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Um rosto novo marcou presença no treino do Botafogo nesta quarta-feira. Matheus Andrade, o “Gordin do Tiktok”, foi convidado pelo clube para conhecer o Estádio Nilton Santos e os jogadores do elenco. O menino de 14 anos compartilhou fotos no Instagram.

+ Dancinha do Fogão! Torcedor de 14 anos viraliza, quer que Chay faça comemoração e explica dança ao L!

– Mano, olha onde eu tô. Mentira… Pena que não pode entrar (no campo). Eu estou pisando no gramado, cara, não é possível. Que lugar lindo, cara.. – falou o menino em um story.

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Matheus viralizou na última semana fazendo uma dancinha com a camisa do Botafogo no Tiktok. O vídeo, com menos de 10 segundos, virou sucesso na torcida do clube, com vários botafoguenses publicando vídeos tentando imitar o garoto.

– Sonho realizado em entrar no gramado do Nilton Santos. Obrigado Deus por essa oportunidade – escreveu Matheus.

O Botafogo entrou em contato com o garoto e viabilizou o encontro. Matheus marcou presença no treinamento do Alvinegro e tirou fotos com Chay, Joel Carli, Warley e Rafael Moura.

After a season of ups and downs in which they came so close to finishing in the Champions League places, Tottenham Hotspur have a big summer of transfers ahead.

Ange Postecoglou got off to a flyer in North London, but injuries and a downturn in form saw his side slip down to fifth by the end of the campaign, with star signing James Maddison missing out on a place in the Euros due to his lacklustre performances.

Luckily for him and the manager, the latest player heavily touted for a move to N17 could be the perfect midfielder to help the Englishman rediscover his form and power the Lilywhites back up the table next year.

Tottenham Hotspur transfer news

According to a recent report from Football Insider, Tottenham are interested in Juventus' star midfielder Weston McKennie, and have already held talks with the Serie A side over his potential move.

Earlier this month, Football Insider claimed that the Lilywhites had 'jumped ahead' of Aston Villa and made themselves favourites to secure the American's signature, and this latest story has revealed that the Villans have ceased their interest in the player over wage demands.

In more good news for the Lilywhites, it looks like they won't have to pay a great deal for the 25-year-old, as the report claims that further talks have taken place over a £15m fee due to his contract expiring next summer.

It might not be the most exciting name and conjures up images of Leeds United's relegation in the minds of Premier League fans, but McKennie has been immense for Juventus over the last year and could be the perfect player to play next to Maddison.

Why McKennie would be a great teammate for Maddison

Now, I know McKennie's last showing in England was, to put it diplomatically, dreadful, but it was a tough stage for him to show his worth.

Brought in by compatriot Jesse Marsch for half a season to try and help the Peacocks fend off relegation in the 2022/23 season, the American looked woefully out of place in England's top flight, even being called a worse signing than Jean-Kevin Augustin by presenter and Leeds fan Joe Wainman.

However, last season, the USMNT star proved that his poor spell in West Yorkshire was just that, a spell.

Back in Turin, the "dangerous" ace, as Marsch dubbed him, made 38 appearances, 33 of which were starts, provided ten assists, and helped the Old Lady win the Italian Cup – oh, and he also won the CONCACAF Nations League with the US in March.

He's clearly left quite an impression on people in Italy as well, as former Juventus great Mark Iuliano described him as a player with "a good sense of position" who "never gives up" and, arguably just as important, a player who "puts a lot of heart into it."

Appearances

38

Goals

0

Assists

10

Goal Involvements per Match

0.26

Domestic Trophies

1

International Trophies

1

These are the things that would make him the perfect midfielder to play in the left-eight alongside Maddison. His ability to get all over the pitch put out fires, and start attacks would allow the former Foxes star to focus on what he is best at playmaking.

The 27-year-old was on fire in the opening stages of the season, scoring three goals and providing five assists in his first ten full league games, but following his return from injury, he only managed one goal and four assists in 17 games.

It could be a little reductive to blame it on fatigue, but if he has an incredibly mobile player next to him willing to do more of the running, it can only help him in the long term, and according to WhoScored, one of McKennie's key strengths is his defensive contribution from midfield.

Ultimately, this may not be a move that gets fans out of their seats, but given his performances last season and the incredibly low price, it would make sense for Levy and Co to go ahead and get it done.

Spurs eye ideal Bissouma rival in £68m Denmark star who's "a real threat"

The “defensively intelligent” ace could help get more out of the Malian or replace him entirely.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Jun 22, 2024

Avoiding defeat in football is one of the many fundamentals of the game, but doing it over a long period of time requires a large amount of luck, consistency, grit and determination. Five of the longest unbeaten runs in English top-flight football have come in the Premier League era, but what teams feature on the all-time list?

There have been ten occasions where teams have hit the 30-game milestone for matches unbeaten, which has been something of a stumbling block over the years. For this list, we've ranked the longest unbeaten runs since records began. Only league games count, and given there has only ever been one modern-day unbeaten season, it is perhaps no surprise that few have managed to even come close.

Rank

Team

Matches unbeaten

Years

Arsenal

49

2003-2004

Liverpool

44

2019-2020

Nottingham Forest

42

1977-1978

Chelsea

40

2004-2005

Leeds

34

1968-1969

Liverpool

31

1987-1988

Manchester City

30

2017-2018

Arsenal

30

2001-2002

Leeds

30

1973-1974

Burnley

30

1920-1921

10 Burnley 1920-1921 30 games

The Clarets cemented themselves in the history books of English football when they were crowned champions of England for the first time in March 1921, following a 30-game unbeaten run.

Under boss John Haworth, who spent 14 years in charge of the club, Burnley lost their first three games of the 1920/21 season, before going 30 games without losing and establishing a record that lasted 83 years – it was the first time a top-flight English football club had gone that many games unbeaten.

A special plaque commemorating the iconic Clarets record was restored in 2021 and displayed in a new lounge at Turf Moor, Burnley’s stadium.

30

3-0 v Huddersfield (6th September 1920)

1-0 v Man Utd (25th March 1921)

Manchester City (L 0-1, 26th March 1921)

9 Leeds 1973-1974 30 games

Following a third-place finish the previous season – which culminated with a 6-1 win over Arsenal at Elland Road – Leeds United stormed into the 1973/74 campaign thirsty for success.

Don Revie’s side were reeling from bitter cup final defeats. The first: a shocking FA Cup final defeat to Second Division Sunderland. The second: another 1-0 defeat to Milan in the European Cup Winners’ Cup, refereed by Christos Michas, who was later banned for match-fixing.

However, both defeats failed to rattle Revie’s men, as they started the next campaign by going 29 games unbeaten, winning 19 and drawing 10, in addition to their late-season win over Arsenal the previous term.

Their 30-game unbeaten run came to an end after a 3-2 defeat to Stoke City, but Leeds would go on to lift their second English League title finishing on 62 points.

It was Revie’s last season in charge of Leeds, as he accepted the England job where he remained largely unsuccessful for three years, before managing the United Arab Emirates.

30

6-1 v Arsenal (9th May 1973)

2-0 v Man Utd (9th February 1974)

Stoke City (L 2-3, 23rd February 1974)

8 Arsenal 2001-2002 30 games

Arsenal were a force to be reckoned with in the early 2000s, with star names like Thierry Henry, Sol Campbell, Patrick Vieira and Dennis Bergkamp all at the top of their game.

Ending as runners-up to Manchester United the previous season and losing out to Liverpool in the 2001 FA Cup final spurred Arsene Wenger’s men on to have a glorious next few years. This period began with their 30-game unbeaten streak during the 2001 and 2002 seasons.

It was a hugely competitive league at the time, with Leeds, Liverpool and Manchester United all on the hunt for Premier League success, but Arsenal experienced just three defeats during the campaign.

In their last 21 fixtures, the Gunners went unbeaten – winning each of their last 13 – and Sylvain Wiltord’s goal at Old Trafford added the League title to their trophy cabinet, following their FA Cup success at Wembley over Chelsea four days prior.

30

2-1 v Liverpool (23rd December 2001)

3-1 v Sunderland (6th October 2002)

Everton (L 1-2, 19th October 2002)

7 Man City 2017-2018 30 games

Surprisingly, Pep Guardiola’s side feature just once on the list of the longest unbeaten runs in top-flight English football, but Manchester City fans will remember the 2017/18 season for entirely different reasons.

Gabriel Jesus’ 94th-minute winner at Southampton in May 2018 secured the Premier League champions 100 points, a feat no team had ever achieved before.

The centurions were formidable during the entire campaign, winning 32 games and losing just two – they clocked exactly 50 points at home and 50 points away, scoring 106 goals, which averages out at 2.79 per game.

Heavy investment in the summer with the additions of Bernardo Silva, Ederson and Kyle Walker, and a club record £57m on Aymeric Laporte in January, meant Pep Guardiola had a plethora of talent at his disposal.

Their 30-game unbeaten run started with a 3-1 win at home to Hull City in April 2017 and ended in a Premier League classic: a 4-3 defeat to Liverpool at Anfield in January 2018.

City then went on to lift their third Premier League title at the end of the season.

30

3-1 v Hull (8th April 2017)

3-1 v Watford (2nd January 2018)

Liverpool (L 3-4, 14th January 2018)

6 Liverpool 1987-1988 31 games

Liverpool achieved unprecedented success throughout the 1970s and 80s. They were dominant in all areas of the pitch, developing football icons such as Kenny Dalglish, Ian Rush and John Barnes along the way.

With Dalglish at the helm, the Reds needed to refocus ahead of the 1987/88 season after winning the club’s first-ever league and FA Cup double.

Top goalscorer Ian Rush had also been sold to Juventus for a then-British-record fee of £3.2m, which subsequently led to a rebuild, with Barnes, Peter Beardsley, Nigel Spackman and John Aldridge all signed.

Liverpool got the season off to a flying start, winning nine of their first 10 games and remained unbeaten in the league until March 1988.

It was Everton who handed Liverpool their first defeat, but the Reds ultimately had the last laugh, as they proceeded to lift their 17th English title in a season when they scored 87 goals.

Liverpool had also equalled Leeds United’s record of 29 games unbeaten in a single league campaign.

31

1-0 v Watford (4th May 1987)

1-1 v Derby (16th March 1988)

Everton (L 0-1, 20th March 1988)

5 Leeds 1968-1969 34 games

Don Revie spearheaded the beginning of an English record during the 1968/69 season, as Leeds would go on to lift the First Division trophy.

His side got off to a great start, winning seven of their opening nine games, before losing to Manchester City 3-1 away from home.

After experiencing a humiliating 5-1 defeat at Burnley – which would turn out to be their last of the season – Leeds then went 28 games unbeaten in the top flight of English football.

In the penultimate game of the season, Leeds secured the title in a 0-0 draw at Anfield against Liverpool. Revie’s men smashed numerous English records along the way, including the most points (67), most wins (27) and fewest defeats (2) in a single campaign.

Their unbeaten run would come to an end at the hands of a familiar team on this list, as they lost 3-2 to Everton the following season in August 1969.

34

0-0 v West Brom (26th October 1968)

1-1 v Burnley (26th August 1969)

Everton (L 2-3, 30th August 1969)

4 Chelsea 2004-2005 40 games

The 2004-05 season was a major turning point in the Roman Abramovich era, as Chelsea welcomed Jose Mourinho to Stamford Bridge.

That same summer, Abramovich signed Didier Drogba, Ricardo Carvalho, Paulo Ferreira, Petr Cech and Arjen Robben – so massive change was underway.

Only 41 at the time, Mourinho was brought into Chelsea to win trophies, and that’s exactly what he did in his first season.

Not only did Mourinho win the Premier League – a feat that hadn’t been achieved in 50 years at the club – in his first season, but he also smashed numerous records along the way, especially in the defensive department.

The Blues’ first defeat of the season came away at Manchester City in October 2004, and that would be the final time they would drop three points in a game for the rest of the campaign.

Mourinho’s defensive stability was key to the 29-game unbeaten run that Chelsea embarked on for the rest of the season, breaking the record for the most points in a Premier League season with 95.

Chelsea also broke the record for the fewest goals conceded in a season (15), while goalkeeper Cech clocked the most clean sheets the Premier League had ever seen in a season (24).

Mourinho’s side would carry their unbeaten run into the following season, right up until November 2005 when they lost to Manchester United, ending on an admirable 40 without defeat.

40

4-0 v Blackburn (23rd October 2004)

4-2 v Blackburn (29th October 2005)

Man Utd (L 0-1, 6th November 2005)

3 Nottingham Forest 1977-1978 42 games

Nottingham Forest conquered English and European football in the 1970s under iconic manager Brian Clough.

The club’s second-tier status didn’t last long when Clough took over as manager in 1975, as they were promoted two years later. Under Clough’s leadership, alongside assistant manager Peter Taylor, Forest quickly established themselves as a formidable force in the English top flight.

Following a third-place finish in the Second Division the previous season, Clough led Forest to the pinnacle of English football, as they went on to win the league, edging Liverpool by seven points to the title.

Their unbeaten streak began in November 1977 after an away loss to Leeds United, and they proceeded to go 26 games unbeaten to lift the trophy.

Forest didn’t experience their first loss until the following season in December 1978, when they lost out to the eventual champions Liverpool, despite setting a new English record for unbeaten matches.

If all of that wasn’t enough, Forest also went on to win the European Cup back-to-back in 1979 and 1980, cementing their legacy in the football history books forever.

42

0-0 v West Brom (26th November 1977)

1-0 v Bolton (25th November 1978)

Liverpool (L 0-2, 9th December 1978)

2 Liverpool 2019-2020 44 games

Jurgen Klopp was a god-like figure for Liverpool fans during his trophy-laden tenure at the club, as he brought so many iconic moments on and off the pitch.

During the 2019/20 season, the Reds were fierce at Anfield and it was seen as arguably the toughest fixture of the season for any Premier League side.

The season before, Liverpool had gone unbeaten 20 games and 17 games respectively – either side of a Manchester City defeat in January 2019 – but their 97 points total wasn’t enough to edge City’s 98.

And after bringing a sixth Champions League trophy back to the Anfield trophy cabinet in June 2019, Reds fans and players were desperate for domestic league success.

Liverpool’s momentous Premier League run without defeat lasted for 422 days, until the Reds travelled to Watford in February 2020 to be dealt their first loss of the season.

Klopp’s side were one victory away from the longest winning run in the English top flight, having won their past 18 league games. However, Liverpool would go on to claim their first Premier League title after 30 years in June 2020.

44

1-0 v Brighton (12th January 2019)

3-2 v West Ham (24th February 2020)

Watford (L 0-3, 29th February 2020)

The closest title races in Premier League history

Manchester City and Arsenal have delivered a Premier League title race for the ages – here are some of the tightest from years gone by…

ByStephan Georgiou May 20, 2024 1 Arsenal 2003-2004 49 games

Arsenal’s invincible season is arguably the greatest achievement in English football history, as they topped Nottingham Forest’s record that lasted over 25 years.

Arsene Wenger’s side lifted the club’s third Premier league title by winning 26 of their 38 League games and drawing the other 12, meaning they had went the entire campaign without a single loss – the first time this had been done since the late 1800s.

The Gunners scored 73 goals, largely thanks to Thierry Henry, who bagged 30 goals to win the Golden Boot and conceded just 26 – with the likes of Sol Campbell, Kolo Toure and Jens Lehmann in top form over the season.

Henry also won the PFA Players’ Player of the Year and the Football Writers' Footballer of the Year, while Wenger was named Manager of the Season.

49

6-1 v Southampton (7th May 2003)

3-1 v Aston Villa (16th October 2004)

Man Utd (L 0-2, 24th October 2004)

All members of Arsenal's 2003/04 Invincibles squad – ranked

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ByAlex Roberts Dec 15, 2023

Leeds United could lose another valuable member of their first team this summer, with manager Daniel Farke facing a potential Elland Road exodus after their Championship play-off final defeat to Southampton.

Leeds players who could leave after failed promotion bid

The Whites' 1-0 defeat at Wembley means Leeds will be competing in England's second tier yet again next term, despite looking like certainties to climb back up to the Premier League at one point last season.

Leeds United chasing move for "unbelievable" £5k-p/w defender this summer

Talks are in the early stages for a potential deal.

ByBen Browning Jun 1, 2024

Leeds are left to rue a real missed opportunity as they fell just short in a tight three-horse promotion race. Farke's side were neck-and-neck with Ipswich Town and Leicester City in one of the most exciting Championship promotion races in years, but unfortunately for supporters, one team was destined to miss out.

"As you can imagine, it couldn't be worse. We are suffering a lot in this moment," said Farke on Leeds' play-off final defeat.

"When you come so close after 90 points and a great play-off semi-final, it hurts a lot. It's too early to come in with upbeat messages. You have to allow the players to be down but when you look at the bigger picture, there's no need to dwell on this.

Leeds 0-0 Sunderland

Leeds 0-1 Blackburn

Middlesbrough 3-4 Leeds

QPR 4-0 Leeds

Leeds 1-2 Southampton

"It's more important to take it as extra motivation. The supporters deserve a day to celebrate and we feel that pain today. We're disappointed we could not send our fans back with something to cheer about and we're not in the promised land.

"It'll be difficult to come back stronger because we had 90 points this season."

Staying in the Championship will have grave consequences in the summer, as Leeds are now forced to potentially sell star players. It is now very unclear whether they can agree to sign mainstay defender Joe Rodon on a permanent deal, while Crysencio Summerville is thought to be attracting interest from elite Premier League clubs.

Ilia Gruev, who played a key role under Farke last season, may also be on the move.

Gruev ready to quit Leeds as Borussia Dortmund eye move

TEAMtalk has an update on this, and they claim Gruev is ready to leave Leeds this summer after they couldn't secure top-flight promotion.

The 24-year-old midfielder, who played 32 Championship matches, commands a £15 million price tag for any interested side – and it is believed that Borussia Dortmund are firmly in the mix to do a deal.

“The other player I really like in the Leeds team that no one really talks about and that’s the Bulgaria lad, Ilia Gruev," said former EFL star Adrian Clarke.

“He is class, he really is a smooth operator in the heart of the engine room. Gets about the pitch, recovers possession kind of effortlessly but he does with the ball.

“He just moves it early and quickly but with real quality and rarely gives the ball away."

Captain may believe his role in the side has changed, but Yasir will want to emphasise his importance hasn’t

Danyal Rasool07-Aug-2020

Yasir Shah punches the air after bowling Jos Buttler•AFP

Yasir Shah doesn’t do half-measures; anyone who watched him play in England in 2016 will know that.A match-winning ten-wicket haul at Lord’s was followed by arguably his worst career performance in Manchester, his match figures reading 66-6-263-1. If his numbers in the UAE, where he’s snared 113 wickets in a scarcely believable 17 Test matches, showcase the best of the legspinner, the other side of the coin is equally extreme. In the Southern Hemisphere, Yasir’s nine wickets have come at almost 96 apiece at an economy rate of 4.40.England is the one place where the jury was out on him, and he did himself few favours on Thursday. Brought on to replace Mohammad Abbas and Shaheen Afridi with all the pressure on the England batsmen, the legspinner couldn’t have asked for better circumstances to be asked to bowl. Far from being a stellar support act to the quicks, however, he was perhaps singularly responsible for frittering some of the momentum away, bowling much too short, far too quick, and proving way too expensive.It is one of those intoxicatingly captivating vagaries of cricket that Yasir walked off at the end of the second day having taking the prized wicket of Joe Root, while Mohammad Abbas and Afridi were empty handed after a sensational hour of bowling on the third morning. Even so, there were signs he wasn’t over the loss of form and confidence that had meant he was no longer viewed as an automatic selection. In seven overs, he conceded 38 runs, bowling at least eight long hops along the way.On Friday, however, his entry into the attack elevated the quality of the bowling, and as the wickets began to come, his confidence, so integral to his performances throughout his career, began to grow. He went through Jos Buttler’s defences with one that might be deemed natural variation, but Yasir felt he had outwitted him, and to a confidence cricketer, that made all the difference. The long hops were gone, the delivery stride was measured and deliberate, and the stock delivery nicely flighted.All the variations came out; the classical legspinner which reared up claimed Dom Bess, while Chris Woakes was undone by the slider. These were tricks Yasir wouldn’t have dared try the previous day, and when he holds back, he is a shadow of the cricketer Pakistan have shut their eyes and hung their hopes on for so many years.No one, as the cliché goes, becomes a poor bowler overnight, least of all a man who became the quickest to 200 Test wickets in history. The knowledge he suddenly had to prove his worth to the side may well have played a part in the added pressure on his shoulders; Pakistan’s spin bowling coach spoke about it in the press conference afterwards.”The most important thing is spinners need to have a strong temperament and understand your action,” Mushtaq Ahmed said. “Legspinners need to be mentally strong, and in the right head space.”You need to have repeatable actions to bowl good overs rather than good balls. We’re working with him on how to bowl in different circumstances using various strategies, and to ingrain these into his muscle memory. If you have variations, as Yasir does, and can also bowl good overs, I think you can challenge any batsman.”It’s hard to overstate how worried Yasir might have been for his future overnight. When Pakistan commemorated the first Test to be played in the country for a decade last year, he found there was no place for him in the eleven. He might have served them well in the UAE; indeed, might have been the most significant reason Pakistan went nine years without losing a Test series in the Emirates, but this was Pakistan. And in Pakistan, pace was primary, spin peripheral.He got his chance in the second Test two months later, but if anything, served to only vindicate the decision to leave him out the first time around, conceding 127 runs at four per over, with Haris Sohail outbowling him. After the Test against Bangladesh in February – his skipper, Azhar Ali, spoke pointedly about his “changing role in the side”.”When non-Asian opposition comes to Pakistan, we’ll see if we go a different direction with the surfaces but for now I think the fast bowlers have been given the task of leading,” Azhar said then. “Yasir, who has undoubtedly been a champion bowler for us and has proved how good he is, will begin to get those big wickets whenever the conditions are more favourable for him. This is a change for him, too.”It sounded more like a swansong than an endorsement. There was little Yasir could have done about Pakistan moving back home, but his performances of late outside the country hadn’t quite helped his case, either. In the last six Tests before the ongoing one, Yasir took six wickets at over 70 runs per dismissal; half of those were three Bangladeshi tailenders in a foregone conclusion in the fourth innings of the Test in February. In one three-Test series prior, he had managed 29 wickets. That, of course, was a UAE series.On Friday, Shadab Khan spilling a regulation catch was all that separated him from a first five-for since that productive series in the UAE against New Zealand in 2018. But for a man who no longer has the dustbowls of the UAE to fall back on, it’s unlikely to be any more than a minor irritation. His captain may believe his role in the side has changed, but Yasir will be keen to emphasise his importance to it has not.

The 2023/24 season has been an incredibly tough one for Manchester United. They have had a torrid time in the Premier League so far, currently sitting in sixth in the table on 54 points and now mathematically unable to reach the Champions League next season.

Not only has it been a tough time for Erik ten Hag, but there have been plenty of individuals who have struggled within the team. One of those players is Marcus Rashford, who has not found 2023/24 easy.

The England international has scored just eight goals and has five assists in all competitions for United, a far cry from his stellar 2022/23 campaign, where he scored 30 goals and registered ten assists.

Despite Rashford’s poor form, his record for United speaks for itself. In 399 games for his boyhood club, he has 131 goals and 64 assists. Remarkably, he is 12th on the all-time top goalscorers list, just two behind the legendary Dennis Viollet, who has 133 goals.

With the 26-year-old winger’s form patchy this season, there is talk of United looking to cash in on him. Indeed, a report from The Telegraph’s James Ducker this week explained that INEOS are open to “offers for almost every player”, including Rashford.

He signed a new contract with the club last summer, which could mean a transfer away from United is unlikely. Should a deal for Rashford to leave Old Trafford go through, it would see United save lots of money on his £300k-per-week-wages, as per Capology.

According to a report from The Atheltic’s David Ornstein, the Red Devils want to “keep Marcus Rashford and help bring 26-year-old back to top form”, suggesting a potential transfer this summer is unlikely.

Instead, there are several other players United could well part ways, considering Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS are willing to listen to offers for many players in the United squad.

3

Antony

The first of those players INEOS could sell next summer is Brazil international Antony. According to The Mirror, United are ready to “cut their losses on Antony this summer”.

It has certainly not been a successful transfer so far, given the Brazilian cost United £85.4m from Ajax, a record fee received by an Eredivisie club. In 80 games for the Red Devils, Antony has returned just 11 goals and five assists, and has scored one and assisted one all season in the Premier League in 2023/24.

One of the player's biggest issues is the fact that he is a very predictable winger. The 24-year-old is not particularly confident taking the ball on his right foot, meaning his sole move it to cut inside on his left and shoot, looking to bend it into the top left corner. Whilst this has worked at times for him, it is not very effective because it is easy for defenders to predict.

Creatively, Antony has been massively lacking this season. According to Fbref, he averages just 1.52 key passes per 90 minutes in the Premier League, which ranks him in the worst 56% of wingers. Not only that, his 0.14 expected assists per 90 minutes rank him in the worst 60%.

However, where Antony does excel is out of possession. He makes 6.44 ball recoveries per 90 minutes, and 3.62 tackles and interceptions per 90 minutes, which both rank him in the top 4%. He works hard off the ball and tracks back well to support his fullback.

With all of these things considered, it does seem like moving the £200k-per-week attacker on could be a smart move for United, because they can reinvest that money and improve their right flank. With that being said, it would be tough to recoup much of the £85.4m fee they spent on him.

2

Victor Lindelof

The second player United could move on this summer is Victor Lindelof. The Sweden captain has been at the club for seven years, but could well be in line to leave Old Trafford.

The Red Devils bought Lindelof from Benfica for £31m back in 2017, and he has since gone on to make 258 appearances for the club, getting on the scoresheet four times and assisting seven in that time. However, he has won just one trophy with United in that time, the Carabao Cup in 2022/23.

One of Lindelof's biggest deficiencies when United are in possession is his progressive passing. He does not possess the ability to consistently play killer long balls like Harry Maguire does, completing just 4.74 per 90 minutes as per Fbref, placing him in the worst 83% of defenders.

Nor does the Swede have the ability to play line-breaking passes in the same vein as Lisandro Martinez, thus struggling with ball progression when playing out from the back. He averages just 2.71 progressive passes per 90 minutes, which ranks him in the worst 67%.

Not only that, the £120k-per-week centre-back struggles in the air, with his 41.7% aerial duel win rate ranking him as low as the bottom 93% of defenders. In fact, he wins just 1.15 aerial duels per 90 minutes, ranking him in among the worst 84%.

United’s number two could well depart from Old Trafford this summer, with Sevilla one side rumoured to be interested in taking him off United’s hands, in a “low-cost” transfer.

1

Casemiro

It has been an incredibly frustrating season for Manchester United midfielder Casemiro, who could leave Old Trafford this summer after just two seasons at the club. The midfielder was described as “awful” by Mark Goldbridge last month, in what has been a torrid few months.

The Red Devils brought Casemiro to the club in the summer of 2022, from Real Madrid for a fee of £70m. Whilst he enjoyed a successful first season in England, his natural decline with age has sped up this season, and he is clearly no longer the player he once was. He has made 79 appearances for United, scoring 12 times and assisting nine.

On the ball, Casemiro can be incredibly frustrating. According to Fbref, the 32-year-old has a pass accuracy of 81.4% in the Premier League, which ranks him with the worst 54% of midfielders.

Considering his role in midfield, his progressive passing numbers could be higher. The Brazilian averages 5.44 progressive passes per 90 minutes, and whilst not the worst, places him in the top 27%.

Off the ball, Casemiro’s stats reflect better. He wins 2.28 tackles per 90 minutes, placing him in the top 6% of midfielders, and makes 3.61 blocks per 90 minutes, ranking him in the top 1%. However, he struggles to track runners from midfield, and can’t keep up with opponents when tracking back.

Overall, selling Casemiro could represent good business for United. They could get his astronomical £350k-per-week wage off the club's books, and look to make back some of the £70m they spent on him last summer.

Indeed, there are certainly lots of interesting developments set to occur on the transfer front at Old Trafford. It is a big transfer window ahead for INEOS and Ratcliffe, who could purge the squad and help the club start afresh for next season.

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CSA and CWI still hopeful of arranging South Africa men’s tour for later in the year

Firdose Moonda13-May-2020

Shabnim Ismail celebrates removing Stafanie Taylor•ICC

South Africa’s women and A-team tours to the West Indies, scheduled to begin at the end of May and in mid-June respectively, have been postponed as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. CSA and CWI agreed to reschedule dates for the two series but will continue to discuss the possibility of the men’s two-Test and five-T20 series set to take place in July-August.This is the second series South Africa’s women have had to forego after their home series against Australia, which was due to take place in March, was among the first international series to be postponed. The team has already qualified for next year’s Women’s World Cup and with the ICC’s announcement that the World Cup Qualifiers – due to take place in Sri Lanka between July 3-19 – will also be postponed, CSA and CWI agreed that the series between the two countries will not take place at the moment.Similarly, the A-team tour, which was due to act as an advance party for the senior men’s tour, has fallen victim to the uncertainty surrounding international travel and potential quarantine requirements. South Africa’s borders remain closed as the country approaches seven weeks under lockdown, with no indication of when airports may be allowed to open to the public yet. However, with the senior men’s tour only scheduled to start in mid-July, the two boards remain hopeful at least some cricket between their countries can be played.”The health and safety of the players and coaching staff is of paramount importance to both CWI and CSA and with the current Covid-19 travel restrictions, it is impossible for us to consider both tours taking place as we had originally planned,” Johnny Grave, CWI CEO, said. “We are continuing our discussions with CSA on the feasibility of hosting the men’s tour later this summer and will have further discussions in due course on new dates for the women’s and A-team tours.”ALSO READ: South Africa allrounder Solo Nqweni tests positive for coronavirusThe feasibility of the men’s tour will depend on several factors including whether the teams have enough time to train for an international series. CSA’s director of cricket Graeme Smith said South Africa would need a minimum of six weeks to prepare, which would mean a decision would have to be taken by the first week in June. At the same time, CWI is also involved in discussions with the ECB about the possibility of playing three Tests in the UK in July which may push back South Africa’s visit to the Caribbean.Although South Africa are keen to get on the park, CSA emphasised that health would come first. “It is a frustrating state of affairs in which cricket finds itself around the world, but there are more important issues that have to be confronted and the wellbeing of our players and support staff must always come first,” Jacques Faul, CSA acting CEO, said.”Both our men’s and women’s national teams are keen to get back on the playing field as soon as possible. They want to build on their recent good results with the men achieving a 3-0 victory over Australia and our women coming so close to reaching the Women’s T20 World Cup final.”South Africa’s players have not been able to train since March 26, when the country went into a strict lockdown, under which outdoor exercise was prohibited. Since May 1, South Africans can exercise outside between 6am and 9am but no group activity is allowed, which has resulted in CSA pushing back its planned winter training camps.

Legspinner sends selectors a message ahead of first Test with four-wicket haul

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Mar-2020

Matt Parkinson has a laugh during England’s opening tour match in Sri Lanka•Getty Images

Matt Parkinson did his best to make a statement to England selectors ahead of the first Test in Sri Lanka by claiming four wickets as the visitors held command of their opening warm-up match at Katunayake.At stumps on the second day of the three-day tour match between England and a Sri Lanka Cricket XI, England led by 110 runs, having restricted their opposition to 245 in their first innings on the back of 23-year-old legspinner Parkinson’s 4 for 68.As expected, it was the spinners who came into their own, with Dom Bess adding 3 for 54 with his off-breaks to further dent the Sri Lankans’ reply to England’s first-innings 316.In England’s second innings, Dom Sibley fell for a duck, caught by Lahiru Udara Igalagamage off the bowling of medium pacer Kavishka Anjula on the second ball he faced.ALSO READ: ‘Being written off after one game is a bit harsh’ – ParkinsonParkinson has made his international debut in both limited-overs formats during the English winter, playing two T20Is in New Zealand at the end of last year and, more recently, two ODIs in South Africa. In New Zealand, he drew some praise by taking five wickets across his six overs in the series, but in South Africa he bowled just eight overs and went wicketless, reigniting criticism which has centred on his speed through the air and perceived lack of variation.He has had limited exposure to red-ball cricket. having played just 20 first-class matches. He went wicketless during a two-day tour match in New Zealand and, on England’s tour of South Africa, he bowled 20 overs in a three-day warm-up match which cost 112 runs before being overlooked in favour of Dom Bess for the second Test.”Having not played much red-ball cricket I needed to prove I can take wickets and almost get over the nerves of bowling with these lads,” Parkinson told the Press Association.”There were more nerves in the other two tours. I’m still very raw with the red-ball and I think people sometimes forget that spinners develop later. Being picked on three Test tours, the expectations are raised, but I’ve still only played 20 first-class games so I’m still very new to red-ball cricket.”I found it difficult to bowl spin in New Zealand and South Africa but hopefully the wickets in Galle and Colombo will be raggers.”On Sunday, Parkinson’s first two wickets came from successive balls either side of the lunch break when Lahiru Milantha chipped to extra cover and Milinda Siriwardana was caught by Saqib Mahmood on the first delivery of the afternoon session.Parkinson added two more in the evening, his third held by Sam Curran at mid-wicket and his fourth coming thanks to a sharp catch by Ben Foakes, who split wicketkeeping duties with Test regular Jos Buttler.”There haven’t been many days yet in a white shirt but to get four wickets after the way the warm-up games went for me in New Zealand and South Africa was very pleasing,” Parkinson said.”I hope I’m becoming a better bowler and I can use what I’ve learnt. I was in South Africa for two months and a bit, so you’d be wrong not to try to get the most out of the trip. Hopefully I’ve done that.”Chris Woakes claimed two wickets and saw two catches dropped by Joe Root at slip, while Mahmood found some good speed in claiming one wicket.Zak Crawley and Joe Denly resume on 27 and 11 respectively with England 39 for 1 going into the last day. The first Test starts in Galle on March 19.

Hat-trick man Naseem Shah doesn’t take the field on day four after feeling pain near his rib cage

The Report by Varun Shetty10-Feb-2020

AFP via Getty Images

Pakistan wrapped up a win and added 60 points to their World Test Championship tally in the morning session of the fourth day.Bangladesh were rocked by a Naseem Shah hat-trick on Sunday evening that left them 126 for 6 at stumps. In the very first over of the day, that collapse of 4 for 2 turned into 5 for 6, as Shaheen Afridi swung a full one in at Mominul Haque to trap him in front of middle and off on the flick shot. Mominul’s review showed a bat-pad situation that couldn’t be conclusively overturned and he became one of five wickets across this Test that fell within the first two overs on a day.With little to lose, the other overnight batsman, Liton Das, dug in and looked elegant as ever as he attempted to forge a long alliance with No. 9 Rubel Hossain. For the most part, the eighth-wicket pair looked solid as they batted close to 12 overs. Rubel survived an lbw decision by umpire Nigel Llong as the review found a big inside edge on his attempted forward block against Mohammad Abbas. But it was Abbas who trapped him, in similar fashion, shortly after.Llong had another lbw decision overturned, this time as Liton was struck in front looking to sweep a full ball. This was much like his dismissal in the first innings, when he tried sweeping part-time spinner Haris Sohail and was given out on a review that confirmed the ball had pitched in line. The bowler was Yasir Shah on this occasion, who then got Abu Jayed to top edge a slog sweep to bring the innings to a close. Yasir finished with four wickets – a much-needed confidence booster following a dry patch of form – just like the other Shah, Naseem, who didn’t take the field after feeling pain on the left side of his rib cage shortly after he had taken his hat-trick.Pakistan’s next Test is in April, and will be the second and final one of this staggered series against Bangladesh. At the very least, that means Naseem will have recovery time. They currently sit fourth on the WTC table with 140 points.

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag may have had the final "nail in the coffin" at the club after Sir Jim Ratcliffe's recent antics, according to former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson.

Ten Hag under pressure at Man Utd

The Dutchman is coming towards the end of his second season at Old Trafford, but after an impressive first season at the club, this has been a really disappointing campaign.

United are currently languishing in seventh place in the Premier League, and while the recent 2-2 draws at home to Liverpool and away to Bournemouth may not have been awful results, the performances in both have been nowhere near good enough.

There is mounting pressure on Ten Hag, with many fans beginning to wonder if he is the right man to lead the club forward under Ratcliffe, ahead of what is hopefully a memorable summer in the transfer market. Graham Potter is just one of numerous candidates reportedly being lined up to replace the former Ajax boss, should he be relieved of his duties.

These remaining weeks of the season feel key for the Dutchman, who continues to flatter to deceive with his all-round management, from his people skills to his tactical nous.

Sky Sports pundit makes big Ten Hag claim

Speaking on Football Insider's Inside Track podcast, Sky Sports pundit Paul Robinson feels that Ten Hag is close to being sacked by Manchester United, with Ratcliffe not having plans for him while looking to make many backroom changes since arriving at the club.

"With the football side of things, you can see that Ratcliffe is putting his own stamp on things. You can see things are changing. You can’t change things on the pitch immediately because of the transfer windows and the manager that’s in charge.

"I just think that with all this restructuring and with Dan Ashworth coming in, Sir David Brailsford, [former Southampton chief] Jason Wilcox – the whole board – I think it’s just another nail in the coffin for ten Hag. He’s not the manager that the board want – he’s not their man. He’s not part of that new team.

"Ten Hag has one big job on his hands before the end of the season – convince the board that he is the right man for the Man United job. At the moment, I don’t see him being there much longer, certainly past the end of the season."

The Bournemouth game was just the latest sign that Ten Hag isn't the right man for the United job, with his side once again giving up at least 20 shots, and generally being outplayed by the Cherries.

The backroom additions that Ratcliffe has made have been exciting ones, but things will only run smoothly if they have the perfect manager in charge to work alongside the new additions seamlessly.

Man Utd make first move to sign "great" new free agent for Ten Hag

The Red Devils aren’t messing around…

ByTom Cunningham Apr 13, 2024

There is enough evidence this season to suggest that Ten Hag can be improved upon, and unless the season ends superbly – an FA Cup win, for example – it would be the right call to move him on and find a more ideal choice.