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No-nonsense approach from rookie reaps rewards in record-breaking display

Vithushan Ehantharajah02-Dec-2022

Harry Brook walks off after making 153 from 116•AFP/Getty Images

After scoring 506 for four on the opening day of the first Test in Rawalpindi, Ben Stokes had one last word for his charges ahead of day two. “We’ve broken some records yesterday, let’s try and break some more today.” Harry Brook took those words to heart.In a remarkable morning session that saw England add 151 more runs to finish their first innings on 657, Brook smashed 54 from 35 balls to finish on 153 from 116 in only his second Test innings. With that came the accomplishment of scoring 150 faster than any other Englishman, smashing (by 20 balls) the mark of 135 that Stokes set in a similar onslaught against South Africa in Cape Town seven years ago. He is the fourth quickest to 150 overall, with Brook’s head coach Brendon McCullum still out in front with a 103-ball effort against Sri Lanka in 2014.As it happens, it was on the way past his captain that Brook broke a record of his own, one that had not even stood for 24 hours. After clubbing six fours in a row off Saud Shakeel to become the first Englishman to achieve the feat in a single Test over, he went three better on Friday with 27 off legspinner Zahid Mahmood. This one featured four fours and a six, clubbed effortlessly down the ground, and it could have been as high as 30, had he got hold of the final delivery, instead of top-edging a swipe for three down to fine leg.”With the amount of runs we had on the board, we had the freedom to go out and play however we wanted,” Brook explained, wide-eyed like a kid told he’d be left home alone with a stocked drinks cabinet. “I wouldn’t say I was being reckless until I got out, but no, I took the positive option and played my shots.”It hasn’t been a bad few weeks for Brook, who became a world champion with England in the T20 World Cup before enjoying a fortnight at home to move into a new house, before heading out here. And just as he has shown across formats, there was no discernible change in how he went into both days, beyond a projected liberation that his maiden Test century was now under his belt, by the time he walked back to the middle on Friday morning, resuming on 101 not out.As ever with Brook, it was a no-nonsense approach, rooted in sensibility. When discussing his 27-run over, he was as matter-of-fact as you would expect a Yorkshireman to be, especially when comparing it to Thursday’s 24.”That first set he bowled six bad balls and I just put them away, the second set obviously he came round the wicket, I felt like reverse was quite a free option, so I took it on first ball and then had to change, and then it got later in the over and I was getting closer to the record, so my eyes lit up then.”Related

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What was noticeable was how the crowd seemed to vibe most with Brook. That he is engaging to watch is one thing, but there was a sense this local Pindi crowd were enamoured by someone they might, in some way, consider one of their own. He enjoyed a fruitful spell with Lahore Qalandars in the Pakistan Super League – 264 runs at 52.80, including a top score of 102 not out – and wowed all watchers during England’s T20 series in the country a couple of months ago.”Obviously I’ve had quite a bit of experience [in Pakistan] but I’ve never played here before – so to come here and the pitch is quite similar to the other grounds is quite nice.”I feel like it’s true, so you can play it as it comes down really, if it’s there to drive, drive and if it’s there to cut, cut it.”As for how he expects England to find 20 wickets from this surface, he remained tight-lipped.”I can’t tell you that, we’ve got three days to play yet!” he joked when pressed on any tactics. “We went through a few plans there, probably stick to bowling straight. It’s going to start getting lower I think, and it’s going to start going underground.”If we start there hopefully we can get a few lb[w]s which keep low and obviously we tried the bouncers. It’s just about striking at the right time and going bang, bang really.”

Sporting CP were crowned champions of Portugal after a Viktor Gyokeres-inspired 2-0 victory over Vitoria ensured back-to-back titles.

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• Sporting CP win Portuguese title
• Gyokeres scores again to claim crown
• Club edge out Benfica to finish top

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Going into the final game of the season, Sporting and Benfica were level on 79 points, with the former leading on goal difference. Benfica travelled to Braga knowing they had to better their rival's result and were unable to do so. Braga held Benfica to a 1-1 draw and when Gyokeres doubled Sporting's advantage after Pedro Goncalves' opener, the title was assured. The club, consistently troubled by Gyokeres' exit rumours and Ruben Amorim's mid-season departure, will be relieved to be crowned kings of Portugal once again.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  This is the second title in as many seasons for Sporting CP and Amorim can take a lot of credit for the work he did in building this squad. In 2021, the coach led the club to their first title since 2002, before winning it again in 2024 and starting this season as boss. He also brought Gyokeres to the club, who has scored 53 goals in 51 games for Sporting this season.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Arsenal have been strongly linked with the signing of Gyokeres. The Gunners have been searching for the perfect number nine for a few years now and could see the Swedish man as the best choice for them. They have reportedly made a €75 million approach for the goal-machine's services.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR SPORTING?

  The club from Lisbon can revel in their success on Saturday night. Beating their city rivals will offer extra jubilation to already wild scenes prompted by that Gyokeres goal to make it 2-0. Keeping hold of their star man beyond this summer may prove tricky, however.

MatériaMais Notícias

Saindo do comum, o Coritiba anunciou uma parceria internacional com o Norwich no início deste mês. Segundo o comunicado oficial do Coxa, a relação entre os dois clubes será trabalhada de maneira estratégica, integrando o departamento de futebol e o de marketing e comunicação.

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>LANCE! mostra a lista dos dez jogadores mais valiosos do mundo

Na opinião dos especialistas, esse projeto evidencia a busca dos clubes brasileiros pela profissionalização na área de gestão. E os times europeus podem servir como um espelho, sobretudo aqueles que disputam as principais ligas do futebol mundial, como é o caso do Norwich, que até a temporada passada estava disputando a Premier League.

Para Armênio Neto, especialista em negócios no esporte, o Brasil vive um momento de transformação na indústria do futebol em que a estruturação dentro e fora de campo é fundamental.

– Buscar e trocar conhecimento com times onde a indústria está mais desenvolvida é parte disso. Não importa se o clube é uma SAF ou não, é preciso se aperfeiçoar e evoluir nos processos e governança, seja para atrair investimento ou ser competitivo em um cenário cada vez mais exigente – acrescenta Armênio.

Bernardo Pontes, especialista em marketing esportivo, acredita que essa aproximação pode trazer novos insights para todas as áreas de gestão do clube. Porém, ele também destaca a importância de adquirir conhecimento e elaborar uma estratégia que torne viável a implementação dessas melhorias no cotidiano da equipe brasileira:

– Além da troca de informações, essas parcerias podem contribuir para a internacionalização da marca. Trata-se de um trabalho a longo prazo, que necessita de planejamento e constante aperfeiçoamento. É um movimento que tende a crescer, porque os clubes estão vendo que ainda há um mercado a ser explorado em outros países.

Além dessa integração com o Departamento de Marketing, o Coritiba também pretende enviar jogadores da base em programas de intercâmbio para a Inglaterra nos próximos anos. Júnior Chávare, diretor de futebol com larga experiência em captação de atletas com passagens por Atlético-MG, São Paulo e Grêmio, destaca o diferencial dessa parceria:

– É importante perceber conceitos estando inserido dentro de um clube, sobretudo no futebol inglês, em que as equipes conseguem prevalecer através do profissionalismo. Nesse caso, é uma oportunidade de, efetivamente, conseguir transformar informação em conhecimento. Isso não apenas nas questões táticas e técnicas, mas também nas áreas de fisiologia, nutrição, entre outras. Os dois clubes tendem a ganhar com esta troca de informações e conhecimento.

There have been several standout players for Nottingham Forest this season, in what has been a fantastic campaign so far. The East Midlands side are flying in the Premier League, with Chris Wood their top goalscorer. The New Zealand striker has 12 goals to his name in the top flight.

Anthony Elanga has also been a standout player for the men in Garibaldi Red. The Manchester United academy graduate has three goals and four assists in the top flight. That is just three more goals and assists than the other first-choice winger for Forest, Callum Hudson-Odoi, who has two apiece.

Perhaps the star of the show for Forest this season, however, has been Morgan Gibbs-White.

Gibbs-White’s stats in 2024/25

It has been a season to remember for Forest number ten, Gibbs-White, after what was quite a slow start to the campaign. He has four goals and three assists in 16 top-flight games this term but has been especially profitable in the last few games.

The former Wolverhampton Wanderers man has scored or assisted six goals in his last six games across competitions. That included a goal and assist against Man United at Old Trafford in a 3-2 win at the start of December.

He is clearly highly regarded in the footballing world. Despite patchy form at the start of the season, former England interim manager Lee Carsely called him up to the national team and promptly gave him his debut. He called the 24-year-old “difficult to play against”, which is high praise indeed.

It seems like Gibbs-White is back to his best, which is a huge benefit for Forest. However, he is believed to be of ‘keen interest’ to Premier League sides Liverpool, Manchester City, Newcastle United and Aston Villa, who could all try and sign him, according to the Mail.

In the event of the Forest talisman leaving the club, they might well already have a replacement lined up.

Forest's perfect Gibbs-White replacement

The player in question here is attacking midfielder Habib Diarra. According to a report from Asromalive.it earlier this week, the East Midlands outfit are targeting the midfielder, who could cost upwards of £17m. They could go up against fellow Premier League side Everton in the race to sign the 21-year-old.

Should Forest get a deal over the line to sign Diarra, they would be adding a “big talent” to the club. At least, that is what football talent scout Jacek Kulig described him as, which certainly bodes well for the City Ground faithful.

Indeed, the versatile midfielder has had a strong season so far in 2024/25 for Ligue 1 side Strasbourg. The Senegalese midfielder has scored four goals and has one assist in 15 French top-flight games this season, including one on the first day of the season.

He is also a brilliant leader, as shown by the fact he has captained the club in all the Ligue 1 games he has played, much like Gibbs-White in Nottingham.

Not only does he play a similar role to the Forest skipper, as an advanced number eight or number ten, but the numbers are also up there with the former Wolves man, too.

Statistically, you can see the similarities between the two when comparing them on FBref. Their ball-carrying numbers stack up well, with Diarra averaging 2.39 progressive carries per game and Gibbs-White only slightly more, with 2.73.

Creatively, the Strasbourg midfielder averages 4.65 progressive passes per 90 minutes, compared to the Forest playmaker’s 5.18 each game.

Diarra & Gibbs-White compared
Stat (per 90)	Diarra	Gibbs-White
Progressive carries	2.39	2.73
Progressive passes	4.65	5.18
Key passes	0.85	1.87
Shot-creating actions	1.9	3.96
Ball recoveries	3.17	4.6
Stats from FBref

There is no doubt that losing Gibbs-White would be a huge blow for Forest. The attacking midfielder is the talisman of the East Midlands outfit and would not be easy to replace. Yet, they may have found someone who can.

For a fair price of just £17m, they could bring in a talented creative midfielder with an eye for goal, who is also a great leader. That could easily be a description of Gibbs-White. It certainly seems like Diarra could be a fantastic addition to the men in Garibaldi Red.

PL rivals want him: Forest could face awful Johnson repeat over £60m star

The Forest star is wanted by PL rivals

By
Joe Nuttall

Jan 8, 2025

Manchester United are reportedly set to have a summer transfer budget of £200 million, but the amount is dependent on one major condition.

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• Man Utd plan summer squad overhaul
• Amorim will have access to £200m budget
• Will have to make sales before inward transfers

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  United undertook a massive overhaul of their dressing room last season and also shuffled around a lot of their backroom staff to give Erik ten Hag the best possible conditions to succeed at Old Trafford. However, that effort flopped as the Dutchman was sacked and replaced by Ruben Amorim, who has failed to impress with Ten Hag's squad and wants to get his own players in this summer.

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  There were concerns about United's financial condition this summer as questions were raised as to whether the Red Devils would be able to sign players of Amorim's choice. However, The Sun has now reported that the 13-time Premier League champions will have a transfer kitty of around £200 million ($260m) for Amorim to use in the next transfer market.

• TELL ME MORE…

  However, as is always expected with Manchester United, good news is always accompanied by a condition. In this case, the report has suggested that for the Red Devils to raise the £200 million transfer budget this summer, they will first have to make a number of sales, regardless of whether they are at lower transfer fees or not.

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• WHAT NEXT FOR MAN UTD?

  The likes of Marcus Rashford, Antony and Jadon Sancho are highly likely to leave United, along with Christian Eriksen, Casemiro and one of either Kobbie Mainoo or Alejandro Garnacho. However, another thing they will need to do is get Champions League football for next season by winning the Europa League to try and entice new players to join them.

Liverpool were out of sorts as they drew against struggling Manchester United at Anfield for the second season running, but Arne Slot’s side remain in a noble position at the top of the Premier League.

Six points clear of Arsenal and Nottingham Forest in joint-second (with a game in hand), the Reds know that they will only have themselves to blame if they fail in their quest for the prize.

Off-field contract distractions felt like they seeped onto the pitch as Ruben Amorim’s United called upon long-lost fluency to impress as they claimed a point off their arch-rivals, Trent Alexander-Arnold bearing the brunt of Merseyside’s reprovals.

Regardless of how these issues resolve themselves, Liverpool will need to strengthen in 2025. Hopefully, FSG succeed in tying Trent, Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk down, keeping the club’s key framework in place and allowing for investment in other areas.

Liverpool targeting a new winger

As per TEAMtalk, Liverpool are keeping a close eye on Napoli superstar Khvicha Kvaratskhelia with hopes of securing a deal this year. That said, so are Manchester United.

The report claims that Slot’s side showed interest last August but ultimately kept the faith in Cody Gakpo and Luis Diaz, the latter being linked with moves to Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain.

Kvaratskhelia earns ‘peanuts’ in Naples at £32k-per-week, and though his club are seeking to extend his stay on bumper new terms, there is an opportunity there for Liverpool to strike.

Diaz, 28 in less than a week, is contracted until 2027 but could be sold for the right price, should a new deal fail to materialise. Kvaratskhelia would be the ultimate replacement, though Napoli have placed a £90m price tag on his name, meaning Liverpool would need to break their transfer record.

What Kvaratskhelia could bring to Anfield

Described as a “phenomenon” by Italian football pundit Mina Rzouki, Kvaratskhelia is the jewel in Napoli’s crown, the poster boy now that Victor Osimhen has fled to Galatasaray on loan as he waits for a permanent transfer away.

Still only 23, the balletic winger notably ranks among the top 1% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for total shots taken, the top 9% for progressive carries and the top 18% for successful take-ons per 90, as per FBref.

His fleet-footedness blends perfectly with clinical offensive qualities and an authoritative aura that stems, perhaps, from being the main man for his nation.

Georgia dazzled at Euro 2024 as they reached the knockout phases and lost valiantly against eventual winners Spain, and Kvaratskhelia “lived up to his reputation” – said analyst John Walker – as the team’s talisman.

The caveat to Liverpool’s interest is of course that Diaz would need to leave for him to be welcomed to Anfield’s pitch, but given that FBref records the Colombian to be one of his most tactically similar players, there’s a good chance that he would hit the ground running under Slot’s wing.

But the Napoli sensation might actually prove to be an upgrade on the thriving Gakpo, who has been incisive in recent weeks and has four goals and an assist from his past five Premier League fixtures.

Matches (starts)

19 (11)

17 (15)

Goals

6

5

Assists

2

3

Shots (on target)*

1.7 (0.6)

2.9 (1.0)

Big chances missed

4

2

Pass completion

84%

83%

Key passes*

1.0

1.7

Dribbles*

1.1

1.1

Total duels won*

3.1

4.2

Focus your attention on Kvaratskhelia’s keen clinical edge, having missed just two big chances in Serie A this season. In fact, the 23-year-old has only missed 16 big chances since joining Napoli at the start of the 2022/23 campaign, as per Sofascore, scoring 28 goals in total.

That’s a ball-striking quality to rival Gakpo’s while bringing a more electric and dynamic approach, as far as his overall play goes. He might even be Liverpool’s best left winger since the halcyon days of Sadio Mane.

Mohamed Salah might have unbelievable potency, but Mane was every bit as deadly in one of the Premier League’s all-time great frontlines, with Jurgen Klopp even hailing his maverick as a “world-class” player. It’s something that was echoed across all of Merseyside and beyond.

Like Kvaradona, Mane boasted blistering speed and deft, artful dribbling, with an innate striker’s sense that saw him bag so many goals due to his expert movements. Moreover, he was deadly when striking on goal, only missing 13 big chances during his final Premier League campaign with the Reds, clinching 16 goals as Liverpool narrowly missed out on the title.

Across 269 Liverpool appearances, Mane, now 33 and plying his trade for Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League, scored 120 goals and supplied 42 assists, though the magnitude of his brilliance under Klopp’s wing was something not so easily defined through goal numbers, through metrics.

Kvaratskhelia could be Slot’s own version of the Senegal legend. He’s got his prime years ahead of him and has demonstrated over the past few years that he has the pace, power and potency to excel on English soil.

Liverpool have long enjoyed the fruits of high-class wingers, and though Gakpo and Diaz have been immense this season, signing Kvaratskhelia would take FSG’s project to a whole ‘nother level.

FSG must take £60m bid for Liverpool dud who was nearly as costly as Trent

Liverpool looked lacklustre as they were held to a draw by Manchester United.

ByAngus Sinclair Jan 6, 2025

MatériaMais Notícias

O São Paulo começou o Campeonato Brasileiro da melhor maneira possível. Na noite deste domingo (10), o Tricolor, com hat-trick de Calleri e um de Luciano, goleou o Athletico-PR por 4 a 0. Agora, o São Paulo vira a chave para a Sul-Americana, onde encara o Everton-CHI, nesta quinta-feira (14), às 19h15. No mesmo dia, o Furacão enfrentará o The Strongest-BOL, às 19h, em casa, pela Libertadores.

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JOGO COMEÇA COM ATHLETICO NO ATAQUE E SÃO PAULO RESPONDE
A partida começou morna, com as duas equipes se estudando. O São Paulo tentava apertar a saída de bola do Athletico, que conseguia trocar passes no campo ofensivo. A primeira chance do jogo foi do Furacão, com oito minutos. Cuello dominou na entrada da área e bateu, mas ela foi por cima.

O São Paulo respondeu aos 14 minutos. Rafinha tirou e armou contra-ataque com Eder. O camisa 23 tocou para Nikão, que puxou para a esquerda e bateu. Bento encaixou com facilidade. Um minuto depois, Calleri recebeu, apostou corrida com os zagueiros e bateu para fora.

CALLERI ABRE O PLACAR PARA O SÃO PAULO
Conforme a partida acontecia, o São Paulo conseguia chegar com mais perigo à meta do Athletico. Numa dessas escapadas, aos 18, Rafinha recebeu na ponta direita e cruzou. Éder furou o cabeceio, mas Khellven errou na hora de afastar. A bola sobrou para Calleri tocar na saída do goleiro e fazer 1 a 0.

Pouco tempo depois, com 21, Eder recebeu lindo passe de Igor Gomes, de letra e bateu de fora da área. Bento voou e fez um milagre.

SÃO PAULO E ATHLETICO ASSUSTAM ANTES DO INTERVALO
O Tricolor teve mais uma chance de ampliar, aos 25 minutos.Alisson achou espaço pelo meio do campo e bateu de fora da área. A bola desviou e sai em escanteio, com perigo para a meta atleticana.

Depois disso, o São Paulo recuou mais e permitiu que o Athletico ficasse com a bola. O Furacão quase empatou aos 41.Após chutão no campo de defesa, Cirino levou vantagem da indefinição na zaga do São Paulo, ficou com a bola e bateu, mas por cima do gol de Jandrei.

> TABELA: Confira a tabela do Brasileirão e simule os próximos jogos

2º TEMPO COMEÇA COM MAIS UM GOL DE CALLERI
O segundo tempo iniciou com o São Paulo em cima do Athletico-PR. Com isso, logo aos sete minutos, Calleri apareceu novamente, após receber cruzamento de Welington e cabecear sem chances para o goleiro Bento.

O Athletico-PR até tentava chegar com perigo ao gol de Jandrei, mas pecava no último passe. Aos 12,Cuello recebeu de Abner pela esquerda, puxou para o meio e arriscou de fora da área, mas a bola foi por cima do gol.

CALLERI MARCA O TERCEIRO DELE E LUCIANO COMPLETA O PLACAR
Conforme o tempo passava, só o São Paulo mandava no jogo. Aos 24, apóscruzamento de Toró, Bento afastou, mas a bola ficou na área. Calleri chutou girando depois de furada de Igor Gomes e acertou o ângulo.

O Furacão não esboçava nenhuma reação e com isso o São Paulo só crescia na partida. O quarto não demorou para sair. Com 28, Calleri abriu para Toró, que cruzou na cabeça de Luciano. O camisa 11 só escorou para marcar.

Fim de jogo com vitória maiúscula do São Paulo.

SÃO PAULO 4 x 0 ATHLETICO-PR
Local: Estádio do Morumbi, São Paulo (SP)
Data/Horário: 10/04/2022, às 19h
Árbitro: Wagner do Nascimento Magalhães (RJ) (FIFA)
Assistentes: Thiago Henrique Neto Correa Farinha (RJ) e Thiago Rosa de Oliveira (RJ)
VAR: Rodrigo Nunes de Sá (RJ)
Gols: Calleri (18’/1ºT) (1-0). Calleri (07’/2ºT) (2-0), Calleri (24’/2ºT) (3-0), Luciano (28’/2ºT) (4-0)
Cartões Amarelos: Alisson (SAO), Pedro Henrique, Christian, Vitor Bueno (CAP)
Cartões Vermelhos:
Público e Renda: 20.606 torcedores / R$ 687.594,00

SÃO PAULO
Jandrei, Rafinha, Diego Costa, Léo e Welington; Pablo Maia, Nikão (Toró, aos 20’/2ºT) e Igor Gomes (Andrés Colorado, aos 39’/2ºT); Eder (Luciano, aos 20’/2ºT), Alisson (Talles, aos 32’/2ºT) e Calleri (Rigoni, aos 32’/2ºT). Técnico: Rogério Ceni.

ATHLETICO-PR
Bento; Khellven (João Vialle, aos 22’/2ºT), Pedro Henrique, Lucas Halter e Abner; Hugo Moura, Christian e Terans (Marlos/Intervalo); Cuello (Vitinho, aos 16’/2ºT), Vitor Bueno (Canobbio, aos 16’/2ºT) e Marcelo Cirino (Pedro Rocha, aos 27’/2ºT). Técnico: Alberto Valentim.

Vitor Pereira’s fantastic start to life in England shows no signs of stopping anytime soon after his rejuvenated Wolverhampton Wanderers side picked up a 2-2 draw at Tottenham Hotspur last time out.

Two wins on the trot were also collected before this hard-fought share of the points was clinched in North London, as the Old Gold hierarchy now feel smug that they’ve seemingly replaced Gary O’Neil with the best possible successor.

Of course, this honeymoon period could soon come to a crashing end when a first Premier League loss inevitably greets Pereira, but he is working his magic so far on breathing life back into what was a beleaguered camp under the previous regime.

Improved Wolves performers under Pereira

Many stars that had arguably downed tools under O’Neil are now back to their best under the fresh methods of the Portuguese boss, as Rayan Ait Nouri helped himself to two assists in the action-packed draw with Spurs.

From his 87 touches of the ball, the entertaining Algerian would notch up three key passes, which included a fine assist finding Jorgen Strand Larsen who thundered an effort past Fraser Forster as just three minutes remained on the clock.

Moreover, away from the likes of Ait Nouri and Larsen standing out in attack, Pereira has made the Old Gold defence a far tougher one to breach since entering the dug-out, with the likes of Santiago Bueno and Matt Doherty collecting back-to-back clean sheets in the two wins before this frantic affair.

But, there is another forward player at the relegation-threatened club that has really benefited from O’Neil’s exit too, as Hwang Hee-chan now boasts two goals from his last two Premier League appearances since Pereira’s arrival onto the scene.

Hwang's performances under Pereira

On only his third start of the season in the league, the South Korean gem would fire home this delightful effort after a cleverly taken free-kick by Ait Nouri found him eager to make an early impact.

The revitalised 28-year-old would also ensure Wolves had a second goal next to their name to further humiliate the Red Devils on Boxing Day, as Pereira’s decision to give the previously frozen-out attacker increased minutes since his appointment continues to pay off.

Season

Games played

Goals scored

24/25

13

2

23/24

29

12

22/23

27

3

21/22

30

5

Stating prior to the Spurs draw that Hwang is a player of “high quality”, the 44-year-old will hope his confidence being significantly boosted will see him reach the heights he managed to achieve last season for the Old Gold with 12 goals coming his way in top-flight action.

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In an alternate reality, the former Al-Shabab boss wouldn’t even have the lively number 11 at his disposal now, with a deal for Hwang to exit Molineux this summer for Roberto De Zerbi’s Marseille nearly getting off the ground.

As per journalist Nathan Juddah, there was even suggestion earlier this month that a January exit was on the cards for the ‘unhappy’ marksman, with the trip to Spurs just his third league start of the campaign:

Thankfully, no such deal was signed off on in the end, as Pereira now relies on the ex-RB Leipzig man to give his team even more attacking potency, away from just depending on Matheus Cunha and Larsen who are also overflowing with confidence.

Hwang will pray that this isn’t just a temporary purple patch, with more goals potentially coming his way when Wolves face off against Nuno Espirito Santo’s high-flying Nottingham Forest deep into the New Year.

With positive results coming against Man United and Ange Postecoglou’s topsy-turvy outfit, it won’t be a foregone conclusion that Forest will stroll to a win versus the Old Gold, especially if Hwang is on his A-Game once more.

Saved by Larsen: Wolves let down by 4/10 star who lost 71% of his duels

One Wolves star had an outing to forget in north London

1 ByConnor Holden Dec 29, 2024

A defeat on derby day is always something of a disaster, but Manchester City’s loss to Manchester United yesterday afternoon was something else entirely.

Pep Guardiola’s side are going through a crisis the likes of which they haven’t experienced under the Spanish coach before.

The Citizens have now lost eight of their last 11 games and look a shadow of their former selves, and yesterday was no exception.

Man City’s recent results

Competition

Opponent

Result

Premier League

Manchester United (H)

2-1 (L)

Champions League

Juventus (A)

2-0 (L)

Premier League

Crystal Palace (A)

2-2 (D)

Premier League

Nottingham Forest (H)

3-0 (W)

Premier League

Liverpool (A)

2-0 (L)

There were poor performances across the pitch for the hosts, but two players, including Matheus Nunes, stood out for all the wrong reasons.

Nunes performance vs United

Now, the first thing to say is that much of the blame for Nunes’ poor showing should be shouldered by Guardiola, as injuries to the squad saw him start the Brazilian at left-back, which is a position he had never played before.

With that said, the former Wolverhampton Wanderers’ inexperience cannot be used as an excuse for his lack of impact throughout most of the game nor his costly mistakes at the end.

For example, while the team as a whole must face the blame for losing last night, it was the 26-year-old who gave away the equalising penalty for a foul on Amad Diallo, who had intercepted his lazy backpass.

Then, less than two minutes later, he failed to get back and clear the Ivorian’s match-winning effort off the line despite appearing to have the time to do so.

Unsurprisingly, such a display saw GIVEMESPORT’s Kerrie Jacobs-Bryant award him a 4/10, which seems more than fair considering his mistakes.

However, while Nunes turned a mediocre performance into a disastrous one in the final five minutes, one of his teammates was poor for the entire game and must not start for City again.

The City dud worse than Nunes

Now, as we said earlier, there were underwhelming performances all over the pitch for the hosts last night, but the worst was undoubtedly Kyle Walker.

The City captain has been lacklustre for some time now, but was notably poor yesterday.

The former Tottenham Hotspurs star was utterly ineffective going forward and, like Nunes, was a disaster in defence, strolling into the box for Diallo’s winning goal.

In fact, the most notable thing he did during the game was feign a head injury during his confrontation with Rasmus Hojlund, an incident Roy Keane said must have left him feeling “embarrassed” after the game.

Such a display left Jacobs-Bryant equally unimpressed, as she awarded the Englishman a 4/10 match rating at full-time and doubled down on the ’embarrasing’ nature of the Hojlund incident.

However, when we look at his statistics from the game, it can be argued that the 4/10 rating is still too generous.

For example, in his 96 minutes of action, the Sheffield-born defender amassed an expected assists figure of 0.03, made just one block, one tackle and one clearance, lost 50% of his ground duels, lost the ball a staggering 20 times, maintained a passing accuracy of just 76%, misplaced nine of 11 long passes and failed 50% of his dribbles.

Walker’s game in numbers

Minutes

96′

Expected Assists

0.03

Blocks

1

Tackles

1

Clearances

1

Ground Duels (Won)

4 (2)

Lost Possession

20

Passing Accuracy

55/72 (76%)

Long Passes (Accurate)

11 (2)

Shots

0

Dribbles (Successful)

2 (1)

All Stats via Sofascore

Ultimately, while the entire City team were poor against United yesterday, Nunes, and particularly Walker, stood out as the worst of the worst, and while the Brazilian may have to keep his place in the team, Pep must drop the Englishman.

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Posts ByTom Cunningham Dec 15, 2024

Amid the bombings, the Ukraine Cricket Federation CEO who’s been introducing schoolkids to the game hunkers down in Kyiv and holds on to hope for Associate status

Tristan Lavalette25-Feb-2022

Firefighters work at a damaged residential building in a suburb of Kyiv, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, February 25, 2022•AFP/Getty Images

In the early hours of Friday, with Ukraine’s army desperately trying to repel a full-scale Russian invasion on the outskirts of the country’s capital Kyiv, Kobus Olivier sprung into self-preservation mode in his seventh-floor apartment close to the city’s centre.”I’ve put a mattress with some cushions on top to barricade the windows in case there is a blast outside, so glass won’t shatter into the room,” Olivier, the Ukraine Cricket Federation chief executive, told ESPNcricinfo. “No one had taken it seriously in the weeks leading up. Everyone thought it was Russian propaganda. When I walked my dogs on Thursday morning, I heard huge blasts and ran straight back to my apartment. It became very real. It’s a terrifying feeling and you feel helpless.”The self-confessed “cricketing nomad”, who has been credited with fuelling a surprising rise of the sport in Ukraine, has so far remained remarkably stoic given the grim situation. The improved deeds of his compatriots in New Zealand have provided a much-needed momentary distraction for Olivier, who played domestic cricket in South Africa and for 14 years was director of cricket at the University of Cape Town, where Graeme Smith came through the ranks.”The guys coming back well after the first Test defeat has lifted me…[Sarel] Erwee getting a century has cheered me up,” he said. “I’m keeping an eye on the cricket to help get me through this horrific situation.”Kobus Olivier is also a principal and English teacher at a private school in Kyiv, and has introduced the kids to cricket•Kobus Olivier

With panicked residents trying to flee Kyiv on Thursday, leading to chilling images beamed worldwide of a traffic backlog, Olivier decided to hunker down at home. He could not leave his four dogs behind and also abandon cricket, which he had helped build from the ground up in his adopted country. So he emptied his bank account, exchanged his money into US dollars and stocked up on food for a month.”Developing cricket in Ukraine has almost been an obsession,” said Olivier, who in his day job is a principal at a private school in Kyiv. “I’ve worked so hard, every day, for the last few years.”When I go to school, kids are always saying ‘when are we playing cricket’. Just two days before the bombings, it was a nice sunny day but still only 5 degrees C. The kids asked me if we could play cricket outside, so we did and they just loved it.”If I left, I don’t know if I could return. It would be so sad to give up on cricket here.”Olivier moved to Kyiv four years ago in a career change to take a breather from cricket, following among other things stints as Cricket Kenya chief executive, national youth coach in the Netherlands and setting up academies in Dubai.The only cricket played up to that point in Ukraine had been by medical students from India, who played among themselves. A few months into his new job, in an attempt to rouse interest among students bored of learning English, Olivier sought a left-field approach and unveiled a game they had never heard of.”I decided to show them cricket and try to help them learn English in a fun environment,” Olivier said. “Luckily I had with me a plastic cricket set. They thought cricket was croquet and had never seen it before. I told them that it was like baseball but more exciting. The kids loved it.”This mysterious bat-and-ball sport soon took off school-wide and beyond to the extent where Ukraine is poised to become an Associate member at the ICC’s annual general meeting in July. Olivier believed Ukraine had satisfied the ICC’s strict membership criteria, which includes the requirement of junior and women’s development, leading to invaluable funding and T20I status.Without sources of funding – cricket is not deemed an official sport by the Ukrainian government – Olivier has had to tap into his reservoir of influential connections to provide equipment and attire.”We’ve submitted a final application to the ICC and it’s ticked all the boxes,” he said. “We’ve done everything we can. We are looking at USD 18,000 a year (ICC funding) if it’s successful. But we want to use the membership to make our own money because we can then approach sponsors that we are an Associate member of the ICC and will be playing international cricket through T20Is.”Without membership we have little credibility and we are essentially playing unofficial cricket in the park.”Kobus Olivier has tried to barricade windows in his apartment in Kyiv, as a measure against shattering glass•Kobus Olivier

The developments in the past few days has halted momentum and there is an unknown over Ukraine’s cricket future although an indefatigable Olivier has remained positive. “If this was closer to July then the ICC might be uncertain to give us Associate membership,” he said. “No one knows what will happen after this but we still have time. The cricket programme will continue.”While he remained hopeful of attaining Associate membership, Olivier’s main concern centred over Ukraine’s cricket hub in Kharkiv, the second largest city in the country and a major target of Russia’s invading forces.”I’m not sure if our cricket oval will survive the bombings,” Olivier said. “It’s a new ground with pavilions being installed and there is a beautiful indoor facility with nets to be set up. That was going to be our cricket headquarters… I’m not sure now.”Amid such a dire predicament, Olivier finds strength in the resolve of hard-bitten locals, particularly the youth he has made such an unlikely connection with through cricket.”People here are tough and hard, they are survivors,” he said. “Cricket has really caught on with the youth because they want to try something new. We have an ambition for Ukraine’s senior men’s and women’s teams to mainly comprise local players by next decade. The girls particularly have taken to cricket remarkably quickly.”I’m just hoping for the best. There’s not much else to do.”