render it a mirage.Babar Azam was with Mohammad Rizwan when he broke his drought•AFP/Getty ImagesBut as the temperatures dipped into single digits and the spectators huddled together, for comfort as much as for warmth, Babar showed no signs of the mental or technical fragilities that have tripped him up so often in the recent past.If he needed further reassurance of the good old times, of course it was his mate Mohammad Rizwan at the other end: soon, the two were guiding Pakistan in a chase together, just as they used to do. It was Rizwan who took care of the asking rate, knocking off the runs and taking the pressure off his long-time T20 opening partner.In the press conference, when asked what he thought when the critics had piled on, he simply said, “I ignored them.” The arc of the rest of his innings itself might have demanded a scare here, a chance there; in truth, Babar similarly gave it nothing. His knock was becoming a routine march to three figures, and as he began to approach it, the tension seemed to ease instead of mount. He had, after all, been here before. More often, in fact than any Pakistan batter in the history of ODI cricket.The 90s were when he looked at his most comfortable, reserving the shot of the innings to take him to 97: a glorious drive past mid-off, in all its vintage Babar splendour. Often criticised for slowing down ahead of a personal milestone, he took just nine balls to get from 90 to his hundred – a milestone he seemed to greet like an old friend, rather than one he has been a stranger to for the better part of three years.As he brought up his century, his old friend Rizwan raised his arms aloft in delight, as if he’d been the one to just get to a milestone. In the years in between, these men have been appointed captain and then dumped at different times, somewhat unceremoniously in both cases. Bonds are never more brittle than they are with Pakistan’s cricketing stars locked in a power struggle, but Babar and Rizwan are too experienced to let those trivialities get in the way of a moment like that.Once he’d picked himself up off his knees, Babar raised his bat and gloves to the shivering huddle still within the cosy little ground as midnight approached. And then, he embraced Rizwan, the man he’d have wanted by his side for such a moment when, or in the darker moments as he might have wondered, if, it arrived. A journalist later on found himself in tears when he asked Babar about his return to form, with nearly the entire press pack – his fiercest critics among them – mobbing him for a group photograph after it was all done.No matter how hard the critics, or at times even those within the PCB, might try and move on, Pindi last night proved that there is still, in Pakistan cricket, nothing quite like Babar Azam. And when, in times when there is little uncomplicated joy to be found in Pakistan, he can deliver it like he did last night, you can begin to see why his supporters – and the man himself – refuse to move on and go away.

15Dec

Pradosh Ranjan Paul – the next big batter from Tamil Nadu?

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

After scoring a hundred for India A in South Africa, he’s gearing up to impress against England Lions and in the Ranji Trophy

Deivarayan Muthu11-Jan-2024He was tipped to be the next big batter from Tamil Nadu, even before B Sai Sudharsan emerged on the scene. After scoring hundreds for a giggle in age-group cricket, he made a serene half-century on Ranji Trophy debut against Delhi in Chennai in 2019. But then Covid-19 hit and put his career on pause.Four years on, Pradosh Ranjan Paul’s career is in fast-forward. After his first full Ranji Trophy season in 2022-23, where he was Tamil Nadu’s highest run-getter with 631 runs in nine innings at an average just under 55, he broke into the India A sides in first-class and List A cricket. On India A debut in Potchefstroom, the 23-year-old scored 163 off 209 balls against a South Africa A attack that included Dolphins swing bowler Eathan Bosch and Lions allrounder Evan Jones.Paul had a skittish start with Siya Plaatjie hitting the outside edge near shoulder of the bat, but he responded with crisp back-foot punches and drives. He is particularly strong at driving and flicking on the front foot, but on a bouncy Senwes Park pitch, he adapted to the conditions and scored on the back foot. Even during the 50-over Vijay Hazare Trophy, which preceded India A’s tour of South Africa, Paul had trained with the red ball to fine-tune his back-foot game.Related

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“I knew that there would be lots of bounce on the South Africa wickets compared to Indian pitches,” Paul told ESPNcricinfo. “I was prepared and understood that there would be scoring options on the back foot – and not much on the front foot.”I actually feel preparing with the red ball also helps my white-ball game. It was more or less the mindset shift for playing in South Africa. It’s about choosing what shots you want to play and what not to play.”The left-handed Paul lined up Bryce Parson’s left-arm fingerspin, jumping out of his crease and sweeping him flat and hard over the leg side. Paul’s century gave India A the first-innings advantage after South Africa A had scored 319. During the tour, Paul also realised his dream of taking a picture with his idol Virat Kohli, who was with the senior team in South Africa.”From my childhood, he [Kohli] has been my inspiration and I was lucky enough to talk to him and get some ideas from him,” Paul said. “It was the first time I clicked a picture with him. I’ve always dreamt about it. I’ve had opportunities during NCA camps in Bangalore, but in my mind, I was always adamant that the first time I click a picture with him will be when I become his team-mate. So, it was emotional when I clicked that picture and spent time with him.”

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15Dec

With Galle pitch as his ally, diffident-no-more Permaul stomps all over Sri Lanka

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

The left-arm spinner mainly bowled the one that spun and the one that didn’t, the latter with a little underspin. In Galle, that’s often enough

Andrew Fidel Fernando30-Nov-2021Bowling his eighth delivery of the second day, Veerasammy Permaul comes around the wicket to the right-handed Pathum Nissanka. Oshada Fernando had been out just before, but Nissanka is set, on 73, and Sri Lanka have plenty of batting to come. It could be a slow morning. It could be a slow Tuesday.Permaul’s first over of the day, bowled exclusively to Angelo Mathews, had largely been populated by darters – balls that kept Mathews pinned to the crease, but were unlikely to bring a dismissal. Maybe Permaul was nervous. This was his first Test in more than six years, and on day one, Nissanka had hit him for six early in his five-over spell. This is Galle, on whose bone-dry dust spinners are expected to be magic. But in his first foray to the bowling crease, Permaul had barely created a chance.Related

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But this ball, delivered with a little underspin, misses the seam as it pitches, and shimmies into Nissanka’s front pad – the batter having expected the ball to turn. And wow! It’s plumb. Nissanka doesn’t bother with a review. Permaul hasn’t played Tests since going for runs against Australia in August 2015, so this is his first Test wicket in six years. But he doesn’t celebrate like a dam has burst.Something does give way, though. Sri Lanka had been 106 for 0, then 139 for 1. Nissanka played a chancy, but brave, innings for his 73. Now, there are two new men at the crease, on a track that is famously unkind to new batters. Perhaps it’s the confidence of that first wicket, but two balls later, Permaul slows one up outside off stump, gets it to bite, and draws a mistake – Dhananjaya de Silva following the ball with his hands, to give an edge to the wicketkeeper.Next over, suddenly, Permaul is floating everything up. He dares debutant Charith Asalanka to try something fancy, like the reverse sweep for four he had played to get his first Test runs. Asalanka refuses to be tempted, but on a Galle track such as this, you don’t always have to make a mistake against the spinners to be dismissed. Last ball of that over, Asalanka pushes out at one, and the surface does its thing. There’s a puff of dust as the ball pitches, and there is drastic turn. The inside edge hits the pad and pops up to short leg. In Permaul’s last match, in Kingston, way back, he’d conceded 207 runs and taken only two wickets. Here, he’s got three in the space of 11 balls.

Although this was Sri Lankan soil he was bowling on, not Guyanese, and the Indian Ocean glittered from the distance, not the Atlantic, if you’re a spinner, and you’re willing to be brave, playing at Galle can be a little like coming home

Now there’s some hollering. Some vigour in that celebration. He’s not a fringe player battling to justify selection and keep his place in the team. He’s a lead spinner turning a match, yanking his side into the series. At the other end, Jomel Warrican is ripping it up too – more body into his action than has been seen through much of the series.Late on day one, when Nissanka and Dimuth Karunaratne were putting on their 100-run stand, Sri Lanka seemed headed for another 300-plus total. Yet, midway through the first session on day two, West Indies’ spinners are making it seem like there are landmines just under the surface. Warrican gets a couple in quick succession – Dinesh Chandimal trapped in front with one that dips under the batter’s sweep, before a hard-spun full delivery takes Ramesh Mendis’ leading edge and floats out to cover.Where once Permaul ambled to the crease, he is stomping to his mark now. The batters are fearful of the surface, but Permaul is suddenly bowling so well, he doesn’t need the track’s help – he’s beating his opponents in the air. Suranga Lakmal is early through a hoick to the leg side, and the edge floats directly to point, the fielder not having to move, as if he and the ball were keeping an appointment. Lasith Embuldeniya tries to play Permaul to the off side, but is defeated completely in the flight. He’s bowled. Permaul has the first five-wicket haul of his career, and is jubilant. When Warrican wraps up the innings with a superbly flighting, dipping, turning ball that tickles the top of Mathews’ stumps, the broadcast cameras sprint on the field and veer off towards deep midwicket; that’s where Permaul is.There was nothing extraordinary in Permaul’s bowling on Tuesday. He used largely two variations – the one that spun, and the one that didn’t, the latter delivered with a little underspin. But when Galle’s surface gave him something, he shot up by two feet, and as much as such a thing is possible for a slow left armer, grew a barrel chest.Over the past six years, in which he only had sporadic opportunities in the white-ball teams, Permaul must have had his share of frustrations. But although this was Sri Lankan soil he was bowling on, not Guyanese, and the Indian Ocean glittered from the distance, not the Atlantic, if you’re a spinner, and you’re willing to be brave, playing at Galle can be a little like coming home.

15Dec

Can Surrey make it four in a row (or can anyone stop them)?

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Get ready for the start of the Rothesay County Championship with our Division One preview

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Apr-2025.

Durham

Last season: 5th in Division One
Director of cricket: Marcus North
Head coach: Ryan Campbell
Captain: Alex Lees
Overseas: David Bedingham, Brendan Doggett (April-May)
Ins: Emilio Gay (Northants), Will Rhodes (Warwickshire), Sam Conners (Derbyshire)
Outs: Michael Jones (Lancashire), Jonathan Bushnell, Brandon Glover, Oliver Gibson (all released)Durham were viewed in some quarters as dark horses for the title on their return to Division One. Such predictions took a dent when their first outing, following a washout in the opening round, saw Warwickshire pile up 698 for 3 declared. Scott Boland, the club’s marquee overseas signing, was ruled out after one appearance, while Matt Potts, Ben Raine and Brydon Carse couldn’t get a peep out of the Kookaburra on the way to combined figures of 0 for 334.
The team’s character shone through in battling their way to a draw (Potts scoring 149 not out as nightwatcher), and although they never quite managed a sustained run of form, losing as many games as they won, a fifth-place finish showed that Ryan Campbell’s Bazball-adjacent methods were comfortably at home in the top tier.Related

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Their durability was summed up by David Bedingham topping the Division One run-scoring with 1331 at 78.29, and Durham’s batting riches will present a conundrum for Campbell to solve this season, with Emilio Gay and Will Rhodes arriving to provide top-order competition. Scott Borthwick remains available for selection having moved into a player-coach role, while Ben McKinney is one of the most exciting young players around – and then there’s the potential that Ben Stokes, England’s Test captain, will want a game here or there, too, though Campbell is planning to be without.One to watch: The day after Daniel Hogg completed figures of 7 for 66 on first-class debut, the ‘s doyen of cricket coverage, Scyld Berry, tweeted that he would take “150 plus” Test wickets for England “if he stays fit”. Hogg, 20, is early in his journey, with six first-team appearances to his name, but looks to be the latest off the Durham fast-bowler production line. Alan GardnerBet365: 10/1David Bedingham was the leading run-scorer in Division One last year•Getty Images

Essex

Last season: 4th in Division One
Director of cricket: Chris Silverwood
Captain: Tom Westley
Overseas: Simon Harmer
Ins:

Outs: Ben Allison (Worcestershire), Feroze Khushi (released), Aaron Beard (retired)An air of optimism and renewal envelops Chelmsford at the start of what promises to be a hugely significant season. In 2017, Chris Silverwood delivered the club’s first Championship title in a quarter of a century, and now he is back as director of cricket. Just as he built the structure that has sustained their red-ball standards in the intervening eight years, the replenishment of those stocks is right at the top of the to-do list. In particular, a succession plan for their pre-eminent new-ball pairing of Jamie Porter and Sam Cook is a pre-requisite.To that end, the loss of allrounder Shardul Thakur to the IPL is a huge blow. It ought to have been a win-win, with Thakur using his Championship stint to vault himself back into the reckoning for India’s five-Test tour later this summer, but Essex’s loss has already been Lucknow Super Giants’ gain. Finding a replacement overseas quick will be vital, though no easy task in the current franchise market.They’ll be lacking their other overseas pro too, at least in the short term. Dean Elgar is due to return for a second season, having seamlessly filled the role of nuggety left-handed opener that was Alastair Cook’s for so many years, but for the time being he’s on indefinite paternity leave after the recent birth of his twins. Meanwhile Jordan Cox – so luckless this winter with a Test debut on the cards – needs a mountain of runs to force his way back into England’s plans. If his personal hunger translates to the squad as a whole, there’s exciting times ahead.One to watch: Essex’s reputation for homegrown players could be perpetuated if this is the season in which Jamal Richards breaks into the big time. Aged 21, he’s an alumnus of Graham Gooch’s old school in Waltham Forest, and his pace was amply displayed on his first-class debut in 2023, when he wrecked Ireland’s top-order en route to a first-innings five-for. He’s young and raw, but he’ll get his chances, and with Silverwood back in the building, rapid development is on the cards. Andrew MillerBet365: 13/2

Hampshire

Last season: 2nd in Division One
Director of cricket: Giles White
Head coach: Adi Birrell
Captain: Ben Brown
Overseas: Kyle Abbott, Brett Hampton (April-May), Dewald Brevis (May-July)
Ins: Sonny Baker (Somerset), Mark Stoneman (Middlesex)
Outs: James Vince (red-ball retirement), Mohammad Abbas (Nottinghamshire)James Vince’s relocation to Dubai leaves a sizeable hole in the batting for Hampshire, who also released seamer Mohammad Abbas after four seasons yielding 180 wickets at 19.07. Mark Stoneman’s arrival from Middlesex goes some way towards filling the Vince void, while Sonny Baker, from Somerset, joins the pace ranks led again by the formidable Kyle Abbott, in his ninth season with the club.In Abbott and Liam Dawson, Hampshire had the No. 2 and No. 3 wicket-takers in the competition last year, lending plenty of stability despite those big-name departures. Dawson can also provide valuable runs, having contributed 956 in 2024, just 30 runs shy of club leader Vince and with a better average of 59.75.It’s a new era off the field with Hampshire entering the Championship as the first overseas-owned club in English county cricket. If they can improve on their top-three finishes of the past three seasons and go one better than last year, it would be an instant return on the investment of India’s GMR Group.One to watch: Tom Prest has just turned 22 but with three centuries from his 10 appearances last season, he heralded himself as another batter capable of covering for Vince’s absence. The stage is now set for the former England Under-19 captain to grab his own piece of the spotlight. Valkerie BaynesBet365: 10/1Liam Dawson will again be a key cog for Hampshire•Getty Images

Nottinghamshire

Last season: 8th in Division One
Director of cricket: Mick Newell
Head coach: Peter Moores
Captain: Haseeb Hameed
Overseas: Kyle Verreynne, Fergus O’Neil (April), Mohammad Abbas (May & September)
Ins: Conor McKerr (Surrey)

Outs: Fateh Singh (Worcestershire), Luke Fletcher (released), Tom Loten, Toby Pettman (both retired)Last year’s dabble with relegation was inexplicable given the talent at Trent Bridge. The squad riches were typified by the fact many were in action over the winter. Even head coach Peter Moores dipped into the franchise circuit. But success closer to home will be scrutinised extra keenly, and it is reasonable to suggest that Moores’ job may depend on it.Red-ball silverware is a stretch, but there is no reason why Nottinghamshire cannot register a high finish. They boast a host of England cricketers, plenty of them in active service, many of whom reside in their bowling stocks.Olly Stone and Josh Tongue (who should finally make his Nottinghamshire debut) are on central contracts, while Dillon Pennington remains in the selectors’ thoughts after a winter with the Lions. The addition of Conor McKerr adds another tall, bouncy quick into the mix.Factor in Brett Hutton’s return to fitness after battling achilles trouble last summer, Lyndon James’ emergence and Mohammad Abbas for a couple of months, there is plenty of wiliness to supplement the speed. And with Haseeb Hameed and Joe Clarke set to build on their consistency with the bat, plus South Africa keeper-batter Kyle Verreynne on hand for the majority of the season – he averaged 248 from three appearances in 2024 – there is little reason why a top-half finish cannot be achieved.One to watch: It is probably cheating to put Farhan Ahmed in this category given he has already been seen. A debut first-class campaign might have only amounted to four games, but with 22 wickets at 23.22 – almost half of them against Surrey when, aged 16, he became the youngest to take 10 wickets in an English first-class match – everyone is on notice. The offspinner’s superstrength is his accuracy, a hell of a trait for someone so young. With left-arm twirler Liam Patterson-White and leggie Calvin Harrison also vying for playing time, his opportunities won’t be plentiful, but he’ll be sure to make them count. Vithushan EhantharajahBet365: 16/1

Somerset

Last season: 3rd in Division One
Director of cricket: Andy Hurry
Head coach: Jason Kerr
Captain: Lewis Gregory
Overseas: Matt Henry, Migael Pretorius, Riley Meredith
Ins:
Outs: Sonny Baker (Hampshire), Ned Leonard (Glamorgan), George Thomas (Sussex), Roelof van der Merwe (released)Three near-misses across formats in 2024 have Somerset battle-sharp and determined to avoid the late-season fade-out which cost them greatly in the Championship when Hampshire pipped them to second place in the final round, the week after a loss to Lancashire confirmed Surrey as winners.Matt Henry, the New Zealand seamer so pivotal to Somerset’s Vitality Blast success in 2023 and who took 32 wickets from six Championship games that season, is expected to arrive for his second stint at the club between rounds one and two despite missing the home series against Pakistan with shoulder and knee problems.Will Smeed offers a fascinating storyline with the bat after reversing his decision to play only white-ball cricket. A fractured foot suffered during the SA20 may delay plans for his first-class debut slightly, but, when the day does arrive, his explosive style combined with a new-found enthusiasm for the long format could be quite something to watch.With Shoaib Bashir on loan to Glamorgan for the start of the season, veteran Jack Leach spearheads the spin attack and believes a strong start will provide added insurance against any slips later on. “There’s no point in thinking about the last two weeks of the season until you’ve taken care of the first weeks of the season, so we need to get off to a really good start,” he said. “A moment in April could be the moment that allows you to go and win it.”One to watch: Archie Vaughan, the 19-year-old son of former England captain Michael, thrived in his four Championship games last season, averaging 33.71 with the bat and taking 15 wickets at 20.13. That included a match-winning 11-wicket haul against Surrey which kept Somerset’s title hopes alive. Having said he can be his “own man” at a club where “my dad’s not known”, it feels like only a matter of time before another Vaughan is famous in these parts. VBBet365: 13/2Archie Vaughan has already made a name for himself at Taunton•Harry Trump/Getty Images

Surrey

Last season: 1st in Division One
High performance cricket adviser: Alec Stewart
Head coach: Gareth Batty
Captain: Rory Burns
Overseas: Kemar Roach (April), Nathan Smith (May-Sept)
Ins: Matthew Fisher (Yorkshire)
Outs: Conor McKerr (Nottinghamshire), Ben Geddes (Middlesex), Amar Virdi (released)Boring, isn’t it? Not for Surrey, they like it. And they want more.A squad who have lost just five Championship matches across their hat-trick of title-winning campaigns have arguably been strengthened without doing all that much, and with the possibility of losing Dan Worrall to England duty.The Anglicised Aussie has 139 dismissals at 21.17 since moving to the Kia Oval in 2022, and should Rob Key give him a call, he will undoubtedly be a miss. But with Matthew Fisher now down in south London and New Zealand’s punchy bowling allrounder Nathan Smith on deck from May, there is handy cover.Factor in Dan Lawrence losing his England place, Will Jacks on the outside looking in, the desires of Jamie Overton and Sam Curran to push their cases with more red-ball work, and Ben Foakes relieved to no longer be subject to the “will they, won’t they” discourse, there are plenty of personal ambitions to fuel the whole. Ollie Pope, Jamie Smith and Gus Atkinson will play some part in the first six rounds. It will business as usual for openers Rory Burns and Dom Sibley.Even with Alec Stewart’s more subdued role this season – not that subdued, by all accounts – the Surrey juggernaut rolls on. Will it be four in a row? Perhaps the better question is who can stop them?One to watch: A tough one to pick given Surrey’s depth – and the fact precocious allrounder Tom Lawes already has two winner’s medals around his neck – but 20-year-old Ollie Sykes is another highly rated batter off the production line. A new-age leftie who crouches low with a high backlift, he debuted across all formats for the club last season, making his first-class bow in the final Championship game at Essex, though he made a two-ball duck in his only knock. He tuned up for this summer by hitting 32 off a James Coles over in a warm-up match down at Sussex. VEBet365: 11/10

Sussex

Last season: 1st in Division Two
Head coach: Paul Farbrace
Captain: John Simpson
Overseas: Daniel Hughes, Jayden Seales (April-May), Nathan McAndrew (June-July), Gurinder Sandhu (June-July), Jaydev Unadkat (Sept)
Ins: George Thomas (Somerset), Nantes Oosthuizen, Troy Henry
Outs: Sussex walked the talk after Paul Farbrace challenged his players to secure a place in the top tier for the first time since 2015, winning eight of their 14 games to claim the Division Two title. John Simpson proved a revelatory appointment in his first crack at captaincy after a 15-year career, leading from the front with five hundreds and 1197 runs at 74.81, while 24-year-old offspinner Jack Carson enjoyed his best summer with 50 wickets at 22.46 (not to mention 458 runs). A balanced squad was lifted by incisive contributions from Sussex’s overseas signings, including Jayden Seales (24 wickets at 24.25), Jaydev Unadkat (22 at 14.40), Cheteshwar Pujara (501 runs at 62.62) and Daniel Hughes (340 at 56.66).The challenge is to replicate such consistency at a higher level. Paul Farbrace has rejected talk of survival and is targeting a top-four finish as a minimum; for that, Sussex will need strong performances from the core of their side, players such as Carson, Tom Haines, Tom Clark, Tom Alsop and James Coles, all of whom have yet to prove themselves in Division One. It could also be a big summer for Ollie Robinson. Last year’s return of 39 wickets at 25.53 was solid without being spectacular, but the bigger stage might galvanise attempts to remind England of his qualities.One to watch: At the end of last summer, Troy Henry was one of two cricketers in the groundbreaking African Caribbean Engagement (ACE) programme to be awarded a professional rookie contract live on Sky Sports. That will fund his first year at Sussex, after the 20-year-old was signed following open trials at the club in January. A left-arm spinner and former ACE captain, he has previously played national counties cricket with Hertfordshire. AGBet365: 16/1Ollie Robinson will lead the Sussex attack on their return to Division One•Getty Images

Warwickshire

Last season: 7th in Division One
Performance director: James Thomas
Head coach: Ian Westwood
Captain: Alex Davies
Overseas: Vishwa Fernando (April), Tom Latham, Beau Webster (May-July), Hasan Ali (May-Sept)
Ins: Ethan Bamber (Middlesex)
Outs: Will Rhodes (Durham), Chris Benjamin (Kent), Liam Norwell, Michael Burgess (both retired)An underwhelming seventh-placed finish wasn’t going to cut it for Warwickshire’s management, who responded with a restructure in which Mark Robinson left his role as head coach after four seasons and the club recruited performance director James Thomas from Manchester City. New first-team coach Ian Westwood, the former Warwickshire opener promoted from his position as Robinson’s assistant, has an early headache with the delayed arrival of New Zealand Test captain Tom Latham due to a broken hand, the club hoping he will be back in action by early May.Wicketkeeper Michael Burgess’s surprise retirement to pursue other career opportunities in London headlined a player exodus from the club. They are also without Will Rhodes, whose third century of the season sealed safety before he left for Durham. Warwickshire only recruited Middlesex seamer Ethan Bamber locally, in addition to Australian allrounder Beau Webster and Sri Lanka quick Vishwa Fernando. With only Vishwa available from their overseas contingent before May, when the returning Hasan Ali will also link up with the side, Warwickshire face a challenging start to a season where any slips could leave them vulnerable.One to watch: Hamza Shaikh, the 18-year-old academy product added three Championship appearances last season to his first-class debut for England Lions against Sri Lanka, where he scored a first-innings 91. An unbeaten 33 in a supporting role to Rhodes as Warwickshire held out for a draw – and top-flight survival – against Worcestershire, was an impressive next step after his performance as leading run-scorer in England Under-19s quadrangular series in India in 2023. VBBet365: 14/1

Worcestershire

Last season: 6th in Division One
Head coach: Alan Richardson
Captain: Brett D’Oliveira
Overseas: Jacob Duffy (April-June)

Ins: Ben Allison (Essex), Fateh Singh (Nottinghamshire)
Outs: Joe Leach, Josh Cobb (both retired)As press releases go, the one that landed from Worcestershire on March 25 took the biscuit: “Scheduled cricket scheduled to go ahead as scheduled …” was the gist of the message from Ashley Giles, the club’s chief executive, “… unless it doesn’t”.Such are the extraordinary climate-related pressures on Worcestershire these days. Tellingly, the ECB hadn’t scheduled a Championship match at New Road until the fourth round, starting April 25, in a bid to protect the club against the worst of the potential spring floods that have blighted their iconic home in recent years. With studies showing that 19 of the ground’s 30 worst floods since 1899 have occurred in the last 25 years, Worcestershire’s concerns about their long-term viability permeate every facet of the club, and even their share of an anticipated Hundred windfall won’t in itself be sufficient to start planning for a relocation.In the circumstances, therefore, the club’s achievements in the past two seasons have been remarkable. If 2023’s promotion from Division Two was impressive, then last summer’s calm retention of their top-flight status was even more so.It promises to be an even tougher year ahead, however – not least because of the absences in the club’s ranks, most notably their gut-busting captain Joe Leach, who retired last summer after finishing as their joint-leading wicket-taker for the campaign with 27. New Zealand’s Nathan Smith and West Indies’ Jason Holder proved to be model overseas pros too. Much rests on Jacob Duffy to provide similar impact with the ball as his compatriot.One to watch: Kashif Ali has been the breakout star of the renowned SACA program, and the consistency of his 2024 campaign – 1180 runs at 42.61, including twin hundreds against Warwickshire – underpinned their solid season-long showing. The challenge is now to carry that form into a third season, with expectations heightened and ambitions ignited for higher honours. AMBet365: 33/1Jonny Bairstow will hope to lead from the front at Yorkshire•Getty Images

Yorkshire

Last season: 2nd in Division Two
Director of cricket: Gavin Hamilton
Head coach: Anthony McGrath
Captain: Jonny Bairstow
Overseas: Ben Sears, Jordan Buckingham (May), Will Sutherland (May-July)
Ins: Jack White (Northamptonshire)
Outs: Matthew Fisher (Surrey), Dom Leech (Northamptonshire), Mickey Edwards (retired)
It says much for the turbulence at Yorkshire in recent seasons that neither captain nor coach from their promotion campaign will return. Ottis Gibson signed off from three challenging years in the job by getting Yorkshire back into Division One before the club moved for one of their own, appointing Anthony McGrath after a success-filled reign at Essex. His brief is a simple one: make Yorkshire contenders once again. With Jonny Bairstow taking over the captaincy from the departed Shan Masood, there will be no shortage of pride in the White Rose this summer.Having started slowly, with five draws and two defeats in the first half of 2024, Yorkshire found their stride to win five of their last seven games – three of them by an innings – and shoulder their way past Middlesex. Adam Lyth, now in his 38th year, finished as the division’s second-leading run-scorer and is a proven performer in the top tier. With Bairstow set to benefit from the presence of Joe Root and Harry Brook for at least some of the Championship’s opening stretch – although Brook will miss the first three rounds – Yorkshire could field an intimidating top six. The bowling, led by Ben Coad, will miss Fisher but has been supplemented by a trio of Antipodean quicks. Spin could prove to be a weakness, however.One to watch: James Wharton has been around Yorkshire’s first-team squad for several seasons but 2024 proved a coming of age. His maiden first-class hundred, 188 against Derbyshire at Chesterfield, helped spark Yorkshire’s charge in the second half of the season. He then hit the runs to secure promotion on the way to a mammoth 285 in the final round. AGBet365: 16/1

15Dec

FA to hold talks with FIFA over 'outrageous' World Cup ticket prices as England fans face hefty bill to follow Three Lions at next summer's tournament

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

The FA are reportedly set to raise formal concerns with FIFA after England supporters reacted with fury to “outrageous” World Cup ticket prices, with the cheapest seats for the final costing over £3,000 and a full run following the Three Lions exceeding £5,000. Fan groups have already condemned the pricing as a betrayal, leaving the FA under pressure to challenge football’s global governing body.

FA set to hold talks with FIFA regarding 'outrageous' ticket prices

The Football Association is preparing to engage FIFA directly, as per The Daily Mail, after the release of World Cup ticket prices sparked widespread outrage among England supporters. The cheapest seats offered to members of the England Supporters Travel Club for the final exceed £3,129, while following the team from the group stage to the final would cost more than £5,000 before travel or accommodation. These figures are far higher than those outlined in the original 2026 host bid, where the cheapest seats were priced at just £15.70.

Fans’ groups branded the prices “laughable”, “scandalous”, and a “monumental betrayal”, with Football Supporters Europe calling for an immediate halt to ticket sales. The FA, which only learned of the detailed pricing structure when it was made public, has acknowledged the anger among supporters and intends to convey their concerns formally. While sympathetic, the FA has also made clear internally that it does not expect FIFA to reverse or significantly amend its pricing model.

Cost increases appear tied to FIFA’s decision to align prices with major US sports events, and the governing body now expects ticket revenue to reach $3.3 billion, almost double the amount promised in the original bid. National associations, including England’s, are alarmed at the impact on dedicated supporters, particularly with Participating Member Associations (PMA) tickets now up to five times more expensive than in Qatar 2022. Some insiders believe certain England allocations may not even sell out, despite a large ex-pat population in the United States expected to boost attendance.

Getty Images Sport

2026 World Cup set to cost England fans over £5000 to the final

For England fans and supporters of other nations, the financial burden for attending the 2026 World Cup presents a stark contrast to the inclusivity historically associated with global footballing tournaments. Many have highlighted that the rising cost of travel, accommodation and tickets is threatening to turn the tournament into an exclusive event accessible mainly to high-income supporters. This has also reignited broader debates around FIFA’s commercial priorities and the future accessibility of international football.

The FA’s limited control over World Cup pricing has created a sense of helplessness among supporters who feel increasingly alienated by decisions made above the national association level. Fan groups argue that FIFA’s approach reveals a governing body more interested in maximising revenue than protecting football’s universality. With Category 3 tickets already surpassing £5,200 for a full England run, many fear this tournament could set a new precedent for pricing across future competitions.

In contrast, the FA has been quick to point out its commitment to ensuring affordable access at Euro 2028, which it will co-host with Ireland, Scotland and Wales. The organisation has pledged that the dynamic pricing, now being employed in FIFA’s resale markets, will not be used at the European Championship.
Supporters frustrated by FIFA's 'bait and switch'

The core frustration among fans is not only the cost but the dramatic gap between FIFA’s 2026 bid commitments and the reality presented in the ticket release. The bid stated that the cheapest seats for the final would be £95, not thirty times that amount, and the cheapest group-stage tickets would begin at just £15.70. This discrepancy has been described by supporters as a “bait and switch”, undermining confidence in the transparency of football’s governing structures.

Fan groups have also lashed out at the PMA ticketing approach, which asks supporters to pay upfront for tickets all the way to the final, even if their team does not progress. If England are eliminated early, supporters will only receive refunds minus administrative fees—another issue branded by the FSA as “beyond shameless”. Football Supporters Europe further criticised FIFA’s new variable pricing model, which forces supporters of different nations to pay different amounts for the same match and same seating category without any clear justification.

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Getty Images Sport

FIFA unlikely to change their 'fair' ticket prices

FIFA has defended its pricing, arguing that it reflects market conditions and the secondary ticket landscape in North America. The governing body claims its approach ensures “fair access” for both existing and prospective fans, though few supporters agree with this interpretation.

Nonetheless, the FA will now begin formal discussions with FIFA, although sources close to the governing body insist expectations for meaningful change are low. The organisation intends to represent the views of England supporters robustly, emphasising affordability, transparency and the need to preserve football’s inclusive culture. However, with FIFA having already adjusted its revenue projections and grounded its pricing in US market norms, the likelihood of a significant revision is slim.

Unless FIFA shifts its stance, next summer’s World Cup may become one of the most financially demanding tournaments ever for ordinary supporters and one of the most divisive in the competition’s storied history.

15Dec

Pakistan overcome late scare to go 1-0 up in ODI series

by csb10.top Uncategorized

Naseem Shah and Abrar Ahmed inflicted a late collapse on South Africa to bowl them out for an under-par 263 in the opening ODI in Faisalabad.On a dry, flat batting surface, it allowed Pakistan to control the tempo of the chase, one in which they further tightened their grip with an 87-run opening stand in the first 15 overs. South Africa battled hard through the middle overs to drag the hosts back, but Mohammad Rizwan, freshly stripped of the ODI captaincy, shepherded his side calmly through the middle overs with 55, while Salman Agha chipped in with a half-century of his own.But it wasn’t without a dramatic late stumble that almost derailed Pakistan right at the death, needing a late Mohammad Nawaz six to see Pakistan through to a final-over two-wicket win that should have been more comfortable than it ultimately was.Pakistan appeared to have complicated a chase that – at the outset – looked especially straightforward. With 12 overs to go, Pakistan needed just 69 with seven wickets in hand and their two most reliable batters, Rizwan and Agha, having compiled a 91-run partnership. But Corbin Bosch, Pakistan’s tormentor-in-chief this series, struck when Rizwan flicked straight to deep backward square, and Pakistan suddenly began to find run-scoring hard.Salman Agha and Mohammad Rizwan added 91 together•Associated Press

However, they retained wickets as Hussain Talat and Agha kept counting the runs down, albeit a little more conservatively than Pakistan might have wished. The upshot, however, was a run-a-ball 45-run stand that took Pakistan to less than 30 runs away from a series lead. But when Talat misjudged a slower ball and looped one to mid-off, George Linde took a stunning catch diving forward, and threw the ball and the game back up into jeopardy.Linde would come back into the attack, ball turning square by this stage, and send back Hasan Nawaz, who saw fit to come down the crease against the turning ball and attempt a straight slog, already halfway down the crease when he was stumped. Pakistan’s plight became even drearier when, 12 runs shy, Agha holed out to Donovan Ferreira, who covered a huge chunk of the Iqbal Stadium before taking a catch that dismissed Pakistan’s anchor.With the equation suddenly ten in seven, it was thanks to a straight hit from Nawaz down the ground of the final ball of the 49th that brought the game irrevocably in Pakistan’s control. There was time enough for Nawaz to be dismissed with the scores level, with Pakistan limping over the finish line – quite literally – when one thudded into Naseem’s pads as they scuttled through for a legbye. It seemed an apt metaphor for the ultimate unconvincing manner of Pakistan’s win.It needed to be nothing like that, especially with Fakhar Zaman and Saim Ayub batting. The duo matched South Africa’s opening pair in the venom of their opening stand, finding boundaries and sixes in the first 15 that took them to well beyond the required rate. It was only a half-hour of pressure from South Africa’s spinners, Bjorn Fortuin and Ferreira, that turned a cakewalk into a contest.On ODI debut, Donovan Ferreira dismissed both Pakistan openers•Associated Press

Ferriera struck first with an arm ball that skidded into Ayub as he shaped for a cut. He would double up two overs later as Fakhar mistimed a slog that found long-on before Fortuin struck the dagger into Faisalabad’s hearts. With Babar Azam crawling along to 7, he got one to skid along the angle and trap him plumb in front, both bowler and batter barely waiting for the umpire’s decision.But Pakistan’s stalwarts of late salvaged the situation and steered Pakistan back on course. In their slightly humdrum yet dependable way, Rizwan and Agha kept turning the strike over and taking Pakistan closer to South Africa’s total. Most crucially, they avoided the fate of South Africa in the middle overs, denying the visitors the constant flurry of wickets that had characterised the first innings and hamstrung South Africa.This series has seen six captains across the two sides, and yet, it has been the home skipper who has won the toss each time. After winning their sixth on the trot, Pakistan elected to chase. Through the debutant Lhuan-dre Pretorius and the returning Quinton de Kock, the visitors may have given Pakistan reason to regret that decision with a near-flawless start.They took on Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem early and refused to let the spin of Agha or Abrar settle either. Pretorius, who took much of the early impetus, danced down the ground to drive Agha over cover in the innings’ eighth over, while de Kock smashed Abrar over long-off to bring up the 50-run stand.By the end of his first three overs, Agha had leaked 30, and Shaheen was forced to turn to Ayub, and that is where Pakistan began to regain some control. South Africa continued to tick along at a fair clip as Pretorius completed a 48-ball 50, but Pakistan starved him of the strike for the next few overs. Even so, South Africa had got to 98 in the 16th over before Pretorius tried to carve Ayub through the offside, only for Nawaz to complete a sharp catch diving to his weaker right side.For the moment, though, South Africa were not to be slowed down by one bump. Tony de Zorzi made his intentions clear by creaming Nawaz over the top for a six so huge it flew out of Iqbal Stadium and required a replacement ball. De Kock was milking the spinners and getting a boundary away each over, with one through short fine off Ayub, bringing up his own half-century in his comeback ODI.Abrar Ahmed came back well in his later spells•Getty Images

The reintroduction of Naseem would serve as the first real break on South Africa’s careening sled. He’d copped 19 in his first three, but coming around the wicket to the two left-handers, he conceded just one in his return over, and when Ayub kept things tight at the other end, Naseem struck in the following over.It was the free-flowing de Kock who, cramped for room from the angle, chipped onto the stumps as he tried to guide the ball fine. Ayub struck six balls later to extinguish de Zorzi’s innings in its embryonic stages, and the momentum began to shift.South Africa lacked batting heft lower down the order. Sinethemba Qeshile’s back-to-back boundaries off Shaheen broke the shackles, while captain Matthew Breetzke walloped Abrar for a six and a four as South Africa attempted a relaunch. But Nawaz induced a top edge from Qeshile off the first ball of the next over, and from thereon Pakistan began to punch their way through a brittle South Africa.It was the first of five wickets to fall within 37 runs as Pakistan gutted their way through South Africa. Abrar got rid of Breetzke and trapped Fortuin first ball, almost believing he had a hat-trick when the umpire raised his finger for his third delivery in a row, but on that occasion, an inside edge denied him the honour.Bosch shielded Ngidi from the strike and put on a valuable 41 runs at the very end, but the resigned disappointment on South African faces at the ultimate score they’d posted told the real story. Four hours later, it was clear how just a few more runs might have made all the difference.

15Dec

Lamine Yamal targets Chelsea showdown for Barcelona return as doctors warn he faces months out due to 'tricky' injury

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Lamine Yamal is racing against time as Barcelona build a detailed recovery plan to get him ready for the upcoming Champions League showdown against Chelsea. The 18-year-old has been sidelined by a painful pubalgia issue, forcing him out of Spain duty and limiting his training load. Barca insist they won’t rush him, but optimism is growing after he partially returned to group training this week.

Yamal targets Chelsea return amid ‘tricky’ injury setback

According to , Barcelona have set a clear objective for Yamal to recover fully from pubalgia and return in time for the high-stakes Champions League meeting with Chelsea. The 18-year-old winger has been managing significant groin discomfort for weeks, an issue the club describes as “annoying rather than serious,” but one that demanded a complete stop to his activity. His condition forced him to withdraw from Spain’s World Cup qualifiers against Georgia and Turkey, and Barca medical staff feared the injury could worsen if not treated aggressively.

The club began a two-phase treatment plan beginning November 10, when Yamal underwent invasive radiofrequency therapy. He was instructed to rest between 48 and 72 hours before starting a meticulous rehabilitation schedule with two of Barcelona’s physiotherapists. That programme has already produced visible progress, and Yamal returned to partial group training on Wednesday at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper, a key step after days of exclusively individual work.

Inside Barca, the priority is simple, have Yamal match-ready for the Chelsea clash, a fixture that could define the club’s Champions League trajectory. While Saturday’s league meeting with Athletic Club has not been ruled out, any involvement would be minimal. His comeback timeline remains tight, but the club believes seven to ten days is realistic if his recovery continues without setbacks.

AFP

Doctors warn of months out as external specialist oversees care

Barcelona’s medical team has been clear with Yamal that this injury is delicate, and mishandling it could lead to months on the sidelines. The pain returned sharply after his recent performance against Celta Vigo, where he scored and assisted but finished the match feeling a familiar discomfort. According to report, the teenager was “worried about the extent of the injury,” prompting Barca to bring in renowned Belgian specialist for an additional evaluation.

The doctors have reportedly since approved the rehabilitation plan and will return to Barca in the coming days to reassess the winger. Surgery was never considered an option, neither Yamal nor his entourage were willing to entertain it, but both sides agreed that external expertise was essential to managing a condition known for its tendency to linger.

Describing the injury as “tricky,” club doctors stressed that any shortcut could jeopardise the rest of his season. Their instruction to the player has been blunt to take the rehabilitation seriously, avoid unnecessary media and physical strain, and allow the treatment cycle to stabilise the groin area. Yamal has responded with full commitment, reducing public appearances and focusing exclusively on recovery work.
Reduced exposure, personal changes & renewed focus

The physical pain hasn’t been the only challenge for the sensation. The report reveal that the injury lay atop a complex emotional stretch. After El Clasico, the teenager opted to drastically reduce his media presence. His next planned video, he reportedly told his inner circle, “will only be released” if he plays against Chelsea. This shift is part of a broader effort to declutter his environment and cut back distractions during a crucial recovery phase.

A personal chapter that had introduced moments of tension in recent weeks, has also reportedly been ended. Barcelona believe this renewed focus will benefit him, especially given his relentless ambition. The winger has installed a physiotherapy zone and water-recovery systems in his new home, determined to refine every detail of his professional routine. Those around him insist his drive “to be number one” remains unchanged.

Even during the painful months since September’s international break, Yamal continued delivering decisive moments. He scored in league victories over Elche and Celta Vigo and had a goal and an assist in the Champions League draw against Club Brugge.

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Barca’s UCL stakes and why Chelsea is the priority

Barcelona’s urgency stems from the club’s precarious Champions League position. With only two wins from four league-phase matches, the Catalans sit 11th, behind clubs like Tottenham and Galatasaray, and are fighting to secure a top-eight finish needed for a direct round of 16 berth. The tie against Chelsea has therefore become vital, both for points and momentum.

For Hansi Flick Yamal’s presence could be decisive, particularly with the team still adjusting to the reopened Camp Nou atmosphere after two and a half years away. While a cameo against Athletic Bilbao remains possible, Flick’s staff have made clear that no risk will be taken if any discomfort persists.

Barca want Yamal at full throttle for Chelsea, and Yamal is expected to continue alternating between individual work and controlled group sessions over the next four days as Barcelona monitor his response to load increases.

For Barcelona, the next week is critical and as they return to Camp Nou against Athletic Club before travelling to London for a match that may shape their European future.

15Dec

Rangers star was forgotten under Martin, now he'll be Rohl's own Braga

by rastrear-estafeta.com Uncategorized

Glasgow Rangers decided to splash the cash in the summer transfer window to sign Youssef Chermiti from Everton for a fee of £8m, their most expensive signing since Tore Andre Flo for £12m in 2000.

The Portugal U21 international has scored one goal, which was aided by some fairly dismal goalkeeping, in 11 appearances in all competitions for the Gers so far, per Sofascore.

Michael Stewart criticised his “poor” finishing in the League Cup semi-final defeat to Celtic on Sunday, as he spurned two great chances, whilst Ally McCoist said that he was “showing nothing” up front against Brann in the Europa League.

Meanwhile, Hearts, who are top of the Scottish Premiership, reportedly paid a fee of around £400k to sign Claudio Braga, who has been far more impressive.

Why Rangers need to find their own Claudio Braga

Instead of splashing huge money on project players, like Chermiti, Rangers should be looking at bargain options to bolster their squad, because you can find some real gems.

Hearts paid less than a million pounds to sign Braga from the second division of Norwegian football, and he has been a huge success for the Jam Tarts.

The Portuguese attacker has delivered nine goals and one assist in 16 appearances in all competitions for Hearts, per Sofascore, this season, which shows that he has provided far more quality than Chermiti has since his £8m move to Ibrox.

Whilst Rangers can learn from the Jam Tarts to utilise different markets for cheaper prices in future transfer windows, Danny Rohl may have his own version of Braga, from a stylistic perspective, in the building.

First Impressions

What did pundits and fans alike think about their new star signing when they arrived? Football FanCast’s ‘First Impressions’ series has everything you need.

Rangers can unearth their own Claudio Braga with this forgotten star

Before Rohl’s arrival at Ibrox, Brazilian centre-forward Danilo appeared to be forgotten about by Martin as a genuine first-team option for the Scottish manager.

The striker only made one appearance for the first-team under Martin in September and October, which was an 11-minute cameo off the bench against Sturm Graz.

Celtic

Danny Rohl

Hibernian

Danny Rohl

Kilmarnock

Danny Rohl

Brann

Danny Rohl

Sturm Graz

Russell Martin

Genk

Russell Martin

Hibernian

Russell Martin

Hearts

Russell Martin

Celtic

Russell Martin

Club Brugge

Russell Martin

As you can see in the table above, he was an unused substitute on several occasions, when he even made the matchday squad, before Martin’s exit in October.

Rohl came in last month and immediately made the Brazilian striker an option, as he has played in all four of the manager’s games so far, and scored two goals.

Like Braga, Danilo is not a towering and physical striker who can bully opposition defenders. He is dynamic and looks to use his control and movement to create chances and score goals, as he did brilliantly against Hibernian.

For Hearts, Braga has struck up a partnership with Lawrence Shankland, who is a physical presence, and Rohl can unearth his own version of that partnership by continuing to play Danilo off another striker, whether that is Chermiti or Bojan Miovski.

Danilo, who ex-teammate Ofir Marciano claimed “has the quality to be a big player for Rangers”, scoring two goals in two Premiership matches under Rohl shows that he can be effective in the final third.

However, it is now down to the manager to find the right blend alongside him to ensure that his skillset is used to its fullest potential, as Hearts have done with Braga by playing him alongside Shankland.

Martin claimed Rangers star was a "huge asset", now he looks "rotten"

This Rangers signing was heavily praised by Russell Martin, now it looks like he needs to be sold.

ByDan Emery Nov 3, 2025

Once forgotten by Martin at Ibrox, the former Feyenoord centre-forward looks like he might have a bright future under the German head coach.

15Dec

Florian Wirtz and Xavi Simons next? Eight biggest Bundesliga to Premier League transfer flops

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

'The Bundesliga Tax'. It's a phrase that has become more prominent amongst supporters over the past decade or so, used to describe the growing trend of players who have lit up the German top-flight who have been sold to Premier League clubs for big money, only to fail to replicate that same form when arriving in England.

The debate over how well performances in the Bundesliga translate to the Premier League has reared its head again in the early weeks of this season following the struggles of Florian Wirtz and Xavi Simons at Liverpool and Tottenham, respectively. The pair combined for 40 league goals and assists last term, but have mustered just the solitary assist between them in 17 Premier League appearances thus far despite being sold for almost £170 million ($191m).

Former Bayer Leverkusen playmaker Wirtz has struggled to find a suitable role at Anfield, which has led to him being benched on numerous occasions by Arne Slot, while Simons suffered the ignominy of being substituted against Chelsea on Saturday despite having only entered the game off the bench himself earlier in the piece.

There remain question marks, too, over how Benjamin Sesko, Jamie Gittens and Jeremie Frimpong will fare in the Premier League following their summer arrivals from the Bundesliga, and while plenty of players do arrive into England from Germany and thrive – see Erling Haaland, for one shining example – the list of individuals who fail to live up to the hype is in danger of growing to the point that some fanbases will actively call out their clubs for fishing in such an unreliable pond.

GOAL, then, looks back at the most high-profile transfer flops to have arrived into the Premier League from the Bundesliga in recent years:

Getty Images SportJadon Sancho

Borussia Dortmund plucked a 17-year-old Jadon Sancho out of the Manchester City academy back in 2017 and instantly handed him a first-team role. Over the next four years, he became one of the most exciting wingers in Europe, registering 107 goal involvements in just 137 appearances, while also getting his hands on a DFB-Pokal winners' medal alongside fellow young stars Haaland and Jude Bellingham.

In the summer of 2021, United made Sancho the second-most expensive English player ever when luring him away from Signal Iduna Park, and then-manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer confidently predicted the winger would "bring tremendous pace, flair and creativity to the team". Unfortunately, though, Sancho never made good on those words.

He has only scored 12 times for United to date, and has made more headlines for fallouts with managers than his exploits on the pitch. Sancho was exiled by both Erik ten Hag and Ruben Amorim, and after temporary spells with former club Dortmund and Chelsea, now finds himself on loan at Aston Villa with no guarantee of regular minutes. Despite possessing all the talent in the world, Sancho's attitude and lack of physicality have prevented him from making any meaningful impact in the Premier League, and he's seemingly been stricken by fear in a way he never was in Germany.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportChristopher Nkunku

Christopher Nkunku has all the qualities a forward needs to succeed on the elite stage: pace, intelligence, immaculate technique and ruthlessness. RB Leipzig saw all of that between 2019 and 2023, as the Frenchman blasted in 70 goals in all competitions to become their talisman, and when Chelsea snapped him up for £52m ($68m) in June 2023, it was seen as a major coup.

But the step up in intensity from the Bundesliga to the Premier League proved too much for Nkunku. He was unable to build any sort of rhythm at Stamford Bridge due to a series of injuries, and after the emergence of Cole Palmer, he was restricted to a bit-part role.

Nkunku left for AC Milan in the summer of 2025 with a respectable goals tally of 18 from 62 appearances, but few Chelsea fans were sad to see the back of him. Despite flashes of brilliance, the former Leipzig frontman wasn't robust enough for the rigours of English football and too often stood on the fringes of games instead of grabbing them by the scruff of the neck.

GettyKai Havertz

Kai Havertz was on the radar of almost every top club in Europe after a stunning rise to prominence at Leverkusen, where he recorded a combined total of 77 goals and assists after breaking out of their academy ranks. Chelsea eventually won the race for his signature at the end of the 2020 summer window, and some were even billing the Germany playmaker as the next Mesut Ozil despite it not being immediately clear how he would fit into the Blues' starting XI.

Leverkusen put Havertz's versatility to good use in No.8 and No.10 roles, but he was deployed predominantly upfront for Chelsea, and looked like a fish out of water. Indeed, his first season at the club yielded just four Premier League goals, and was only salvaged by his winning strike in the 2021 Champions League final against Manchester City.

Havertz continued to be a fixture in the Chelsea side over the next two seasons, but never properly silenced his doubters, and the Blues jumped at the chance to offload him when Arsenal came in with a £65m ($85m) bid in June 2023. It's been a similar story for Havertz at the Emirates Stadium, with consistency remaining largely elusive, and the 26-year-old's career has essentially been on hiatus in 2025 due to serious injuries.

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GettyChristian Pulisic

Chelsea initially signed Christian Pulisic from Dortmund in January 2019, with ex-United States star Taylor Twellman describing the deal as a "watershed moment for the American soccer player". Borussia Dortmund were sad to lose a "characteristically flawless footballer", as their sporting director Michael Zorc put it, but Pulisic closed out his time at the club in disappointing fashion, losing his place to Sancho amid struggles for fitness.

That led to claim Pulisic, then only 21 years of age, had "stagnated" and insist Chelsea were "mad" to spend so much money on him. Over the next four years, the German outlet was proven right. Although the USMNT star would pick up Champions League, UEFA Super Cup and Club World Cup winners' medals in west London, and deliver some memorable moments (including a hat-trick against Burnley and a brilliant solo goal against Manchester City), he was dogged by physical setbacks and hampered by Chelsea's chaotic transfer policy.

Pulisic gradually fell down the pecking order as competition for places in attack increased and never recovered. Chelsea eventually accepted a £36m ($47m) loss on the Dortmund academy product when shipping him off to Milan, where Pulisic has since replenished his confidence stocks.

"I felt pressure that I needed to do more when I did get on the pitch," he admitted to when looking back on his time at Stamford Bridge last December. Bad luck also played a part, but Pulisic buckled under that pressure, and it remains to be seen whether he gets another chance at the very highest level, with standards at Milan no longer as high as in Serie A's golden years.

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