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Kylian Mbappe will adjust to life with Real Madrid and follow Cristiano Ronaldo's path to legendary status at the Spanish giants, Bacary Sagna says.

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Mbappe facing criticism at Real MadridForward backed to come good once he's settledSagna cited Ronaldo & Benzema as examplesFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Mbappe, who has scored nine goals in 17 matches this season, has faced heavy criticism for his performances since making a highly-anticipated free transfer to Madrid in the summer, after his departure from Paris Saint-Germain.

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France coach Didier Deschamps left the 25-year-old out of his squad for the Nations League matches earlier this month and suggested the forward is struggling mentally, while Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti said such speculation is "ugly". It has also been suggested that Mbappe is underperforming at Madrid because he has been used as a centre-forward instead of in his preferred role on the left side of the attack, where Vinicius Junior plays instead.

WHAT SAGNA SAID

Former France star Sagna, however, has faith in his compatriot to overcome his rough start to life in the Spanish capital, as he cited Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and David Beckham as examples of players who had a difficult time initially but blossomed into heroes at the Santiago Bernabeu.

"I have no doubts that the move to Real Madrid will be successful," Sagna said . "Everyone expected him to come in and break the records from the off. If you remember when Cristiano Ronaldo came to Madrid, he didn’t start well. When Benzema went to Real Madrid, everyone thought they made a big mistake signing him. When Beckham joined Madrid, people started saying he was a flop. Kylian is not alone in having a difficult start at Real. It happens to players. Players like Ronaldo, Benzema and Beckham, they became legends at the club, and Mbappe will follow in their footsteps. Even [Zinedine] Zidane was criticised! It will take time, but Mbappe will be a massive success at Real Madrid. People have such high expectations of him, which is why he is criticised more than any other player."

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The former Arsenal and Manchester City star says the attacker just needs time to settle in with his new team as well as his new life in Spain.

"The press in France are way too harsh. They need to give him time to settle in Madrid," Sagna added. "It’s going to take time for him to be at his best because it’s a new team with a new philosophy. He has new players around him, bigger and better players, and it can take time to adapt. Mbappe has gone into a new environment, a team that has just won the Champions League, and he needs his own space. He’s surrounded by big players that have already won a lot, he’s a superstar in a team full of them, whereas at PSG, he was the main man. He’s not the leader of this Madrid team like he was in Paris. Since he was 15 years old, Mabppe has been the best player in every team that he played in. Now he's surrounded with big profiles and big egos. That can be hard to deal with – it’s all new for Kylian. Mbappe is an amazing player. He needs time to adapt and to reshape his life. I think the coach understood that bringing him into a negative environment at this period of time was not the best idea."

Ipswich Town have signed six new players so far this summer, hopeful that these new recruits will hop on board the Tractor Boys train and help them pull off an unbelievable relegation escape act.

Everything is pointing in the direction of the Suffolk outfit immediately falling back down to the Championship, in a similar fashion to Luton Town who wanted to take the Premier League by storm as underdogs after their own wild promotion heroics The Hatters did valiantly give survival a good go.

Even more bodies arriving could well be exactly what Ipswich need in order to have a squad capable of finishing above that dreaded bottom three, with a move now in the works for a Tottenham Hotspur outcast.

Ipswich in battle for Spurs midfielder

As per a new report from The Telegraph, Oliver Skipp is a name on many a radar this summer, with Ipswich Town now battling it out to land his services.

Southampton and Leicester City are also keen from the trio of newly promoted teams, but the Tractor Boys will hope they can edge out their competitors to win the £13m-rated 23-year-old – as per Football Transfers' valuation – to boost their midfield options ahead of voyaging up to the top-flight.

Only making five starts in the Premier League last season, Skipp would still be able to offer the Suffolk side some much needed experience of the tough division, away from the likes of Sam Morsy, Massimo Luongo and other midfield stalwarts who have only really tasted EFL football during their careers.

What Skipp can offer Ipswich

This approach for the wantaway man from North London could see Ipswich strike gold in a similar fashion to Omari Hutchinson, who was on the periphery at Stamford Bridge until exploding into life donning a Tractor Boys strip in the second tier on loan, before Chelsea then demanded a club record fee of £20m out of McKenna's men.

Hutchinson would fire home the final goal of Ipswich's triumphant promotion-winning season last time out, lashing home an early second-half effort to cause widespread pandemonium around Portman Road and take his second-tier tally to ten from 44 games.

Skipp will aim to be the next hero who turns around his stuttering career when joining McKenna's camp, but he might well have to win over some hardened sections of the fanbase first off the bat, owing to his past Norwich City loyalties.

Games played

45

Goals scored

1

Assists

1

Touches

68.1

Big chances created

3

Accurate passes*

49.1 (88%)

Interceptions*

1.1

Tackles*

2.2

Clearances*

1.0

Total duels won*

5.7

Skipp was a top performer for the Canaries during their own promotion exploits under Daniel Farke during the 2020/21 campaign, as can be seen glancing at the table above, with an impressive 5.7 duels won per clash.

He would be rewarded with a place in the Championship Team of the Season as a result, living up to his billing as a "very intelligent" footballer, as was handed out to him by one of his former Academy coaches in Saul Isaksson-Hurst when he was learning the ropes as a youth player at Spurs.

The ex-Norwich star could well get back to his previous best under McKenna's guidance, therefore, with the potential for Skipp to strike up a daunting partnership with Morsy in the holding roles in the team.

The Egypt international is equally as calm and as measured on the ball as the Spurs number four, with an 82% pass accuracy averaged last campaign, alongside a similarly impressive duels won count of 5.2.

McKenna has managed to get a lot more out of players who were previously resigned to just being top performers in the EFL, with the likes of Conor Chaplin and more known as steady talents for divisions such as League One and the Championship over the top flight.

Now, however, they have the opportunity to prove themselves as worthwhile assets stepping up to the Premier League, with Skipp one who could shine too if snapped up.

Ipswich could fix Hirst headache by signing “ridiculous” goal machine

Ipswich Town could well need more reinforcements up top.

ByKelan Sarson Aug 8, 2024

New Zealand will host Australia for three T20Is, followed by as many ODIs, starting March 28

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Mar-2021New Zealand have named a fit-again Lea Tahuhu in the squad for the three home ODIs against Australia that follow the three-match T20I series. Meanwhile, allrounder Brooke Halliday and 16-year-old left-arm spinner Fran Jonas have been picked in both squads. Halliday had made successive fifties in her first two ODIs, during the home series against England, in which Jonas, too, made her debut.NZC said Tahuhu has recovered from her hamstring strain that had ruled her out of the last two ODIs and the entire T20I series against the visiting England side last month. She, however, wasn’t considered for the T20Is against Australia as the selectors opted to keep her fresh for the 50-over matches.Veteran allrounder Suzie Bates wasn’t considered for selection for either series owing to the shoulder injury she aggravated during the WBBL in November last year.New Zealand head coach Bob Carter said Australia, the top-ranked side in both ODIs and T20Is, presented a good preparatory platform for the home team, who will also host the next ODI World Cup in less than a year’s time.”We’re up for the challenge against Australia,” he said. “To be the best, you have to beat the best and we know we’re going to have to be at the very top of our game.”Brooke and Fran have come in and impressed everyone. Brooke’s performances first-up against England showed she’s got what it takes and we’re excited to give her more opportunities at this level. Fran has fitted in extremely well and shown a real willingness to learn and grow as a cricketer – her youthful exuberance is infectious.”Brooke Halliday and Fran Jonas made their debuts bowls on debut•Getty ImagesSophie Devine, the New Zealand captain, meanwhile, is set to make her 100th T20I appearance and will join the men’s camp this week to observe their training.”To play 100 T20Is will be a really special occasion and I’m excited to join the club alongside Suzie and Amy,” Devine said. “It’s a great opportunity to see how the Blackcaps’ inner sanctum go about their work. As a team, they’ve managed a sustained period of success, so any little insights I can glean and take back to the White Ferns camp will be invaluable.”I’ve also done short stints with the Silver Ferns [the women’s national netball team] and Black Ferns [the women’s national hockey team] over the past few months with an eye to developing our own team environment. The chance to connect with other elite female athletes is important for our own learning and growth. Both the Silver Ferns and Black Ferns are world champions in their respective codes, so to experience those team environments has been great.”The three T20Is will be part of double-headers to be played alongside the New Zealand men’s matches, starting March 28 at Seddon Park. Tauranga will host the three ODIs. Sunday’s double-header will also be the first time a New Zealand Women’s game will feature on TVNZ’s Channel 1, in the prime-time slot of 7.10pm.”We are motivated and keen to put on a good show for our fans,” Devine said. “To be playing on free-to-air TV on a Sunday night is a big step forward for the women’s game. We know thousands of new fans will see us play for the very first time.”T20I squad: Sophie Devine (capt), Amy Satterthwaite, Maddy Green, Brooke Halliday, Hayley Jensen, Fran Jonas, Amelia Kerr, Jess Kerr, Rosemary Mair, Frances Mackay, Katey Martin (wk), Thamsyn Newton, Hannah RoweODI squad: Sophie Devine (capt), Amy Satterthwaite, Lauren Down, Maddy Green, Brooke Halliday, Hayley Jensen, Leigh Kasperek – (games 2 & 3 only), Amelia Kerr, Jess Kerr, Frances Mackay, Rosemary Mair, Katey Martin (wk), Hannah Rowe (game 1 only), Lea Tahuhu

Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim has admitted he does not like supporters chanting his name at matches.

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New head coach not a fan of his chantUrges supporters to laud players insteadPortuguese faces toughest game 'by far' Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The Portuguese coach has made a strong start to life as Red Devils' boss and on Sunday earned a second consecutive home win as his side crushed Everton 4-0. Supporters have already been chanting his name but he said he would prefer them to laud the players instead.

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Amorim told a press conference: "I don’t like my chant, I feel a little bit not embarrassed but because I am the coach, they have to chant for the players and the club. I feel the connection with the supporters. I am really honoured for that but they need to chant for the players."

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Amorim has acknowledged he faces his toughest test so far as United boss on Wednesday, when his side take on second-placed Arsenal. He said: "It is the best team we faced by far but the test is every game, the last game yesterday was really tough. Every team now is a test, without so much minutes to train, trying to manage the minutes of one game, some players have to be out of the pitch in 60 minutes, everything is a test. They are in a different point of their team. It is important to be brave, not to be pressing all the time higher. We have to understand the game, all the moments and have the ball, we want also to dominate some moments of the game."

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Amorim said captain Bruno Fernandes will be fit to play at the Emirates Stadium despite the midfielder coming off in the 66th minute against Everton and being seen with an ice pack wrapped around his ankle. "He is fit to play, I see him already in this morning. He is a guy that doesn’t need a lot of rest so he is prepared to play," the coach explained.

Leeds United will hope the amount of outgoings that have happened already this hectic transfer window doesn't derail their Championship season completely, after a less-than-ideal opening few games back in the testing division.

Largie Ramazani's recent arrival onto the scene in West Yorkshire will have raised spirits, away from the doom and gloom mood that had engulfed proceedings after the quick fire departures of Crysencio Summerville and Georginio Rutter, as Daniel Farke attempts to steer the Whites to another promotion charge with what he has at his disposal.

Wilfried Gnonto will be important to Leeds' chances of winning promotion, if he stays put between now and the imminent close of the transfer window, away from any more new faces joining.

Gnonto's time at Leeds

Gnonto has had an up-and-down relationship with the hardened Leeds masses, with the Italian attacker once handing in a transfer request to try and push through a move back up to the Premier League, after the Whites suffered a disastrous relegation.

There are new murmurs in the air that the former FC Zurich man is clamouring for a top-flight return now, but with the amount of high-profile departures that have already taken place this summer irritating the agitated Whites fanbase, it feels unlikely another star would be allowed to walk away.

Last season, despite the start of it centring in on Gnonto's refusal to play, the electric 20-year-old very much played his part in Farke's men making the playoffs, with the diminutive forward picking up eight goals and two assists across the regular campaign.

Those ten goal contributions followed on from the youngster acting as a bright spark in the top-flight for Leeds, even as relegation started to stare the West Yorkshire outfit in the face, with two goals and four assists managed from 34 Premier League games.

Gnonto already has more goals donning Leeds white this season, even in its relative infancy, with this solo strike trickling in against Portsmouth opening his 2024/25 account, as the Italian continues to live up to his billing as being a "special" talent that was once handed out to him by former Whites coach Michael Skubala.

Farke and Co will pray that their new recruit Ramazani can become their next Gnonto for the Championship promotion candidates over time, with a high reported fee of £9.3m to win his services making him an expensive buy from Spain.

The standout Whites number 29 would only cost a meagre £3.8m back in 2022, in contrast, with his valuation now above that of the ex-Almeria winger's, according to Football Transfers, showcasing how the club truly won the lottery on that bargain capture two years ago.

Gnonto's value in 2024

As per the site, the 5 foot 8 attacker is now worth a bumper £18.4m, which is nearly double the reported fee Leeds have paid to snap up Ramazani.

Gnonto was once an unknown entity when it came to the English game, but the £3.8m once spent by Leeds now looks to be an absolute bargain, especially when you consider his increased importance as a livewire in an entertaining Whites group that used to boast the likes of Summerville and Rutter.

Player

Value

1. Wilfried Gnonto

£18.4m

2. Brenden Aaronson

£17.3m

3. Ethan Ampadu

£17.3m

4. Ilian Meslier

£16.3m

5. Maximilian Wober

£14.2m

With that sumptuous duo now both at West Ham United and Brighton and Hove Albion respectively, Gnonto is actually the most valuable asset at Elland Road currently, when looking at the table above, with the powers that be at Leeds anxious that he could try and push through a last-minute move before the close of August to ditch the Championship side.

Ramazani will have been purchased to give Leeds some needed firepower, having fired in three goals last season for Almeria in La Liga, but it would be an extreme ask for him to be the main man if Gnonto does depart.

The former Manchester United youngster already has that high £9.3m price tag above his head that could work against him, but everyone at Leeds will hope he can shine this season alongside Gnonto remaining put.

Imagine him & Ramazani: Leeds ready next big move for "pocket rocket"

Leeds United could now sign this entertaining star after snapping up Largie Ramazani.

ByKelan Sarson Aug 22, 2024

He is back to full fitness and participated in his first team training session on Friday

Nagraj Gollapudi22-Apr-2021After spending nearly three weeks in a medical care facility in Mumbai, India and Delhi Capitals allrounder Axar Patel has bounced back from Covid-19. Patel, who tested positive in early April, rejoined the Capitals on Thursday in Chennai.” (I’m getting sheer joy just by seeing people),” Patel said in a video put out by the franchise on Friday, expressing his joy and relief at recovering from Covid-19 which has enveloped India with a vicious second wave. Patel is back to full fitness and participated in his first team training session on Friday.”This is the best moment in my life after my Test debut,” Patel said. “I was alone in my room for 20 days and I didn’t have anything to do. I was watching the matches and one good thing was that our team won most of the matches, so I got even more motivated to re-join the side. We are just focusing on how my body is reacting to training sessions.”

| Smiles and hugs all around as Bapu returned to the DC camp

Oh, how we missed you, @akshar2026

P.S. Kya challlaaaaa? a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/YehHaiNayiDilli?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#YehHaiNayiDilli #IPL2021 #DCAllAccess @OctaFX @ITCGrandChola pic.twitter.com/wRl1I1M5dW

— Delhi Capitals (@DelhiCapitals) April 22, 2021

Wayne Rooney has likened the struggles he is enduring at Plymouth to the ones that Pep Guardiola is having to contend with at Manchester City.

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Both bosses have one win from last 10Ex-England captain under pressureConfident that he can turn things aroundFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱GettyWHAT HAPPENED?

Premier League champions City have picked up just one win from their last 10 games in all competitions – with Guardiola suffering the worst run of his managerial career. Down in Devon, Rooney has overseen a similar run – suffering six defeats – and is facing uncomfortable questions of his future.

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The Manchester United legend is, however, determined to turn things around and has said ahead of a testing trip to high-flying Sheffield United: “Whatever you are doing, whatever sport you are in, you go through patches and we are going through one which is tough, no denying that, but you want to show some fight and desire to get out of it, and I think we can. Of course, I have said this before, injuries don't help, to any team in this league. When you lose players that doesn't help but that's not an excuse, I still expect us to be picking up results, and expect us to get out of it.

“We are looking at arguably the best team in the world over the last few years at Man City going through exactly the same. So when you lose some players and confidence is a little bit down it can be tough but we need to find ways to get out of it. Of course, we have got a difficult game Saturday but if we get a positive result what a platform that gives us moving forward into the Christmas period. It's tough but we are there, we are fighting and we are doing everything we can to try to turn it around.”

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Rooney is, as an ex-England captain and United’s all-time leading scorer, no stranger to pressure and added on how he is dealing with the demands of fans and owners at Home Park: “It's part of the job, it's as simple as that. There's always noise, whether you are winning, losing, drawing, whatever situation you are in. For me, I have honest conversations with players, I have honest conversations with the board and the owners, and we know exactly where we are at.

“We have got a belief we can really come through this. Yes, we have been unfortunate with injuries, of course we have, but it's our job now to make sure we improve players and try to get them to the level which we need to get us out of this. There is pressure you have to deal with but that's part of the fun of being in a job. If that pressure is not there then what's the point?”

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Plymouth sit second-from-bottom in the Championship table, but are only five points adrift of Preston in 14th and know that a few positive results will see them climb the second tier standings and quieten some of the noise that continues to surround their high-profile boss.