Former Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness has confirmed that the Bavarian side are in talks with Ralf Rangnick to become their new manager.
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Everton are reportedly interested in making a move for an attacking ace who was in sensational form last season, but they aren't alone in eyeing him up.
While the ongoing takeover of the Blues has continued to slowly drag on of late, it looked as though Sean Dyche's side had some positive momentum before the international break, with optimism returning among the fanbase. That has changed hugely with the news that Everton have been deducted 10 points for breaking financial rules, however, in a swift decision that saw them head straight back into the relegation zone.
A fervent Goodison Park was on show for the Premier League clash with Manchester United on Sunday afternoon, but despite hope that the atmosphere would help the Blues to victory, they instead fell to a 3-0 defeat. There is seemingly some light at the end of the tunnel mind, with experts predicting the points deduction will be reduced.
Expert makes huge claim regarding Everton’s points deduction being reduced
This could be massive in the relegation fight…
By
Henry Jackson
Nov 27, 2023
For the time being though, it feels like one setback after another for Everton, and while they have shown enough this season to suggest that relegation can still be avoided even with the deduction, more quality needs to be added to the squad in the January transfer window, assuming funds are available.
A new update has emerged regarding the Merseysiders' potential business, and it looks as though they could be looking to snap up a player who enjoyed a superb 2022/23 season, but who hasn't shone as much this time around.
According to a fresh transfer update from TEAMtalk, Everton are keen on the idea of signing Ajax striker Chuba Akpom in January, but are joined by various other clubs in the mix.
"Sources have now told TEAMtalk that Akpom is open to the idea of a move to the Premier League and with Ajax ready to consider a loan deal, there is interest. Crystal Palace and Fulham are both very keen on a possible deal for the 28-year-old, while Everton, Burnley, Luton Town and Sheffield United are also keeping tabs on the situation."
Goals have come at a premium for Everton throughout this season, with only 14 scored in 13 Premier League matches, and the poor finishing on Sunday once again highlighted why a new striker is important in January. Akpom could be an excellent option to come in and give Dyche more depth, with his performances for Middlesbrough last season highlighting what a threat he can be in the final third.
|
Chuba Akpom's Championship record in 2022/23 |
Total |
|---|---|
|
Appearances |
40 |
|
Goals |
28 |
|
Assists |
2 |
The Everton transfer target scored 28 goals in 37 starts in the Championship in 2022/23, winning the PFA Championship Players' Player of the Year award in the process, and while he hasn't necessarily shown that he can do it in the top-flight for a sustained period, his record at Ajax is good despite a lack of playing time.
Akpom has scored five times in nine Eredivisie outings for the Dutch giants, with only two of those appearances coming from the start, and if he is keen on leaving in the winter window, the Blues would be wise to try and snap him up. Averaging a goal every 49 league minutes this term, he has been hailed as "terrific" by Middlesbrough manager Michael Carrick.
How the game played outAn 18th-over hat-trick by debutant Aliss Al Islam helped Dhaka Dynamites barely defend 183 against Rangpur Riders. In a nailbiting top-of-the-table clash, Aliss’ strikes proved integral, ushering a late meltdown that saw Rangpur go from 146 for 2 in the 16th over to 181 for 9 to lose by two runs.The wickets just about compensated for Aliss’ sloppiness earlier, when he dropped Mohammad Mithun twice in the span of three balls in the eighth over, both no more challenging than practice catches. Mithun went on to make 49 and shared a third-wicket stand of 121 with Rilee Rossouw, who top-scored with 83. Aliss then did Rossouw in by flattening his trajectory to open the gates, before hastening Rangpur’s slide with the hat-trick in his next over.Like Rangpur, Dhaka had lost their openers early when they batted, when Kieron Pollard produced a boundary-heavy onslaught to lift them from 64 for 4. With Shakib Al Hasan holding up his end, Pollard dominated a fifth-wicket partnership of 78 with his captain, shellacking 62 off 26 balls. Pollard’s muscle paved the way for Andre Russell to show some of his muscle as Dhaka slapped 58 runs in the last six overs.Dhaka had a mixed day on the field. They broke through when Russell pulled off a screamer , sprinting to his left from long-off, leaping back full-stretch and snaffling it overhead before letting it go for the back-up, Pollard, to complete the catch. Capping off the effort was the fact that it rid Dhaka of the dangerous Chris Gayle. Thereafter, they shelled four catches, three of them simple ones, before Aliss bailed them out at the very end.Turning points
Star of the dayAl Islam. Twenty-two years old. On debut. Dismissed the opposition’s highest scorer. And took a hat-trick late during a tense chase. Enough said.The big missGiven all his exploits with the ball, the only blip standing in the way of making this a perfect day for Aliss were those two dropped catches. Especially given how simple both offerings were. While the first was a half-tracker that was pulled tamely straight into his hands at backward square leg, the second was a paddle that travelled at face-height towards Aliss, who reverse-cupped his hands and let it pop out. The two chances cost Dhaka 31 runs and added a whole lot of nerves towards the end.Where the teams standDhaka’s third win in as many matches helped them retain their position atop the table. They are two points clear of the second-placed Rangpur, with a huge gulf in the net run rate.
The India captain on what it takes to tackle New Zealand in New Zealand, and how knowing the ins and outs of batting helps his captaincy
ESPNcricinfo staff22-Jan-20196:59
Kohli explains how thinking like a batsman boosts his captaincy
India arrive in New Zealand a confident bunch. They’ve just beaten Australia on their home turf. But, perhaps, somewhere the previous bilateral ODI series they played in New Zealand will be at the back of their minds: played five, lost four, tied one. India captain Virat Kohli admitted the team was not at its best back then in early 2014, but he felt the knowledge gained then would provide a blueprint for success this time around.”We’ve seen a lot of things that happened in the last series in New Zealand, the patterns and the areas the [opposition] guys were looking to get us out,” Kohli said in Napier, on the eve of the first of five ODIs. “We were probably not an experienced side back then in terms of batting together. If you see the last three years or so we have evolved as a batting group, we are more aware of our abilities.”You see New Zealand have the ability to make the game high-scoring, so the key is to not panic when you see 300 posted regularly. You just have to back yourself as a batting group to get those runs or set a big target when you’re batting first. The last time we played we here we didn’t have that kind of composure, to be relaxed while chasing 300.”Kohli pointed out the importance of adapting plans to the relatively small grounds in New Zealand. “You have to be aware of the side boundaries being short on most grounds here, so we need to target the right areas. I think the bowlers require more composure here. Unless it’s a typical green surface, bowlers have to figure out the areas where they can force batsmen to hit so that they can get them out. The team that does that well ends up winning in a place like New Zealand, purely based on the dimensions of the field.”ALSO READ: Five reasons why New Zealand will pose stiffer challenges than AustraliaOn a day when he swept the ICC’s awards for 2018, he said that knowing the ins and outs of batting helped his captaincy. “You get a gut feel of what the batsman’s going to do because you put yourself in that situation and think ‘what is the shot that I would want to play to get myself out of trouble, or how so I see this game going forward, am I in the mindset of just knocking singles around?’ Then you place the field accordingly. If I’m wanting to go after the bowlers, you change the field before the batsman does it.”Being a batsman and captaining the side helps in that regard because you can premeditate at times what the batsman might want to do. That’s a massive factor. Every captain in the world would be doing that, taking that one step ahead.”
West Bromwich Albion have recovered from an inconsistent start in the Championship this season and are convincingly fighting for promotion back to the Premier League for the first time since being relegated from the top flight three campaigns ago.
Head coach Carlos Corberan has made the Baggies competitive once more and his side currently boast the third-best defensive record in the division and have the seventh-best attack. However, three defeats in their last five league outings have shown that there are still some frailties in the squad, particularly following the loss of star attacker Matt Phillips.
With the ex-Queens Park Rangers winger set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines, the Spanish coach will be looking to permanently replace him in the starting lineup and has hinted at one interesting potential change.
West Brom injury news – Matt Phillips
Phillips has been one of the first names on Corberan's teamsheet this season.
The Scotland international has made 19 appearances in the Championship this term for the West Midlands club and has managed to score three goals and record five assists. Furthermore, the 32-year-old has been in the starting lineup for 90% of West Brom's games so far, according to Transfermarkt.
In addition, only Brandon Thomas-Asante and John Swift have managed more goal contributions this season for West Brom than Phillips.
Player
Goals
Assists
Appearances
Brandon Thomas-Asante
6
2
19
John Swift
6
1
16
Matt Phillips
3
3
19
Grady Diangana
3
3
15
Jed Wallace
2
3
18
Semi Ajayi
2
1
13
Darnell Furlong
2
1
20
Jeremy Sarmiento
2
0
16
Kyle Bartley
2
0
16
Alex Mowatt
1
2
19
Josh Maja
1
0
9
Cedric Kipre
1
0
19
Conor Townsend
0
2
20
Pipa
0
1
5
Nathaniel Chalobah
0
1
17
Jayson Molumby
0
1
19
Stats via BBC
Unfortunately, in a recent 2-1 defeat at home to league leaders Leicester City, Phillips pulled up with a hamstring problem while chasing down a clearance and Corberan has since admitted that the attacker will be "out of the team for the next four months", having damaged the tendon in his hamstring.
This is a significant blow for the manager and the team. Phillips has shown throughout his time under the Spaniard that he can play several positions on the pitch, including on both flanks as well as a centre-forward role at times and even as a wingback. Nevertheless, the manager does have another positionally flexible player in his ranks that could fill Phillips' boots.
Pipa's stats this season
Having featured under Corberan at Huddersfield Town and latterly Olympiacos, Gonzalo Ávila Gordón, more commonly known as Pipa, moved to the Hawthorns on a season-long loan on transfer deadline day from Bulgarian side Ludogorets and is currently earning £15k-per-week, making him the ninth-lowest paid player at the club this season.
Despite featuring for Corberan at two other teams, Pipa has struggled for game-time with the Baggies, featuring just five times for the club which has been spread across merely 114 minutes of action.
In West Brom's first game without Phillips, which came away at Sunderland on Saturday, the head coach decided to deploy Brighton and Hove Albion loanee Jeremy Sarmiento on the left in Phillips' place but Pipa came on fifteen minutes from time for John Swift.
In his quarter of an hour on the pitch, the Spaniard made the assist for Brandon Thomas-Asante's consolation goal with a tremendous cross from the left as the side fell to a 2-1 defeat at the Stadium of Light.
In his post-match interview, Corberan hinted that Pipa could start featuring more on the wings due to his "versatile" nature.
"He's [Pipa] not natural to play as a winger, but when you don't have more possibilities he is one player that has a level of versatility that can help the team in different circumstances."
Despite his limited minutes on the pitch, the 25-year-old does boast a 100% crossing accuracy with West Brom, as well as a 100% dribble success rate and has even won 66.7% of his duels so far, showcasing his array of attributes both in and out of possession.
After his exciting cameo on Saturday, Corberan could certainly look to Pipa to fill in for Phillips in his absence.
Having come just two matches away from winning a quadruple during the 2021/22 season, Liverpool finishing outside the top four in the last term was certainly unprecedented.
While Jurgen Klopp will have been unhappy with his side’s display throughout the campaign, last season was important for the club to begin their rebuild from the team that won the Premier League and the Champions League twelve months apart a few years back.
The manager and his recruitment staff made a lot of new additions to the playing staff, selling some high-profile, ageing stars and this rebuild could continue ahead of the January transfer window.
Liverpool transfer news – Piero Hincapie
According to a report from South American journalist Christian Martin, the Reds are one of several European clubs who will battle it out for Bayer Leverkusen central defender Piero Hincapie. The reporter is also claiming that Newcastle United, AS Roma and AC Milan are all keen to secure the Ecuador international’s signature in the near future.
Hincapie signed for Leverkusen from Talleres in Argentina for a reported £7m and had a £39m release clause in his deal with the German outfit. However, having signed a new four-year deal with the Bundesliga’s current league leaders back in February, transfer expert Fabrizio Romano confirmed that no buyout clause had been included in his updated contract.
Furthermore, 90min journalist Graeme Bailey revealed last Friday that Hincapie was being scouted by Liverpool’s recruitment team, with his value being placed at £34m, as per CIES Football Observatory.
Piero Hincapie’s stats this season
In his first two seasons with Leverkusen, Hincapie was one of the first names on the teamsheet and made 76 appearances for the German giants in all competitions. However, the Ecuadorian has found himself as a bit-part player this term under head coach Xabi Alonso, having made merely two starts in the Bundesliga.
The 21-year-old started the season with a fractured foot which certainly hasn’t helped his game-time. As a result of his absence, Alonso was forced to utilise a back three of Edmond Tapsoba, Jonathan Tah and Odilon Koussouno. Incidentally, this trio have been in superb form, leaving Hincapie as a peripheral figure this term.
His lack of minutes this season could be the catalyst for a move away from Leverkusen and Liverpool could be the perfect option for him, particularly with both Virgil van Dijk and Joel Matip being on the wrong side of 30 now and with the latter’s contract expiring at the end of the campaign, having just picked up yet another nasty knee injury.
Given Van Dijk has played predominantly as a left centre-back throughout his career at Anfield, Hincapie could be the Dutchman’s long-term replacement, particularly as he is left-footed.
However, in the short term, the defender could take Matip’s place in the squad should the veteran leave this summer. In fact, Hincapie is outperforming Matip in several key defensive metrics this term.
Per 90 Metrics
Piero Hincapie
Joel Matip
Assists
0.13
0
Expected Assists
0.11
0.03
Progressive Passes
5.3
4.63
Progressive Carries
1.97
1.02
Key Passes
0.61
0.37
Passes To Final 1/3
3.79
3.06
Tackles
0.91
1.11
Tackles Won
0.51
0.51
Interceptions
1.54
1.19
Stats via FBref
Furthermore, Hincapie has played at left-back 35 times throughout his infant career, meaning the youngster could even rotate with Andy Robertson, allowing Klopp to switch to a back three in possession, as he likes to do, with Trent Alexander-Arnold inverting into midfield on the opposite side.
Hincapie has a very bright future in the game, with football scout Jacek Kulig even claiming that the young centre-back is a “future legend of Ecuadorian football”.
With Van Dijk and Matip nearing the end of their careers at Anfield, Hincapie could be Ibrahima Konate’s ideal partner in the very near future.
Chelsea have been told to stick with Mauricio Pochettino despite the Blues' disappointing season as the Argentine has "the hardest job in football".
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David Warner was in the right, the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) has confirmed, when he switched from batting left-handed to right and whacked Chris Gayle for 14 runs in three balls in a Bangladesh Premier League match.Struggling to get Gayle away in the 19th over of Sylhet Sixers’ innings against Rangpur Riders on Wednesday, Warner gave up trying to do the job the way most people expect him to, and changed his stance. He appeared to signal his intentions to Gayle, and Gayle responded by altering his field, which was enough for the MCC to accept the rather uncommon occurrence.”MCC has reviewed the footage of David Warner switching to batting right-handed in the Bangladesh Premier League match yesterday and feels that his actions were within the Laws of Cricket,” the MCC, the custodians of the Laws of the game, told ESPNcricinfo.”The Laws do not state that a batsman can bat only in one way and, from the footage seen, it seems clear that Warner made it obvious that he was changing to batting right-handed. The bowler, Chris Gayle, altered the field accordingly and everyone seemed to know what was happening.”Tom Moody, the Rangpur coach who has also worked with his country-mate Warner at Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League, wasn’t surprised to see the batsman make the swap as such, but said he hadn’t expected to see it happen in a competitive match.”I’m not surprised to see him do it because I have seen him bat right-handed on a number of occasions having worked with him for a number of years,” Moody said. “Seeing him do it last night was a surprise, though, in a match situation, in that given situation, but I’ll never ever write off what Warner can’t do.”I’d suggest to others that if they want to bat the other side, they’ll have to do a hell of a lot of practice to get it right, because it’s not easy.”Speaking to in 2016, sports scientist David Mann had in fact discussed Warner’s ability to bat both right-handed and left-handed.Warner’s ambidexterity, as described in an interview with •ESPNcricinfo Ltd
Warner, batting at No. 3, scored an unbeaten 36-ball 61 and Liton Das, the opener, hit 70 off 43 balls to help Sylhet score 187 for 5 and subsequently beat Rangpur by 27 runs.
أجريت قرعة دوري أبطال آسيا (دوري أبطال آسيا للنخبة بنظامه الجديد)، لتحديد مواجهات البطولة الآسيوية هذا الموسم 2024-2025.
وكان فريق العين الإماراتي توج ببطولة دوري أبطال آسيا الموسم الماضي عندما فاز على يوكوهاما إف مارينوس الياباني خلال مباراتي النهائي بنتيجة 6-3.
وكان الاتحاد الآسيوي قرر استحداث بطولة دوري أبطال آسيا إلى بطولة النخبة ليشارك فيها الـ 24 فريقًا الأقوى على مستوى القارة الآسيوية، بالنظام الجديد.
طالع | نتائج قرعة دوري أبطال آسيا 2 موسم 2024-2025 نظام دوري أبطال آسيا للنخبة 2024-2025
وتقام مباريات مرحلة الدوري بمشاركة 24 نادياً موزعة على منطقتين للغرب والشرق، في الفترة من 16 سبتمبر 2024 وحتي 19 فبراير 2025، بحيث يتقابل كل فريق مع ثمانية أندية مختلفة، عبر 4 مباريات على أرضه، و4 مباريات خارج ملعبه.
وتتأهل أفضل ثمانية فرق في كل دوري إلى دور الـ16، المقرر إقامة مبارياته في شهر مارس 2025.
وبداية من دور ربع النهائي وحتى المباراة النهائية ستقام البطولة بنظام البطولة المجمعة (التأهل من مباراة واحدة)، تقام في المملكة العربية السعودية، ذلك خلال الفترة من 25 أبريل وحتى 4 مايو 2025. الأندية المشاركة في دوري أبطال آسيا للنخبة 2024-2025
منطقة الغرب
المستوى الأول: العين (الإمارات)، الهلال (السعودية)، السد (قطر)، بيرسيبوليس (إيران)، باختاكور (أوزبكستان)، الشرطة (العراق).
المستوى الثاني: النصر (السعودية)، الريان (قطر)، الاستقلال (إيران)، الوصل (الإمارات)، الأهلي (السعودية)، الغرافة (قطر).
منطقة الشرق
المستوى الأول: فيسيل كوبي (اليابان)، أولسان هيونداي (جمهورية كوريا)، شنغهاي بورت (الصين)، بوريرام يونايتد (تايلاند)، سنترال كوست مارينرز (أستراليا)، جوهور دار التعظيم (ماليزيا).
المستوى الثاني: كاوازاكي فرونتال (اليابان)، بوهانج ستيلرز (جمهورية كوريا)، شنغهاي شينهوا (الصين)، يوكوهاما مارينوس (اليابان)، غوانغجو (جمهورية كوريا)، شاندونج تايشان (الصين). نتائج قرعة مرحلة المجموعات لـ دوري أبطال آسيا للنخبة 2024-2025
منطقة الغرب
باختاكور (أوزبكستان) يواجه: السد – العين – الريان – الوصل (على أرض فريق باختاكور) – بيرسبوليس – الشرطة – الاستقلال – الغرافة (خارج أرض باختاكور).
السد (قطر) يواجه: بيرسبوليس – الهلال – الاستقلال – الأهلي (على أرض ملعب السد) – باختاكور- العين – النصر – الوصل (خارج ملعب السد).
بيرسبوليس (إيران) يواجه: باختاكور – الشرطة – النصر – الغرافة (على أرضه) – السد – الهلال – الريان – الأهلي (خارج أرضه).
الهلال (السعودية) يواجه: بيرسبوليس – الشرطة – الاستقلال – الغرافة (على أرضه)، السد – العين – الريان – الوصل (خارج السعودية).
الشرطة (العراق) يواجه: باختاكور – العين – الوصل – النصر (على أرض الفريق العراقي) – بيرسبوليس – الهلال – الاستقلال – الأهلي (خارج العراق.
العين الإماراتي يواجه: السد – الهلال – الريان – الأهلي (في الإمارات)، باختاكور – الشرطة – النصر – الغرافة ( خارج الإمارات).
النصر (السعودية) يواجه: السد – العين – الريان – الوصل (في السعودية) – بيرسبوليس – الشرطة – الاستقلال – الغرافة (خارج السعودية).
الريان (قطر) يواجه: بيرسبوليس – الهلال – الاستقلال – الأهلي ( على أرضه في قطر) – باختاكور – العين – النصر – الوصل (خارج قطر).
الاستقلال (إيران) يواجه: باختاكور – الشرطة – النصر – الغرافة ( في إيران) – السد – الهلال – الريان – الأهلي (خارج إيران).
الأهلي (السعودية) يواجه: بيرسبوليس – الشرطة – الاستقلال – الغرافة (في السعودية) – السد – العين – الريان – الوصل (خارج السعودية).
الغرافة (قطر) يواجه: باختاكور – العين – النصر – الوصل (في قطر) – بيرسبوليس – الهلال – الاستقلال – الأهلي(خارج قطر).
الوصل (الإمارات) يواجه: السد – الهلال – الريان -الأهلي (في الإمارات) – باختاكور – الشرطة – النصر – الغرافة( خارج الإمارات).
منطقة الشرق
MatériaMais Notícias
O resultado não foi o esperado, mas o empate de 1 a 1 entre Botafogo e Palmeiras ficará marcado na carreira de Rafael Navarro. O duelo desta terça-feira, pela 33ª rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro, trouxe à tona o primeiro gol do atacante do Alvinegro como profissional.
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Após a partida, o atacante, criado nas categorias de base do Botafogo, ressaltou a presença dos jovens jogadores na partida do Allianz Parque. O jogador comemorou o tento.
– Queria agradecer a Deus pelo meu primeiro gol como profissional. A gente não queria o empate, queria a vitória. Queria agradecer à torcida, meus empresários e os jogadores do Botafogo. Os meninos que acabam entrando querem sempre dão o máximo para conquistar a vitória – afirmou, em entrevista ao “Premiere”.
O Botafogo volta aos gramados na próxima sexta-feira para enfrentar o Sport, no Estádio Nilton Santos. Na 20ª colocação, o Alvinegro precisa de um milagre para escapar da segunda divisão.