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Celtic turn their attentions away from the race for the Scottish Premiership title as they prepare to host Livingston at Parkhead in the quarter-finals of the SFA Cup on Sunday.

The Hoops have the chance to secure their place in the last four of the domestic competition, which is their last chance to win a cup after being knocked out of Europe and the League Cup earlier this season.

Brendan Rodgers' side are also second in the Premiership as it stands, behind Rangers, and the SFA Cup will be their last chance to win some silverware if they fail to overthrow their rivals before the end of the top-flight campaign.

The Bhoys come into this cup clash off the back of a disappointing 2-0 defeat to Hearts at Tynecastle, in a game in which they missed a penalty, had a man sent off, and gave away a penalty during the first half.

Rodgers may now look to make some changes to the starting XI and should unleash Kyogo Furuhashi from the start in place of Paulo Bernardo, who should be ruthlessly dropped.

Paulo Bernardo's stats against Hearts

The Portuguese midfielder, who is on loan from Benfica, lined up alongside Tomoki Iwata and Matt O'Riley in the middle of the park against the Jam Tarts.

However, his outing only lasted the opening 45 minutes of the match as Rodgers, possibly with Celtic being down to ten men after Hyun-jun Yang's sending-off in mind, decided to substitute him at the break.

It came after an underwhelming half of football from both Bernardo and Celtic as a whole. The 22-year-old dynamo failed to provide an attacking threat in possession for the Hoops, with zero key passes and zero shots on or off target in 45 minutes of action.

This shows that the Benfica loanee did not cause too many problems for the Hearts defenders to deal with, as he did not create any chances for his teammates or force Zander Clark into making a save.

He left a bit to be desired with his work off the ball, as well, as the midfielder won two tackles and was dribbled past twice, which shows that the youngster had mixed success with his attempts to win possession back for his side.

Hearts 2-0 Celtic	Paulo Bernardo	Kyogo Furuhashi
Minutes played	45	45
Shots on target	Zero	Two
Key passes	Zero	One
Dribbles completed	One	Two
Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Kyogo offered more quality on the ball during the second half after the manager brought him on for Bernardo at the break, which is why the latter must be brutally ditched from the starting XI.

The Japan international played behind Adam Idah, who offered a strong focal point in the number nine position, and showed great desire and drive to push the team forward at times, albeit Celtic ultimately failed to get back into the match.

Kyogo's Premiership stats this season

The 29-year-old attacker has endured a frustrating season in front of goal for the Scottish giants, after his extraordinary exploits during the 2022/23 campaign.

Kyogo plundered an eye-catching 27 goals in 31 Premiership starts under Ange Postecoglou last term, but has been unable to replicate that form under Rodgers.

In 29 top-flight appearances under the Northern Irish head coach, the Japanese centre-forward has registered nine goals and three assists for the Hoops.

He has averaged one goal every 213 minutes of league action for the Bhoys this season, which is a staggering drop from one every 86 minutes last term.

Kyogo's play in possession has been far too wasteful at times as the forward has only completed 66% of his attempted passes in the Premiership, and has missed 15 'big chances' to go along with his nine goals.

Only Daizen Maeda (-2.8) has underperformed his Expected Goals by more than the Japan international, who has nine goals from 11.48 xG in the top-flight.

These statistics show that the Celtic star has not been good enough in front of goal, given the quality of chances that have been created for him this season, particularly when you consider that Idah has already scored five goals from 4.29 xG.

However, the experienced Hoops gem has excelled when paired with the deadline day loan signing from Norwich City, in the two matches that they started alongside each other.

Kyogo and Idah's stats together

Rodgers has selected his two star strikers in the same starting XI on two occasions since the Ireland international joined the club during the last transfer window.

The Celtic boss picked Kyogo in the number ten position behind Idah against Kilmarnock in the Premiership, and against St Mirren in the SFA Cup.

Interestingly, the Japanese marksman found the back of the net in both of those matches, which suggests that he thrived on being able to play in the pocket behind a physical number nine who can hold off defenders and do the dirty work to free up the former Vissel Kobe ace in possession.

His performance against Kilmarnock in comparison to his usual averages as a lone centre-forward for Celtic in the Scottish top-flight suggests that Rodgers should persist with him in a deeper role.

Kyogo Furuhashi (per game)	Vs Kilmarnock	23/24 Premiership
Goals	One	0.31
Chances created	Three	0.7
Shots	Two	2.4
Passes completed	15	5.9
Duels won	One	1.4
Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the £19k-per-week whiz was more involved in the game in possession than he usually is in the league, with far more key passes and passes in comparison to his average.

The talented gem, who was once hailed as an "unbelievable" young man by Postecoglou, appears to be a far greater threat as a scorer and a creator when he starts alongside Idah, albeit with a small sample size of them together to work with.

This is why Rodgers must unleash Kyogo in the number ten role – ahead of Bernardo – behind the Norwich loanee when Kilmarnock come to Parkhead on Sunday, as it appears to get the best out of the 2021 signing.

Rodgers could ignite Kyogo by unleashing impressive £23k-p/w Celtic star

The Hoops youngster produced “sensational” play against Aberdeen on Saturday.

By
Dan Emery

Feb 4, 2024

The impressive pair could provide enough attacking quality to fire Celtic through to the semi-finals of the SFA Cup, in the club's search for silverware this season.

Manchester United could pull out of the race to sign Benfica star Joao Neves this summer due to the rise of Kobbie Mainoo.

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• Man Utd could leave Neves transfer race
• Want to focus on developing Mainoo
• PSG remain interested in the Benfica star

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  United have been linked with a move for Joao Neves, who is one of the most in-demand young players in Europe. However, the rise of Mainoo may prevent the Red Devils from pursuing a move for the 19-year-old.

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• Getty
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  With Mainoo's progress in the upcoming season being the utmost priority of the Red Devils, journalist Christopher Michel reports that the English side could pull out of the race to sign Neves. The club reportedly feels that if Neves arrives at Old Trafford it could hamper the English midfielder's development.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  The Red Devils reportedly offered Benfica €60 million (£50m/$65m) for the youngster. However, PSG made a higher offer worth €70m. The Liga Portugal club continue to demand €100 million for the 19-year-old.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR KOBBIE MAINOO?

  For now, Mainoo remains focused on Euro 2024 as the Three Lions are gearing up to face Spain in the final on Sunday.

Phil Foden has refuted claims that he did not want to take penalty in England's shoot-out win over Switzerland in Euro 2024 quarter-final.

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Foden hits back at criticsAlexander-Arnold replaced him before shoot-outEngland take on the Netherlands on WednesdayWHAT HAPPENED?

The Three Lions are yet to fire on all cylinders at Euro 2024, however, they have managed to reach a third semi-final in a major tournament in the Gareth Southgate era after edging out Switzerland in the quarter-finals on penalties. While their performance throughout the match was below par, when it came to the penalty shootout, all five of the England takers found the back of the net while Jordan Pickford stopped Manuel Akanji's strike to ensure a semi-final berth for the team.

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Right after the shoot-out victory, a section of the fans speculated on social media that Phil Foden did not want to take a penalty and hence was subbed off in extra time as Trent Alexander-Arnold – one of England's shootout heroes – replaced him. Alexander-Arnold was also overheard suggesting one of his team-mate had shied away from taking a kick. The Manchester City star has now addressed the issue as he claimed he would have willingly taken a spot-kick if he was asked to do so, however, he felt that there were more competent penalty-takers than him in Southgate's squad.

WHAT PHIL FODEN SAID

Speaking to talkSPORT, Foden said, "I would have taken one if I was still on the pitch but I think there are players who take them regularly for their clubs so it makes sense for them to take them. I think that’s what Gareth did, put the best penalty-takers on the pitch. I’m glad he did that now because it definitely worked in our favour.

"I feel like it’s a confidence thing, if you believe you’re going to score you can definitely be a penalty-taker. Like I said, I wouldn’t have minded taking one if I was still on the pitch but there are probably better penalty-takers than me."

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR ENGLAND?

Southgate's side will now hope to get the better of Ronald Koeman's Netherlands in Dortmund on Wednesday and make it to their second consecutive European Championship final.

Pitch invaders desperate to get close to Cristiano Ronaldo have sparked serious “intentions” concerns, with Portugal seeing Euro 2024 games disrupted.

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All-time great is a star attraction in GermanySupporters desperate to get a photo with himEntering the pitch raises security questionsWHAT HAPPENED?

CR7 is one of the biggest draws at this summer’s European Championship in Germany. He remains captain of his country at 39 years of age and is showing no sign of slowing down – despite questions being asked of his value to a cause that has another continental crown in its sights.

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Ronaldo’s latest outing saw him become the all-time leading assist-maker in Euros history – with another record added to his collection – but a 3-0 victory over Turkey was halted on several occasions as selfie-hunting supporters entered the field of play.

WHAT MARTINEZ SAID

None of those jumping the advertising hoardings meant any harm, but that may not always be the case. Portugal boss Roberto Martinez has said of the risks involved when fans chase down on-field icons: “It is a concern because today we were lucky that the intentions of the fans were good. We all love fans who recognise the big stars and the big icons in their lives. You can understand there is a very difficult moment if those intentions are wrong the players are exposed and we need to be careful.

“I don’t think it should happen on a football pitch. There is a lot of security and a lot of protection and I don’t think that should happen and we should probably give a message to the fans that it is not the right way. You are not going to get anything out of it and probably the measures get worse for the future and it’s not good to get the players so exposed when you’re running on the pitch.”

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR RONALDO?

Portugal’s win over Turkey has seen them safely through to the last-16 of Euro 2024 with a game to spare. That may mean Ronaldo is now given a rest, with the evergreen frontman desperate to add to his medal collection after missing out on major honours with Al-Nassr in 2023-24.

After a rare window without any major incomings, Chelsea look set to spend big once more in the summer, as they look to finally find the formula to ensure their return to the Premier League's top four, which could see one European star arrive.

Chelsea transfer news

Despite signing several fresh faces in a major summer overhaul last summer, the Blues have failed to improve on their results and currently sit as low as 10th in the Premier League – just two places above where they finished in the previous campaign. It's so far been a case of new stars, new manager but same Chelsea under Todd Boehly's ownership. From Champions League winners in 2021, the Blues, under Mauricio Pochettino, now find themselves a world away from Europe's elite.

One problem that those in London have consistently faced since the days of Diego Costa, however, is a player to lead the line and find the back of the net week in, week out. Alvaro Morata once tried, before failing. So too did academy graduate Tammy Abraham, before finding the exit door. And now the responsibility has fallen on the shoulders of Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson, with the former struggling with injuries and the latter remaining unconvincing in front of goal.

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So the attention turns to the summer once again and a player who could finally fill the golden boots of Costa. According to Rudy Galetti, Chelsea are prepared to trigger main target Victor Osimhen's €130m (£111m) release clause this summer and are set to speed up their plan to secure the Napoli forward over fears that Paris Saint-Germain could make their move.

The French giants will be on high alert when it comes to top strikers this summer with reports indicating that Kylian Mbappe is set to leave the club as a free agent at the end of the season. If they come in for Osimhen, Chelsea may face a tough battle.

"Fantastic" Osimhen could solve Chelsea problem

The deal would cost a hefty fee, but it is one worth paying for a player of Osimhen's calibre. The Napoli man has become the star man in Italy, helping his side to win the famous Scudetto last season, whilst also earning the praise of former AS Roma boss Jose Mourinho. The former Blues man still couldn't help but aim some criticism at the forward, however, saying:

"I told him that he scored a wonderful goal and needs to stop diving so much. His goal was fantastic, he did the same thing when we met earlier this season, so he’s a fantastic player. But he mustn’t dive."

Osimhen's stats, meanwhile, show just how much of an upgrade he'd be on Jackson at Stamford Bridge:

Goals

0.64

0.40

Assists

0.18

0.12

Expected Goals

0.61

0.63

Aerial Duels Won

1.91

0.98

As Chelsea look to get back to their best, Osimhen could quickly prove to be the key if the Blues complete a deal to welcome the forward to Stamford Bridge this summer.

The three-time winners have endured some major tournament disappointments in recent years, and are looking to turn the tide on home soil

Germany have endured a difficult few years. Back-to-back World Cup group-stage exits sandwiched a last-16 loss to England at Euro 2020, and thus fans head into Euro 2024 more with hope than expectation for the hosts to make a deep run.

Joachim Low and Hansi Flick both paid for the team's poor form with their jobs, and Julian Nagelsmann's reign also got off to a difficult start, with losses to Turkey and Austria. But things have since turned around, with Toni Kroos' return to the fold from international retirement pacing a duo of memorable friendly wins against France and the Netherlands. Suddenly, thing are looking up.

Though they will be backed by a home crowd this summer, group games against Scotland, Hungary and Switzerland are unlikely to be straightforward for Nagelsmann's side, and thus the former Bayern Munich made moves in a bid to give himself more options to choose from once the tournament rolls around.

He confirmed his 26-man squad on June 7, but who has he chosen, and who has been left out? GOAL has everything you need…

Getty ImagesGOALKEEPERS

For over a decade, Manuel Neuer has been the presumed No.1 for Germany heading into major tournaments, but after the Bayern Munich veteran suffered a potentially career-threatening leg injury in the aftermath of the 2022 World Cup, Marc-Andre ter Stegen was given the chance to step up and performed well.

Since Neuer's return, Nagelsmann had been non-committal in naming his starting goalkeeper for the Euros, but has eventually confirmed that the 38-year-old is his No.1.

Name Club

Oliver BaumannHoffenheimManuel NeuerBayern MunichMarc-Andre ter StegenBarcelonaAdvertisementGetty ImagesDEFENDERS

A fair criticism of Germany's recent tournament struggles has been their inability to find the net consistently, but this hasn't exactly been a tight defensive unit, either.

There is, to be sure, some experience to be found with Antonio Rudiger at centre-back and Joshua Kimmich at right-back, but Nagelsmann's omission of Mats Hummels means he will not be able to rely upon one of Europe's most in-form veterans.

In Hummels' place, Jonathan Tah should partner Rudiger – and rightly so after turning in a series of top performances with Bayer Leverkusen.

Name Club

Waldemar AntonStuttgartBenjamin HenrichsRB LeipzigJoshua KimmichBayern MunichRobin KochEintracht FrankfurtMax MittelstadtStuttgartDavid RaumRB LeipzigAntonio RudigerReal MadridNico SchlotterbeckBorussia DortmundJonathan TahBayer LeverkusenGettyMIDFIELDERS

Kroos' decision to come out of international retirement has naturally grabbed the headlines in Germany. The Real Madrid star has been at his metronomic best for Los Blancos this season, turning in countless superb performances to control a humming side, and will surely start this summer.

Right now, it seems like Leverkusen's Robert Andrich will join Kroos at the base of the Germany midfield. Further forward, meanwhile, Ilkay Gundogan will play in one of the more advanced roles, likely alongside Jamal Musiala and Leverkusen standout Florian Wirtz.

Bayern youngster Aleksandar Pavlovic had forced his way into contention, however he was forced to withdraw due to illness in June with Emre Can replacing him.

Name Club

Robert AndrichBayer LeverkusenEmre CanBorussia DortmundChris FuhrichStuttgartPascal GrossBrightonIlkay GundoganBarcelonaToni KroosReal MadridJamal MusialaBayern MunichFlorian WirtzBayer LeverkusenENJOYED THIS STORY?

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Getty ImagesFORWARDS

Germany have lacked a true, world-class No.9 for a number of years, and the responsibility to lead the line is likely to fall on Niclas Fullkrug's shoulders at the Euros, as the Dortmund man has been preferred to Thomas Muller in recent camps (although Muller has made the squad).

Kai Havertz could come into contention, given his performances for Arsenal have improved of late. His best position is up for debate, though, and Nagelsmann might prefer a more natural striker through the middle.

Name Club

Maximilian BeierHoffenheimNiclas FullkrugBorussia DortmundKai HavertzArsenalThomas MullerBayern MunichLeroy SaneBayern MunichDeniz UndavStuttgart

Wolverhampton Wanderers have been on a solid run of form recently, winning three out of their last five matches in the Premier League and are currently level on points with Chelsea in the table.

Furthermore, Wolves are merely five points behind Europa Conference League champions West Ham United in the race for the final European spot so qualification to the continent's third-ranked contest certainly isn't outside the realms of possibility.

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However, if the Midlands club are to make a push for Europe for the first time since Nuno Espirito's spell in charge a few seasons back, investment will need to be made in January to bolster the squad.

Wolves transfer news – Che Adams

It was initially reported by TEAMTalk during the summer that Wolves had agreed a deal with Championship outfit Southampton to take Scotland international Che Adams on a season-long loan with the option to buy him permanently at the end of the current campaign. The Athletic added on transfer deadline day that the option-to-buy deal was worth £15m, but the move was eventually blocked by the Saints.

However, on Boxing Day, The Athletic provided another update to this ongoing transfer saga, revealing that Wolves are set to reignite their interest in the Scottish striker once the January transfer window opens. It has been confirmed by transfer expert Fabrizio Romano that Fabio Silva will be sent out on loan to Rangers for the remainder of the season, leaving Wolves' attacking department a little bare.

Furthermore, journalist Dean Jones has admitted that Adams "might leave" the St. Mary's Stadium over the coming weeks, with there being interest from other Premier League clubs, including Everton, but Wolves seem to be leading the race thus far.

Che Adams' stats this season

Having once been described as "dynamite" by sports reporter Jamie Borthwick, Adams is not enjoying his most prolific campaign as a player but has still chipped in with five goals in 21 appearances for Southampton. In fact, he is the joint-second-highest goalscorer at the club with only Adam Armstrong finding the net more for the Saints this season.

Nevertheless, the 27-year-old has been more potent in previous campaigns for Southampton but the striker has already matched his tally of five from last season, although the quality level of the Premier League compared to the Championship has played a helping hand with this. Regardless, in half a season, Adams has scored five times whereas, in his 72 appearances with Wolves, Silva has scored just five goals.

Since joining from Porto back in 2020 for a whopping £36m, the Portuguese centre-forward has really struggled to make any impact at all. This season alone, the frontman has one goal from 12 appearances in all competitions which came in a 5-0 win against League One outfit Blackpool in the EFL Cup.

Fabio Silva's Stats At Wolves
Season	Appearances	Minutes Played	Goals	Assists
2020/21	36	1,675	4	3
2021/22	26	852	0	3
2022/23	0	0	0	0
2023/24	10	373	1	0
Stats via Transfermarkt

While Adams may not be as prolific as Armstrong this term on the south coast, the duo have built up a really nice partnership when leading the line and have combined to score 39.5% of Southampton's goals this season in the Championship as Russell Martin's side are currently the third-highest scorers in England's second tier. Wolves boss Gary O'Neil will be hoping Adams can build up this type of partnership with his side's star centre-forward Hwang Hee-chan.

Hwang has found the net 11 times in 20 appearances while registering two assists in the meantime. Together, the pairing could be a force to be reckoned with in O'Neil's 3-5-2.

Per 90 Metrics	Che Adams	Hwang Hee-chan
Goals	0.43	0.7
Expected Goals	0.37	0.38
Assists	0.17	0.13
Expected Assists	0.19	0.13
Shots	2.17	2.02
Shots On Target	0.96	0.7
Goals Per Shot	0.2	0.31
Key Passes	1.02	0.86
Progressive Passes	2.69	1.66
Stats via FBref

Wolves are quite reliant on Hwang to find the net lately as Wolves' second-most prolific player has just five in total. The addition of Adams could help alleviate the pressure off of the South Korean forward to put the ball away and may make Wolves an all-around better attack.

It's safe to say Sunderland have experienced a whirlwind year, making it to the Championship playoff semi-finals under Tony Mowbray last season and then sacking him this campaign in an attempt to acquire fresh blood in the dug-out to take the Black Cats to the next level.

It will be intriguing to see how 2024 pans out for new boss Michael Beale, hoping to add a promotion to his managerial CV with the Tyne and Wear side from the second tier up to the Premier League.

He could well have his work cut out for him based on Sunderland's display in his debut match in charge however, the Black Cats were hopeless at the Stadium of Light in a shocking 3-0 loss.

A number of players have sparkled this season for Sunderland, the Black Cats aiming to secure a comfortable playoff spot without any nerves attached and not leave their fate in the playoffs hanging in the balance until the very end of the 46-game season slog.

We at Football FanCast have decided to rank every player (out of 10) currently in the Sunderland camp as we reach the midpoint of this enthralling Championship season already – albeit only those who have at least started five games in the league.

Goalkeeper

Anthony Patterson

7 – Patterson has started every game in the second tier this season, putting in consistent competent displays in goal for the Black Cats with six clean sheets accumulated.

The 23-year-old has struggled in some games this season however, meaning he's behind the likes of rival shot-stoppers Alex Palmer and Mads Hermansen in the league when it comes to total of clean sheets.

Full-backs

Trai Hume

8 – Subject to transfer interest this January from the likes of promotion rivals Leeds United, Trai Hume has enhanced his game even more this season after bursting onto the scene at the Stadium of Light relocating from his native Northern Ireland in 2021.

Dennis Cirkin

6 – Cirkin's time as Sunderland's main left-back this season has been derailed by two serious hamstring injury setbacks, not featuring for the Tyne and Wear outfit since the start of November.

The 21-year-old had picked up one assist from the eight games he played when fully fit, but his absence hasn't necessarily been felt owing to other players stepping up to fill in for him adequately.

Niall Huggins

7 – Huggins is the player in question who has managed to fill the Cirkin void effectively, played slightly out of position in defence as a natural winger pushed back to a left-back.

Cirkin will find it hard to displace the Welshman when he does finally make his return, a settled member of the Black Cats' defence now.

Centre-backs

Daniel Ballard

9 – The ex-Arsenal centre-back has been a star at the back for Sunderland this campaign, looking more and more like a leader in defence even with partner Luke O'Nien wearing the captain's armband.

Ballard has been invaluable scoring goals coming up from the back too, chipping in with crucial strikes when his team need him to step up to the mark in finely balanced contests.

It's why Mowbray was so complimentary of the former Gunners man when he was boss, labelling Ballard as a "diamond" and a "warrior" for his relentless energy and determination.

Luke O'Nien

8 – O'Nien has been equally solid in the heart of defence this campaign, forming an intimidating centre-back duo with Ballard in the process.

The 29-year-old is a loyal Black Cats servant and will want to give everything and more in the remainder of the campaign to the cause, hopefully securing promotion to the promised land of the top-flight as captain.

Jenson Seelt

6 – The summer signing from PSV Eindhoven has been used sparingly here and there this season when O'Nien and Ballard have missed out, Jenson Seelt starting a handful of games this season and performing admirably under pressure at just 20 years of age.

Midfielders

Jobe Bellingham

8 – The Bellingham family have another starboy in the making with this Black Cats teenage sensation, Jobe Bellingham showing no signs of immaturity or nerves when selected with accomplished displays.

Taking the second tier by storm, it's no surprise to see the 18-year-old already being lined up for a big move away from the Stadium of Light in the not-so-distant future to follow in his esteemed brother's footsteps at Real Madrid.

Dan Neil

8 – Bellingham's midfield counterpart in Dan Neil has also been crucial at points this season, providing the Black Cats with a goalscoring presence from further back when the advanced attackers are off the pace.

Rising through the youth ranks to be a cemented first-team option, the 24-year-old will hope he can reach even loftier heights in 2024 by becoming a Premier League player for his boyhood club.

Pierre Ekwah

7 – Pierre Ekwah's performances this season have alerted Premier League clubs to his services if rumours are true, the former West Ham United midfielder impressive for the Black Cats in the Championship to date.

Scoring two goals this season – both strikes coming in an emphatic 5-0 win over Southampton in August – Ekwah has been used both as a holding option and as a more free central midfielder when necessary.

Adil Aouchiche

6 – The former Paris St. Germain man has shown in flashes that he can be a top talent when utilised effectively – scoring in a 3-1 win against Birmingham City in November a matter of minutes after being introduced into the game off the bench.

Yet, his impactful performances to date haven't demanded that he's regular on the teamsheet from the start and so the 21-year-old midfielder has been reduced to just making the most of his limited time on the pitch when thrown on late into matches instead of being truly valued.

Chris Rigg

6 – Much like Aouchiche, Chris Rigg has come into the side and done a job when called upon to do so. The 16-year-old has plenty to work on as a raw talent still learning the ropes, however, not featuring in the Championship since October. Can Beale get more out of the sprightly Black Cats teenager given time in the job?

Alex Pritchard

7 – If it wasn't for his mini rejuvenation under interim boss Mike Dodds recently, Alex Pritchard would be staring at a far lower rating next to his name. However, the former Huddersfield Town man has revived his stuttering Sunderland career by picking up three assists under Dodds in as many games before Beale came in.

It remains to be seen however whether he continues to thrive or fades away into the background under Beale, the 30-year-old a hard-to-contain creative force on his day from midfield when firing on all cylinders.

Bradley Dack

6 – Signed by Mowbray – who managed Bradley Dack at previous club Blackburn Rovers – in the summer, it's a transfer reunion that hasn't worked out for either party involved especially with Mowbray now gone.

Recurring injury problems that saw his time with the Riversiders become tainted have reared their ugly head again in his new surroundings, killing any momentum Dack was beginning to create to really make his mark on the first team.

Forwards

Patrick Roberts

6 – Patrick Roberts has also failed to string together consistent displays for Sunderland this season, only amassing one assist from 21 appearances to date.

Beale will hope his new presence in the dugout can breathe life back into Roberts, who has been passive this campaign down the right-hand side.

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Jack Clarke

9 – Whilst Roberts has let games pass him by this season, Jack Clarke has given his all in every game this season with devastatingly effective displays becoming second nature for the left winger.

Hitting double figures for goals already this campaign, the 23-year-old attacker will hope he can continue being the star man Sunderland craves as their pursuit of promotion becomes trickier next year.

Abdoullah Ba

6 – Starting the season at a breakneck pace with two goals and an assist from his first nine games, Abdoullah Ba has since fizzled out and has found his game time cut recently.

Nazariy Rusyn

5 – Nazariy Rusyn comes in with the lowest rating of the camp so far, still goalless this season after joining the Black Cats from his native Ukraine this summer.

Beale could well unearth a potent striker in Rusyn – helping himself to an assist at least for his troubles – but he's been largely underwhelming meaning players such as Clarke have had to be as impactful as they have been to make up for other misfiring teammates.

Mason Burstow

5 – Mason Burstow has been as ineffective as Rusyn up top, the former Charlton man wanting to forget about his stint at the Stadium of Light so far on loan from Chelsea with zero goals notched up.

Eliezer Mayenda

4 – Sunderland's recruitment in the striker positions this summer has proven to be misstep after misstep, Eliezer Mayenda another dud purchased in the off-season.

Injured for the first three months of his Sunderland career, Mayenda's time on the pitch for the Championship side when fully fit has been unmemorable to date with the 18-year-old also yet to break his goalscoring duck.

Luis Semedo

4 – Sunderland must be experiencing heavy deja vu currently when it comes to their conveyor belt of poor strikers, Luis Semedo also failing to find the back of the net from 13 games in the league to date.

This striker crisis could see Beale go in for a new forward this January, a position that clearly needs strengthening.

Manager

Tony Mowbray

7 – The recently departed Black Cats boss will have felt harshly treated by the club when news transpired of his sacking, Mowbray steering an inexperienced Sunderland squad to within touching distance of a playoff spot before his surprise axing.

Those with connections to the Championship club will just hope the gamble of getting rid of Mowbray pays off, entering the unknown somewhat with Beale who has been uninspiring recently notably with Rangers in Scotland.

Steve Rixon is likely to fill-in as interim head coach for the T20Is in South Africa

Madushka Balasuriya 14-Mar-2019Sri Lanka Cricket is once again moving to remove a head coach, with CEO Ashley de Silva headed to South Africa for crisis talks with Chandika Hathurusingha.An SLC release also confirmed that Hathurusingha will be required to return to Sri Lanka following the ongoing ODI series in order to “discuss the Sri Lanka team’s preparation for the upcoming ICC Cricket World Cup”. Fielding coach Steve Rixon will be the acting head coach of the side during the three-match T20I series.Although the board wants to remove Hathurusingha, its hands are somewhat tied by Hathurusingha’s contract, which runs up until the end of 2020, and requires a substantial compensation to be paid in the event of early termination. As such, de Silva and the boards are expected to broach the possibility of Hathurusingha working for SLC in a limited capacity back in Sri Lanka in the short term.”[The board is] trying to give Hathuru a break to see how Rixon fares in the team,” an SLC official told ESPNcricnfo.Since taking over at the beginning of 2018, Hathurusingha has overseen a modest string of results, winning just 16 of 49 international matches in charge. His predecessors, however, had fared worse. In fact, Sri Lanka’s win rate in 2018 was better than it had been in 2017, if only marginally.While the historic Test series win over South Africa last month did buy him a short reprieve, the ensuing succession of ODI defeats, in what is Sri Lanka’s final series before the World Cup, has seen the board become emboldened to move against Hathurusingha.The board’s concerns are also thought to be only partially performance-related. According to the SLC source, Hathurusingha is said to have uneasy relations with some players and staff, while it was a prolonged spat with the new selection committee that culminated in him being removed from the role of selector-on-tour last month.Ahead of the South Africa tour, Hathurusingha had voiced concerns over the wholesale changes being made to the limited-overs squad just months out from a World Cup, one of which was the axing of Dinesh Chandimal – someone he had earmarked as central to his limited-overs squad. Hathurusingha is also said to have been unhappy at Lasith Malinga’s installation as ODI captain, a player who had until then only been at the periphery of his plans.”The board is not happy, not only with his performance, but his attitude as well. This has been coming for a while, to be honest,” the SLC official said.The current set of administrators at SLC, however, are largely the same people who had hired Hathurusingha in the first place, pursuing him for at least several months before finally convincing Hathurusingha to leave his job in Bangladesh early, in order to join the Sri Lanka team. Roughly the same group of administrators had also hired Graham Ford at the start of 2016, then elbowed him out of the job in mid-2017.No Sri Lanka coach has lasted more than two years this decade. Sri Lanka have had nine head coaches (including interim appointments), since 2011 – Ford serving the longest, across two different stints.In terms of preparation for the World Cup, this is far from ideal for Sri Lanka, with neither the selectors, the board, Hathurusingha nor the fans any closer to identifying a final squad. As a final throw of the dice, SLC are expected to hold a provincial tournament next month, consisting of four teams comprising all the players vying for a World Cup spot.”We want every player to play in each game to ensure they are fit enough to go for the World Cup. The teams will be captained by Dimuth Karunaratne, Angelo [Mathews], Upul Tharanga, and maybe Malinga or Chandimal. They will have to prove themselves to be in contention for the World Cup,” the source confirmed.

Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski could be sold this summer, with the Blaugrana needing to move players on to raise funds.

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Barca expected to be forced to sell this summerLewandowski will be club's highest-paid player next yearInsisted that he will not leave the club on MondayWHAT HAPPENED?

It is expected to be a busy summer in Catalonia, will Barca needing to undergo a significant clearout to balance the books. And Lewandowski is among those who could be moved on, with senior club officials advocating for his sale, according to .

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Lewandowski moved from Bayern Munich to Barcelona in 2022, the Blaugrana shelling out €50 million (£42.6m/$53.4m) for his services. After winning the Pichichi in his first season for Barca, his form has dropped off. He is currently tied for third in the hunt for Spain's golden boot, and the Blaugrana's hopes of defending the La Liga crown have disintegrated.

WHAT LEWANDOWSKI SAID

The Polish striker has made it clear that he has no plans to leave the club after the season: "Leaving Barca this summer is definitely not possible, it’s not a topic. I physically feel good. This is the case for at least two more years. When I’m physically no longer at a top level, I’d start thinking."

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR LEWANDOWSKI?

The striker insists that he will still be playing in Catalonia come August – but the decision may be out of his hands. Barca's next fixture is a La Liga clash with Girona this Saturday, where they can secure a second-placed finish in the league with a win over their local rivals.