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As Stokes himself acknowledged, “3-2 sounds better than 3-1 or 4-1”, so another high-octane contest ought to be in prospect

Andrew Miller06-Mar-20242:39

Manjrekar: India should play two seamers, three spinners if it’s a typical pitch

Big picture: Bowing out on a high

One way or another, England will be ending their tour of India on a high, as they head to the foothills of the Himalayas for the fifth and final Test in Dharamsala – the first of the Bazball era in which Ben Stokes’ men are not in the running for at least a share of the series.It’s been a curiously fallow few days ahead of what, after two days in Ranchi, had looked like being the sharp end of this campaign. With their squad split between two bases in Bengaluru and Chandigarh, England have licked their wounds after their untimely unravelling in the fourth Test, where their tightest grip on any of the contests to date – including astonishing win in Hyderabad – was unpicked finger by finger in India’s most stirring display of supremacy yet.From Akash Deep’s first-day fireworks to Dhruv Jurel’s twin displays of big-match cojones, via the inevitable onset of India’s spin supremacy in the decisive third innings, England’s fabled self-belief endured its most relentless examination of the tour. In his post-match remarks, Stokes even conceded that competing on equal terms had been nigh on “impossible” – perhaps the most defeatist sentiment to have passed his lips in his captaincy tenure.Related

• England's hands-off ethos braces for challenge of dead-rubber syndrome

• 'I don't know much' – Rohit unsure if Dharamsala pitch will require three seamers or two

• Robinson makes way for Wood as England retain two spinners

• Just sit back and get ready to marvel at R Ashwin, for the 100th time

• Bairstow at 100 caps: A century of spirit and resilience

And so, it’s back to Base Camp for the Bazball philosophy, whatever that may entail. In some ways, the circumstances of the fifth Test should suit England’s no-consequences approach – a shot to nothing in a match that truly does count for little more than pride, against an India team that might conceivably lack some of its intensity now that their stupendous home record has been preserved for another series.That said, between the occasion of R Ashwin’s 100th Test, and the return to their ranks of the lethal Jasprit Bumrah, whose absence in Ranchi was arguably a major factor in England’s first-innings recovery, India will have all the weapons and incentive necessary to gun for a 4-1 series scoreline, the sort of margin witnessed on numerous past England tours, and which the visitors’ new approach had been designed to do away with.As Stokes himself acknowledged, “3-2 sounds better than 3-1 or 4-1″, so another high-octane contest ought to be in prospect – notwithstanding the stirrings of a stomach bug within the England camp that caused both Shoaib Bashir and Ollie Robinson to be quarantined in their hotel rather than risk them mingling with the rest of the team during their final practice session.No such concerns for India, who have grown into this series with poise and purpose, making light of the loss of Virat Kohli and latterly KL Rahul to forge an enviable spirit, studded with stars who look ready to carry the side into the coming years. The occasion of Ashwin’s 100th Test serves as a reminder of the enduring class that has underpinned their challenge, while Rohit Sharma’s authority as captain has arguably grown in the absence of his senior colleagues, not least in his gentle handling of the one anomaly in India’s otherwise settled line-up, Rajat Patidar.”I like to call him a talent player,” Rohit said of Patidar on the eve of the match. “He’s lost some opportunities here, but that happens when you’re in the early stage of your career, you’re nervous, you’re trying to think about so many things. That is where the team has to back the individual and make sure there’s no pressure internally on him.” Had they not already been warned off from taking credit for India’s success, England might even suggest there’s an element of their own continuity of selection at play there too.The series’ most thrilling subplot, however, has been the emergence of Yashasvi Jaiswal as India’s newest batting star. For all the confidence they carried into this series, England have not yet found an adequate response to the challenge he has thrown towards their emboldened style of play. His runs, and the manner in which he has made them, has truly been the difference between the teams. Another score of note for Jaiswal this week, and it will truly take something special to mitigate the gulf between the sides.2:03

Harmison: ‘Jonny has always had England’s best interests at heart’

Form guide

India WWWLW (last five Tests, most recent first)
England LLLWW

In the spotlight: Rajat Patidar and Jonny Bairstow

Is this the last-chance saloon for the most precarious selection in India’s ranks? Previous regimes might have seen enough of Rajat Patidar already, after six innings of increasingly diminishing returns – 32 runs in a passable maiden knock in Visakhapatnam, then 31 all told in the remainder, including a brace of second-innings ducks in Rajkot and Ranchi. His arrival at the crease has consistently offered England hope of exerting a hold on India’s innings. And yet, it wasn’t so long ago that Patidar was looking a class apart for India A against a strong England Lions XI, including with an astonishing 151 out of 227 in their unofficial Test in Ahmedabad, having rescued his team from a scoreline of 50 for 6. On that evidence, it’s a case of big-match nerves rather than any lack of Test class that has held him back so far, but he’ll need to reward the management’s faith soon.For the second time this winter, Jonny Bairstow is due to bring up a century in Dharamsala, though not of the strictly batting variety. As with his 100th ODI cap during the World Cup, Bairstow’s Test caps milestone will be a source of immense pride for one of the more emotionally-driven players of recent vintage, but it comes also with the nagging sense that he’s nearing the end of his England journey. For all the unfathomable determination he has shown to get back to fitness after his horrific leg injury in September 2022, Bairstow’s returns on this trip have been awkwardly unfulfilled – five scores between 25 and 38, and an overall average of 21.25 in eight innings, speak of a player whose fires still burn bright but whose physicality is letting him down. And while it’s reductive to suggest that he always saves his best for when the doubters are lined up against him, it’s a seductive notion too. With Harry Brook waiting in the wings for the English summer, can Bairstow find one last burst of furious brilliance to ensure his 100th Test won’t be his last? The beauty of his career is that you wouldn’t ever bet against it.3:07

Harmison: No surprise that Robinson is out

Team news: England make solitary change

Jasprit Bumrah will be welcomed back to lead India’s attack alongside Mohammad Siraj, and with Rohit Sharma dropping a sizeable hint that India would field three seamers for this contest, the big decision comes down to a call between Akash Deep and the extra spinner Kuldeep Yadav. Deep proved himself worthy of further honours with his three-wicket burst on the first morning of his debut in Ranchi, but Kuldeep’s wristspin was instrumental in unpicking England’s resistance when the surface was at its flattest in the back-end of the contest.India (possible): 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 Yashasvi Jaiswal, 3 Shubman Gill, 4 Rajat Patidar, 5 Ravindra Jadeja, 6 Sarfaraz Khan, 7 Dhruv Jurel (wk), 8 R Ashwin, 9 Kuldeep Yadav / Akash Deep, 10 Mohammed Siraj, 11 Jasprit Bumrah.Despite speculation that England would opt for three quicks on a more seam-friendly surface in Dharamsala, both Bashir and Tom Hartley have been retained for the fifth Test, in Bashir’s case despite nursing a Moeen Ali-style cut on his spinning finger, which is hardly surprising given his 70-over workload across the two innings in Ranchi comprised more than a fifth of his previous first-class career. Robinson endured a bleak time with the ball in the same Test, apparently after tweaking his back during his spirited half-century, and makes way for the return of England’s point-of-difference paceman Mark Wood. James Anderson, two wickets shy of 700 in Tests, will play his fourth match in a row at the age of 41.England: 1 Zak Crawley, 2 Ben Duckett, 3 Ollie Pope, 4 Joe Root, 5 Jonny Bairstow, 6 Ben Stokes (capt), 7 Ben Foakes (wk), 8 Tom Hartley, 9 Mark Wood, 10 Shoaib Bashir, 11 James Anderson

Pitch and conditions: Home far from home for England?

There’s a distinct chill in the air at 5000ft altitude, which would count as handy preparation for the opening rounds of the County Championship, if any of England’s incumbents were likely to be made available. Either way, Dharamsala is a long way removed from the heat and dust of Ranchi or Rajkot – in the last fixture at this venue, some three weeks ago, all 36 wickets fell to seam as Delhi beat Himachal Pradesh by 76 runs in the Ranji Trophy. Nevertheless, Stokes expects the surface to be full of runs, but some barer patches on a full length have persuaded England to retain their frontline spin options.2:58

Manjrekar: ‘Other than cricket, Ashwin knows far beyond what’s outside his own sport’

Stats and trivia: Milestones galore in prospect

• Both R Ashwin and Jonny Bairstow are in line for their 100th Test appearances. Ashwin, who passed 500 Test wickets earlier in the series, is set to be the 14th Indian caps centurion, and Bairstow the 17th for England.
• Bairstow needs 26 runs to reach 6,000 in Tests, a mark also reached by 16 previous England players.
• Yashasvi Jaiswal is on course to set a new record for most runs by an Indian batter in a series against England. He begins the match on 655, level with Virat Kohli’s tally from the 2016-17 campaign.
• James Anderson is two wickets away from 700 Test wickets. Only Muthiah Muralidaran (800) and Shane Warne (708) have taken more.
• Stokes remains three short of 200 Test wickets, and on the cusp of being only the third allrounder after Garry Sobers and Jacques Kallis to complete the double of 6000 runs and 200 wickets. Though he has not bowled in any of his previous seven Test appearances, he is close to a return after knee surgery.
• Ravindra Jadeja is eight wickets away from becoming the seventh Indian to reach 300 Test wickets.

Quotes

“I just don’t know what Bazball means. I haven’t seen wild swinging from anyone. England have played better cricket than they were here last time. But I still don’t know what Bazball means.”

Rohit Sharma takes one last dig at England’s perceived style of play“I’ll be going out there, chewing my gum, puffing my chest out and trying to have a good time with the other ten blokes out there. Whatever the situation is, we’ll be going out there with smiles on our faces, like we have done in the whole series.”

There is not one shot that Ross Taylor cannot play. He bats in a crucial position where he needs to meld the roles of providing stability and, later, acceleration. New Zealand’s captain-in-waiting knows big things are round the corner once Daniel Vettori steps down after the World Cup. Yet in the last four years, between the two World Cups, Taylor has lived the life that Billy Murray’s Phil Connors woke up to every morning in Groundhog Day – he has been turning up for the job without being able to go beyond an unsatisfactory present. At a distance he seems stuck.Strangely, nothing much seems to have changed for Taylor since his disastrous World Cup debut in the Caribbean. Then, he walked out to bat with a head full of doubts. Out of a tournament tally of 136 runs, 85 had been cracked against Kenya and the rest were all single-digit scores. From his ODI debut in 2006 till the end of 2009, he averaged more than 34 with three centuries and 11 fifties. Since then, in 28 matches, he has averaged nearly the same, but has scored eight fifties and no century. The most notable difference however, is that he has performed very poorly in away matches recently. Since the start of 2010, he averages little more than 31 with three fifties. Prior to 2010, he scored one century and nine fifties despite averaging only about 29.One of only three top-order batsmen in New Zealand’s line-up to have played more than 100 one-day internationals, the other two being Brendon McCullum and Scott Styris, Taylor does not evoke the confidence the likes of Martin Crowe and Stephen Fleming did with their batting in in the middle order. He lacks Crowe’s application and Fleming’s perseverance. Taylor might promise us that the big one is round the corner, but even he knows it is more hope than faith.”It is disappointing. On slower wickets I have probably struggled to rotate to strike and am getting out,” said Taylor, as an explanation of his troubles. “I am not sure why.” He struggled to find a clear reason for his batting inconsistencies, but holds out hope that his game will develop beyond them. “Hopefully I can show over the next couple of years and improve the stats as we play more in the subcontinent.”Ross Taylor has been stuck in a rut, but New Zealand desperately need him to continue his development as a batsman•AFP

Yet, Taylor should know better. He is New Zealand’s best player of spin in the recent years: overall against spinners Taylor has made 1028 runs at an average of 46.72. It is a few notches better in the three countries hosting this World Cup where he averages 46.85 with 328 runs. It is hard to isolate his problems: is he is playing bad shots or is it just plain failure to execute the plans? Or is Taylor just thinking too much, which is affecting his confidence.Mark Richardson, former New Zealand opener and keen thinker of the game, feels Taylor is frustrated but is definitely capable of more if he can start working on his past mistakes. “The one thing that concerns me is that his technique has not improved. He has still got the same issues. He is still playing shots that he should not be. He is still getting out in inappropriate ways. That is the biggest thing; he has not gone forward mentally with his game as much as he would’ve hoped.”The failure of New Zealand’s top order in the recent past to cobble worthy partnerships together has been the root of New Zealand’s batting woes and that is probably having an impact on Taylor. “He is probably affected by the team situation. If he was part of the team that was performing you would get the best of out him,” Richardson says.Even Taylor agrees to the fact that he is committing mistakes that he probably should not. “We are all talented. We are getting ourselves out and it is very frustrating.” Surprisingly Taylor showed the grit and the power, characteristics missing in his one-day game, to finish or set up matches for Royal Challengers Bangalore during the IPL last year. Unlike Eoin Morgan, his Bangalore team-mate, who has utilised his Twenty20 batting skills to graduate and perform in the longer versions, Taylor has failed to take the positives from the Twenty20 format into other formats. “He is one player who has struggled to chop and change between the various skills and game-plans between the formats. He does not do it as consistently as a guy with his experience should,” Richardson says.It would be harsh to lay the entire blame for New Zealand’s frequent batting failures at Taylor’s doorstep. Brendon McCullum, Martin Guptill and Jesse Ryder have equal responsibility and if they are able to raise the platform in the first 15 to 20 overs, it makes Taylor’s job easier. He is one of the better players in the middle overs and even if takes about 15 overs to establish himself in the middle overs dealing with the slow bowlers, he can always accelerate later.That way he and the team can get the best results. At the moment he arrives at a point when New Zealand are gasping even before the PowerPlay overs are exhausted. “The problem is he comes in too early when the wickets are falling around him. You need some stability around him and then he can just take his time to get in. He will never score slowly. He will never be tied down. If he gets his eye in you can get the best out of Ross Taylor,” Richardson says.Hopefully Taylor is listening. He is New Zealand’s best batsman by a distance, but he lacks the willingness to play like one. He needs to change that soon. Otherwise he will never get out of Punxsutawney.

يستعد الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بالنادي الأهلي، لخوض مباراة قوية أمام منافسه غزل المحلة غدًا الأربعاء ضمن منافسات بطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز.

ويستضيف استاد غزل المحلة أحداث مباراة الأهلي مع المحلة في اللقاء الذي يقام ضمن منافسات الجولة السادسة بالبطولة الأكبر محليًا.

ويسعى مارسيل كولر المدير الفني للنادي الأهلي للفوز على غزل المحلة، وحصد الثلاث نقاط لصالحه، لتعزيزه موقفه في صدارة جدول الدوري، وعدم الهزيمة في البطولة المحلية.

ويتصدر الأهلي جدول ترتيب الدوري المصري برصيد 12 نقطة، محققًا العلامة الكاملة بعد الفوز على الإسماعيلي وأسوان والداخلية وطلائع الجيش.

طالع | حكم مباراة الأهلي وغزل المحلة في الدوري المصري

فيما يطمح فريق غزل المحلة في الفوز على الأهلي واختطاف الثلاث نقاط لصالحه من أجل اعتلائه صدارة جدول الدوري

كما وعد أسامة خليل رئيس شركة نادي غزل المحلة، اللاعبين بمكافآت خاصة للفريق حال الفوز على الأهلي، كما اجتمع مع اللاعبين والجهاز الفني أمس من أجل دعمهم قبل المواجهة المرتقبة.

ويتواجد غزل المحلة في المرتبة الثانية بجدول ترتيب الدوري المصري بـ10 نقاط، جمعها من 4 مواجهات، حيث نجح في الفوز بثلاث مباريات، وتعادل في لقاء.

وكانت آخر مواجهة جمعت بين الأهلي وغزل المحلة، نجح الأحمر في الفوز بهدفين مقابل هدف، وكان ذلك في الجولة الثانية والعشرون من بطولة الدوري المصري للموسم الماضي.

اختار الهولندي فيرجيل فان دايك أحد زملائه في ليفربول كأفضل لاعب لعب معه على الإطلاق.

تم طرح سؤال على مدافع ليفربول في البودكاست Pitch Side على “يوتيوب”.

وقد وقع اختيار فان دايك على زميله البرازيلي روبيرتو فيرمينو، والذي لم يستدعى لقائمة منتخب البرازيل في مونديال قطر 2022.

كان فيرمينو وفان دايك زميلين في الفريق منذ انتقال المدافع إلى ليفربول من ساوثهامبتون في يناير 2018 واستمرا في الفوز بكل بطولة كبيرة معًا.

اقرأ أيضًا | فان دايك: البرازيل ذاكرتي الحقيقية عن المونديال.. والتتويج باللقب سيجعلني أسعد رجل بالعالم

كان على كابتن هولندا أن يلعب أيضًا ضد فيرمينو خلال الفترة التي قضاها في ساوثهامبتون، عندما كان البرازيلي يلعب كمهاجم وهمي مع الريدز.

قال فان دايك: “أود أن أقول في ليفربول إنه بوبي فيرمينو، لكنني أعرف أيضًا مدى صعوبة اللعب ضده كمدافع لأنه يسقط بعمق”.

وأضاف: “أستطيع أن أقول هو الأفضل، لكن محمد صلاح، ساديو ماني، تياجو (ألكانتارا) الآن، لقد كان اللعب مع هؤلاء الأشخاص ممتعًا”.

Tottenham Hotspur have been handed a boost in their bid to bring Stefan de Vrij to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by Italian journalist Alfredo Pedulla (via Sport Witness), who revealed that, with Inter Milan pursuing a deal for Torino centre-back Gleison Bremer, the Serie A side have decided they would be willing to part with De Vrij at the end of the season.

Pedulla goes on to state that the centre-back himself has also come to the conclusion that he will not renew his current deal at the San Siro, something that is sure to come as a huge boost to Antonio Conte – who is reported to have requested the 30-year-old’s signing this summer.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-spurs-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-martinez-dybala-spence-conte-2” title= “Read the latest Spurs news!”]

Speaking about the future of the Netherlands international, the journalist said: “In January, [Bremer] gave his word to Inter; there is a fictitious and unpublicised clause for the transfer at €25m-€30m (£21m-£25m). In my opinion, it should cost at least €40m (£33m) or more.

“I don’t know if there will be any quid pro quo, but the choice has been made, as has the transfer with De Vrij. There have been evaluations, and Inter have chosen Bremer. De Vrij will not renew his contract; we’ll see if he has requests from Tottenham or other teams.”

Conte’s dream Spurs signing

Considering the amount of success Conte enjoyed with De Vrij in the heart of his Inter Milan defence, the argument that the centre-back’s signing would be a dream deal for Fabio Paratici to get over the line this summer is a rather easy one to make.

Indeed, over his 32 Serie A appearances under the 52-year-old manager last season, the €30m (£25m) Dutchman was a key player within Inter’s title-winning side, helping the Nerazzurri keep 11 clean sheets, in addition to making an average of 1.3 interceptions, 0.9 tackles, 2.9 clearances, 57.4 passes and winning 3.3 duels – at a success rate of 60% – per game.

These metrics saw the £116k-per-week man who journalist Deep Dastardly dubbed a defender “in the Vertonghen mould” average a very impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.03, ranking him as Conte’s 10th-best player in the Italian top flight last time out.

And, with it being reported that a left-sided centre-back – the position in which De Vrij featured for the Spurs coach at Inter – will be Paratici’s priority in the summer transfer window, the suggestion that the 30-year-old will be available to sign is undoubtedly fantastic news for everyone involved with Spurs – not least Conte himself.

AND in other news: Time’s up: Gold drops update on “embarrassing” £115m Spurs talent, Conte must now act

Rangers’ January signing Amad Diallo may not be ‘up to it’ at Ibrox, Frank McAvennie has told Football Insider.

The lowdown

With three days of the January transfer window remaining, Rangers signed Diallo on loan from Manchester United until the end of the season.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst inherited the squad of his predecessor Steven Gerrard in the autumn, but this was one of four incoming deals he sanctioned in January as he looked to put his own stamp on the squad.

Diallo made a flying start for the Gers, scoring just five minutes into his debut against Ross County on 29 January.

But Van Bronckhorst then substituted him at half time against Celtic, with Rangers 3-0 down, after he lost five of the six duels he contested and conceded possession 12 times.

He’s only played 22 Scottish Premiership minutes since, and has watched all the Europa League knockout action from the sidelines.

The latest

McAvennie stressed that Diallo has the ability but says he may have encountered something of a culture shock.

And he feels it’s fair to question the wisdom of the signing in light of what we’ve seen so far.

“It’s a different game up here,” he said. “In England, players will take the ball. In Scotland, you take the ball and the man.

“It’s frantic, you get no time on the ball. Diallo doesn’t have the time to run with the ball, it can be a shock to a player.

“He’s only a young boy and he has bags of talent but maybe Van Bronckhorst doesn’t trust him.

“There are loads of options for Rangers in that position so if you aren’t up to the job, you won’t play.

“It just makes me wonder why they signed him if he’s not up to it.”

The verdict

This was a signing that felt like it could go either way.

Diallo had showcased his immense potential at youth level, notching 28 direct goal contributions in 46 appearances for Atalanta’s Primavera side.

But, on the other hand, he’d only made 14 senior appearances for La Dea and Manchester United combined.

Rangers haven’t committed to an expensive mandatory purchase option, so from that point of view it was still perhaps a risk worth taking, but it hasn’t paid off so far.

As McAvennie says, Van Bronckhorst simply seems to have very little trust in him.

After all, BBC Sportsound pundit Derek Ferguson has accused him of looking ‘half-hearted’, while journalist Andrew Dickson described his attitude as ‘really poor’ after he allegedly backed out of a challenge against Dundee United.

If the commitment isn’t there, then he can’t expect to play in important games.

In other news, this BBC man drops a transfer claim on Cedric Itten.

Since Iranian businessman Farhad Moshiri bought a 49.9% stake in Everton back in 2016, the Merseyside club have not been shy when it comes to spending money on new players such as Richarlison, Yerry Mina and Ben Godfrey to name a few.

One player that was brought in under Moshiri’s ownership that has arguably failed to live up to his price tag is attacker Alex Iwobi.

He joined Everton back in the 2019 summer transfer window from fellow Premier League club Arsenal in a deal that was reported to have been worth up to £34m, making him their fourth most expensive transfer.

In 80 appearances for the Toffees across all competitions, the 25-year-old has only managed to score six goals and provide five assists along the way, which isn’t what Everton would have hoped for given how much money they paid for him.

As well as his lack of regular goals and assists, Iwobi’s performances in an Everton shirt have come under scrutiny with journalist Dave Prentice once labelling his efforts on the pitch as “embarrassing.”

With that in mind and the fact that the January transfer window is still open for a considerable amount of time, this could be the perfect time to sign a player that can come in and potentially knock Iwobi out of the club at the same time.

Recently, Everton have been linked with a move for Ajax winger David Neres, who has 47 goals and 41 assists in 180 appearances under his belt for the Dutch club.

In 15 league appearances this season, Neres has managed to score three goals and provide two assists, despite only starting three of those games, showing that he has been more effective as a bit-part player for Ajax than £100k-per-week earner Iwobi, who has just one goal and one assist in the Premier League despite starting seven games this season.

While Neres could be a useful upgrade over Iwobi, a recent update from journalist and transfer expert Fabrizio Romano claiming that Shakhtar Donetsk have agreed personal terms with the £18m-rated Brazilian could put a potential move to Everton in jeopardy.

Taking this into account, if Everton are interested in signing the 24-year-old, they may have to act quickly if they want to snatch him away from Donetsk.

In other news: “My understanding is”: Alan Myers drops EFC transfer claim that’ll have fans buzzing – opinion

كشف مدرب فريق توتنهام، أنطونيو كونتي، السبب وراء خروجه من أرض الملعب بعد تسجيل هدف الفوز القاتل على بورنموث اليوم في الدوري الإنجليزي.

وتلاقى الفريقان في الجولة الرابعة عشر من بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، حيث فاز توتنهام بثلاثة أهداف مقابل هدفين. أهداف مباراة توتنهام وبورنموث

جاء هدف فوز توتنهام في الوقت القاتل، وتحديدًا في الدقيقة 92 عن طريق اللاعب رودريجو بينتانكور.

وظهر كونتي وهو يهرع نحو النفق المؤدي إلى غرف الملابس، بعد الهدف القاتل، حيث كادت ذكريات هدف هاري كين القاتل ضد سبورتينج لشبونة في دوري أبطال أوروبا، أن تعود لتطارده.

وسجل هاري كين هدفًا قاتلًا لصالح الديوك أمام لشبونة في دوري أبطال أوروبا، وكان ذلك الفوز كافيًا لتأهلهم إلى دور الـ16، ولكن تم إلغائه في النهاية.

وقال كونتي في تصريحات نشرتها شبكة “فوتبول لندن” الإنجليزية: “عدت إلى الملعب عندما علمت بأن الهدف سيتم احتسابه، فكرت في ذلك الوقت أنني يمكن أن أتعرض لأزمة قلبية لأنه في غضون يومين تُسجل ثم يتم إلغاء الهدف”.

وأضاف: “قلت أنني ساعود وأبقى هادئًا وأنتظر قرار الحكم، ولكن بالتأكيد كان رائعًا أن أرى رغبة لاعبي فريقي ورد الفعل الذي أظهروه في مباراة اليوم”.

وواصل: “لقد رأيت في أعين لاعبي الرغبة في الفوز بهذه المباراة، أيضًا عندما تعادلنا 2-2 كان في أذهاننا فكرة أن نأخذ الكرة سريعًا ونبدأ اللعب من جديد للتسجيل والفوز، كان رد الفعل هذا إيجابيًا، وأريده من لاعبي فريقي”.

وأردف: “بالنسبة لي هؤلاء الشباب هم أشخاص جيدون حقًا، لاعبون جيدون حقًا لكن في بعض الأحيان يفقدون الثقة بسهولة وأعتقد أنه يتعين علينا محاولة العمل ومواصلة العمل في هذا الجانب”.

وأكد: “في النهاية أعتقد أنه كان أمرًا حيويًا بالنسبة لنا هذا الفوز، خاصة بعد خسارتين في الدوري الإنجليزي والآن هذا الفوز يجب أن يمنحنا الحماس والشغف للذهاب إلى مارسيليا وخوض مباراة وكأنها نهائي”.

يحتاج توتنهام إلى نقطة فقط ضد مارسيليا في أورانج فيلودروم لضمان مكان في مراحل خروج المغلوب بدوري أبطال أوروبا قبل مواجهة صعبة في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز مع ليفربول يوم الأحد المقبل.

Glasgow Rangers have been dealt a potentially huge injury blow regarding Ianis Hagi.

What’s the latest?

In recent comments cited by Football Scotland, Giovanni van Bronckhorst dropped an update on the injury picked up by the 23-year-old in the 13th minute of Rangers’ 4-0 Scottish Cup win over Stirling Albion on Friday night, with the forward appearing to take a knock to his knee in a collision with Jordan McGregor.

Speaking about the condition of the Romania international, the 46-year-old said: “He’s okay, he had a problem so we have to wait to see what he actually has but so far I can’t say anything about the injury.”

Fans will be fuming

With one of Rangers’ biggest games of the season coming up on February 2, namely the Old Firm derby, the Ibrox faitful will be fuming if Hagi is ruled out of that game as a result of an injury picked up against Scottish League Two side Stirling.

Indeed, the £6.3m-rated winger has been one of the Gers’ best performers over his 15 Premiership appearances so far this season, having already scored two goals and created two big chances for his side, as well as taking 2.4 shots and making 1.5 key passes per game.

These returns have seen the £21k-per-week Romanian average a SofaScore match rating of 7.10, ranking him as Van Bronckhorst’s seventh-best performer in the Scottish top flight.

As such, it is clear for all to see that Rangers are a much weaker side without Hagi, with the absence of the 23-year-old from the Gers’ upcoming trip to Parkhead potentially reducing their chances of taking all three points back across the city. Such an outcome could well have disastrous consequences in the Light Blues’ bid to retain their Premiership title this season, so the fan base won’t be pleased to hear of him being injured in a one-sided cup clash so close to the derby.

In other news: Van Bronckhorst must avoid a Rangers repeat of Pena disaster with South American dud, fans would be fuming

We are now just days away from potentially seeing the true financial might of Newcastle’s new owners with the January transfer window on the verge of opening.

However, before that, Eddie Howe will have to negotiate a tough test against another Premier League side who have a new manager in Ralf Rangnick’s Manchester United.

On the chalkboard

It will have been eight days since the Magpies last played which has presented them with an incredibly rare opportunity for the players to have a break during the festive season.

It was much-needed too, especially after the Toon were beaten horrendously by a rampant Manchester City team who put four past Martin Dubravka last time out.

The game started in the worst possible way for Howe’s side as dreadful defending saw City score a simple opener.

Joao Cancelo knocked the ball back from the byline line and instead of heading clear, Ciaran Clark ducked under the ball which meant a simple tap in for Ruben Dias who was left unmarked just yards from goal.

It was a truly unforgivable mistake from the centre-half and one that was slammed by club legend Alan Shearer.

The former striker said of Newcastle and Clark’s defending:

“The way Newcastle defended, if it wasn’t my team I would say it was laughable, but it was anything but that.

“Then [the Clark mistake] happens. You wouldn’t see it in an under-10s game, this wouldn’t happen.”

For Shearer to essentially describe the Irishman as worse than an U10 speaks volumes but this isn’t the first time he’s let his side down at a crucial point.

Take the Norwich City game for example. Teemu Pukki rolled in behind and was clean through on goal but Clark brought him down in a cynical fashion and he was shown a red card.

It’s evident that Newcastle’s backline needs desperately improving.

Heading into Christmas, the Magpies had shipped more goals than any other team in the top-flight (41) and had one of the worst defensive records in the highest four divisions of English football. Only Morecambe and Peterborough United (44) had let in more strikes throughout the campaign than Howe’s men.

Clark has been a big reason for that and as a result, he simply has to be axed from the starting XI this evening against United.

AND in other news, Downie reveals behind the scenes NUFC update “from Saudi Arabia”, fans surely livid…