All posts by h79snht.top

On Sunday the curtain came down on another enthralling Premier League season. This one was special for a number of reasons.

The title may have been wrapped up within 90 seconds at the weekend, Phil Foden crunching home a ridiculous effort from outside of the box but the chase for league supremacy between Manchester City and Arsenal was a joyful ride.

City eventually prevailed by a margin of two points, much to the dismay of Mikel Arteta's side but they will be back next year, ready and waiting to topple Pep Guardiola.

There was also one last dance for Jurgen Klopp. It was back in January that the German announced he'd be stepping down from the Anfield hotseat but it wasn't until his final match, a 2-0 victory against Wolves, that the emotion truly began to pour out.

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There wasn't a dry eye in the house. Klopp and Virgil van Dijk embraced warmly, Trent Alexander-Arnold couldn't hold back the tears. It's just a shame they fell out of the title race with a few matches left to play.

So, who deserves the plaudits from a captivating campaign of action? Well, Football FanCast's expert writing team have had their say and here's who we thought was deserving in each category.

FFC's 2023/34 Premier League award winners

FFC also put together their Team of the Season which included a few notable omissions, particularly Golden Boot winner Erling Haaland, Arsenal's effervescent Bukayo Saka and the aforementioned Van Dijk.

So why did they miss out? We have our reasoning. Read on to find out…

1 GK – David Raya Arsenal

Arsenal's goalkeeper position was a cause for great debate at the start of the season. Aaron Ramsdale hadn't done an awful lot wrong but Arteta sought to usurp him, bringing in Brentford stopper David Raya on loan.

The end result? A Golden Glove for the Spaniard who has been nothing short of exceptional between the sticks. His record of 16 clean sheets in 32 league outings isn't a bad tally, is it?

Raya's Premier League season in numbers

Games

32

Minutes Played

2,880

Clean Sheets

16

Stats via Transfermarkt.

2 RB – Ben White Arsenal

What a campaign this was for the £50m signing. He has undeniably been the best right-back in the division and even if his refusal of an England call-up caused a bit of a stir, there is no doubting his quality.

A centre-back turned full-back, his relentless approach alongside Saka on Arsenal's right-hand side was a joy to watch. He's become a true marauder, timing his runs to absolute perfection in the final third.

White's Premier League season in numbers

Games

37

Minutes Played

2,994

Goals

4

Assists

4

Stats via Transfermarkt.

3 RCB – William Saliba Arsenal

Three Arsenal players in a row, you say? It's hard to ignore just how good the club's defence was this season. They conceded just 29 goals in the Premier League, the best record in the division and had the third-best expected goals against (xGA) tally in all of Europe's top five leagues, only behind Juventus and unbeaten Bayer Leverkusen.

A large part of that was down to William Saliba who ended up playing every single minute of the campaign on his way to being nominated for the Young Player of the Season award.

Saliba's Premier League season in numbers

Games

38

Minutes Played

3,420

Goals

2

Assists

1

Stats via Transfermarkt.

4 LCB – Gabriel Arsenal

Let's continue the Arsenal trend. Saliba is the man who often takes the plaudits but Brazilian centre-back, Gabriel, deserves his flowers too.

Bizarrely he didn't start the first few matches of the season but since then has made the position his own again. Jamie Carragher said last week: "I think if this partnership stays together for the next three to four years, we are talking about this alongside Ferdinand and Vidic, Carvalho and John Terry."

We couldn't really go with any other two players, could we?

Gabriel's Premier League season in numbers

Games

36

Minutes Played

3,044

Goals

4

Assists

0

Stats via Transfermarkt.

5 LB – Josko Gvardiol Manchester City

Now, this was probably the hardest position on the pitch to select. Plenty of our writers voted for Tottenham's Destiny Udogie but it was Josko Gvardiol who just edged things, largely for his remarkable end to the campaign during the title run-in.

The Croatian scored four goals and registered two assists in his last seven outings. Pretty decent numbers for a defender, we'd say.

Gvardiol's Premier League season in numbers

Games

28

Minutes Played

2,329

Goals

4

Assists

2

Stats via Transfermarkt.

6 CDM – Rodri Manchester City

What a player the Spaniard is. He led the charge again for City and only missed one match when he wasn't ruled out through suspension.

Rodri even added goals to his game this season, ending the league campaign with eight having found the net on the final day of the campaign.

Also assisting nine goals, it was a pretty special campaign for a player who is the best in the world in his position.

Rodri's Premier League season in numbers

Games

34

Minutes Played

2,938

Goals

8

Assists

9

Stats via Transfermarkt.

7 RCM – Martin Odegaard Arsenal

The Norwegian received plenty of votes for Player of the Season from FFC's panel of writers but just missed out after a scintillating season in the middle of the park.

Martin Odegaard closed out the term with two assists against Everton on the final day to outline his qualities as one of the best creators in the division. Only Cole Palmer and Ollie Watkins registered more assists than the Arsenal skipper's ten, but more on them later.

Odegaard's Premier League season in numbers

Games

35

Minutes Played

3,104

Goals

8

Assists

10

Stats via Transfermarkt.

8 LCM – Declan Rice Arsenal

Arsenal weren't just battling City during the season but they also slugged it out the signing of Declan Rice last summer.

The former West Ham man eventually moved to the Emirates Stadium for £105m where he has been nothing short of a revelation. Like Rodri, he's added more attacking numbers to his game and celebrated the best offensive season of his career.

Rice's Premier League season in numbers

Games

38

Minutes Played

3,231

Goals

7

Assists

9

Stats via Transfermarkt.

9 RW – Cole Palmer Chelsea

Man City may have won the title but they will surely have regrets over the departure of Cole Palmer, the man who was voted FFC's Signing of the Season.

No one expected his career to soar like it has but what a campaign it was for a man who finished second in the running for the Golden Boot. He surely has to be a shoo-in for a place in the Euros squad this summer.

Palmer's Premier League season in numbers

Games

34

Minutes Played

2,628

Goals

22

Assists

11

Stats via Transfermarkt.

10 LW – Phil Foden Manchester City

The official Premier League Player of the Season confirmed himself as one of the most elite talents in the world throughout 2023/24, scoring a staggering 27 goals and supplying 11 assists in all competitions.

With him and Jude Bellingham in the same squad this summer, there is surely no reason England cannot with the Euros.

Signing off with two goals on the final day as City won the title, there were few better players around than Foden this season.

Foden's Premier League season in numbers

Games

35

Minutes Played

2,870

Goals

19

Assists

8

Stats via Transfermarkt.

MatériaMais Notícias

Meia polivalente nos tempos de jogador e ídolo de Corinthians e Guarani, o ex-jogador Zenon é o convidado desta semana no Bate-Bola com Rodrigo Viana. Entre os principais assuntos do bate papo, Zenon defendeu a permanência do técnico Tite no comando da Seleção Brasileira, mas deu um ‘puxão de orelha’ no comandante após a perda da Copa América no Brasil. Assista no vídeo acima!

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Says it was not consulted on the matter, four months after the decision

PTI30-Jul-2020

PTI

The cricket committee of the Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association (MPCA) on Wednesday questioned the appointment of former India wicketkeeper Chandrakant Pandit as the head coach of the state team four months after the decision, saying it was not consulted on the matter.Pandit was appointed as the head coach of MP team in March. The state association’s cricket committee said it was its duty to finalise the appointment of a coach but the MPCA kept it in dark when Pandit was appointed.”As per the MPCA Constitution, only MPCA Cricket Committee can finalise and appoint any MP team coaches,” the cricket committee said in a statement, which is in possession of PTI.”The MPCA Cricket Committee is not against any individual but this disagreement is due to encroachment/intrusion of office bearers in the role/responsibilities of the Cricket Committee and the lack of structure and process of conducting affairs.”The MPCA cricket committee members are Yogesh Golwalkar, Prashant Dwivedi and Murtaza Ali.When contacted on the matter, MPCA secretary Sanjeev Rao said: “Pandit has been appointed as the head coach as per the Constitution. The Cricket Committee has been instrumental in every step and they have given their approval for the said appointment. This controversy is being created without any reason.”Rao said Pandit has signed a two-year contract with the MPCA.Pandit has been one of the most successful domestic coaches in India.

قدّم البرتغالي جوزيه مورينيو ردًا لاذعًا على بيب جوارديولا مدرب مانشستر سيتي، بعد إشارته مؤخرًا في مباراة فريقه أمام ليفربول.

مانشستر سيتي تعرض للهزيمة بهدفين دون رد أمام ليفربول، وشوهد وهو يرفع 6 أصابع لجماهير الريدز، في إشارة لعدد ألقابه بالدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

إشارة جوارديولا تذكرنا بمورينيو، الذي رفع ثلاثة أصابع لجماهير تشيلسي وتوتنهام خلال هزيمة في الأيام الأخيرة من ولايته في مانشستر يونايتد في عام 2018.

وتمت إقالة مورينيو بعد أشهر من تلك الإشارة، وسُئل جوارديولا عما إذا كان يمكن أن يعاني من نفس المصير، وأجاب: “آمل ألا يكون الأمر كذلك في حالتي.. لقد فاز (مورينيو) بثلاثة ألقاب، وفزت بستة ألقاب .. لكننا متشابهان في هذا الأمر”. (طالع تصريحات جوارديولا).

مورينيو اعترض على التعليق، ورد مدرب فنربخشة على الإسباني وقال في تصريحات نشرتها صحيفة “ديلي ميل” البريطانية: “قال لي جوارديولا شيئاً بالأمس، لقد فاز بستة ألقاب وفزت أنا بثلاثة، لكنني فزت بنزاهة ونظافة”.

وأضاف: “إذا خسرت، أريد أن أهنئ خصمي لأنه كان أفضل مني، لا أريد الفوز بالتعامل مع 150 دعوى قضائية”.

ويشير مورينيو في تصريحاته بوضوح إلى 115 تهمة يواجهها مانشستر سيتي حاليًا، لانتهاك القواعد الملية للاتحاد الإنجليزي لكرة القدم.

ويواجه مانشستر سيتي احتمال الهبوط من الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز بسبب تلك القضايا، وسيتم التحقيق في جميع التهم الـ 115 التي وجهت إلى مانشستر سيتي ومراجعتها من قبل لجنة مستقلة.

New Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has already held transfer talks with Stamford Bridge chiefs behind-the-scenes, and it is believed they have set sights on a Barcelona star as part of their summer plans.

Chelsea land Maresca as new manager to replace Pochettino

Just over a week has passed since Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali decided to part ways with Mauricio Pochettino, who left the club by mutual consent last Tuesday.

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The process to hire Pochettino's replacement has gone fairly smoothly after they interviewed a succession of candidates, which included the likes of Kieran McKenna, Thomas Frank and Roberto De Zerbi.

However, despite the numerous quality alternatives, Chelsea landed on their favoured appointment in Maresca. Fabrizio Romano, sharing further detail in a Daily Briefing this week, also claims Maresca will be backed with five new summer signings.

"It’s a deal until 2029 and also with the option to extend it until 2030," wrote Romano.

"This shows Chelsea’s excitement about Maresca – their conversations over the weekend were super positive, and the Chelsea board decided to fly to Marbella to meet face to face with Maresca. They like his ideas and believe he’s a very positive coach – a dynamic, modern, young manager obsessed with possession football to control a game. I said last week when Chelsea were considering firing Mauricio Pochettino that this was the kind of manager they wanted, and here he is.

Enzo Maresca's most impressive wins as Leicester City manager

Leicester City 5-0 Southampton

Stoke City 0-5 Leicester City

Southampton 1-4 Leicester City

Blackburn 1-4 Leicester City

Leicester City 3-1 Norwich City

"It will be a busy summer for Chelsea, with around five signings, maybe less, maybe more, but for sure they are looking at goalkeepers, maybe or one or two centre-backs, and they’re also looking at central strikers and wingers. Chelsea will be busy, and Maresca will be involved.

"Of course, one signing is already agreed and that’s for talented Brazilian wonderkid Estevao Willian – everything is being reviewed and signed for this big signing for the future, who will join in 2025 from Palmeiras."

It will be interesting to see who Maresca and co opt to bring in next, with Chelsea talks already held over signing Tosin Adarabioyo as a free agent from Fulham.

It is believed they wish to bring in a new striker, goalkeeper, centre-back and left-back this summer, on top of Estevao, with The Standard making that claim and sharing news on a Barcelona star on their radar.

Maresca holds Chelsea transfer talks as they eye Ronald Araujo

As per the outlet, and journalist Nick Purewal, Maresca has already held transfer talks with Chelsea – discussing their summer plans and who they could look to bring in.

One target is believed to be Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo, who is rumoured to command an £85 million price tag and could significantly reinforce Maresca's back line if a move for Tosin falls through – with Newcastle also contending for the latter.

MatériaMais Notícias

O atacante Richarlison reconheceu que a Seleção olímpica sofreu além da conta ao derrotar o México nos pênaltis após empate em 0 a 0 em 120 minutosno Ibaraki Kashima. Em entrevista ao SporTV, o “Pombo” falou sobre a ansiedade de disputar a decisão dos Jogos Olímpicos.

> Veja todos os números do futebol masculino nos Jogos Olímpicos

RelacionadasOlimpíadasATUAÇÕES: Santos se destaca nos pênaltis e ajuda Brasil a se classificar para final dos Jogos Olímpicos; veja as notasOlimpíadas03/08/2021

-É o passo que falta (a final). É o último degrau da nossa escada e vamos com tudo. Chegamos na final, e nós sabemos que quando chegamos na decisão nós somos fortes. Agora é esperar o próximo adversário, estudá-los ao máximo para chegar bem no jogo e fazermos uma excelente partida – declarou.

Richarlison falou sobre a bola que cabeceou na trave e também falou sobre o treinamento de pênaltis que a Seleção tem de fazer dia a dia.

-Vi que eu cabeceei bem e já saí para comemorar, mas não era para ser daquele jeito. Foi um pouco sofrido nos pênaltis, mas desde que nós chegamos ao Japão o professor nos colocou para treinar cobranças de pênaltis, sabendo que poderíamos enfrentar este tipo de situação, e hoje deu para ver a confiança de nossos jogadores para cobrar – disse.

Em seguida, o camisa 10 voltou suas atenções para destacar a maneira como Santos se destacou tanto na partida em Kashima quanto ao defender pênalti cobrado por Aguirre.

– Tenho que parabenizar a todos, mas também ao Santos. Ele nos salvou durante o jogo e também durante os pênaltis – afirmou.

Richarlison ainda falou sobre a tensão em torno das cobranças de pênaltis.

-O sentimento é o mesmo de antes de chegar na partida. Dá aquele frio na barriga de quando está chegando ao estádio. Mas é como eu falei: a gente tinha total confiança nos nossos jogadores e nós sabíamos que seríamos felizes aqui – disse.

O Brasil volta a campo no sábado para, às 8h30 (de Brasília), disputar o ouro contra o vencedor da semifinal entre Espanha ou Japão.

تلقى ليفربول هدفًا مبكر في المباراة التي تجمعه بـ فولهام، ضمن منافسات بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، بالجولة الـ 16 بملعب أنفيلد رود.

ليفربول تلقى الهدف الأول في الدقيقة 11 عن طريق الدولي البرازيلي، أندريس بيريرا، لاعب مانشستر يونايتد السابق.

طالع أيضًا.. سلوت: محمد صلاح اللاعب الوحيد الذي لا يتغير في هجوم ليفربول

الهدف جاء بعد عرضية من الأمريكي الدولي أنتوني روبينسون وجدت البرازيلي الذي لم يتهاون وأسكنها الشباك التي يحرسها أليسون بعد العودة.

جدير بالذكر أنه في حالة انتهاء المباراة بهذه النتيجة سيتوقف رصيد ليفربول عند 36 نقطة في الصدارة، بينما فولهام سيرفع رصيده إلى 27 نقطة ويصعد للمركز الخامس. هدف فولهام الأول ضد ليفربول في الدوري الإنجليزي

CA’s head of community cricket is confident states and the board can work together in challenging times

Daniel Brettig12-Aug-2020

Belinda Clark is confident the states and governing body can work together•Getty Images

Belinda Clark, Cricket Australia’s chief of community cricket, was given reassurance that Queensland Cricket and its chair Chris Simpson were not seeking to tear up the national system of support for the game’s grassroots after he questioned the “centralised model” of the governing body earlier this year.Ahead of a vital meeting of the Australian Cricket Council, comprising the chairs of CA, the state associations and the Australian Cricketers Association on Thursday, Clark stated that the hot rhetoric from Simpson, delivered to an ordinary general meeting of QC in late June, had reflected a desire for states to be heard and empowered but not to dismantle the growth of a national network to encourage the game’s junior and community tiers.”I’ve had those conversations and have followed up with the CEO there, Terry Svenson, and the message coming out is that both Chris Simpson and our ambition around supporting the community is absolutely aligned,” Clark said. “I think what’s important to recognise is that the state associations play a really important role in nurturing their affiliates and their club system and providing support to those people that are playing inside their state.ALSO READ: Belinda Clark: ‘There’s still plenty of money in cricket'”What we’ve been able to do from a national perspective is work very closely with each of the states and territories. So, we run national programs. We design them with the states. The states implement them and all the clubs implement them and the benefits of those flow through the entire system. I’m comfortable that we’re all aligned in terms of what we’re trying to do.”There may be some differences in opinion in how we go about doing that, but it’s a very connected system and we are meeting with our counterparts weekly to ensure that that’s the case.”Simpson’s words had been delivered in the midst of a dispute between CA and the states over the matter of annual grants, one of the key issues for the ACC to unpick this week as the CA chair Earl Eddings seeks to find common ground with the governing body’s owners. Cricket New South Wales, chaired by John Knox, has also blocked CA’s proposed reductions in annual grants, while wider questions of the game’s governance model – a nine-member independent board – have run parallel to the annual nominations committee process for new directors.”The centralised model or the behemoth that CA has morphed into has consumed all aspects of cricket, assumed the role of the master of all matters cricket,” Simpson had said. “The states take offence to this – as we live and breathe grassroots and the day to day running of cricket. The states are resourcing and supporting the volunteers, the lifeblood of the game and cricket’s most valuable asset. In my view, the states have lost control of cricket. We are told from Jolimont Street how to run cricket and we do not believe in many of these ‘systems and processes’.”If CA is a master of all, then the board must comprise of some masters of volunteerism and grassroots cricket as it is our primary function at state level to provide services, support and resources to volunteers far and wide who deliver cricket so wonderfully…it is nonsensical to think that centralisation is good for grassroots cricket. Cricket administration of yesteryear gave regional communities a voice; cricket administration of today is not a collaborative model, rather a top down ‘we know best’ beast.”Cricket Australia is seeking a solution to their ongoing negotiations with the states•Getty Images

CA’s push for cost savings in the time of Covid-19, initially through staff cuts at the organisation, reduced distributions to states and also a shrink in player payments, raised a host of discontents in terms of relationships between CA, the states and the ACA. This led ultimately to the exit of the CA chief executive Kevin Roberts and senior executives including his chief operating officer Scott Grant. At the same time, all states other than NSW made their own piecemeal cuts, amounting to more than 150 staff being shown the door including a huge swathe cut through community cricket roles in Victoria.”If you just think about the number of people we still have in the field, it’ll be the envy of many sports to still have that,” Clark said. “What’s difficult is if there’s something there and if it’s taken away, and people react to that. Look, there’s no doubt that we are getting great results from having more people involved, more support going to the clubs. But we have to adapt and we can’t walk away from that.”The clubs are adapting to what’s in front of them with Covid-19. We need to adapt with less field staff in some areas, it’s not in all areas but in some. And the community is adapting as well. At the end of the day, our job is to make sure that those people feel supported and there’s opportunities for people to play the game.”Clark, who stepped away from community cricket temporarily in 2018-19 to run elite performance areas before the appointments of Ben Oliver and Drew Ginn to oversee the game’s top end, said that the difficulties of Covid-19 meant that communication and co-operation across the game were more vital than ever before.”It’s obviously been difficult for every sport to deal with the situation that Covid’s played in our lives at the moment,” Clark said. “There’s the health and safety, the economic impact as well and sports are all dealing with that and cricket associations are all dealing with that as they see fit. What I can say is that as community teams across all of the states and territories and Cricket Australia, we’re absolutely committed to providing that support to volunteers. And what we’ve had to do in some areas, in some instances, is just be creative about how we do that.”

Glasgow Rangers manager Philippe Clement is showing no signs of slowing down when it comes to improving his squad ahead of next season.

With Brazilian left-back Jefte and Colombian winger Oscar Cortes already added to the first-team pool, the Belgian is now looking to make a third signing.

Rangers transfer news

The Light Blues have been linked with Bayern Munich winger Yusuf Kabadayi in recent days, with German reporter Florian Plettenberg breaking the news a couple of days ago.

Now, according to the 4th Official’s Patreon page (Sunday, June 9), the Ibrox side have held talks with Bayern regarding a move for the player in the coming weeks, reportedly agreeing on a fee between £1m-£1.5m to bring him to Scotland.

While Clement may have to move on a number of players to raise funds for future signings, spending around £1m on a talented attacker who could certainly increase his value sounds like a solid piece of transfer business.

It is no secret the club require some depth out wide. It looked as though Abdallah Sima was a target for Clement ahead of 2024/25, but there is no doubt Kabadayi could be an ideal alternative to the 22-year-old.

The latest on Abdallah Sima’s future at Rangers

Sima spent last season at Ibrox on loan from Brighton and Hove Albion, enjoying a productive temporary spell north of the border.

Across 39 matches in all competitions, the winger scored 16 goals while chipping in with two assists. There is no doubt this figure would have been higher had he not missed a large chunk of the season with a hamstring injury.

Last month, it was reported that Rangers were looking to hold talks with Brighton over making Sima’s stay in Glasgow permanent.

It was claimed the south coast side would accept a bid of around £6m in order to let him leave, which was roughly what Brighton paid to sign him from Slavia Prague.

Comparing Sima and Kabadayi (domestic league only)

Metric

Sima

Kabadayi

Goals

11

4

Assists

2

0

Big chances created

2

1

Successful dribbles per game

1.2

1.1

Shots per game

2.9

1.6

While it was clear interest was there, a new update has emerged recently which could see Clement move on from Sima.

The Seagulls are currently searching for a new manager after Roberto De Zerbi left the club at the end of last season. With the hunt still ongoing, Sima’s future allegedly won’t be decided until a new head coach is appointed.

Judging by the rapid advancement of a deal to sign Kabadayi, could Clement be moving on from attempting to sign Sima this summer? Especially if he has to wait another few weeks to find out whether Brighton’s new manager wants to keep the winger.

Why Yusuf Kabadayi is a great Abdallah Sima alternative

Long gone are the days of the Light Blues signing over-the-hill players on bumper wages who offer little to no sell-on value.

Both of the Gers signings so far are exciting young talents who should see their market value soar if they impress in Scotland, giving Clement an ideal chance of making a solid profit.

Kabadayi also fits the bill with regard to this. The 20-year-old enjoyed plenty of success with a variety of youth teams at Bayern, racking up 78 appearances while scoring 29 goals and registering 11 assists.

This tally of 40 goal contributions across just 79 youth team matches is nothing to be sniffed at and shows that he has a keen eye for goal, just like Sima.

Aside from Sima scoring 16 goals last term, not another winger at the club netted more than five times, clearly showing an area which needs major improvement should Clement wish to challenge Celtic next season.

Kabadayi may have only made his senior debut last season, spending it on loan at Schalke in the 2. Bundesliga, it is evident that German youngster has plenty of potential.

Across 23 second-tier matches, the 20-year-old found the back of the net on four occasions and shone when compared to his teammates throughout 2023/24.

Kabadayi ranked fourth for successful dribbles per game (1.1) among his teammates in the German second tier last term, while also ranking third for penalties won (one) and for shots per game (1.6), demonstrating how much of a threat he is in the final third.

It wasn’t just within his own team that Kabadayi’s statistics shone through. According to FBref, when compared to his positional peers in the men’s next 14 competitions, Kabadayi was more than impressive.

Indeed, he ranked in the top 1% for non-penalty goals (0.31) and total shots (2.82) per 90, along with ranking in the top 2% for successful take-ons (2.04) and touches in the attacking penalty area (3.92) per 90, clearly demonstrating his attacking abilities when compared with fellow wingers across a variety of leagues.

This should give Clement plenty of hope that the winger can shine in Scotland if given some consistent game time.

Rangers Journal founder profiled the player amid his recent links to the Light Blues and stated that Kabadayi is “strong, quick and good on the ball” while he was also praised by U23 scout Antonio Mango, who said in March that the youngster was “extremely prolific at youth level” and hoped that he could continue this type of form into the senior ranks.

Four goals in 23 league appearances is decent, but not spectacular. But, not every one of Clement’s signings will be the finished article. Far from that.

Both Jefte and Cortes – who are both prodigious talents – still have a long way to go in order to fulfil their wonderful potential.

Missing out on Sima may be a blow, but it looks unlikely that the manager would spend £6m on him, knowing that he has plenty of other targets in the pipeline.

Kabadayi is certainly one. With news that a move looks to be imminent, Clement may have made three signings before the club have even returned for pre-season training.

Getting the majority of his transfer business done early could prove to be the catalyst which sees the Ibrox side return to the top of the Scottish football hierarchy next season.

CSK coach plays down concerns over Dhoni’s form

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Sep-2020

MS Dhoni gestures on the field•BCCI

Chennai Super Kings have played their first two matches in Abu Dhabi and Sharjah. Having won one game, the opener against Mumbai Indians, they head into their third fixture against Delhi Capitals with some questions over their team composition. Stephen Fleming, the head coach, spoke to the Super Kings website about the challenges his side faces ahead of the Friday’s clash in Dubai.Excerpts:
On their bowl-first approach in the first two matches
“In our case, it has been that we are not sure. We look at it as almost safety-first so we get an understanding of what the wickets are going to be like. Both games that we’ve played so far have been the first games of the tournament, in Abu Dhabi and Sharjah, and to get a feel of the conditions we thought bowling first was the best way to go. It does seem to be a trend, but bowling first is a bit of an advantage with the dew [setting in later].”On finding the ideal balance given many players have been out of the game for over a year
“One of the biggest challenges is to find the right combinations. Also to give the guys some match play, keeping in mind we’ve got a number of players who haven’t played for 12 months. We are working hard on a number of fronts, one is to get the right team for the conditions that we’ve been unsure about, and also to get the guys up to speed with their playing form. You can do as much practice and training as you like, but it doesn’t completely replicate what happens in the middle. So it was always going to be an interesting start for us. I think we’ll take one from one with a lot of areas to improve.”On Dhoni’s batting position

“MS is one of the players that hasn’t played much cricket in the last year-and-a-half. Everyone expects MS to come out and do what he has done in the past. It doesn’t just happen, it takes a bit of work and a part of his process of getting up to speed is his game time and that (match against Rajasthan Royals) was really the first time that he’d batted in the middle apart from a couple of balls against Mumbai Indians. As the tournament goes on, he’ll just get better and better. To come in and expect him to get a 30-ball 70 would be a tough ask. We’ve other players also who are in good form and can do a job. So, it’s valuing what each player can do and also respecting Dhoni is one of a kind when he’s in form and has been playing.”MS Dhoni speaks to Faf du Plessis mid-pitch•BCCI

On boosting Lungi Ngidi’s confidence after a poor final over against the Royals

“It will certainly hit Lungi’s confidence hard. The key thing for us is just for him to get better and analyse what he didn’t quite get right and make sure that the next time he’s in that opportunity he is better than what he was the last time. It doesn’t matter whether he goes for 30 or five or 10. Trying to get better all the time is what’s important. We’ve got one of the best death bowlers in the game in our squad and already Dwayne Bravo has been alongside him. We’ll use the experience in the team to make sure he is okay and looks forward to the next opportunity he gets.”On when Ambati Rayudu and Bravo are likely to be back from niggles.
“Rayudu is our in-form player and to lose him at that time (against Royals) was disappointing. Hopefully, it’s only a couple of games. We’ve got a six-day break after this (Friday’s match against Capitals), and we are hoping that he’ll be back for the game on October 2 (against Sunrisers Hyderabad).”Bravo is progressing very well, and if he has a couple of good days of training, he could come into selection consideration for the next game. That would be a good headache for us to have as we’re looking to introduce players and also get our best combination for the rest of the tournament. You don’t necessarily pick your final-winning side in the first two or three games, but as soon as you can settle and get some cohesion into the team you are better off for, and that’s what we are working towards now, giving new players opportunity and then settle.”