Ahead of the summer, Celtic have decisions to make on a number of players coming to the end of their contracts. One of those is Rocco Vata, the talented youngster who had looked set to leave Parkhead amid interest from Italy, only for the Hoops to open negotiations over a new deal. Celtic have made progress towards an agreement with the 18-year-old and an extension is now thought to be close.
The outlook is comparatively bleak when it comes to the future of midfielder David Turnbull, though. Speaking last month, Brendan Rodgers said he "won't lose sleep" over his refusal to pen fresh terms after unsuccessful talks last summer.
Player
Age
Joe Hart
36
Scott Bain
32
Rocco Vata
18
David Turnbull
24
Intriguingly, there could be some upheaval in the goalkeeping ranks in Glasgow, with both Joe Hart and Scott Bain into their final six months. And it seems Rodgers is already adamant about what he wants to do with the former.
Celtic to bid farewell to Hart
According to Football Insider, Celtic will replace Hart as their first-choice goalkeeper ahead of next season. The Scottish Premiership leaders are "actively seeking" a new number one in their preparations for the summer transfer window.
Celtic goalkeeper Joe Hart.
Rodgers is apparently happy to keep Hart between the sticks for the remainder of the current campaign, but he's "eager" to replace him straight away, with the position marked out as the "top priority" for the off-season.
Champions League exposes Hart as Kelleher eyed
It's slightly surprising that Hart's exit is already considered an inevitability given the extent of his involvement this season. He's played 29 games so far, starting all but one match across all competitions – he was suspended for the league game against Motherwell at the end of September after picking up a red card versus Livingston.
There hasn't even been rotation for the cup games, with Hart donning the armband against Highland League side Buckie Thistle last weekend, but that would appear to reflect Rodgers' doubts about the strength of his backup options rather than any overwhelming confidence in Hart.
Indeed, while he's kept 11 clean sheets this term, he struggled in the group stages of the Champions League. Celtic conceded a joint-competition high of 15 goals, and while that isn't automatically a knock on the 'keeper – sometimes there's nothing they can do – Hart only faced a post-shot xG total of 13.3, which gave him the fifth-poorest shot-stopping record in the tournament. Rodgers will want somebody who can truly hold their own against the toughest opponents.
Celtic could land dream O'Riley replacement in £3m Bernardo rival
Speculation is rife regarding the future of Parkhead’s new talisman…
ByRobbie Walls Jan 25, 2024
Who could Celtic go out and get, then? Well, one possible name is Liverpool's Caoimhin Kelleher. It was reported this week that they're considering a move for the Irishman, who wants to leave Anfield, but they're banking on Liverpool first lowering their £20m demands. As much as Rodgers may view him as a solution to his problems, there's a feeling that no suitor will even come close to that valuation.
Theoretically, even one more win could be enough for Chennai Super Kings to make it to the IPL 2019 playoffs. On the road for the second of four straight away games, they come into this contest four points clear of the second-placed team, riding the MS Dhoni wave. The Super Kings captain averages 107 this season, and surprisingly, has the best strike-rate (127.38) among their batsmen who have faced fifty or more balls.
Form guide
Knight Riders: lost to Capitals by 7 wickets, lost to Super Kings by 7 wickets, beat Royals by 8 wickets (most recent matches first)
Super Kings: beat Royals by 4 wickets, beat Knight Riders by 7 wickets, beat Kings XI by 28 runs
Apart from him, Ambati Rayudu has found some form, while lower-order batsmen like Ravindra Jadeja and Mitchell Santner have begun to establish themselves as big-hitting finishers. They find a way to post a par score on whatever surface they’re playing on nearly every time and take chases down right to the final delivery as often as possible. No opposition can afford to drop their intensity. You do that, and Super Kings will hurt you.Second-placed Kolkata Knight Riders, though, find themselves in a precarious position. They’ve lost their last two games and one more could see them slip from second to sixth place by the end of the weekend. They’ve found success batting second every time this season, but teams are slowly beginning to pick up their weakness: batting first. As Dinesh Karthik said after their loss to Delhi Capitals on Friday, Knight Riders are susceptible to leaving a few runs on the field, and their spin bowlers haven’t found too much help on the Eden Gardens surface.With a few injury concerns for Knight Riders, and five days until their next game against Royal Challengers Bangalore, defeat ahead of the break could dent their morale. But as long as Andre Russell’s by their side, they’ll know that they have a fighting chance right up to the final delivery.
In the news
Michael Hussey, the Super Kings batting coach, said Dwayne Bravo is still a few games away from attaining full fitness, and on a pace-friendly pitch, might consider recalibrating their spin-heavy bowling attack.
Simon Katich, the Knight Riders batting coach, believes Sunil Narine would be available for the match, while they’ll take a call on Chris Lynn (flu) and Russell (bruised thigh) on Sunday morning.
Harbhajan Singh accounted for Sunil Narine in the second over•BCCI
Previous meeting
The two sides met only four days ago, where Deepak Chahar and Harbhajan Singh left Knight Riders 47 for 6 into the 11th over. After that, Russell’s uncharacteristic – but much-needed – 44-ball 50 helped the team reach 108, but Super Kings chased it down with three overs and seven wickets to spare.
Make Dhoni face Lockie Ferguson’s express pace. He’s been iffy against fast bowlers – as witnessed against Jofra Archer earlier this week, when he took a blow flush on the helmet off a short-pitched delivery. Using Ferguson with a combination of Kuldeep Yadav or Sunil Narine against the CSK captain seems like the smartest way to keep him quiet. Against spin this season, Dhoni has a strike-rate of only 106, while against pacers who exceed 140+ kph, Dhoni has a strike-rate of less than 90, with a dot-ball percentage of 42.1.
Knight Riders could use Shubman Gill high up the order again. In the four IPL innings where he’s batting in the top 4, he averages 67.50 at a strike-rate of 150 in the IPL, including two half-centuries. When he bats below 4 – usually entering towards the back-end of the innings – his average plummets to 24.71 with a high dot-ball percentage of 52%.
Stats that matter
Super Kings’ run-rate of 6.10 in the Powerplay and 6.60 in between overs 7 to 15 is the lowest among all teams this season. Knight Riders run-rate of 12.80 in the last four overs is the highest in IPL 2019.
Knight Riders are chasing their 100th T20 win. Only Mumbai Indians, Super Kings, Lancashire, Nottinghamshire and Warwickshire have won more matches.
Super Kings have only won here once while batting first, and among all grounds this season, they fare the worst in Kolkata, with a win-percentage of only 40 since the IPL’s inception.
After Delhi Capitals lost to Sunrisers Hyderabad on Thursday night, even as presentations and handshakes and selfies and interviews went on, Capitals’ consultant Sourav Ganguly took the head groundsman of Feroz Shah Kotla to the match pitch. An animated conversation went on for 10 minutes or so. Hands were pointed towards the practice nets repeatedly, and also to the pitch and the square.This was Capitals’ third defeat in five games, two of them in three home matches. In a highly competitive league where teams look to maximise home advantage, Capitals have had to deal with a slow turner against sides whose strength is spin: Chennai Super Kings and Sunrisers. Their coach Ricky Ponting was at pains to emphasise his batsmen should be doing better and reading conditions much better, but he was also bemused at the surfaces his side has been getting.After game one – the defeat to Super Kings where they couldn’t get to 150 – Ponting said they would have to bat smartly because their home surfaces were now going to low and slow. Then in the next game both sides pushed 200, and Capitals won in the Super Over. The pitch was back to type in the third game.Asked if he was disappointed with “home” conditions, Ponting said: “At the end of the day, it’s the same pitch for both teams. But if you would have asked me, would I have wanted to play the Sunrisers on that type of pitch, there’s no [more] polar opposite wicket that you want to play the Sunrisers on. That absolutely suits them to the end of the ground. They’ve got spinners, and all their seamers all bowl slower balls. On that wicket when you bowl slower balls it’s not even possible [to hit big].”If the wicket’s going to keep being like that here, we need to think about selections in our team as well, because maybe our bowlers weren’t best suited to the wicket today. But as I said, it wasn’t expected. It wasn’t what the groundsman told us was going to be so we were all surprised as anybody else.”Ponting said they were told to expect the best of the pitches so far in Delhi. “I thought they bowled smartly on that wicket,” Ponting said giving credit to the Sunrisers bowlers. “I think it’s fair to say that that wicket surprised us a lot. Talking to the groundsman before that game, he expected it to be the best pitch out of the three wickets so far. By far and away, it was the worst. You saw how little it bounced and how slow it was. I thought their bowlers adapted to the conditions really well. They have got very skilful bowler in those conditions.”Sourav Ganguly and Ricky Ponting have a tough task ahead of them as team advisor and coach•BCCI
Having said that, Ponting said the onus was on them to find a way because neither the home ground nor the square can be changed. “This is our home ground,” Ponting said. “We need to learn how to play in these conditions better than the opposition, and in two of the three games so far, the opposition has played these conditions better than us so we definitely have to improve there.”Ponting was also left disappointed by his batsmen. It started with a Prithvi Shaw slog to an offcutter from Bhuvneshwar Kumar that left his off stump flattened. “I don’t think Prithvi Shaw played a great shot, considering how low the ball was bouncing,” Ponting said. “To try to hit across the line early on wasn’t a great shot. Some of our senior players probably didn’t bat long enough into the innings as well, to let us post a total that was going to be defendable. I mean, 130 was sort of short of what we were expecting. Even on a slow wicket, we expected our batting group to be able to get 160-165 on any surface when we bat first, and obviously, today we came a long way short. We need to talk about that. We need to find a way to get better there.”Ponting made it clear this performance was not acceptable. “I love the group of players that we’ve got here,” Ponting said. “I love the youthful exuberance of some of those youngsters we’ve got and we’ve got a good mix of experience around them. We’ve got Shikhar and Morris and Ingram and these guys. We haven’t got a completely young team by any stretch of the imagination. Even Rishabh and Shreyas have played four or five or six seasons of IPL themselves. They’re not inexperienced players.”But we all have to play better. It’s as simple as that. As a coach, I can’t accept a performance like that tonight. For a batting group as good as ours, to be able to get a 129, that’s not acceptable as far as I’m concerned as a coach. Our players have to accept that and we’ve got to find ways to get better next time.”
The legspinner thinks he’s a better bowler now than when he last played for Australia, and says his improved batting also furthers his case
ESPNcricinfo staff31-Jan-2019Melbourne Renegades legspinner Cameron Boyce believes he could do a job for Australia at the World Cup despite having never played ODIs.Boyce, 29, played seven T20Is between 2014 and 2016, and took eight wickets at an economy rate of 6.60 and a strike rate of 17.2.Boyce has had an outstanding BBL season thus far, after crossing from Hobart Hurricanes to Melbourne Renegades. He has taken 12 wickets at an economy rate of 6.18. It is the second-best economy rate of all legspinners in this season’s BBL behind Rashid Khan (6.00). However, Adam Zampa and Fawad Ahmed do have better strike rates and averages.But Boyce feels he is bowling better than when he represented Australia.”The last time I played for Australia, and the games I did play for Australia, I did a really good job,” Boyce told the . “I think my numbers show that. But I feel like I’m bowling even better now than what I was when I was playing for Australia.”Boyce was replaced by Zampa in Australia’s T20I side in March 2016. Zampa has played 20 T20Is since, taking 22 wickets at an economy rate of 6.00 and a strike rate of 18.2.Zampa has also played 34 ODIs in that time taking 42 wickets at an economy rate of 5.61. Meanwhile, Boyce has not played a List A match since October 2017. He lost his state contract with Tasmania and moved back to Queensland. He only plays grade cricket with Toombul outside of his BBL commitments with the Renegades.But Boyce does not want the Australian selectors to think he has given up hope of playing international cricket.”Realistically, do I think I’m on the radar? Probably not,” Boyce said. “But my numbers in the Big Bash show I could do that job. If I finish the year well, and if the Renegades go to the end, and even win the thing, and I’m bowling well, then you never know.”Do I think that I still have what it takes to bowl at that level? Yeah, absolutely I do.”Boyce added that his batting has improved markedly in recent years. He made a pivotal 51 not out from just 22 balls with five sixes in the Renegades win over the Sydney Thunder on Wednesday night. He even opened for the Renegades this season, albeit unsuccessfully. But he believes his batting is now a valuable asset.”I feel like my batting has improved so much,” Boyce said. “My batting has come a long way the last few years. I’m starting to think more like a batsman, rather than a tailender that can try and get a few runs away.”It’s about trying to dictate where the bowler’s going to bowl and predict that. I’ve been trying to get to the off side and clear the fence over the leg side. It’s becoming a vital part of anyone’s game, really.”If you have a team that can essentially bat all the way down to No. 9, 10 or 11 then that’s adding another string to your bow.”If you can go out there and clear the fence or get the runs that the team needs. If that’s one of the things they want then hopefully they’re thinking about me as well.”
Muito criticado em suas últimas passagens por Flamengo, Cruzeiro e Vasco, Abel Braga vem dando a volta por cima no Internacional. Campeão da Libertadores e do Mundial em 2006 com o Colorado, o treinador está em sua sexta passagem pelo clube e já alcança novos recordes e marcas.
A goleada dessa quarta-feira, sobre o São Paulo, por 5 a 1, que colocou os gaúchos na liderança do Campeonato Brasileiro, foi a maior já sofrida pelo Tricolor dentro do Morumbi. Esse foi também o maior placar da história do confronto entre os dois times.
O triunfo foi o 7º consecutivo no Brasileiro, a maior marca do Inter na era dos pontos corridos e a segunda da história, ficando atrás apenas do time de 1978, recordista com oito vitórias seguidas. Número que os comandados de Abel podem igualar na próxima rodada, quando irão encarar o Grêmio no clássico estadual.
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Liverpool might have dropped points last time out in the Premier League, but Jurgen Klopp can take much confidence from emerging from Manchester with a dogged draw against the formidable champions.
Perched near the summit, the Reds have restored their strength and style as one of the English top-flight's foremost outfits, and despite failing to qualify for the Champions League last term, look well on the way to achieving that this year.
With Fulham making the trip to Merseyside to face Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday afternoon, Klopp will look to field a strong line-up to ensure that his side avoids any hiccups and maintains their pursuit of the league title at the end of the campaign – with table-topping Arsenal only two points ahead before the matchweek began.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp.
Klopp will still be without Spanish midfielders Thiago Alcantara and Stefan Bajcetic, as well as left-back Andy Robertson, while Alisson Becker and Diogo Jota are now absent after picking up issues against Manchester City.
With this in mind, Football FanCast predicts that the hosts will make as many as seven alterations from the side that defeated LASK 4-0 in the Europa League on Thursday night…
1 GK – Caoimhin Kelleher
Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher.
Alisson is expected to be sidelined for a few weeks and Caoimhin Kelleher will deputise between the sticks in his place, with the 25-year-old Irishman making six appearances this season but yet to play a minute in the Premier League.
Appointed vice-captain in the summer following James Milner and Jordan Henderson's summer sales, Trent Alexander-Arnold has been revitalised following a disappointing 2022/23 campaign.
As per FBref, the England international ranks among the top 1% of full-backs across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for assists, the top 2% for shot-creating actions and the top 3% for progressive passes per 90.
After picking up an assist off the bench in midweek, he will be hungry to leave his mark once again against Marco Silva's side.
3 CB – Joel Matip
Liverpool defender Joel Matip.
Joel Matip is out of contract at the end of the season but he remains a crucial member of Klopp's ambitious squad, having started eight matches already in the Premier League this term.
The 32-year-old Cameroonian is imposing and deceptively skilful, and his partnership with Virgil van Dijk in front of Kelleher's goal will give Fulham a tough time bypassing.
4 CB – Virgil van Dijk
Virgil Van Dijk Liverpool
Some questioned Van Dijk after he – admittedly – flattered to deceive as Liverpool toiled last term. But the towering Dutchman is now back at his apex and has been simply sublime this season – a rock at the back and a galvanising leader.
As per Sofascore, the Red skipper has completed 92% of his passes this term, making 4.5 ball recoveries and 5.1 clearances per game and winning an incredible 80% of his duels, showcasing his importance to the squad.
5 LB – Kostas Tsimikas
luke-chambers-kostas-tsimikas-liverpool-opinion
Robertson's injury sent shivers of consternation throughout the voiceful Liverpool support, with Kostas Tsimikas branded “abysmal" by one LFC podcaster for a poor performance earlier in the season.
But the Greek international has grown into his starting berth over the past few weeks and bagged two assists against Brentford in the Premier League before the international break.
He will be expected to stand strong on home soil, offering creativity while preventing Fulham from causing an upset.
Signing from Brighton & Hove Albion for £35m in July, Alexis Mac Allister arrived with a weight of expectation after a stellar campaign on the south coast – sandwiching triumph at the 2022 World Cup with Argentina in the middle.
With Klopp deciding not to sign a starring defensive midfielder in the summer, Mac Allister has been fielded from deep throughout the lion's share of his time on Merseyside, and while he would prefer to play higher up the pitch, he has done a stellar job.
7 CM – Dominik Szoboszlai
tyler-morton-dominik-szoboszlai-liverpool-opinion
Dominik Szoboszlai has been phenomenal for Klopp's side in the engine room, starting all 13 fixtures and dazzling with his all-encompassing displays, completing 88% of his passes and averaging 7.1 ball recoveries and 2.2 key passes and 1.1 tackles per outing.
He will hold the key to unlocking Fulham's defence, orchestrating the attacking efforts from the centre, drifting forward and presenting a threat with his ferocious striking skills.
8 CM – Curtis Jones
curtis-jones-liverpool-premier-league
Curtis Jones' "flying start" to the season – as was said by The Athletic's James Pearce – took a detrimental blow after the Englishman was shown a red card against Tottenham Hotspur at the end of September.
With injuries meaning he only returned to the Premier League last week against Manchester City, Jones will be fervently hoping for a starting spot tomorrow in the place of Ryan Gravenberch, who started against LASK and has impressed since joining in August.
Ranking among the top 1% of midfielders for pass completion, the 22-year-old could instil the composure to dictate the flow.
9 RW – Mohamed Salah
leroy-sane-mohamed-salah-liverpool-opinion
Bagging a penalty against LASK on Thursday after a lively display, Mohamed Salah has now scored 199 goals for Liverpool, and you wouldn't bet against his getting on the scoresheet tomorrow.
The £350k-per-week goal machine is one of the Premier League's greatest-ever forwards, and he has been described as "one of the best" by pundit and former Manchester United star Rio Ferdinand.
10 LW – Luis Diaz
Liverpool winger Luis Diaz warming up.
Luis Diaz will be expected to retain his starting spot on the left wing after scoring and being substituted before the hour mark against LASK, with Klopp seemingly keeping one eye on the Colombian's fitness ahead of another start on Sunday.
Strengths
Weaknesses
Dribbling
Aerial duels
Finishing
Crossing
Passing
*Sourced via WhoScored
Jota may be out injured but Diaz has proved to be a tremendous attacking outlet for his side, with his mercurial efforts and tenacity down the left channel perhaps proving to be the difference-maker tomorrow.
علق أمير عزمي مجاهد لاعب ومدرب الزمالك السابق، على الأزمة المشتعلة في الفترة الأخيرة بين اللاعب المغربي محمد الشيبي الظهير الأيمن لنادي بيراميدز وحسين الشحات لاعب الأهلي.
وكان الثنائي محمد الشيبي وحسين الشحات وقعت بينهما أزمة بسب صفع الشحات لـ الشيبي في المباراة التي أقيمت بين الفريقين نهاية الموسم الماضي.
ولجأ الشيبي إلى القضاء المدني بعد قرار لجنة المسابقات في رابطة الأندية ضد حسين الشحات بإيقافه لمباراتين فقط وتغريمه 20 ألف جنيه، وكان النادي الأهلي قد وقع غرامة أيضًا على الشحات في تلك الواقعة.
وكانت محكمة جنح مدينة نصر أصدرت قرارًا بمعاقبة حسين الشحات، بالحبس سنة مع إيقاف التنفيذ.
وشهدت مباراة الأهلي وبيراميدز الأخيرة، تدخل قوي من محمد الشيبي ضد حسين الشحات وتم طرده من المباراة بشكل مباشر، وحاول اللاعب المغربي الوصول إلى الشحات للمشاجرة معه خلال اللقاء.
طالع | سيد عبد الحفيظ: ما حدث في مباراة الأهلي وبيراميدز مؤسف.. وما فعله الشيبي كارثة
وقال عزمي مجاهد خلال تصريحات لبرنامج”الهدف” المذاع على قناة “أون تايم سبورت 2”: “السبب في كل هذه الأزمة اللوائح والقرارات الضعيفة التي صدرت في بداية الأمر”.
وأضاف: “الشيبي دخل بقوة على حسين الشحات نعم، لكن يجب أن نضع في اعتبارنا أن محمد الشيبي بني آدم، عندما تنضرب بالقلم وتُسب بأمك بشكل مستفز، الطبيعي لو حصلت معايا واتحاد الكرة لم يأت بحقي، والله العظيم مطلعوش من الملعب”.
وتابع: “القصة كلها إن العقوبات على المزاج، واقعة الصفع إذا حصلت في أي دوري من الدوريات كان من الممكن أن اللاعب يتشطب فيها”.
وأتم: “أنا ضد أن يكون اللاعب مؤذي في الملعب، لكن هذا حدث بعد عدم الحصول على حقه، ولا أحد يقول هذه رياضة، لو رياضة، أطبق القوانين ويوجد عدل في العقوبات وقتها نقول إنها رياضة”.
Aston Villa are ready to bolster their attacking options in the January transfer window, with new reports linking the Villans to one of the most in form forwards in world football.
Unai Emery’s side have made an astonishingly strong start to the 2023/24 campaign, sitting just one point outside the Premier League’s top four as Villa Park reinstates itself as a fortress.
Villa are unbeaten in 12 home games in the league, highlighting their progression under Emery, however it’s been suggested in the media that there are further squad improvements to be made.
In the summer, the Spaniard was joined by president of football operations, Monchi, with the task of recruiting the next wave of quality acquisitions to be part of his project in the Midlands.
Youri Tielemans, Pau Torres, Moussa Diaby, Nicolo Zaniolo and Clement Lenglet arrived during the transfer window, with additional resources now being scanned for the remainder of the campaign.
Aston Villa transfer targets
While the summer arrivals have mostly settled into life at Villa Park well, none of the captures can be identified as a centre-forward, which seems to be an area that Emery is plotting to expand in the winter.
One player said to be of interest to the Villans is a name already well-loved in the Midlands, with news in Italy, relayed by Sport Witness, naming Tammy Abraham as a potential target in January.
The report claims that Villa are 'in the picture' for the Roma striker, who could be offloaded by Jose Mourinho’s side in the near future.
Tammy-abraham-aston-villa
Abraham spent the 2018/19 season on loan at Villa under Dean Smith, with his 26 goals in the Championship being integral to the Villans earning promotion to the Premier League that year.
While the Englishman has a stellar reputation in the Midlands, he isn’t the most prolific striker that Villa have been linked to ahead of the January window.
Another forward that Emery’s side have been quoted with having an interest in is Stuttgart talisman Serhou Guirassy, who has been one of the most in-form strikers in Europe this season.
A report from TEAMtalk late last month referenced Villa’s interest along with that of Fulham, Spurs and Everton, as the hunt for the 27-year-old heats up in the Premier League.
Astonishingly, the accomplished forward is reported to have a mere release clause of just €20m (£17m), meaning he could be available for an extremely low fee in January.
Getting a player for cheap in the current state of the market is one strength, but just how good is Guirassy, and how could he fit in at Villa?
Serhou Guirassy’s playing style
Described as a player that is 'devouring Bundesliga defences' by scouting site The Analyst, the forward has found sanctuary playing under Sebastian Hoeness at Stuttgart.
Standing at 6 foot 2, the towering striker has a lot of skills in his locker, with his ability to hold the ball up and link with those around him being one of the most notable assets of his dominating frame.
Fellow scouting site Breaking the Lines lauded the 27-year-old’s 'ability to create goals out of nothing' as one of his strongest points, dubbing that element of his game as one that 'emphasises his genius'.
While pace is not his strongest point, Guirassy tends to find sanctuary in linking with the forwards without him, suggesting that he could be the ideal fit for Villa, who have no interest in replacing their talisman to welcome a new forward.
The stats that show Serhou Guirassy would be a good signing for Aston Villa
Comparable to the likes of Harry Kane and Erling Haaland for his scoring proficiency by FBref, the Guinea international has been the most efficient goalscorer in Europe’s top five leagues over the past year.
Averaging a mammoth 1.01 non-penalty goals per 90, the 27-year-old ranks in the top 1% in Europe over the past 365 days in that regard, telling of his clinical nature in front of goal.
Once lauded as “insane” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, Guirassy is an undoubted presence in the final third, supported by his average of 3.34 shots on goal per 90.
In the Bundesliga, the forward has already improved his total of 11 goals last season this term, having netted a monstrous 14 goals in eight league games for the Bavarians already.
The Stuttgart ace could offer a host of benefits to Villa, particularly in Emery’s rotated formation of 4-4-2, which could see him fully utilise the duo leading the line by pairing Ollie Watkins with the £17m man.
How Serhou Guirassy could fit in with Ollie Watkins
Back in April, Emery told The Athletic of his “idea” to “add another striker” to play alongside Watkins in the summer.
While no identifiable centre-forward was acquired in the window, the Spaniard has found joy in unleashing club-record capture Moussa Diaby as the second part of the duo selected to lead the line.
In playing a 4-4-2, Emery could easily rotate his squad to accommodate Guirassy to play alongside Watkins, in a move that could not only benefit the front line, but Diaby too, who could once again assume his favoured position on the flanks.
Like Watkins, Guirassy enjoys linking with those around him to utilise his presence on the pitch and in the Englishman, he could find the perfect partner to join forces with.
Watkins vs Guirassy – 2023/24 league campaigns
Statistic
Ollie Watkins
Serhou Guirassy
Appearances
10
8
Goals
5
14
Scoring frequency
172 minutes
46 minutes
Shots on target per game
1.4
2.3
Conversion rate
16%
44%
Key passes per game
1.9
1.9
Figures via Sofascore
As highlighted in the table above, both players are reliable scorers for their teams, boasting the ability to not only put the ball in the net, but to link play also through their creative strengths.
The duo’s shared average of 1.9 key passes per game tells an interesting story of their capability to act as the playmaker, rather than just the hitman.
That element alone could see Emery extend his side’s productivity in the final third, by cloning Watkins to add more firepower in the form of Guirassy, whose goal-scoring presence could fuse with the tactical know-how of Villa’s star man.
Aston Villa forward Ollie Watkins.
The options are endless for the Spaniard with reference to how he could best utilise the duo, however with only Jhon Duran as the other recognisable centre-forward in the squad at present, welcoming additional reinforcements to that area could only bolster the front line going forward.
In signing one of the most in-form strikers in Europe, Emery could take his team to the next level, by expanding the squad and boosting the potential for goals at Villa Park.
Fernando Torres was tearing the net with some outrageous goals in Liverpool Legends training as Sven-Goran Eriksson watched on.
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Torres back the AXA Training Centre
Looked in fine scoring touch
Will be in action against Ajax Legends at Anfield
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WHAT HAPPENED?
The Liverpool legends were sweating it out in a pre-match session at the AXA Training Centre on Friday under the watchful eyes of Eriksson – who is set to see his Liverpool dream come true in a Legends clash with Ajax.
Torres was in scorching form in training as he found the net on several occasions. He was seen scoring a trivela after a deft first touch, his second was a typical poacher's goal from inside the box, went on to pierce the net for the third time with an outrageous back-flick and completed his scoring spree with a bullet shot from outside the penalty area.
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THE BIGGER PICTURE
Apart from Torres, Dirk Kuyt, Martin Skrtel, Ryan Babel, Maxi Rodriguez and many more Liverpool legends went through their paces in Kirkby. It will be a special afternoon at Anfield as the stars from the past will get an opportunity to roll back the years in front of the Kop against the Ajax Legends.
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WHAT NEXT?
It will be a packed house at Merseyside on Saturday afternoon as the charity match has been sold out. And if Torres can replicate his training form on matchday, the fans will be treated to a gala time before serious business resumes in the Premier League next weekend with a clash against Brighton lined up.
His century in Multan was a reminder that Pakistan can still be on the right side of Test-match rejoicing
Danyal Rasool08-Oct-2024Pakistan domestic cricket is an unglamorous, hard watch, and you can tell Salman Agha was shaped by its caring, if calloused, hands – he is as close as you can get to a personification of it. The red-ball domestic system is constantly shapeshifting, and Salman’s own adaptability – from pressure absorber to pressure transmitter, from second fiddle to leading man – reveals the turbulent fires his game and personality have been welded in. Since making his international debut, Salman has rarely been in the spotlight; not stylish enough as Saud Shakeel, not charismatic enough as Mohammad Rizwan, and shunted to the outposts of the lower-middle order.His understated nature extends off the field. You speak to him and sense there’s a grin tugging at the corners of his mouth, a man who, despite reaching the other side of 30, never forgets he’s ultimately playing cricket for a living, and thus life isn’t that bad. Even his unbeaten 104 feels like the footnote to an impressive Pakistan innings, devoid of the delightful panache of Abdullah Shafique or the engrossing personal narrative of Shan Masood’s effort.When Salman came out, Pakistan had lost two quick wickets and were wobbling at 393 for 6. Just two Tests ago, a first-innings score of 448 for 6 declared against Bangladesh had resulted in a ten-wicket defeat.Related
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The first ball of the second session on Tuesday was a harbinger for England; Jack Leach pitched one up, and Salman half-volleyed it through the covers. It was the defining match-up of the session; Leach would bowl 61 balls to him with Salman plundering 65 runs off them. It included three sixes, one in fortunate circumstances as Chris Woakes caught him on the long-off boundary, only to leave a trailing foot planted outside the rope as he took the catch upon his return into the field of play. The call may have gone either way, and upon his reprieve, Salman chuckled before launching Leach over long-on the very next ball. Salman later said he looks to attack “all spinners in any situation”, but Leach – at the receiving end of more of Salman’s milestones – was singled out. He was clipped for the couple that brought up Salman’s half-century, smashed for the boundary that fetched him his 1000th run, and milked for the run that got him his century.The word in vogue is aura, and Salman has precisely none of it. It is perhaps that which discombobulated Salman as he batted on with Shaheen Afridi. England’s field settings bordered on the curious by this time, the visitors leaving several fielders in the deep towards the end of overs allowing him to farm the strike. Even when Abrar appeared to be trying to get out, England made him work to give his wicket away, Jamie Smith missing a straight stumping before Gus Atkinson put down a sitter. Abrar had a look of amusement at the other end; England might have been bored by this point, but having done this for over a decade in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, Salman is close to unboreable.But his nonchalance belies a steel that has been present since the day he made his Test debut. Runs scored with the lower order intrinsically feel lower-value, but Salman’s have been anything but. In this WTC cycle, Pakistan have scored exactly 2000 runs from batting positions five to eight, averaging 44.44 runs per wicket – no other side betters that. If you’re in any doubt about Salman’s outsized role in that statistic, here’s another one; no batter in world cricket has managed more runs in positions 7-8 than Salman’s 946 since he made his debut. If you consider Pakistan’s top-order-batting woes for the best part of Salman’s time in the side, those have not been bonus runs, but Pakistan’s bread and butter.Salman’s adaptability was on show in Multan•Getty ImagesFor the last year, Pakistan have been present at the scene of much Test-match rejoicing. Australia enjoyed themselves so much that David Warner, coming out to bat in his farewell Test to seal a series whitewash over Pakistan, allowed himself a beer at lunch before knocking off the winning runs. Bangladesh’s exultation was on an altogether higher plane, their Test series victory in Pakistan seen as an optimistic portent in the wake of a revolution.The last two days, Pakistan have got something of a taste of how all that felt in a remarkable inversion of the script. It was England who lined up with a bowling attack that looked wholly unsuited to these conditions, the next 149 overs dishing up further proof. England missed a key chance by inches to get Salman out early, the frustration exacerbated as he went on to reach three figures. It was England that lost their discipline and intensity as Pakistan’s last four put on 163.Pakistan were the side backing a struggling batting line-up, eschewing the ever-present temptation of frenetic changes. And – heaven above! – Pakistan were even taking stunners, Aamer Jamal refusing to let his magical Australian summer fade as England’s last-minute opener Ollie Pope was sent packing inside two deliveries. Even as England’s subsequent partnership delivered its reality check, Pakistan finally had the chance to remind themselves that is what made it all so much fun.And with Salman’s wide grin reminding them every single day, who could really forget?