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Are Rangers starting to stabilise?

On Sunday, Philippe Clement’s Gers made it four successive Scottish Premiership victories by smashing Ross County 4-0 at Ibrox; Ianis Hagi bagging a brace, while fit-again John Souttar and James Tavernier were also on target.

This came after the Light Blues had reached the Europa League round of 16, thanks to a 2-1 victory over Royale Union Saint-Gilloise last Thursday.

So, while the title is gone, there’s still plenty to play for both in Europe and in the Scottish Cup, before they welcome their only deadline day move in the summer months…

Rangers' deadline day signing

On Monday, Rangers confirmed that Dundee midfielder Lyall Cameroon had signed a pre-contract agreement with the club, which will see him join in the summer, with Alan Pattullo of the Scotsman believing they’ve secured “one of Scottish football’s hottest young talents”.

Meanwhile, speaking on the Scottish Football Social Club on Premier Sports, former Hearts and Hibs midfielder Michael Stewart described Cameron’s move as financially low-risk, while Scottish football writer Kai Watson believes he “has the potential to play at a higher level than the Scottish Premiership”.

Dundee manager Tony Docherty labelled Cameron “extremely talented”, adding “it is no surprise when a player like that is out of contract… there will be interest”.

Of course, the 22-year-old will move on a Bosman, but Rangers will owe Dundee a compensation fee, similar to the situation they faced with Aberdeen and Connor Barron earlier this season, ultimately ordered to pay £639,920 plus up to £250,000 in “conditional performance-based payments” by a tribunal, after the two clubs could not agree a settlement.

Nevertheless, even if a repeat fee is paid, that still offers great value for a high-quality young player, while Cameron’s wages won’t be astronomical either; Salary Sport believes he currently earns just £340-per-week, or £17,680-per-annum, at the Dark Blues.

So, even with a bumper pay rise, he’ll still be amongst the Gers’ lowest earners, and Rangers need to cut costs wherever they can, given that Anthony Evans of the Daily Record believes the club lost £17.2m during the most recent financial year.

With little money to waste, Rangers need their highest-paid players to be pulling their weight, but this is not the case.

Rangers' fourth-highest earner isn't delivering

When Danilo joined Rangers from Feyenoord for a reported £6m in 2023, he did so too much fanfare, with then manager Michael Beale saying he is “an exciting player who likes to create and score goals… he will give us another big option in the attacking areas of the pitch”.

However, his time in Glasgow has been blighted by injuries, sitting out 61 of Rangers’ 99 matches since the start of last season, accumulating only 1,730 minutes, due to a fractured cheekbone, knee surgery and then, most recently, a shoulder injury.

This has seen him score just 12 goals for the club, averaging a strike every 144 minutes, which certainly isn’t a bad ratio, but is not the return they would’ve hoped for from the club’s fourth-highest earner, currently on £26,000-per-week, according to Salary Sport.

So, let’s compare the Brazilian to Rangers’ other centre-forward options.

Appearances

38

91

29

Minutes

1,730

5,470

1,704

Goals

0.63

0.66

0.69

Assists

0.42

0.25

0.16

Shots

5.23

3.44

4.17

Shots on target %

49.4%

46.3%

41.1%

Goals – xG

-0.6

-2.6

+2.9

As outlined in the table, Danilo’s per-90 statistics for Rangers compare favourably to both Cyriel Dessers and Hamza Igmane.

However, the Nigerian has played more than three times as many minutes since the pair joined together in 2023, while the Moroccan has played only 26 fewer minutes, despite the fact this is his first season at Ibrox.

The trio’s goals-per-90 figures are remarkably similar, but Danilo ranks exponentially higher when it comes to both assists and shots, outperforming Dessers’ goals – xG figure, albeit Igamane is certainly outshining both in that regard.

Thus, what these numbers show is that Danilo can be a useful player for Rangers, but not if he can’t stay fit, and given Rangers’ tight finances, Clement himself saying they “simply can’t buy players without selling them first”, the summer will be the time to cash in.

Rangers hit jackpot with "unbelievable" star who's worth more than Cameron

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Colin Ackermann fought with the bat after a good show by the bowlers, but Netherlands were never quite in the hunt

Mohammad Isam24-Oct-20222:41

Kumble: The two run-outs cost Netherlands the game

Bangladesh’s quick bowlers came good as they pulled off a nine-run win over Netherlands, with Taskin Ahmed the star of the show. He picked up wickets with the first two balls of the Netherlands chase of Bangladesh’s 144, and finished with career-best figures of 4 for 25. Hasan Mahmud, too, was impressive with his change-ups as he returned 2 for 15, while Bangladesh’s fielding also looked the part, which is not always the case. The win was Bangladesh’s first at the Super 12 stage of any men’s T20 World Cup.Only Colin Ackermann stood out with the bat for Netherlands, hitting his first T20I half-century, an effort that lifted them from 15 for 4 by the fourth over, and took them not too far from the target after they looked, at times, as though they wouldn’t cross 100.Ackermann batted from the first over to the 17th, falling for 62 when he became Taskin’s final wicket. Paul van Meekeren’s six in the final over, bowled by Soumya Sarkar with 24 to get, gave Netherlands some hope, but it was always a bridge too far.It might not have been so if the batters had added to the work of the bowlers, who gave away runs at the top but sent Bangladesh from 43 for no loss to 76 for 5 between the sixth and 11th overs, and kept them down to a reasonable total.Two in two: Taskin Ahmed picked up wickets off the first two balls of Netherlands’ chase•ICC/Getty ImagesThe Bangladesh slide
Bangladesh got an excellent opening stand, but the collapse, inevitably, was just around the corner.Soumya and Najmul Hossain Shanto took them to 43 in five overs before they fell in consecutive overs, both playing cross-batted shots that they couldn’t time well. Soumya went top-edging a pull off van Meekeren, and Shanto was caught at the midwicket boundary slog-sweeping Tim Pringle.Then a quiet over, and again wickets off back-to-back overs, when Litton Das fell trying to pull Logan van Beek, and Shakib Al Hasan failed to clear Bas de Leede at the midwicket boundary off Shariz Ahmed. Not long after that, van Meekeren got his second when he played the old two-card trick on Yasir Ali. A quick short one pegged Yasir back, and then a fullish delivery, on a driving length, went through the batter’s defences.Bangladesh had lost five wickets for 33 runs in the space of six overs.Middle order lifts Bangladesh
Afif Hossain led Bangladesh’s recovery, most notably with three powerful shots off legspinner Shariz – sixes in the tenth and 15th overs, and a four in the latter, too. He was dropped by Pringle in the deep on the leg side too, off van Beek, when on 28, but Afif added 44 runs for the sixth wicket with Nurul Hasan.Bangladesh’s deep batting line-up helped them here, because after Afif and Nurul were dismissed by de Leede in the 18th over, No. 8 Mosaddek Hossain breezed to an unbeaten 20 off 12 balls. He crashed de Leede through the off side before hammering a six over the covers in the final over, bowled by de Leede.Colin Ackermann played a lone hand for Netherlands•ICC/Getty ImagesNetherlands unravel at the top
Things happened rather quickly after the restart, as Taskin removed Vikramjit Singh and de Leede with the first two balls of the innings. Vikramjit edged to Yasir Ali at slip, and then de Leede nicked to Nurul behind the stumps off a wider delivery.If that wasn’t bad enough for them, Netherlands’ poor running gave Bangladesh further inroads in the fourth over. First, Afif’s throw from the deep caught Max O’Dowd short at the non-striker’s end after a bit of miscommunication with Ackermann, and one ball later, Tom Cooper was caught short after an impressive slide-and-stop at the boundary followed by an excellent throw from Shanto.Ackermann and Scott Edwards batted well for a little while, but Edwards fell to Shakib in the 12th over before Mahmud cleaned up Pringle just before a long rain break.Ackermann plays a lone hand
Ackermann was, however, undeterred by either the rain or the rush of wickets. He struck the ball cleanly through the covers for most of his boundaries, and also dragged Taskin’s short delivery for a pulled four, and Soumya’s military medium was played delicately for a four through third. He also struck sixes over square leg and straight down the ground, as he showed off his range of shots in a difficult situation for his team.He was dismissed to leave Netherlands at 101 for 9 in the 17 th over, but if Bangladesh felt it was done, not quite. Fred Klaassen and van Meekeren swung their bats around for 34 runs at the end to take them close even as Shakib juggled his options, though at no point would Bangladesh have felt unduly threatened.

Whilst the improvement hasn’t been as drastic as many would have liked, Chelsea are making steady progress in regards to defensive stability, conceding 31 goals in 24 games so far this season (1.29 goals conceded per 90) compared to the 63 conceded in 38 games last season (1.58 goals conceded per 90).

So far this season, Enzo Maresca’s side are averaging 11.2 shots conceded against them per game, much fewer than the 14.6 they conceded per match last term.

However, whilst the volume of shots has been minimised, Maresca is still yet to find a way to lower the threat of each shot, with their xG per shot conceded metric remaining at 0.15, the same as it was last season.

It looked like Maresca had settled on a back four he liked in the early weeks of the campaign but injuries and certain players returning have hampered that stability the Italian had which has left the defence struggling in recent weeks.

How Chelsea's defence has shaped up in 2024/25

At the beginning of the season, Maresca found some solidity with a back five of Robert Sanchez, Malo Gusto, Wesley Fofana, Levi Colwill and Marc Cucurella, with club captain Reece James out through injury at the time.

Fofana was a huge part of this, starting 12 of the first 13 Premier League games, the only one he missed being through suspension rather than not being selected.

But since the Frenchman suffered an injury, the Blues’ form has gone downhill, with their only clean sheet since 22nd December in the league coming in a 0-0 draw with Everton.

In recent weeks, summer signing Tosin Adarabioyo has taken Fofana’s spot alongside Colwill in central defence, but the 27-year-old, who was signed on a free transfer, could well have been another player who used to play at Stamford Bridge, had he not been allowed to leave for nothing back in 2022.

Chelsea must rue selling one of the world's best

Titanic defender Antonio Rüdiger left Chelsea at the end of the 2021/22 season, having made 203 appearances for the club, scoring 12 goals, providing four assists and totalling 17,887 minutes played.

In his time at the club, it was a bit of a rollercoaster, falling out of favour under Frank Lampard, before becoming integral to Thomas Tuchel in Chelsea’s Champions League winning campaign.

Where Are They Now

Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast's Where Are They Now series.

Considering their struggles over the last six weeks, how they must rue not tying him down to an extended contract, with the centre-back now shining for Champions League holders Real Madrid.

Progressive Carries

0.61

1.24

0.55

Progressive Passes

3.19

2.21

2.86

Passes Attempted

70.6

62.2

82.6

Pass Completion %

92.1%

89.6%

92.6%

Passes into Final Third

4.23

3.89

3.63

Tackles

0.93

1.15

1.32

Blocks

0.82

1.24

0.77

Interceptions

0.40

1.06

0.43

Aerial Duels Won

1.22

2.04

2.53

When comparing Rudiger to Fofana and Adarabioyo so far this season, you can see that the German brings an extra level of security.

He’s better with his passing, makes more progressive passes and still maintains a high pass completion percentage. But what doesn’t show in the data, is the tenacity and leadership he offers in defence.

Former Arsenal star Mesut Özil once named Rudiger as the “world’s best defender” when in his prime, pinpointing his “mentality” as a key factor to his success.

His ability to take on the best and most physical strikers in the world, battle for 90 minutes and lead by example for his team, certainly makes his presence priceless.

Whilst if Fofana had stayed fit, Chelsea could be in better stead currently, the loss of the Frenchman has only highlighted the Blues’ defensive issues, lacking leaders and a certain type of mentality, one which Rudiger had in abundance.

Outperforming Jackson & Nkunku: Chelsea must rue selling "world-class" star

Chelsea may have made a mistake in allowing one player to leave given his form away from the club.

ByEthan Lamb Feb 11, 2025

The Catalan coach will be experiencing a strange feeling after being dethroned by Liverpool, but he is already plotting how to regain the crown

When Manchester City take on Wolves on Friday, something will be missing. For the first time in almost four years, Pep Guardiola's side will take to the pitch like any other ordinary Premier League team. The gold Premier League badge they have worn on their right sleeves since May 2021 to show they are champions will be gone. It will be replaced by an ordinary blue badge, the one worn by every other team, bar one.

Guardiola effectively conceded that City were not going to be winning the league as far back as in November, but it does not mean it felt any less painful when Liverpool were confirmed as the new champions on Sunday, at exactly the same time that City had just beaten Nottingham Forest to reach the FA Cup final. Many managers would have looked on the positive side after winning a semi-final tie at Wembley, but Guardiola cut a serious figure when asked if this season was going to turn out alright after all.

"Nooooo… We are a thousand million points behind Liverpool. It's not good," Guardiola said. In the interests of accuracy, the gap between Liverpool and City is 21 points, but to a coach with an unquenchable thirst for winning, it might as well have been a thousand million. Guardiola has only failed to win the league title on four occasions in his 16 seasons as an elite manager and he will already by plotting the reconquest.

When City failed to win the title in Guardiola's first season in charge in 2016-17, he responded by spending £214 million ($286m) on new signings, and a year later they reclaimed their crown by amassing a record 100 points, before retaining it the following year by earning another 98. And when City lost out to Liverpool in the 2019-20 campaign, finishing 18 points off the pace, they responded by winning a record four titles in a row.

Make no mistake about it, City will be back next season desperate to swipe the title straight out of Liverpool's hands. And here's what they need to do to ensure the trophy only has a one-year hiatus from the Etihad Stadium…

Getty Images SportFind a new No.1

Only a year ago, City's goalkeeper situation seemed to be in perfectly good health, with Stefan Ortega proving a reliable and often brilliant back-up to Ederson. The German was even credited with keeping the 2024 title bid on track with his awesome save from Son Heung-min in the penultimate game of the season against Tottenham.

But this campaign has underlined the need for City to find not one new goalkeeper, but two.Guardiola's lack of satisfaction with both his shot-stoppers was plain to see in January's 2-2 draw at Brentford as, after he had dropped Ederson for the trip to west London – and not for the first time this season, either – he was then seen at full-time screaming in Ortega's ear, clearly furious at the way the 'keeper had conceded two late goals.

It has been an open secret since then that City are looking for a new No.1. Ederson wanted to leave for Saudi Arabia last summer before Guardiola persuaded him to stay, but the coach did not even try to deny that the goalkeeper's future at the club was in doubt when asked about the Brazilian before the FA Cup semi-final, merely responding "I don't want to respond about this situation right now."

Ederson might have a remarkable four assists this season – unheard of for a goalkeeper – but his ability to keep the ball out of the net has been waning for some time and he has proved a liability on numerous occasions, particularly in the Champions League. Both Ederson and Ortega's contracts expire in 2026, so City better get ahead of the game and bring in a new No.1 who can guard their goal for at least the next five years. Porto captain Diogo Costa is the leading candidate, while Lyon's Lucas Chevalier also has admirers at the Etihad.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportManage Rodri's return

Liverpool may well have won the league regardless, but there can be no question that the most pivotal moment in City's season came when Rodri tore his cruciate ligament against Arsenal in September. The team had only lost one game with Rodri in the line-up since November 2022, but just two months after the agonising injury they were at the end of a five-game losing run which left their campaign in tatters. By March, City had nine Premier League defeats, the joint-highest number Guardiola had ever lost as a coach in a league season.

Rodri has now returned to training and there is chance he makes his comeback before the season finishes. Guardiola, however, needs to tread cautiously when it comes to reintegrating the 2024 Ballon d'Or winner. Rodri suffered his injury just days after warning of the threat to player welfare of playing too many matches, and City must do everything to ensure he does not get injured again. That means rotating the player every so often and listening to him he says he needs to rest. It should also mean using him sparingly in this summer's Club World Cup, if at all.

The Spain international should feel refreshed mentally and physically next season after so long out, and if Rodri can stay injury-free and get some help from the next generation of players, he can guide City back towards their crown.

Getty ImagesSign a De Bruyne replacement

Although it is expected to be a busy transfer window for City across the board, the biggest decision they will make this summer is how they replace Kevin De Bruyne. The Belgian was an unused substitute in the FA Cup semi-final win over Forest, the latest demonstration that he is no longer seen as essential in the biggest games, and both his injury problems and struggles to call upon his supernatural abilities of old to win matches have been big factors in City's struggles.

While he recovered from a five-month absence from a torn hamstring to drag Guardiola's side over the line in the title race last season, all De Bruyne's previous fitness problems seem to have caught up with him. And though he will rightly be remembered as arguably City's greatest-ever player, few fans will disagree that the time has come for him to move on.

City have known all year that this day was going to come and they have had plenty of time to identify the ideal successor to De Bruyne. Florian Wirtz is the outstanding candidate, while Morgan Gibbs-White is close behind. There is even an argument that City should try and sign both players, especially after being decimated by injuries this season and with the Club World Cup likely to put more strain on their squad.

De Bruyne's departure will free up enough room on the wage bill to pay the salaries of both Wirtz and Gibbs-White, and although both players would garner hefty transfer fees, they could be amortised over a long-term period to comply with the Premier League's Profit and Sustainability Rules.

Signing just one of these brilliant No.10s would be a huge boost in City's bid to wrest their crown back from Liverpool, but getting both of them could make them almost unstoppable.

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(C)Getty ImagesRestore the hunger

Last season, City did what no team in 135 years of English football had ever done before by winning a fourth-consecutive league title. Granted, they were favourites to go on and win a fifth this term, but it should not be surprising that they were unable to maintain the same hunger after such a historic achievement. The fact that the squad was practically the same, with Savinho the only fresh arrival last summer along with the returning Ilkay Gundogan, did not help.

But while some drop-off should have been expected after City had won so much, Guardiola did not understand the complacency that gripped his players, and nor was he willing to accept it. "We need to recover the spirit,” he said last week. "When we scored a goal, we didn’t celebrate. When we scored the first goal in October, November, December, January, we didn’t celebrate in the way of the body language [of how] we celebrate. That is a stupid detail but it says a lot about the passion we had all the time in this season – we didn’t have it."

Needless to say, Guardiola will not stand for his players not showing the necessary hunger next season, although it should be easier to rally his team to win their title back than for them to retain it for a fourth time. The Catalan could use the carrot approach and find new ways to motivate his team, or he could use the stick and root out any players who he senses no longer have the same fire in their bellies. Whichever method he chooses, it needs to result in his team working much harder than they have done this term.

India will sweat on Axar Patel’s fitness, and hope to bounce back after letting victory slip from their grasp on Sunday

Mohammad Isam06-Dec-20223:37

Jaffer: India should bring in Axar, if he is fit

Big picture
Beating India in successive ODI series at home will be a high mark for Bangladesh, who will take an unassailable lead if they win the second ODI on Wednesday. Their one-wicket win in the first ODI made for compelling viewing, and the 51-run tenth-wicket stand between Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Mustafizur Rahman reinforced just how dangerous Bangladesh are at home.They won from an improbable position, however, and India will rue the chances they gave the last-wicket pair. They might also look to rethink how they went about their batting. Given how tricky the pitch at the Shere Bangla National Stadium was to bat on, and given that their total of 186 almost proved a winning one, India might look at some of their dismissals – two came off reverse-sweeps, and two off pulls against Ebadot Hossain’s extra bounce – and wonder if they may have been better served batting out the 50 overs. KL Rahul, who top-scored with a 70-ball 73, suggested that 230-240 would have been a good score on that surface.India packed their side with four allrounders and while most of them bowled well, three of them fell for single-digit scores. One match is perhaps too small a sample to draw conclusions from, but there is a chance India could look to shore up their batting with another specialist in the middle order.Bangladesh have issues to worry about too. They went 104 balls without hitting a boundary at one stage of the first ODI, and all that pressure contributed to their collapse from 128 for 4 to 136 for 9. If the pitch on Wednesday is a similar one, their batters may need to come out with clearer plans regarding their scoring areas.Their bowling, however, was impressive. Mustafizur, Ebadot Hossain and Hasan Mahmud forced the batters onto the back foot, literally and figuratively, and Shakib Al Hasan made skillful use of the natural variation on offer to bag five wickets. Mehidy was also effective inside the first powerplay. If they can put on another collective display on Wednesday, India might find it difficult to get back into the series.Form guide
Bangladesh WWLLW (last five completed ODIs, most recent first)
India LLWWLIn the spotlight
Mohammed Siraj was a bright spot in India’s inexperienced bowling attack on Sunday, bowling with lively pace and extracting a bit of movement to take three wickets. Siraj has only played 14 ODIs, but he’s shown the skill across phases to lead a pace-bowling attack that is without Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami. If there is help for him on Wednesday, expect him to continue posing problems to Bangladesh’s batters.After the first ODI, Mehidy Hasan Miraz said it didn’t seem like Litton Das was leading the ODI side for the first time. For a cricketer of his stature, Litton hasn’t captained a lot in major domestic or franchise cricket, but he has caught the eye with his tactical nous and maturity. He is undoubtedly the leading batter across formats for Bangladesh in 2022, particularly in ODIs where they are without regular captain Tamim Iqbal. The challenges are getting bigger for Litton, though, and he’ll want to lead the way with bat and in the field as Bangladesh look to press home the advantage after taking a 1-0 lead.Shakib Al Hasan was the most impressive cog in a collective bowling display in the first ODI•AFP/Getty ImagesTeam news
Bangladesh are unlikely to break their winning combination for the second ODI. Russell Domingo, their head coach, said on the eve of the match that the team management wouldn’t risk Taskin Ahmed, despite his having mostly recovered from the back issue that he sustained during a Bangladesh Cricket League match in late November.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Najmul Hossain Shanto, 2 Litton Das (capt), 3 Anamul Haque, 4 Shakib Al Hasan, 5 Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 6 Mahmudullah, 7 Afif Hossain, 8 Mehidy Hasan Miraz, 9 Hasan Mahmud, 10 Mustafizur Rahman, 11 Ebadot Hossain.India may want to add a batter to their line-up for the second ODI. Ishan Kishan, Rahul Tripathi and Rajat Patidar could be up for selection in that case. It is not yet known if Axar Patel has recovered from the rib injury that kept him out of the first ODI. If he has, he is likely to replace Shahbaz Ahmed. Shardul Thakur suffered cramps in the opening ODI but is fit for Wednesday, Dhawan confirmed.India (probable): 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 Shikhar Dhawan, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Shreyas Iyer, 5 KL Rahul (wk), 6 Washington Sundar, 7 Shahbaz Ahmed, 8 Shardul Thakur, 9 Deepak Chahar, 10 Mohammed Siraj, 11 Kuldeep Sen.Pitch and conditions
Spin will continue to have a major role in the second match in Dhaka, and the fast bowlers will have uncertain pace and bounce to exploit if the pitch plays like it did on Sunday. Both sides will probably look to bowl first despite the 12pm start as dew remains a factor in the evening.Stats and trivia
In the opening match of India’s last ODI series in Bangladesh in 2015, Mustafizur Rahman took a five-wicket haul on debut. This time he went wicketless in the series-opener, but his 10 not out ended up being a match-winning effort. Shakib and Ebadot made it the fourth time that two Bangladeshi bowlers took four or more wickets in an ODI innings. It was the second occasion on which a fast bowler was involved in the combination. If Virat Kohli scores 21, he will become the second visiting batter to score 1000 ODI runs in Bangladesh. Kumar Sangakkara heads that list with 1045 runs. Kohli’s 979 runs have come at an average of 75.30 and a strike rate of 99.59. Quotes
“The guys were ecstatic. Very happy. Rightfully so. It was a fantastic win for us. But come today, it’s done. We have had a good long chat. We have to take the positives and learnings from the last game. We have to try to improve in every department tomorrow because we know it will be a tough game.”

Ruben Amorim sung the praises of Mason Mount after his two second-half goals at Old Trafford saw Manchester United through to the Europa League final.

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Mount struck twice as United beat Athletic Club Stunning strike from near halfway rounded off victoryAmorim praised Mount's hard workFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Mount struck twice to secure a resounding 4-1 victory on the night against Bilbao, after a 3-0 first leg win, with his manager crediting all the hard work the 26-year-old has put in this season, including numerous ice baths and a focus on his diet. Both goals showed class but his second was something special, with shades of David Beckham as Mount struck from almost the half-way line.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Mount has struggled massively with injury at Old Trafford since joining from Chelsea in 2023, making just 42 appearances in almost two seasons. Last night's brace saw the midfielder double his goal tally for the Red Devils, which Amorim will hope is a sign of things to come.

WHAT AMORIM SAID

Amorim said: "I'm so happy for him. He is such a player. He works really hard, he has quality.

"When you see that kind of guy like Mason working hard every day, eating well, having ice baths, when you have this kind of player you just want to help him. He is perfect for this position as he can be a midfielder, but also runs like a winger so I'm really happy for him.

"When you have a full squad you can think about the game. Sometimes we're surviving with people in different positions, but with more options you can change the game and push forwards and these things can help you win games."

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR MOUNT AND MAN UNITED?

Following goals at Brentford and Bilbao, Mount will look to score for a third successive game when United host West Ham United on Sunday. But the main event of their season is on 21 May, when they will do battle with Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League final.

A new update has emerged regarding Philippe Clement’s long-term replacement at Rangers, and how Barry Ferguson can impress as he eys a permanent role at Ibrox.

Ferguson suffer first defeat in charge of Rangers

After the impressive 4-2 win away to Kilmarnock in the Scottish Premiership in his first game in charge, Ferguson was sent crashing back down to reality on Saturday afternoon.

Rangers lost 2-1 at home to Motherwell, having trailed 2-0 at the break, and this time they were unable to stage a Kilmarnock-esque comeback, with the boss bemoaning the result after the game: “There’s obviously a clear problem in terms of playing at home and that’s something me as a manager and my staff and the players need to sit down and really get to the bottom of.”

The Gers’ defeat, coupled with Celtic winning 5-2 away to St Mirren, means that they now trail their rivals by 16 points in the title race, with their chances of a first league crown since 2020/21 all but over.

It’s now a case of Ferguson and his players focusing on going as far as they can in the Europa League, with the former Rangers captain looking to prove to potential new owners the 49ers Enterprises that he is the right man to take the job on a full-time basis after the sacking of Clement last weekend.

New permanent Rangers manager update on Ferguson emerges

According to a fresh update from Football Insider journalist Pete O’Rourke, Ferguson “could be given” the Rangers job on a permanent basis this summer, should he impress in his interim role, despite various others being mentioned as options to come in.

The 47-year-old is “already well-backed by the Ibrox crowd thanks to his previous spell as Rangers’ club captain”, and the appointments of Neil McCann, Alan McGregor and Billy Dodds to the coaching staff have also “inspired praise” from the fanbase.

The report does state that likely incomings new owners 49ers Enterprises are “keen to take their time over the appointment to ensure they get the right man”, though, and getting a positive result against Celtic would “go a long way” towards Ferguson landing the job.

There does feel like a risk in making Ferguson’s temporary role permanent, considering he hasn’t been in management for three years, most recently taking charge of Alloa Athletic back in 2022.

Rangers and 49ers have to be careful that they don’t allow sentimentality to cloud their judgement, in terms of simply appointing a former legend on the pitch as their new manager, instead being ruthless and bringing in the right choice.

If Ferguson, who plays a 4-2-3-1 system, excels in the role between now and the end of the season, displaying tactical acumen, picking up positive results and improving the players, then he will have a genuine argument for taking on the role permanently.

£23k-p/w waste, Clement's mistake: 5 players the new Rangers boss must sell

The next Rangers manager will be sure to make some key changes to the playing squad when they take over the reins.

ByRoss Kilvington Mar 2, 2025

For now, though, Rangers need to keep their options open and looking at more experienced managers, whether it be Steven Gerrard or Kevin Muscat, to name just a few examples.

CSA introduces split coaching team for red- and white-ball formats

Firdose Moonda14-Jan-2023Shukri Conrad and Rob Walter are expected to be unveiled as South Africa’s new men’s international coaches. Conrad’s most recent position was in charge of South Africa’s Under-19 side, while Walter will move from his role as head coach of Central Districts in New Zealand.The pair were preferred to current interim coach Malibongwe Maketa, former West Indies director of cricket Richard Pybus and former national assistant coach Adi Birrel (who applied for the red-ball job only). Lance Klusener, who was the frontrunner for the white-ball role, withdrew his application on Monday to focus on his work in T20 leagues.The appointments, overseen by CSA director of cricket, Enoch Nkwe, will see South Africa’s men’s teams working under a split coaching set-up, following Mark Boucher’s resignation last year. South Africa previously tried something similar more than a decade ago, when Russell Domingo, who was then Gary Kirsten’s assistant, was was put in charge of the T20 side, with Kirsten remaining Test and ODI coach. Domingo then succeeded Kirsten six months later, as all-format coach.It is not yet known which format will be coached by Conrad and which by Walter, but whoever gets the white-ball role will start immediately. South Africa play England in three World Cup Super League matches from January 27.The Test coach will have a reduced workload at international level for now as South Africa still retain hopes of reaching the World Test Championship final, despite defeats in their two most-recent series in Australia and England, but currently only have two matches scheduled – at home to West Indies in March – in the next 11 months. In the long gaps between Tests, the Test coach will play an overseeing role in the first-class system.Both Conrad and Walter have worked extensively in South Africa’s domestic set-up . Conrad coached both the Lions and Cobras franchises (under South Africa’s previous domestic structure) and won four titles with the two teams, including one first-class title. Since then, he worked as head coach of Uganda, as South Africa’s National Academy coach, and most recently as coach of the national Under-19 team. South Africa finished seventh at the 2022 Under-19 World Cup, with Dewald Brevis announcing himself, and Conrad then coached them to victory in the CSA T20 knockout challenge in October. This will be his first job as a Full Member national men’s team head coach.Related

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The same applies to Walter, though he has been involved in international cricket, having been South Africa’s strength and conditioning coach between 2009 and 2013. His first role after turning to coaching was as head coach of the Titans franchise, where he won three trophies in three seasons before moving to New Zealand. Walter coached Otago Volts for five years and turned them from wooden spooners in 2016-17 to a competitive side in the seasons that followed. In April 2021, he moved to the Central Stags. Walter also has IPL experience with Pune Warriors and Delhi Daredevils.The pair succeed Boucher, who was appointed in December 2019 on a four-year deal. Boucher was due to stay on to take South Africa to the 50-over World Cup later this year, but announced his resignation in August 2022, on South Africa’s tour of England. His last series was the T20 World Cup in Australia, where South Africa missed out on the semi-finals after losing to Netherlands. Boucher has since been announced as the head coach of IPL franchise Mumbai Indians.

América and LAFC will meet in a playoff to fill the vacated spot, with the match scheduled for May 31 at BMO Stadium

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FIFA has confirmed the match between América and LAFCThe winner will join Group D with Chelsea, Flamengo, and Espérance de TunisAmérica will face Pachuca in the quarterfinals of Liga MXFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱Getty Images SportWHAT HAPPENED?

After León’s official removal from the Club World Cup for failing to comply with the tournament’s multi-ownership regulations, FIFA announced that América and LAFC will play a match for the vacant spot, scheduled for May 31 at BMO Stadium, according to sources.

Ahead of América’s quarterfinal first leg against Pachuca, André Jardine addressed the issue of multi-ownership in Mexican football – the reason León was expelled from the tournament. Grupo Pachuca owns both León and the Tuzos, which Jardine said is something that should not be allowed.

"It’s a decision made by an institution with full global responsibility, like FIFA," said the América coach. "If these decisions are being made, it’s because something is wrong. We need to take a closer look at the issue of multi-ownership. I really don’t think it’s right for one group to own two clubs in such an important league like the Mexican one. I don’t think there’s another major league where this happens – one group owning two teams,”

Jardine emphasized that FIFA has the authority to make these decisions and that if something is wrong, it must be corrected. The issue of multi-ownership has sparked debate in recent years. Currently, six Liga MX clubs are involved: León and Pachuca under Grupo Pachuca; Querétaro and Xolos under Grupo Caliente; and Puebla and Mazatlán FC under TV Azteca.

Jardine also said that both Pachuca and León have previously benefited from shared ownership, pointing to the start of this tournament as an example.

"This creates – or can create – problems within the competition," Jardine said. "For example, León and Pachuca were supposed to face each other in Matchday 1, but that was barely discussed. We had to play the first two rounds with our U23 team because no club wanted to reschedule their first game.

"León and Pachuca didn’t play the first match, they arranged not to, and with that, they got 10 more days of preseason than the rest of the league. Look at how León and Pachuca started the tournament – these small details make a difference."

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

For some time now, it had already been speculated that América and LAFC would face off for that spot – FIFA even said so before the ruling from the CAS. Now that it’s official, the news is a boost for both América and LAFC.

The winner will be placed in Group D alongside Chelsea, Flamengo, and Turkey’s Esperance.

Getty Images SportWHAT ANDRÉ JARDINE SAID

"The institution has been very well-organized for many years. They’ve had strong tournaments, and I see them as a great representative of Mexican football in any match and any competition. We’re going to rise to the occasion and represent Mexican football well – that’s the most important thing in moments like this," he said regarding the opportunity granted by FIFA to face LAFC por the final Club World Cup spot.

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR AMÉRICA?

Las Águilas will visit the Tuzos on Wednesday for the first leg of the Liguilla quarterfinals. The return leg will be played next Saturday at Estadio Ciudad de los Deportes, home of the Azulcremas.

Pakistan pick uncapped players Tayyab Tahir, Kamran Ghulam and Usama Mir in squad of 16

Danyal Rasool05-Jan-2023Pakistan have recalled middle-order batter Haris Sohail and opening batter Fakhar Zaman for their three ODIs against New Zealand next week. The 16-man squad also includes maiden call-ups for 29-year-old middle-order batter Tayyab Tahir, legspinner Usama Mir, and middle-order batter Kamran Ghulam.Shadab Khan sustained a finger injury at the Big Bash League, and has consequently been ruled out. Scans revealed a fractured index finger, for which he has been advised three weeks’ rest.”We had limited ODI cricket last year and this year, we are scheduled to play 11 ODIs before we participate in the ACC Asia Cup, followed by the World Cup in conditions that will be familiar to us,” Shahid Afridi, the interim chief selector, said at a press conference announcing the squad. “So we aim to make optimum use of these 11 ODIs by providing opportunities to our consistent performers that will enable us to select the best available players for the two important tournaments.”Tahir was recently the Player of the Match when he scored 71 in the Pakistan Cup final for Central Punjab against Balochistan. He was also the leading scorer in the one-day tournament with a tally of 573 runs from 12 innings at an average of nearly 48 and strike rate of nearly 100. He hit one century and five half-centuries.Pakistan’s ODI squad vs New Zealand•ESPNcricinfo LtdGhulam was fourth on the list of scorers in the Pakistan Cup with 435 runs from just six innings, averaging 145 and striking at 101.16.The inclusion of Sohail and Zaman represents a turnaround for both players, who were initially omitted from the probables for this series altogether. In a post on Twitter, Afridi announced they had been added to the probables, and have each now made the final cut. Sohail, 33, last played ODI cricket in 2020, though he played the recent Pakistan Cup, where he scored 129 runs in four innings.Legspinner Mir has been rewarded for a strong Pakistan Cup showing where he finished as the highest wicket-taker with 28 strikes at 17.96. Afridi expressed frustration at Shadab’s absence, and suggested players might not be given NOCs while Pakistan’s domestic season was ongoing.

NO WAYYYYY

— Usama Mir (@iamusamamir) January 5, 2023