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Alongside Burn: Howe must drop Newcastle star who's "nowhere near his best"

by rastrear-estafeta.com Uncategorized

Newcastle United fans have felt equal levels of excitement and bewilderment at how their up-and-down team has fared so far this season.

In the Champions League, the Toon have looked energetic and vibrant, with eight goals coming their way across two wins in the illustrious competition.

Yet, back in the big time of the Premier League, Newcastle have looked lost and lethargic, instead of potential world-beaters, with a 3-1 defeat at the hands of a relegation-threatened West Ham last time out, seeing the Magpies sink to new lows.

Unfortunately, many of the old guard Eddie Howe has favoured since taking on the Newcastle job post are beginning to show very visible signs of decay, with Dan Burn a declining presence who is hard to defend at this point, heading into the Toon’s latest European clash with Athletic Club.

Burn's decline at Newcastle

Before delving further into the number 33’s out-of-sorts form in the here and now, it should be said that Burn is definitely viewed as a modern-day hero at St James’ Park.

After all, the 6-foot-7 colossus was the man who headed home the all-important opener earlier this year to help Newcastle triumphantly lift the EFL Cup, as Howe continues to regularly wax lyrical about how “incredible” a servant the Blyth-born defender has been over the years on Tyneside.

But, Burn could now be overstaying his welcome, with the likes of Malick Thiaw – who joined in the summer from AC Milan – a shinier new model who will stay in the heart of Newcastle defence, you imagine, for the foreseeable future.

With Sven Botman rock-solid, too, as his consistent centre-back partner, Burn has had to make do with minutes as a makeshift left-back as of late, with the position not playing to his commanding strengths whatsoever.

Away at West Ham, Burn failed to register a single successful dribble, which then limited Newcastle’s attacking options down the left flank, with the 33-year-old also giving possession away a high 14 times.

With Lewis Hall edging back to full fitness, he could be in for a starting space against Ernesto Valverde’s challengers in midweek as Burn is perhaps given a rest after a shaky couple of games in a row.

Howe will also have to push his sentiment to one side, again, with another possible alteration on Wednesday.

Newcastle star who's "nowhere near his best" faces the chop

Thankfully, some of the 47-year-old’s long-standing servants continue to excel, so deep into their stays in the North.

Bruno Guimaraes – who has lined up for 168 games under Howe to date – finds himself three goals down this season in the Premier League already, which has led to pundit Michael Carrick hailing him as the club’s ever-dependable “talisman.”

1. Bruno Guimaraes

168

= 2. Fabian Schar

163

= 2. Dan Burn

163

4. Jacob Murphy

148

5. Joelinton

143

But, his fellow compatriot and midfield partner Joelinton isn’t receiving similar praise right now, despite boasting a colossal 143 games under Howe’s management.

Indeed, Joelinton – much like Burn – will be viewed as a modern-great amongst the hardened St James’ Park masses long after he departs the building, with teammate Kieran Trippier branding him as a “machine” when he’s at his high-octane peak.

With 31 goals and 21 assists up his sleeve too for Newcastle, Joelinton is clearly fondly respected and admired.

But, in the words of journalist Mark Douglas in mid-October, he has been “nowhere near his best” in recent times, as Newcastle continue to struggle to spark into life in the Premier League this season.

Only a sorry two strikes have come Joelinton’s way this season, with both of those efforts coming against lowly Bradford City in EFL Cup action.

Moreover, the number 7 was one of Newcastle’s worst culprits for looking lethargic against the Hammers, with just three of his seven duels being successfully won, as Lucas Paqueta and Freddie Potts controlled the game from the middle of the park for the hosts instead.

Last time out in Europe’s top competition, both Lewis Miley and Jacob Ramsey were given run-outs in the middle, as Joelinton then came on against Benfica in the latter stages.

A similar refreshed look could be on display against the visitors from Bilbao, with Hall possibly given some crucial minutes back in the first team fold, too, in place of Burn.

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ByKelan Sarson Nov 4, 2025

Arsenal staff taken aback after twist on Noni Madueke injury return timeline

by rastrear-estafeta.com Uncategorized

Arsenal staff have been taken aback by summer signing Noni Madueke behind-the-scenes, with a twist now coming to light on the forward’s injury return timeline.

Mikel Arteta is now without star defender William Saliba once again, not to mention winger Gabriel Martinelli.

Delivering a pre-match injury update ahead of the Gunners’ Carabao Cup fourth round clash at home to Brighton on Wednesday evening, Arteta didn’t delve into too much detail on the extent of their problems, but the duo have now joined their injury list.

Saliba and Martinelli are accompanied by Gabriel Jesus, Martin Odegaard, Kai Havertz and Madueke, who are all unavailable for selection right now due to various issues.

Arsenal 3-0 Nottingham Forest

Athletic Bilbao 0-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 1-1 Man City

Port Vale 0-2 Arsenal

Newcastle 1-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 2-0 Olympiacos

Arsenal 2-0 West Ham

Fulham 0-1 Arsenal

Arsenal 4-0 Atlético Madrid

Arsenal 1-0 Crystal Palace

Jesus has been sidelined since the turn of the year after rupturing his ACL in an FA Cup defeat to Man United, and reports have suggested that the Brazilian may not be back in action until 2026.

Odegaard, meanwhile, is suffering real bad luck with injuries right now.

The Arsenal captain had only just returned from a shoulder problem when he set up Gabriel Magalhaes’ winner away to Newcastle, but it didn’t take long for Odegaard to be sidelined once again.

The £240,000-per-week playmaker picked up a medial collateral ligament injury in the 2-0 win over West Ham just prior to the last international break, and that is expected to keep him out until mid-November.

Luckily for Arteta, the north Londoners could soon welcome Havertz back.

The Germany international has apparently been blowing away Arsenal rehab staff with his recovery and is fighting to be fully match fit ahead of schedule, according to insider HandOfArsenal.

Now, as per GiveMeSport, nearly the exact same can be said of Madueke too.

Arsenal staff taken aback as Noni Madueke nears faster injury return

According to their information, Arsenal staff have been left impressed by Madueke’s attitude during recovery, and the England international winger is now set to return to training earlier than anticipated.

Madueke is said to be making “faster-than-expected” progress in his comeback from a knee injury which has kept him out since Arsenal’s 1-1 draw with Man City.

The former PSV Eindhoven star, known for his pace, dribbling, and creativity, has been a bright prospect since joining Arsenal, and his return is expected to inject more flair and unpredictability into their front line.

Madueke’s ability to wreak havoc on defenders in one-on-one situations offers a new dimension, but also takes some pressure off Arsenal’s key forwards, with Arteta pretty light in that area right now.

His form right after joining Arsenal in the summer, despite early protests over his arrival, resulted in Madueke being considered as Andrea Berta’s arguable best signing of the window thus far.

Arsenal’s plan is for the 23-year-old to complete several controlled sessions before resuming full contact training, and he’s apparently used the time to work on other aspects of his game, like strength and conditioning.

His response to the setback has been nothing short of incredible, according to GMS, and Arteta will certainly be impressed behind-closed-doors.

Not Zinchenko: Dyche could now drop “incredible” Nottingham Forest star

by h79snht.top Uncategorized

It’s not even November yet, and Nottingham Forest have already gone through two managers in quick succession.

The ever enigmatic and controversial Evangelos Marinakis must have thought that results would instantly turn when ditching Nuno Espirito Santo for Ange Postecoglou, but after his disastrous 39 days at the helm pushed the Tricky Trees further into the relegation spaces in the Premier League, the former Tottenham Hotspur boss ended up being brutally dismissed.

Now, it’s Sean Dyche’s turn to come in and – hopefully – be a safe pair of hands at the City Ground, with a 2-0 victory over Porto on his managerial debut last time out in the Europa League instantly calming any jitters.

It’s the bread and butter of the Premier League that next awaits the ex-Burnley boss as a tough away trip to AFC Bournemouth beckons, with Oleksandr Zinchenko potentially being out injured for this journey to the South Coast, after hobbling off mid-week.

Even if he wasn’t in the treatment room, his starting spot might well have been at risk…

Why Zinchenko is likely to be dropped

It does sound as if the four-time Premier League title winner will be touch-and-go surrounding his availability right up until the teams are announced later today.

If there are any lingering doubts, Dyche won’t feel too uncomfortable in throwing Nicolo Savona into the first-team mix in his place, with the 22-year-old summer recruit from Juventus sticking out as a positive influence against Porto on Thursday night, when replacing the injury-stricken Ukrainian.

Ultimately, the number 37 would ensure a 2-0 win was secured against Porto, when a rare foray forward from the Italian would result in a penalty kick being given, which was then coolly dispatched to hand Dyche a debut win in the dug-out.

The former Juventus youngster will surely fancy his chances of retaining a first-team spot, therefore, with all 100% of his duels being successfully won, too, further showing off a defender that’s content at doing the dirty work, which Dyche, who is known to be an attritional manager in style, will love.

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

To make matters worse for his ex-Manchester City counterpart, Zinchenko has already picked up three defeats donning Garibaldi Red from just six appearances, with his new manager also potentially preparing to axe this other Forest figure, even though the attacker in question impressed in the Europa League.

Dyche could ruthlessly drop "incredible" star

Although their Premier League form has fallen off a cliff, Forest have looked far more at home in European competitions this season, with a win and a draw collected from their opening three clashes in the Europa League.

They have Igor Jesus to also thank for that confidence-boosting win being secured against Porto, with the Brazilian now up to three goals exclusively in this competition for his new employers, on top of also collecting a brace in the EFL Cup when Postecoglou was still around.

Igor Jesus’ PL form for Forest

Stat

Jesus

Games played

7

Minutes played

146 mins

Goals scored

0

Assists

0

Sourced by Transfermarkt

However, despite Jesus living up to his billing as an “incredible” finisher of chances – that was once handed to him by journalist Zach Lowy – up against the likes of the Portuguese giants, he remains without a goal in the Premier League, with Dyche perhaps wary that the number 19 could fold in front of goal again if he’s retained for the away day at the Cherries.

In Jesus’ defence, he is yet to be handed a start in the daunting division, but after hitting the woodwork against Chelsea from a 45-minute cameo, which also saw him win just one duel, Dyche might well opt to start Taiwo Awoniyi in his place instead, who at least has 17 Premier League goals next to his name, away from being frozen out of the side under previous regimes.

In an even more ideal reality, the 54-year-old could have Chris Wood back available for this tie on the South Coast – having sat out the clash versus Porto through injury – with the New Zealand workhorse already amassing 53 goals under Dyche’s watchful eye when the pair were together at Burnley, per Transfermarkt.

It does look like a bold call from the outside looking in, considering Jesus ensured Dyche’s start at Forest was a victorious one. But, with his ropey Premier League record to date, and other options at the Forest boss’ disposal who could cause Bournemouth more issues, the South American might well drop out of the XI alongside Zinchenko.

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Erling Haaland or Kylian Mbappe? Man City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma reveals which striker has the hardest shot

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

Gianluigi Donnarumma has finally settled one of football’s biggest debates — Erling Haaland or Kylian Mbappe? The Italian shotstopper, who has shared dressing rooms with both superstars in recent years, offered a clear verdict on who hits the ball harder. Having experienced their brilliance up close, Donnarumma’s insight carries unique weight in a discussion that continues to divide everyone.

Haaland or Mbappe?

Manchester City goalkeeper Donnarumma has weighed in on the long-running comparison between Mbappe and Haaland. The Italy international has played alongside both — teaming up with the Frenchman during his time at Paris Saint-Germain and now sharing the pitch with the towering Norwegian at Manchester City. Speaking in a recent interview with the Daily Mail, the 25-year-old offered his take on which of the two global icons has the hardest shot in football, siding firmly with the Norwegian forward.

In the ongoing Mbappe versus Haaland debate, the statistics only add to the intrigue. Mbappe’s seniority means he leads overall numbers, boasting roughly 395 goals and 147 assists in 532 appearances — compared to Haaland’s 325 goals and 59 assists in around 385 games. Yet Haaland’s efficiency is unmatched: he averages 0.84 goals per game and finds the net every 88 minutes, narrowly edging Mbappe’s 0.74 goals per game and 104-minute average.

Advertisement(C)Getty ImagesDonnarumma's insight

“I think Erling does [have the hardest shot],” Donnarumma told the Daily Mail. “He is left-footed so he is different from Kylian (Mbappe). They are both hard to play against. So it’s complicated. But I would rather have Erling playing for my side.”

Donnarumma also opened up about his close friendship with Haaland, forged since his summer move to the Etihad Stadium. “I’d say we just got on well immediately,” he continued. “We have always respected each other, even before we met. We make a lot of banter about playing against each other in the national teams. I’d say they are in a better situation than us now, they have much more peace of mind. But there are still two games left to play. It will be difficult to face each other, as it will be difficult to play against him. I know how strong he is and what chances he can create. It will be hard to face him both as a player and as a friend.”

Haaland's outrageous form

Donnarumma’s comments carry authority given his unique career path, having lined up behind both Mbappe and Haaland — two players tipped to dominate football’s next decade just as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo did for nearly 15 years. The Italian played 105 games with Mbappe at Paris Saint-Germain after joining the French giants in 2021, helping them to three Ligue 1 titles before the Frenchman moved to Real Madrid in 2024. Donnarumma himself then left PSG a year later, signing for Manchester City in a £26 million deal after helping the Parisians win the Champions League as part of a historic treble.

Since his arrival at the Etihad, the former AC Milan star has been a key part of Pep Guardiola’s squad, seamlessly replacing Ederson, who joined Fenerbahce. Donnarumma is yet to taste defeat in a City shirt and has quickly built chemistry with Haaland, whose goal-scoring feats continue to astonish. The Norwegian striker has netted 15 times in 11 appearances this season, scoring in nine consecutive matches, and remains the Premier League’s most lethal finisher.

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Donnarumma’s verdict may not settle the argument once and for all, but it offers insight from a man uniquely placed to judge — one who has guarded the goal against and alongside both. As football’s next great rivalry continues to unfold, fans can at least be certain of one thing: whether it’s Haaland’s ferocity or Mbappe’s finesse, the future of the game remains in extraordinary hands.

While Donnarumma and Haaland continue to chase silverware together at Manchester City, their friendship will soon be tested on international duty. Italy are set to host Norway in a crucial World Cup qualifier next month, pitting the pair against each other in a matchup that blends camaraderie with fierce national pride. For Donnarumma, facing one of the world’s most dangerous finishers — and a close friend — will be a moment of both challenge and respect.

Ponting: That might be the best win I've ever had as coach in IPL

by csb10.top Uncategorized

Punjab Kings (PBKS) head coach Ricky Ponting has been coaching in the IPL since 2014 but he called Tuesday’s low-scoring thriller against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) “just about the best win that I’ve ever had” as a coach in the tournament. Ponting watched from the sidelines as PBKS defended 111, the lowest total that has been defended in IPL history, for a 16-run win. Ponting said pulling off a win like this could be a “season-defining moment”.”The heart rate still up a bit for me – it’s probably up over 200,” Ponting told the broadcaster soon after the game. “I don’t need many of those games like that at my age of over 50 now.”It just goes to show how funny a game it is. Only three days ago we couldn’t defend 246 [245] and here we are, defending 112 [111] with 16 runs up our sleeves. We actually said to the guys at the halfway mark that really small chases like this are sometimes the hardest. The wicket wasn’t easy. You can see right through the game it was holding up.Related

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“But what about [Yuzvendra] Chahal tonight! How good a spell of bowling was that! We’ve actually put it on him a bit during the week. He had a fitness test before the game today with his shoulder injury that he picked up in the last game and I grabbed him at the warm-up, looked him in the eye and said, ‘Mate, are you OK?’ He said, ‘Coach, I’m 100% alright, let me out there’, and what a spell of bowling.”When asked what was the talk in the dressing room at the innings break, Ponting said: “Well, you can probably see the way we changed things up with the ball as well, with Marco [Jansen] taking the first over and [Xavier] Bartlett the second. Normally, it’s been a role for Arshdeep [Singh] with the brand new ball, but the match-ups tonight suggested that Jansen and Bartlett were better suited.”But we just said that wins like this are always the sweetest ones. If we can pull this off, then this would be as good as a win most guys have probably been involved in. I’ve coached a lot of games in the IPL and that might just be about the best win that I’ve ever had.”

Ponting said his team’s batting, shot selection and decision-making were “all poor”, but what impressed him the most was how the team turned things around in the chase because their bowling, fielding and catching had been under the scanner for a few games.”Even if we had lost that game, I couldn’t have been more proud of the way we went about the second half,” he said. “But when I saw us take the field, we got a couple of wickets early on and what we’ve been lacking is a bit of belief with the ball and a bit of energy in the field, and that was there for everyone to see tonight. So if we had gone down in a really close one, I would have been telling the guys that I actually thought that that was a season-defining moment.”PBKS captain Shreyas Iyer was hardly able to put his feelings into words at the presentation after such a tense finish, which took them to fourth on the points table.”My thoughts… it’s hard to express in words,” he said. “I was just backing my instincts. I saw the ball was turning a bit, asked Yuzi to control his breathing as much as possible because you know the wickets were important and we needed to be attacking. And thankfully, right players were there at the right place. And yeah, see, I’m not able to talk. It’s tough to digest the victory and such victories actually benefit you at the end.”Shreyas himself bagged a duck in PBKS’ low total after his scythe to deep third was taken by Ramandeep Singh in the fourth over after PBKS had opted to bat. Shreyas explained that within the two balls he had faced, he realised the pitch had variable bounce, so their total was “decent”.”I faced two balls: one stayed low and one hit the bottom and absolutely carried. Other players who are good at sweeping the ball were not able to connect it. So obviously there was a variable bounce in the wicket and we got to a decent total, to be honest looking at the victory with 16 runs.”I think we batted decently, but other than that, what I made out of the wicket was it was variable and the bounce wasn’t consistent. So we had that at the back of our mind and we discussed with the bowlers to stay in the stumps as much as possible and they executed the plans really well.”

Samson to return as RR captain after being cleared to keep wicket

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

In Samson’s absence, Parag had led RR during their first three matches this season

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Apr-2025Rajasthan Royals (RR) captain Sanju Samson has been cleared by the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru to return to wicketkeeping after having played the side’s first three games in IPL 2025 as a specialist batter. Samson, who had undergone finger surgery last month, has now recovered to take back the captaincy from Riyan Parag and also slot in as keeper.In his absence – Samson had played as an Impact Player in RR’s first three games this season – Parag had stood in as captain while Dhruv Jurel kept wicket.”With this positive development, Samson will return to his full leadership role and resume captaincy from the team’s next match against the Punjab Kings,” RR said in a statement. “The franchise is encouraged by Samson’s progress and looks forward to having him back in action behind the stumps and leading the side.”Under Parag, RR lost their first two games, against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), but bounced back to beat Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in Guwahati on March 30. With Samson back as captain and keeper for their next match, against Punjab Kings (PBKS) in Mullanpur on April 5, RR can be more flexible with their Impact Player strategy.For example, against CSK, after Samson had been dismissed for 20, RR brought in Kumar Kartikeya as an Impact Player in the first innings and he ended up bowling just a solitary over in RR’s successful defence of 182.Samson has scored 99 runs in three innings so far in IPL 2025 at a strike rate of just under 155. RR are currently second from bottom on the table, with two points.

Rangers had "athletic beast" on trial, now he's worth more than Chermiti

by rastrear-estafeta.com Uncategorized

Glasgow Rangers have not won the Scottish Premiership title in over four years and they have not won any trophy since they lifted the League Cup in 2023.

It is no secret that Russell Martin needs to bring glory back to Ibrox, by winning trophies, but it is a collective effort that starts from the ownership and goes down through Kevin Thelwell, Martin, to the players on the pitch.

Ultimately, there needs to be a strong footballing model in place that creates a squad that is good enough for the manager, whomever that may be, to get results on the pitch.

Whilst supporters may not want to hear it, one thing Rangers can learn from their city rivals is how they develop and sell young talent for profit. They have made millions over the years by selling the likes of Jota, Kyogo, Virgil van Dijk, Odsonne Edouard, Matt O’Riley, and many, many more.

The Light Blues, however, have not had as much success in the department, as Calvin Bassey is the only player to have been sold for more than £20m in the club’s history, per Transfermarkt.

Rangers signed Youssef Chermiti from Everton in a deal worth up to £10m on deadline day. For that outlay, the Gers will surely be hoping that he joins that exclusive £20m+ club with Bassey.

Why Youssef Chermiti needs to be a success at Rangers

The Light Blues really need the Portugal U21 international to be a success at Ibrox because of the fee that was splashed out for him and because of what his success could mean for the club.

From the financial perspective, the Gers need Chermiti to be a big player for the team because the £10m deal to bring him to Glasgow is the most expensive deal sanctioned by the club since the club-record £12m move for Tore Andre Flo from Chelsea in 2000.

That places pressure on the centre-forward to perform and pressure on Thelwell for the signing to work out, because his judgement may get called into question if it does not work.

Appearances

20

4

Minutes

287

49

Shots

8

3

Goals

0

0

Key passes

5

0

Assists

0

0

As you can see in the table above, Chermiti did not enjoy a good time with Everton over the last two seasons in England after his £15m move from Sporting in 2023.

This shows that Rangers have not signed a ready-made superstar for Scottish football, which is why it is even more important for him to be a success because they have taken a huge financial gamble on a player who has yet to prove himself at senior level.

Another reason why Chermiti needs to be a success at Ibrox is because it would provide the Gers with an example to show other promising young talents in the future that they can provide a platform for young talent.

Celtic can point to van Dijk, O’Riley, Dembele, Edouard, and Kieran Tierney, among others, and show potential signings that there is a clear pathway to major clubs across Europe.

This is merely a theory, but it does make you wonder if Rangers have ever missed out on any promising young talents because they did not see enough of a pathway to a bigger move in the future.

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In fact, the Scottish giants had one such promising young talent on trial with the B team in 2023, Yan Diomande, but he ultimately did not decide to sign for the club. He is now playing in one of Europe’s major leagues and is worth millions more than any current Rangers player.

Rangers missed out on Yan Diomande

In October 2023, the 16-year-old winger played for the Rangers B team against Monaco, whilst Steven Davis was the interim manager of the first-team, in a 3-1 loss to the French side.

Football Scotland confirmed that Diomande was on trial for the Scottish giants from American side AS Frenzi, who were in the fourth tier in the USA, for the game.

Rangers Youth Blog on X noted at the time that the Ivorian starlet was arguably the best player on the pitch for the club in that clash with Monaco, but, for reasons unknown, the attacker did not sign a contract with the Gers.

It is unclear if Diomande opted against a move to Glasgow or if the club decided not to offer him a deal, although the latter seems unlikely if he did impress in the game against Monaco as Rangers Youth Blog suggested.

Either way, the Light Blues will now look back on their failure to bring him to the club as a mistake because he sealed a £17m move to RB Leipzig from Leganes this summer.

Appearances

10

Starts

6

xG

1.72

Goals

2

Key passes

14

Assists

1

Dribbles completed per game

2.3

Dribble success rate

62%

As you can see in the table above, Diomande caught the eye for Leganes with 1.4 key passes per game and 2.3 completed dribbles per game across ten appearances in LaLiga in the second half of last season.

After his trial with Rangers, the teenage talent went back to the DME academy in Florida and stayed there until his move to Leganes in January, which led to his impressive performances in the Spanish top-flight.

Diomande, who was described as an “athletic beast” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, then made the move to Leipzig for a fee of £17m this summer, which means that he is worth £7m more than Chermiti, who signed for Rangers in a £10m deal.

It also means that he is worth more than any current Gers player, excluding loanees, because no player in the squad is worth more than £10m, per Transfermarkt, and that is why the club will surely regret not landing his services back in 2023.

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Rangers must now hope that Chermiti is a big success at Ibrox because he can set the blueprint for other players to see that there is a pathway for young talent in Glasgow, a pathway that could convince the next Yan Diomande that a move to Ibrox is the best next step for them.

Blair Tickner rejoins Derbyshire for 2025 season

by csb10.top Uncategorized

Blair Tickner will return to Derbyshire for the 2025 season on an all-format deal.The New Zealand fast bowler played seven matches for the county last summer across the Vitality County Championship and Vitality Blast, before returning home early after his wife Sarah was diagnosed with leukemia.Now with Sarah on the road to recovery, Tickner returns to Derby for the duration of the season, subject to international commitments. He has represented the Black Caps on 34 occasions, and made his Test debut against England in 2023.Tickner, 31, is currently enjoying a fine domestic summer in New Zealand and is among the leading wicket-takers in the country with 13 dismissals in the Plunket Shield (first-class), 11 in the Ford Trophy (List A) and nine in the Super Smash (T20) so far.Derbyshire’s head of cricket, Mickey Arthur, said: “We never got to see the best of Blair in his first spell with us, there was a lot going on off the field, but he was the consummate professional and we were always eager to bring him back for 2025.”His record deserved to be better last season, we dropped chances off his bowling and if we take those, his average comes right down. I’m confident we will be better in that regard in 2025, and Blair should reap the rewards, because he’s a very good bowler.”With the likes of Zak Chappell, Harry Moore, Pat Brown and Blair all vying to take the new ball, I’m very excited about our attack in 2025.”Tickner added: “Despite everything, I loved my first spell with Derbyshire and I’ve kept in touch with the players and coaches, the club have supported me massively and I’m looking forward to getting back to England and showing what I can do.”I think everyone would agree that I have unfinished business with Derbyshire, I couldn’t show my quality first time around and I’m coming back hungry to do just that and win games for the county.”

Agar back at Northants

Ashton Agar was part of the Northants side that reached last year’s Blast quarter-finals•Andy Kearns/Getty Images

Northamptonshire, meanwhile, have confirmed that Australia allrounder Ashton Agar will be back for the entire Blast group stage in 2025. Agar made six appearances in the competition last season, helping Northants to reach the quarter-finals.Northants chief executive, Ray Payne, said: “Ashton is a brilliant individual who played a very important role in our good form at the backend of the T20 Blast last year. He is highly skilled, very experienced and has had success at the very highest level of the game.”We’re all very excited to him again in a Steelbacks shirt in 2025.”

Former Manchester City star faces prison time after being arrested over alleged £100,000 tax fraud

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

Former Manchester City winger Kiki Musampa has reportedly been arrested over alleged tax fraud.

Former City winger reportedly arrestedReports say Musampa was detained on TuesdayMusampa's home reportedly raided by authoritiesFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Musampa was detained by Dutch authorities on Tuesday after allegedly committing almost £100,000 in tax fraud, according to reports in the Netherlands via talkSPORT. The report states the Netherlands' Fiscal Information and Investigation Service (FIDO) claim the 48-year-old has been accused of defrauding the authorities out of over €100,000 (£86,500/$117,462) after he had declared he was an overseas tax resident whilst working and receiving an income in the country.

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The report also claims that a raid on Musampa's home by the authorities saw documents and luxury watches seized. The Netherlands Under-21 international was reportedly released from custody on Wednesday afternoon.

DID YOU KNOW?

Musampa spent one-and-a-half seasons on loan at City between 2005 and 2006 after joining from La Liga side Atletico Madrid. He made 45 appearances in all competitions for City, scoring four goals. Musampa is currently the assistant manager of his former club Ajax's reserve side.

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City return to Premier League action on Sunday when they host rivals Manchester United at the Etihad Stadium. Pep Guardiola's side will then get their Champions League campaign under way when they entertain Napoli on September 18.

Celtic can solve Idah problem with move for "powerful and prolific" £4m gem

by h79snht.top Uncategorized

Celtic needed a late goal from substitute Luke McCowan to kick off their defence of the Scottish Premiership title with a 1-0 win over St Mirren at Parkhead on Sunday.

The Scottish midfielder came off the bench to score a deflected strike from the edge of the box in the 87th minute, after Callum McGregor had a goal disallowed for handball earlier in the half.

Brendan Rodgers will be pleased that his side were able to claim all three points, instead of failing to break the deadlock, but will be expecting more from his team as the season goes on.

The Hoops looked too blunt in the final third for much of the clash with St Mirren, as they started the match with a front three of Daizen Maeda, Adam Idah, and Hyun-jun Yang.

Celtic are yet to replace Nicolas Kuhn, who left to sign for Como, with a new right-winger, as Benjamin Nygren has been brought in to play centrally, which may be something the club look to address in the coming weeks.

The Premiership champions may also look to address the centre-forward position before the summer transfer window slams shut, due to Idah’s performances.

Why Adam Idah should not start for Celtic

The Ireland international should not be a regular starter for the Hoops this season, unless he can turn his form around and prove that he has what it takes to be the main number nine.

As you can see in the graphic above, Idah put in a dismal display against St Mirren as a starter, missing three ‘big chances’ and failing to create a single chance for his teammates in 78 minutes on the pitch.

The former Norwich City striker, simply, did not make the most of the high-quality opportunities that came his way, crashing the crossbar from close-range with his best chance of the evening.

Idah’s output as a starter for Celtic in the 2024/25 campaign also left a lot to be desired. The Hoops attacker only scored six goals in 19 starts in the Premiership in his first full season at the club.

Adam Idah: The super sub

24/25 Premiership

Starts

Off the bench

Appearances

19

16

Minutes

1,352

357

Goals

6

7

Minutes per goal

225

51

Assists

0

1

Stats via Transfermarkt

As you can see in the table above, the Irishman scored more goals in roughly 1,000 fewer minutes as a substitute than as a starter in the Scottish top-flight.

These statistics suggest that Idah is far more suited to coming off the bench against tired defences, using his physicality and positioning to exploit defenders who are not as sharp as they were earlier in the game.

Rodgers has a problem, though, because this means that the Hoops need to sign a new starting-calibre centre-forward in order to allow Idah to play the role of super sub this season.

The Scottish Sun recently reported that Celtic sent scout Paul Tisdale to watch Hammarby against Charleroi in a Conference League qualifier, and they picked out three players who may have caught his eye.

Transfer Focus

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

One of the stars The Scottish Sun suggested as a possible transfer target for the Scottish giants was Hammarby centre-forward Jusef Erabi, who they add was linked to Celtic in the January transfer window.

Why Celtic should sign Jusef Erabi

The Hoops should part ways with the reported £4m fee that it would take to snap up the Swedish marksman before the end of the summer transfer window, because it would solve Rodgers’ Idah problem.

Erabi is a promising young striker, at the age of 22, who would come in as an exciting prospect for Celtic, although he has yet to really explode as a consistent goalscorer.

Supporters may see his return of 29 goals in 93 matches for Hammarby and wonder if he would be the main number nine that the team need to send Idah to the bench.

The Sweden U21 international, who was described as a “powerful and prolific” striker by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has underlying statistics that suggest that he could come in to be an upgrade on Idah as a starter for Celtic.

Since the start of the 2024/25 campaign, the former Norwich academy graduate has only scored 13 goals from 14.66 xG for Celtic in the Premiership, which shows that he has not been clinical enough in front of goal.

The three ‘big chances’ that he missed against St Mirren were further proof that Idah is not efficient enough in front of goal, and that is why Erabi could come in to solve the club’s problem with the Irish forward.

Jusef Erabi

2024 + 2025 Allsvenskan

xG

10.68

Goals

12

Shots on target

27

Chances created

16

Assists

3

Successful dribbles

27

Stats via FotMob

As you can see in the table above, the Swedish striker has outperformed his xG by 1.32 since the start of the 2024 Allsvenskan campaign for Hammarby.

Erabi has also averaged 1.18 successful dribbles per 90 and 1.93 fouls won per 90 in the league in 2025. Idah, meanwhile, averaged 0.53 successful dribbles per 90 and 0.63 fouls won per 90 in the Premiership last season.

These statistics suggest that the £4m-rated star has the potential to offer a bigger presence in the centre-forward role than Idah for the Hoops, as he has the mobility and strength to burst past defenders with the ball, whilst also being able to hold off players to win fouls.

Overall, the 22-year-old starlet could thrive in a Celtic team that creates enough chances to make the most of his clinical finishing, to help him finally explode as a regular goalscorer, and he has the attributes to offer more to the team as a complete number nine.

Celtic can drop Yang with move for "top-level talent" who earns £150k-p/w

Brendan Rodgers could drop Hyun-jun Yang with a move for this reported Celtic target.

1 ByDan Emery Aug 5, 2025

Therefore, Rodgers could solve his Idah problem by reigniting the club’s January interest in Erabi to bring him in as the new starting striker for the Hoops.

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