Três torcedores do Boca Juniors-ARG foram detidos em flagrante por crimes cometidos durante o empate em 0 a 0 da equipe argentina contra o Corinthians, pela Libertadores. Dois deles foram flagrados realizando atos racistas, enquanto um efetuou um gesto nazista, ambos em direção à torcida corintiana.
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+ Semana de Libertadores! Saiba quais são os elencos mais valiosos das oitavas
A dupla que cometeu crime de injúria racial teve arbitrada pelo delegado César Saad uma fiança de R$ 20 mil, quase sete vezes maior a que o torcedor xeneize Leonardo Ponzo teve que pagar ao imitar um macaco em direção aos corintianos, no encontro entre Timão e Boca, no último dia 26 de abril, pela fase de grupos da Liberta.
A iniciativa de inflacionar o valor foi do delegado César Saad, que tomou a postura por conta da reincidência do ato envolvendo torcedores de equipes sul-americanas ante aos brasileiros nesta edição da Libertadores.
+ Confira a tabela da Libertadores e simule os próximos jogos
A dupla será levada à sede do Departamento de Operações Estratégicas (Dope) e caso não pague a fiança em 24 horas serão levados a um juiz, que decidirá se eles continuarão presos ou responderão o processo em liberdade.
Um dos detidos por racismo é argentino, mas vive no Brasil. Ele é morador de rua. O outro é residente na argentina.
Em relação ao torcedor flagrado fazendo um sinal de saudação nazista alegou que havia mandado um beijo em direção aos torcedores adversários, inicialmente seria liberado, mas a polícia voltou atrás e decidiu autuá-lo em crime de apologia, que inafiançável.
Outros três torcedores foram levados ao posto do Jecrim (Juizado Especial Criminal), espécie de delegacia montada dentro do estádio, mas deverão ser soltos por ausência de provas substanciais. Eles não tiveram registros de imagem obtidos pela polícia.
Um torcedor que foi flagrado em vídeo filmado por corintianos deu fuga e não foi encontrado.
Match-winner says Mustafizur’s approach “allowed me to shape my game plan. Who to attack, when to attack”
Mohammad Isam04-Dec-20222:11
Jaffer suggests Shakib deserves more recognition
Mehidy Hasan Miraz stood in the middle of the Shere Bangla National Stadium, surrounded by India fielders just waiting for the final wicket to fall. At the other end, he had No. 11 Mustafizur Rahman, batting average of 6.30. Bangladesh needed 51 runs. They had a lot of overs in hand but they had just lost their last five wickets for eight runs. A portion of the full-house crowd had left. An India win was writ large in Dhaka.But this is 2022, a year in which Mehidy has been involved in a few miracles. He was part of the team that beat New Zealand in the Mount Maunganui Test. Mehidy and Afif Hossain rescued Bangladesh from 45 for 6 against Afghanistan. Mehidy took four wickets in an ODI in South Africa when Bangladesh got into a tough spot. These events have shaped his mind in a way that even in such a desperate situation against India on Sunday, he felt he could do it.Related
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When the last recognised batter Afif fell with 53 runs remaining, Mehidy had plotted his partnerships with the long tail. And when Ebadot Hossain and Hasan Mahmud fell for ducks, he didn’t stop believing.”Maybe people will call me (mad) but I had the honest belief that we could win,” Mehidy said. “I only focused on winning the game. I kept telling myself that I can do this. I thought I’d score 15 runs with Ebadot, 20 runs with Hasan Mahmud and the remaining 15-20 runs with Mustafiz. But two quick wickets meant that it was a do-or-die situation with the last wicket remaining. I had to take calculated risks. Mustafiz’s words really stayed with me. It gave me more belief.”
Mustafizur told me, “You don’t worry about me. I will stop the ball at my end. I will take balls on the body, but I won’t get out.”Mehidy Hasan Miraz
It all kicked off when he swatted debutant Kuldeep Sen for two sixes in the 41st over. He swung a few wildly, even getting dropped by KL Rahul, but then when he saw Mustafizur handle the bowling properly, Mehidy went after Deepak Chahar for three fours in the 44th over. It reduced the runs remaining to 14, and that’s when it got serious.”If I thought that we would lose or we won’t be able to get the remaining runs, it wouldn’t have worked out like this,” Mehidy said. “It was definitely a do-or-die situation. There was no problem to get out trying to hit out. When we needed 50 runs, I took the chances. It came off.”But when we needed 14 or 10 runs, then I got really excited. We have lost a lot of close matches, but Mustafiz kept giving me encouragement. He told me, ‘don’t hurry, don’t try to hit a six. You bat along the ground, we will get the runs’. I was very clear with my game plan. I knew exactly what I wanted to do. I think that helped out also.”What really helped Mehidy was how Mustafizur stood confidently at the other end, even starting off a four through the covers, Bangladesh’s first boundary since the 23rd over.”Mustafiz is my good friend,” Mehidy said. “He supported me a lot. One thing that stood out was his confidence. He kept telling me, ‘You don’t worry about me. I will stop the ball at my end. I will take balls on the body, but I won’t get out’. His confidence rubbed off on me.”He kept telling me not to worry about him. A batter would always worry about the tailender. If he gets out, it’s all over. But his approach allowed me to shape my game plan. Who to attack, when to attack. I didn’t go after every ball. I did sky a couple, but they couldn’t take the chances. You are bound to get out if you are trying to hit every ball. Calculative risk helped out.”The crucial moment was when the scores were tied. Mehidy was on strike. He turned the ball through the covers and took off in celebration. It was reminiscient of last February when Afif and Mehidy walked off with wide smiles after their heist against Afghanistan. Mehidy, though, feels this one against India was more important. “Both were important knocks but this is more special. This was the last wicket, we needed 51 runs. This was definitely more special.”
Simon Harmer claimed six wickets for 49 to spin Essex to a 47-run victory over Northamptonshire at Wantage Road and finish as leading wicket-taker in this year’s LV= County Championship Division One.Harmer extracted prodigious turn to run through Northamptonshire’s middle and lower order after Sam Cook set up the win with three wickets in two overs to shatter Northamptonshire’s hopes of chasing 211.A breezy 30 from Ricardo Vascconcelos boosted the hopes of the home fans before six wickets fell for 29 runs. Despite a belligerent 39 from Gareth Berg, Northamptonshire’s highest individual score in the match, the hosts were bowled out for 163, meaning they finish in sixth place in the Championship – their highest in 27 years.Harmer finished with 58 wickets for the season, one ahead of Kyle Abbott of Hampshire while Cook passed 50 for the season at an average of just 16.1.The result meant Jack White’s career-best bowling figures were in vain. White took 6 for 38 to skittle Essex for 110 as the visitors lost their last five wickets for 47 runs in the morning session and set up a tantalising run chase.Essex had resumed on 63 for 5 in the morning, in perfect overcast bowling conditions with White taking full advantage and obtaining plenty of movement outside off-stump.He struck early when Michael Pepper edged a low catch to Emilio Gay at second slip and Gay was in action again when Harmer (16), who had played a few lusty blows, played a wild slash and edged White into the cordon.White claimed his second career five-fer when he trapped Shane Snater lbw and then recorded his best figures when the ball flew once more to Gay who took a tumbling catch to dismiss Matt Critchley (20). White’s figures eclipsed his previous best of 5 for 14 achieved against Lancashire in July. Tom Taylor then wrapped things up when he nipped in to claim the wicket of Cook.In the run chase, Snater and Cook bowled a probing spell with the new ball before lunch, making an early breakthrough when Gay prodded at one outside off-stump from Snater and edged behind.Vasconcelos got off the mark with a streaky four down to third but found the boundary off consecutive balls from Snater in the over before lunch including a glorious drive through the covers.Northamptonshire began the afternoon session with a flurry of boundaries with Vasconcelos crunching the ball through extra cover and finding the ropes three times in one expensive over from Cook.Will Young was soon into his work and greeted Harmer by hitting him over his head for another boundary. Harmer had his revenge later in the over though when he got one to turn sharply out of the rough. Young shaped to pad it up only for the ball to spin past his legs and smash into leg stump.That wicket sparked a Steelbacks collapse. Vasconcelos attempted to pull Cook but the ball did not bounce as much as he expected and hit the top of his off-stump. Rob Keogh left Cook’s next delivery which nipped back and trapped him lbw. Northamptonshire had lost three wickets in four balls.Wickets continued to fall with Cook striking again in his next over when Luke Procter edged behind to leave Northamptonshire’s hopes in tatters.James Sales was the next to go, adjudged lbw to Harmer to a ball which looked like it would have gone over the stumps. Saif Zaib struck three boundaries before he was next to go, leaving a ball from Harmer which spun back and hit the stumps with the Steelbacks reeling on 93 for 7.Berg took the offensive approach, clubbing Harmer through the covers for two boundaries and hitting a six all off one over and he continued to take the attack to the spinner as he was joined in a partnership of 49 with Taylor who also looked to be positive during his 26. Taylor eventually departed after coming down the wicket to Harmer and giving Nick Browne an easy catch at short-leg.Berg then fell in similar fashion with Browne taking an excellent diving catch before White was the last batter to go, trapped lbw by Harmer.
Men’s Hundred knockouts will be further shorn of overseas quality
Matt Roller31-Aug-2022Tabraiz Shamsi will miss the men’s Hundred final to play for Guyana Amazon Warriors in the CPL, in the latest blow to a competition that will be short on international quality in the knockout stages.Shamsi, the South African left-arm wristspinner, has taken five wickets in his six appearances in the Hundred this season, playing for Trent Rockets as a replacement for Rashid Khan.He was one of the few remaining overseas players in the men’s Hundred who is part of his country’s first-choice T20 side, but has left ahead of Guyana’s opening CPL game on Saturday and will miss the final at Lord’s as a result.Rockets will not be permitted to sign another replacement, as teams can only use players who were registered in the group stages during knockout games in the Hundred. Regulations were changed for this season after Tim David, a last-minute signing, made a game-changing intervention in the inaugural final.Marchant de Lange, the South African fast bowler, is available to fill Rockets’ third overseas slot alongside Colin Munro and Daniel Sams, but is yet to feature this season and Andy Flower may see Matthew Carter, the offspinner, as a more direct replacement for Shamsi.Related
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Shamsi’s departure continues a worrying trend for the competition as a whole, which has been shorn of its star names as the group stages have worn on. London Spirit, who will play in Friday night’s eliminator at the Ageas Bowl, will use only two of their permitted three overseas players in the knockout stages in Ben McDermott and Nathan Ellis.Kieron Pollard made six appearances for them before leaving for the CPL, Glenn Maxwell played four games before returning to Australia for an ODI series against Zimbabwe, and his replacement Josh Inglis made a single appearance before he was called up to Australia’s squad as injury cover.Spirit will play the winner of Manchester Originals’ game against Oval Invincibles in the eliminator, both of whom are without several of their first-choice overseas players.Originals have lost Wanindu Hasaranga (denied an NOC), Andre Russell (CPL) and Sean Abbott (Australia duty) at various stages and fielded Tristan Stubbs, Ashton Turner and Josh Little as their overseas trio in their last game against Birmingham Phoenix on Sunday.Invincibles, meanwhile, are without Sunil Narine (CPL) and Mohammad Hasnain (Pakistan duty) and picked Rilee Rossouw, Hilton Cartwright and Peter Haztoglou in their win against Spirit at Lord’s on Saturday.
Australia captain Meg Lanning will take an indefinite break from the game for personal reasons.It means Lanning, who recently led Australia to the gold medal at the Commonwealth Games to follow their T20 and ODI World Cup titles in 2020 and 2022, will miss the Hundred where she would have played for Trent Rockets. Australia’s domestic season starts in late September with the WNCL ahead of the WBBL in October. Kim Garth, the Ireland allrounder, will replace Lanning in the Rockets squad.Australia’s next series is an away T20I tour of India in mid-December ahead of hosting Pakistan next January before the T20 World Cup in South Africa.”After a busy couple of years, I’ve made the decision to take a step back to enable me to spend time focusing on myself,” Lanning said in a statement. “I’m grateful for the support of CA and my team-mates and ask that my privacy is respected during this time.”Cricket Australia’s head of performance, women’s cricket, Shawn Flegler said: “We’re proud of Meg for acknowledging that she needs a break and will continue to support her during this time.”She’s been an incredible contributor to Australian cricket over the last decade, achieving remarkable feats both individually and as part of the team, and has been a brilliant role model for young kids.”The welfare of our players is always our number one priority, and we’ll continue to work with Meg to ensure she gets the support and space she needs.”Melbourne Stars general manager Blair Crouch said: “We’re fully supportive of Meg’s desire to have a break from cricket and we will give her all the time, support and space she needs.”Lanning made her international debut in 2010 and was named captain as a 21-year-old in 2014. She has led the team in 171 matches across all formats with 135 victories. Since 2017 she has only missed five internationals.
Liverpool have been sensational this season, taking command in the fight for the Premier League title. We haven’t even reached the campaign’s midpoint yet, but Arne Slot’s side are six points clear at the summit with a game in hand.
When Jurgen Klopp shocked the world with his decision to stand down at the end of the 2023/24 term, it felt like a watershed moment for the club – and one that could have interfered with the progress that had been made in rebuilding a sapped midfield.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp bows out
But FSG hit the bullseye with Slot, whose football has been exciting, elegant and efficient. Top of the Champions League group stage too, Liverpool will be confident that they can lift one of the biggest prizes before the summer.
While the Dutch coach’s tactics have helped shore up Anfield’s defences, the rip-roaring attack has also been refined. Mohamed Salah is of course the creme de la creme, but the Reds have strength in depth and this could be the key to hitting their lofty targets.
Liverpool's frontline in 24/25
Salah has posted 19 goals and 15 assists across 25 matches in all competitions for Liverpool this season, moving with a vengeance toward the biggest titles and, perhaps, the 2025 Ballon d’Or prize.
He’s head and shoulders above every positional rival on English shores right now, but that’s not to say that Liverpool’s various other members haven’t pulled their weight.
Diogo Jota has been injured for much of the campaign but has still showcased an impressive clinical edge when called upon. Darwin Nunez, conversely, has struggled for form and fluency in front of goal but still features regularly, bringing chaos and energy to Slot’s system.
Liverpool’s Frontline under Arne Slot
Player
Apps (starts)
Goals
Assists
Mohamed Salah
25 (23)
19
15
Luis Diaz
23 (16)
11
3
Cody Gakpo
26 (15)
10
4
Diogo Jota
14 (9)
5
2
Darwin Nunez
23 (13)
4
3
Federico Chiesa
4 (1)
0
1
Stats via Transfermarkt
Salah might be the talisman, but he’s bolstered considerably by left-flanking duo Luis Diaz and Cody Gakpo, who have ebbed and flowed in contrast this term as they compete for a starting berth. It’s bringing the best out of both, with the latter the one in form right now.
Cody Gakpo's rise under Arne Slot
We’re approaching Gakpo’s second anniversary on Merseyside, with the Dutch forward leaving PSV Eindhoven to sign for Liverpool for a £35m fee in January 2023.
Liverpool player Cody Gakpo.
It was a turbulent time, Klopp’s pre-overhaul engine room spluttering and stumbling through a campaign that severed Anfield’s connection with the Champions League – for a season, at least.
Under Slot, Gakpo’s role has been simplified. Gone are the days of his scattered positioning across the pitch, Klopp using his dynamism to patch over holes.
Cody Gakpo – Stats by Position (23/24)
Position
Apps
Goals
Assists
Centre-forward
27
12
3
Left winger
12
3
3
Right winger
7
1
0
Attacking midfield
5
0
0
Central midfield
2
0
0
Stats via Transfermarkt
He’s always been at his best on the left flank, using his pace and power to real mayhem before skipping inside and unleashing a fierce strike into the corner of the goal. Now, Diaz is preferred at centre-forward when both stars cohabit on the pitch, Gakpo starting from the left across all 15 of his appearances from the outset this year.
Now, he’s thriving. Gakpo has reached “another level” this year, according to pundit Peter Crouch, indeed notching ten strikes and four assists across the campaign as he makes impressive progress in a nailed-down tactical role.
Cody Gakpo celebrates for Liverpool
It’s a perfect example of Slot’s tactical acumen and his understanding of Liverpool’s structural strengths, how to eke out every last bit of quality from the Reds.
As per FBref, Gakpo ranks among the top 13% of Premier League attacking midfielders and wingers this season for goals scored and the top 1% for successful take-on success rate per 90, highlighting his flourishing presence in Slot’s high-flying team.
Perhaps the most exciting part is that Gakpo, aged 25, still has so much to offer for the Anfield side, still has so much to achieve. In any case, his prolificness in the final third is propelling Liverpool toward the Premier League title, which is still far from being conquered but more tangible with each mounting victory.
Four goals and two assists across just three Carabao Cup games only furthers the claim that he is shaping into one of Liverpool’s most important members, thriving on the cup front when Diaz held a Premier League starting role invariably across the opening months.
Because of players like him, Liverpool stand a good chance of claiming more than one slice of silverware this season.
As a product of his rise and rise, the Netherlands international’s stock has burgeoned, and he’s starting to overtake some of Liverpool’s prized assets in regard to market value.
Cody Gakpo's market value in 2024/25
If Gakpo continues to ride his rich vein of current form, there’s every chance that he will hit the 20-goal ballpark by the close of the campaign.
His connection with Salah only bolsters such a pursuit, with the Egyptian actually overtaken in terms of market value by Gakpo, whose worth has shot to £51m following Transfermarkt’s latest update.
Salah, conversely, has seen his own value drop to £46m, though context is important here, for the Egypt sensation is 32 years old and entering the final months of his Liverpool contract.
In any case, it’s a testament to the gains that Gakpo, hailed as the “king of scoring” by writer Andre Beesley – has made over the past few years after enduring some rocky moments over the opening years of his English career.
Liverpool have an elite strikeforce alright. Salah might take the limelight (and rightly so) but Gakpo won’t care a jot as he continues to build the blocks toward prosperity. Liverpool, in any case, have hit the jackpot on this remarkable forward.
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Legspinner surplus to current requirements and could seek permanent move
Matt Roller10-Jun-2022Nathan Sowter, the Australian-born, England-qualified legspinner, has joined Durham on loan for the rest of the T20 Blast and looks set to leave Middlesex permanently when his contract expires later this year.Sowter, 29, is Middlesex’s third-highest wicket-taker in T20 history but is yet to feature in a matchday squad this year. He has been actively seeking a loan move and looks set to make his Durham debut against Lancashire on Friday night after agreeing to join them until mid-July.He is available to play in all formats, and is unlikely to feature for Middlesex again, not least because he was retained by Oval Invincibles for the Hundred and as such will not be available to play in the Royal London Cup in August.Sowter took 15 Blast wickets last season with an economy rate of 7.50 but the emergence of two spinners through the Middlesex academy – legspinning allrounder Luke Hollman and left-arm spinner Thilan Walallawita – has left him surplus to requirements.The club’s management have also opted to use one of their two overseas spots for the Blast on a spinner – Mujeeb Ur Rahman is due to replace Chris Green imminently – meaning that Sowter has not been called upon even when they have fielded three spinners in the same side.Related
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ESPNcricinfo understands that Sowter was told shortly before the start of the Blast that he was unlikely to feature in their plans for the tournament and he has been looking for a loan move over the last two weeks.”Sowts hasn’t been selected for any first-team action this year due to the progression of other players within the squad,” Alan Coleman, Middlesex’s head of performance, said.”We have made a conscious decision to give match experience and opportunities to those players, with an eye on building our longer-term plans. Sowts is a great bloke and we wish him every success during his loan spell with Durham at the Riverside.”Scott Borthwick, Durham’s legspinning allrounder, is unavailable for Friday night’s game due to a wrist injury which requires an injection, so the club have signed Sowter as cover. If he impresses over the next few weeks, it could be the precursor to a permanent deal.Middlesex started the season brightly, winning their opening three matches, but have now lost four games in a row, while Durham are eighth out of nine in the North Group after two wins and five losses from their first seven games.
An incredibly hard job awaits new Wolverhampton Wanderers manager Vitor Pereira. The Portuguese manager has been officially confirmed as the new man in the hot seat at Molineux, taking over from Gary O’Neil who was sacked after a poor start to the 2024/25 campaign.
He will be hoping to transform their fortunes this term, which currently sees the Old Gold residing in 19th place in the Premier League table.
Pereira will need a response from his new players, and contributions from more than just Matheus Cunha, who has eight goals and three assists in the top flight this term.
One former player he surely wishes he had at his disposal is Pedro Neto.
Neto’s Wolves career
Chelsea paid Wolves £54m for electric Portuguese winger Neto over the summer, and it was certainly a big blow for the Old Gold. They have lost some of their stars in the last few windows, but given Neto’s impact on the club, this is the one that might sting the most for the Molineux faithful.
Wolves star Pedro Neto
The Portugal international was fantastic for the Midlands outfit, representing the club on 114 occasions. In that time, he scored 14 goals and grabbed 24 assists across all competitions, including goal involvements in the Europa League in 2019/20.
His best season for the Old Gold was his final one at the club. Sadly, injuries affected Neto’s Wolves career, but he managed 20 games in his last Premier League campaign last term. In that time, the winger scored twice and grabbed nine assists, the joint third-highest in the Premier League. That is impressive reading given the lack of game time he had.
It was off the back of this good form that the Blues paid such a high fee for him last summer. The 24-year-old has made a strong start to life at Stamford Bridge, scoring three goals and grabbing five assists in 18 games so far.
Having a player like Neto would surely have made his start to life at Wolves easier. However, they have been linked to someone who could come in and be his own version of the winger.
Pereira’s own Pedro Neto
The player in question here is Newcastle United winger Miguel Almiron. The Paraguayan international has been linked with a loan move to Molineux earlier this week, according to reports.
The Old Gold are thought to be ‘monitoring Almiron’ alongside fellow Premier League strugglers Crystal Palace and Leicester City.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
It is not too much of a surprise that Eddie Howe is happy to let the 30-year-old leave St James’ Park temporarily. This season, he has not had much involvement for the Magpies, playing nine times in all competitions, with six of those games coming in the top flight, starting once.
With that being said, the former Atlanta United star does have a fairly good record overall for the North East side. In 218 games for the club, he has scored 30 times and has 12 assists. His best season was 2022/23, when he scored 11 times in 34 Premier League games.
There are certainly similarities between Neto and Almiron which means the Paraguayan could be compared to the former Wolves star. They are both tricky left-footed wingers, who love to cut in and drive towards goal.
Statistically, there can be comparisons drawn between their two best seasons in the top flight, 2022/23 for Almiron and 2023/24 for Neto.
According to Squawka, Almiron averaged more forward passes with 7.9 and a better take-on success rate with 53.52% per game than the Chelsea number seven. In his best season, he averaged 6.6 forward passes and a 46.84% take-on success rate per game.
Almiron vs Neto key stats compared
Stat (per 90)
Almiron (2022/23)
Neto (2023/24)
Goals
0.4
0.2
Chances created
0.9
2.3
Forward passes
7.9
6.6
Take-ons completed
1.4
2.2
Take-on success rate
53.52%
46.84%
Fouls won
1.2
1.3
Stats from Squawka
Signing Almiron on loan could be the spark Wolves need. He was once described as a “handful for defenders” by football statistician Statman Dave.
Perhaps he could be just what the Old Gold – and Pereira – need to give them a boost as they look to stay in the Premier League.
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As Ruben Amorim looks to revamp Manchester United’s blunt frontline, the Red Devils are now reportedly looking at signing a £42m forward who’s outscored Rasmus Hojlund so far this season.
Man Utd transfer news
To his credit, Amorim has instantly provided Manchester United with an attacking boost, given that they’ve scored four goals in his two games in charge, including two within the opening two minutes against Ipswich Town and most recently Bodo/Glimt in the Europa League. On the results front, however, it’s clear that improvement will take time. The Red Devils escaped Ipswich with a draw, before being forced to battle past Bodo/Glimt to win 3-2 in midweek.
The true change in results may not arrive until Amorim has the chance to mark his own stamp on the current Manchester United side, rather than falling back on Erik ten Hag’s poorly-assembled squad at Old Trafford. When 2025 arrives, the first order of business could even be to hand the former Sporting Club boss a fresh attacking option.
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By
Ethan Lamb
Nov 29, 2024
According to David Ornstein of The Athletic, Manchester United and Amorim are now looking at signing Liam Delap in 2025, who’s reportedly worth up to £42m after impressing at Ipswich Town so far this season. Reportedly joined by Chelsea in their interest, the Red Devils may need to act fast if they want to sign the young forward.
A Manchester City academy graduate, Delap would certainly be making a controversial move if he swapped Ipswich for Old Trafford next year, but others have made similar moves in the past. Whether Delap decides to follow in the footsteps of the likes of Carlos Tevez by playing for both Manchester clubs remains to be seen, however.
"Complete" Delap is outscoring Hojlund and Zirkzee
Whilst Hoijlund did at least return to the scoresheet in midweek against Bodo/Glimt, taking his season tally to four, the forward has far from been at the same level as Delap so far this season. And the same can be said for summer signing Joshua Zirkzee. In Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s first transfer window in charge, it’s already looking like he made one signing to forget in the forward, whose best role is yet to become clear at Old Trafford.
Premier League stats 24/25 (via FBref)
Liam Delap
Rasmus Hojlund
Joshua Zirkzee
Minutes
855
439
457
Goals
6
1
1
Assists
1
0
1
Expected Goals
3.4
1.1
2.7
What should be the most concerning stat of them all is how Zirkzee is underperforming when it comes to expected goals. The stats suggest that he should have scored at least three goals by this stage, given the chances that he’s had, but he has managed just the one strike which came in his very first Premier League game.
Dubbed “complete” by Football Talent Scout’s Jacek Kulig, meanwhile, Delap has been clinical. The Manchester United target has scored almost double the goals expected of him in the Premier League so far this season, outperforming both Hojlund and Zirkzee combined as a result.
Celtic moved to an impressive nine points clear at the top of the Scottish Premiership table on Saturday after they beat Hibernian 3-0 at Parkhead.
The Hoops can move 12 points clear of Aberdeen, who have played one more match, if they win their game in hand over their closest rivals, and look to be on course for a fourth straight league title.
They have not failed to win the Premiership since the 2020/21 campaign, when Steven Gerrard secured the title for Rangers, and that does not look likely to change at this moment in time.
Brendan Rodgers opted to leave the likes of Cameron Carter-Vickers, Reo Hatate, Kyogo Furuhashi, and Paulo Bernardo on the bench from the start and his team were still able to secure a relatively comfortable victory.
An opening goal from Arne Engels settled the early nerves, after Hibernian missed a one-on-one early on, and an own goal from Joe Newell made it two, before Kyogo came off the bench to make it 3-0 late on.
The two goalscorers were far from the only players who caught the eye with their performances for the Scottish giants in the clash at Paradise, though.
Celtic's top performers against Hibernian
The player of the match for Celtic, arguably, was goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel, who joined on a free transfer from Anderlecht in the summer transfer window.
Hibernian carved out several opportunities to find the back of the net, with a whopping five ‘big chances’ to Celtic’s four, but they could not find a way past the great Dane.
Kasper Schmeichel
The veteran shot-stopper made a stunning nine saves to keep his clean sheet and seven of those saves came from shots inside the box, as he thwarted multiple one-on-one chances with fantastic saves with his feet.
Without his terrific shot-stopping, Hibernian – given the five ‘big chances’ that they created – could have easily got something out of the match with the opportunities that they had.
Nicolas Kuhn had another strong showing down the right flank for the Scottish giants with two key passes and one ‘big chance’ created, but was not rewarded with an assist for his effort, as his teammates let him down in front of goal.
The Hoops skipper, Callum McGregor, caught the eye with 131 touches and 118 passes completed for Celtic in the middle of the park, which shows that he provided a metronomic presence in possession for his side.
However, there were some players who did not step up and perform against Hibs. One dud who struggled at Parkhead on Saturday was left winger Daizen Maeda.
Daizen Maeda's performance against Hibernian
The Japan international was selected from the start on the left wing and simply failed to have much of an impact on the game defensively or offensively.
Performance in Numbers
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You know what you’re going to get from Maeda in the pressing game, as he is always running and closing down opposition defenders to win the ball back, but the forward struggled badly in physical contests.
The 27-year-old lightweight lost six of his nine duels, including five of his seven ground battles, and this shows that the Hibernian players found it far too easy to get the better of him.
Sofascore rating
6.8
Touches
28
Shots on target
0
Big chances created
0
Crosses completed
0/3
Possession lost
8x
As you can see in the table above, Maeda also failed to make an impact on the match from an offensive perspective for the Scottish giants.
The Japanese dud had fewer touches than Schmeichel (45), a goalkeeper, and did not register a single shot on target or ‘big chance’ created for the team, which illustrates how little he contributed to the win for the Hoops.
He failed to get into the match, as shown by his lack of touches, and did not do enough with the ball at his feet when his teammates did find him in good positions.
Therefore, Maeda was one of the worst performers on the pitch for the Premiership champions, as the winger struggled badly in and out of possession.
Why Brendan Rodgers must drop Daizen Maeda
Rodgers must, now, finally ditch the forward from the starting XI because his form in the Scottish top-flight has left a lot to be desired for a number of months.
Maeda’s last goal in the Premiership came on the 28th of September against St. Johnstone, which means that he has gone nine games – and months – without a league goal for the club.
Daizen Maeda
The Celtic dud has also only recorded one assist in those nine matches, which means that he has one goal contribution in nine games and over two months in the division.
These statistics show that Maeda has consistently failed to deliver quality in the final third for the Hoops, particularly when you consider that Kuhn – on the opposite wing – has contributed with three goals and two assists, despite being an unused substitute against Ross County recently, in the same period.
The Japan international has only scored two goals in 14 appearances in the Premiership this season, and Rodgers must finally drop him from the XI after another lacklustre display against Hibernian.
Appearances
14
15
Starts
12
5
Goals
2
0
Assists
3
4
Pass accuracy
81%
90%
As you can see in the table above, James Forrest – who has rarely started for the Scottish giants in the league – has provided more creativity than Maeda this term.
Forrest may not offer a greater goal threat, given his failure to score so far this term, but the Scotland international could offer better passing and crossing to create chances for others.
The Celtic academy graduate came off the bench to assist Kyogo’s goal on Saturday with a clever pass to split open the opposition’s defence in the second half.
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Therefore, Rodgers should unleash Forrest ahead of Maeda next time out in the Premiership, to see if the veteran winger can provide more quality in the final third.