All posts by h716a5.icu

The Catalan club has been home to a whole host of iconic Samba stars down the years – but who stands out as the best?

Barcelona have signed a grand total of 29 Brazilian players over the last 35 years, with Vitor Roque the latest through the door in January 2024. The former Athletico Paranaense youngster only lasted one year in Catalunya, though, making just 14 La Liga appearances before the Blaugrana accepted a €25 million (£21m/$26m) offer for his services from Palmeiras in the winter transfer window.

Just like compatriots Philippe Coutinho, Malcom and Arthur Melo before him, Roque was unable to live up to expectations at one of the world's biggest clubs. Sonny Anderson, Fabio Rochemback and Geovanni also endured the same struggles at Barcelona, who have a mixed record when it comes to investment in Samba stars.

As such, it was relatively easy for GOAL to settle on the top 10 Brazilian's in the club's history. Ranking those players, however, was a far more daunting task, because most of them can be categorised as Barcelona legends.

In fact, the only man on the list who hasn't earned that status yet is Raphinha. That could change for the former Leeds United man by the end of May, though, because he is spearheading Barca's latest treble charge under Hansi Flick, and is currently the favourite to win the 2025 Ballon d'Or. The question is: who is Raphinha bidding to overtake in the Blaugrana history books?Check out our rankings below…

AFP10Adriano

Signed from Sevilla for just €9.5m in the summer of 2010, Adriano would prove to be one of the bargain buys of the century in his trophy-laden six-year stint at Camp Nou. He never really nailed down a starting role, but was an invaluable utility player who could operate as a full-back or winger on both sides of the pitch, in central midfield and even in the heart of defence when required. Adriano also had a penchant for popping up with important goals, including a brace in Barca's 4-0 Club World Cup final win over Sadd Sports Club in 2011.

World Cup winner Edmilson was also a contender for this No.10 slot, but we've given Adriano the nod because of his incredible versatility and superior honours list, with the former Sevilla man ending his time at Catalunya with four La Liga titles, two Champions League crowns and three Copas del Rey.

AdvertisementGetty Images Sport9Sylvinho

All-action left-back Sylvinho made 128 appearances for Barca between 2004 and 2009 after being snapped up from Celta Vigo, racking up 17 goal contributions along the way. The former Arsenal star had a wand of a left foot and was a master at making overlapping runs, which made him a constant threat going forward, and his tactical awareness was second to none.

Sylvinho fell down the pecking order after Eric Abidal's arrival at Camp Nou, but he continued to give everything when called upon, and produced an outstanding performance to help keep Cristiano Ronaldo at bay in Barcelona's 2-0 Champions League final victory over Manchester United in 2009. That proved to be Sylvinho's final game for the La Liga giants, but he left with five major trophies to his name – a fine return from a player who cost just €2m.

Getty Images8Juliano Belletti

Juliano Belletti replaced Michael Reiziger as Barcelona's first-choice right-back after joining from Villarreal in May 2004, and quickly became a fan favourite because of his passion and forward-thinking style of play. Frank Rijkaard was rewarded for putting his faith in Belletti right from the off; he gave Barca natural width in attack and worked tirelessly out of possession as they stormed to back-to-back league titles.

Belletti is, however, most fondly remembered for scoring Barcelona's winning goal in the 2006 Champions League final against Arsenal. With just nine minutes left on the clock, he somehow managed to fire the ball through Manuel Almunia's legs from a tight angle after latching onto a pass from Henrik Larsson in the box. Remarkably, that was the only goal of Belletti's entire Barca career, but it forever cemented him a place in the club's Hall of Fame.

Getty Images7Raphinha

Raphinha scored two goals in his latest La Liga outing for Barca, including a stoppage-time penalty that gave Flick's side a vital 4-3 win against Celta Vigo. That took the 28-year-old past the half-century mark for goal contributions this term, a feat that has only been accomplished by three other Barcelona players – Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez.

No one would have backed Raphinha to reach those heights after his underwhelming first two years at Barca, but Flick has unlocked his full potential since replacing Xavi as head coach last summer. Raphinha's quality in the final third has given Barca an edge in the most important matches, and he's also led by example with his efforts off the ball.

We may well have to push Raphinha into the top five if Barca complete a clean sweep of silverware; he's the best player in Europe right now, plain and simple.

Babar carries bat for 87 too, but Sam Curran’s cutters prove the difference in bowling stakes

Danyal Rasool30-Sep-2022Pakistan made a change up top, replacing a reliably consistent wicketkeeper with a potentially explosive one, but it was England’s wicketkeeper-batter who had the last say. In a sensational shock-and-awe approach that paid off to its fullest extent, it took the visitors just 14.3 overs to chase down 170 and level up the series with a handsome eight-wicket.Much of it came thanks to a brutal onslaught by Phil Salt in the Powerplay, who took a mere 19 balls to reach his half-century – the third-fastest by an England cricketer in T20I cricket – as England posted 82 in the Powerplay, their second highest score in the first six overs. England weren’t done, though, with the next two overs yielding a further 35 as Salt rocketed towards a stunning century. He would finish just short of that milestone, managing an unbeaten 88 in 41 balls, but that didn’t prevent an England cakewalk to the target.England needed the win if they were to keep the series alive, and that perhaps showed in the team selections, too. With Pakistan aware they had margin for error, two of their key players, Mohammad Rizwan and Haris Rauf, were rested. Mohammad Haris, who came in for the former, couldn’t quite take his chance, but Babar Azam carried his bat, scoring the sort of classical 59-ball 87 not out that almost appears to be his trademark.The innings took Babar to 3,000 T20I runs in 81 innings, joint-fastest with Virat Kohli, but with limited support from the other end and one of the more consistent England bowling performances to deal with, Pakistan always felt a touch behind par. It was only when Iftikhar Ahmed and Mohammad Nawaz helped out with cameos at the death that Pakistan approached a total they thought they could defend. Salt, and England’s batters, however, would swiftly make them reconsider.Salt peppers Pakistan No sooner had Pakistan got back out into the middle – with momentum ostensibly with them after a strong finish – did Salt wrench it all away from the hosts. When he backed away to pick Nawaz up over extra cover through the air and just beat the man in the circle, it set the tone for things to come. Another boundary followed two balls later, but it was really Shahnawaz Dahani’s following over that demonstrated the astronomically high ceiling of Salt’s ability, whatever his game-to-game inconsistencies might be.Twenty-two runs came off that over, and with Alex Hales joining the fun with a 12-ball 27, England simply kept hurtling along. There were four boundaries in the third over and four in the fifth as Salt made a mockery of what Pakistan had deemed a par score. The game was nearly a foregone conclusion when the Powerplay ended, but the bellicose mood Salt found himself in wouldn’t end with the fielding restrictions. Aamer Jamal was slapped for 20 in the seventh over, including a stunning flat pulled six that seemed to scorch the air it passed through, no higher than 15 metres off the ground. In the end, a gentle backfoot punch that belied the brutality of his earlier exploits would seal the win, the insouciance of the shot symbolizing Pakistan’s complete inability in stifling him.Babar Azam anchored Pakistan’s innings with an unbeaten 87•AFP/Getty ImagesCurran exploits conditions It’s not what the game will be remembered for, but Sam Curran’s canny use of the sticky conditions played a huge part in ensuring the batters could polish this game off quickly. Understanding the conditions with the accuracy of a local player and exploiting them with the intelligence of a more seasoned one, he was all over Pakistan through his four-over spell. Curran’s variations, the fingers rolled over the seam, the ball digging into the pitch, were about as hard to swat away as the bugs encircling the ground, and no batter could quite manage it. The short ball, even at his pace, was a challenge to handle, and it brought about the downfall of Haider Ali, while the cutter put paid to Iftikhar. Curran had punctured Pakistan’s innings right through the middle, setting up Salt to really let the air out of their hopes.Babar excels in vain Rizwan’s absence didn’t seem to dim Babar’s ability to get runs up top, and the early loss of his opening partner didn’t faze him, either. Babar and Rizwan have often talked up how much they understand each other’s games, but in Rizwan’s absence today, Babar almost seemed to transform into his opening partner, playing a knock Rizwan himself would have been proud of. Watching his partners come and go, Babar kept up the pace in the Powerplay before gradually upping gears, never seeming to break sweat to pick up the routine boundaries that seemed to elude his team-mates. The 87 he ended up with took Pakistan to a higher total than they defended in each of the last two games, and the Pakistan captain would have been well within his rights to assume it would end up being the most telling contribution of the day. Salt, however, ensured it would end up as little more than a footnote in a game that sets up a grandstand finale.

Manchester United could now reportedly be offered a swap deal for Marcus Rashford which would see him depart Old Trafford in exchange for another forward as soon as the January transfer window.

Man Utd and Rashford on course to part ways

Just weeks into Ruben Amorim’s time in charge of Manchester United, it seems that Rashford’s future lies away from Old Trafford. The Englishman has been left out of the squad for each of his side’s last three games, including the Manchester derby in the Premier League and the Carabao Cup quarter-final against Tottenham.

It comes after he admitted that he felt he needed a new challenge away from the north west.

“For me, personally, I think I’m ready for a new challenge and the next steps”, he told the media, before adding that he felt his best years remained ahead of him.

Appearances

287

Goals

87

Assists

40

Minutes per goal/assist

155

“I don’t expect my peak to be now. I’ve had nine years so far in the Premier League and that’s taught me a lot, that’s helped me grow as a player and as a person. So I don’t have any regrets from the last nine years. I won’t have any regrets going forward because I take things day by day and sometimes bad things happen, sometimes good things happen. I just try and keep a fine balance.”

For their part, Manchester United are willing to cash in on their homegrown star, who tops their wage bill with a massive £375,000 a week. Of course, that salary will be a major sticking point for any potential suitors, with few clubs on the planet able to afford that on top of what is likely to be a hefty transfer fee for the England international.

However, now one club have reportedly proposed a way out of what threatens to be a prolonged standoff.

Barcelona ready swap offer for Rashford

That is according to a fresh report from Spain, which claims that Barcelona are readying an audacious swap deal in a bid to try and sign Rashford in January.

The report claims that the Blaugrana are ready to offer up their own forward Ansu Fati in exchange for the 27-year-old, and even add that the club have “begun working on negotiations”.

Like Rashford, Fati is out of favour at his club and taking home a hefty salary (£221k per week in his case). Still just 22-years-old, injury and form have seen him start just a single La Liga game this season.

However, he is undoubtedly talented, inheriting Lionel Messi’s shirt at Camp Nou and singled out for praise by former boss Xavi, who dubbed him an “extraordinary” talent after working with him.

Despite this, a deal seems farfetched, especially with Barcelona already struggling with their salary cap to the point where they cannot register summer signing Dani Olmo for the second half of the season as things stand.

"Forget it" – Goldbridge fumes after Man Utd injury news on £250k-p/w star

It comes just weeks into Ruben Amorim’s reign.

ByBen Browning Dec 24, 2024

Adding Rashford to the mix may only make the situation worse, while United would surely demand a fee on top of the arrival of an injury-plagued Fati for any deal to materialise.

Tilak Varma’s unbeaten 84 was the only positive for Mumbai as RCB romped home with 22 balls to spare

Hemant Brar02-Apr-20232:05

Dasgupta: Kohli’s break has helped him re-ignite the fire

Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis hit scintillating half-centuries as Royal Challengers Bangalore marked their homecoming with a dominating eight-wicket win over Mumbai Indians.The win was set up by Royal Challengers’ bowlers. After inserting Mumbai in, du Plessis used seven of them; except Glenn Maxwell who bowled just one over, everyone else picked up at least one wicket.That Mumbai could post 171 for 7 in itself was an achievement. After 15 overs, they were 102 for 5 but Tilak Varma’s magnificent 84 not out off 46 balls gave them something to fight with.Du Plessis and Kohli, though, showed how much under par Mumbai were. The pair added 148 in 14.5 overs for the opening stand, du Plessis hitting a 43-ball 73 and Kohli an unbeaten 82 off 49. Between them, they hit 11 fours and as many sixes. When Kohli hit the winning six, 22 balls were still left in the game.Impact Player – Behrendorff in for SuryakumarMumbai, who had started the game with three overseas players, brought in Jason Behrendorff in the second innings. He replaced Suryakumar Yadav, but it made little difference as Behrendorff went for 37 in three wicketless overs. Royal Challengers were in such a comfortable position throughout that they didn’t even use an Impact Player.A powerless powerplayM Chinnaswamy Stadium is infamous for being the bowlers’ graveyard. However, that wasn’t the case in the first innings, with the ball coming slightly slower off the surface. Mohammed Siraj bowled three overs in the powerplay for just five runs and Ishan Kishan’s wicket. Kishan had hit two fours off Reece Topley in the second over but Siraj created the pressure with dot balls. When Kishan tried to break away, he ended up miscuing one to deep third.Batting at No. 3, Cameron Green lasted only four balls and was castled by a Topley yorker. Siraj could have had Rohit Sharma too in the next over. After bowling three dots in a row to Rohit, Siraj went for a bouncer. Rohit countered it with a pull, only to top-edge it straight up. But Siraj couldn’t hear Dinesh Karthik’s call – blame it on the deafening noise by the spectators – and ended up colliding with the wicketkeeper, and the chance went down. It didn’t prove costly, though, as Akash Deep had Rohit caught behind three balls later. Rohit made 1 off ten balls; Mumbai ended the powerplay on 29 for 3.Tilak Varma raises his bat after reaching a well-deserved half-century•BCCIVarma plays a lone handComing in at 19 for 3, Varma opened his account with a second-ball six. Suryakumar’s wicket in the ninth over left Mumbai at 48 for 4 but Varma kept playing his shots. He hit Maxwell for a six and four off successive balls before scooping Deep four a boundary in the next over.He found some support from debutant Nehal Wadhera who hit Karn Sharma for back-to-back sixes, the second one going landing on the roof over long-on. When he tried it for the third time, he holed out. In his next over, Karn dealt a much bigger blow by bowling Tim David.Varma appeared immune to all that and brought up his fifty in 32 balls. His knock had steered Mumbai to 133 for 7 after 18 overs. Then, Siraj lost his radar and sent down five off-side wides – four of them in a row. To make it worse, Varma picked up two fours as well in the over.Harshal Patel had conceded only 21 from his first three overs but he too bore the brunt now, going for 22 in the last over of the innings. Arshad Khan, the other debutant on the night, smashed the second ball of the over for a six. Varma followed it with a pulled four before wrapping up the innings with a helicoptered six.Faf du Plessis and Virat Kohli started strongly for Royal Challengers Bangalore•BCCIThe du Plessis-Kohli showMumbai’s left-arm seamers Behrendorff and Arshad found swing with the new ball, but du Plessis defused that threat by using his feet. He went down the track three times in Behrendorff’s second over, hitting one four and two successive sixes.Jofra Archer failed to latch on to a tough return catch from Kohli off his first ball for Mumbai. On the next, Kohli steered him for four, and then went down the track to launch a slower one over long-off.Du Plessis too enjoyed his luck when Kishan dropped him off Piyush Chawla in the fifth over, and took the side to 53 for no loss at the end of the powerplay. A couple of overs later, he welcomed Green into the attack with two fours and a six.Du Plessis brought up his fifty – off 29 balls – with a six off Hrithik Shokeen and celebrated it with another six on the spinner’s next ball. Kohli, despite hitting some eye-catching shots, was playing second fiddle to du Plessis. He took 38 balls for his half-century but by the time du Plessis got out, he had almost caught up with him.Karthik was promoted to No. 3. He fetched a three-ball duck but Maxwell smashed two sixes in three balls to take Royal Challengers to the brink of victory.

After withdrawing from the England squad last week, the ex-Manchester United striker is a doubt for the Gunners' clash with the French giants

When Arsenal welcomed Real Madrid to the Emirates Stadium last month, trailing 2-0 from a disappointing first leg in Spain, they were bidding to become the first team in seven years to prevail in a Women's Champions League knockout tie despite going into the second leg with a two-goal deficit. Thanks to an almighty performance, and a 3-0 win, the Gunners did exactly that – and Alessia Russo was right at the heart of it all.

The Lionesses star was unlucky not to leave with a match ball, having scored two huge goals and then had another couple disallowed for marginal offsides. She was brilliant with her finishing in high-pressure moments and exceptional in so many other areas of her game, too, particularly her pressing. There were a lot of stand out performers in red that night, with Chloe Kelly and Mariona Caldentey others who really stepped up, but it was hard to disagree with Russo being named Player of the Match.

Thinking back to how pivotal the forward was in that massive game, it would be cruel if she was to miss the fixture that it set-up: a Champions League semi-final against eight-time winners Lyon. After withdrawing from the England squad midway through last week's international break, Russo is a doubt as the French champions visit London for the first leg on Saturday. It would not just be a blow to her as an individual, either. Indeed, of all the players that Arsenal could lose for this tie, she might be the most crucial in what is a testament to her growth as a player this season in particular.

AFPHitting new heights

It's been a career-best goal-scoring season for Russo, and there is still plenty of football left to play, too. The 26-year-old is on track for her most prolific return in the Women's Super League, just one strike off last season's tally of 12, and has scored seven times in the Champions League. Only Barcelona's Claudia Pina has netted more times in the competition proper so far this term, with the England star also just one behind Manchester City's Khadija Shaw in the race for the WSL Golden Boot.

In the league, she is out-performing her expected goals (xG) statistic by 2.12, having under-performed by 0.41 last term; her big chance conversion rate has soared to a career-best 57 percent, having stood just below 43% last year; and her shot conversion rate has also improved from 15.2% to 17.7%.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesMore than a goal-scorer

But it's not just the goals Russo scores that make her crucial to Arsenal. "She does so many other things for the team as well that are so important," Gunners boss Renee Slegers said after that win over Real Madrid. "You saw our press for example, today. She put so much work into it, like the others.

"It's always good for forwards and the players who get into those positions to finish attacks and get the ball into the net. It's important for them because that's something they need to bring to the team in games. Of course, it's good for Less. But you can see she's so consistent, stable, as a person, that she doesn't get swayed by if she scores or not, or what exactly her contribution to the result is. She just works really hard for the team and she keeps on going."

Be it her hard work off the ball, her ability to link play or how she creates for others, Russo is a vital cog in an Arsenal team that has been seriously impressive since Slegers took charge back in October.

Getty Images SportValuable back-up…

So, what do the Gunners do if they are without Russo on Saturday? They do have another top-level striker in their squad, in Stina Blackstenius. With over 100 caps for Sweden and experience playing in major finals for club and country, she is no stranger to the pressure that a big game like this one against Lyon brings.

She's also got an impressive list of huge moments in Arsenal colours. In last year's League Cup final, it was Blackstenius who delivered the match-winning moment in extra-time to defeat Chelsea 1-0, while the Gunners' run to the Champions League semi-finals in the 2022-23 season saw the Swede score in three successive knockout games, with her strike in the second leg of the quarter-final against Bayern Munich sealing Arsenal's place in the last four.

Getty ImagesBut a very different one

However, Blackstenius is a completely different player to Russo. As far as centre-forwards go, the two almost could not be less alike. If the Swede was to start instead, Arsenal would have to at least slightly change the way they set-up for this tie, as Blackstenius will not hold the ball up in the same way as her English team-mate, she won't be as involved in linking play and building attacks, and she'll naturally look to get in behind with her great movement and electric pace, which will require a different type of service when compared to that Russo typically demands.

It all serves to highlight just how important the England star is to what Arsenal do. At times in the past, she has come in for criticism because her strengths have been in things aside from the goal-scoring, with her certainly not a typical No.9. But the work Russo has done to improve in front of goal deserves a lot of credit and it has seen her deliver plenty of important strikes while remaining so central to the Gunners' all-round principles.

A little more conversation – between players, the board and the WIPA – could have averted the sorry end to the West Indies tour of India

Swaroop Mamidipudi27-Oct-2014People in the Caribbean have said, time and again, that the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) is corrupt. Others have suggested nepotism. And some more talk of abuse of power. While these remain, to this day, unproven rumours, there is no question that the WICB, especially in its dealing with its players, is inefficient and short-sighted.Disputes have flared up, time and again, over payments, over sponsorships, over contracts. A few years back, the entire first team sat out and watched a second-string team get butchered at home by Bangladesh. Somehow, under the hardworking and honest Darren Sammy, the team seemed to bridge some of that gap with the administration. The West Indies Players Association (WIPA) played a positive role in fire-fighting and making sure the players did not feel shortchanged. Yes, its star batsman, Gayle, sat out for almost a year and a half, murdering only T20 club bowlers around the world. But that was an exception; not the rule.In this context, the events surrounding the curtailed tour of India are bizarre. The players claim that a certain payment issue was not discussed with WIPA office-bearers, although the WIPA claims it was. The players have lost trust in their own association, and the board, cunning as ever, has said it will only negotiate with the WIPA. This is like school kids arguing about who lost the ball.In the mid-90s, when the West Indian team began its free-fall, the board should have realized that the only way to keep promising cricketers — their most valuable asset — in the game was to treat them well. On many occasions, the board failed on this front. It promised too little and didn’t deliver on even those promises. The players felt deceived, their performance suffered. Worse, the board operated mysteriously and opaquely. Jerome Taylor is a classic case in point. For years, he had been claiming that he was fit. The board never picked him, claiming, dubiously, that he wasn’t.The issue that rankled players the most, though, was the low salaries. The stars of the earlier generation made their money mostly playing abroad — many of them made England their second home. However, by the mid-90s, there weren’t so many of those contracts anymore. Playing domestic cricket in the West Indies was never a profitable plan. This, cyclically, led to a decline in the quality of cricket in the Caribbean.In the last five years or so, there’s been money flowing into the coffers of the West Indian cricketers again through T20 leagues all over the world. Coincidentally (or consequently), the West Indies team seems to be stronger than it has been in the last fifteen years. Shouldn’t the players complain less about pay now? Shouldn’t they play as much top-flight cricket as they can and not pull out of tours?The present issue deals with a reduction in player salaries to the senior team in favour of contracts for an additional 90 first-class cricketers. It is, at least on the surface, a noble move. The issue, however, is not on the merits of this move. The players claim this was never discussed with them by the WIPA. Shouldn’t the WIPA, a players association, inspire confidence in the players? Shouldn’t it keep them informed of every decision it takes?From the days of George Headley, the West Indies brand of cricket revolved around individual brilliance. Of course, in the 70s and the 80s, Clive Lloyd and his immediate successors managed to unearth, nurture and feature a galaxy of stars in one line-up. Each one could turn the match in a matter of a session or two. The present side has at least seven such players — Chris Gayle, Marlon Samuels, the Bravos, Kemar Roach, Jerome Taylor and Sunil Narine. This is a side that could give any team a run for its money at the World Cup.The least the WIPA can do is actually be a association and represent the cricketers. The least the board can do is listen to the players and not ride on technicalities. The least the players could do is be open for discussion. An air of mistrust and off-field distractions will only ruin the cricket, and boy, when on song, don’t these guys play some cracking cricket?If you have a submission for Inbox, send it to us here, with “Inbox” in the subject line

Acting Ireland captain says bubble life leaves players feeling like they’re being “manoeuvred on a chessboard”

Matt Roller12-Jan-2022Paul Stirling has said there is “no doubt” that large numbers of players will pull out of tours and tournaments if they continue to operate in tight biosecure conditions, suggesting that Covid bubbles no longer feel like they are about “our health and safety” and instead are only in place for “financial reasons for companies, organisations and franchises”.Stirling has played overseas in the Hundred, T20 Blast, PSL, LPL and Abu Dhabi T10 in the last two years as well as touring regularly with Ireland. He contracted Covid-19 in Florida at the end of December following their T20I series, and has now joined up with the rest of Ireland’s squad – minus four Covid-positive team-mates and their interim coach David Ripley – in Jamaica ahead of Thursday’s second ODI against West Indies.With Andy Balbirnie among the positive players – along with Lorcan Tucker, Simi Singh and Ben White – Stirling will stand in as captain for the rest of the series. Speaking during his pre-match press conference on Wednesday, he said that while his introverted character meant he had coped with bubbles, there is “not too much rope left” for many players around the world.Related

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“Will players pull out? One hundred percent,” he said. “There’s no doubt about that. I think the restrictions are now no longer as much to do with our health and safety as they are to do with making sure that competitions go ahead and financial reasons for companies, organisations, franchises and making it work from that point of view.”When that starts happening and that transition is so apparent, and you feel as a player that you’re just being manoeuvred on a chessboard, that’s I think when people are going to be pulling out, fairly swiftly. That’s probably not far away, or else rules will be broken as you go.”As a whole, we’ve done pretty well. Not that you can blame anyone else but it would seem like we’ve had our camp in a good way, our discipline was good, we were sticking to the rules which is easier said than done sometimes.”We had a pretty good record and I think whenever cases came out, we nipped it in the bud. This is the first time where it’s lingered. I don’t know any teams that have completely avoided it, so it’s maybe time to start moving on in that direction a bit quicker.”Ireland’s players are in a strict bubble in Jamaica but were not at the start of their tour in Florida, where they had to abide by Covid protocols as part of a “managed environment”. It was not enough to keep the virus out of their camp, with their ODI series against the USA abandoned at short notice after players’ family members tested positive, but Stirling denied that the decision to avoid draconian protocols had been a mistake.”I don’t think the tour would have gone ahead [in a strict bubble],” he said. “Going away over Christmas in a different country – if you’re going to propose that with a full bubble like we’re in now, who’s going to say yes to that? It could only be relaxed.”And I say relaxed: it’s being allowed outdoors, it’s eating outdoors, it’s 15 minutes in places to get your essentials. I wouldn’t say it was extremely enjoyable. It was certainly the way that we see it going forward – that as an absolute bare minimum as to what we’re allowed to do.”Everyone reacts differently to news of positive tests. Even if you’re negative, you’ve got that anxiety of ‘will it be me next?’ This just seems to be one of those ones where it feels like our turn. It is tough if you’re not used to it. You’re away from home, you’re not sure if you’re going to get home.”Hopefully this is going to ease out with time this year. I don’t think there’s too much rope left with the players with having these bubbles as we go forward. The next three-four months, an easing of these sort of protocols would be pretty high on our list.”Stirling said that he was fit to play on Thursday despite suffering from “two dodgy days” while self-isolating in Miami, and feeling like he was “in the Highlands in South Africa” while jogging at his first training session in Jamaica.”From a health point of view, I’m feeling good,” he said. “I’m glad it’s over – the people who have had it are so glad they’ve already had it because that takes you off for six months [due to natural immunity] where we can focus on cricket. We’ve got [T20 World Cup] qualifiers coming up [in Oman in February] and the last thing we want is this sort of environment where people are unsure.”Andy McBrine (concussion) and Mark Adair (foot) are both expected to be available for Thursday’s game, while Singh and White could be available for Sunday’s third ODI if cleared by medical staff.

Not since Gilchrist’s debut in 1999 as an Australia keeper made their Test debut at home

AAP02-Dec-2021Adam Gilchrist expects Alex Carey to warm to Test cricket, knowing all too well the upside of serving a long-term apprenticeship in the coloured clothes before donning the baggy green.Carey, having captained Australia’s ODI side earlier this year and represented his country in 83 white-ball matches, will replace Tim Paine behind the stumps in next week’s Ashes opener at the Gabba.The catalyst for Carey’s elevation, confirmed on Thursday, is notably different to that which resulted in Gilchrist succeeding Ian Healy as Test wicketkeeper at the same ground in 1999.Related

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Carey determined to keep focus in 'the biggest game I'll play' as Test debut locked in

Carey is not as dynamic a batter as Gilchrist; nor has he enjoyed the same stability while batting in every spot from No. 1 to No. 8 for Australia. But Gilchrist, who last month gave Carey a technical tune-up over the phone, says recent years will help the South Australian handle a pressure-laden Test debut against England.”I see a lot of similarities between Alex’s journey and mine,” Gilchrist told AAP at Fox Cricket’s season launch. “When I walked out to bat, Mark Waugh was at the non-striker’s end and I’d opened with him 70-odd times.”Starting my Test career, it wasn’t completely new. There was a really nice settling air of familiarity. That doesn’t guarantee success but it certainly gives you a nice launching pad.”Alex deserves the opportunity, he’s worked really hard in that white-ball set-up. His keeping has been really consistent, I think he’ll warm to Test cricket really nicely.”Carey, who edged Josh Inglis in a selection showdown to replace former captain Paine in a 15-player squad for the first two Tests, will be the first gloveman to be presented with a baggy green on home soil since Gilchrist.Carey, whose head is still spinning after breaking the news to a tearful mum, dad and wife, hoped previous experience keeping to Australia’s Test attack would help settle any nerves in “the biggest game I’ve played”.Carey passed 50 in just one of eight Sheffield Shield innings this season but posted a timely one-day century on Sunday. In the previous three seasons, he has celebrated four Shield hundreds from nine games while routinely missing red-ball cricket to play ODIs and T20s.”The focus has never really been on his keeping. As is always the way in this day and age, it’s all about the runs if you’re a keeper,” Gilchrist said. “He reached out a couple of weeks ago just to have a chat about a few things.”He will often touch base – whether it’s around little technical things, bat and gloves, approach or just what I’ve seen. There aren’t many of us keepers, so you have to try to stick together.”

Liverpool stars paid a visit to a young Wrexham fan battling a rare form of cancer and jokingly tried to get him to switch his footballing allegiance.

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Liverpool visit children's hospitalCheck in on young Wrexham fanTry to get him to switch teamsFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

During Liverpool's annual visit to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital for their festive meet and greet, a number of players met Archie White, who has a rare form of cancer called myeloid sarcoma. The 12-year-old is an avid Wrexham fan and has the club's flags and shirts around his bed. When Reds star Curtis Jones checked in on the youngster, he cheekily tried to get him to support Liverpool instead. Archie also admitted he was blown away getting a visit from Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk.

AdvertisementWATCH THE CLIPWHAT ARCHIE AND THE LIVERPOOL PLAYERS SAID

The clip begins with Archie introducing himself, that he lives in Wrexham and supports the club. The exchange follows below…

Jones begins by saying, "Hello, hello. We're going to have a tough job here, I can see. We've got a big job on our hands of trying to make you a fan of us, haven't we?"

Archie told the camera crew: "I was nervous but it was very, very good. I enjoyed it. [Virgil] Van Dijk [was the best player to meet]."

When Van Dijk visited his bedside, he said: "I've got someone here to talk to you Max," while holding up his phone for a video call.

Getty Images/GOALTHE BIGGER PICTURE

This is not the first time Archie, who has a cancer that affects less than one in a million children, has enjoyed a special visit this year. Wrexham forward Ollie Palmer popped in last month and co-owner Rob McElhenney had a video call with him as well. So, for all of the Liverpool squad's efforts, it may be a hard task convincing him to switch teams.

Wolverhampton Wanderers have made some impressive signings over the past few seasons. Since they returned to the Premier League in 2018/19, they have not spent heavily, but have signed some quality players and managed to sell them on for a superb profit. The likes of Pedro Neto spring to mind, whom they sold to Chelsea for £51m.

This has certainly been a consistent transfer policy for the Midlands club, and other players who fit that include the likes of Ruben Neves and Matheus Nunes, who now play their trade for Al Hilal and Manchester City, respectively. Their current squad certainly has players who fit such a mould, too.

Wolves’ recent major signings

Over the course of the past few seasons, the Old Gold have brought in several enterprising players to Molineux, who have put in some important contributions to their survival in the Premier League.

One of those players is Matheus Cunha. He cost £43m from Atletico Madrid, a deal that went through in the summer of 2023, after moving to Molineux on an initial loan deal in the previous winter transfer window. He has been superb for the club so far, last season scoring 12 goals and registering seven assists.

The Brazilian attacker was the Old Gold’s leading scorer and leading assist-maker last campaign, finishing with 19 goals and assists in the Premier League in total, as per Sofascore. Finishing slightly behind him was South Korean attacker Hwang Hee-chan.

The 28-year-old cost the Old Gold £14m from RB Leipzig, also joining the club on an initial loan deal, as Cunha did. He was also impressive last season, scoring 12 goals and registering three assists in 29 Premier League games.

Player

Number of G/A

Matheus Cunha

19

Hwang Hee-chan

15

Pablo Sarabia

11

Pedro Neto

11

Mario Lemina

5

Other notable additions for Wolves over the past few seasons include the likes of midfielder Joao Gomes and experienced attacker Pablo Sarabia. However, one player who has not lived up to expectations since joining the Old Gold is Sasa Kalajdzic.

Sasa Kalajdzic’s Wolves career so far

It has been an incredibly tough career at Molineux so far for 27-year-old striker Kalajdzic. He has been sadly plagued by injuries and has not really been able to show the form he did at his former club, VFB Stuttgart.

The Old Gold signed the attacker from the German club in 2022, for a fee in the region of £15m. This deal came off the back of 24 goals and 12 assists in 60 games for Stuttgart, including 16 Bundesliga goals in 33 games in 2020/21.

He was previously linked with Borussia Dortmund, and the German giants believed that he could be their long-term replacement for Manchester City star Erling Haaland. Standing at 6 foot 7, the similarities between the deadly City marksman and the Austrian centre-forward are clear to see.

Eventually, it was Wolves who managed to bring the striker to the club. However, almost immediately he suffered a terrible anterior cruciate ligament injury which saw him out for the remainder of the season.

The 27-year-old returned the following campaign but struggled to find form so was loaned out back to the Bundesliga, to Eintracht Frankfurt the following season. Sadly, he managed just six games before suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury once again. It is an injury he is still sidelined with, and is now back at Molineux to undergo rehab.

It is incredibly frustrating for both Kalajdzic and Wolves that he has not been able to live up to the hype he came with, and has struggled so much with injury issues.

So far, the Austrian has played just 14 games for the Midlands outfit scoring three goals and registering one assist. In that same time frame, Haaland has scored 97 goals in 102 games for City.

There is no doubt that Wolves will hope their number 18 can overcome his recurring injury issues and rediscover his best form, with the aim of getting him back to the type of player who was once touted to fill the shoes of Haaland.

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