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.

Related Man City ready to go all out to sign "elite" £52m star after internal talks

He’d instantly replace Rodri.

Posts ByTom Cunningham Dec 15, 2024

Arsenal have been repeatedly linked with a move for Juventus star Dušan Vlahović ahead of January, but club legend Emmanuel Petit has suggested that a “big name” alternative could be available next month.

Multiple sources share Arsenal interest in signing Vlahovic this week

The Serbia international is enjoying a fine campaign as Thiago Motta’s star player in Turin, already netting double figures across all competitions, and recently helped Juve dispatch Man City with their opening goal in a 2-0 Champions League win earlier this week.

Arteta thinks £192k-per-week star is "perfect" as Arsenal ready January move

The Spaniard is apparently in awe of him.

ByEmilio Galantini Dec 13, 2024

Vlahovic’s excellent run of form, and Arsenal’s need for a Kai Havertz back-up amid Gabriel Jesus’ barren campaign in front of goal, has led to consistent reports that Mikel Arteta and interim sporting director Jason Ayto are weighing up a winter move for the 24-year-old.

There are claims that Arteta thinks Vlahovic is the “perfect” striker for Arsenal, and other media sources state that they’ve already been in contact with his representatives ahead of the looming January window, which opens in just over a fortnight.

Everton (home)

December 14

Crystal Palace (away)

December 21

Ipswich Town (home)

December 27

Brentford (away)

January 1

Brighton (away)

January 4

Indeed, it is believed Arsenal have held initial talks with Vlahovic’s camp, with the ex-Fiorentina star also facing an uncertain future as his contract ticks down towards expiry in 2026.

Juve are yet to agree on fresh terms with the forward, but that doesn’t mean they’re prepared to sell him on the cheap either, as reports suggest that Vlahovic could cost nearly £70 million to sign next month.

In any case, the north Londoners are apparently ready to make a move in January (CaughtOffside), so it will be very interesting to see whether this comes to fruition after Arteta hinted that there could be a few “surprises” in store for when the window opens (Friday press conference).

Petit suggests Arsenal could sign Victor Osimhen in January

Another striker who’s been sporadically linked with a move to N5 is Napoli forward Victor Osimhen, currently on loan at Galatasaray.

While the Nigeria superstar is on a temporary switch in Turkey right now, it is believed Osimhen’s Galatasaray deal includes a January break clause, which would allow certain sides, including Arsenal, to strike a mid-season deal for him.

Speaking to talkSPORT, Petit has suggested that Arsenal signing Osimhen could be “possible”, and he’s extremely keen to see the Super Eagles sensation join Arteta’s side.

“I really like Osimhen,” said Petit when asked about forwards Arsenal should target. “He’s actually in Turkey at the moment with Galatasaray. I think he’s on the radar of PSG actually. I also like Leao from AC Milan.

“Who knows? It’s difficult in transfer windows in January to get the big names coming, but with the new format of the Champions League, maybe something could be possible.”

Unsurprisingly, Osimhen is currently lighting up the Turkish Süper Lig with an impressive goal-to-game ratio, and he’s in double figures for goals scored across all competitions as well.

The 25-year-old has maintained his superb form since joining Turkey’s champions, perhaps in an effort to attract prestigious suitors of Arsenal’s ilk.

Keeper suffers second freak injury in a year as Surrey keep pace with Somerset

Matt Roller23-Apr-2022Ben Foakes was helped off the field by medical staff after a sickening collision with Jamie Overton and will undergo concussion tests ahead of the final day of Surrey’s Championship match against Somerset at The Oval.Foakes dived to his right while taking a catch to dismiss Tom Banton off Reece Topley’s bowling, while Overton dived to his left at first slip and made contact with Foakes’ head with his right shoulder.Sam Curran ran over to celebrate but immediately signalled to the dressing room as Foakes lay on his back and covered his face with his left arm. Surrey’s medical staff rushed on with a stretcher during a ten-minute delay, though Foakes managed to walk off the field with help from Alex Tysoe, the lead physio.”He’s under observation with the physios,” Azhar Mahmood, Surrey’s assistant coach, said. “Concussion tests are going on and hopefully he’ll be fine tomorrow. It was shoulder to neck. I think there was a cut. There was some blood coming out of his ear but I’m not sure if it was internal or outside.”Ollie Pope took the gloves for the final hour of the third day. Jamie Smith, who was left out of this game, could come into the side on Sunday as a concussion replacement depending on the outcome of Foakes’ tests.This was the second time in a year that Foakes has suffered a freak injury at The Oval, after he tore a hamstring while slipping in his socks on the dressing-room floor following a Championship game against Middlesex last May.With Jonny Bairstow and Jos Buttler rested after their involvement in the IPL, Foakes had been in line to make a home Test debut against New Zealand. Instead, he was ruled out for four months, only returning to Surrey’s first XI for their final Championship match of the season, a high-scoring draw against Glamorgan.The timing of his latest injury will be a concern to England, with the first Test of their summer – again against New Zealand – just under six weeks away. Foakes has started the season with 240 runs for twice out across three appearances and is the incumbent wicketkeeper after taking the gloves in the Caribbean.Foakes’ injury appeared to disrupt Surrey’s rhythm as they looked to restrict Somerset in their second innings. Topley had taken three wickets in seven balls – including that of Banton, their last recognised batter – before the stoppage in play but Surrey went 11.5 overs without one under the floodlights.But Jack Leach chopped on off Overton before Jordan Clark struck with the final ball of the day, leaving the game in the balance heading into Sunday. Surrey were two bowlers down with Curran limited to 15 overs in the match by the ECB as he returns to fitness and James Taylor suffering from back spasms, but Overton and Topley sparked a collapse of six wickets for 64 runs late in the day.Somerset’s lead was 225 heading into the final day thanks largely to an 89-run partnership for the third wicket between Banton and Tom Abell, both of whom made fifties. Abell had managed 109 runs in his last 14 first-class innings heading into this game but made 203 for once out in the match, scoring freely and hitting boundaries on both sides of the wicket before edging behind off Ryan Patel’s medium pace.For Banton, this was a significant innings, only his second of the summer after missing the first two rounds of games due to a fractured finger. He started last year opening the batting, then became a specialist No. 7 and finished the season out of the side after averaging 18.84, but vowed in pre-season that he would “come back as a new player this year” following technical tweaks over the winter.He was occasionally troubled by Overton, edging his first ball wide of the slip cordon for four, but dug in for just over two hours and played confidently through the covers and off his pads. It was notable that he came in at No. 4, ahead of James Hildreth, having enjoyed most of his red-ball success in the middle order in his breakthrough season in 2019.Surrey had been bowled out for 308 soon after lunch, with Peter Siddle taking four of the last five wickets to finish with 6 for 51 from his 26 overs in his 200th first-class game.In his first appearance for seven months after a stress fracture of the lower back, Curran had threatened to make the first hundred of his professional career, scoring fluently and lofting Leach for a straight six, but ultimately fell 20 runs short.

MatériaMais Notícias

No dia do reencontro com o Maracanã lotado, a Seleção Brasileira terá uma novidade fora de campo no duelo com o Chile. Nesta quinta-feira, na chegada ao estádio, os jogadores estarão no novo ônibus, adesivado pela patrocinadora Kavak.A CBF foi responsável pelo novo design do veículo que carrega os principais atletas do país.

RelacionadasSeleção BrasileiraBrasil x Chile: onde assistir, horário e escalações do jogo das Eliminatórias Sul-AmericanasSeleção Brasileira23/03/2022Seleção BrasileiraEm palco de alegrias, Neymar volta ao Maracanã para tentar apagar a última impressãoSeleção Brasileira23/03/2022Seleção BrasileiraVini Jr. elogia Neymar, mas foge de comparação com Romário e BebetoSeleção Brasileira24/03/2022

Os jogadores brasileiros irão aos jogos com este ônibus pelos próximos anos. Mascote da Seleção, o tradicional Canarinho irá promover ações, como por exemplo pelas ruas do Rio de Janeiro. A Kavak é uma startup que atua na compra e venda de veículos seminovos no Brasil.

+ Tabela dasEliminatórias Sul-Americanas para a Copa do Mundo de 2022

Brasil e Chile se enfrentam nesta quinta-feira, às 20h30 (de Brasília), no Maracanã, pela 17ª rodada das Eliminatórias Sul-Americanas para a Copa do Mundo de 2022. Já classificado, o time de Tite lidera o torneio com 39 pontos, enquanto a Roja tem 19 pontos, na sexta colocação.

+Luxo no Qatar: veja fotos do hotel e do local de treinos da Seleção na Copa do Mundo

SOBRE A KAVAK
A Kavak iniciou a revolução no mercado automotivo em 2016, ao criar uma plataforma baseada no uso de dados e tecnologia que permite comprar, recondicionar e vender carros usados pela internet ou nas instalações da empresa (hubs), com todas as garantias de segurança e confiança. Após quatro anos de operação, a Kavak se tornou a primeira empresa unicórnio da história do México e atualmente é uma das startups mais valiosas da América Latina.

Everton are seen as the Premier League frontrunners to sign a “humble” ex-Liverpool player in January, in what could be a controversial signing.

Everton manager & transfer news

It has been another underwhelming season at Goodison Park to date, with the Merseysiders sitting 16th in the table and playing some fairly forgettable football under Sean Dyche.

For now, the current Everton manager just about looks safe in his role, but a recent report has claimed that Dan Friedkin is eyeing a manager who plays a different style of football in the long-term future, suggesting that time isn’t on the current boss’ side.

New signings are needed for the Blues, in terms of adding squad depth and quality for Dyche, and young Ajax striker Brian Brobbey has been linked with a move to Goodison. The 22-year-old has three assists in as many Europa League appearances this season, as well as scoring once in the competition.

Meanwhile, Roma midfielder Bryan Cristante is also reportedly seen as a target for Everton, with the 29-year-old starting 10 Serie A games in 2024/25 to date and possessing a huge amount of experience in the middle of the park.

Everton leading Premier League race to sign "humble" midfielder

According to Tuttosport [via Sport Witness], Everton are well-positioned to complete the signing of Arther Melo from Juventus in the January transfer window.

The Blues are described in the report as the “most concrete possibility” among Premier League clubs currently, with his agents working hard on securing a move away from his current club. Marseille are also mentioned as suitors, with manager Roberto De Zerbi an admirer of the 28-year-old.

The signing of Arthur would immediately catch the eye at Everton because he spent a spell at rivals Liverpool recently, being drafted in to help deal with their injury problems during the 2022/23 season.

The Brazilian ended up making just one solitary appearance for them, however, and not playing once in the league, Despite this, he still received praise from former Reds youngster Charlie Hayes-Green, who said of him:

“He was really good, a proper professional. Before the game, it was a fantastic opportunity for me to be around players who have played in such big games. He’s obviously played for Juventus, Barcelona and huge teams with huge players, being around him and how he did things was so professional. He came down, was humble, spoke to all of us and helped us in the changing room and throughout the game so it was a good experience.”

This all points towards Arthur being an astute signing by Everton, and while some could be concerned about the manner in which his career has halted a little in recent years, he has proven pedigree.

Friedkin and Everton willing to spend £40m+ to sign new forward for Dyche

The Toffees have scored just 10 Premier League goals this season.

By
Barney Lane

Nov 21, 2024

The Juventus man has won 22 caps for Brazil, which is no mean feat, as well as playing for Barcelona in the past, and at 28, he is still far from an old player. The idea of regular time could appeal to him, so it may well be a match made in heaven.

Chris Silverwood, the former England fast bowler, has been signed by SLC on a two-year deal as head coach of the Sri Lanka men’s national team. His first series in charge will be the team’s upcoming two-Test tour of Bangladesh in May.Silverwood was until February the head coach of the England men’s team, but parted ways with the ECB in the wake of the side’s 4-0 Ashes series defeat in Australia. His term with England lasted a little over two years after he took over from Trevor Bayliss in October 2019.Sri Lanka have been without a full-time head coach since Mickey Arthur’s departure in December after his contract had run out. While he had repeatedly expressed a desire to continue, SLC were understood to have been unresponsive. Since then, former fast bowler Rumesh Ratnayake had been in charge of the men’s team.The appointment of Silverwood also comes after several other international coaches had been approached by SLC and its technical committee, and those coaches had eventually turned down the advances. Graham Ford, who coached Sri Lanka in two separate stints over the past decade, is understood to have been among those approached.”We are delighted to appoint Chris as the new head coach of the national team. He is an extremely experienced coach and from our discussions with him in the recruitment process it is clear he has the required qualities we are looking for to take the team forward,” said Ashley De Silva, CEO of Sri Lanka Cricket, in the board’s statement. De Silva did not specify what those qualities were, and was not available for comment.Silverwood now becomes the Sri Lanka men’s team’s eighth permanent head coach appointment in the last 10 years (Ford had two separate stints in this time), in addition to the interim coaches who took the role on. He inherits a side that is seventh on the Test rankings, eighth in ODIs, and 10th in T20 internationals – Sri Lanka having to qualify for the main draw of the T20 World Cup later this year.On the Test front, Sri Lanka have home series against Australia and Pakistan, and an away series against New Zealand late in the year, in addition to the Bangladesh tour.

Litton Das and Yasir Ali also contributed significantly to a comfortable victory

Mohammad Isam18-Mar-2022

Taskin Ahmed celebrates after dismissing Kyle Verreynne•Getty Images

Bangladesh have now won ODIs in every country they have played in. They ticked South Africa off the list on Friday, registering their first win in 20 years of touring here. They beat the home side by 38 runs, following a team effort that included three fifties that set up a total of 314 for 7, and two bowlers taking three wickets or more.David Miller was Bangladesh’s last stumbling block but when the left-hander fell in the 46th over, it was all but over for the home side. Miller was stopped at 79 off 57 balls, at a time when he was striking a boundary almost every over. Rassie van der Dussen top-scored with 86, which helped South Africa get out of an early jam, but it wasn’t enough in a big chase.Shakib Al Hasan’s rapid 77 was the centerpiece of Bangladesh total, their highest in South Africa. He added 115 for the fourth wicket with Yasir Ali, who made his maiden ODI fifty. Bangladesh hit 11 sixes in their innings, equaling their record for an overseas ODI.Rassie van der Dussen top-scored for South Africa with 86•Getty Images

Mehidy Hasan Miraz, who gave Tamim Iqbal a bit of a headache after an expensive first spell, ended up taking four wickets including the one of Miller. But Taskin Ahmed was Bangladesh’s best bowler, with figures of 3 for 36.He struck twice in the first nine overs as Bangladesh struck three early blows. Shoriful Islam had Janneman Malan caught behind, before Taskin jammed one into Kyle Verreynne’s pads, plumb in front, and then had Aiden Markram caught at point for a three-ball duck.Temba Bavuma and van der Dussen took stock of the dire situation, and slowly rebuilt the chase with an 85-run stand. Bavuma found it difficult to pierce the gaps, but van der Dussen stroked the ball better, hitting three beautiful cover drives apart from two reverse-swept fours, two hits through midwicket and a top-edged six.Shoriful removed Bavuma in the 27th over but it brought more trouble to the crease for Bangladesh: Miller.He provided the thrust in a 70-run fifth wicket stand with van der Dussen, giving South Africa a sniff despite the steep required rate. Bangladesh could have broken the partnership in the 35th over when substitute Najmul Hossain Shanto scored a direct hit from mid-off. But third umpire Adrian Holdstock viewed just one replay even though TV commentator Pommie Mbagwa kept making the point that van der Dussen’s bat was in the air. It was, as replays showed a few balls later.Thankfully for Bangladesh, van der Dussen fell three overs later when Yasir took a superb diving catch at the deep square-leg boundary. Andile Phehlukwayo struggled through 12 balls, playing and missing frequently, before holing out to Litton Das at long-off.Miller struck a few more blows but Bangladesh were well on top now. Mehidy had Marco Jansen caught brilliantly by Tamim at deep midwicket, had Rabada caught and bowled, and then Miller stumped. This left South Africa 242 for 9 and well and truly beaten.Shakib Al Hasan scored a brisk fifty•AFP/Getty Images

When Bangladesh were sent in, Tamim and Litton played out the toughest period, with the SuperSport Park pitch offering uneven pace and bounce at the start.They added 95 for the first wicket. Litton made his fourth 50-plus score in his last five international innings, striking the ball cleanly against the seamers, and attacking Keshav Maharaj early with three fours and a six over cover. Tamim was circumspect, understandably, having come off a lean ODI series against Afghanistan. But he struck the ball sweetly too, once he was set.It was not just Bangladesh’s first 50-plus opening stand in any format in South Africa, but the first time a Bangladesh opening pair had lasted for more than 11.1 overs in an ODI here. This was the perfect platform for Shakib and Yasir.The pair got together in the 29th over, at a time when Bangladesh had briefly lost their way. But Shakib counter-attacked, hitting Maharaj down the ground as soon as he had removed removed Mushfiqur Rahim. Yasir was getting set at the other end. By the time Shakib struck Andile Phehlukwayo and Marco Jansen for three sixes in a short span, Yasir too got into his groove, striking Ngidi over square leg and flicking Rabada beautifully over midwicket.Bangladesh didn’t lose their shape even though Shakib and Yasir got out in the space of three balls. Mahmudullah and Afif Hossain struck a six each, while Mehidy hit two sixes as the visitors added 91 runs in the last 10 overs.South Africa’s bowlers let themselves down on a wicket that had variable pace and bounce. Ngidi went for 75 in his ten overs, the most by a South Africa bowler at home against Bangladesh. Maharaj and Jansen took two wickets each while Ngidi, Rabada and Phehlukwayo took one each.

Manchester United may be forced into action in January as they look to beat Manchester City to a new midfield star for Ruben Amorim, it has been reported.

Manchester United need reinforcements

The Red Devils’ opening game of the Amorim era, a 1-1 draw with Ipswich Town, showed just how much work was still needed to turn them back into a force in the Premier League.

Players returning from injury will help that, with the likes of Luke Shaw, Lisandro Martinez and Kobbie Mainoo all likely to be a part of Amorim’s new look 3-4-3 Manchester United side, but Amorim himself has warned that there are no easy fixes to the predicament at Old Trafford.

“I know it is frustrating for the fans but we are changing so much in this moment with a lot of games. We are going to suffer for a long period. We will try to win games but this will take time”, he explained.

The best grudge matches in English football

These teams don’t need to share a postcode to hate each other…

ByBarney Lane Nov 27, 2024

“We have to risk it a little bit [now] and in the next year we will be better [otherwise] next year at the same stage we will be here with the same problems.”

Part of the improvement will come on the training ground, but more will come in the transfer window as Amorim adds players capable of playing his style of football and system, with the club already having been linked to a whole host of new players ahead of the January transfer window.

Now, they have been tipped to accelerate their move for a new midfielder amid Manchester City interest.

Man Utd could make January move for Sporting star ahead of Man City

That is according to GiveMeSport, who report that Amorim has been “forced to contend with fresh competition” for Sporting midfielder Morten Hjulmand, with Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City side also keen on the Danish international.

It is claimed that “Manchester United and Manchester City had scouts in attendance for the Portuguese heavyweights’ Champions League clash with Arsenal on Tuesday, and Hjulmand was among those on the pitch being watched closely”, with the midfielder understood to have a £67m release clause in his Sporting contract.

As a result of rival interest, they add that “United may fast-track their plans” and “attempt to strike a deal in January” in what would be another mega-money move at Old Trafford, having previously been eyeing up a deal for the summer.

This, of course, would be a major change of heart from Amorim, who has previously publicly claimed he will not sign anyone from Sporting before the summer transfer window out of respect for his former side.

Hjulmand under Amorim

Appearances

65

Starts

57

Goals

6

Assists

5

Yellow Cards

17

“I won’t [sign Sporting players] in January, that’s what I said. I don’t know about the summer.”

However, with rival interest mounting he may decide that he needs to move sooner rather than later to land his key men from the previous regime, and make Manchester United a major force again.

Meanwhile, Hjulmand is thought to have become more keen on the move, and the report adds that the Red Devils’ “chances of being able to convince him” to move to Old Trafford “have increased thanks to appointing Amorim.”

Any move would be a little odd, given that Hjulmand was signed by Sporting as a direct replacement for Manuel Ugarte, who joined PSG earlier that summer and is now at Manchester United. However, with both Casemiro and Christian Eriksen arguably in their final years at the top, midfield reinforcements remain vital at Old Trafford.

Glasgow Rangers head coach Philippe Clement has the opportunity to win his second trophy in charge of the club in the League Cup final at Hampden Park this afternoon.

The Light Blues boss won the competition last season, beating Aberdeen 1-0 in the final, and is now hoping to successfully defend the crown against Celtic.

Rangers held Premier League Tottenham Hotspur to a 1-1 draw at Ibrox on Thursday night in the Europa League, in their last match ahead of today’s clash.

Clement could look to make some changes to the starting XI from that game, though, and Nedim Bajrami is one player who could be brutally ditched from the side.

Why Nedim Bajrami could be dropped

The Albania international was selected from the start in the number ten position for the Scottish giants in the clash with Spurs in midweek, but failed to showcase the best of his abilities.

Bajrami, who joined on a permanent deal from Sassuolo in the summer transfer window, played the opening 68 minutes of the game and was not directly involved in the only goal for Rangers – from Hamza Igamane.

The 25-year-old midfielder only completed 76% of his attempted passes and made one key pass, without creating a ‘big chance’, and lost two of his three duels.

These statistics show that he was a lightweight out of possession and that the Albanian forward failed to contribute much at the top end of the pitch, with a lack of quality on the ball.

Chalkboard

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

With this in mind, Clement should brutally remove him from the starting XI for this afternoon’s trip to Hampden Park, and unleash Ianis Hagi in his place.

Why Ianis Hagi should start

The Romania international has been in impressive form since his return to the first-team squad and deserves to start this cup final clash, based on recent performances.

He was ineligible to face Spurs on Thursday, as the midfielder was not included in the Europa League squad at the start of the season, but had been thriving in domestic matches before that.

Hagi has started the last three games in the Scottish Premiership and played all bar three minutes across those outings, which speaks to how much faith Clement has in him at the moment.

Appearances

6

Starts

3

Assists

3

Key passes

10

Duel success rate

53%

As you can see in the table above, the 26-year-old dynamo, who was dubbed an “absolute dream” to work with by Steven Gerrard, has been very productive in his limited minutes in the division this season.

Hagi has created ten chances and recorded three assists in just three starts, whilst it was also his fantastic cross that forced an own goal in the 1-0 win over St. Johnstone, so you could argue that he has created four goals in six games.

This suggests that he could offer far more to the team today than Bajrami, who has gone six matches for club and country without a goal contribution, as a creative threat in the number ten position.

Rangers may be without "brilliant" 22 y/o hero vs Celtic alongside Souttar

It’s a potentially huge blow for Philippe Clement.

ByHenry Jackson Dec 14, 2024

That is why Clement must instantly restore Hagi to the starting XI after he was unable to feature against Tottenham in the Europa League on Thursday.

تحدث النجم الأرجنتيني ليونيل ميسي لاعب إنتر ميامي الأمريكي، عن لحظات هامة في مسيرته الكروية، ورغبته في العودة لفريقه الأسبق برشلونة الإسباني، الذي غادره قبل أعوام بعد نهاية عقده، وموقفه من كأس العالم القادم.

وبعد مسيرة رائعة مع برشلونة، انتقل ميسي إلى باريس سان جيرمان وخاض معه موسمين، وعقب ذلك انضم لإنتر ميامي الأمريكي والذي يلعب في صفوفه حتى الآن.

وقال ميسي في تصريحات نشرتها صحيفة “ماركا” الإسبانية: “كنت أرغب في العودة إلى برشلونة، وأن أكون في المكان الذي لطالما تمنيت التواجد فيه، لكن الأمر لم يكن ممكنًا مرة أخرى، وبعد ذلك أصبحت المسألة قرارًا عائليًا”.

وأضاف: “الفوز بكأس العالم (مع الأرجنتين) كان له تأثير كبير أيضًا، كنت واضحًا في رغبتي بعدم اللعب لأي فريق أوروبي آخر، لم يكن ذلك واردًا في ذهني، كان قرارًا عائليًا أن نعيش في الولايات المتحدة ونخوض هذه البطولة في نادٍ ينمو ولديه طموحات كبيرة”.

وتابع ميسي متحدثًا عن تجربته مع باريس سان جيرمان: “مررنا بعامين صعبين، لأننا كنا معتادين على أسلوب حياة معين في برشلونة، وفي باريس كانت العائلة بخير، لكنني لم أشعر بالراحة في حياتي اليومية أو خلال التدريبات، كنا نريد التأكد من أن العائلة بخير، وأنني أستمتع بما أحب”.

واستطرد: “الآن أنا أستمتع، لم أعد أطلب شيئًا آخر، أريد الاستمرار في المنافسة وتحقيق الانتصارات، هذه هي طبيعتي، لقد نشأت على ذلك”.

اقرأ أيضًا | منافسة أمريكية على دي بروين.. وميسي يهدد الصفقة ميسي: حققت كل شيء في كرة القدم 

وأردف: “أن أستطيع القول إنني حققت كل شيء في كرة القدم، فهذا أمر ثمين للغاية، وكما أقول دائمًا، كنت محظوظًا بالفوز بكل شيء على المستوى الجماعي، سواء مع الأندية أو المنتخبات، حققت ذلك مع برشلونة، وحققته أيضًا مع المنتخب”.

وشدد ميسي: “هذا شيء أظن أنني سأقدّره أكثر مع مرور الوقت، ولهذا أقول دائمًا إنني ممتن جدًا لذلك، على كل ما منحني إياه، نعم، الله هو من منحني كل هذا”.

وعند العودة للحديث عن برشلونة، علّق ميسي على سنواته الأولى: “دائمًا أقول إن أول غرفة ملابس دخلتها كانت استثنائية، أنا ممتن جدًا للاستقبال الذي وجدته من الجميع، رونالدينيو، ديكو، سيلفينيو، بالإضافة إلى تشافي وإنييستا الذين كانوا موجودين، وبويول، كانت هناك أسماء كبيرة والفريق كان رائعًا”.

وواصل: “فزنا بدوري أبطال أوروبا لأول مرة بعد غياب طويل عن برشلونة، وحقيقة أن ريكارد وثق فيّ وجعلني جزءًا من ذلك الفريق، كان أمرًا عظيمًا بالنسبة لي واستمتعت به كثيرًا”. ميسي: جوارديولا من عالم آخر وغيّر كرة القدم

وعن بيب جوارديولا، أكد: “بيب جوارديولا من عالم آخر، هو شخص مختلف، يرى أشياء لا يراها الآخرون، غيّر كرة القدم، الجميع كان يريد تقليدنا”.

واستمر ميسي: “وفي الواقع، بطريقة ما، أضر بكرة القدم لأن الناس كانوا يحاولون اللعب مثل لعب برشلونة الخاص بنا، لكننا كنا فريقًا خاصًا، ذلك الوسط، تشافي، بوسكيتس، إنييستا، كل شيء كان مثاليًا بين اللاعبين والمدرب”.

واسترسل: “جوارديولا، بالنسبة لي هو شيء آخر، رجل يحب التفاصيل، لديه عقلية مختلفة ورؤية لا يراها الآخرون، كرة القدم تغيرت تمامًا، بعدنا، الجميع كان يريد تقليد كرة قدم برشلونة”. ميسي: فيلانوفا أثر فينا وشعرنا بكل ما حدث معه 

ميسي تحدث أيضًا عن تيتو فيلانوفا، والتأثير الذي تركه بعد وفاته: “ما حدث مع تيتو أثر فينا كثيرًا، لم يكن دائمًا معنا، لكننا كنا نشعر بكل ما كان يحدث، وكنا نعلم أنه كان يمر بلحظات صعبة وكان يعاني، ولم يكن أحد يعرف كيف سينتهي الأمر”.

وأصر: “بالطبع، أثر ذلك على الفريق بطريقة أو بأخرى، كان موسمًا صعبًا بكل معنى الكلمة بسبب كل ما حدث”. ميسي: الخسارة أمام ألمانيا كانت عذابًا.. وأراقب وضعي قبل كأس العالم

ومن المواضيع الأخرى التي تطرق لها ميسي كان الفوز بكأس العالم قطر 2022، والذي أتى بعد الخسارة المؤلمة في نهائي 2014، أمام ألمانيا.

اقرأ أيضًا | بسبب كأس العالم للأندية.. ريال مدريد يقرر إقالة أنشيلوتي مبكرًا ويختار مدربه الجديد

وأشار: “الوصول إلى النهائي (ضد ألمانيا) دون التتويج كان عذابًا بالنسبة لي، الفوز بالبطولة لاحقًا جعل كل شيء أخف وطأة، وأصبح تقبّله مختلفًا تمامًا، كان من الممكن أن أفوز بكأسين للعالم، لكنني الآن أملك كأس العالم”.

وأفاد: “كأس العالم ما زالت بعيدة، لكنها ستمر بسرعة كبيرة، هذا العام سيكون مهمًا جدًا، المهم أن أواصل اللعب بانتظام، وأن أشعر أنني بخير”.

وأوضح: “في العام الماضي بدأت فترة الإعداد بتعرضي لبعض الإصابات، أما هذا العام، فقد خضت فترة إعداد جيدة، وبدأت الموسم بشكل جيد، وأشعر أنني في حالة جيدة”.

وأتم ميسي: “لكن الموسم طويل، لأنه لن ينته إلا في ديسمبر، وهناك كأس العالم للأندية أيضًا، أفكر وأراقب، لكن لا أريد أن أضع أهدافًا مسبقة، أعيش كل يوم بيومه، وأراقب كيف أشعر بدنيًا، وأكون صادقًا مع نفسي”.