Manchester City star Phil Foden says the team have not lost faith in manager Pep Guardiola despite their current miserable run of form.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Man City currently on torrid run
• Beaten at home by United on Sunday
• Foden says players still believe in Guardiola

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  City's 2-1 derby defeat to Manchester United on Sunday poured further misery on Guardiola's struggling side and handed the defending Premier League champions a fifth defeat of the season already. Bernardo Silva admitted after the game that his team had "played like Under-15s," while Guardiola said he "was not good enough" after overseeing yet another miserable performance.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  While Guardiola may not be happy with his performances, he still has the backing of his players. England star Foden says the players still believe in the Catalan and has revealed what the Cityzens need to do to get back on track and rediscover their best form.

• WHAT FODEN SAID

  He told reporters: "We are still nowhere near our level, but I still believe that we are playing good enough to get points and results," he said. "It’s about remaining focused throughout the full 90 minutes, but we keep switching off at important times. We just need to get the focus right. We stick together, regroup and believe in ourselves after what we’ve achieved in the past. We keep believing in the process and the manager – I’m sure if we do that we will get back to winning ways and get back to our level. It’s about keeping our mentality strong throughout the whole 90 minutes and we’re not doing that at the moment. We have to go again and show character to come back from this blip. It’s not a time for moaning – it’s about sticking together, remaining strong and going again. I’m positive we are going to come back.”

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR MAN CITY

  City now have a free week to try and regroup after a demoralising defeat to their neighbours. Guardiola's side go again on Saturday against Aston Villa in the Premier League at Villa Park.

Royals’ left-handers versus Washington Sundar’s offspin could be an interesting subplot

Sreshth Shah28-Mar-20222:16

Shastri and Lynn excited by Ashwin and Chahal combo

Big pictureAnd then there were two. By the time Sunrisers Hyderabad and Rajasthan Royals take the field on Tuesday, all other sides would have had a taste of IPL 2022.Sunrisers will be without Rashid Khan for the first time since 2017, but unlike a batter, a bowler can have an impact for only 20% of a innings, which might give them some respite. If fit, Washington Sundar could do a holding role with the new ball or after the powerplay and there’s the seam trio of Bhuvneshwar Kumar, T Natarajan and Umran Malik who offer 12 very different kind of overs. Bhuvneshwar will search for swing at the top, Natarajan will aim for the yorkers at the death, and Malik will look to beat batters with his raw pace and trouble them with his short ball. Marco Jansen, the tall, left-arm seamer, could be a potent new-ball partner for Bhuvneshwar. The other option for that final overseas slot could be the destructive West Indies allrounder Romario Shepherd.For the last few seasons, Sunrisers opted to load up on a top-heavy batting line-up – often with two heavyweight overseas batters at the top, but this time they’re expected to open with domestic batters Rahul Tripathi and Abhishek Sharma. Then there’s Kane Williamson as a top-drawer anchor, albeit coming off a long-term injury, Aiden Markram who can bat anywhere in the top five, and Nicholas Pooran who is expected to bring in the fireworks. Abdul Samad, Sundar and possibly Shepherd close out the batting, and on paper, this is a side with plenty of potential even though the bench doesn’t inspire too much confidence.Related

Sunrisers a mix of experience and youth

The miracle man of Chinnappampatti

Death bowling a worry for Royals

Royals have plenty of positives going into the competition apart perhaps from their death-bowling options. Trent Boult can do a job with the older ball, but he is most potent while swinging the new one into the right-hander. Prasidh Krishna will likely partner Boult in the powerplay, and if they can successfully build early pressure, R Ashwin and Yuzvendra Chahal could capitalise on it to strangle the opposition in the middle overs. How they choose to approach the death overs could be the deciding factor in whether James Neesham plays as the allrounder or Nathan Coulter-Nile.As far as the top order is concerned, Royals have as good a unit as a team can hope for after an auction. They retained Yashasvi Jaiswal, Jos Buttler and Sanju Samson, and now have Devdutt Padikkal set to bat at No. 3. Rassie van der Dussen, who has enjoyed a purple patch for South Africa in the last nine months or so, and Shimron Hetmyer, who is especially brutal against spin, are probably vying for one spot in the middle, though the decision for the first game has been taken out of Royals’ hands with the former unavailable for Tuesday’s game. With Samson likely to bat at No. 4, Royals have a potentially devastating top and middle order. Nos. 6 and 7 don’t look nearly as imposing, and a lot of hope resides in Riyan Parag, whom the franchise bought back after a dismal 2021 season.In summation, these are two sides that look vastly different from past seasons – each with obvious strengths and obvious weak spots. Both teams missed the playoffs in 2021, so they will be hungry to begin 2022 on the right note. It will also be the first match in Pune, and other teams will keep a keen eye on the action at the MCA Stadium.Devdutt Padikkal may need to up his post-powerplay scoring rate to fit into a middle-order role at Royals•BCCI

Possible XIRajasthan Royals: 1 Yashasvi Jaiswal, 2 Jos Buttler, 3 Devdutt Padikkal, 4 Sanju Samson (capt, wk), 5 Shimron Hetmyer, 6 Riyan Parag, 7 James Neesham/Nathan Coulter-Nile, 8 R Ashwin, 9 Yuzvendra Chahal, 10 Trent Boult, 11 Prasidh KrishnaSunrisers Hyderabad: 1 Rahul Tripathi, 2 Abhishek Sharma, 3 Kane Williamson, 4 Nicholas Pooran (wk), 5 Aiden Markram, 6 Abdul Samad, 7 Washington Sundar, 8 Marco Jansen/Romario Shepherd, 9 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10 T Natarajan, 11 Umran MalikStrategy puntRoyals’ signing of Padikkal was an intriguing one, since two of their retained players were openers. Assuming Jaiswal and Buttler open, Royals might have an interesting call to make over who bats at No. 3, depending on which opener is dismissed first and when. If there’s an early wicket, Padikkal is a natural No. 3, given that he is best suited to batting in the powerplay, but if there’s a long opening stand, he might not necessarily be the best fit, with his strike rate outside the powerplay (120.89) significantly worse than that of Samson (156.67) since IPL 2019. If Buttler is dismissed first, Royals might look to push Samson to No. 3 anyway to maintain the right-left combination; in this particular game, they may not want two left-handers in the crease in Padikkal and Jaiswal, given the threat of Washington Sundar’s offspin.Stats that matter Only five batters in the IPL have averaged 40-plus and scored at a strike-rate of 140-plus since 2020. Two of them are Sanju Samson (54.50, 145.33) and Jos Buttler (43.00, 159.25). Royals have both the most successful IPL seamer and spinner in the powerplay. Since IPL 2020, no seamer has taken more powerplay wickets than Boult (21) and no spinner has taken more wickets in the phase than Ashwin (eight). With Sunrisers retaining a similar fast-bowling unit to 2021, how Padikkal does against them will be interesting. In five innings against Sunrisers, Padikkal has scored at a strike-rate of only 94.21, the third-worst strike-rate for any batter against one IPL team (minimum 100 runs scored).

MatériaMais Notícias

da bet7k： Lucas Fernandes foi apresentado de forma oficial pelo Botafogo na manhã desta terça-feira, em entrevista coletiva realizada no Estádio Nilton Santos. O meia, criado no São Paulo, ressaltou a oportunidade de voltar ao Brasil e destacou o projeto do Glorioso.

RelacionadasBotafogoO 10 chegou! Gustavo Sauer valoriza história do Botafogo: ‘Sonho a se tornar realidade’Botafogo19/04/2022BotafogoGustavo Sauer e Lucas Fernandes fazem primeiro treino pelo BotafogoBotafogo18/04/2022BotafogoErison comemora gols na vitória do Botafogo sobre o Ceará: ‘Um abraço para quem me escalou no Cartola’Botafogo18/04/2022

da esport bet： + Erison iguala marca de Loco Abreu e entra em seleta lista de mais rápidos a marcar 10 gols pelo Botafogo

A negociação entre Botafogo e Portimonense começou ainda no mês passado. Entre dificuldades, o Glorioso conseguiu o final feliz na reta final da janela. Lucas afirmou que muito disso partiu dele, destacando o projeto do Glorioso.

– No momento que soube que o Botafogo soube que estava interessado fiquei feliz, o Botafogo é grande. O projeto é muito bom, muito sério. Também estamos acreditando que o Botafogo vai voltar à elite, que é onde merece estar. A torcida pode esperar um jogador que vai dar o melhor a cada dia – afirmou.

Mas qual é o projeto? O novo camisa 18 do Botafogo afirmou que a necessidade de “não vencer a qualquer custo” e pensando em curto prazo foi um ponto positivo nas negociações.

– Foi um projeto de longo prazo, as mudanças não ocorrem do dia para noite, também vai muito da confiança que eles têm em nos procurar e poder ajudar no processo. Sabemos da grandiosidade do Botafogo, temos um grande staff. Foi um projeto que tem tudo para dar certo e pesou por isso – completou.

Lucas Fernandes surgiu no São Paulo e foi um “fenômeno” nas categorias de base, chegando a ser convocação para a Seleção sub-20. O jogador, contudo, não teve sequência no Tricolor por lesões. Quatro anos, ele retorna ao Brasil como um jogador (e pessoa) diferente.

– O Lucas que retorna é mais experiente não só técnica mais taticamente, e também como pessoa. Lá eu evolui como atleta. Quando eu surgi era tudo muito novo, muito jovem. Acho que pude aprender bastante e posso ajudar a minha equipe – classificou.

O Botafogo enfrenta o Ceilândia às 21h desta quarta-feira no Estádio Mané Garrincha, pela terceira fase da Copa do Brasil. Já regularizado, Lucas Fernandes é opção do treinador Luís Castro para a partida.

MAIS DECLARAÇÕES DE LUCAS FERNANDES

Como jogou em Portugal
– Eu passei quase quatro anos em Portugal e nas posições do meio pude fazer todas, primeiro, segundo volante e como meia. Então acho que pude evoluir taticamente, podendo fazer o que o Luís preferir, acho que posso contribuir bastante.

Diferenças do Brasil para Portugal
– Questão de talento, técnico individual o Brasil continua na frente, mas o que sobressai na Europa é a intensidade do jogo, a tática que eles falam muito, acho que podemos contribuir muito nisso.

Luís Castro
– Trabalho do Luís Castro cobra muita agressividade e intensidade, perde pressiona, acho que a gente pode agregar porque estamos acostumados com a cultura portuguesa. É um grande trabalho a ser feito

Chegada
– Agradecer ao Mazzuco pela confiança que estão depositando em mim, muito feliz por estar aqui e pode ter certeza que vou fazer de tudo para fazer o Botafogo.

Já pode jogar?
– É uma opção do professor, estou sempre pronto, vou dar sempre meu melhor se ele optar por mim.

Escolha pelo Botafogo
– O que contou bastante foi o projeto apresentado, a diretoria mostrou que vai mostrar um trabalho bem sério. O Botafogo é um clube grandioso e estou bem motivado.

Titularidade
– Me vejo numa disputa sadia com meus companheiros, quero mostrar meu valor. É uma opção do treinador, posso faz

Geoff Boycott says England’s fast-bowling cupboard will not be in great shape after the next two Ashes series

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Mar-2013ST: Coming to Geoffrey’s favourite question for this show, it’s from Gary Thompson in Australia. He says: I’m a passionate England fan living in Australia and I love a bit of banter with my Aussie mates and colleagues. I reckon currently we’re a much better side, especially in the batting and spin-bowling departments. But they brag about this great crop of young quicks like Pattinson, Cummins and Bird that they’ve got coming through, which I tend to agree with. So my question is, which young English quicks do you see coming through the county game? Who is the next James Anderson to step into the side in a couple of years? And who can currently challenge Broad and Finn for that third-seamer spot in the side?GB: Wow, some questions there. First of all, when your friends in Australia tease you about their crop of fast bowlers, they are absolutely right – they have a very good crop, they are talented. But you want to say to them, “Listen, you’ve got to keep them fit and get them on the park if they’re going to be any good, because they are always breaking down and finishing up in hospital. You need a free pass to go and visit them in hospital because they are always going there.”They are very good, and we have a problem here in England. We have enough bowlers for the next two Ashes series, in England, coming up this summer, and when we go to Australia in 2013-14. We do have the three that matter, with Anderson, Steven Finn and Stuart Broad. We’re fine with those three. Our problem comes with our back-up, and we haven’t really got any. The guy who should be bowling well is Graham Onions, who bowled fantastically four years ago in England in the Ashes. He’s not been seen since, he’s been carried around in the squad, he never plays, all he does is bowl in the nets, and his bowling is going backwards. He’s not able to get into the side and it’s quite dispiriting.

“We’re alright in England for the next two [Ashes] series. After that, it’s a big question mark.”Geoffrey Boycott on England’s fast bowling

Tim Bresnan has got an elbow injury; he has gone back to Yorkshire. I think he is a very average bowler. I don’t think he is going to frighten anybody. I know he’s from Yorkshire, but that doesn’t bother me. I give you a professional opinion. I think he bowls too wide on the crease. I think he is a fill-in bowler. He’s not really going to worry top batsmen.We are looking at young kids, and there aren’t any. Stuart Meaker of Surrey – sorry, that’s not going to bother people at Test level. Maybe one-day cricket, yes. The kid who they’re looking at most of all is James Harris from Glamorgan. Four or five counties were after him, Yorkshire included, but he’s chosen Middlesex. He’s gone straight into the one-day squad. They’re watching him very carefully, they think he has a bit of something that might develop. The cupboard is not bare, but it’s certainly not good.We have a boy from Yorkshire who has looked up. We signed up a boy from Northants called Jack Brooks. He’s quite a decent bowler, and he looked very good a couple of years ago. Again, he hasn’t really gone forward. Yorkshire have taken a punt on him, paid him some good money, hoped to get him fit to bowl well.But if you ask me, hand on heart, do I think the Aussie fast bowling is better than ours for the future, yes it is. They have a much better crop of young quicks but there is a big question mark about breaking down. In the end it doesn’t matter how many quicks you have: if they’re not on the park, they are no good to themselves and they are no good to anybody else.Look at Cummins. He bowled fantastic in Johannesburg – quick outswingers. He’s had a bad injury for a long time. This is a problem. A lot of the new, young quick bowlers around the world break down easily. They don’t stay fit. So we’re all right in England for the next two series. After that, it’s a big question mark. Ask me that in a year’s time and we might be in trouble in England.

Sri Lanka’s new head coach also wants the batters to have ‘the confidence to go out there and not fear getting out’

Madushka Balasuriya05-May-2022

Chris Silverwood is no stranger to Sri Lanka’s foibles. After all, it was only a little over a year ago that he brought his England side to Lankan shores and swept the home team 2-0 in a Test series. But now, some 15 months later, he’s at the other end, charged with patching up the same weaknesses he had so brutally exploited.Sure, in the intervening year, Silverwood’s predecessor Mickey Arthur improved the team’s fitness and fielding standards, while the likes of Dushmantha Chameera and Wanindu Hasaranga blossomed into two of the world’s leading bowlers. But the results remain as inconsistent as ever, much of which is down to an enduring inconsistency with the bat.Related

Chris Silverwood named Sri Lanka's new head coach

Five key issues new Sri Lanka coach Chris Silverwood must address

Naveed Nawaz, Chaminda Vaas join Sri Lanka men's coaching staff

Unsurprisingly this was the first area of concern Silverwood identified while diagnosing Sri Lanka’s problems.”We want more discipline in the batting, more patience in the batting and some intent to score as well,” said Silverwood, addressing the media for the first time since taking up the role of head coach.”It’s all about scoring runs and that’s what we want the batting line-up to do. I’ll try and instill some confidence into the boys so they can go out there and construct their innings and score big runs, certainly in the first innings, and give us something to bowl at. It’s not rocket science.”Not rocket science indeed, but certainly an issue many other coaches over the past decade (11 to be exact) have failed to do. But, as they say, identifying the problem is half the battle, and Silverwood has wasted little time in brainstorming fixes for Sri Lanka’s batting woes.”I have spent the last couple of weeks just digging through stats, looking at how we can improve. One of them is the intent to score, we have to give the batters the confidence to go out there and not fear getting out. That’s not to say we have to be reckless, what I’m saying is we have to bring ‘smarts’ into that as well. But I do want them to be positive, I want them to be brave. If we go with that attitude, the dot-ball rates will come down and the strike-rates will go up, which can only be a good thing.”I have encouraged the guys to be very specific when they train, think about who they’re going to come up against, and practise to suit those situations. Rather than just training on a broad scale, every time you come out of that net, you come out a better player than you went in. To do that, you have to consider what challenges you have in front of you, and then go experiment, find a way, make your strengths stronger, and obviously work on the things you might not be as strong at.”Silverwood’s forte, though, is in his work with fast bowlers, having been one himself during his playing days. And despite having had scarcely two weeks to work with his players since taking up the role, he has already sought to stamp his mark on the team’s pace contingent.”I’ve specifically challenged the Test bowlers to be hot on their first 12 balls, because as we all know the first 12 balls you can make a real impact on your spell as well as put pressure back on the batters.”It’s about instilling the discipline that we can do good things for long periods of time and not getting bored of doing them. Hitting your lines and lengths, finding spots on any given pitch, and being able to live there, and then you bring in the skills like wobble seam, etc., and all our guys swing it too, which is great. So, it’s just about bringing all those skills together and being disciplined enough to live in one area, where you can wear the opposition down if need be.”It’ll be a gradual process, but if you sow the seed and let it grow, over a period of time you will find that people can do it.”Naveed Nawaz will serve as assistant coach to Silverwood•SLC

Silverwood’s first challenge will be Sri Lanka’s tour of Bangladesh later this month, with the team due to fly out on May 8. The touring party, however, will not have the luxury of calling on Chameera, Lahiru Kumara or the recently retired Suranga Lakmal. This means Sri Lanka take with them a fairly inexperienced fast-bowling unit. Silverwood, though, sees the bright side.”From my point of the view, the fact that they’re young means that they will take on information more quickly, and maybe try new things as well. The response has been excellent so far.”Over the course of the briefing Silverwood, flanked by his assistant coach Naveed Nawaz and team manager Mahinda Halangode, also revealed he had spoken to several past national-team coaches prior to accepting the position, and so had a clear idea of what to expect from the job. He also acknowledged that communication would present a challenge, which Nawaz will no doubt play a pivotal role in helping overcome.”Of course, one of the challenges for me will be communication. I have to make sure the plans that I’m trying to put in place I can get across to the boys properly. Obviously, Naveed has helped me with it brilliantly so far. Equally, I’ve got to be aware that the way I see things is not the way someone else sees it, so I have to be aware of how culture works as well, and I have good experience with that when I was working in Zimbabwe. All in all, what we’ve got here is very exciting.”I want the Sri Lankan flair, I want the boys to express themselves; I don’t want them to be anybody else, I want them to be themselves and fly the flag for Sri Lanka.”Nawaz, who had been considered for the role of head coach as well, will also oversee the team’s batting. The former Sri Lanka cricketer also elaborated on his role, speaking of his desire to get to know the players better over the coming weeks and months, so as to be able to help them reach their potential.”Two-way clarity is important to minimise any grievances players might have. Also creating a platform to discuss players’ personal as well as tactical issues,” Nawaz said. “My role will be to act partly as a mentor, as a friend, and also at the same time drilling into them the tactical changes that they need to do to improve their game.”It’s a great opportunity to work with somebody like Chris who has a wealth of experience. Obviously, I applied for the head coach’s role but I still take the assistant coach’s role as an opportunity. As long as both of us are on the same wavelength – to bring back Sri Lanka cricket its lost glory – it’s all that matters.”

Duo share Surrey record eighth-wicket stand of 244 as Gloucestershire bowlers toil

ECB Reporters Network29-Apr-2022Jamie Smith’s maiden double-century and a second first-class hundred from Jordan Clark gave Surrey a stranglehold on the LV= Insurance County Championship match with Gloucestershire at the Seat Unique Stadium, Bristol.Unbeaten on 111 overnight, Smith had moved to 234 not out, from 430 balls, with 34 fours, by the time his side were finally bowled out for 603 shortly after tea on day two.It was a phenomenal effort of concentration from the 21-year-old, who occupied the crease for nine hours and 28 minutes, sharing a stand of 244 – a record for Surrey’s eighth wicket – with Clark to stifle the life out of a willing, but uninspired home attack.Clark provided positive support, making 137 after walking out at 349 for 7, with Surrey just having failed to claim a fourth batting point. He struck 15 fours and 2 sixes in an imposing 177-ball innings.By the close, Gloucestershire had replied impressively by posting 86 without loss. Openers Chris Dent, who was 45 not out, and Marcus Harris, unbeaten on 30, produced an array of positive shots in the face of considerable scoreboard pressure.Related

• Surrey sign Colin de Grandhomme to replace injured Kemar Roach

• Ollie Pope 84, Jamie Smith hundred turns tables for Surrey at Gloucestershire

The day began promisingly for the hosts as from 294 for 4 Surrey lost three wickets for the addition of 55 runs. Sam Curran was first to go, having added seven to his overnight 57 before being caught at gully driving a ball from Ryan Higgins.The next delivery saw Colin de Grandhomme bowled by a Higgins no-ball. He was then dropped at slip off the luckless Mohammad Amir before departing for 11, leg-before to Matt Taylor.When Will Jacks was caught and bowled by David Payne off a top-edged pull shot for 13, Gloucestershire were well in the game.But by lunch, Smith and Clark had added 37 to take the total to 396 for 7, Smith having gone past his previous career-best score of 138, and the afternoon session saw both batters dominate.Smith went to 150 with a leg-side boundary off Payne and in the same over produced one of the shots of his innings, a glorious straight drive for four that exuded quality.Clark brought up his fifty with an off-driven boundary off Amir, the one Gloucestershire bowler to threaten repeatedly, albeit in vain as he finished wicketless.Smith’s double hundred was brought up with a flourishing cover drive for four off Miles Hammond, his 30th boundary. It was greeted with warm applause and cheers from the Surrey balcony.Clark took two runs through the off-side from the off-spinner to reach his hundred off 151 balls, the second fifty having occupied only 60 deliveries.By tea, which was taken at 574 for 7, the partnership had overtaken the previous highest eighth-wicket stand for Surrey in first class cricket, an unbroken 222 between Ben Foakes and Gareth Batty against Hampshire at the Ageas Bowl in 2016.Still captain Rory Burns wanted more runs on the board and there were five more overs of toil for the home bowlers.Some lusty swings accounted for Clark and the tail-enders, Dan Worrall falling to Jack Taylor, who has reinvented himself as a leg-spinner having had his off-spin action deemed illegal back in 2017.Surrey’s seamers found it as tough as their Gloucestershire counterparts to make inroads on the slow pitch as Dent and Harris confidently saw out 24 overs to the close.

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.

Their new Jota: Wolves' "Henry-esque" star has seen his value rise by £20m

He is crucial for Gary O’Neil

ByJoe Nuttall Sep 12, 2024

MatériaMais Notícias

da brwin： Nesta quinta-feira (5), Chapecoense e Brusque se enfrentaram pela sexta rodada da Série B. No estádio Augusto Bauer, as equipes fizeram um jogo movimentado, mas o zero não saiu do marcador.

Com o resultado, a Chape entrou provisoriamente no G4 da competição com nove pontos e aguarda os resultados do fim de semana. Por outro lado, o Quadricolor chegou aos sete, na sétima colocação.

RelacionadasSão PauloRigoni valoriza ponto conquistado pelo São Paulo no Chile: ‘Partida difícil, era importante somar’São Paulo05/05/2022CruzeiroRafa Silva reafirma compromisso com acesso à Série A e lamenta calendário apertado do CruzeiroCruzeiro05/05/2022Sul-AmericanaSul-Americana: Unión Santa Fe vence Oriente Petrolero e assume a liderança do grupo do FluminenseSul-Americana05/05/2022

da bet vitoria： >Aplicativo de resultados do LANCE! está disponível na versão iOS

JOGO MOVIMENTADO!

O Brusque começou a partida com mais ações ofensivas e chegou em duas oportunidades com Alex Sandro. Na mais perigosa, o atacante recebeu cruzamento e desviou para fora. Aos poucos, a Chapecoense foi ganhando campo e tendo chances. Maranhão puxou contragolpe que quase terminou em gol.

Mais tarde, após no triangulação, Orejuela foi lançado na direita. O atacante chutou com força e Ruan Carneiro fez ótima defesa. O duelo ficou bem aberto, com ambas as equipes tendo boas oportunidades de marcar, mas sem êxito.

NADA MUDOU!

Na volta do intervalo, Ronei fez ótima jogada, passou para Lima que finalizou para grande defesa de Ruan Carneiro. O lateral voltou ao ataque e obrigou o goleiro a fazer novamente uma nova intervenção. Matheus Bianqui foi mais um que parou no arqueiro quadricolor, em chute na área.

A resposta dos mandantes aconteceu apenas aos 22 minutos, com Kaio Nunes levando pela esquerda e finalizando para fora. Logo depois, o duelo perdeu intensidade e as equipes não conseguiram balançar as redes.

FICHA TÉCNICA DA PARTIDA
Brusque 0x0 Chapecoense
Local: Augusto Bauer, Brusque-SC
Data/horário: 05/05/2022 – 21h30 (de Brasília)
Árbitro: Marcelo de Lima Henrique (CE)
Assistente 1: Nailton Júnior de Souza Oliveira (CE)
Assistente 2: Renan Aguiar da Costa (CE)
Quarto Árbitro: Charly Wendy Straub Deretti (SC)
Árbitro de Video: Rodrigo Nunes de Sá (RJ)
Cartões amarelos: Alex Sandro, Rodolfo Potiguar (Brusque), Betinho (Chapecoense)
Cartões vermelhos: –

Brusque – Técnico: Waguinho Dias

Ruan Carneiro; Pará (Toty 30’/2T), Wallace, Bruno Aguiar e Airton; Rodolfo Potiguar, Jailson (Zé Mateus 35’/2T) Luiz Antônio (Wagner Balotelli 11’/2T) e Diego Jardel (Kaio Nunes 11’/2T); Júnior Todinho (Juliano 30’/2T) e Alex Sandro.

Chapecoense – Técnico: Gilson Kleina

Vagner; Ronei, Léo, Victor Ramos e Fernando; Betinho, Matheus Bianqui (Guilherme Rend 38’/2T) e Lima (Derek 15’2T); Orejuela (Varanda 23’/2T), Perotti (Chrysthian 23’/2T) e Maranhão (Claudinho 15’/2T).

Chelsea are ready to sell a £35 million member of their squad, so they can help to back head coach Enzo Maresca with the potential signing of a Premier League star.

Chelsea plotting late defensive reshuffle this summer

Reports have begun to accelerate over a potential new centre-back signing before the transfer window cut-off on August 31, despite Maresca already having a wealth of senior central defenders at his disposal.

Chelsea face Barcelona battle to sign £13m forward with agent talks ongoing

The Catalans have opened talks with his representative.

By
Emilio Galantini

Aug 21, 2024

The Blues also signed Tosin Adarabioyo on a free transfer from Fulham earlier this summer, but versatile defender Trevoh Chalobah is expected to leave Chelsea in the coming week after being frozen out of both pre-season and the squad.

Jacob Steinberg of The Guardian, a reliable media source, backs reports that Chelsea could look to bring in another defender very soon, with Maresca holding little faith in both Benoit Badiashile and Axel Disasi.

"While Chelsea’s squad contains six senior centre-backs, Chalobah is up for sale and Disasi is not in Maresca’s long-term plans," wrote Steinberg.

"Disasi, who missed much of pre-season after having surgery on a hernia, has not convinced since joining from Monaco for £38.5m last year and has interest from Newcastle. The France international, who made 44 appearances last season, has not looked comfortable with the ball at his feet. There are also doubts over how much Benoît Badiashile will play this season.

"Maresca is happy with Levi Colwill and Wesley Fofana as his first-choice centre-backs, with Tosin Adarabioyo as the first back-up. But Fofana needs to be managed carefully after returning from a serious knee injury and there is a chance that a new centre-back who can provide more competition and thrive in Maresca’s possession-based system will arrive."

In the last few days, it has been claimed by other members of the media, like respected Chelsea reporter Simon Phillips, that Liverpool defender Joe Gomez is a very realistic transfer target.

Chelsea ready to sell Badiashile and could sign Joe Gomez

This is backed by TEAMtalk in another update, who write that Chelsea have put Badiashile on the transfer list and are ready to sell him. The 23-year-old, who only joined the club for £35 million in January last year, hasn't lived up to expectations at Stamford Bridge.

Those within Chelsea apparently hold this view of the Frenchman too, and it is believed they're considering the signing of Gomez as a replacement for Badiahshile. Maresca is also said to have requested the signing of a new centre-back to Chelsea chiefs, so this could be one to watch.

Arne Slot's centre-back has been regularly linked with an Anfield exit, commanding a price tag of around £34 million. Gomez made 32 Premier League appearances during Jurgen Klopp's final season in charge, starting 17 of them, and has been praised for his quality in recent years.

"He is a sensational footballer, which is good," said Klopp on Gomez in 2020.

“He has outstanding speed, which helps us a lot to keep our last line high; he is a really good challenger; good in one-on-one situations; football-wise, I said already, good."

Liverpool supporters have fallen head over heels for Arne Slot already, with the new era at Anfield spearheaded by the ex-Feyenoord boss starting on a fantastic footing.

Three wins from three in Premier League action means the confident Reds are tied at the top of the league with Pep Guardiola's Manchester City, who are – unsurprisingly – the only other unbeaten team in the division, but Slot's men do boast the fact they are yet to even leak a goal.

Despite these staunch defensive displays, the transfer rumour mill seems to indicate that the Premier League title chasers are eyeing up this new centre-back, who could soon be available on a free transfer.

Premier League Table: Latest EPL standings for 2024/25 season

Stay up to date with the English Premier League standings after matchday 33.

ByStephan Georgiou Apr 22, 2025 Liverpool pondering free transfer

As has been reported by Caught Offside, Liverpool are keen on a potential deal to sign Bayer Leverkusen star Jonathan Tah, after the central defender nearly joined German giants Bayern Munich this summer.

With Virgil van Dijk's current deal at Anfield expiring next year, it makes sense that Slot and Co are keeping their options open as to who could join if the Dutch colossus does end up walking away from Liverpool.

Likewise, back at Leverkusen, the reigning Bundesliga champions are unsure about Tah's future at the club with his contract up next year too, with the Reds tempted down the line to try and secure the 28-year-old on a free transfer.

It is noted that a dream move for the Leverkusen number four would be to join the Premier League, having been linked with a move to Newcastle United in the past, with the allure of the Reds far stronger than the Magpies.

How Tah can be the next Matip

Tah could end up being Liverpool's next Joel Matip, away from any talk about the Germany international being Van Dijk's successor, with Matip never looking back after exiting the Bundesliga himself for new pastures back in 2016 when Liverpool came calling.

There are further similarities too, if Tah does end up making the leap to the Premier League, with Matip also joining on a free transfer after his Schalke deal had expired.

The 33-year-old defender would go on to lift a Champions League and a top-flight title during his decorated spell with the Reds, with 11 goals and six assists managed from 201 games, as Matip garnered the reputation for being a consistently steady and reliable option to have around the building.

Games played

31

Goals scored

4

Assists

1

Touches*

79.1

Accurate passes*

66.7 (95%)

Ball recoveries*

5.2

Clearances*

3.1

Total duels won*

2.9

Clean sheets

12

Tah has also proven his worth for Xabi Alonso's men as a source of goals, with four managed last season on the way to Alonso's side lifting the Bundesliga proudly aloft, on top of managing 12 important clean sheets too.

Calm on the ball with a 95% pass accuracy averaged per game, Tah does play in a similar way to Matip, who managed 49.8 accurate passes per game last season when he was thrown into action by the now-departed Jurgen Klopp in the Premier League.

Slot would have loved Tah being around on the opening day when he had to hook Jarell Quansah off at half-time versus Ipswich Town, with the 21-year-old nervous against the Tractor Boys.

On the contrary, the Leverkusen star – who stands at a towering 6 foot 5 frame – would have knocked Ipswich's confidence by imposing himself on to the contest, with one of his former teammates Christoph Kramer once referring to the 28-year-old defender as a "defensive battleship".

Liverpool didn't go overboard in the recently closed transfer window with Federico Chiesa joining as the only real notable addition, but they could win themselves an excellent deal soon if they end up landing Tah for nothing, especially if he becomes as dependable as Matip used to be for the Reds.

Liverpool let teen leave for £0, now he's worth more than Diaz & Salah

He’d be perfect for Arne Slot…

2 ByAngus Sinclair Sep 8, 2024