وجّه عادل مصطفى، المدرب العام السابق للنادي الأهلي، رسالة دعم وتقدير إلى عماد النحاس عقب رحيله عن تدريب الفريق الأحمر، وتعيين ييس توروب مديرًا فنيًا جديدًا خلفًا له.
وكان النادي الأهلي قد عقد مؤتمرًا صحفيًا للإعلان رسميًا عن التعاقد مع ياس توروب لقيادة الفريق الأول لكرة القدم، بعد إنهاء التعاقد مع الإسباني خوسيه ريبيرو بسبب تراجع النتائج، وتولّي عماد النحاس المهمة بشكل مؤقت حتى التعاقد مع المدير الفني الجديد.
طالع أيضًا | خالد الغندور: ما فعله سوروب يؤكد شخصيته القوية.. ومسؤول الأهلي “خط أحمر”
وكتب عادل مصطفى عبر صفحته الرسمية على موقع فيس بوك رسالة مؤثرة لزميله السابق قال فيها: “المخلص والراجل والجدع طول الوقت، كنت بتحاول تقدم أحسن ما عندك، اتشرفت بالعمل معاك، وربنا يكتبلك كل الخير”.
وفي سياق متصل، أعلن نادي الزوراء العراقي تعاقده رسميًا مع عماد النحاس لتولي القيادة الفنية للفريق الأول خلال المرحلة المقبلة، في خطوة جديدة بمسيرته التدريبية.
ويُعد النحاس من أبرز المدربين أصحاب الخبرة في الدوري المصري، إذ تولّى تدريب عدة أندية منها المقاولون العرب، الاتحاد السكندري، وأسوان، إلى جانب تجربته الأخيرة مع الأهلي كمدير فني مؤقت قبل رحيله عقب تولي توروب المهمة رسميًا.
خضع لاعب الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي ليفربول إلى عملية جراحية ناجحة بعد الإصابة القوية التي تعرض لها في إحدى مباريات الفريق.
وخسر ليفربول أمام جالطة سراي بهدف نظيف أحرزه المهاجم الدولي النيجيري فيكتور أوسيمين، من ركلة جزاء في المباراة التي جمعت الفريقان ضمن منافسات الجولة الثانية من مرحلة الدوري لبطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا.
وتعرض مدافع الفريق الأول لكرة القدم الإيطالي جيوفاني ليوني، لتمزق في الرباط الصليبي الأمامي خلال مباراة فريقه أمام ساوثهامبتون في كأس كاراباو.
اقرأ أيضًا | مستشهدة بأمم إفريقيا.. ديلي ميل تستعرض عجز هجوم ليفربول بدون محمد صلاح
وكان أول ظهور له بقميص ليفربول في كأس كاراباو أمام ساوثهامبتون والذي كان فيه آرن سلوت سعيدًا للغاية بالأداء الذي قدمه اللاعب الشاب.
وفقًا لصحيفة “ديلي ميل” البريطانية، خضع الشاب الإيطالي ليوني لعملية جراحية ناجحة في ركبته يوم الثلاثاء الماضي.
وأفادت أنه لا يزال من المبكر جدًا مناقشة موعد تعافيه ولكن وفقًا لمصادر إيطالية، سيكون من المفاجئ عودة المدافع هذا الموسم وقد نتطلع حتى أواخر عام 2026 كموعد لعودته.
While most Premier League clubs are spread all across the globe preparing for the new season, Chelsea players are currently on holiday, having a well-earned break, following their exploits at the Club World Cup, beating PSG 3-0 in the final in New Jersey.
Enzo Maresca will have just two pre-season friendlies before their league campaign commences against Crystal Palace, welcoming Bayer Leverkusen to Stamford Bridge on Friday 8 August, before also taking on Internazionale at home two days later.
Before then, how many more new signings will Chelsea supporters have to get excited about?
Chelsea's search for more attackers
As the table below documents, Chelsea have plenty of attacking options in their squad; we’ve attempted to categorize all the many, many players!
New signings
João Pedro
2025
3
Estêvão Willian
2025
Zero
Jamie Gittens
2025
Zero
Kendry Páez
2025
Zero
Liam Delap
2025
6
Existing squad members
Cole Palmer
2023
97
Pedro Neto
2024
51
Tyrique George
2024*
26
Marc Guiu
2024
16
Omari Kellyman
2024
Zero
Expected to leave/unavailable
Raheem Sterling
2022
81
Nicolas Jackson
2023
81
Christopher Nkunku
2023
62
Armando Broja
2020*
38
David Datro Fofana
2023
4
Mykhailo Mudryk
2023
73
*academy graduate; indicates year of senior debut
As the table outlines, Chelsea have a fair few attacking players in the squad, a contingent that’s seemingly only set to increase in size, with Xavi Simons on course to arrive from RB Leipzig for €50m (around £43m), according to James Olley of ESPN.
However, could an even more exciting attacker soon be on his way to Stamford Bridge too?
Well, as reported by journalist Ben Jacobs , Chelsea are plotting a bid to sign Alejandro Garnacho from Manchester United.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
The Argentine international finds himself in exile, told to find a new club by manager Rúben Amorim back in May, currently left behind at Carrington while the team are in the United States, part of the infamous ‘bomb squad’, alongside Jadon Sancho, Antony and Tyrell Malacia.
Earlier this summer, it was reported that Man United were demanding £70m for Garnacho but, given that it’s now public knowledge he is not in their plans, James Ducker of the Telegraph claims he is available for £40m, so could Chelsea secure a bargain?
How Alejandro Garnacho would improve Chelsea
As far back as early June, after they decided to pay a £5m penalty fee to not keep Sancho, Jacob Steinberg of the Guardian reported that Chelsea are ‘prioritising the addition’ of a right-footed left-winger, with Garnacho on their shortlist.
Still only 21 years old, he has scored 26 goals and registered 22 assists in 144 appearances for a generally dysfunctional Man United side, with Statman Dave impressed by his “electric” impact.
Meantime, Andy Mitten of The Athletic notes that he has been one of the Red Devils’ ‘bright sparks’ in recent times, stating that his ‘work rate’ and finishing have both improved, while Kurosh Moghtader of Total Football Analysis labels him a ‘reliable attacking outlet’ who still has ‘room for improvement’.
So, let’s assess how he compares to Simons.
Minutes
2,195
2,157
Goals
5
10
Assists
2
7
Shots
55
33
Shots on target
30
23
Big chances missed
14
2
Chances created
37
50
Big chances created
4
12
Take-on success %
32.1%
37.1%
% of touches in the box
15%
5%
In a near-identical number of league minutes last season, it is true that Simons comes out on top when it comes to goals and assists as well as chances created and dribbling, but Garnacho is often more of a goal-threat, having more shots and taking an exponentially higher proportion of his touches in the opposition penalty area.
Across all competitions too, Garnacho finished with 21 goals and assists in all competitions, ahead of Simons’ return of 19 goal involvements back in Germany.
Alejandro Garnacho
Two other factors work in Garnacho’s favour too.
First, he is Premier League proven; Chelsea have previous when it comes to signing highly-rated players from the Bundesliga that have not worked out, namely Christopher Nkunku and Timo Werner (both also from RB Leipzig), as well as Kai Havertz too.
Second, there is a clear position available for Garnacho, who favours playing on the left wing, so would be in direct competition with Pedro Neto and Jamie Gittens for starting minutes.
Simons, on the other hand, wants to be deployed as a number ten, a spot predominantly occupied by either an untouchable Cole Palmer or the improving Enzo Fernández, so who knows where he’ll fit in, hence why Garnacho could make the bigger impact, should he arrive for a knocked-down price.
Bigger talent than Simons: Chelsea submit bid to sign "special" £61m star
With Chelsea set to sign Xavi Simons, the Blues have also had a £61m big rejected for a “special” star who might actually be even more talented.
The South African Cricketers’ Association (SACA) has issued a statement in support of promoting the participation of women in cricket as South Africa’s men’s team prepares to play three ODIs against Afghanistan in the UAE.Afghanistan is the only ICC Full Member that does not have a women’s team, with significant restrictions imposed on women in the country under the Taliban government.This is the first bilateral series between the two countries and only the third time South Africa will play 50-over cricket against Afghanistan after meeting them at the 2019 and 2023 World Cups. These fixtures are not part of the 2023-2027 Future Tours Programme (FTP) and have been added to the calendar as CSA seeks more competitive opportunities for its teams. SACA welcomed these additions, and said in a statement they “respect the position of CSA in this regard as the national governing body for cricket.”However, SACA, on behalf of the players, wanted to add a voice of concern for the “deteriorating human rights for women under the Taliban rule,” and reiterate their support in promoting women’s cricket everywhere.Related
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“World Cricketers’ Association and SACA do not condone any situation in which women’s players are excluded from competing in our sport,” Andrew Breetzke, SACA CEO and WCA board member, said. “Every athlete has the right to equality of opportunity which is protected by international law and set out in the Universal Declaration of Player Rights. That means each player has the right to equality of opportunity in the pursuit of sport, free of discrimination, harassment and violence. A player’s right to pursue sport cannot be limited because of his or her gender. We urge CSA to utilise the leverage available to it through this series to highlight that these rights for Afghanistan’s women’s players must be protected and respected.”CSA is not expected to comment on the statement but as an ICC Member has been part of discussions around the Afghanistan situation. Its outgoing chair, Lawson Naidoo, was on the ICC’s Afghanistan working group. Sources have told ESPNcricnfo that the ICC continues to discuss possible solutions around the lack of a women’s team in Afghanistan, including ongoing conversations around a refugee team based in Australia. The ICC is hesitant to ban the men’s team (like it did with South Africa in 1970 in a stand against racial Apartheid). The ACB, because of the Taliban’s position on women, cannot recognise a women’s team. There are fears from various quarters that forcing the issue of a women’s team on the Taliban government would put lives at risk.The ICC continues to include Afghanistan as a Full Member in its international calendar, though some countries have refused to play against them bilaterally. Australia, in consultation with their government, have postponed two series in as many years against Afghanistan. They continue to play against Afghanistan in ICC tournaments. South Africa have only previously met Afghanistan in major events, most recently at the T20 World Cup semi-final, which South Africa won.On Monday, South Africa’s white-ball coach Rob Walter was asked whether there was any consideration not to play against Afghanistan given the current regime. He passed the onus onto Cricket South Africa, without offering any personal opinion. “To be honest, those decisions are not for me to make. Ultimately, the heads of CSA decide whether we do or don’t play and so that’s the extent of it,” he said.South Africa will play Afghanistan in three ODIs in Sharjah from next Wednesday, before facing Ireland in two T20Is and three ODIs in Abu Dhabi.
Manchester City fans will be hoping their damaged side can get back on the horse in convincing fashion when Premier League football kicks off again in August.
The ten-time top-flight champions fell way below their lofty standards last season when finishing in third spot in the competitive division, whilst an FA Cup final slip-up to Oliver Glasner’s Crystal Palace further added to the lacklustre mood at the Etihad.
City have been spending big this summer to try and right the wrongs of their 2024/25 campaign coming undone, with Tijjani Reijnders, Rayan Cherki and Rayan Ait Nouri all coming through the door in quick succession, but this hat-trick of exciting buys still couldn’t stop the Citizens from crashing out of the Club World Cup unexpectedly to Al-Hilal.
More new purchases could be pushed onto the table, therefore, to help boost Pep Guardiola’s men even more, with a potential defensive addition around the £25m mark on the agenda.
Manchester City manager PepGuardiolareacts
£25m star now on Man City's agenda
Of course, it’s not just incoming signings that City will be wanting to press on with.
The dented Premier League giants will also want to get even more personnel off their books this summer – away from allowing just Kevin De Bruyne to move onto Napoli – with Jack Grealish reportedly being eyed up by many a potential suitor, including both Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur, as City continue with their clearout.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
£40m could soon enter into City’s bank account if the former Aston Villa man finally departs Manchester for good, with £25m of that potentially used to snap up Inter Milan defensive star Denzel Dumfries.
Denzel Dumfries in action at the Club World Cup.
Indeed, as per a new report from Italy, the lightning-quick right-back is being eyed up by City as another first-team altering addition.
It’s claimed that City are ready to trigger that £21m release clause fee, signalling their intentions to make a bid in the not-too-distant future.
How Dumfries can be City's answer to Frimpong
Should Dumfries head to England this summer then he could well be City’s answer to Jeremie Frimpong, with the Citizens once possessing the 5-foot-8 menace during his youth days, before he moved on to Liverpool for a hefty £29.5m after a blistering Bayer Leverkusen stint.
Jeremie Frimpong for Bayer Leverkusen
Now, that past regret will be far easier to process if Dumfries soon joins Guardiola’s ever-growing camp to be City’s up-to-date answer to their ex-academy talent.
After all, City have licked their wounds in this department before, with Guardiola and Co. still managing to finish above Chelsea last season, even as their former homegrown product Cole Palmer terrorised Premier League defences at will.
Now, they will be hoping to overshadow another of their top-flight rivals in Arne Slot’s Reds by landing their own version of Frimpong, with both right-backs in question loving a speedy dart forward, as much as they love to battle away at the back for their team’s cause.
Last season in the intense environment of the Serie A, Dumfries would dazzle as a gung-ho option on the right, with a sublime seven of his 11 goals for the campaign coming in Italian top-flight action, which included a fantastic breakaway move being finished off by the direct 29-year-old.
Frimpong bettered Dumfries’ hefty amount, but not by much, with the pacey Amsterdam-born defender chipping in with a bumper nine efforts himself in the Bundesliga.
Dumfries’ FBref numbers over the last year vs Frimpong’s
Stat – per 90 mins
Dumfries
Frimpong
Total shots
1.52
1.36
Shot-creating actions
2.32
2.67
Attempted passes
38.68
35.80
Progressive passes
2.25
2.00
Progressive carries
2.51
4.11
Touches in attacking penalty area
0.76
0.90
Tackles
1.49
1.13
Blocks
1.46
0.98
Aerial duels won
2.60
0.43
Stats by FBref
The similarities don’t just end with their shared prowess for gallivanting forward with pace, however, as seen when glancing at the table above, with both defenders willing to get stuck in for the cause, too.
If anything, City might be winning themselves a better signing by landing Dumfries for a lesser £25m, with the Dutchman winning more tackles and aerial duels over the last year than Frimpong, according to FBref, away from just being known as a “monster” in the words of journalist Alan Rzepa.
A fascinating battle might well ensue at the top of the division next season between City and Liverpool, with the Citizens hopeful they can return to the Premier League summit after experiencing a blip of a season by securing more and more new stars, such as Dumfries.
Bigger talent than Reijnders: Pep driving Man City move for £43m sensation
Following the arrival of Tijjani Reijnders, Man City still want to bolster their midfield options, reportedly interested in making a £43m signing.
Already impressed by his performance at the Club World Cup, Ruben Amorim could now reportedly urge INEOS to sign a midfield star for Manchester United who has a release clause worth a hefty £85m.
Man Utd discover brutal first 5 Premier League games
As the transfer window rumbles on, the big talking point this week has come away from potential incomings and to next season’s Premier League fixtures. Officially announced Wednesday morning, Manchester United have now discovered their fate alongside the rest of their rivals and, for the Red Devils, that fate may well be a start full of frustration.
Manchester United vs Arsenal
17/08/2025
Fulham vs Manchester United
23/08/2025
Manchester United vs Burnley
30/08/2025
Manchester City vs Manchester United
13/09/2025
Manchester United vs Chelsea
20/09/2025
On paper, Amorim’s side have the toughest Premier League start, but that could quickly turn into a positive if they manage to navigate what would be an excellent start.
The pressure will certainly be on Amorim to finally get the best out of his side too. INEOS have already backed him by signing Matheus Cunha and it looks as though they’re likely to do the same by signing Bryan Mbuemo. But even then, the incomings may be far from over.
The likes of Hugo Ekitike have also found themselves in the headlines as of late. The Eintracht Frankfurt striker has been linked with Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United already this summer and he could yet have a crucial decision to make.
Amorim's own Haaland: Wilcox in talks to sign "world-class" CF for Man Utd
Manchester United appear to be making moves towards a new centre-forward this summer.
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Whilst Frankfurt value the Frenchman at around €100m (£85m), recent reports have claimed that United are open to finding a way past this price tag by offering Joshua Zirkzee or Rasmus Hojlund in a player-plus-cash swap deal.
Landing Ekitike for a cheaper transfer fee could then open the door for another fresh face and this time a midfielder who is already impressing on the big stage this summer.
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ByCharlie Smith Jun 13, 2025 Amorim could urge Man Utd to sign Richard Rios
According to GiveMeSport, Amorim could now urge Manchester United chiefs to sign Richard Rios this summer after being left impressed by his Club World Cup form. The Red Devils have already sent scouts to watch the Palmeiras midfielder and are continuing to track his progress ahead of a potential move in the coming months.
The deal, like Ekitike, Cunha and Mbeumo, won’t come cheap, however, amid reports that Rios has a release clause worth as much as £85m in his current Palmeiras deal.
A player who analyst Ben Mattinson described as a “ball-carrying machine” in 2023, Rios has only improved ever since and is now ready for the European move that Manchester United could offer him this summer.
Tottenham Hotspur finally put an end to 17 long years of hurt last night.
Despite their diabolically poor domestic campaign and the absence of Dejan Kulusevski, James Maddison, and Lucas Bergvall, Ange Postecoglou’s side managed to do what would have been unthinkable a few months ago and won the Europa League.
It wasn’t the prettiest or highest quality of games, but that hardly matters, as all the fans will remember is their players’ gritty, backs-to-the-wall performance and how they brought home the club’s third European trophy.
Moreover, one of the players in the squad now has to go down as one of the biggest legends in Spurs history, someone who now has an even bigger legacy in North London than Gareth Bale.
Spurs' heroes in Bilbao
Before getting to the legend in question, it’s worth going over some of the other heroes for Spurs last night, such as Micky van de Ven.
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Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.
The Flying Dutchman was a rock at the back for the North Londoners, and on helping to suffocate Manchester United, he also managed to pull off a sensational goal line clearance after Guglielmo Vicario misjudged a cross mid-way through the second half.
Equally impressed with the former VfL Wolfsburg star, Spurs writer Alasdair Gold awarded him a justifiable 10/10 match rating at full-time, the same rating he gave Cristian Romero.
The World Cup winner, who has now won all five of the finals he’s played in, was named the Man of the Match, and, to be honest, that’s a difficult decision to argue against, as he was utterly immense.
If the Argentine titan wasn’t getting his head to a ball or intercepting a pass, he was getting the heads of United’s players, and by the end of the game, he had a number of them on strings.
Both Destiny Udogie and Pedro Porro were also handed 10/10 ratings by Gold on the night, with the former actually being the more attacking of the two as the encounter went on and the latter showing that when it really comes down to it, he can put in a solid defensive showing at right-back.
Finally, while he only got a 7/10 from the football.london journalist, we reckon Richarlison was just as important as anyone else on the team last night, as from the first minute until he was taken off in the 67th minute, the Brazilian forward worked like a dog.
If he wasn’t making runs down the left, the former Everton star was putting in a monstrous defensive effort that most probably wouldn’t associate with him, and if the 28-year-old does end up leaving in the summer, he’ll do so as a cult hero for his display.
However, with all that said, another player who didn’t even start last night can now go down as one of the most important players in Tottenham’s history and someone with an even greater legacy than Bale.
Player ratings courtesy of Sofascore
The Spurs star with a greater legacy than Bale
While every player in the team last night will now go down as a Spurs hero at a minimum, there is one star for which the victory secured him a legacy that few in the modern era can match: Son Heung-min.
Yes, even though the South Korean superstar only came on in the 67th minute, and aside from a free-kick that Kevin Danso almost got on the end of offered very little, he has now gone from club icon to club legend.
Arguably, the only player in the last 25 years who can be placed on a higher pedestal than the former Bayer Leverkusen star is Harry Kane, and that’s only down to him being the club’s all-time goalscorer.
Moreover, while Bale has a good legacy with the North Londoners, he only played one game in their successful League Cup run in 2007/08.
In contrast, the Chuncheon-born superstar made ten appearances in the Europa League this season, scoring three goals and providing one assist.
Furthermore, the victory last night was just the icing on the cake to remove any question over his status as a club legend, as since he moved to N17 in the summer of 2015, he has been nothing short of brilliant.
For example, in 454 appearances for the club, the “incredible” phenom, as dubbed by Postecoglou, has scored 173 goals and provided 101 assists, which is an absurd average of a goal involvement every 1.65 games.
Son’s Spurs record
Appearances
454
Minutes
32186′
Goals
173
Assists
101
Goal Involvements per Match
0.60
Minutes per Goal Involvements
117.46′
Major Trophies
1
All Stats via Transfermarkt
Ultimately, Son was always going to go down as a Spurs icon regardless of what happened last night, but the victory in Bilbao has now ensured he’ll leave the club as a legend and as someone with an even greater legacy than Bale.
Spurs hero just proved why he's a £100m star in the making in Bilbao
Spurs ended their 17-year trophy drought by lifting the Europa League trophy in Bilbao.
Glasgow Rangers will be on the lookout for a new manager this summer after Barry Ferguson’s time as the interim head coach comes to an end.
The Scottish boss came in to replace Philippe Clement on a short-term basis and has the job until the end of the 2025/26 campaign, when a decision will be made on the holder of the position on a long-term basis.
Ferguson has not done too much to further his claim to take the job on permanently after a fairly unimpressive collection of results in the Europa League and the Scottish Premiership so far.
His side failed to score in three of their four Europa League outings, eventually getting knocked out by Athletic Bilbao, and the Scottish manager has only won three of his seven top-flight games in charge, most recently drawing 2-2 with St Mirren.
The Light Blues may, therefore, have to look further afield to find their manager for next season and beyond, because Ferguson does not look up to the task of returning Rangers to their former glory on the evidence of his interim period in charge.
In fact, a fresh report on the club’s search for a new head coach suggests that the club are looking at other options to come in and replace the former Scotland international in the Ibrox dugout.
Rangers considering moves for two managerial candidates
According to TEAMtalk, the Scottish giants have whittled their shortlist of managerial candidates down to two in their search for a new tactician.
The report claims that former RB Leipzig manager Marco Rose has emerged as a contender for the job, as the Gers hierarchy are said to be thinking about him for the job.
It states that the pending takeover will put the club in a better financial situation, and that they are looking for an exciting managerial appointment to take the team in the right direction.
Rose is said to have been sounded out about the job and that he is open to taking on a new role next season, having left his position at RB Leipzig in March.
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The German head coach, however, is not the only manager on the shortlist. TEAMtalk adds that the Light Blues are seriously considering a swoop for former Ibrox boss Steven Gerrard.
It states that the English manager, who left Saudi Pro League side Al Ettifaq in January, would be interested in a return to Glasgow to manage the team for a second time.
Steven Gerrard
In fact, TEAMtalk reports that many managers see the job as an attractive prospect because of the potential to win domestic trophies, as well as the prospect of Champions League or Europa League football, which Gerrard has not had since his first spell in Scotland.
With all of this in mind, the 49ers and Kevin Thelwell, who is set to take up the position of sporting director this summer, must move to bring the Liverpool legend back to Ibrox ahead of a swoop for Rose.
Why Steven Gerrard would be better for Rangers than Marco Rose
The German boss is, certainly, a strong candidate for the job because he has achieved relative success in both Austria with RB Salzburg and Germany with RB Leipzig.
Rose won two titles in two seasons in the Austrian Bundesliga before making his way to his home country with Borussia Monchengladbach, with whom he finished fourth and eighth before joining Borussia Dortmund and finishing second in the 2021/22 campaign.
The 48-year-old boss then joined Leipzig and finished third and fourth in his first two seasons, before leaving the club in sixth place in the division this season.
This suggests that Rose, despite winning the German Cup in the 2022/23 campaign, regressed during his time at Monchengladbach and Leipzig, as their respective league positions dropped the longer he stayed.
Nathan Patterson, Steven Gerrard
Rangers must, now, swoop for Gerrard instead because he would be an even better appointment than the German head coach, as he is a proven quantity at Ibrox and in Scottish football.
The 4-3-3 boss joined the Light Blues in the summer of 2018 and led the club to second-placed finishes in the Premiership in the 2018/19 and 2019/20 seasons, before winning the league title in his third year in Glasgow.
Gerrard’s team, incredibly, went unbeaten in the 2020/21 campaign in the top-flight, winning 32 matches and drawing six, to beat Celtic to the title.
It was a remarkable accomplishment by the manager, whose reputation was described as “amazing” by former England defender Glen Johnson, who won the league title for Rangers for the first time in ten years.
Former Rangers manager Steven Gerrard.
Giovanni van Bronckhorst, Michael Beale, and Philippe Clement have all attempted to replicate the success that Gerrard had at Ibrox, but failed and were all relieved of their duties without winning the league title.
The former Liverpool midfielder’s experience and success at Ibrox are exactly why he would be an even better appointment than Rose, because he knows what it takes to win the Premiership and has proven that he can put together a team to do exactly that.
Matches
38
12
Wins
32
8
Draws
6
3
Defeats
0
1
Points
102
27
Points per game
2.68
2.25
League position
1st
1st
As you can see in the table above, Gerrard only lost one of his last 50 Premiership matches in charge of Rangers, leaving the club at the top of the table after 12 matches in the 2021/22 campaign when he left to join Aston Villa.
The Gers have lost seven of their 34 games in the league in the current season, which illustrates just how impressive that record across 50 outings was, and they clearly need a manager who can bring a winning mentality back to Glasgow.
Steven Gerrard
Therefore, bringing Gerrard back to Ibrox in the hope that he can recapture the spark that he had in his first spell at the club could be a brilliant move for the 49ers and Thelwell to make.
The out-of-work tactician could bring the feel-good factor back to Ibrox, more so than Rose, who has no experience in Scotland or prior connection with the fanbase, and it is a move that seems to make a lot of sense on paper.
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This is the birthplace of “45 minutes of bad cricket” that cost India the 2019 World Cup semi-final and once again they are down in a series they have done well
Sidharth Monga22-Jul-20253:49
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There is likely a lot of confirmation bias involved in the following statements. Cricket fans tend to not forget dates and places. Among cricket fans, Indian cricket fans particularly tend to cling on much more. You can’t bring up November 19 without sending them spiralling into darkness. A drizzly Old Trafford can trigger – not to make light of real world mental health issues – PTSD in many India fans.A drizzly Old Trafford is, after all, the birthplace of the phrase “45 minutes of bad cricket”. To be clear it was not bad cricket in those 45 minutes in the ODI World Cup semi-final in 2019. India were caught in the perfect storm of seam-friendly conditions and some awesome bowling from New Zealand.The larger sentiment – be it the image of Richard Kettleborough’s look of astonishment at Martin Guptill’s direct hit from deep square leg in Manchester or the stunning catch from Travis Head in Ahmedabad – is that India dominated those tournaments, which is why those losses hurt more.A day before India’s second Test at Old Trafford in 35 years, a venue where they have never won, it drizzled the same way it did on the second half of day one of their 2019 World Cup semi-final. Not hard enough to take players off but just enough to prevent resumption of an already stopped contest.Related
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It is hard not to see some similarities between those “45 minutes of bad cricket” ruining the memories of entire tournaments and this ongoing Test series. India are averaging 42.96 with the bat as against England’s 38.09, but they find themselves trailing in the series 2-1. India have batted at 85% control as against England’s 78%. India have got a wicket every 12 false shots when England have needed to induce fewer than ten, and this is with India batting more carefully than England.These are not dominating numbers, although at one point at Lord’s they were. But in most series of decent lengths that can even out extreme results, they should ensure you are not in deficit. India’s batters have made fewer mistakes, their bowlers have held lengths for longer, and if they can keep on doing it, they should still back themselves to come out ahead by the end of five Tests.What about the frequent “45 minutes of bad cricket”, though? India have frequently made errors – either unforced or through lack of experience – that have cost them dearly to put them in this place: be it the collapses through casual shots at Headingley, the nightmare mix of milestone anxiety and quick single resulting in a run out just before lunch at Lord’s, or a ball-change request that could perhaps have been avoided.The Indian think tank – head coach Gautam Gambhir, chief selector Ajit Agarkar and captain Shubman Gill•Getty ImagesIt is these teams’ privilege that they get a five-Test series to correct those errors. Other teams often get just two-Test series, and have no room for these errors: you do that in one Test, and boom, it is an unassailable deficit. With the privilege, however, also comes scrutiny and schadenfreude. People can see the mention of lack of experience or luck as an excuse.It is to India’s credit that they were able to repeat their skills at both Edgbaston and Lord’s after they lost the unloseable Test at Headingley. That is the difficult bit. That is what you train for. In Tests, more than other formats, that is actually enough to win matches: you bowl more good balls, you keep out more good balls, and you win Tests. Sometimes, as at Headingley, you have catastrophic half hours, you tell yourself you won’t repeat casual shots, and then find a new way of letting the opposition back in, like at Lord’s.In an ideal world, the ideal response is to not think about these moments and focus more on training yourself on your basic skills and fitness. A human mind, though, doesn’t work in a vacuum. There is now a series on the line, and now it is the same scenario as it is for other teams who don’t have the privilege of playing long series.In 2018, when the general sentiment was that India didn’t deserve to lose 4-1 – some actually thought they could have won with a toss or two going their way – India averaged 25.23 and England 30.74. This series is actually closer to that sentiment. India are yet to win a toss, they have created more chances and pressure with the ball, and yet they are down 2-1.Of course, there is still time for India to be able to go ahead and put on numbers that actually deserve a deficit. There is also time to come back and repeat what has gone right with them. About now will be a good time to win a toss and/or be more ruthless and avoid actually living up to the 2018 assessments.
Ravindra’s knowledge of the conditions makes him as local as anyone can be, while Williamson, who’s working towards his comeback, is no stranger to these shores either
Shashank Kishore08-Oct-2023YH Chandrasekhar, the curator at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium, has one final look at the square at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium, seemingly happy with the work behind the scenes to get ready for the New Zealand vs Netherlands match on Monday. He suddenly gazes left, where Rachin Ravindra is training. He signals to him, but Ravindra is focused on the ball. The curator walks towards the centre nonetheless to exchange pleasantries. It dawns then that there’s a sense of familiarity between the two.In July, Ravindra was part of the Hutt Hawks, the Wellington-based club that his father runs, on an exchange programme to Hyderabad where they trained and played a series of 50-overs matches against the academy team run by MSK Prasad, the former India wicketkeeper and chief selector. Four of those matches were in Uppal, where Ravindra batted on three different centre strips, “training like mad” – according to Prasad – to fine-tune his game against pace and spin.He’d have a bowling session in the early morning, followed by breakfast. And then a 50-overs game until 4.30pm, followed by an hour’s rest and another indoor net session with the ball before calling it a day. It’s a routine he followed for the entire duration of his stay in Hyderabad, before he travelled to Anantapur, adjoining the Karnataka border, for more game time before returning home to Wellington.Related
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All this cricket was packed into a two-week calendar that was originally meant for him to be off to rest and recuperate ahead of the long season. While New Zealand’s squad hadn’t entirely been firmed up yet, Ravindra had been sounded out to be ready as he was among the probables picked for the high-performance camp.It’s this sense of familiarity that Ravindra will bank on as he returns to Hyderabad to play Netherlands in their second World Cup fixture. He may not be a local, but his knowledge of conditions and pitches makes him as local as anyone can be. His return to the venue couldn’t have been more grand, given he’s coming off a memorable World Cup hundred on debut against England in a sensational takedown with his good mate Devon Conway.A little over a week ago in Hyderabad, Ravindra batted with composure and poise to make 97 against a high-quality Pakistan attack in a warm-up game. Yet, he may have not played the World Cup opener had Kane Williamson been fit and available. But with Williamson still recuperating from an ACL injury, Ravindra had his chance and he’s made the most of it, giving Williamson and the team management healthy selection headaches.Rachin Ravindra hit a fine century on World Cup debut•Associated PressWilliamson himself is no stranger to these shores, having played eight IPL seasons for Sunrisers Hyderabad. He’s Kane to the local staff and fans. , a salutation in the local language Telugu, is reserved for someone much admired as Williamson is. But merely playing for the local franchise doesn’t guarantee cult status. With David Warner and Williamson, to a lesser extent, the popularity stems from their embracing the local culture, making them as much a fan favourite as a Virat Kohli or Rohit Sharma.If Warner did an imitation of the dance to send the small crowd into a tizzy during the warm-up game last week, Williamson has given them moments to cheer with his imitation of a dance gig from , an Oscar-winning chartbuster, during an ICC promotion. Beyond the familiarity and colour, the real reel fans, especially those back home, are interested in is from the nets, where they want to see if Williamson has managed to get back the whole range of his movements, if Tim Southee is bowling full tilt and if Lockie Ferguson brings his bristling energy to training.Williamson surveyed the ground, and pointed to the bright orange seating that hits your eye as the peak afternoon sun glows bright. It’s a humid day, he’s already guzzled quite a few bottles of water already, and is out to train. Williamson has been confirmed to sit out, but he’s the central focus of the team’s physio and trainers.He goes through a series of carefully orchestrated movements to test his full range of mobility. Like doing forward stretches to defend, playing the sweep to test his hamstring, rising onto his toes to tuck the ball, sprinting between the wickets, the trigger movement when he turns at full stretch – they were all carefully monitored and ticked off. The hope is he’ll be fit in time to play Bangladesh on Friday. And for him to get there, Williamson seems to have done most things in his capacity.Southee too bowled a fair bit, even if not full tilt, feeling his way back into full rhythm in an afternoon session where temperatures hovered over the mid-30s. Southee was carefully monitored by Trent Boult, whose late swing back in was quite a sight. Every now and then, there was laughter, banter and wholesome encouragement for each other as they pushed hard on match eve. Daryll Mitchell batted and batted, as did Will Young and Ravindra before they retired to the dressing room. Or so you thought as they all began to walk off.Williamson then nudged assistant coach Luke Ronchi as they walked right back into the nets again. Williamson wasn’t satisfied with the full range of his straight hitting. So, he tried to perfect hitting on length deliveries, asking Ronchi to chuck him balls in an area he circled out, focusing on holding his shape and then carefully feeling his side. Then to top off the session, Ronchi fed him full tosses which Williamson kept pulling until it got to a point where he couldn’t stay out any longer, with the sun going down.Watching Williamson train was watching a perfectionist practice his craft, oblivious to the world around him. The police sirens that marked the arrival of Netherlands, the chaos of the shutterbugs that followed to snap the team getting off the bus, the sound of the generator that was running full throttle behind him and smoke from the fumigation around the nets area – none of this seemed to cross his mind. He was simply, to quote the old cliche, seeing ball, hitting ball until the last lux of light allowed him to.