Glasgow Rangers made it four wins in succession in all competitions with a comfortable 3-0 win over Ross County away from Ibrox on Sunday.

The Light Blues are now unbeaten in eight matches in all competitions, winning six of those, and head into next Sunday’s League Cup final clash with Celtic with confidence.

It has been an impressive run of form after it had looked like Philippe Clement was on the verge of losing his job at Ibrox, following the defeat to Aberdeen at the end of October.

Football Insider reported on the 1st of November that the Belgian head coach was ‘one match’ away from being relieved of his duties, due to the team’s poor start to the campaign.

The outlet claimed that the board were left surprised by the club’s form and that they were prepared to part ways with the former Monaco boss if they lost another game quickly after that defeat to the Dons.

Instead, Rangers are unbeaten in the eight games since that loss and the form over several players has played a key part in that, including Hamza Igamane and Ianis Hagi.

Hamza Igamane's form for Rangers

The Morocco U23 international did not score in his first nine appearances in the Scottish Premiership for the Light Blues but has emerged as a star in recent weeks for the Scottish giants.

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He has found the back of the net four times in his last four appearances in all competitions, with his latest coming in the 3-0 win over Ross County.

Jefte passed the ball to the versatile forward, who started on the left flank, on the edge of the box and Igamane unleashed a powerful shot that took a slight deflection and looped into the top right corner, to put the Gers 1-0 up on the day.

That came after he scored a goal and created a ‘big chance’ in the 6-0 win over Kilmarnock in his previous outing in the Premiership for Rangers, which means that he has two goals in his last two games.

His breakthrough performance in a Light Blues shirt came before those two matches, however, as the summer signing caught the eye with his terrific display against Nice in the Europa League.

Igamane scored two goals, the second of which was a terrific solo run and finish, and provided an assist in the 4-1 win for Rangers in France.

These statistics show that he has offered a big threat at the top end of the pitch for the Gers and played a big role in the recent success for the team, by causing opposition defences constant problems with his quality as both a scorer and a creator.

Ianis Hagi, meanwhile, has come in from the cold to also play a part in the Rangers revival under Clement, both as a midfielder and as a winger.

Ianis Hagi's form for Rangers this season

The Romania international started the season in the B team as he had a clause in his contract that would have seen him earn a pay rise after more appearances in the first-team.

It was reported that pressure from the board and from several senior players in the squad led to the issue being resolved and Hagi being restored to the squad.

The 26-year-old midfielder recorded an assist against St. Johnstone on his return to action in October, only to be sent off for a late challenge later in that match.

Since the November international break, Hagi has returned to the team and made his presence felt with a string of impressive performances, whilst being selected in a deep-lying midfield role, as a number ten, and on the wing.

Ianis Hagi

Last 4 Premiership matches

Starts

3

Key passes

8

Assists

2

Shots

11

Duels won

14

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the Romanian wizard, who can take corners with his left or right foot, has produced 19 key passes and shots in just three starts over the last four games.

This shows that he is constantly popping up in the final third to make things happen for Rangers by taking risks with the ball and being inventive.

Whilst Igamane and Hagi have been excellent in recent weeks for the Ibrox giants, the real hero saving Clement’s job at the minute is Brazilian centre-forward Danilo.

Why Danilo is saving Clement's job

The former Feyenoord striker has missed a whopping 46 matches through injury since the start of last season and his injury issues prevented him from being a regular option for the manager at the start of this term.

Cyriel Dessers had been leading the line for Rangers with mixed success. The Nigeria international has scored six goals in 14 appearances in the Premiership and struggled with the pace of the game.

Danilo is more mobile than the former Serie A marksman and that means that he offers more to Rangers with his all-round game, because he can close down defenders and the goalkeeper, as well as providing a threat in behind to make defenders second guess what he is going to do.

His work in the pressing game was on full display against Ross County as he closed down the goalkeeper and got the block in before tapping into an empty net to make it 2-0.

24/25 Premiership

Danilo

Cyriel Dessers

Appearances

6

14

Minutes per game

42

61

Goals

3

6

Shots per game

3.5

1.9

Shots on target per game

1.7

0.9

Touches per game

23.5

16.9

Big chances created

3

2

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Danilo has made a far greater impact at the top end of the pitch in comparison to Dessers in his limited time on the pitch.

Despite averaging almost 20 fewer minutes per game, the Brazilian marksman is averaging more shots, more shots on target, more touches, and more ‘big chances’ created per match.

This shows that the dynamic sensation is getting more involved in matches, both in the build-up and inside the box, and that is down to his superior athleticism and technical quality, which has created a more fluid attacking set-up for the Gers to break down stubborn defences.

Rangers have won four and drawn one of the five Premiership matches he has played since returning from injury, which speaks to the impact his impressive play in the final third has had.

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Therefore, Danilo has been the real hero for Clement in recent weeks because he has come in to solve a big problem – Dessers – in the starting XI and is helping the team to thrive with his performances.

Newcastle United have now identified an “excellent” defender as their top transfer target, according to a report.

Newcastle transfer news

At the end of October, it was reported that Eddie Howe believes his side is lacking at right wing and centre-back, but the financial restrictions he is forced to work under means it may be difficult to strengthen in the January transfer window.

That said, Howe is still weighing up options in those areas of the pitch, with the same report detailing that Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo is on Newcastle’s list of targets, while other options are being considered at centre-back.

Paul Mitchell is also said to be plotting a move to sign Club Brugge centre-back Joel Ordonez, having sent scouts to run the rule over the 20-year-old during the Belgian side’s 2-1 victory against Sporting Club in the Champions League.

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1 ByBarney Lane Dec 13, 2024 Newcastle consider Khusanov top target

Ordonez is not the only young centre-back that Mitchell has his eye on, with GiveMeSport revealing that Mitchell is personally spearheading a move to bring Abdukodir Khusanov to St James’ Park, having been impressed by his performances.

Now, there has been a new update on the Magpies’ pursuit of Khusanov, with Saturday’s edition of La Voix du Nord revealing that he is at the top of their list of targets, having caught the eye due to his impressive performances for Lens this season. (via Sport Witness)

However, Lens will not consider selling the 20-year-old unless they receive a fee of at least €30m (£25m), and there may be competition for his signature, as both Paris Saint-Germain and Tottenham Hotspur also consider him a priority target. At the moment, it remains to be seen whether Newcastle formalise their interest by making an official bid.

Newcastle United’s upcoming Premier League fixtures

Date

Ipswich Town (a)

December 22nd

Aston Villa (h)

December 26th

Manchester United (a)

December 30th

Tottenham Hotspur (a)

January 4th

Wolverhampton Wanderers (h)

January 15th

It is clear to see why the Magpies are interested in the youngster, given that he has already established himself in the starting XI of a side fighting for Europe in Ligue 1, and he has put in some very impressive performances over the past year.

Perhaps the Uzbekistan international’s best attribute is his reading of the game, ranking in the 99th percentile per 90 for interceptions compared to his positional peers, while he also places in the 83rd percentile for blocks, showcasing his defensive aptitude.

Journalist Coralie Salle lauded the Tashkent-born defender as “excellent” earlier this season, while also claiming that he “has all the qualities to sign for a top European club”, given that he is fast, powerful and a good receiver of the ball.

With Newcastle operating under financial limitations, £25m is a relatively affordable asking price for a rising talent who could go on to be a top player, so they should continue to monitor his progress as the season progresses.

Arne Slot has been defended from 'petty' criticism, with Jamie Redknapp admitting he thought the Liverpool boss would have been sacked already.

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Slot on cusp of Premier League titleProving perfect replacement to KloppRedknapp defends Dutchman from criticismFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Slot has received widespread praise for the job he's overseen during his first year at Anfield having replaced the legendary Jurgen Klopp last summer. There are, however, still some detractors of his work due to the strength of the playing squad he was left to work with.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The Reds lead the Premier League table by a whopping 15 points with only nine rounds of fixtures remaining. Though their hopes of a treble were ended on Tuesday night after being dumped out of the Champions League by Paris Saint-Germain, they can still secure a domestic double, with Slot's men set to face Newcastle in the final of the Carabao Cup – the last trophy won by Klopp on Merseyside.

WHAT REDKNAPP SAID

Former Liverpool midfielder Redknapp, who will be part of the Sky Sports team for the Carabao Cup Final live on Sunday from 3pm, was full of praise for Slot's work, particularly as he had to follow in the footsteps of such a huge figure in the club's history.

When asked by GOAL if he agreed with the sentiment that Slot's job was made easier by Klopp leaving him a talented squad, Redknapp replied: "No I don't, I think it's harder! You've only got to look at history, how hard it was to follow Sir Alex Ferguson [at Manchester United] and the same with Arsene Wenger when he left Arsenal, they still haven't won a Premier League title since he left. I looked at history for that reason.

"At the end of last season when Jurgen Klopp was leaving, I thought I wouldn't be surprised if the new manager didn't even last a year, and that was before Arne Slot got through the door. But it was very quick that we all understood that this guy means business. He's calm, he's assured, he's not trying to be like Jurgen Klopp, he's not doing the fist pumps, he's just his own guy. And yeah, Arsenal haven't been as good as they were last year and Manchester City haven't been as good, but you still cannot take anything away from what he's done. The other teams have improved, the likes of your Nottingham Forests and Brentfords and Brightons, it's a strong league.

"Klopp last year, I bet he thought 'I've taken this team as far as I can, this is going to need rebuilding'. They're all smart managers, they can work out when's the right time to leave. It's not the wedding, you've got to plan the divorce. I'm sure he probably thought, 'I've done everything I can here', and you look at what Arne Slot's done, he's made it look so easy. A couple of little tactical adjustments, bringing Ryan Gravenberch into the defensive midfield role, and he's made it look easy. I think Liverpool have been magnificent this year, and I honestly think for anybody to try and take anything away from him, I think it's petty. As I said, I didn't think the next manager would last a year after Jurgen Klopp, what he's done is phenomenal."

Getty Images SportDID YOU KNOW?

Fellow ex-England international Les Ferdinand, who will also be part of the Sky Sports broadcast team for the Carabao Cup final, then quizzed Redknapp on who he thought had the stronger squad to inherit between Slot and Klopp.

Redknapp replied: "Slot. There's no doubt that Klopp inherited a pretty poor group of players to start with, but he knew what he had to do. He knew he had to go and get Alisson, to go and get Virgil van Dijk, they went and got Mohamed Salah. They recruited incredibly well and that's a team. I guess the only thing you will say is a test will come, not the 'real test' but a test where once the contracts with Trent Alexander-Arnold, Salah and Van Dijk have been sorted out, how they recruit and how Slot builds his own team will be where he's held in the long term. But right now, if you're just taking this in isolation as a first breakout season, it's incredible and absolutely phenomenal what he's done. There's no doubt he's inherited a much better side than Klopp did, but Klopp didn't win the league in his first year. It's frightening what he's done."

Tim Seifert has become the second overseas player, after Mitchell Marsh, in the Delhi Capitals camp to test positive for Covid-19. The update came shortly before the scheduled start of Capitals’ match against Punjab Kings at Mumbai’s Brabourne Stadium on Wednesday. The positive result emerged after a round of Rapid Antigen Tests conducted on Wednesday morning and it is learnt that Seifert, the New Zealand wicketkeeper-batter, will be moved to a facility away from the team hotel to isolate.For a while, there appeared to be question marks around the match, but the Kings players first and then their opponents reached the venue, before 6.30pm local time. ESPNcricinfo has learnt that the organisers had kept open the option of rescheduling the match, which on Tuesday was shifted from Pune to Mumbai. It is also learnt that the IPL had asked the Capitals team to conduct another round of tests on the franchise’s personnel before they left for the ground.”Things have been a little bit interrupted with Mitch Marsh down with Covid,” Ricky Ponting, the Capitals head coach, said on Star Sports before the game. “Our session yesterday was pushed back. The preparations haven’t been perfect and I addressed the group about the two options we have – we can drag our backsides around or we can take the positives around and realise that we are here for a big tournament with a great franchise. You need leaders to stand up and so far [David] Warner has been great, Rishabh [Pant] is good and Mustafizur [Rahman], apart from an over or two has been good.Related

• Capitals allrounder Mitchell Marsh tests positive for Covid-19

• Capitals-Royals clash moved from Pune to Wankhede

“The tournament for us so far has been stop-start. I think it’s all there. The players are very aware of the way I want them to play. There have been interruptions with player availability but we haven’t spoken much about that. Two wins in two games here and we should get used to playing on the side pitches.”Seifert is the sixth member of the Capitals contingent to test positive, after Marsh, physio Patrick Farhart, sports massage therapist Chetan Kumar, team doctor Abhijit Salvi, and social media content team member Akash Mane.While there had been doubts about the match taking place after the initial set of positive results, the prospects of it going ahead had brightened by late afternoon on Tuesday, when Capitals were given permission to conduct a training session. The IPL, though, laid down the condition that only the players and the coaches would be allowed to attend the session, which took place at the Bandra-Kurla Complex in Mumbai.The decision to change the venue – from Pune to Mumbai – was taken at a meeting on Tuesday “to avoid any further incident due to any undetected case during a long-distance bus journey in a closed environment”, since the teams are based in Mumbai.It is understood that Marsh was moved to hospital as a precautionary measure after he felt unwell, including experiencing chills. The others who tested positive had been moved to a separate facility outside the team hotel because the hotel where the Capitals are staying had laid down the condition that anyone testing positive, including those that are asymptomatic, would need to move out of the premises.

From the IPL 2022 playing conditions…

What happens if a player or squad member tests positive for Covid-19 during the IPL?
The participant who tests positive will have to isolate for a minimum of seven days, and during that period, he will be tested on the sixth and seventh days. For him to re-enter the team’s bio-secure environment, he will have to provide two consecutive negative RT-PCR tests taken 24 hours apart, full resolution of symptoms, see that there are no fresh symptoms for more than 24 hours, and that there have been no use of medications for more than 24 hours.What happens if a team is affected by multiple Covid-19 infections and many of their players are unavailable?
A franchise can field a team if there are a minimum of 12 players available for them, including at least seven Indians and one substitute. If a team has fewer than 12, the BCCI will attempt to reschedule the match for later in the season. If, for some reason, that is not possible, the matter will be referred to the technical committee of the IPL, and the decision of the committee will be “final and binding”.Earlier, when the rescheduling of a match was not possible, the franchise unable to field a team would lose the points to the opponent.

MatériaMais Notícias

Durcesio Mello “virou moda” entre os torcedores do Botafogo. Não apenas por ter concretizado o processo de profissionalização do futebol e a venda da SAF para John Textor durante a gestão, mas por apontar para pessoas em fotos. Sim, fazer o gesto de apontar em fotos.

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+ Patrick de Paula foi ‘dispensado’ na base do Botafogo; anos depois, será a contratação mais cara do clube

Um torcedor do Alvinegro criou a página “Durcesio Aponta” para reunir o acervo de fotos do presidente fazendo o gesto. O perfil rapidamente viralizou entre os torcedores e chegou até mesmo ao clube e ao mandatário, que convidou o criador para uma visita ao Estádio Nilton Santos.

Ainda não é assinante do Cariocão-2022? Acesse www.cariocaoplay.com.br, preencha o cadastro e ganhe 5% de desconto com o cupom especial do LANCE!: GE-JK-FF-ZSW

–Um cara que tem uma ideia dessa é genial. Isso começou para eu fazer uma reverência pra todo mundo que pede para tirar foto, tirei isso da cabeça do nada. Logo que comecei a gestão eu comecei a apontar para mostrar que as pessoas que pediam pra tirar foto eram tão importantes ou mais que eu. Agora não tiro foto sem apontar – explicou Durcesio, à “BotafogoTV”.

O criador da página é Alan Herdy, botafoguense de berço. A página é no Twitter e as postagens rapidamente chegam em mais torcedores. Ele foi convidado pelo clube a conhecer Durcesio Mello e elogiou o presidente.

–Eu fiquei a maior parte do dia até sem palavras. É uma experiência nova na vida… Ter essa possibilidade de vir aqui (Nilton Santos), pisar no gramado, poder ver os jogadores de perto, conhecer o presidente, toda a equipe que trabalha no clube, resguarda o nosso amor. É muito gratificante, uma coisa que eu não esperava – afirmou

–Sou torcedor há 27 anos, botafoguense de berço e a gente, principalmente eu que sou do interior, não tem essa perspectiva de estar tão próximo da instituição. Foi muito emocionante estar aqui, viver essa experiência e estar muito perto de tudo o que acontece. Acho que é um dos dias mais felizes da minha vida. A ideia da página foi isso, postar sobre o presidente, gostar da forma como ele se porta. Conhecê-lo foi muito bom, mas só foi a confirmação do que eu imaginava, ele é tudo aquilo que ele parece ser: simpático, muito aberto e interessado em fazer nosso clube crescer – completou.

pic.twitter.com/vqyecUrecd

— durcésio apontando 👉🏻 (@durcesioaponta) March 10, 2022

🏴‍☠️👉🏻 pic.twitter.com/Ao4y1Y5eUd

— durcésio apontando 👉🏻 (@durcesioaponta) March 10, 2022

Australia’s selectors are set to make a final call on Saturday afternoon

AAP02-Apr-2022

Ellyse Perry was forced to miss Australia’s previous World Cup final in 2020•ICC via Getty Images

Ellyse Perry is on track to avoid a second World Cup final heartbreak and take her place in Sunday’s showpiece as a specialist batter against England.Perry has missed Australia’s last two matches in New Zealand with a back issue and underwent two crunch training sessions in Christchurch ahead of the final.Captain Meg Lanning reported Perry has come through the fitness test well, and the only barrier now is how she recovers from the runout.Related

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“We feel like we’ll have a full squad to pick from,” Lanning said. “Ellyse got through a pretty hard and high intensity session yesterday and she’s trained again today and is feeling pretty good.”It’ll just depend on how she pulls up sort of this afternoon … at this stage, it’s looking pretty good.”Perry was unable to play in Australia’s T20 World Cup semi-final or final on home soil two years ago after a hamstring injury during the group stage.She hasn’t bowled in a match or in the nets since pulling up from her three-over spell against South Africa 12 days ago. But with a batting average of near 50 in the one-day format, Lanning said she wouldn’t hesitate in picking the 31-year-old solely as a batter.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

“She can definitely play as a specialist bat and that’s probably the most likely scenario,” she said. “She hasn’t bowled for a couple of weeks now and it would be difficult for her to come out and bowl in a final if she hadn’t done that.”The selectors will make a final decision on Saturday afternoon rather than leave it to the morning of the final so that players can prepare.Perry’s likely selection could mean Annabel Sutherland misses the final. Sutherland has played six times this tournament, taking three wickets at 38.66 and batting twice for 48 runs without being dismissed. The most likely selection means Lanning will have six bowlers at her disposal rather than her preferred seven.”Six is certainly enough,” Lanning insisted. “Seven is a bit of a luxury just in case you need to go to different options.”Throughout the tournament there’s been times when someone hasn’t bowled at all. We’ve got six very good bowlers who we take into this game and full confidence that they’ll be able to do the job.”

Wolverhampton Wanderers are back in action in the Premier League once again this evening as they prepare to travel to the London Stadium to take on West Ham United.

It is a game that has been dubbed ‘El Sackico’ by some because of the mounting pressure over Julen Lopetegui and Gary O’Neil heading into this clash between the two struggling sides.

The Telegraph recently reported that the Wolves manager is currently hanging on by a thread and that his future at the Molineux stadium is in serious doubt, whilst it also added that the Hammers boss is in a similar position.

It was claimed that Rob Edwards, who is managing Luton in the Championship, David Moyes, and Graham Potter have all been considered by the board as potential replacements for the English head coach.

This suggests that O’Neil needs to turn things around incredibly swiftly if he wants to avoid the sack, as a negative result against the Hammers this evening, per the report from The Telegraph suggesting that he is on the verge of losing his job.

Wolves were hammered 4-0 by Everton at Goodison Park last time out and one player who should be dropped from the starting XI from that match is centre-back Craig Dawson.

Why Craig Dawson should be dropped

The veteran central defender had a nightmare last time out, it is fair to say, after he scored two of Everton’s four goals by finding the back of his own net.

He was let off early on when James Tarkowski got the better of him to score a header from a set piece, as VAR judged there to be a foul elsewhere in the box and ruled the goal out.

The third goal was the first one that Dawson put into his own goal as the ball came to the back post and the defender did not react quickly enough to the situation, which meant that the cross bounced off his arm into his own net.

For the fourth goal, the former West Brom defender slid in to stop Dominic Calvert-Lewin from getting across the front post and stretched a leg out to block the striker, only to prod the ball into the bottom corner after the English striker failed to make any contact with it.

The Wolves centre-back, who only won one ground duel in total, must now be ruthlessly ditched from the starting XI against West Ham after his errors against the Toffees last time out, with Toti Gomes the obvious replacement for him – having been on the bench at Goodison Park.

Dawson is far from the only player who is on the chopping block heading into this game, though, as goalkeeper Jose Sa must also be finally ditched from the line-up.

Why Jose Sa should be dropped

The Portuguese goalkeeper has started the last seven Premier League matches for Wolves after Sam Johnstone picked up an injury ahead of their clash with Manchester City.

Sa made five saves in the 2-1 defeat to the champions and has been backed by O’Neil in the subsequent six games, despite a string of disappointing performances between the sticks.

In the 2023/24 campaign, the 31-year-old ace made 35 appearances in the Premier League and prevented a whopping 8.45 goals based on the xG against him, which shows that he bailed out his team time and time again with high-quality saves.

No other goalkeeper in the division prevented more than 6.09 and this suggests that Sa was one of the best, if not the best, shot-stoppers in the top-flight last term.

Jose Sa (Premier League)	23/24	24/25
Starts	35	9
Save success rate	70%	54%
Goals conceded per game	1.7	2.6
Goals prevented	8.45	-7.48
Penalties committed	0	2
Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the Wolves goalkeeper’s performances have declined at an alarming rate from the 2023/24 campaign to the current season.

He has conceded a staggering 7.48 more goals than the average goalkeeper would have been expected to from the xG faced in his nine appearances this season, which illustrates just how much he has struggled between the sticks – as did his performance at Goodison Park.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast's Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Sa was handed a 2/10 rating by the Express and Star for his display against Everton, due to letting Ashley Young’s low free-kick in and flapping at the cross for the third goal, and the liability must finally be ditched from the XI after another poor showing.

Sam Johnstone's form this season

In the summer transfer window, Wolves swooped to sign Sam Johnstone from Premier League rivals Crystal Palace for a reported fee of £10m on a four-year contract.

The England international came in to compete with Sa for the number one spot after Dean Henderson had taken his spot as the first-choice for the Eagles.

He arrived off the back of a disappointing season between the sticks at Selhurst Park. The former Manchester United youngster started 20 times in the Premier League for Palace and conceded 7.29 more goals than expected, which illustrates how much he struggled as a shot-stopper.

Johnstone came in with a point to prove after being sold by the Eagles and made a strong start to life with Wolves, making four saves and preventing 0.74 goals in a 1-1 draw with Nottingham Forest on his debut.

24/25 Premier League	Jose Sa	Sam Johnstone
Appearances	9	5
Save success rate	54%	59%
Goals prevented	-7.48	-1.43
Error led to goal	1	0
Penalties committed	2	0
Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the England international has outperformed Sa in the Premier League for the Old Gold as a shot-stopper this season.

Despite that, he has been an unused substitute in the last two matches for Wolves since his return from injury, with Sa letting in eight goals to Bournemouth and Everton – giving away two penalties against the Cherries.

With O’Neil’s job potentially on the line, the manager must ruthlessly ditch Sa from the starting XI alongside Dawson at the back and bring Johnstone in to protect the goal.

O’Neil could save his job by unleashing Wolves star ahead of Guedes

Gary O’Neil will be attempting everything in his power to pick up a Wolves win against West Ham.

By
Kelan Sarson

Dec 9, 2024

They might not necessarily have the points to show for at the moment, but Ipswich Town have looked good enough to remain in the Premier League this season.

Kieran McKenna’s side are just about still in the relegation zone, but with wins against Tottenham Hotspur and Wolverhampton Wanderers, plus draws with Manchester United, Aston Villa and Brighton & Hove Albion, they have given their fans reason to be optimistic.

Unfortunately, there is no time to rest in the top flight, and this afternoon poses yet another significant test for the Tractor Boys as they play host to Newcastle United.

Worse still, they’ll be without a star striker, Liam Delap, as he picked up his fifth yellow card of the season on Saturday and, as such, is suspended for today’s game, but one of McKenna’s other star players could be the solution to this personnel issue.

Liam Delap's season so far

We aren’t too far off the midway point of the Premier League season at the moment, and so far, it would probably be fair to say that Delap has been one of, if not the most crucial player for Ipswich this year.

The former Manchester City prospect joined the club for around £20m in the summer, and while there was an element of risk in spending so much on someone with practically no top-flight experience, he has since put any doubts firmly to rest.

He didn’t necessarily hit the ground running, scoring just once in his first five league games, but since then, he’s added another five and provided an assist in 16 appearances, equating to an average of a goal involvement every 2.28 games in the competition.

However, it’s not just his output that makes the 21-year-old so brilliant; it’s also his ability to act as a focal point at times, bringing his teammates into play and generally giving opposition defenders something to worry about during games.

So, with all that said, his absence for the game against Newcastle is undeniably a big concern for McKenna and Co.

However, there is no need for doom and gloom just yet, as another of his impressive summer signings can step in for a game and potentially do a job for the side.

The Ipswich star who could stand in for Delap

So, we’ll get straight to the point: the Ipswich star who could step in for Delap at centre-forward this afternoon is Sammie Szmodics.

Now, before the pitchforks come out, we know that this might not be the first solution that comes to mind, but with George Hirst out injured and questions remaining over Ali Al-Hamadi’s actual level, starting the Irishman may be McKenna’s best option.

Furthermore, while he has primarily played out wide and in midfield over his career, he spent a handful of games playing up top for Blackburn Rovers and did reasonably well when doing so.

Appearances

14

Minutes

1254′

Goals

10

Assists

0

Goal Involvements per Match

0.71

Minutes per Goal Involvement

125.4

For example, the “ridiculous” talent, as dubbed by journalist Josh Bunting, made 14 appearances as a number nine for Rovers across the last three campaigns, in which he found the back of the net on ten occasions, equating to an impressive average of a goal every 1.75 games.

On top of that, his tally of three goals in 14 appearances this season isn’t too bad either, especially considering the team’s struggles to create chances and the fact it’s his first time in the Premier League.

Ultimately, Delap’s absence this afternoon is an issue, but in Szmodics, McKenna has an experienced attacker who has experience playing up top and putting the ball in the back of the net, so he should put his trust in him and start him.

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Las Águilas contributed the most players to the national teams, as the second-place club brought half as many

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Article continues below

Article continues below

Eight players from Las Águilas on national teams

León is the second with four players

The Azulcremas, La Fiera occupy top of Clausura 2025

Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱AFPWHAT HAPPENED?

The three-time Liga MX champions are going through a brilliant moment in the Clausura 2025 and have their sights set on winning their fourth consecutive title. This collective moment has translated into individual success, as for this FIFA international break, América was the team that contributed the most players to national teams, with eight.

León is second with four. They are followed by Cruz Azul and Chivas with three each, and Toluca with two.

América players currently with national teams:

Luis Ángel Malagón (Mexico)

Ramón Juárez (Mexico)

Israel Reyes (Mexico)

Brian Rodríguez (Uruguay)

Rodrigo Aguirre (Uruguay)

Sebastián Cáceres (Uruguay)

Cristian Borja (Colombia)

Diego Valdés (Chile)

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

For the past three seasons, Liga MX has revolved around one team: América. Las Águilas boast three consecutive titles and, by far, are the club with the most championships in Mexico, with 16. For this FIFA break, three América players were omitted from their national teams: Henry Martín, Erick Sánchez, and Alejandro Zendejas, meaning this list could have been even larger.

The players coached by André Jardine held an open-door training session on Wednesday, with Zendejas practicing alongside his teammates. However, Martín was absent due to ongoing muscular issues.

GettyWHAT CRISTIAN CALDERÓN SAID

Cristian Calderón expressed his pride in being part of the team, saying "América is the biggest team in Mexico, and we proved it."

WHAT NEXT FOR AMÉRICA?

Las Águilas will look to continue their great form on March 29 when they host Tigres in Matchday 13 of the Clausura 2025. The Felinos, who recently appointed Guido Pizarro as their new coach, are in third place in the tournament with 25 points.

“When the right game comes, when the big game comes, if we have to bat first, we should know exactly how we have to go”

Sidharth Monga03-May-20222:54

Aakash Chopra: Gill and Hardik failing together a concern for Titans

When Mayank Agarwal lost the toss – the eighth Punjab Kings had lost in 10, making them the second-unluckiest team in the tournament – he must have felt distraught because they are pretty close to getting into must-win territory. However, seconds later, he was handed what he wanted: an opportunity to chase a total.After a fairly comprehensive defeat, Gujarat Titans’ captain Hardik Pandya confirmed that they didn’t make the decision to bat first based on conditions, but because they wanted to put themselves in difficult situations. On the first occasion they chose to bat first, it was an afternoon game so it was understandable, but when they made the call even in a night game, it was obvious people would wonder why they chose to do so.Related

Rabada, Dhawan, Livingstone give Kings NRR-boosting win

“I absolutely back our decision to bat first because we need to put ourselves in difficult situations as well where we come out of our comfort zone,” Hardik told Star Sports. “We have been doing pretty well in chasing, but we have always wanted to make sure we put our batters under the pressure when the right game comes, when the big game comes, if we have to bat first, we should know exactly how we have to go.”It is a little curious that Titans have got into this experiment so early in the tournament. They are the table leaders, but they have now won eight games out of 10, which doesn’t always guarantee qualification for the playoffs. Eight wins might eventually be enough to take them there but there is a big premium on finishing in the top two in the IPL.As it turned out, Titans had to bat in difficult conditions, and while the ball moved around initially for them too, once the dew set in, it became significantly easier for Kings to chase down 144.”It was an exercise that we wanted to try,” he said. “We knew the new ball might do something. But to be honest we kept losing wickets, and if you keep losing wickets, no matter how the conditions are, the batters are always going to be under pressure. We didn’t get the kind of rhythm or the start we wanted but it’s okay, this loss was a learning curve. But as I said, we need to be coming out of our comfort zone and try to bat first and put ourselves under that pressure.”B Sai Sudharsan hit 65* in 50 balls•PTI

What will he tell his side in the debriefing?”Even when we were winning, we were always talking about how to get better,” he said. “We definitely have a chat about where things didn’t go our way and focus on things which we can get better at in the next games. We play another game in a couple of days, we don’t have much time. We should regroup and we don’t need to worry about it. Winning and losing is part of the sport and more often than not we have ended up on the winning side.”Titans’ senior batter David Miller, though, felt that the main learning from the match was to decide to chase the next time they win the toss.”Ideally we would have liked to have bowled first,” Miller said in the post-match press conference. “I think [with] the conditions in the evening – there is a lot of dew – [we need to] look to bat second on winning the toss.”We have been pretty clinical in our last nine games. So just try to keep things pretty simple in all facets of the game. That’s what we have done in the last nine games prior to this where there have been close matches and we have managed to close them out. Due to doing the basics pretty well. Putting on great partnerships, running pretty hard between wickets, the bowlers have been executing plans really well.”