Even though Avesh Khan has joined the LSG squad, their bowling still lacks the bite

Ekanth26-Mar-20253:24

How can LSG bowlers stop SRH batters?

Big pictureLucknow Super Giants didn’t know what hit them. Tensions and speculation rose, owner-captain relationships in franchise cricket were part of public discourse, and Sunrisers Hyderabad, who chased down 167 with ten wickets and 62 balls to spare, were innocent bystanders amid all of it.Sure, it didn’t lead to the creation of a rivalry between the two teams, but LSG do have a point to prove when they face SRH on Thursday in Hyderabad, the venue where it all unfolded last year. There’s been a mega auction, LSG have a new captain in Rishabh Pant, whom they bought for a record INR 27 crores, and a fresh squad.That was doing the trick in their season opener. They had Delhi Capitals on the ropes at 113 for 6 in a 210-run chase – ESPNcricinfo’s Forecaster gave them a 98.44% chance of winning – but LSG’s weakest link, their bowling, couldn’t convert it.Related

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Ravi Bishnoi and Shardul Thakur were their only international bowlers with significant experience, but Shardul, despite taking two early wickets, was given only two overs, and Bishnoi went for 53. While Avesh Khan has joined the squad, their bowling still looks weak.Irrespective, SRH are not going to change their approach, especially at home. Against Rajasthan Royals, Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma gave them a flying start, which was followed by Ishan Kishan’s unbeaten 106 off 47. Each of their top six had a strike rate of 200 or more as they finished one short of their own record of the highest IPL total.It was a high-scoring game and SRH bowlers, too, went for plenty. Harshal Patel apart, all their fast bowlers conceded more than ten runs an over. Even their captain, Pat Cummins, leaked 60 in his four overs without taking a wicket. While SRH will aim to improve with the ball, it’s far from a concern at the moment.2:21

Cricinformed: The Travishek phenomenon

New loyaltiesAiden Markram, who captains Sunrisers Eastern Cape in the SA20, was part of Sunrisers Hyderabad from 2022 to 2024. He played 36 innings and scored 849 runs at a strike rate of 131.01 for them. Now, he will open LSG’s batting against his former team.Team news and likely XIIsPrince Yadav is likely to make way for Avesh. The rest of LSG’s line-up is likely to remain the same.Lucknow Super Giants (probable): 1 Aiden Markram, 2 Mitchell Marsh, 3 Nicholas Pooran, 4 Rishabh Pant (capt & wk), 5 Ayush Badoni, 6 David Miller, 7 Shahbaz Ahmed, 8 Shardul Thakur, 9 Ravi Bishnoi, 10 Avesh Khan, 11 Digvesh Rathi, 12 Manimaran SiddharthSRH are unlikely to tinker with their line-up.Sunrisers Hyderabad (probable): 1 Travis Head, 2 Abhishek Sharma, 3 Ishan Kishan (wk), 4 Nitish Kumar Reddy, 5 Heinrich Klaasen, 6 Aniket Verma, 7 Abhinav Manohar, 8 Pat Cummins (capt), 9 Simarjeet Singh, 10 Harshal Patel, 11 Mohammed Shami, 12 Adam ZampaBig questionSRH’s top order will come out all guns blazing, we know that, but what are the ways in which they can be stopped? Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, and Ishan Kishan are all left-hand batters, so is it worth bringing in Ravi Bishnoi – who mostly bowls sliders and googlies – early on?In the spotlight: Pat Cummins and Rishabh PantPat Cummins is coming off an injury layoff. SRH’s season opener was Cummins’ first T20 since last year’s MLC, which finished in July 2024. While all eyes will be on SRH’s batters, Cummins’ ability to bowl dry in the middle overs and dismiss the opposition’s best batters can be match-defining. If he’s able to shake off his rust, the team will be better for it.The gap between expectations and reality continues to exist with regard to Rishabh Pant’s T20 career. There’s a case to be made about him promoting himself to the top of the order, or at least choosing an entry point where he doesn’t have to face spin right away. His six-ball duck in LSG’s opener disrupted Nicholas Pooran’s flow at the other end. Will Pant be able to put that behind him with conditions likely to be in his favour?3:46

Should LSG bring in Shamar Joseph for Aiden Markram?

Key stats Head and Abhishek have the best partnership strike rate – 225.08 – for a pair who has opened in at least 15 T20s. The last time these two teams met, Travishek became the only duo to score 100-plus runs twice in the powerplay in T20s. It was also the earliest, in 9.4 overs, a target above 150 was chased down in the IPL, beating Deccan Chargers’ chase of 155 in 12 overs against Mumbai Indians in 2008. David Miller has a T20 strike rate of less than 100 against the SRH duo from Australia, 82.6 vs Cummins (two dismissals in eight innings) and 93.75 vs Adam Zampa (two dismissals in five innings).Pitch and conditionsIt’s always flat in Hyderabad, at least it seems that way every time SRH are batting. Expect the same once more. The evening will follow a hot day with no chances of rain.Next three fixturesSRH will travel to Vishakhapatnam to face Delhi Capitals on March 30. They will then travel to Kolkata to take on Kolkata Knight Riders on April 3 and return to Hyderabad to face Gujarat Titans on April 6.LSG’s next two games are at home. They will face Punjab Kings on April 1 and Mumbai Indians on April 4. They will then travel to Kolkata to face KKR on April 6.Quotes”I haven’t had the greatest of luck with injuries in the April-May months of the year in the past. I’ve come here off a bit of a break, had a few months to get my back right. I’ve come here really fresh mentally and physically. Hopefully, that holds me in good stead for the tournament.”

MatériaMais Notícias

O Corinthians venceu o Universitario-PER por 2 a 1, na partida de volta dos playoffs da Copa Sul-Americana, e garantiu vaga às oitavas de final da competição. Maycon abriu o placar para o Timão, Flores, após pênalti cometido por Biro, igualou o marcador, e Ryan Gustavo, nos acréscimos, sacramentou a vitória. No gráfico abaixo você confere as notas do Corinthians no duelo contra o Universitario.

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أعلن الهولندي آرني سلوت، المدير الفني لفريق ليفربول تشكيل لاعبيه لمواجهة مانشستر يونايتد ضمن منافسات الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز “بريميرليج”.

ويستعد ليفربول لمواجهة مانشستر يونايتد عصر اليوم، الأحد، في إطار منافسات الجولة الثامنة من بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي “الممتاز”.

ويستضيف ملعب “أنفيلد” مباراة ليفربول أمام مانشستر يونايتد في تمام الساعة السادسة والنصف مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة ومكة المكرمة.

ويحتل ليفربول المركز الثالث في جدول ترتيب الدوري الإنجليزي بشكل مؤقت برصيد 15 نقطة، فيما يتواجد مانشستر يونايتد في المركز الـ12 برصيد 10 نقاط.

اقرأ أيضًا | سلوت قبل قمة ليفربول ومانشستر يونايتد: خسارة 3 مباريات متتالية أمر صعب

ويدخل ليفربول المباراة وهو مهزومًا في آخر مباراتين في بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي أمام كريستال بالاس وتشيلسي، فيما وقد خسر أيضًا أمام جالطة سراي في دوري أبطال أوروبا.

وشهد تشكيل ليفربول تواجد النجم الدولي المصري محمد صلاح أساسيًا في مواجهة خصمه المفضل مانشستر يونايتد، ساعيًا في أن يظهر على مستواه المعهود. تشكيل ليفربول اليوم أمام مانشستر يونايتد في الدوري الإنجليزي

في حراسة المرمى: جيورجي مامارداشفيلي.

في خط الدفاع: برادلي – فيرجيل فان دايك – إبراهيما كوناتي – ميلوس كيركيز.

في خط الوسط: دومينيك سوبوسلاي – ريان جرافنبيرخ – ماك أليستر.

في خط الهجوم: كودي جاكبو – ألكسندر إيزاك – محمد صلاح.

Worcestershire 154 and 280 for 5 (Hose 81, D’Oliveira 71*) trail Somerset 670 for 7 dec (Banton 371, Rew 152, Abell 52) by 236 runsSomerset’s Tom Banton registered the fifth-highest score in County Championship history when finally dismissed for 371 on the third day of the match with Worcestershire at the Cooper Associates Ground, Taunton.Unbeaten on 344 overnight, the 26-year-old England white-ball international, extended his boundary count to 56 fours and two sixes, facing 403 balls before his wicket saw Somerset declare their first innings on 670 for 7, with a lead of 516. Only Brian Lara (501 not out), Archie MacLaren (424), Sam Northeast (410 not out) and Graeme Hick (405) have produced bigger innings in Championship cricket.In the face of such a daunting deficit, Worcestershire slipped to 116 for 4 in their second innings before a spirited recovery to 280 for 5, still 236 behind. Former Somerset player Adam Hose led the fightback with 82, while Brett D’Oliveira made 71 not out and Kashif Ali 51. Jack Leach claimed 3 for 69.Day three of this Rothesay County Championship opener began under cloudless skies, with the home side electing to extend their imposing first innings score of 637 for 6 and lead of 483, giving Banton the chance to build on what was already the highest individual score by a Somerset player.He rode his luck with a couple of skyers that fell safe and moved to 350 with a single off Tom Hinley, having faced 392 balls. Lewis Gregory, unbeaten on 30 overnight, was dropped at long-off, as he and Banton extended their seventh-wicket stand beyond the century mark.Banton smacked Hinley for only the second six of his marathon innings, which had spanned eight hours and 42 minutes by the time he was caught behind off the same bowler attempting a cut shot. Every Worcestershire player shook his hand as he left the pitch with the 21st highest score ever in first-class matches to his name.There were a minimum of 88 overs left in the day and Worcestershire were soon in trouble as, with their total on 16, Gareth Roderick was pinned lbw by Craig Overton. Despite that wicket falling to seam, Leach’s left-arm spin was introduced as early as the eighth over, clearly viewed as Somerset’s chief threat on a dry pitch.He didn’t disappoint, striking with the second ball of his sixth over with the score on 40, which squeezed past the inside edge of Jake Libby’s bat to hit his back pad and led to another successful leg-before appeal.It was 58 for 2 at lunch, with Kashif Ali and Ethan Brookes at the crease. Both batted positively and were looking well set when making elementary errors in the afternoon session.First Brookes, on 35, top-edged a sweep shot off Leach and presented a straightforward catch to Sean Dickson at deep backward square to make it 95 for 3. Then Kashif, untroubled in reaching an 85-ball half-century with eight fours, advanced down the pitch to the England spinner and drove in the air straight to Overton at mid-off.Kashif stood transfixed, aghast at surrendering his wicket for 51 on such a placid pitch. But if Somerset’s bowlers thought the hard work was done, Hose and D’Oliveira soon proved them wrong.By tea, they had taken the total to 191 for 4, Hose having marked his return to Taunton with a fluent fifty off 68 balls, including eight fours and a six. D’Oliveira was unbeaten on 27 and the stand worth 75.Hose, who ended a promising Somerset career by electing to join Warwickshire in 2017, continued in the same fashion after the interval, while D’Oliveira looked equally confident in moving to a half-century off 93 balls, with six fours.Keeping the ball on the ground, the pair had hardly played a false stroke when the second new ball became due with the score 257 for 4 after 80 overs and their partnership extended to 141. It accounted for Hose, lbw to a Kasey Aldridge yorker having faced 151 balls and hit 12 fours and a six.

USMNT star Christian Pulisic has explained the quality that he shares with Argentine GOAT Lionel Messi. The United States international occupies a similar area of the field to eight-time Ballon d'Or winner Messi, with coaches and team-mates often looking to them for attacking inspiration. Pulisic has embraced that role down the years and believes that he has learned – much like an all-time great – how best to impact proceedings.

• Pulisic posting personal bests on the goal front

  Pulisic’s creativity and willingness to work hard for the collective cause has been embraced since making a senior breakthrough with Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund. He went on to become a Champions League winner at Chelsea, making history in the process, before heading to Italy in the summer of 2023.

  Impressive numbers have been posted at Milan, with personal-best tallies when it comes to goals scored being raised to 15 and then up to 17 last season. Pulisic has already found the target on six occasions across all competitions this term, while also registering a couple of assists. He is considered to have mastered the art of knowing when to take charge himself and when to move the ball on to a colleague.

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  The quality that Pulisic shares with GOAT Messi

  Messi has set the standard in that department for the best part of two decades, with the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner boasting the ability to alter the course of any given contest. Pulisic takes on similar responsibility with Milan and the USMNT. At 27 years of age, he is now mature enough to take chances and immediately shrug off any setbacks.

  Pulisic told of sharing those traits with one of the best to ever play the game: "I think it’s very important to understand when to take risks, and Messi knows how to do that. There are moments when you feel more confident than others, right now it’s even easier to talk, I’m scoring a lot, but there will also be negative moments and you have to be good at dealing with them."

• USMNT star Pulisic picks out his boyhood idols

  Messi is one of those that Pulisic looked up to when forging his own career, alongside a fellow countryman and other iconic wingers that have graced the grandest of stages. He said when asked to name his idols: "I had a few. When you’re little, you follow the national team: one of them was [Clint] Dempsey. I always followed him, especially during the World Cup, with the national team. I wanted to be like him. I liked the way he played, his attitude, his way of being on the pitch. In Europe, however, there were so many players I looked up to – [Luis] Figo, and obviously Messi."

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  How Pulisic has developed in Germany, England and Italy

  Pulisic’s experiences in Germany, England and Italy have presented him with different challenges. He has picked up many important lessons along the way, saying of how his game has developed: "I have learned a lot tactically, I have learned a lot here. I have faced different teams, and they all defend very well. It’s a different system and the same goes for the playing style."

  He went on to say of learning how to see so much of the ball, with a talismanic role being taken on with club and country: "I think soccer is a lot less about individual play: there’s much more teamwork. Compared to basketball, soccer is even more about instinct. You have to know where to position yourself in the box, because that’s where the goals are ultimately scored. Understanding how to occupy space, feeling it. And I think that’s my secret."

Leeds United have failed to score a goal from open play in their first four matches in the Premier League, after their 1-0 defeat to Fulham at Craven Cottage on Saturday.

Lukas Nmecha’s penalty, given for a controversial handball by James Tarkowski, in the 1-0 win over Everton is the only goal scored by the Whites so far this season.

After the defeat to Fulham, Daniel Farke told reporters that it is up to his wide players to prove critics wrong and show that they belong in the Premier League by delivering on the pitch.

The German head coach said: “James, Harrison, Aaronson with us when we were relegated and they were called hopeless. They still have a point to prove these judgments are not right. We have this type of offensive players and I’m looking forward to improving them, but we shouldn’t expect miracles.”

This comes after Farke, himself, claimed that it would be “difficult” for Leeds to avoid relegation if they did not add more quality to their attack in the transfer window, which the club then failed to do.

The Championship champions did not get the winger signing, or signings, that they wanted, and Brenden Aaronson is one of the players who must, now, step up and prove his quality in the Premier League.

Why Brenden Aaronson needs to step up for Leeds

The USA international is in an interesting position because the manager has changed the formation from a 4-2-3-1 to a 4-3-3 this season, which has taken away the attacking midfielder’s main role as a number ten.

Per Transfermarkt, Aaronson has started 168 matches in his career as an attacking midfielder, 32 as a left midfielder, and 16 as a central midfielder. Yet, all of his appearances so far this season have come on the right of a 4-3-3.

This means that Farke is essentially playing the former RB Salzburg star out of position in the Premier League, which is a division he has already struggled in whilst playing in his favoured role.

Aaronson only managed one goal in 36 appearances in the top-flight in the 2022/23 campaign, thanks to a ‘shocker’ from Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, and underperformed his xG of 3.86.

The 24-year-old attacker’s performances in the Championship for Leeds last season did not suggest that he was likely to make the step up and prove people wrong after his dismal showings a few years ago.

Form against the 2024/25 Championship top six

Brenden Aaronson vs

Goals

Assists

Bristol City (A)

0

0

Burnley (H)

0

0

Sunderland (A)

0

0

Sheffield United (H)

0

0

Coventry (H)

0

0

Coventry (A)

0

0

Burnley (A)

0

0

Sunderland (H)

0

0

Sheffield United (A)

0

0

Bristol City (H)

0

0

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Aaronson did not deliver a single goal or assist in ten matches against the other teams inside the top six in the Championship, which shows that he struggled to perform against the better teams in the league.

All of this illustrates why there is a big need for the USA international to step up in the coming weeks, because all the signs point to him not being good enough for what Leeds need right now.

Meanwhile, Farke allowed Largie Ramazani to depart Elland Road and join Valencia on a season-long loan during the summer transfer window, despite his side’s lack of quality in the wide department.

It is fair to say that, albeit it is very early in the season, the decision to ditch the Belgian winger from the squad this summer is already looking like a poorly judged one.

Why Leeds should have kept Largie Ramazani

Farke should have kept Largie Ramazani in the building because he is the kind of winger who could have suited playing in the Premier League in a team that will need to rely on a lot of counter-attacking chances.

The Whites will not be as dominant on the ball as they were in the Championship against weaker opposition. This means that there is more space in behind to exploit when they win the ball back and look to test their opponents in behind.

Ramazani would have been perfect for that. In fact, talent scout Jacek Kulig once described the forward as a “counter attacking weapon”, hailing him as “explosive”, “electric” and a “mini Vinicius Jr”.

Aaronson, meanwhile, lacks electric pace and is not, as aforementioned, a natural winger, which means he does not offer as much speed or direct play on the break.

Their respective output at the top end of the pitch in the Championship last season also suggests that Ramazani had more to offer to the team in the way of quality, as well as his physical attributes.

24/25 Championship *per 90

Largie Ramazani

Brenden Aaronson

xG*

0.54

0.29

Goals*

0.69

0.23

Shots on target*

1.84

0.71

Assists*

0.23

0.05

Successful dribbles*

2.07

1.29

Tackle success rate

59%

58%

Duel success rate

40%

40%

Stats via FotMob

As you can see in the table above, the Belgian whiz excelled in limited minutes for Leeds in the second tier, with a staggering haul of 0.92 goals and assists per 90.

Per Sofascore, Ramazani delivered six goals and two assists in just 807 minutes of action in the Championship, starting seven games, which shows that he was incredibly effective in front of goal.

To rub salt in the wound, the 24-year-old star created a ‘big chance’ and delivered an assist for Valencia on his debut for the club against Getafe in LaLiga before the international break.

This is further evidence of his ability to make an impact at the very top level, which is something Aaronson has failed to do, and shows why Leeds messed up by allowing him to leave.

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After four matches, no player in Farke’s squad has an assist to their name in the Premier League, whilst Ramazani has one assist in one game in another major European league.

Leeds supporters may, rightly, wonder why the Belgian talent was allowed to depart on loan whilst Aaronson has been shifted out of position in a league he has already struggled in.

Chelsea’s transfer strategy has seen them sign and sell an enormous number of players over recent years, and while it has worked, they’ve also lost out on some brilliant talent.

For example, FA Cup winner Marc Guehi was sold to Crystal Palace for just £18m in 2021, and has since become one of the very best defenders in the Premier League.

He has also become a key player for England, starting both games during the international break and scoring his first international goal against Serbia.

However, there is another Cobham graduate who was sold too soon, someone arguably more exciting than Guehi and who looks destined to become an England star.

Ex-Chelsea players to play for England

Due to the sheer number of players Chelsea have sold or released over the last decade or more, it’s hardly surprising that there are quite a few who have gone on to play for England.

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For example, Declan Rice was famously a part of the group of Cobham gems that included Mason Mount, but was released at 14 years old and ended up joining West Ham United.

The 26-year-old would go on to make 245 appearances for the Hammers and captain them to Conference League glory before joining Arsenal for £105m two years ago.

He made his debut for the national team in March 2019 under Gareth Southgate and has since become one of the most important players for the side, accumulating 68 caps during which he has scored six goals, provided six assists, and played in two European Championship finals.

Other former Chelsea players who have pulled on the Three Lions after leaving Stamford Bridge, but aren’t as crucial to the teamlike Dominic Solanke, who made his debut while playing for Liverpool.

While none of those players have gone on to be stars for the national team, another Cobham graduate, who might be more exciting than Guehi, appears to be on track to be one.

The Cobham gem primed to be an England star

While Guehi received plenty of attention for his impressive performance on Tuesday night, and rightly so, there was another former Cobham gem playing alongside him: Tino Livramento.

The Croydon-born full-back joined Chelsea as a child and made quite a name for himself coming up through the academy, even winning the player of the year award in the 20/21 season.

However, after failing to agree on terms on a deal, the Blues sold him to Southampton for around £5m, where injuries would limit him to just 34 appearances in two years.

Yet, those 34 appearances were still impressive enough to convince Newcastle United that he was a player worth signing, so in August 2023, they spent around £32m rising to £40m to bring him to St James’ Park.

Since then, the 22-year-old has gone from strength to strength, making 83 appearances for the Toon, in which he’s produced four goal involvements, averaged 1.77 points per game, played on both sides of the defence and most importantly, helped the club with their first silverware since the 50s.

All of this was enough for him to win his first senior cap for England under Lee Carsley last November, and then this international break, Thomas Tuchel played him in the first game and started him against Serbia.

Moreover, it looks like he could become a star for the side, as according to some reports, the German has told his staff he views the Toon ace as someone who can become his ‘first-choice left-back.’ Theo Walcott has even stated in the past that he believes Tuchel may have a “future England captain” at his disposal, such is his presence.

Finally, on top of passing the eye test and still having plenty of time to develop, another reason why the former Cobham gem might be even more exciting than Guehi is the fact that his underlying numbers are already stellar.

According to FBref, he ranked in the top 4% of full-backs in the league last season for ball recoveries, the top 6% for long pass completion, the top 11% for passes blocked, the top 13% for progressive passes and more, all per 90.

Ball Recoveries

5.86

Top 4%

Pass Completion % (Long)

63.5%

Top 6%

Passes Blocked

0.81

Top 11%

Pass Completion %

86.1%

Top 12%

Progressive Passes

5.26

Top 13%

Total Carrying Distance

207.66

Top 13%

Progressive Carrying Distance

111.68

Top 14%

Progressive Carries

2.73

Top 17%

Passes Attempted (Short)

29.13

Top 18%

Pass Completion % (Medium)

87.2%

Top 18%

Carries into Penalty Area

0.50

Top 18%

Passes Completed (Short)

26.53

Top 19%

Ultimately, while it’s challenging to predict how a youngster will develop, it feels like Chelsea made a significant mistake in allowing Livramento to leave in 2021.

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There is less than a week left to go in the summer transfer window and this means that Celtic need to start ramping up their business if they want to avoid missing out on key targets.

The Hoops are reportedly doing exactly that, as they are said to be closing in on two new additions to the squad on the left flank for Brendan Rodgers.

Sky Sports recently reported that the Scottish Premiership giants have agreed a £5m deal with Royal Antwerp for winger Michel-Ange Balikwisha to bolster the manager’s options on the wing.

The Belgian whiz is not the only incoming signing on the left flank, though, as Anthony Joseph claims that the club have agreed a deal to sign left-back Marcelo Saracchi on loan from Boca Juniors.

However, journalist Stephen McGowan has revealed that there is even more to come from Celtic, who want to sign another striker to compete at the top end of the pitch.

This means that current Hoops number nine Adam Idah could be in danger of losing his place in the starting XI beyond the end of the current transfer window.

Why Adam Idah's place in the XI is in danger

The Scottish giants splashed the cash last summer when the board sanctioned a deal worth up to £9.5m to sign the Ireland international on a permanent move from Norwich City.

Idah has yet to justify that significant outlay from the Hoops, though, because he has failed to establish himself as a player who can start week-in-week-out as the main number nine.

The 24-year-old centre-forward scored 20 goals in all competitions in the 2024/25 campaign, which is far from a horrendous return at face value.

However, Idah was often more impactful when coming off the bench to make an impact as a substitute against tired defences, than as a starter ahead of Kyogo Furuhashi or Daizen Maeda, particularly in the Premiership.

Adam Idah: The super sub
24/25 Premiership	Starts	Off the bench
Appearances	19	16
Minutes	1,352	357
Goals	6	7
Minutes per goal	225	51
Assists	0	1
Stats via Transfermarkt

As you can see in the table above, the Irish forward scored more goals in roughly 1,000 fewer minutes as a substitute than he did as a starter in the league last season.

Unfortunately, Idah’s performances in the Premiership at the start of the current campaign do not suggest that he has gotten over those issues and is now ready to be the main man for the Hoops.

The former Norwich star, as shown in the graphic above, missed three ‘big chances’ and failed to score against St Mirren on the opening day. He then failed to score or assist a goal in the 2-0 win over Aberdeen as a starter in his most recent league outing.

Celtic preparing move for new striker

With Idah’s poor form as a starter last season and at the start of this term, supporters may be pleased to learn that the club are looking to sign a new marksman.

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According to Football Insider, Celtic are interested in a deal to sign Lorient centre-forward Sambou Soumano before the end of the summer transfer window.

The report claims that the Scottish giants are preparing to make a formal offer to bring the Senegalese number nine to Parkhead before next Monday’s deadline.

It states that they have already registered their interest in the 24-year-old marksman, and that a formal approach is now expected in the coming days.

Meanwhile, journalist Alan Nixon, via his Patreon, claims that English Championship side Blackburn Rovers are already in talks with Lorient, who want £5m for their star forward, which means that Celtic may have to move quickly to get a deal done for Soumano.

Why Celtic should sign Sambou Soumano

The Premiership champions should be pushing for a deal to get done for the Ligue 1 marksman because he is an exciting talent who could come in as an upgrade on Idah for Rodgers in the number nine position.

The Lorient attacker caught the eye with his performances for the French side in the second tier last season, helping them to earn promotion back up to Ligue 1 with his goalscoring exploits.

Soumano provided a lethal presence in the centre-forward position in Ligue 2 by finishing the chances that came his way in front of goal at an impressively high conversion rate of 33%, per Sofascore.

24/25 season	Soumano (Ligue 2)	Idah (Premiership)
Appearances	32	35
Goals	14	13
Big chances missed	6	19
Minutes per goal	92	131
Conversion rate	33%	17%
Assists	3	0
Duels won per game	2.4	1.6
Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Soumano scored more goals and missed 13 fewer ‘big chances’ at league level in comparison to Idah in the 2024/25 campaign.

This suggests that the Senegalese striker, who was once dubbed “incredibly prolific” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, is significantly better than the Celtic man when it comes to putting the ball in the back of the net with the chances that he gets, which is the most important attribute a striker can have.

As you can see in the clip above, the £5m-rated marksman has also made a fast start to life in Ligue 1. He showed incredible composure to score a brilliant goal in a 4-0 win for Lorient against Rennes on Sunday.

This shows that he can also make an impact in a major European league, rather than his talents being confined to the second division, and that he could step up against high-quality opposition for Celtic.

With this in mind, Celtic should be looking to beat Blackburn to Soumano’s signature before the deadline on Monday because he has the track record in front of goal, at a decent level, to suggest that he could be an upgrade on Idah in the number nine position.

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His arrival at Parkhead would also allow the Ireland international to go back to his role as an impact substitute, which the statistics suggest is his most effective role for the Scottish giants.

MatériaMais Notícias

O filme se repetiu pelo terceiro ano consecutivo nesta quarta-feira no Allianz Parque e o  Palmeiras entrou para a história da Copa Libertadores ao eliminar o Atlético-MG pela terceira temporada consecutiva, algo inédito na história da competição que é disputada desde 1960.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasPalmeirasSaiba por que a câmera estava tão alta no jogo Palmeiras x Atlético-MG pela LibertadoresPalmeiras10/08/2023PalmeirasOLHAR DO PORCO: O Palmeiras segue muito vivo pelo Tetra da AméricaPalmeiras10/08/2023Fora de CampoPênalti ou não? Carlos Eugênio Simon analisa lance de Palmeiras e Atlético-MG e explica regraFora de Campo10/08/2023

+ Veja tabela da Libertadores-2023 clicando aqui

Até ontem, nenhum clube nunca havia sido eliminado pelo mesmo oponente por três anos seguidos, e o Verdão conseguiu tal feito após empatar com o time de Luiz Felipe Scolari por 0 a 0 e avançar para as quartas de final pelo sexto ano consecutivo.

O próprio Palmeiras esteve envolvido em três situações pela qual clubes eliminaram o mesmo rival por duas temporadas seguidas da Libertadores.

continua após a publicidade

Em 1999 e 2000, o Verdão acabou tirando o Corinthians do torneio nas quartas e na semi, respectivamente.

Já em 2000 e 2001, o Palmeiras caiu para o Boca Juniors de Carlos Bianchi na final e na semifinal.

Em 2005 e 2006 foi a vez do São Paulo eliminar o Verdão nas duas oitavas de final do torneio.

+ Palmeiras iguala feito que só o Boca Juniors tem em Libertadores!

O Atlético-MG vem virando um grande freguês recente do Palmeiras, e o retrospecto entre os clubes em mata-mata comprova isso. Nas seis vezes que se encontratam, o Verdão acabou levando a melhor em cinco delas.

Relembre os times que foram eliminados por dois anos seguidos pelo mesmo oponente na história da Libertadores:

– Olimpia foi eliminado pelo Peñarol na final de 1960 e na semifinal de 1961

– Atlético Nacional foi eliminado pelo Olimpia na semifinal de 1961 e 1962

– Newell’s Old Boys foi eliminado pelo São Paulo na final de 1992 e nas oitavas de final de 1993

– Corinthians foi eliminado pelo Palmeiras nas quartas de final de 2000 e na semifinal de 2001

– Palmeiras foi eliminado pelo Boca Juniors na final de 2000 e na semifinal de 2001

– Palmeiras foi eliminado pelo São Paulo nas oitavas de final de 2005 e 2006

– Boca Juniors foi eliminado pelo River Plate na final de 2018 e na semifinal de 2019

Most football fans bemoan the international break, especially the September window, given that it comes just as the club season is starting up again, but perhaps Rangers supporters have enjoyed a fortnight of relative serenity away from Ibrox.

So far, Rangers have failed to win their opening four matches of a Premiership season for the first time in 42 years, held to a series of 1-1 stalemates, before a diabolically dull goalless Glasgow derby last Sunday.

Later this month, the Light Blues will commence yet another Europa League campaign, welcoming Genk to Ibrox, having been embarrassingly demolished 9-1 on aggregate by Club Brugge in the Champions League play-off round.

The takeover by 49ers Enterprises, that was finalised in June, was supposed to signify the start of a new era for Rangers, but that hasn’t come to pass so far, with supporters demanding a change in management, which could be coming soon.

Russell Martin: a dead man walking

Following a thorough and extensive search, Rangers fans were generally underwhelmed when Russell Martin was unveiled as the new manager, this coming 102 days after Philippe Clement had been sacked all the way back in February.

Well, given the miserable results documented already, Martin’s stock has managed to fall even further, winning only three of 11 fixtures across all competitions to date, one of which was a very unconvincing League Cup victory over third-tier Alloa Athletic at Ibrox.

Following the Light Blues’ 1-1 draw with Motherwell at Fir Park, which was, worth reiterating, on the opening day of the Premiership season, Martin gave a scathing assessment of his team’s performance.

Indeed he stated that they were “nowhere near where we need to be”, adding that too many players “want to do what they want to do”, while others need to “drop their ego”, suggesting that the entire club has a “mentality problem”.

Speaking on Sky Sports in reaction to this, Chris Sutton labelled it a “desperate” act, saying it’s never a good sign when you’re forced to “machine gun the dressing room”, let alone this early, while Kris Boyd added that this was “alarming”.

Thus, all the signs are that Martin will not remain Rangers manager for long, so should the 49ers already be laying the groundwork to bring in a major upgrade?

Rangers' major Russell Martin upgrade

During the summer, while Rangers’ managerial search was ongoing, reports emerged claiming that Marco Rose was the ‘front-runner’ to take the job.

Manager Focus

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Gers’ new owners, 49ers Enterprises, have a strong relationship with Red Bull Global, given that they own Premier League side Leeds United, with Red Bull buying a minority stake in the Yorkshire-based club last year.

Thus, Andrew Cavenagh and Paraag Marathe, who are on the board at both Ibrox and Elland Road, would surely be able to get in contact with Rose, given his own past employment.

Rose’s professional managerial career began at RB Salzburg, winning the Austrian Bundesliga title during both of his seasons at the club, completing the double at the end of his second campaign as they defeated Rapid Wien in the ÖFB-Cup Final.

Then, after 88 matches in charge of Borussia Mönchengladbach and a season with Borussia Dortmund, he returned to the Red Bull network by joining RB Leipzig in September 2022, a special appointment for him, having been born and raised in Leipzig, back when it was part of East Germany under Soviet rule.

During 124 games at the helm of die Roten Bullen, he led them to back-to-back top four finishes in the Bundesliga, also reaching the Champions League knockout stages, winning both the DFB-Pokal and DFL-Supercup in 2023, beating Freiburg on penalties at Olympiastadion in the cup final, before hammering Bayern Munich 3-0 away from home in the season curtain raiser.

Following a miserable campaign last year, however, he was eventually sacked in March, with Andy Brassell of the Guardian outlining how he still has a strong relationship with Red Bull, who did not take the decision to part company lightly.

Meantime, Kiyan Sobhani labels his style of play “direct”, elaborating that he wants to “get the ball to the attackers as quickly and as possible”, a style of play that would surely excite the Ibrox faithful, and his CV is night and day when compared to that of Martin.

Martin vs Rose career
Statistics	Martin	Rose
Matches	263	455
Wins	104	271
Win %	39.5%	59.6%
Goals per game	1.5	2.2
Goals against per game	1.5	1.1
Top-flight matches	20	259
UCL matches	0	37
Major trophies won	0	5
All stats via Transfermarkt

As the table documents, Rose’s résumé is exponentially more impressive than that of Martin and would certainly represent a coup.

So, at a time when Rangers supporters are in mutinous mood, hiring a coach with so much elite-level experience would be exactly what they need to reunite everybody associated with the club.

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