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كسر مهاجم الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي أتلتيكو مدريد، جوليان ألفاريز، حاجز الصمت بشأن ركلة الجزاء المثيرة للجدل أمام ريال مدريد في إياب دور الـ 16 من دوري أبطال أوروبا.

وكلف ألفاريز فريقه بالخروج من البطولة بعدما ألغى الحكم، سيمون مارشينياك، ركلته بسبب لمسه الكرة بكلتا قدميه، مما منح الأفضلية لصالح ريال مدريد وتأهل في النهاية.

وأثارت ركلة الجزاء جدلًا واسعًا بشأن حقيقة لمس ألفاريز الكرة بقدميه أو عدم صحة ذلك، رغم مراجعة الحكم البولندي الحالة عبر تقنية الفيديو “VAR”.

اقرأ أيضًا | إشارة بالقتل وحركة قبيحة.. أتلتيكو مدريد يرد على تحقيق يويفا بشأن مباراة ريال مدريد

وقال ألفاريز في تصريحات لشبكة “ESPN”: “لقد شاهدت الإعادة ألف مرة، هناك مقاطع فيديو في كل مكان، لكنني لم أشعر بالكرة، إذا كانت لمستين، فإن التلامس سيكون ضئيلًا جدًا ومن الصعب إدراكه، لكن هذا ما حدث”.

واستمر مهاجم أتلتيكو مدريد: “يجب أن تكون القواعد أكثر وضوحًا، لأنني لم أحاول الاستفادة من أي شيء، على سبيل المثال، عندما يتحرك الحارس للأمام ويتصدى للركلة، يتم إعادتها، لكنني لم استفد مما حدث بأي ميزة، إنه لأمر مؤسف ما حدث”.

الجدل الكبير حول الركلة، دفع الاتحاد الأوروبي لكرة القدم “يويفا” إلى إصدار بيان رسمي، عرضت فيه الصور التي استخدمتها لتحديد أن ألفاريز لمس الكرة مرتين قبل أن تدخل الشباك.

After West Ham United struggled once again in a 3-0 thrashing at the hands of London rivals Chelsea, one reporter has now shared what he’s hearing from the dressing room on new manager Julen Lopetegui.

Lopetegui's disappointing West Ham start

During his time at Wolverhampton Wanderers, the argument could have been made that Lopetegui simply was not backed enough, eventually leading to an inevitable exit. This time around in the Premier League at West Ham, however, he has been handed the keys to the kingdom with a plethora of talented fresh faces arriving in the summer transfer window.

As well as Guido: Lopetegui must swiftly axe "overrated" 4/10 West Ham man

The Hammers’ poor start to the season continues…

By
Angus Sinclair

Sep 21, 2024

Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Jean Clair-Todibo, Niclas Fullkrug, Crysencio Summerville, Max Kilman and others all arrived in the summer to hand West Ham what should have been a major boost in their chase for European football. Yet, five games in and the Hammers have picked up just one victory in the Premier League under new manager Lopetegui, which came at Selhurst Park against Crystal Palace.

Their latest moment to forget came against rivals Chelsea, who swept West Ham aside in routine fashion at the London Stadium, earning criticism from The Guardian’s Jacob Steinberg in the process, and further disappointing the home fans.

Despite such a poor start though, Football Insider journalist Pete O’Rourke has shared that West Ham are still backing Lopetegui to succeed amid the belief that results will improve when his new side adapt to the extensive changes that took place in the summer.

Based on what O’Rourke has heard from the dressing room, Lopetegui’s job is safe for now, but there’s no doubt that results must improve.

West Ham must turn form around

The main criticism of David Moyes during his time at West Ham was the style of football that he implemented. Amid all of the European qualifications and the historic Europa Conference League victory, the Scot was still subject to increasing groans from the London Stadium and building doubts over whether he was the right man for the job.

Moyes’ exit gave the Hammers the chance to start fresh and throw the script to one side with the appointment of a brave, new manager. But months into his tenure and Lopetegui’s style hasn’t exactly injected the excitement that West Ham fans believed they were missing under Moyes; his appointment doesn’t seem fresh, nor that it seem brave.

The Spaniard struggled at Wolves and there’s no evidence thus far to suggest that things will be any different at West Ham. Alas, it is, of course, early days and the fact that the London club made so many changes in the summer should be taken into account.

With a trip to Anfield up next against Liverpool in the Carabao Cup, things don’t get any easier for West Ham, who must turn their current form around under new manager Lopetegui.

Reliable reporter Alfie House has shared a worrying piece of Southampton injury news that has left manager Russell Martin feeling “gutted”.

Southampton's poor Premier League start continues

The Saints are still without a win in the Premier League this season, having sealed a return to the top flight last time around, with the jump up in quality proving to be sobering for Martin and his players.

On Saturday afternoon, Southampton threatened to pick up a stunning result away to much-fancied Arsenal, taking the lead through Cameron Archer in the second half at the Emirates.

Unfortunately, the Gunners’ quality eventually shone through, with the hosts winning 3-1 in north London, but there was no shame in the scoreline for Martin’s men, who largely equipped themselves well in what will be one of their toughest assignments of the campaign.

The defeat still leaves Southampton sitting 19th in the Premier League table and Martin under pressure, however, having picked up just one solitary point from their opening seven matches, suggesting that the south coast club could be in for a long season. They desperately need key players to stay fit, but they may soon receive a blow in that respect.

Southampton suffer injury blow to "fantastic" ace

Taking to X, House reported that Southampton striker Ross Stewart has picked up a muscle injury, with Martin left “gutted” by the situation and a scan required which is a concern.

This is exactly what Southampton could do without, during a long and taxing season where they need as many important players available as possible. While Stewart may not exactly be the first name on the team sheet, he has still made four appearances in the league this term, starting once.

Meanwhile, pundit Sam Parkin once hailed the 28-year-old during his Sunderland days, saying: “Stewart, what a story this has been. He was fantastic today. The forward Sunderland players are really starting to click, (Alex) Pritchard, most touches, most passes today but Stewart’s finishing.”

Firepower is so vital in the Premier League, so Stewart possibly not being around will have an impact on Martin’s options in the final third, with his side only scoring four goals in seven games in the competition so far this season.

Hopefully, the former Sunderland man’s setback isn’t too serious, but he has proven to be an injury-prone figure over the years, so there will be understandable concern after this latest issue.

Southampton owner Dragan Solak is now considering major double sacking

The future of Southampton manager Russell Martin is under serious threat.

ByBrett Worthington Oct 2, 2024

As for Martin, he remains under pressure to keep his job, even though few will judge him by a 3-1 defeat away to Arsenal, and he now has the international break to try and regroup, prior to inspiring a Southampton turnaround, starting with a crucial visit of Leicester City on October 19th, in a game that Saints badly need to win.

MatériaMais Notícias

Da total decepção à esperança que as coisas podem melhorar. Assim pode ser definido o 2021 do Botafogo, que iniciou o ano sendo rebaixado com um dos piores times de sua história, mas termina com o título da Série B, o retorno ao Brasileirão e um pré-contrato assinado pela compra da SAF junto ao americano John Textor.

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+ Botafogo está perto de contratar dupla ex-Goiás: saiba as contratações, saídas e sondagens do clube

O ano começou com estado de terra arrasada. Algo que vinha se desenhando desde 2020 mas foi adiado pela pandemia da Covid-19, o rebaixado foi confirmado em uma derrota para o Sport no dia 5 de fevereiro, na 34ª rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro.

Vencedor das eleições que haviam acontecido meses antes, Durcesio Mello tomou posto como presidente do Alvinegro em janeiro e tinha um longo trabalho pela frente. O profissionalismo e o corte de gastos foram as bandeiras levantadas pelo mandatário.

Apesar de um começo complicado – eliminações precoces no Campeonato Carioca e na Copa do Brasil -, o Botafogo deu a volta por cima e foi campeão da Série B, garantindo o retorno na elite do Campeonato Brasileiro em 2022. Dentro de campo, as coisas terminaram certo. O desafio, agora, é encontrar reforços para encarar a próxima temporada.

Fora das quatro linhas, o Alvinegro teve uma temporada baseada no corte de gastos e mudança de postura quanto aos contratos. O clube foi liderado pelo CEO Jorge Braga neste sentido – foi, inclusive, a primeira vez na história que o Alvinegro teve uma pessoa nesta função.

+ VP do Botafogo critica atual contrato com a Kappa e admite que negocia com nova fornecedora de material

Entre renegociações de contratos dos estabelecimentos do clube, lojas oficiais e corte de gastos, o Alvinegro também conseguiu a renegociação de dívidas. Mais recentemente, uma ação que permitiu a parcela de R$ 175 milhões em débitos tributários. Antes, o clube já tinha um acordo para depositar 20% da renda mensal, destinada para o pagamento de dívidas cíveis aos credores.

O ano, claro, terminou com presente de Natal pra lá de especial: o pré-contrato da SAF assinado por John Textor, da Eagle Holding. O americano é o investidor no projeto que vai profissionalizar o departamento de futebol do Botafogo. O processo, em período de transição, deve levar até 120 dias para ser fechado.

O Botafogo não mudou da água para o vinho do nada. Está longe disso, aliás. Ainda convive com problemas e dificuldades financeiros, mas, em muito tempo, faz questão de olhar para obstáculos e buscar soluções. Com a SAF e a chegada de John Textor, a tendência é que processos sejam acelerados em 2022, mas isso apenas o tempo poderá mostrar. O ano termina com esperança.

The Julen Lopetegui era is up and running, with victory at Crystal Palace on Saturday rooting the idea that West Ham United could enjoy a terrific campaign.

West Ham's new head coach has fielded the same starting line-up for the opening two weeks, losing at home against Aston Villa before claiming three points at Villa Park, with several fresh faces still waiting for their first starting berth.

There have been some impressive performers over the past few weeks, but not everyone has coated themselves in glory, with Michail Antonio particularly sub-par in both matches.

West Ham lining up Michail Antonio upgrade

Niclas Fullkrug was signed from Borussia Dortmund in a £27m package earlier this month, with the 31-year-old German carrying the strong and authoritative striking style to make a real difference in this West Ham team.

But it might be wise to strengthen further, especially since Danny Ings has been mooted to leave before the window closes on Friday evening. Antonio, 34, is clearly on the decline.

As such, there might be something in rumours that the Hammers are going to push for Tammy Abraham. According to Corriere dello Sport – Sunday edition, via Sport Witness – contacts have been made over the potential deal, with Roma hoping for €25m (£21m).

An initial loan signing is not out of the question, and while West Ham haven't yet presented an official offer for the 26-year-old, that could all change in the coming days.

What Tammy Abraham would bring to West Ham

Abraham missed the majority of last season due to a knee injury cruelly suffered in the final game of the 2022/23 campaign, only scoring once and starting twice in Serie A.

Still, the 11-cap England international is a proven goalscorer with an athletic style, and he could be Fullkrug's perfect counterweight at the front of the Irons ship, having been praised by Rio Ferdinand in the past for his "[Didier] Drogba-esque" approach.

"I saw elements in Tammy's game today that I hadn't seen as much as I'd have liked to. His hold-up play, coming to the ball and bringing others into play.

“First half, one ball went up to him, Didier Drogba-esque, chests it down for someone, runs on for the next phase – I think he's developing nicely. He's scoring goals, he's scoring different types of goals and I think he's a threat.”

AS Roma

120 (86)

37

13

Chelsea

82 (51)

30

10

Bristol City

48 (42)

26

4

Aston Villa

40 (40)

26

3

Swansea City

39 (21)

8

4

Abraham scores goals, and while he only bagged a nine-goal haul across 54 matches the season before, starting 35 times, he netted 27 times the year before, his first in Italy after signing from Chelsea for a £34m fee, en route to winning the Conference League.

Of course, his taste for European silverware was borne from his time at Stamford Bridge, winning the Champions League and the UEFA Super Cup during his time in west London, and given West Ham's own continental success in recent years, he might be the perfect addition.

And anyway, the "goal machine", as he has been praised in the past by former footballer and coach Stephen Elliott, would join a Hammers team replete with attacking talent, perhaps even coming to forge a deadly partnership with Mohammed Kudus.

Imagine him & Mohammed Kudus

Kudus has been with West Ham for one year now, signing from Ajax for a £38m fee late in August last year, and it's safe to say that he's held in high regard in east London.

Hailed as a "generational talent" by journalist Gary Al-Smith, Kudus is a purveyor of electric dribbling, utterly breathtaking in his breakneck movements up the field, ranking among the top 1% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for successful take-ons per 90 (3.97), as per FBref.

That basically means that Kudus dribbles, and he does it well. The Ghanaian winger has completed nine dribbles and won 20 duels across his opening two games of the Lopetegui regime and adds so much to the team, stretching lines and causing mayhem.

He scored 14 goals and added six assists during his first year in London, and could rise to the next level with a striker like Abraham in front of him.

Kudus isn't the most relentless of playmakers but his off-the-ball qualities add as much value as any through-balling No. 10 might. Abraham, as discussed earlier, offers excellent link-up play and has some nifty footwork besides, averaging a key pass per game over his opening two seasons in Serie A to highlight that additional dimension.

Overlapping and darting inside, Kudus varies his penetrative runs but will succeed wherever he opts to move toward, and for a striker blessed with the intelligence and spatial awareness of Abraham, it could be a terrific duo indeed.

Abraham was once predicted to become "one of the best strikers in the world" by Roma skipper Lorenzo Pellegrini, with his long-term injury and a team nosedive in form and fluency toward the end of Jose Mourinho's tenure derailing his hype.

But the 6 foot 3 centre-forward is both rangy and dynamic, offering plenty of qualities that Lopetegui's outfit could benefit from. Given that the objective this term is to fight to reclaim a place in Europe, hopefully scoring a top-six finish to return to the Europa League, West Ham would be wise to get this deal done.

After all, Abraham is a tried-and-tested goalscorer, and could prove to be a real menace alongside Kudus, whose quality would bring the best out of any forward worth their salt, but might just find a special connection with this one…

West Ham now one step away from signing "great" £19.5m Paqueta partner

The Hammers could land another summer signing…

ByTom Cunningham Aug 24, 2024

Jose Mourinho says he loves Pep Guardiola but wants to see justice served if Manchester City are found guilty of breaching FFP rules.

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Man City awaiting verdict on 115 chargesMourinho wants justice servedBut says he still love GuardiolaFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Mourinho and Guardiola have enjoyed a long and intense rivalry throughout their managerial careers. The two coaches clashed in Spain when Mourinho managed Real Madrid and Guardiola was at Barcelona. They came up against each other in Manchester too, as Mourinho took charge of United while Guardiola was at City.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The duo's rivalry has been back in the spotlight again recently with Mourinho aiming a jibe at Guardiola by claiming he won titles "fairly and cleanly" in reference to the Premier League currently charges hanging over the Cityzens. Guardiola has since hit back by pointing out his superior record when it comes to winning Premier League titles. Mourinho has now spoken again about the City boss and says he only wants to see justice served.

WHAT MOURINHO SAID

He told a press conference: "Pep and I worked together for three years, we know we love each other. It is not true that I want them to be relegated, what is true is that I want justice. Small teams can sometimes be penalised by FFP when they exceed their limits by five-to-ten euros. I also suffered due to the limits when I was at Roma. I don’t think this is fair. We love each other, he knows it. Words are one thing, feelings are another. All I want is justice, but we have no ill feelings towards each other."

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DID YOU KNOW?

The Premier League hearing into Manchester City's 115 charges has now concluded and a verdict is expected in February 2025.

Chelsea are closing in on another signing this summer after agreeing a £17m+ deal for the next exciting talent out of Brazil, according to recent reports.

Chelsea building for the future

It has been a strange two years since Todd Boehly's arrival at Stamford Bridge, with much of the first team sold off to fund moves for future gems.

Significant sums have been spent on players who are either yet to join or who have been sent out on loan for the most part, with only Romeo Lavia, Malo Gusto, Carney Chukwuemeka and Lesley Ugochukwu likely to be part of Enzo Maresca's squad for the upcoming Premier League season from the teenagers signed.

The method is yet to truly bear fruit either, with Chelsea finishing in a Europa Conference League spot last season despite five straight wins to end the season, a finish that saw them part ways with manager Mauricio Pochettino.

Meanwhile, homegrown talents are being sold off to make space for the additions; Ian Maatsen has joined Aston Villa this summer and Conor Gallagher is on the verge of joining Atletico Madrid, while Trevoh Chalobah continues to be ostracised from the squad amid reports he could leave the club too.

Chelsea agree deal for "Neymar-esque" forward

Chelsea have reportedly finally agreed a deal to sign 16-year-old Brazilian talent Gabriel Mec from Gremio. The attacker is yet to make a senior appearance for Gremio, and has just six U20 appearances to his name, registering one goal in the process.

However, he is already widely touted as a future superstar; Football analyst Ben Mattinson described him as "a 2-footed, skilful Brazilian attacker" with a "Neymar-esque play-style" on X. He tends to play in the wide areas or as a number 10, but it is added that "wherever he plays he’ll drop deeper or central to receive the ball".

Boehly now working to sell "the future of Chelsea" after £21m signing

The west Londoners have offered him out across Europe.

1

By
Emilio Galantini

Aug 3, 2024

Now, the same outlet that broke Chelsea's initial interest in the teenager have claimed that a deal has been agreed, with the Blues ready to pay in excess of 20m euros (£17m) with add-ons included.

Meanwhile, other reports claim Mec is "open to the move" to Stamford Bridge, where he would join a growing contingent of Brazilian youngsters with Estevao already set to make his way to west London to join Angelo and Andrey Santos.

Of course, Mec can not leave Brazil until he turns 18, which will see him head across the Atlantic in the summer of 2026 to join his new club. If he lives up to the weight of expectation that surrounds him, he could prove an excellent piece of business for the Blues, albeit at the cost of their current squad.

Past and present Premier League stars are set to feature in Amazon Prime Video's second season of 'Married To The Game'.

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'Married To The Game' returns for season twoWill feature four Premier League starsFollows the life of each WAGFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

After a hugely successful debut on Amazon Prime Video, 'Married To The Game' is returning for a second season with some familiar faces set to be involved. The series follows a select number of WAG's through their everyday lives as they juggle family life in the demanding world of professional football. In season two, Arsenal stars Gabriel and Jorginho will feature alongside their partners, as will Aston Villa's Leon Bailey, Chelsea's Marc Cucurella and Al Ahli's Riyad Mahrez.

AdvertisementAmazon Prime VideoWHAT AMAZON SAID

Promoting their hit show, Amazon added that season two will be bigger and better. A statement said: "Series two of the revealing and entertaining docuseries promises even deeper access into the lives of the wives and girlfriends of leading premiership footballers. Much more than just plus ones to their superstar partners, these women are success stories in their own right, juggling their own careers and big social media followings with being mothers, and supporting their partners’ all-consuming careers.

"Over the course of six episodes, viewers will get an unfiltered glimpse into life off the pitch, as the globetrotting couples do life in their own unique way. From private jets to 'Marbs', a glamourous wedding in Lake Como, to the rush of winning the Euros and gaining front row seats at Milan Fashion Week, the cameras will be there every step of the way with exclusive access into their lives."

DID YOU KNOW?

Mahrez and partner Taylor Ward, as well as Jorginho and his other half Cat Harding, are both returning having featured in season one. Amazon Prime Video have carefully selected three other couples to feature with the aim of giving fans a look into life at the top of the tree.

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Amazon Prime VideoWHAT NEXT?

The hit series will return to your TV exclusively on Prime Video in 2025. Until then, the featured WAGs and their partners will hope to continue thriving on and off the pitch as they wait in anticipation for their stories to be told.

England’s spin issues start at County Championship level, say senior bowler and new coach

George Dobell01-Mar-2021

Perhaps, after a fortnight or so when the topic of pitches has dominated the conversation, it was to be expected that an England player might eventually pass comment.Until this point, all the debate about the surfaces in India had been carried out in the media. The England team – and the England team management – have made no negative comment. Indeed, they’re reiterated the party line: the wickets have been challenging and they have been out-played on them by a fine India side.But, after a media conference in which the question was asked, then asked again and then asked in fancy dress, someone finally broke ranks. Jack Leach had a view. And yes, he was suggesting better wickets were required.The only issue – well, an issue for those hoping for a controversy to stoke more eye-catching headlines – was that Leach was talking about pitches in England. Echoing the comments of his captain, Joe Root, who called for “serious improvements” in the standard of county wickets after the third Test, Leach suggested that, if the county game was going to better prepare players for the spin challenge expected in Asia, it could start by preparing ‘better’ wickets.”My thoughts are that the wickets in county cricket in general need to be good surfaces to start with,” Leach said. “Then, if they can break up and bring spin into the game later on, I think that’s a good thing for producing spinners.”They can bowl in the first innings on good wickets. And then, in the second innings when things are starting to happen, they [learn to deal with] the pressure of being the guy who needs to try and bowl the opposition out. That’s the ideal, I think.”If the spinner is playing in a four-man attack with three seamers and a spinner, then I think the role of the spinner becomes more important. But if there’s four or five seamers [in the side], or a couple of batters that also bowl seam, then I think your overs [as a spinner] can really go down; especially on some of the county wickets I’ve played on in the last couple of years.”Leach built his reputation, in part at least, by bowling on wickets at Taunton which were rarely described as ‘good’. While they might provide pretty decent preparation for playing on surfaces such as those seen in Chennai and Ahmedabad in recent days – and they certainly helped Leach catch the selectors’ eyes – they are not the sort of pitches either he or Root have in mind.Dom Bess chats to spin consultant Jeetan Patel•Getty Images

Instead, they mean the sort of surface on which a spinner might be used in the first innings to offer control and variation – Root had suggested the sort of surface where teams routinely score 400 or 500 – and the sort of surface on which they may play an increasing role in the second as the wicket wears. In short, both Leach and Root are calling for surfaces which are better for batting, limit the influence of seamers armed with a Dukes ball and better replicate the conditions traditionally seen at Test level around the world. All of which seems reasonable enough.But quite how these comments are received around the county game remains to be seen. Certainly groundstaff, who might feel a little criticised here, could be forgiven for reacting with a rueful smile. As if their jobs, given the volume of cricket played in England each summer, is not already hard, asking them to prepare Test-quality batting surfaces in the early weeks of the county season is probably unreasonable. If England really want to improve their county surfaces, they will almost certainly have to improve their domestic schedule, and avoid playing the bulk of the season when seamers predominate.In 2021, eight of the 14 rounds of County Championship cricket are scheduled to take place before the end of May (four take place before the end of April) with four more rounds (and the Bob Willis Trophy final) taking place in autumnal September. That leaves just two rounds – eight days of cricket, in other words – scheduled to take place in July or August when surfaces might be expected to provide most assistance to spin bowlers.This was an issue hinted at by England’s newly-appointed spin-bowling coach, Jeetan Patel. But while Patel was happy to allude to the problem, he is also a realist. Just as he found a way to flourish in county cricket, he is adamant young spinners can “upskill” to the point they “can still contribute in April and September.” Related

Bess and Leach have their work cut out for them in India

Dom Bess and Jack Leach, a tale of two spinners

Dom Bess will be 'more than ready' for fourth Test

“There’s probably 20 or 30 options,” Patel said when asked how the development of England’s young spinners could be improved. “You could send spin groups away [on overseas camps], you could play [first-class cricket] in the middle of the year or the end of it.”Ultimately, we want to be playing on the best wickets possible, whether that’s one that does a little bit on day one, flattens out days two and three, and then spins on day four – that’s the ultimate. That would be the ideal and if you spoke to any player or coach in this group here, that’s what they would ask for because that is very close to Test cricket.”We want to build Test cricketers, that’s part of my job, and that’s what I want to see: how is a spinner going to affect a game on days one, two and three but also be a match-winner on day four.”But for me it’s [important to] upskill those [county spinners] so they can still contribute in April and September. That’s the thing we forget: there is an opportunity to contribute as a spinner, whether it’s going at two an over, taking two wickets in the first innings or three in the third or fourth. There are opportunities for spinners in England. At county level, the pitches are either over-prepared or under-prepared. So within that is an opportunity for spinners to succeed.”There’s so many good seamers flying around, as well. And at the end of the day the counties want to win games. Let’s not be too quick to say ‘we have to play a spinner in every XI’ because if we tour New Zealand, then there may not be an opportunity for a spinner to play in a Test match there. We also have to be prepared to pick teams that are going to win games.”Whatever wicket England encounter in Ahmedabad this week, it seems the answer to long-term improvement may lie much closer to home.

Glasgow Rangers have not been messing about this summer as they have acted quickly and decisively to bolster Philippe Clement's playing squad.

Head of recruitment Nils Koppen has been hard at work to secure several deals during the transfer window, which only officially opened for business earlier this month.

Oscar Cortes has been snapped up on a second loan from Lens, with an obligation to make it permanent next summer, left-back Jefte has joined from Fluminense, centre-back Clinton Nsiala will join from AC Milan next month, and midfielder Connor Barron has joined from Aberdeen.

The Gers are also reportedly keen on Motherwell forward Theo Bair and are said to be closing in on the signing of Morocco U23 international Hamza Igamane.

It has also been reported that the club are in advanced talks over a deal to snap up German forward Yusuf Kabadayi from Bundesliga side Bayern Munich for £1m.

The completed moves and the ones reported to be in the works show that Koppen is not resting in his efforts to bolster the squad, and the Belgian chief is now looking at an experienced addition to the side.

Rangers showing interest in Scotland international

After the signing of Barron, the Light Blues are reportedly looking to add another player to their midfield ranks as they are keen on a deal for Norwich City ace Kenny McLean.

According to the Daily Record, the Gers are ready to make a move for the Scotland international, who played for his country at the European Championship in Germany.

The report claims that the 32-year-old dynamo is one of the players on Koppen and Clement's list of targets as they look to improve the team ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.

It states that the Rangers recruitment team tracked the Scottish gem at the end of last season, as he competed in the Championship with the Canaries, and at the European Championship before his side's exit from the group stages at the weekend.

The Daily Record adds, though, that any move will be dependent on whether or not Norwich are prepared to cash in on their midfielder, who has two years left to run on his current contract.

Johannes Hoff Thorup has been appointed as their new manager, replacing David Wagner, and needs to evaluate his squad in pre-season before making any decisions, which may mean that the Gers have to wait to find out if McLean is an attainable target this summer.

If Koppen can get a deal over the line for the left-footed talent, though, then he could form an excellent partnership with fellow countryman Barron in the middle of the park.

Connor Barron's Premiership form for Aberdeen

The 21-year-old ace is coming off the back of an impressive season with Aberdeen in the Scottish Premiership, as he proved his quality in the division at a young age.

Barron played in 29 of his team's 38 matches in the top-flight and caught the eye with his contributions both in and out of possession in midfield.

On the ball, the Scottish youngster chipped in with one goal and three assists in 24 starts, with four 'big chances' created for his teammates in total.

He is not an outstanding offensive force who is likely to contribute with goals and assists on a regular basis but could make a healthy contribution from a deep-lying position.

On the other hand, Barron's work out of possession is particularly impressive as he dominated opposition players in midfield for the Dons last term.

As you can see in the table above, the young Scot won the majority of his battles on the deck and in the air, with a particularly dominant aerial duel success rate.

He also made 8.1 tackles, interceptions, and recoveries per game for Aberdeen, which shows that the new Rangers signing can consistently win possession back for his side each match.

At the age of 21, Barron also has plenty of time left ahead of him to develop and improve over the years to come and playing alongside someone with the experience that McLean has could be invaluable.

Why Rangers should sign Kenny McLean

Whilst there is a clear emphasis on signing young players with potential to grow, like Barron, Nsiala, Cortes, Igamane, and Jefte, the Gers will also need experienced leaders to help those prospects through the season.

McLean, 32, played over 250 Premiership games in his career before his move to Norwich in the summer of 2018, where he has since racked up 228 appearances.

The left-footed midfielder played 68 times in the Premier League and has featured in 139 Championship games to date for the Canaries, which shows that he has plenty of experience at a high level in Scotland and in England.

Therefore, McLean could have plenty of wisdom to impart to Barron during their time together at Ibrox, to help the 21-year-old prospect to fulfill his potential.

He is also coming off the back of an impressive campaign in the second tier with Norwich, as they finished sixth in the division to make the play-offs.

As you can see in the table above, McLean, like Barron, has the defensive quality and athleticism to consistently win the ball back for his side, as well as the creativity to chip in with assists.

The £25k-per-week midfielder, who was once dubbed "irreplacable" by ex-boss Daniel Farke, also showcased his physical dominance with a ground duel success rate of 62%, which shows that opposition players rarely get the better of him in battles on the deck.

These statistics suggest that he has similar attributes to Barron and that is why he could be the perfet, experienced, mentor to help the former Aberdeen man to thrive at Ibrox moving forward.

Rangers could land their own Grealish with exciting transfer move

The Light Blues have been linked with an interest in the attacking midfielder this summer.

By
Dan Emery

Jun 24, 2024

At the age of 32, the Canaries star could provide quality, with his defensive and offensive contributions, on the pitch immediately whilst also using his experience to improve the youngster for the future.