Glasgow Rangers entered the international break way off the pace in the Premiership, trailing nine points behind the leaders.

The matter of the fact is, Aberdeen and Celtic have simply been too good, while the Ibrox side have struggled this term.

Yes, Rangers may have the second-best defensive record in the top flight, conceding just eight goals in their 11 games so far, but it is the club’s attacking statistics which are worrying.

Indeed, the Light Blues have scored 16 times this season, equal with tenth place St Johnstone and two fewer than Dundee, who are outside the top six.

Scottish Premiership table-top six
Position	Team	Games played	Wins	Draws	Losses	For	Against	Points
1	Celtic	11	10	1	0	31	3	31
2	Aberdeen	11	10	1	0	24	10	31
3	Rangers	11	7	1	3	16	8	22
4	Dundee United	12	5	4	3	18	13	19
5	Motherwell	11	6	1	4	15	14	19
6	St Mirren	13	4	3	6	17	22	15
Via BBC Sport

Something has to change when the domestic calendar returns, especially if Philippe Clement aims to drag his team back into title contention.

There have been a few positives of late, most notably the form of Nico Raskin, who has emerged as someone who can make all the difference in the heart of the midfield alongside Connor Barron and Mohamed Diomande.

Nico Raskin’s stats this season

The Belgian midfielder managed to make only 22 starts throughout the whole of the 2023/24 campaign, as he suffered from several injury issues. It looked like Raskin wasn’t going to be Clement’s cup of tea, especially as he had to wait until September to make his first appearance of the season.

Since October, the 23-year-old has started seven of the Gers’ nine fixtures in all competitions, finally earning his place in the starting XI.

Forming a combative partnership with Barron in the middle of the pitch, Raskin has won 4.9 ground duels per game in the top flight – a success rate of 67% – along with averaging 3.3 tackles, recovering 4.1 balls and being dribbled past on just 0.4 occasions per game, showcasing his tenacious nature.

The former Standard Liege starlet has echoed these statistics in Europe too, recovering 7.3 balls per game and making 4.3 tackles each match. His profile certainly works wonders in Scottish football, but he has now proved it can have plenty of success in Europe too.

Is Raskin finally living up to the promise that made Michael Beale sign him in January 2023? Perhaps a tad too early, but his form recently has been encouraging to say the least.

With a tough run of fixtures to come between now and 2025, the Belgian will hope to remain fit and healthy.

Nico Raskin’s wage at Rangers

One priority for Clement during the summer was moving some of the high earners off the wage bill to free up some funds.

This saw the likes of Connor Goldson, Kemar Roofe and John Lundstram move on, allowing the manager to sign some young talents.

Raskin is currently earning £19k-per-week, which isn’t breaking the bank, ranking him in mid-table of the club’s highest earners.

There are a couple of players ahead of him who aren’t quite justifying their lavish wage packets, notably Tom Lawrence, who has been ruled out for the next month with yet another injury…

Tom Lawrence’s season in numbers

The midfielder joined the club in 2022, but his first season saw him make only nine appearances, registering five goal contributions, before the former Derby County star suffered an injury just weeks into his spell, which kept him out of the rest of the campaign.

He returned ahead of the 2023/24 season, where the Welshman featured 32 times in all competitions, scoring three goals and grabbing three assists, but he still missed a host of games due to several niggling issues.

Entering this season, Lawrence knew that he would have to make an impact, especially considering he is in the final year of his contract at Ibrox.

In fairness, the 31-year-old started 2024/25 off rather well, already notching five goals and two assists in just 15 matches.

Against Motherwell in the League Cup semi-final, Lawrence was subbed off in the first half with an injury, and it looks likely to keep him out for a while.

“Tom Lawrence hasn’t travelled, he got injured at the weekend and will be out for several weeks, 4-6 weeks,” said Clement after the victory at Hampden Park.

“Of course, he’s been important. He took the role really well.”

With January fast approaching, the Gers should be looking to move Lawrence on, despite his impressive start to the campaign.

Rangers could sell Tom Lawrence in January

Lawrence is taking home £22k-per-week at the Light Blues. Since joining in 2022, this has accumulated to £2.5m spent on the midfielder, which will rise before the end of the season.

During his spell in Scotland, Lawrence has played just 56 times for the Ibrox side, scoring 11 goals and chipping in with seven assists.

Considering the money he is earning; these numbers aren’t exactly awe-inspiring. Lawrence has actually missed 66 games through injury during his time in Glasgow, meaning he has been absent through injury more often than playing.

With his latest absence lasting up to six weeks, at the busiest part of the season, it is clear that Clement cannot continue to rely on the player.

Given he has the likes of Diomande, Nedim Bajrami and even Ianis Hagi as options in the number ten role, would it not therefore make sense to try and get some sort of fee for Lawrence during the January transfer window?

The Welshman is even earning £3k more a week than Raskin, who could become one of the best players at the club if he continues to shine under Clement.

Lawrence has done well when called up, yet this hasn’t been as often as the Ibrox faithful would have liked during his spell at the club.

Cerny upgrade: Rangers eyeing up move for "immense" star

Glasgow Rangers are reportedly interested in a deal to sign the young forward.

By
Dan Emery

Nov 13, 2024

Sir Jim Ratcliffe says he was happy to see out-of-favour forward Marcus Rashford leave Manchester United in the January transfer window.

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Rashford left Man Utd on loanJoined Aston Villa until end of the seasonRatcliffe was 'pleased' to see Rashford leaveFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱Getty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

The English forward exited Old Trafford on a six-month loan deal to Aston Villa after losing the faith of manager Ruben Amorim. Since joining the Villans, Rashford's performances have seen a remarkable upturn as he has contributed with three assists in seven appearances for Unai Emery's side. United minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has now addressed Rashford's departure from the club, admitting he was "pleased" to see the forward leave.

AdvertisementWHAT SIR JIM RATCLIFFE SAID

Ratcliffe said to the BBC: "He's moved out of Manchester and maybe that's a good thing for him. I am very pleased he is doing well. It's good to see because he has got tremendous talent, but for whatever reason it wasn't working in Manchester for the past couple of seasons. But he is a very talented footballer, Rashford."

Getty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The Red Devils are reportedly ready to incorporate their academy star back into the side next season, but claimed last month that Rashford would prefer to continue with the Villans beyond the 2024-25 campaign, as he is keen on securing a permanent move to the West Midlands to develop under Emery. The 27-year-old feels that playing under the Spanish coach will help him resurrect his international career and he would be able to find a way back to the England national team ahead of the World Cup next year.

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AFPWHAT NEXT FOR MARCUS RASHFORD?

The United loanee will be back in action for Aston Villa on Wednesday as they take on Club Brugge in the second leg of their Champions League round of 16 fixture, having won the first leg 3-1 in Belgium.

MatériaMais Notícias

Após a vitória por 2 a 0 sobre o Athletico e a conquista do inédito título da Recopa Sul-Americana, os jogadores do Palmeiras admitiram ainda no gramado do Allianz Parque que esperam terem entrado para a história do clube.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasVídeoVÍDEO: Assista aos gols do título do Palmeiras na Recopa Sul-AmericanaVídeo03/03/2022VídeoVÍDEO: Confira a festa do Palmeiras erguendo o troféu da Recopa Sul-Americana 2022 no Allianz ParqueVídeo03/03/2022Palmeiras‘Trabalhador’, Zé Rafael se diz ‘coroado’ com gol de falta em título inédito do PalmeirasPalmeiras03/03/2022

– Eu acho que fica marcado na historia, nas páginas do clube. Era um título que o Palmeiras ainda não tinha e quando mencionarem essa conquista nosso nome vai estar lá e estaremos marcados – disse o volante Zé Rafael, autor de um dos gols do jogo.

Para o goleiro Weverton, titular em todas as conquistas do Verdão sob o comando de Abel Ferreira, é mais um capítulo da ‘bonita história’ sendo construída entre esse grupo e a torcida.

– Estoumuito feliz. Eu acho que é mais uma historia sendo escrita de uma forma muita bonita. É um legado que a gente pode deixar como atleta para o clube.

Segundo o camisa 21, a conquista tem de ser ainda mais valorizada pelo fato de ter sido alcançada diante da torcida.

-Último titulo que ganhamos aqui foi a Copa do Brasil, mas por conta da pandemia estava vazio, não sentimos esse clima. Hoje estava tudo preparado, tudo muito lindo, jogamos diante de um grande adversário, conseguimos vencer e levantar esse título inédito.

Australia captain says “we’re really lucky to be surrounded by so many professionals”

AAP27-Feb-2022Pat Cummins says he feels “incredibly safe” after touching down in Pakistan on Sunday for Australia’s first tour of the country in 24 years.Cummins will captain Australia in an overseas Test match for the first time when they take on the hosts in Rawalpindi next Friday. The Test is the first of three, before a trio of ODIs and one T20I.Related

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Cummins, who will lead a strong Australia side on the back of their successful Ashes campaign, said the players’ concerns had been allayed by a delegation from Cricket Australia ensuring appropriate safety standards were met.”I feel incredibly safe and we’ve been really well looked after by the Pakistan Cricket Board,” Cummins said. “There’s been lots of security upon arrival. We were straight off the plane and straight to the hotel.”We’ve got a pretty good set-up and we’ll be confined to the hotel except for games and training. We’ve travelled to places like India where you don’t leave the hotel too much so we are used to it. It’s comforting and we’re really lucky to be surrounded by so many professionals.A convoy carrying the Australian team is flanked by heavy security in Islamabad•AFP/Getty Images”One of the factors we wanted to be really thorough on before arriving here was not only security but also bio-security. Everyone has done a fantastic job, so we can just concentrate on cricket and really enjoy our first tour here for 24 years.”Australia’s players must isolate for the 24 hours following their arrival but can hit the training ground on Monday provided they do not test positive for Covid-19.Cummins said he felt privileged to play a Test series in Pakistan when so many greats of the game in Australia hadn’t been afforded that opportunity.”We feel lucky to get to come back here after a whole generation didn’t get the chance to play any cricket over here,” Cummins said. “I think it [Pakistan] has slowly had more cricket here. George Bailey, our selector, came and played a couple of games a few years ago.”The Pakistan Super League has also been hugely successful. We’re fortunate that they have come to play us in Australia and it’s great we can return the favour.”Cummins’ side has been boosted by the inclusion of Pakistan-born Australian international Fawad Ahmed as a spin bowling consultant. He has been playing in the PSL with Lahore Qalandars.”He’s got a wealth of experience here and he knows the venues quite well and he’s always great fun for the group,” Cummins said.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison offers Warne’s family a state funeral

Alex Malcolm05-Mar-2022

People pay their respects to Shane Warne outside the MCG•AFP

The Great Southern Stand at the Melbourne Cricket Ground is set to be renamed the SK Warne stand in perpetuity following the sudden death of Australian cricket legend Shane Warne at the age of 52.Warne died while on holiday in Thailand on Friday leading to a global outpouring of tributes and emotion.On a grey dreary Saturday in Melbourne, not dissimilar to the one where Warne claimed his 700th Test wicket in front of adoring fans in the Southern Stand at the MCG on Boxing Day 2006, Melburnians gathered around his statue outside the Members’ at the MCG to lay flowers, cricket balls, beers, pies and cigarettes as a tribute to Warne.Related

Shane Warne, Australia's legendary legspinner, dies aged 52

A magician and a match-winner

Victoria’s minister for tourism and sport, Martin Pakula, confirmed that he had consulted with Victoria premier Daniel Andrews, MCC Trust chairman Steve Bracks and MCC CEO Stuart Fox and they had resolved to honour Warne by renaming the Southern Stand in his honour.”We will be renaming the Great Southern Stand the S.K. Warne stand and we’ll be doing that as soon as we possibly can,” Pakula said. “I can think of no finer tribute to the greatest cricketer this state has produced than to rename the stand the S.K. Warne stand and no matter whatever happens to that stand in the future whether it’s rebuilt, refurbished, renovated, it will remain the S.K. Warne stand in perpetuity because his legend will live in perpetuity.”Cricket Victoria is also looking at ways it can honour Warne as there were already plans to potentially rename a stand at the Junction Oval in his name prior to his passing.Premier Andrews and Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison have also contacted the Warne family to offer a state funeral but the family has been given some time to work out what they would like to do.Cricket Australia chairman Dr Lachlan Henderson confirmed he had spoken to the Prime Minister directly on Saturday regarding Warne and believed renaming the Southern Stand at the MCG was a fitting tribute.”That would seem a very appropriate acknowledgement of Shane Warne,” Henderson said. “He’s been an icon of the game, obviously with St Kilda Cricket Club, Victoria, our Australian team for so many years. He also played cricket all around the world. So it’s a very fitting tribute.”Right here this morning, driving past a junior cricket ground in Victoria, I saw a young leg-spin bowler bowl a beautifully flighted ball that beat the bat and I’m sure someone was looking down on that young bowler as he embarks on his career.”The Australia women’s team wore two black armbands in memory of Warne, and Rod Marsh, who also passed away Friday, and observed a minute’s silence ahead of their Women’s World Cup opener against England in New Zealand. England also wore a black armband in tribute to both men.Henderson confirmed that Australia’s men’s team, who wore a black armband and observed a minute’s silence ahead of day one of the first Test with Pakistan in Rawalpindi on Friday in memory of Marsh, would do the same for Warne ahead of day two on Saturday.

The forward looked set to be a world-beating player when he broke through two years ago, but his career is threatening to stagnate

The last time Manchester United played away to Real Sociedad in November 2022 was a very special occasion for Alejandro Garnacho. The winger's extended family had travelled up from Madrid to San Sebastian to see him make only his second competitive start for the Red Devils, and it was already a dream come true for him before the game kicked-off as Garnacho found himself partnering his childhood hero, Cristiano Ronaldo, in attack in the final game of United's Europa League group-stage campaign.

The dream got even better when Ronaldo played a through ball which the then-18-year-old Garnacho ran onto and smashed into the roof of the net to score his first senior goal. His father, Alex, couldn't keep himself from crying in the main stand out of happiness. The goal began a thrilling few weeks for Garnacho, who went on to spark United's comeback victory over Aston Villa in the Carabao Cup and then struck a last-minute winner against Fulham.

Fast-forward two-and-a-half years later, Garnacho and United are heading back to San Sebastian to face Real Sociedad in the Europa League, just after playing Fulham. But things could hardly be more different for player and club.

Garnacho looked like being United's future flagbearer after his breakthrough season and he consolidated his progress last season, as his outrageous bicycle kick against Everton and his opener in the FA Cup final win over Manchester City lighting up an otherwise dismal campaign for the club. But United have got even worse in this season, and Garnacho hasn't just stagnated; he has gone backwards…

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Goal drought

  Garnacho has not scored for United in any competition since netting against Bodo/Glimt on November 28. It is his longest goal drought since breaking into the senior team, even longer than when he was sidelined for two months in his debut campaign with an ankle injury. His tally of three league goals matches his breakthrough season, and that is despite him starting triple the amount of games and having two extra years of experience.

  What is strange about the Argentina international's plight is that he is still causing plenty of danger, and United look a far better team when he is on the pitch than when he is not. Take the recent FA Cup tie against Fulham, when Ruben Amorim's side looked flat and shy in attack until Garnacho was introduced early in the second half.

  It was he who played the through ball which led to Diogo Dalot setting up Bruno Fernandes to equalise, and Garnacho had four attempts on goal himself, more than any player on the pitch. Two of those efforts were classified as 'big chances' and both were ones that the free-spirited Garnacho of the previous two seasons would have gleefully buried. It was also telling that he did not step up to take a penalty in the shootout.

  Those wasted opportunities on Sunday are part of a broader pattern of a player who seems to have lost his confidence in front of goal. There are further statistics to prove that claim: Garnacho has the lowest conversion rate of any Premier League player to have had 10 or more 'big chances', and since Amorim's first game in charge in November, Garnacho has attempted more shots without scoring than any other player in the league.

  His failed attempts to score against Fulham can be filed alongside his glaring miss from close range against Tottenham and his over-hit finish against West Ham that ended up rattling the bar in a 2-1 defeat that proved to be Erik ten Hag's last game in charge.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Not creating chances either

  Garnacho is ranked eighth in the Premier League when it comes to 'big chances' missed, having squandered 12 such opportunities. He is in esteemed company in that sense, level with Cole Palmer and Raul Jimenez while below Ollie Watkins, Erling Haaland, Kai Havertz and Mohamez Salah, among others. But the majority of the players on that list miss so many chances because they also score so many. Garnacho, however, has the joint-fewest goals of the players on the list, tied with Dominic Calvert-Lewin on three. Palmer, who looked to be on a similar trajectory to him in 2023, has 14 strikes. Jimenez has nine.

  Garnacho is not compensating for his lack of goals with assists either. He has six in all competitions, while in the Premier League it is just one. That is one third of the assists provided by Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson.

  He cannot blame his team-mates' poor finishing for his low assist count either. The forward has created just three 'big chances' himself, as many as Casemiro and Christian Eriksen. That tally looks even worse when you consider Eriksen has started just seven league games all season, having last appeared in a starting line-up against Newcastle in late December, or that Casemiro has started only five league games since Amorim took charge.

• Getty
  

  Loved by fans

  Garnacho is a fascinating figure in this United team. He has an incredibly high ceiling in terms of what he could go on to achieve, and it should not be forgotten that he is still only 20. That is why many United fans were anxious about the prospect of him leaving in the January transfer window, particularly as Chelsea looked like being his most likely destination.

  The fact that he came through the club's academy – albeit having only arrived at the age of 16 from Atletico Madrid – and was the talisman of the 2022 FA Youth Cup-winning side has furthered strengthened fans' feelings towards him. Garnacho is many ways a pure Manchester United player, someone who gets fans off their seats and generates excitement. Even when he missing chances, he keeps his head up and keeps trying. United fans value that. Coaches, however, have had a tougher relationship with him.

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• Getty
  

  But a headache for managers

  Ten Hag carefully oversaw Garnacho's rise into the team, and his management of the player, as well as the emergence of Kobbie Mainoo, was one of the Dutchman's greatest achievements during his time in the Old Trafford dugout. But he had to handle a whole load of problems when it came to the tempestuous youngster.

  Garnacho was late for breakfast while the team were staying in Thailand for their pre-season tour of 2022, and Ten Hag punished him by leaving him out for the remainder of the games. The Argentine was also among a number of players who joined Ronaldo in leaving a pre-season match against Rayo Vallecano before full-time

  Garnacho eventually gained Ten Hag's confidence and became one of the best players in the team, but that did not prevent further infractions, such as liking critical posts of the Dutchman's management on social media. He also risked a ban from the Football Association for a social media post he made about Andre Onana, though he eventually escaped punishment.

  Ten Hag and Garnacho's relationship was a bit like that of a father and son, and while there were moments of tension, there was clearly a lot of shared affection. When the Dutchman was sacked, Garnacho penned him a heartfelt message, writing on Instagram:"Thank you for everything, boss. I will always be grateful to you for giving me the opportunity and the confidence to play for this club. It hasn’t gone as well as we wanted, but I will remember the good times we had together and I wish you all the best in the future."

One Everton player’s agents has been in contact with a club in Italy over a potential January move, it has emerged, with the Toffees battling for survival in the Premier League.

Everton in a relegation battle

A 4-0 thrashing at the hands of Manchester United in their most recent outing confirmed that Everton are going to be in a relegation battle this season. A series of mistakes saw Sean Dyche’s side fall apart in half an hour either side of half-time as goals from Marcus Rashford and Joshua Zirkzee helped the hosts to a comfortable win.

It leaves the Toffees in 15th place in the Premier League, but just two points above the relegation zone and 19th placed Ipswich Town, with an equally poor goal difference as Kieran McKenna’s side.

Now without a win since they beat Ipswich six games ago, things are only likely to get worse for the Toffees in the weeks to come, with a tough fixture list that sees them face four of the current top five in successive games, beginning with the final Merseyside derby at Goodison Park.

Everton’s next five Premier League games

Wolverhampton Wanderers (Home)

Liverpool (Home)

Arsenal (Away)

Chelsea (Home)

Manchester City (Away)

That could pile pressure on Sean Dyche, and with the club also mid-takeover, there is little certainty on Merseyside at present in what could could prove a difficult campaign for them. They also have the issue of Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who has been linked with a move away in January and will leave in the summer at the latest as things stand, with his current deal coming to an end amid widespread interest. Now, another player has been receiving enquiries ahead of January.

Everton man in the sights of Serie A sides

That comes courtesy of reports in Italy, which claim that Beto’s agent has been in talks with Serie A side Torino, while two more Italian sides wait in the wings.

Beto was handed his first start of the season against Manchester United, but missed a glorious chance with the score at 0-0 and had little other service. In the post-match player ratings, the Liverpool Echo handed him a 5/10, warning that he needed to be more composed and lacked the quality for the Premier League.

“We saw a lot of what we already knew about Beto as while he found himself on the end of several more chances than Dominic Calvert-Lewin has been getting, he needed to be more composed with his finishing having skewed an early left foot chance high over the bar and then shooting wide when one-on-one with Andre Onana, more quality must be shown to be a success in the Premier League.”

Since moving to Goodison Park from Udinese, Beto has struggled for game time, starting just 13 times in 2 seasons and having little impact off the substitutes bench when turned to.

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With that in mind, Torino have spoken to Beto’s agent, in order to “find out more about Beto’s situation and the possibility of a transfer” in January, while it is added that both Juventus and Roma are also keeping a close eye on the forward’s situation.

Beto still has almost three years left to run on his £50,000 a week deal at Goodison Park, and with Calvert-Lewin’s future unclear, Everton would likely be reluctant to sell him unless they could recoup their initial outlay.

Ange Postecoglou has been in the job at Tottenham Hotspur for almost a year and a half now, and it would be fair to say that he’s endured a mixed tenure thus far.

For example, he’s been able to turn what was one of the Premier League’s most boring teams under previous managers into arguably one of the most entertaining sides in Europe, let alone England.

However, he hasn’t been able to solve the club’s serious issue with consistency, and the last few weeks have shone a glaring spotlight on exactly that.

Premier League

Bournemouth (A)

1-0 (L)

Premier League

Fulham (H)

1-1 (D)

Europa League

AS Roma (H)

2-2 (D)

Premier League

Man City (A)

4-0 (W)

Premier League

Ipswich (H)

2-1 (L)

Moreover, the club’s unpredictable form has seen one of their most promising and exciting talents become something of a liability this season.

Tottenham Hotspur's recent form

Spurs started this season in worrying form, drawing away to newly promoted Leicester City, losing to a weakened Arsenal at home and only just about getting over the line against Championship side Coventry City in the League Cup.

However, that late fightback against the Sky Blues acted as a sort of reset for the North Londoners, and thanks to the sensational goalscoring form of Brennan Johnson, the team went on to win their next four games, which also saw them dismantle Manchester United at Old Trafford.

Unfortunately, as has been the hallmark of Postecoglou’s reign thus far, the inconsistency returned.

Since their 3-2 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion in early August, the Lilywhites have dropped points against Crystal Palace, Ipswich Town, Galatasaray, Fulham, AS Roma and, most recently, Bournemouth.

Now, they did put in a masterclass of a performance away to Manchester City two weeks ago, but that stands as the club’s only win in the last six games, which is the sort of form that could see a manager given the sack.

Games

14

5

2

Wins

6

3

2

Draws

2

1

0

Losses

6

1

0

Goals For

28

10

4

Goals Against

15

6

2

There have been injury problems that must be taken into account, but even then, some of the worst displays have come from the regular starters who are still fit, including one who was looked at as one of the most promising players in his position last season, and now has to be dropped.

The Spurs star who must be dropped

So, to get right to the point, the player in question is none other than Destiny Udogie.

The promising full-back initially joined Spurs for £15m from Serie A side Udinese in the summer of 2022, and after spending another season on loan in Italy, played his first full season with the Lilywhites last year, and what a season it was.

In all, the 22-year-old made 30 appearances for Postecoglou, scoring two goals, providing three assists, and even being the club’s first nomination for the Premier League’s Young Player of the Year Award.

It was practically the perfect debut campaign for the talented full-back, and he certainly impressed the watching media, with journalist Hunter Godson proclaiming that he “gets into nearly every team in the world” – high praise indeed.

Unfortunately, this year has been notably different, and instead of a fearless young full-back who looks prepared to take anyone on and capable of stopping any winger, we’ve seen an altogether less dynamic, less confident and generally less capable player.

Appearances

30

18

Goals

2

0

Assists

3

1

Goal Involvements per Match

0.16

0.05

We can see this drop off in the simple fact that in his 18 appearances to date, the Verona-born gem has provided just a single assist and has put in several notably poor performances.

For example, respected Spurs writer Alasdair Gold awarded him just a 5/10 match rating against Ipswich Town, a miserable 3/10 rating against Brighton, and another 5/10 against Palace.

Now, there is undoubtedly a possibility that this utter collapse in form is related to the hamstring injury he picked up towards the end of last season, but even then, it’s still a problem for Postecoglou.

Ultimately, while Udogie is an exciting talent, his form has been nothing short of shambolic this season, and for his own and the team’s sake, the manager should be looking to take him out of the team for a while, especially when there are players who could step in for him in the squad.

Lost the ball 17x: Ange must now drop 4/10 Spurs star after B'mouth shocker

One experienced leader needs to miss Spurs’ next game.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Dec 6, 2024

MatériaMais Notícias

Dylan Talero já chegou ao Botafogo. Anunciado por John Textor na noite de quinta-feira, o colombiano desembarcou no Brasil na manhã desta sexta-feira e já foi ao Estádio Nilton Santos para o primeiro treinamento como jogador do Alvinegro.

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+ Com ‘novo Cristiano Ronaldo’, Botafogo inicia intercâmbios na base e contatos com clubes de John Textor

O atacante, que estava no FC Florida, equipe que disputa torneios de base nos Estados Unidos e pertence a John Textor, chega para reforçar o time sub-20 do Glorioso. Se for bem, assinará contrato profissional com o Alvinegro.

Ele foi recepcionado com o Matheus Nascimento. Nas redes sociais, Textor brincou que era o encontro do “novo Cavani” com o “novo Cristiano Ronaldo” pela semelhança dos jovens com os craques mundiais.

– Estou muito feliz de desfrutar desse momento no Botafogo. É um clube grandioso e reconhecido em todo o mundo. Quero aproveitar o máximo e absorver grandes experiências para me desenvolver como atleta e pessoa. Estou realizando um sonho. Agradeço ao Botafogo e ao John Textor pela oportunidade – afirmou Dylan, em entrevista ao site oficial do Botafogo.

The visitors have named an unchanged side after toiling through 172 overs in Karachi

Andrew McGlashan20-Mar-2022Big PictureBarring one innings which is looking like a significant anomaly, this series has been a never-ending toil for bowlers. The question now is whether either side can find the 20 wickets to give them a chance of breaking the deadlock to take the decider.Australia know there was a golden opportunity in Karachi that they were unable to take – denied by one of the great match-saving innings from Babar Azam – but are also talking positively about having come to Asia for the first time since 2018 and not had the batting problems which have hindered other tours.Related

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Pakistan will be buoyed by having rallied for the draw last week. The first three days of the second Test had suggested a team struggling with the pressure of playing at home, but when a captain produces a performance on the scale of Babar’s it can inspire. Pakistan can channel that. They can channel a result that will have felt like a victory. And Australia will just have to cope. They have to cope with what seemed like certain victory becoming what must feel like an actual loss.It may well come down to who starts strongest in Lahore. While batting first will be the obvious route, Australia will be doubly desperate to do so having come off 172 overs in the field. Again, there will be much interest in the surface on a ground that hasn’t hosted a Test since 2009. But Karachi was a reminder that looks can be deceiving with that pitch never quite becoming the challenge that had appeared likely.If, as expected, the surface is flat, it will be a big ask for the bowlers on both sides. Pakistan have never looked like running through the Australia line-up and some of Babar’s tactics in the field have become defensive quite early. The visitors might have thought they had broken the back of Pakistan’s batting with the first-innings display in Karachi only to be proved emphatically otherwise. At least most of Australia’s Test attack know that after this week they can put their feet up – only Cameron Green is part of the upcoming one-day series.Recent form(last five matches, most recent first)Pakistan DDWWW
Australia DDWDWTravis Head will want to do better having come into the series on the back of a blockbuster Ashes•AFP/Getty ImagesIn the spotlightShaheen Shah Afridi has bowled much better than a return of four wickets at 51.00 would suggest. Only one of those wickets – Marnus Labuschagne in the first innings at Rawalpindi – has come when a match was anything like in the balance. But with a little more fortune he could have made the impact Mitchell Starc did with that spell of reverse swing on the third day in Karachi. He has it in him to be the bowler who can break open a game if conditions allow.Two innings does not prove much, but Travis Head probably feels he hasn’t made the most of his opportunities so far. Having come into the tour on the back of his Player of the Series performance in the Ashes he has scores of 8 and 23 while others have filled their boots. In Rawalpindi he edged a cut against Nauman Ali then in Karachi was lbw to an umpire’s call against Sajid Khan having looked confident on the second day. A score here would be timely ahead of more subcontinental tours to come.Team newsAn unchanged side would appear the likely route for Pakistan unless they look to shake up the spin attack with a debut for legspinner Zahid Mahmood in place of either Nauman Ali or Sajid KhanPakistan (probable) 1 Abdullah Shafique, 2 Imam-ul-Haq, 3 Azhar Ali, 4 Babar Azam (capt), 5 Fawad Alam, 6 Mohammad Rizwan (wk), 7 Faheem Ashraf, 8 Nauman Ali, 9 Sajid Khan, 10 Hasan Ali, 11 Shaheen Shah AfridiPat Cummins confirmed an unchanged XI which means Josh Hazlewood again misses out with two spinners retained.Australia 1 David Warner, 2 Usman Khawaja, 3 Marnus Labuschagne, 4 Steven Smith, 5 Travis Head, 6 Cameron Green, 7 Alex Carey (wk), 8 Mitchell Starc, 9 Pat Cummins (capt), 10 Mitchell Swepson, 11 Nathan LyonPitch and conditionsCummins said that the pitch looked similar to the previous two and the same type of game would likely unfold. The weather is forecast to be hot and dry.Stats and trivia Australia’s previous Test at Lahore was in 1994 when Pakistan secured the draw which took the series. Azhar Ali needs 74 runs to reach 7000 in Tests; Steven Smith needs 66 to reach 8000 – he has two innings left to become the fastest to the milestone. This series currently has the third-highest batting average (55.30) and third-highest bowling strike-rate (128.7) for any with a minimum of two matches.Quotes”I’ve been really happy with how everyone has gone about their own work, the tactics, think it’s just a matter of taking those chances. Wickets are at a premium in this series so you can’t afford to drop too many chances.”
“Looks like the same pitch but I feel it will give turn. It has small cracks from where spinners can get help and patches are formed. But you can’t tell 100% because conditions are different. But whatever it is our spinners are ready for it and will fight.”