All posts by h716a5.icu

Leeds United return to Premier League action later this evening and Marcelo Bielsa will be hoping for a change in fortunes on the pitch, having picked up just two wins from their opening 12 matches.

The Yorkshiremen head to the south coast for the late kick-off against Brighton and Hove Albion at the Amex Stadium off the back of a 2-1 defeat in north London last time out.

Bielsa’s men dominated spells of the first half against Tottenham Hotspur, even going into the break with a one-goal lead, but were undone in the second half.

The Argentine was clearly unimpressed by the performance from Mateusz Klich, who earned a recall to the engine room, as he was the first player hooked and that was just 14 minutes after half-time, right after Spurs’ equaliser.

‘Another difficult afternoon for Klich to shine. Looked despondent as he came off, but his pressing was non-existent in the second half. Summed up why he had not been in the team in recent weeks,’ wrote LeedsLive reporter Beren Cross in his post-match ratings column.

Indeed, the Poland international has been way off his usual standard for the bulk of the 2021/22 campaign.

His last three starts in the Premier League have drawn shocking WhoScored ratings of 6.34 against Southampton and Wolverhampton Wanderers, and his second-lowest of the season, a 6.17 against Spurs.

As per SofaScore, Klich lost every single one of his duels last Sunday, failed to record a successful dribble and was dribbled past twice by the opposition’s midfield. Passenger-like.

Only four players to have started eight or more games have managed a worse average rating for the entire season, and unsurprisingly they are mainly attack-minded players.

Valued at £8.5m and earning around £34k-per-week at Elland Road, Klich has surely lost his place in the starting XI heading into this weekend’s encounter. At the time of writing, Brighton are sat inside the top ten, so they will be a tough test and the struggling Whites can no longer afford to carry underperforming players like the Polish midfielder.

Bielsa must be ruthless and axe his long-serving favourite from his starting XI tonight.

AND in other news, Beren Cross drops Leeds United managerial update…

[ad_pod ]

Newcastle United are among the clubs interested in taking Yannick Bolasie on loan from Everton, according to TEAMtalk.

Bolasie recently returned to the Toffees after a loan spell with Aston Villa – something TEAMtalk report his parent club wasn’t happy about; but how do the numbers stack up for the DR Congo international?

How did he fare at Villa Park?

Bolasie, per the aforementioned report, invoked a clause in his contract at Villa allowing him to return to Goodison Park earlier this month.

According to Transfermarkt, the 29-year-old made 21 appearances in the Championship, scoring two goals and laying on five assists.

Check out the video below for Emma Conybeare’s rundown of which clubs need what in the January transfer window…

The wide man struggled in the second-tier, however, completing 90 minutes just twice.

Per WhoScored, Bolasie’s statistics are far from brilliant, particularly when it is considered that he has been playing in England’s second-tier.

In each appearance, Bolasie made an average of 11.5 passes, with only one of those being a key one. In 12 games, he may have provided four assists, but he scored just twice.

Despite those numbers, TEAMtalk say that Newcastle are one of the Premier League clubs interested in securing the African’s services.

The verdict

Newcastle do need attacking reinforcements, but the numbers do not seem to stack up.

The Magpies have yet to do any business in the January transfer window and recently missed out on signing Gelson Martins from Atletico Madrid; per Chronicle Live, the winger snubbed the move once he realised AS Monaco were interested. He eventually moved to the French club on loan.

Bolasie, while he has Premier League experience and offers searing pace and trickery that is currently lacking at St James’ Park, is not the in-form marquee winger that the north-east outfit need.

They would also have to send Kenedy back to Chelsea to free up space in their squad; due to the loan registration rules, as per premierleague.com, they are only allowed two at any one time, and they are unlikely to try and send Salomon Rondon back to West Bromwich Albion given he has established himself as Rafa Benitez’s first-choice centre-forward this term.

The DR Congo international is more experienced than Kenedy but the jury is out as to whether he’s actually better as things stand right now.

Pending approval from the ICC, South Africa will host India in a one-off Twenty20 match for the Krish Mackerdhuj Trophy in January next year, at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban – one of the venues for the football World Cup

Cricinfo staff21-May-2010Pending approval from the ICC, South Africa will host India in a one-off Twenty20 match for the Krish Mackerdhuj Trophy in January next year, at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban – one of the venues for the football World Cup.”This match will be CSA’s way of acknowledging the meaningful contribution to the progress of South Africa made by the Indian community, and also to India for its support of cricket here since unity,” CSA chief executive Gerald Majola said. “The BCCI have kindly agreed to the match, and we are awaiting final approval from the ICC.”The late Mackerdhuj is a past president of the South Africa board, and pioneered South Africa’s first international tour, to India, after being re-admitted into the international fold in 1991. The match will also commemorate the 150th anniversary of the arrival of Indians in South Africa.The stadium, which is set to stage five group games, one second round match and a semi-final during the World Cup, has a capacity of 70,000, which will be reduced to 54,000 after the marquee football event. It has space for expansion around the football pitch which makes cricket feasible.

Suresh Raina and M Vijay made light work of Zimbabwe’s second-highest total in Twenty20 internationals to give India a clean sweep of the series

The Bulletin by Sidharth Monga13-Jun-2010
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were outTatenda Taibu hustled Zimbabwe to their second-highest Twenty20 score, but it proved insufficient as India strolled home•AFPSuresh Raina and M Vijay made light work of Zimbabwe’s second-highest total in Twenty20 internationals, smacking five sixes and eight fours between them to set up a seven-wicket win, and with that the 2-0 sweep of the Twenty20 series. Sweeps and reverse-sweeps from Tatenda Taibu and a late cameo from Charles Coventry took Zimbabwe to their mildly competitive total, but it could be argued they lost the match in their Powerplay that went for only 21 runs.After paying for too many strokes too early in the first match, Zimbabwe erred on the side of caution in the second. There were 48 dot balls in the innings, five of them because Hamilton Masakadza shouldered arms to the first six deliveries he faced, one of them a wide. He was out to the first aggressive shot he played, hitting straight down mid-off’s throat. Brendan Taylor and Chamu Chibhabha didn’t try any big shots off the seamers, and Chibhabha fell to an expansive slog-sweep in the sixth over, bowled by Pragyan Ojha.By the time Taylor, who struggled to get singles in his 31-ball 26, got out to a superb catch on the long-off boundary by Yusuf Pathan, Zimbabwe had reached only 64 in the 13th over. Taibu, though, was playing a different game: sweeping, reverse-sweeping, running fast, hitting the spinners off their lengths. He may have hit only two boundaries – a sweep of each variety – but had raced to 25 off 18 when Taylor got out. Coventry came out and made one wonder just why the top order batted so slowly. He reverse-swept R Ashwin for two boundaries in the 16th over, and between those two hits fit an exquisite six over extra cover. Vinay offered him length in the next over, and Coventry got another six.Dinda removed Coventry with a perfect yorker in the 18th over, for a 13-ball 28. Elton Chigumbura played a mini cameo, looting Ashwin in the penultimate over for six, six and four, but Suresh Raina took a blinder running from midwicket towards deep midwicket to control the damage.Raina was in damage-inflicting mood when he came in to bat, with 32 runs up in five overs. Vijay had by then – not entire convincingly – converted a slow start into an acceptable one. He kept clearing his leg and swinging, he missed a couple, but the ones he connected travelled. Raina’s method involved fewer risks. He kept targeting midwicket and extra cover, and connected well on most occasions.Raina wasted little time, and punched the third ball he faced past extra cover for four. It was all India after that. Vijay hit two massive sixes, Raina responded with a four and a six over midwicket, and India had reached 89 in 12 overs. Two boundaries either side of square leg in Ray Price’s 14th over, and Raina had caught up with Vijay in quick time.Vijay fell four short of fifty, but Raina kept timing them beautifully. The six that brought up his half century, a low full toss hit over long-off, was effortless, and brought the equation down to 23 off 29, putting the matter beyond any reasonable doubt.

Julian Nagelsmann is on Borussia Dortmund's shortlist should they part ways with Edin Terzic, adding to a long list of suitors for the German manager.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Dortmund considering Nagelsmann as Terzic replacementMan Utd, Newcastle also interested in hiringGermany boss not guaranteed contract beyond Euro 2024WHAT HAPPENED?

The German manager is expected to be on the market this summer, after overseeing the national team at Euro 2024. His next job, though, has been a topic of debate, and Dortmund have now entered the race, according to .

AdvertisementGetty ImagesWHAT JULIAN NAGELSMANN SAID

In an interview with , the Germany manager spoke openly on his sudden sacking from Bayern Munich last March. "I was signed by Bayern with the proviso that I would change things,” he said. “There are clubs that give you time. Jürgen Klopp was at Liverpool for five years before he became champion there for the first time. Pep Guardiola only won the Champions League title with Manchester City after seven years. The coaches at Bayern Munich don’t get as much time to develop something."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Man Utd are yet to make a clear decision on the future of Erik ten Hag, but the former Ajax boss is in the hot seat after Sir Jim Ratcliffe completed a partial takeover of the club. Terzic's job, too, is under scrutiny, with Dortmund currently fourth in the Bundesliga.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR JULIAN NAGELSMANN?

Nagelsmann's future seems to be up in the air, with a handful ofclubs chasing his hiring. His immediate focus will be the German national side, with friendlies against France and the Netherlands scheduled for the international break.

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Aug-2012Zimbabwe squad for World Twenty20

Brendan Taylor (capt), Vusi Sibanda, Hamilton Masakadza, Stuart Matsikenyeri, Malcolm Waller, Elton Chigumbura, Craig Ervine, Graeme Cremer, Ray Price, Kyle Jarvis, Chris Mpofu, Richard Muzhange, Brian Vitori, Prosper Utseya, Forster Mutizwa
Non-travelling reserves: Regis Chakabva, Tendai Chatara, Shingirai Masakadza, Tinotenda Mutombodzi, Richmond Mutumbami

Richard Muzhange, the 21-year old Mid West Rhinos medium-pacer, is the only new face in the 15-man Zimbabwe squad for the ICC World Twenty20 to be led by Brendan Taylor.Brian Vitori, the left-arm fast bowler, is the only other member of the squad yet to play a Twenty20 international, although he’s already represented his country in Tests and ODIs.”This is one of the hardest squads we’ve had to pick for a while because we had quite a few players competing for places,” Heath Streak, the Zimbabwe bowling coach, told ESPNcricinfo. “Most of these guys are the ones that played against South Africa and Bangladesh in the tri-series. They did well there and we hope they will do well at the World Twenty20. We are in camp now and we will be playing some warm up matches there.”Ray Price, the left-arm spinner, missed the tri-series against South Africa and Bangladesh with an injury but has now returned to the squad.Zimbabwe are in Group C in the World Twenty20, along with South Africa and hosts Sri Lanka. They will play the opening game of the tournament against the hosts on September 18 in Hambantota.

With recent reports claiming that Newcastle United have hired an external recruitment firm to help in their search for a director of football, the club’s new hierarchy may not need to look too far to find someone that could play a vital role in the way the Tyneside club is run behind the scenes.

Speaking to City A.M., Rob Lee has been sharing his thoughts on the possibility of former Toon striker and club legend Alan Shearer taking a role at the club.

He said: “I would get someone who knows Newcastle and the club and sits as an adviser to everybody, to the board – even above a director of football.

“Because if we get the top job wrong, every other job is wrong. I think it’s imperative to get it right behind the scenes before we get it right on the pitch because it starts at the very top. I’m a great friend of Alan but he would be my choice. You know he’s not going to be influenced by anybody. He’ll make decisions because he loves Newcastle.

“He’ll give his honest opinion. He’s not scared of anyone, he won’t be bullied by agents. They can trust him to give them the right call.”

With 206 goals scored in 405 appearances for the Toon across all competitions, it’s safe to say that he is a club legend and well-loved by the masses at St James’ Park. Thus, they would presumably love to see him take a role at the club.

He absolutely adores not only the city but also the football club and any advise he can offer the likes of Amanda Staveley and those who now sit in the boardroom will be considered with his heart and soul.

A managerial stint with the Toon didn’t go well back in April 2009 as he failed to steer them to safety, eventually seeing his beloved side relegated to the Championship.

Yet, the 51-year-old is now wiser, older and not constrained by the dreaded Mike Ashley so an arrival back in the northeast would be rather suitable for all parties.

Although PIF have plenty of riches, one thing they don’t have yet is a connection with the city and the club’s supporters. Shearer, however, could fix that early issue and help bring the new ownership closer to the fanbase.

Staveley revealed back in October that she had been in contact with Shearer over a potential role for him at the Tyneside club, and it seems as though something could potentially be in the pipeline for him at some point in the future. Should he be hired by the club, it would surely leave a lot of Toon fans buzzing and coupled with PIF, would be a dream come true for both them and the former striker.

If Newcastle struggle to secure a permanent director of football in the coming weeks, PIF should definitely make a formal approach to the ex-England international to work out what position he could have at the club that would be beneficial when considering his love and knowledge of everything connected to the Magpies.

In other news: NUFC could land the next Xavi with £31.5m-rated gem who “always finds the best escape” – opinion

Wrexham suffered a major injury blow against Harrogate Town on Tuesday after losing goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo to injury.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Okonkwo injured in first halfTaken off at half-timeFears he's suffered jaw injuryWHAT HAPPENED?

Okonkwo started the game at Harrogate but suffered an early injury in a collision. The goalkeeper received lengthy treatment on the pitch but was initially able to continue. He was subsequently seen taking painkillers, after receiving further medical attention in another stoppage, and did not emerge after the break. Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson opted to send on Mark Howard in his place at half-time.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

There are fears that Okonkwo has suffered a jaw injury which could see him forced onto the sidelines. Wrexham will certainly be hoping that their goalkeeper is not set for a lengthy lay-off. The 22-year-old has become a regular with the Red Dragons this season after arriving on a season-long loan from Premier League giants Arsenal.

DID YOU KNOW?

Wrexham's Okonkowo had the best save percentage for stopping attempts in the whole of League Two heading into the game.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

GettyWHAT NEXT FOR OKONKWO?

Wrexham will be sweating on Okonkwo's fitness ahead of their next match. Parkinson's side continue their FA Cup campaign next time out when they host National League South side Yeovil Town in the second round of the famous competition. If Okonkwo is ruled out then Howard will be expected to take his place between the sticks.

The Ukraine forward was a major disappointment as the Blues underwhelmed against Unai Emery's team, losing 2-0 at Stamford Bridge

Chelsea have dropped into the bottom half of the Premier League table as the pressure continues to mount on manager Graham Potter after they suffered a 2-0 home defeat against Aston Villa on Saturday.

Ollie Watkins and John McGinn fired the visitors to victory, lifting them above the Blues in the table, who have dropped to 11th.

Mykhailo Mudryk passed up two great chances to rescue Chelsea but fluffed his lines in yet another disappointing display by the Ukraine international, who is still searching for his first goal since joining the club in January.

🏆 TOP STORY: Mbappe wants Madrid move in 2024📣 HAVE YOUR SAY: Can Man City catch Arsenal?🚨 MUST READ: The players who could leave Chelsea

Chelsea looked stronger after going 2-0 down, but were unable to get the ball in the net as they lost for the first time in five matches.

GOAL rates Chelsea's players from Stamford Bridge…

Getty ImagesGoalkeeper & Defence

Kepa Arrizabalaga (6/10):

Beaten from distance once again as McGinn's effort sailed past him and into the corner.

Reece James (5/10):

Another defensively tame performance as he was caught ball watching and out of position a few times.

Kalidou Koulibaly (6/10):

Chelsea's best defender in the game. He made some strong tackles to keep Villa at bay.

Marc Cucurella (4/10):

At fault for the opening goal with a bad header that sent Watkins in to finish.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesMidfield

Ruben Loftus-Cheek (5/10):

Saw enough of the ball but did not make much of an impact before going off early in the second half.

Enzo Fernandez (6/10):

Tried to keep the ball circulating and support his team's attack but let down by his team-mates.

Mateo Kovacic (6/10):

Tried to get his side back into the game with a few long-range shots but could not lift his team.

Ben Chilwell (7/10)

Dangerous in attack as he got into the box a lot and hit the post on one occasion before having a goal disallowed.

Getty ImagesAttack

Kai Havertz (6/10):

Had a few chances on goal and dropped back to link up with team-mates but nothing really worked for him.

Joao Felix (7/10):

Tried his best to create some danger for the visitors but was unable to find the net.

Mykhaylo Mudryk (5/10):

Had a shot saved from close range and then ruined a great chance with a weak shot straight at Emi Martinez.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty ImagesSubs & Manager

N'Golo Kante (6/10):

Made his first appearance since mid-August and got forward a lot to help create some trouble.

Noni Madueke (6/10):

Came on before the hour mark and tried to make something happen on the wing, but Villa were too strong.

Conor Gallagher (5/10):

Introduced for the last 10 minutes but had little impact on the game.

Christian Pulisic (6/10):

A late addition, he had an effort saved by Martinez late on and looked lively in his brief appearance.

Graham Potter (4/10):

A poor set up from the coach, whose team looked weak defensively since the beginning and were not as threatening as they should have been with Felix, Havertz and Mudryk all in the line up.

From getting Ronaldo onside to bloodying the nose of Pep and Klopp, these are the key objectives he needs to nail in his first season…

Erik ten Hag's gigantic task of getting the Manchester United juggernaut back on the road is as big as it gets in a footballing sense, and one that proved too big for David Moyes, Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

With Manchester City and Liverpool setting a new standard and pulling further away from the chasing pack, a Premier League title challenge is beyond them, so what will success look like in Ten Hag’s first year in charge?

GOAL has had a look at seven areas that will define the Dutchman's first season at the helm.

(C)Getty ImagesHandling Ronaldo

Ronaldo is absolutely pivotal to United’s hopes.

He has been labelled the problem and the cure – but the benefits of a fully firing Ronaldo outweigh the negatives.

He proved once again last season that he remains a devastating centre forward with 24 goals in all competitions. And after United had to watch on as targets Erling Haaland and Darwin Nunez joined City and Liverpool, they will have to rely on their veteran striker to provide the bulk of their firepower.

But it will be about Ten Hag finding a way to fit the Portuguese into his system while accepting that he will not press in the manner of modern forwards.

United will have to rely on other players picking up the slack in the knowledge that Ronaldo will deliver in front of goal.

It is a delicate balancing act – and one that could be absolutely critical to Ten Hag’s first season.

AdvertisementGettyRevitalise Rashford and Sancho

Jadon Sancho endured an underwhelming start to life at United – going from a key member of Gareth Southgate’s England squad to a major doubt for the World Cup.

He has it all to do to make Qatar – even after FIFA extended the squad lists to 26 players. But his priority is to kick start his United career.

Sancho was supposed to be the iconic winger United fans have been crying out for since Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure in 2009. He could still be that – and it was hardly ideal for him to see the manager who signed him get the sack a few months later.

He had some of his brighter moments under Ralf Rangnick and Ten Hag will need to build on that.

Marcus Rashford is another who needs some love from the new manager.

He is also fighting for his World Cup place and wants Ten Hag to let him establish himself on the left of attack.

He is hopeful he will finally get the sort of man-management and coaching he has lacked since bursting onto the scene six years ago.

If Ten Hag can get the best out of Rashford and Sancho, it would breathe new life into United’s attack.

GettyChampions League qualification

The absolute minimum requirement in his first season is to get United back to the top table of European football.

They have gone from being a club that would qualify for the Champions League on muscle memory alone, to one that has become all too used to missing out.

The problem for Ten Hag is that the battle for the top four maybe at its most fierce this season, with a rejuvenated Tottenham under Antonio Conte, Arsenal making strides and Chelsea a regular fixture.

Throw in West Ham – and maybe even a newly-monied Newcastle and United have a fight on their hands.

It would be hard to make any claim that the season was a success if United miss out on the Champions League for a second year in succession.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

GettyA trophy… any trophy

It is five years since United last picked up some silverware. Five long years of false dawns and empty promises, reboots and reshuffles.

When Mourinho led them to the double of the Carabao Cup and Europa League in 2017, it felt like the good times were set to return.

He guided them to second place the following season and the FA Cup final.

In the meantime United have had to watch on as City and Liverpool have dominated and set new standards.

It has been painful viewing – and while Solskjaer came within a penalty shoot-out of delivering the Europa League, United have been nowhere near close enough to lifting major honours on a regular basis.

Ten Hag is used to picking up silverware – winning three Eredivisie titles and two Dutch Cups in his time at Ajax.

He would join a select group of United managers if he can deliver any trophy at Old Trafford.