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Chelsea have only claimed four points from their opening three Premier League matches under Enzo Maresca, but there's evidence enough that the Blues are building something.

Frankly, the last few years have not been great under BlueCo's ownership, and while Mauricio Pochettino started to instil some fluency toward the end of his one-term stint, Maresca has been brought in to head a long-term project.

Against Crystal Palace, Chelsea might have only secured a draw, but they showed promising signs, with hope growing that the west Londoners will put to bed the issues of recent seasons under Maresca's wing.

How Chelsea performed vs Crystal Palace

The Italian's ball-playing vision is shaping up and was displayed through an emphatic first half against Palace on Saturday, with Nicolas Jackson scoring his second of the season and Chelsea looking slick and stylish – assured.

But Stamford Bridge was silenced by an Ebere Eze stunner after the break to restore parity and frustrate Maresca, who watched on as the pendulum swung and the control was lost, the contest becoming far more frenzied.

Maresca's decision to drop Enzo Fernandez into a makeshift right-back role contributed to the issues, with the Argentine looking unnatural and unable to produce the all-encompassing work that would be required.

Malo Gusto's injury blow

Gusto was forced off in the second half with an injury to cast a gloomy setting on Chelsea's pre-international-break performance. Reece James has not yet returned to first-team training after suffering a hamstring injury himself before the season started – albeit the club captain has been suspended anyway following a red card at the end of 2023/24.

The 21-year-old is a big talent but he's young and will need to raise his defensive game to another level if he wishes to perform with the steeliness that the Blues need across the duration of the campaign.

Taking the whole season into account, Gusto has impressed with his doggedness and defensive robustness, averaging three tackles per game, but he's won less than half of his ground duels – 48% – while making an error leading to a shot against Manchester City on the opening day.

Chelsea correspondent Bobby Vincent was hardly scathing of Gusto's performance on Saturday, providing him with a 6/10 match rating, though he did note that the Frenchman 'struggled going forward', as well as his issues in protecting the rear.

That's not a regular occurrence, but Gusto's injury blow accentuates the interminable wait for James to return to the field, fit and firing once again. The powerful and athletic full-back could be the catalyst under Maresca's wing.

Because of that, even if the French defender has bounced back from his own ailment, he must be replaced.

The best replacement for Malo Gusto

It has been so frustrating to watch one of the Premier League's finest players founder over recent years, simply because of his misery on the fitness front.

James, aged 24, is a Champions League winner and “one of the best in the world”, having been hailed as much in the past by recent Palace recruit Trevoh Chalobah.

The international break comes at a good time for Chelsea, allowing Gusto and James to continue their recuperation. The former has been one of the outfit's better performers since joining from Lyon in a £26m transfer in 2023, but he's no James, and it's clear that the return of the England international could spark meaningful change.

The defender missed large portions of Pochettino's reign with various setbacks, only starting five Premier League matches and being sent off twice.

But he's adept at using his power and physique to shuttle up the flank and wreak havoc with his fine array of passing and natural goalscoring sense.

Indeed, over the course of the 2021/21 campaign, as per FBref, James ranked among the top 2% of full-backs for goals scored, the top 1% for assists, the top 3% for shot-creating actions, the top 7% for passes attempted and the top 6% for progressive passes and successful take-ons per 90.

He was at the peak of his powers and it goes to show what a player Chelsea have in their midst, his ability lying dormant and awaiting its deserved resurgence.

Look at the table above and you will see that James is a monstrous attacking force but so too is he a crunching defender, winning 61% of his ground duels – which is an impressive feat for a full-back, invariably pitted against lightning-fast wingers.

That defensive fortitude has been carried across his past two seasons too, even though he has been heavily affected by injury. In 2022/23, he won 66% of his ground battles, and then 64% last year.

It's frightening to think of the kind of player James could yet become, for he performs so well when available and is still only 24. Gusto was welcomed to London as the skipper's understudy but has played a far more hands-on role than was probably anticipated, and in fairness, he's looked impressive.

But the club skipper is still Chelsea's main man, and he must return to the starting line-up as soon as possible to ensure that Maresca's budding project hits the ascendency after the international break.

For now, fans wait with bated breath to hear of news of the right-backs' respective return dates, and while James must be handled with care, there are two weeks now where he can really work on returning to match fitness.

Fewer touches than Sanchez: Chelsea must bench 4/10 star after Palace

This Chelsea attacker wasn’t at the races whatsoever versus Crystal Palace.

By
Kelan Sarson

Sep 2, 2024

Newcastle United are expected to make an offer for an "extraordinary" free agent, but will need to act quickly as he is also wanted by another Premier League club, according to a fresh transfer update.

Newcastle contract & transfer news

The Magpies' summer transfer business is done and dusted, in what was a relatively low-key period in the market for them, but there are still contract and transfer rumours doing the rounds. The future of Anthony Gordon was a major talking point during the summer, with a move to boyhood club Liverpool mooted a number of times, but the winger ended up staying put at St James' Park. Now, it is claimed that the 23-year-old could sign a new deal at Newcastle, acting as a major boost for Eddie Howe.

In terms of potential new signings, only free agents are now available for the Magpies, with Yusuf Yazici reportedly a target, having left Lille upon the conclusion of last season. Aston Villa, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United are also thought to be in the mix for the 27-year-old.

There is another free agent who has emerged as an exciting option for Newcastle, too, as they battle with one of the clubs mentioned above for his signature.

Newcastle plan offer for "extraordinary" midfielder

According to a new update from Le Figaro [via Sport Witness], Newcastle could soon table an offer for Adrien Rabiot, who is currently a free agent after his departure from Juventus at the end of last season. United are in the same position, however, seeing the Frenchman as an excellent option to replace Casemiro, as the two Premier League clubs are said to "need to hurry" to get a deal done.

Rabiot could be a fantastic addition to Newcastle's midfield, considering his pedigree as a player throughout his career, during which time he has won seven league titles – six for Paris Saint-Germain and one with Juve. Not only that, but the 29-year-old has won 48 caps for a formidable France team, proving to be a key figure in the middle of the park, while David Trezeguet has lauded him in the past.

With Newcastle supporters not overly happy about a lack of stellar signings during the summer transfer window, the £29.5m-valued Rabiot could add so much class and experience to Howe's midfield all without splashing a penny, possessing quality in possession and a strong work ethic off the ball.

Last season, the France international registered eight goal contributions (five goals and three assists) in Serie A, but he also averaged 1.9 tackles per game, not to mention starting five matches for his country at Euro 2024 earlier this summer.

Newcastle sold a defender for £90k, now he has more career goals than Isak

The Magpies previously sold a defender for mere peanuts…

ByRoss Kilvington Sep 8, 2024

Signing Rabiot should be considered a no-brainer for Newcastle, even though he would likely demand big wages, with the free element of the fee making it less of an issue.

MatériaMais Notícias

A cada rodada que passa o rebaixamento do Grêmio para a Série B ganha forma e a situação se torna dramática nas jornadas finais do Brasileirão.Nos bastidores, quem se incomodou com a situação do time foi o vice-presidente de futebol do clube, Denis Abrahão, que revelou um grande desânimo do elenco na reta final do torneio.

RelacionadasBragantinoBragantino se complica na briga por uma vaga no G-4Bragantino29/11/2021FortalezaQueda de rendimento preocupa a reta final de temporada do FortalezaFortaleza29/11/2021PalmeirasPalmeiras já sabe quem vai enfrentar no Mundial de Clubes; veja o chaveamento até a decisão!Palmeiras29/11/2021

+ Veja no aplicativo do LANCE! o resultado dos jogos da rodada

– O departamento de marketing produziu um cenário muito bacana, motivacional. Eu falei com o grupo de jogadores, mostrando que precisávamos jogar uma Copa do Mundo. Não foi o que se viu. Temos que saber os motivos pelos quais não aconteceu. Mas isso saberemos a partir de segunda – afirmou em coletiva, antes de completar:

– O que mais me preocupou foi o estado anímico na primeira meia hora de jogo. Fizemos de tudo. O que mais podemos fazer? Não sei.

Calendário

Na próxima rodada do Brasileirão, o Grêmio encara o São Paulo, em jogo que será disputado na Arena.

Sacking the sporting director just five months after hiring him adds to the sense that the billionaire co-owner is taking the club backwards

Dan Ashworth spent about as much time on gardening leave as he did working for Manchester United. Let that sink in for a minute. The man who United believed was such a talented sporting director that they were prepared to wait five months for him to start work and paid up to £3 million ($3.8m) to prise him from Newcastle, was deemed not fit for purpose just five months into the role.

Ashworth is the latest high-profile name to drink from the poisoned chalice of working for Manchester United and see his impressive achievements at former clubs eaten up by his failure writ large at Old Trafford. Serial-winners such as Raphael Varane and Casemiro have been down this path, as have elite managers such as Jose Mourinho, Louis van Gaal and Erik ten Hag.

Now not even the executives are safe. And the highest ranking executive at the club comes out of this bizarre saga looking worst of all: Sir Jim Ratcliffe.

GettyMaking a mockery of 'recruitment' claim

Long before Ratcliffe had even considered buying his stake in United, the billionaire took aim at the club's shoddy recruitment policy. As far back as 2019 he described the club he has supported since a child as "the dumb money". And when he took control of the club's football operation late last year, he said that the key to getting United back towards the elite was fixing the recruitment. He mentioned the word six times in a roundtable interview with journalists in February.

He said: "Recruitment in the modern game is critical. Manchester United have clearly spent a lot of money but they haven’t done as well as some other clubs. So when I was talking about being best in class in all aspects of football, recruitment is clearly top of the list. I’m thinking about getting recruitment in a good place in the future. There’s not much I can do about what’s happened in the past. Our thinking is all about how we become first in class in recruitment going forward. Which means you need the right people."

Yet after talking so much about the importance of getting the right people, it seems Ratcliffe and his INEOS colleague Sir Dave Brailsford have botched one of the biggest calls they could make, the sporting director. United had been playing catch-up with the top clubs in Europe for years by only deciding to appoint a sporting director in 2021 when they promoted John Murtough from within. Before him, chief executive Ed Woodward, whose background was in accounting and investment banking, did most of the work in this key area.

Hiring Ashworth, who had played a big role in the success stories of England and Brighton, was seen as a step in the right direction at last. Ashworth's status seemed to justify the huge effort the club made to get him from Newcastle, which nearly landed them in trouble when it emerged they had approached him while he was still working for the Magpies. But not even one of the best operators in the sport was deemed good enough for Ratcliffe.

AdvertisementAFPTreading on toes

Sacking Ashworth, who was reportedly told about the decision soon after United's 3-2 defeat by Nottingham Forest, which he had brought his family to, was a massive shock. And yet, with hindsight, there was a small clue in an interview Ratcliffe had given to the fanzine The co-owner had talked up the recent appointments he had made within the last year, hailing Ruben Amorim as "a fantastic coach" and Omar Berrada as "a great chief executive". But there was no mention of Ashworth, who, back in that February interview, he had described as "clearly one of the top sporting directors in the world" and "a very capable person".

It has been revealed that Ratcliffe was not impressed with Ashworth's approach to naming a successor to Erik ten Hag. The billionaire was said to be 'disappointed' that the sporting director would not look beyond candidates he had previously worked with such as Eddie Howe, Graham Potter and Gareth Southgate, meaning he ended up tasking Berrada with leading the search for the new boss. Amorim may prove to be an excellent appointment and only time will tell if Ratcliffe was right to dismiss Ashworth's suggestions.

But it ultimately appears that he was not willing to trust Ashworth to do the job he was hired for. Ratcliffe clearly wanted his say in a process which Ashworth was supposed to lead. And that is not a good sign. Ratcliffe's background is in petrochemicals and sport is very much a hobby to him rather than his area of expertise. Treading on Ashworth's toes sets a worrying precedent.

GettyTen Hag call should fall on him

Another intriguing aspect of the breakdown in Ratcliffe and Ashworth's relationship relates to the decision to keep Ten Hag last summer. Ratcliffe clearly harboured big doubts about the Dutchman's suitability for the job after the team finished eighth in the Premier League – their worst performance in 34 years – and in the build-up to the FA Cup final it emerged that the club had held talks with Kieran McKenna, while it was later revealed they also approached Thomas Tuchel and Thomas Frank.

Ultimately, Ratcliffe decided to make a U-turn and not just keep Ten Hag in charge, but trigger the one-year extension in his contract. That decision, and the talks with other potential managers, took place before Ashworth had officially began work on July 1. In a September interview with journalists, Ashworth, like Berrada, was at pains to point out that he had not made the decision on Ten Hag as he was not working for the club at the time. And the remarks, according to the , were said to have 'gone down like a lead balloon' with Ratcliffe.

It is a curious explanation for Ratcliffe taking against Ashworth though, not least because Berrada had also shirked responsibility for the decision to keep the faith with Ten Hag. Both men were not supposed to have been involved in that process and, had they admitted to doing so, could even have found themselves in legal difficulties due to the terms of their departures from Newcastle and Manchester City respectively. But more importantly, that decision should fall on Ratcliffe.

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AFP£25m in compensation fees

The INEOS chief had five months to observe Ten Hag up close and determine whether he was the right man for the job or not. He was about to conclude that he wasn't, but the surprise win in the FA Cup final over City made it more politically difficult to sack Ten Hag. He ultimately backed away from making what would have been an unpopular decision at that time even though he knew it was the right one.

And giving Ten Hag an extra year could not erase the fact that everyone knew Ratcliffe didn't truly believe in the coach. Ratcliffe effectively kicked the can down the road until the next season, increasing the cost of dismissing Ten Hag and his staff (£10.4m/$13m according to club accounts) and obliging United to pay around £11m ($14m) to free Amorim from his contract with Sporting CP. United have now spent approximately £70m ($89m) on hiring and firing managers in the 11 years since Sir Alex Ferguson's departure. And almost a third of that has come on Ratcliffe's watch.

The decision to fire Ashworth little more than a month after axing Ten Hag means that in the last year alone United have spent around £25m ($32m) in compensation fees on two roles, and they will now have to spend even more money to replace Ashworth with another 'best in class' sporting director.

Jharkhand crumble from 130 for 5 to 167 all out

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Apr-2021Fifties from Punam Raut and Sabbhineni Meghana helped Railways lift the Women’s Senior One Day Trophy, their 12th title in the 14 editions of the tournament. Right-arm pacer Meghna Singh and offspinner Sneh Rana routed Jharkhand for 167 to set Railways up for a win in the final in Rajkot, clinching their 12th title in the last 14 editions.Jharkhand were off to a decent start before Ekta Bisht applied the brakes with Niral Rashmi’s wicket. Singh then struck in consecutive deliveries in the seventh over to remove Ritu Kumari and Radhey Sonia to leave them reeling at 30 for 3. It was Indrani Roy and Durga Murmu’s fourth-wicket partnership of 60 runs that then resurrected Jharkhand’s innings.Rana pinned Murmu in front to break the partnership and then returned to have Roy stumped for 49. Jharkhand’s innings never saw a lift following that, except for captain Mani Niharika’s 39 off 59 balls, as Rana, Bisht and Poonam Yadav combined to rattle the lower order, bowling them out for 167 from 130 for 5. Rana finished with three wickets, while Singh and Bisht picked two apiece.

That Winning Feeling

Congratulations to the @M_Raj03-led Railways for winning the @Paytm #OneDay Trophy. #Final #JHAvRLW pic.twitter.com/XFZVJAPO6v

— BCCI Women (@BCCIWomen) April 4, 2021

Railways lost opener Nuzhat Parween for a duck but a strong second-wicket partnership between Meghana and Raut kept them on course in the chase. Raut, who is coming off an excellent form for India in the recent ODIs against South Africa, followed up her 69 not out in the semi-final against Bengal with a carefully-crafted 59. Meghana, on the other hand, was the aggressor in the partnership, making a 67-ball 53, which included six fours.Ravinder Devyani removed both the set batters, but the rest of the line up had only 43 runs to chase in with 116 balls remaining after Meghana’s dismissal in the 31st over. Rana made easy work of the target with her 22-ball 34 and Mona Meshram chipped in with a 34-ball 19 as the duo remained unbeaten to help Railways cruise to a seven-wicket win.

With a forward line of Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Beto, Jack Harrison and Dwight McNeil, you would expect an abundance of goals at Everton.

However, that wasn’t the case last season in the Premier League, with the Toffees only registering a tally of 40 goals in their 38 outings – an average of just 1.05 per match.

Sean Dyche’s side have already attempted to combat the issue in the final third, signing Iliman Ndiaye from Marseille, but further investment is needed this summer to improve on their measly tally from last campaign.

His team have been linked with various talents from all over the globe in attacking areas, but they appear to have identified one experienced European forward to take them to the next level.

Everton interested in signing Serie A talent

According to Italian outlet Tuttosport, Everton have made initial contact with Juventus to sign striker Arkadiusz Milik this summer.

The 30-year-old also has admirers from Sevilla, alongside various Premier League sides, with new Juve boss Thiago Motta not including the Polish international in his plans for this season.

Milik, who earns £72k-per-week, as per Capology, scored four goals in his 32 Serie A appearances last season, but he only managed seven starts during the entirety of the campaign.

He’s previously featured for the likes of Napoli and Ajax in European competitions, demonstrating his ability to compete at the top level – a quality needed for the club to progress in the near future.

Milik could potentially form an excellent partnership with another talent who’s currently plying his trade at one of the Pole’s former clubs, but, like the striker, is in talks over a move to Goodison Park this summer.

Why Lindstrom and Milik would be perfect at Everton

Over the last couple of days, the Toffees have made excellent progress in a deal to sign Napoli winger Jasper Lindstrom on loan until the end of the season.

Fabrizio Romano confirmed that the deal to sign the Dane will include an option to buy at the end of the 2024/25 campaign, with the fee being in the region of £19.3m.

The 24-year-old featured in 22 games in Serie A last season, registering 46 passes per 90, at a completion rate of 80%, with an average of 2.6 of his passes progressive – a figure that could play into the hands of Milik.

The “clinical” striker, as dubbed by Statman Dave, averaged 3.6 shots per 90 in 2023/24, managing to get 1.3 of his efforts on target – with Lindstrom’s excellent passing ability allowing the 30-year-old to increase his attacking output.

Milik also averaged 0.31 goals per shot on target, with just over one of every three of his efforts on target ending up in the back of the net, a figure that would hugely boost Everton after their dismal showing in front of goal in the previous campaign.

Should the duo both move to Merseyside during the off-season, it would represent excellent business by the club, improving dramatically in areas that have needed addressing for numerous months.

Whilst individually they are brilliant talents, together, they could form a deadly partnership at Goodison, potentially allowing Dyche’s side to avoid another relegation battle, with Milik – who once scored 30 in 55 games for Marseille, and 47 in just 76 games at Ajax – perhaps the prolific marksman that the club have been craving.

The 73-cap international may have other interested parties this summer, but a move to Goodison under Dyche could see him find a settled home after multiple years of limited minutes, with Toffees benefitting massively from signing a hugely effective European level forward.

Perfect for Lindstrom: Everton in talks to sign £17m Onana successor

The Toffees are battling with another Premier League side for his signature.

By
Ethan Lamb

Jul 20, 2024

With Michael Olise now officially a Bayern Munich player, Crystal Palace are on the search for an attacker who can replace the Frenchman's output.

The Eagles eye Olise replacements

During the early passages of this summer's transfer window, the headlines around South London were dominated by the saga around Olise's future. With clubs in both the Premier League and Europe interested in the attacker, it was Bayern Munich who eventually won the race to secure the 22-year-old's services.

Related Crystal Palace want to sign 22 y/o who matched Eze’s assists last season

The update comes courtesy of journalist Fabrizio Romano.

Posts ByHenry Jackson Jul 7, 2024

Spending a rumoured £50million fee to get the deal done, the Eagles made a healthy profit on the £8million figure they spent to sign Olise from Reading back in 2021. Now in the possession of a significant windfall from the sale, Palace look set to enter the market to find a new attacking star to replace the French youth international.

The name currently doing the rounds at Selhurst Park is that of Emile Smith-Rowe with the Eagles set to compete with London rivals Fulham for the signature of the Arsenal man. Recent news has seen Palace make an offer for the winger with the Gunners turning down this initial proposal.

Another player on Palace's list of targets is Juventus' Matias Soule. The Argentine winger was said to be an individual that Oliver Glasner's side were eyeing a move for, however, it now appears more likely that Soule will be at one of Roma or Leicester City by the time the window slams shut on the 30th of August.

With Palace still on the lookout for a star to replace Olise, it appears that the club are now edging closer towards agreeing a deal for a player with no shortage of experience in the Premier League.

Palace make offer for Marseille star

As first reported on the X account of Fabrizio Romano, Crystal Palace have made an offer to sign Ismaila Sarr from French outfit Marseille. It is claimed that the Eagles have offered around £11.8million for the Senegalese winger with a further £840,000 in add-ons. Romano goes on to state that personal terms are also close to being agreed with Sarr on course to pen a five-year deal at Selhurst Park.

Sarr will be a familiar name to much of the Palace faithful thanks to his time at Watford. During his spell with the Hornets, the winger made 50 Premier League appearances, contributing 10 goals and six assists in the process. The 26-year-old's most recent time in the south of France has seen him put up five goals and six assists in 35 outings for Marseille last term.

The course of the previous campaign also saw Sarr play in a variety of positions across Marseille's forward line. With Olise able to adapt to numerous areas of the pitch, Sarr may prove a strong replacement for the Frenchman in regard to his versatility.

With a new attacking star at the top of Steve Parish's wishlist for this summer, the Eagles could land a bargain if they can get a deal for Sarr over the line.

It's not even been a week since the transfer window officially opened, but the stories about potential moves just keep coming for Premier League sides, and Arsenal are no different.

Mikel Arteta's side have an important summer ahead of them as they look to finally close the gap on Pep Guardiola's Manchester City, and over the last week, Amadou Onana has been touted for a move to the club.

However, based on recent reports, Edu Gaspar and Co have identified another midfield star in England who could be a better option.

Arsenal transfer news

According to a recent report from Football Transfers' Steve Kay, Newcastle United's Bruno Guimaraes has once again become a 'leading target for Arsenal' this summer.

Kay has revealed that after becoming increasingly frustrated with Martin Zubimendi's reluctance to leave Spain, the Gunners have turned their attention to the Toon's Brazilian star and have planned to make a player plus cash offer.

According to the report, neither the North Londoners nor City are willing to meet the player's £100m release clause, and with PSR still a concern, the Magpies could be forced to accept a player plus cash offer.

It looks set to be an incredibly complicated deal to organise, but after another brilliant season in the Northeast, Arsenal should do all they can to secure Guimaraes' signature – even if that means ceasing their interest in Onana.

How Guimaraes compares to Onana

Now, if it does come down to a straight shootout between Onana and Guimaers for the third spot in Arsenal's midfield next season, who would be the better option?

Well, both the Brazilian and Belgian are comfortable playing as a six and eight, and while they both have more experience in the former, it seems likely that they would be coming in to play the latter.

This is because Declan Rice started most games at the base of midfield last season and performed brilliantly, racking up seven goals and ten assists in 51 games.

Impressively, the Newcastle dynamo produced the same number of goals and assists in one game fewer, but the Everton man could only muster three goals and one assist in 37 games.

So, with it clear that the former Lyon man is more of a goal threat, who comes out on top when looking at their underlying numbers?

Unfortunately for the former LOSC Lille gem, it's the "world class" Brazilian, as dubbed by journalist Andy Sixsmith, who emerges victorious, and by quite some margin.

For example, he produces a higher non-penalty expected goal and assists figure, more progressive passes and carries, takes more shots and shots on target, produces more shot and goal-creating actions, makes more blocks and interceptions, and completes more successful take-ons, all per 90.

Non-Penalty Expected Goals + Assists

0.31

0.20

Non-Penalty Goals

0.19

0.09

Assists

0.22

0.00

Progressive Carries

1.79

0.91

Progressive Passes

7.80

4.61

Shots

1.32

1.25

Shots on Target

0.44

0.26

Passing Accuracy

83.9%

84.1%

Shot-Creating Actions

3.94

2.41

Goal-Creating Actions

0.52

0.04

Tackles

2.42

3.06

Blocks

1.43

1.08

Interceptions

0.96

0.91

Successful Take-Ons

1.98

0.52

The Toffees ace does have a marginally better passing accuracy and makes more tackles, but that really is about it.

Ultimately, if Arteta and Edu want to see Arsenal take another step forward this summer, then they should be going all out to try and bring Newcastle's Brazilian "leader", as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, to the club in the coming weeks and months.

More league goals than Haaland: Arsenal could sign "insane" Havertz upgrade

The “outrageous” striker could fire the Gunners to the title next season.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Jun 18, 2024

A club record partnership of 122 between Heather Knight and Rachael Haynes formed the backbone of a convincing Sydney Thunder victory as they overpowered the Adelaide Strikers. The stand between Knight and Haynes was the Thunder’s highest for any wicket in the WBBL and Knight’s 83, which came off just 39 balls, was their highest individual score. There was a six-over period of their partnership from the 14th to the 19th over where they collected 91 runs and until the loss of a few late wickets looked like crossing 200. Their innings had actually got off to a sluggish start and they were 1 for 28 after the Powerplay, but Sammy-Jo Johnson then took 26 off the seventh over from Amanda-Jade Wellington which included four sixes. Johnson had 29 off nine deliveries before edging behind off Tahlia McGrath, but it gave Knight and Haynes time to play themselves in. The Strikers’ chase never threatened to make an impression as the asking rate swelled. Lauren Smith, in her first bowl for her new club, claimed 3 for 26 and Knight capped off her day by taking a wicket first ball.Beth Mooney makes a diving catch•Getty Images

A disciplined bowling display from the Perth Scorchers suffocated the Melbourne Renegades at Drummoyne Oval. Early wickets from skipper Sophie Devine and Nicole Bolton put the Renegades on the back foot and they never recovered crawling to 5 for 105 from their 20 overs. Devine and Beth Mooney cruised to an unbeaten 62-run stand before rain ended proceedings after just 9.5 overs with the Scorchers 18 runs clear under the DLS method. Devine knocked over the dangerous Lizelle Lee in the second over and made 31 not out to claim Player of the Match honours. Bolton’s four overs of offspin cost just 13 runs and she took the prized wicket of Sophie Molineux who made an uncharacteristically slow 29 from 41 balls. Molineux and Courtney Webb put together a 57-run partnership but chewed up 66 balls in doing so after the Renegades had slumped to 3 for 16. Webb top-scored with 33 from 44 balls but it wasn’t enough for the Scorchers experienced opening pair. Devine and Mooney were scarcely troubled until the rain ended the Renegades’ misery.Chloe Tryon was cutting loose when rain arrived•Getty Images

The Hobart Hurricanes were denied a good chance of victory when their chase against defending champions the Brisbane Heat was curtailed three balls short of the minimum five overs needed for a game. Strong hitting from South Africa Chloe Tryon, who had been promoted to open, when she took 16 off an over from Delissa Kimmince gave the Hurricanes impetus in their chase of a revived 106 in 11 overs after the Heat’s innings had been stopped as their momentum was building. Georgia Redmayne fell to the second ball of the match, but Maddy Green 33 off 24 balls provided a good base which captain Jess Jonassen and Grace Harris were starting to build on when the rain came.The final match of the triple-header at the Sydney Showgrounds, between the Sydney Sixers and the Melbourne Stars was abandoned without a ball bowled as rain swept across the city. The Stars’ first three matches of the tournament have all been no results. It meant there was no chance to see Australia captain Meg Lanning go up against team-mates Ellyse Perry and Alyssa Healy.

Ipswich Town won't want to completely lose their identity heading up to the Premier League, with the Tractor Boys an absolute joy to watch last season in full flow.

The likes of Leif Davis were unstoppable at points for Kieran McKenna's men marauding forward, helping himself to a staggering assist haul of 21 in total, but the Suffolk outfit will know that the step-up in quality means they'll have to be tougher at the back.

Ipswich were a leaky side last campaign despite their promotion heroics, conceding 16 more goals than Championship title-winners Leicester across the 46-game season, and that could be why they're being linked with a number of new defensive recruits.

Ipswich looking at 6 foot 1 rock

According to football journalist Graeme Bailey, Ipswich Town are considering signing former loanee Cameron Carter-Vickers this summer but will face stern competition to land his services.

The 6 foot 1 centre-back, who is currently on the books at Celtic as a key cog under Brendan Rodgers, is also being eyed up by London-based duo West Ham United and Fulham this transfer window, as per Bailey, with the Scottish side adamant that they will aim to keep hold of their star 26-year-old despite all this interest heating up.

This could mean Ipswich are now hunting the signature of Carter-Vickers down over exploring a deal for Joe Rodon, who they have also been heavily linked with this transfer window, as McKenna tries to strengthen his side's porous defence ahead of their voyage up to the Premier League.

Opening the season now facing off against Liverpool and Manchester City will no doubt leave those at Portman Road anxious about how many goals they could potentially ship, with Carter-Vickers' signature likely to shore up the Tractor Boys at the back, to try and keep their heads above water in the top-flight.

How Carter-Vickers compares to Joe Rodon

Whilst Rodon is a hot property at the moment, and rightly so after an electric season on loan in the Championship with Leeds, Carter-Vickers would also arrive in Suffolk with plenty of hype attached to his name.

Winning seven trophies in total now for the Bhoys since joining at the start of the 2021/22 season, with two inclusions in the Scottish Premiership Team of the Season along the way, the towering defender could now see this as the perfect opportunity to move on and to prove himself in the top English division.

Carter-Vickers (23/24) vs Rodon (23/24)

Stat – per 90 mins*

Carter-Vickers

Rodon

Games played

25

43

Goals

1

0

Assists

1

0

Touches*

92.8

83.7

Accurate passes*

77.0 (91%)

66.0 (91%)

Interceptions*

0.6

1.2

Tackles*

0.8

1.1

Ball recoveries*

5.7

4.2

Clearances*

3.4

4.5

Stats by Sofascore

Head-to-head with Rodon across the last season, Carter-Vickers goes up against the current Tottenham Hotspur man valiantly, bettering him in certain areas, even in spite of having an injury-heavy last season for his Glasgow-based employers.

The USA international will also feel there's unfinished business for him in the Premier League, having never made appearance in the top division for Spurs, when he was still on the roster of the North London club as a promising gem for the future.

Once tipped for great things at Spurs though, with ex-Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino even declaring that a younger Carter-Vickers had the potential to be "one of the best centre-backs in England in the future", Carter-Vickers will sense that this is finally his moment to shine in England, after being offloaded to Celtic for around the £6m mark in 2022.

Coming into the side potentially to add numbers, battling it out with the likes of Luke Woolfenden and Cameron Burgess in the heart of defence, McKenna would be over the moon if this move got over the line.

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Posts ByKelan Sarson Jun 17, 2024