كشف النادي الأهلي عن تطورات جديدة بشأن الحالة الصحية لرئيس القلعة الحمراء، محمود الخطيب، في الفترة الأخيرة.
وبحسب الموقع الرسمي للأهلي، يخضع اليوم في باريس، محمود الخطيب، رئيس النادي، للعديد من الفحوصات الطبية المختلفة، وذلك للاطمئنان على حالته الصحية.
طالع| علي معلول ينهي إجراءات انضمامه لناديه الجديد بعد رحيله عن الأهلي
وتابع الموقع الرسمي للنادي: “بعدها يقوم الخطيب بزيارة بعض كبار الأطباء المتخصصين لتحديد التشخيص النهائي والعلاج المناسب”.
وكان محمود الخطيب قد وصل إلى فرنسا مساء أمس قادمًا من إسبانيا بعد زيارته نادي برشلونة رفقة وفد القلعة الحمراء، في إطار تعاون مثمر بشأن مشروع استاد الأهلي.
وفي سياق منفصل، يخوض الفريق الأول لكرة القدم النادي الأهلي معسكرًا مغلقًا في تونس استعدادًا لخوض منافسات الموسم الجديد.
Manchester City are very much planning for the future.
In January, the Sky Blues spent big to add plenty of young talent to their squad, namely Nico González, Vitor Reis, Abdukodir Khusanov and others.
Now, those at the Etihad are getting excited about a teenager who, despite agreeing to join over a year ago, has only just arrived, but do Man City already have a bigger talent on their books?
When Claudio Echeverri could make his Man City debut
Claudio Echeverri agreed to join Manchester City from Argentine giants River Plate in January 2024 for a reported fee of £12.5m.
However, still only 18-years-old at the time, he was loaned back to la Banda, finally arriving in Manchester for the very first time at the end of February, following the conclusion of the South American Youth Football Championship, at which Echeverri scored six goals, helping Argentina finish as runners-up.
South American expert Tim Vickery labels Echeverri ‘electric’, adding he is excellent when it comes to ‘running at defenders’ and possesses an ‘eye for an early pass’, outlining that his nickname el Diablito, the little devil, epitomises his style of play.
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Meantime, Guardiola has suggested the 19-year-old’s Man City debut may have to wait until the Club World Cup in the summer, although Simon Bajkowski of the Manchester Evening News advocates for him to be given an opportunity sooner.
Nevertheless, despite the fact Echeverri arrived to, as Sam Lee of the Athletic put it, ‘warranted fanfare’, do Man City already have a bigger talent on their books?
Man City's bigger talent than Echeverri will be like a new signing
While he’s unlikely to be the most high-profile Norwegian in the squad, Oscar Bobb is certainly a player Man City should ensure is central to their plans going forward.
Manchester City's Oscar Bobb
Bobb joined Man City as a 16-year-old from Vålereanga in 2019, before making his senior debut against Fulham in September 2023, racking up 27 senior appearances to date.
His first goal for the club came during a dead-rubber Champions League victory over Crvena zvezda before, a month later, scoring a crucial stoppage-time winner at Newcastle, which proved so pivotal in the title race.
Big things were forecast for Bobb this season, with Pep Guardiola describing him as “really great”, thereby playing 90 minutes of August’s Community Shield victory over Manchester United, only to suffer a broken leg in training a few days later, yet to be seen again since.
Guardiola confirmed last week that the Norwegian international is “training now regularly” and “feels really, really better”, optimistic he could return before the end of the season, making him, as the cliché goes, like a new signing.
Jamie Jackson of the Guardian describes Bobb as a ‘sensational…attacking midfielder’, while his former youth coach Tresor Egholm adds he is ‘special’ and a ‘really skilled… talented young player’.
Meantime, James Ducker of the Telegraph notes that Bobb is nicknamed ‘little wizard’ for a reason, while Sam Lee of the Athletic believes, to use another cliché, ‘we are into remember the name’ territory, adding the youngster has the quality to become a Man City regular.
So, let’s assess how Bobb and Echeverri compare.
Appearances
27
48
Minutes
909
2,529
Goals
2
4
Assists
2
8
Shots on target %
23.1%
36.3%
Senior international caps
8
0
Senior international goals
2
0
As the table outlines, Echeverri does have plenty more club experience than Bobb, this largely due to the latter’s long-term injury, albeit the Norwegian is ahead when it comes to international experience, scoring against both Faroe Islands and Czechia at Ullevål, with national team captain Martin Ødegaard describing him as a “quality player”.
So, while there is obvious excitement surrounding Echeverri’s arrival, there should also be plenty of anticipation ahead of Bobb’s return too.
Following over eight months on the sidelines, the two could burst onto the scene at a very similar time.
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Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is pushing the Gunners to replace ex-sporting director Edu Gaspar with his preferred candidate, coming as the man in question receives a seismic offer from Saudi Arabia.
Why Edu left Arsenal as sporting director in blow for Mikel Arteta
Edu was responsible for the club’s record signing of England star Declan Rice, alongside other high-profile deals which have proved fruitful for the north Londoners, but the Brazilian officially resigned from his post in late 2024.
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Working in tandem with Arteta, Edu played a key role in facilitating the club’s transfer deals, and Arsenal have been attempting to cope without his influence ever since. Interim director Jason Ayto’s jumped into the 46-year-old’s stead, with Edu since revealing that he needed a new challenge.
Arsenaltechnical directorEdu Gaspar and managing director Vinai Venkatesham
“This was an incredibly hard decision to make,” said Edu after quitting Arsenal.
“Arsenal has given me the opportunity to work with so many amazing people and the chance to be a part of something so special in the club’s history. It has been a special journey and I thank Stan, Josh, Tim and Lord Harris for the support they’ve given me.
Man Utd (away)
March 9th
Chelsea (home)
March 16th
Fulham (home)
April 1st
Everton (away)
April 5th
Brentford (home)
April 12th
“I’ve loved working with so many great colleagues across our men’s, women’s and academy teams, especially Mikel, who has become a great friend. Now it is time to pursue a different challenge. Arsenal will always remain in my heart. I wish the club and its supporters only good things and all the very best.”
Edu has since agreed to join Greek billionaire Evangelos Marinakis’ footballing empire, where he will oversee the running of multiple clubs under his umbrella, including Premier League rivals Nottingham Forest.
Meanwhile, the search for Edu’s long-term heir is believed to remain an ongoing situation at N5.
Ayto could even be considered for the Arsenal role full-time, having worked under Edu as his assistant, while some reports have suggested that Bayer Leverkusen chief Simon Rolfes is on Arsenal’s list of potential director candidates.
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According to Football Transfers, PSG director Luis Campos, who is out of contract this year, is also firmly on the Gunners’ radar as an option.
The big-name transfer chief was linked with the role at Tottenham during José Mourinho’s time in charge of the Lilywhites, and his contract situation at the Parc des Princes has sparked interest from a host of elite sides.
Arsenal are among the clubs pushing to appoint Campos, alongside both Chelsea and Saudi Arabia, with the latter presenting an offer worth around £165 million over the course of 10 years.
The Saudis want Campos to head an ambitious project, where he will oversee the development of an elite youth academy, which will eventually form a club side to compete in the Saudi Pro League.
Meanwhile, it is believed Arteta is personally driving Arsenal’s interest in Campos, as the Spaniard is convinced the chief’s footballing expertise could help to end the club’s two-decade-plus long wait for a title.
It has been a tough start for Ruben Amorim at Manchester United. He has so far taken charge of 23 games in the hot seat at Old Trafford and has won 11 of those, losing nine and drawing the other three.
There have been some disappointing defeats for the Red Devils in Amorim’s short managerial tenure which includes a dismal 2-0 loss at Old Trafford against Crystal Palace and defeat by the same scoreline away to Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Amorim
The adaptation period from Erik ten Hag’s back four system to Amoirm’s back three formation seems like it has taken some time for the Red Devils. In particular, finding the right solution at left wing-back has been an issue.
Man United’s left wing-back options
United have two main options at left wing-back under Amorim. That is not including Luke Shaw, who has sadly been injured for much of the season, and Noussair Mazroaui, who has tended to play more on the right.
Before the January transfer window, Diogo Dalot was the first choice for Amoirm on the left flank.
The Portugal international is a crucial player for United and has played 40 times across competitions this term. He has played at left wing-back more than any other position, making 14 appearances there this term.
In the January transfer window, the Red Devils signed the first player of the Amorim era, bringing in Patrick Dogu from Italian side Lecce for a reported fee of £25m, plus a further £4.1m in add-ons.
The 20-year-old Denmark international has made a good impression in his four appearances for the club. He has started every game he’s been available for and was described as a “promising player” by football statistician Statman Dave.
However, the Red Devils number 13 was sent off in his most recent outing against Ipswich Town, for a dangerous challenge. That means United will be without him for the next three domestic games, starting with their FA Cup clash on Sunday at home to Fulham.
In Dorgu’s absence, Amorim could turn to an exciting youth prospect and keep Dalot on the left-hand side.
The Man Utd youngster who could replace Dorgu
A couple of weeks ago away to Tottenham Hotspur, Amorim had to call upon several youth players to feature on the bench, in the midst of a shocking injury crisis. Only one of those players, Chido Obi, made his debut, but there was lots of quality involved.
One of the youngsters in the squad was left-back Harry Amass. Once said to be a young player people should look out for by Shaw, Amass is perhaps one of the most highly rated youngsters in the Red Devils academy.
This term for United’s highest age group, the London-born defender has featured 20 times, registering four assists along the way. He has also featured on the bench for the first team six times, including the Premier League clash at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium earlier in February.
That is not the only first-team involvement Amass has had this season. Former boss Erik ten Hag called upon him during pre-season, and the 17-year-old had the opportunity to play four times on their tour.
That included a fantastic 45-minute cameo against Rangers at Murrayfield. As per Sofascore, the teenager had 35 touches of the ball, completed four out of four dribbles, showing his excellent technical quality, and won an impressive seven out of eight attempted duels.
Amass stats vs. Rangers
Stat
Number
Touches
35
Pass accuracy
81%
Passes completed
17/21
Ground duels won
5/5
Aerial duels won
2/3
Dribbles completed
4/4
Tackles & interceptions
2
Stats from Sofascore
Amass, an England U18 international was described as an “exceptional” talent by Academy Scoop, a page on X dedicated to the Red Devils academy. He is certainly a player who United fans can get excited about.
In the absence of Dorgu, and the interest of keeping balance to the team with Dalot on the right, perhaps Amorim will turn to the youngster to play at left wing-back. He is clearly a highly rated prospect, so a step up to first-team level might be next on the cards.
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South Africa captain puts off-field emotions to one side to lead team to priceless series win
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Temba Bavuma cuts through the covers during his outstanding century•Getty Images
“I am still here and I still deserve to be where I am.”That’s what Temba Bavuma meant when he gestured to his name on the back of his South Africa shirt and then thumped on his heart and the Protea badge as he celebrated his third ODI century.His innings of 109 from 102 balls been described by commentators and former captains Shaun Pollock and Ashwell Prince as the best they’ve seen Bavuma bat in international cricket, not only because of his clean hitting and quick-scoring but because of the context this hundred came in.Bavuma has spent the last year on an “emotional rollercoaster,” with questions over his place in South Africa’s white-ball sides and his ability to score quickly enough to keep up with modern batting trends. Painful, but also legitimate, questions.Since his 110 against India in Paarl last January, Bavuma had batted in 33 international innings across all formats, scored four fifties and had been dismissed in single figures 15 times. Among those were two ducks and a 3 against India on his comeback from an elbow injury that sidelined him for three months in the lead-up to the T20 World Cup. There, he captained South Africa to an exit at the hands of Netherlands. He was subsequently snubbed at the SA20 auction and is the only member of the current squad not playing in the marquee T20 tournament, which has become the biggest party in the country’s cricket. Imagine being the national white-ball captain and not invited.”Emotionally it can be draining and it can be taxing. As much as you try to block it out, it does affect you,” Bavuma said. “The biggest one is when it affects people around you – your family. As a player, I have my ways of dealing with it. It is a part of the journey.”But that doesn’t mean it was easy. “We all go through periods of ups and downs, whether in our careers and family life,” Bavuma said. “The difference [with professional sportspeople] is that it’s in the eyes of everyone and everyone wants to have a piece of you. It’s about trying to not be as emotional as you can and to see things as plainly, as they are. Blocking out the noise is something you have to do but that is quite impossible, especially me in the situation I find myself in, as the captain.”That’s why Cricket South Africa offered him as much quiet time as possible. When Bavuma returned from the T20 World Cup, he, along with Kagiso Rabada, were the only two players not required to play red-ball cricket in preparation for the festive Test series against Australia, so they could take a mental-health break. Bavuma ended as South Africa’s most successful batter on an otherwise disastrous tour, making 185 runs at 37.00 in the 2-0 series loss.When he came home from that tour, Bavuma had another two weeks off before this series as the SA20 launched, and it allowed him to clear his head. “Being out of action for the last two weeks, being at home and away from the game, has also helped me,” he said. “Physically, I’m maybe not in the best shape but mentally I am. I’ve come in a bit more open towards the team and how we would like to go about things.”He also came into an environment with a new coach (albeit only temporarily in white-ball cricket). Bavuma has worked with Shukri Conrad at domestic level. and after the pair were spotted deep in dialogue in Bloemfontein, he revealed that Conrad had helped him work through some of his doubts.”The conversation I had with Shukri helped,” Bavuma said. “It was just being vulnerable to the coach about where I see myself and how I feel about everything. He helped me clear through all the nonsense that was in my head and helped me get ready for the series.”But he wouldn’t reveal too much more. “It was just him giving me an ear, hearing me out and validating the feelings that I’ve had. The biggest thing is getting your mind into the right state to play the game. Shuks is not a therapist. What I enjoyed was the honesty and the clarity that he gave in the chat.”Whatever was said, it obviously worked. Bavuma showed his intent in the first match, albeit he only scored 36. He made those runs, however, off 28 balls to give South Africa a good start and went on to make good tactical decisions in the field (such as holding Sisanda Magala back for the middle overs) which gave South Africa the series lead.Related
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Bavuma will captain South Africa for as long as team-mates and management want
Then, he brought out the big guns. Chasing a record 343 at the Mangaung Oval, Bavuma was a batter transformed. He outscored Quinton de Kock from the get-go, with with five fours and a six from his first 25 balls to assert himself with a hundred for the ages, and after overcoming a bout of cramp, a celebration to match.”It was quite emotional getting to that moment.” he said. “The celebration wasn’t planned. It was a reminder to myself and to everyone that I am still here and I still deserve to be where I am.”Bavuma put his bold strokeplay down to a mindset of “looking to score, looking to dominate the bowlers,” and South Africa’s approach that is less about results and more about establishing a style of play that they can employ for a few years. “We’ve made it clear to ourselves that our focus is going to be on the process but not so much on the outcome,” Bavuma said.But the outcome for Bavuma mattered much more than he was willing to say. A self-confessed “resolute guy” who tried to “put my best foot forward”, Bavuma has obviously been hurt by the events of the last year. However, he has carried himself with integrity throughout. He knows his responsibilities as the captain – and before this series said he was willing to stay on as long as he was wanted but also that he would step aside if needs be – as the country’s only black African international batter and a role model to millions.For them, he had this message: “I’m sure other people are going through what I went through. You’ve got to find a way to keep going forward. Don’t give up. Keep going forward.”
Australia have everything to play for. The defending champions must win big and make huge net run rate gains against Afghanistan to have any hope of reaching the semi-finals. But even if Australia achieve both those things, their destiny is out of their hands as England’s match against Sri Lanka on Saturday will still determine who makes the final four from Group 1.The hosts have not played anywhere near their best cricket in this tournament and are battling a raft of injury concerns, including their captain Aaron Finch. Should they lose to Afghanistan or even win without progressing to the semi-finals, this could well be the final T20I fling for a number of their senior players. Australia are not scheduled to play another T20I until August 2023 and with the next T20 World Cup in 2024, the likes of Finch, Matthew Wade and David Warner could well be considering their T20I futures.Afghanistan had high hopes of being a dark horse in Australia but those hopes have been washed away by rain and two substandard batting performances against England and Sri Lanka. Adelaide could suit their style of cricket better than Perth Stadium and the Gabba, with Rashid Khan returning to a place where he is more popular than most South Australians given his exploits with Adelaide Strikers. He has been almost unplayable in the BBL at the venue and Australia will be wary of what he, Mohammad Nabi and Mujeeb Ur Rahman could do to their middle order.Related
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But Afghanistan will need runs. Ireland’s top order was blown away by Australia and Afghanistan’s top six face a similarly stern test against an attack that is yet to fire at full throttle.More broadly, this will be the first T20I meeting between Australia and Afghanistan. They have only met in three ODIs and have never played a Test match. It is the first meeting since the proposed Hobart Test last year was cancelled by Cricket Australia for political reasons.
Form guide
Australia WWLLL (last five completed matches, most recent first) Afghanistan LLLLL
In the spotlight
Mitchell Starc was once the most revered new-ball bowler in T20 cricket. He is now a middle-overs specialist not bowling the opening over. Australia have stated that it’s part of a grand plan to best utilise their attack across the 20 overs. The numbers reflect a starker reality for Starc: he is nowhere near the bowler he once was. Prior to 2020, his T20I economy rate was just 6.74 and he conceded more than 10-runs-per-over just twice in 28 matches. Since 2020, his economy rate is 8.48 and he has conceded more than 10-runs-per-over in nine of his last 30 matches, including against Ireland despite striking twice in his first over. He remains a wicket-taker, but he has become an extremely expensive one. Australia need more from their frontline left-arm seamer.Sounds odd to suggest Rashid Khan would be in the spotlight but coming off some injury concerns and heading to Adelaide, where he is a favourite son, he will hope to have a huge impact at a place that has become a home away from home for him. He has also gone 10 T20s without a three-wicket haul, his last coming in the Asia Cup against Bangladesh. Teams continue to be risk-averse against Rashid out of sheer respect for his quality. But if Afghanistan are to beat Australia, he needs to light up Adelaide with both bat and ball.Rashid Khan had injured his knee in the previous game against Sri Lanka•AFP/Getty Images
Team news
Australia’s XI will depend on the fitness of Finch and Tim David. Both men are carrying hamstring injuries and neither will play if there’s any risk of re-injuring their hamstrings. If they both pass their fitness tests, Australia will likely go in unchanged. If one or either of them are unavailable then both Cameron Green and Steve Smith come into calculation. Wade will captain if Finch is ruled out.Australia: : (possible) 1 David Warner, 2 Aaron Finch (capt)/Cameron Green, 3 Mitchell Marsh, 4 Glenn Maxwell, 5 Marcus Stoinis, 6 Tim David/Steven Smith, 7 Matthew Wade (wk), 8 Pat Cummins, 9 Mitchell Starc 10 Adam Zampa, 11 Josh HazlewoodRashid has been declared fit despite some concerns over his knee and back coming out of the loss to Sri Lanka in Brisbane. Afghanistan could be unchanged. One other option is potentially adding some batting depth with Darwish Rasooli, given Azmatullah Omarzai has gone wicketless in his last eight T20Is and has only bowled 3.1 overs in the tournament so far.Afghanistan: 1 Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), 2 Usman Ghani, 3 Ibrahim Zadran, 4 Najibullah Zadran, 5 Gulbadin Naib, 6 Mohammad Nabi (capt), 7 Rashid Khan, 8 Azmatullah Omarzai, 9 Mujeeb Ur Rahman, 10 Fareed Ahmad, 11 Fazalhaq Farooqi
Pitch and conditions
Rain affected India’s clash with Bangladesh on Wednesday night but there is none forecast for Friday. It should be a pleasant 20-degree day but it may cool off in the evening. It will likely be a fresh pitch for the double-header, but New Zealand face Ireland beforehand so there potentially will be 40 overs of wear on it. However, as with most Adelaide strips, it should be a good batting surface.
Stats and trivia
These two teams have never met in T20I cricket and have only met three times in international cricket, with Australia winning all three matches in 2012, 2015 and 2019.
Rashid has taken 44 wickets in 29 T20 matches at Adelaide Oval. He has a better strike rate at the venue – 15.5 – compared to his career strike rate of 16.8, but a marginally higher economy rate.
Quotes
“The reality is that our first game has put us in this situation. We knew for the rest of the tournament that it was going to come down to run rate should things go well. But also there are still two other games to be played in the pool. So first and foremost, we need to get the two points “ “It’s really not an easy game for us to play against Australia in Australian conditions, but we are here to give them a tough time. I think Australia will be under pressure because they want to win, and we are here to finish the tournament with high morale.” Afghanistan assistant coach Rais Ahmadzai is hoping to cause an upset
Even with the distraction of the transfer window rolling into its final few frantic hours, Sunderland and Middlesbrough still managed to play out a Championship classic at the Riverside Stadium on Monday night.
Indeed, the near neighbours would share the goals out for the majority of the entertaining clash, only for Regis Le Bris’ men to then clinch a decisive winner late on courtesy of a Ryan Giles own goal to pick up a chaotic 3-2 away win.
There were various standout performers for the Black Cats, but it was Enzo Le Fee who lapped up the most plaudits come the full-time whistle.
Le Fee's performance in numbers
It’s fair to say the French midfielder finally announced himself to the English game properly with this standout display at Boro, having shown brief flashes of his pedigree in other Championship contests to date.
At the Riverside, however, Le Fee oozed class from minute one, with a sublime first touch helping Sunderland bundle home that dramatic late winner.
Away from this moment of audacious quality, Le Fee managed to run experienced EFL face Luke Ayling ragged all night long down the left flank with 100% of his dribble attempts successfully completed, whilst also picking up an assist when Wilson Isidor fired Le Bris’ side into a 2-1 lead.
Winning seven duels as a battler for his team too, it was an extremely well-rounded display from the ex-Lorient man who is more than living up to his billing as a £19m worthy footballer.
But, Le Bris will be aware he isn’t the only star in his side who could make him some big bucks down the line, with another of his standout assets causing Boro all sorts of bother yesterday evening.
Isidor's performance in numbers
The star in question here is the aforementioned Isidor, who has been letting his football do the talking in recent matches after that disastrous two-penalty miss game versus Burnley.
Indeed, since that Turf Moor horror show, the Black Cats number 19 has had two goals to shout about from his next three Championship encounters, with an ice-cold strike at the Riverside to gift his side a slim lead making new Boro goalkeeper Mark Travers look very foolish.
Despite amassing just eight touches of the ball, it was a display that showcased exactly why the Mackems forked out £3.3m in January to land his services permanently, with the striker also successfully winning 100% of his duels on the night.
If that does come to fruition, Isidor will no doubt see this price tag go up and up in value, to potentially the same heights as Le Fee’s bumper valuation.
Games played
27
Goals scored
10
Assists
0
Shots per game
2.4
Big chances missed
14
Big chances created
5
Frighteningly, there could be even more to come from the skilful striker if everything slots into place between now and the end of the campaign, with Isidor squandering a hefty 14 big chances away from his promising goal return of ten league strikes from 27 contests.
Labelled as a “ridiculous” striker by football data analyst Ben Mattinson after his stylish strike against Michael Carrick’s men, Isidor could soon turn into an even more accomplished performer for his side if his game is refined just that little bit more, with both the 24-year-old and Le Fee no doubt key cogs in the Sunderland machine moving forward if promotion is to be reached.
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Derby County supporters would have been equal amounts of sad but optimistic for the future when news filtered through of Paul Warne’s dismissal from the Pride Park hot seat.
Warne exited his job post with seven straight defeats to his name and the Rams looking to be heading straight back down to League One, leaving the Derby hierarchy in a sticky situation to sack the still popular 51-year-old, considering Warne was the man to get the Midlands side back into the Championship.
Unfortunately for the ex-Rotherham United boss, there was no time for sentimental feelings with Derby engulfed in a battle against relegation, with an ambitious replacement in the form of John Eustace now reportedly in the pipeline.
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As per various different reports, Derby have allegedly now made an approach to try and poach Eustace away from play-off chasing Blackburn Rovers to be Warne’s immediate replacement.
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It has been revealed that Derby have triggered the manager’s £500k buy-out clause at Ewood Park and the boss is aware of interest in his services.
There is a method to Derby’s madness here, considering Eustace is formerly a Rams player and has connections to the Midlands courtesy of Birmingham City, meaning he could be tempted by relocating to Pride Park.
Whilst Warne has proven himself to be a serial promotion expert in getting teams up to the Championship, Eustace could be the best possible predecessor when you take into account his transformative roles at both the Riversiders and the Blues at the level.
Why Eustace is being targeted by Derby
Before his shock dismissal from Birmingham last year, Eustace had the St. Andrew’s outfit all the way up in a dizzy sixth spot in the league.
After sacking Eustace, the Blues did end up dramatically slipping down to League One, whilst the ex-Birmingham boss managed to rebuild his reputation as a solid second-tier option for struggling clubs at Ewood Park.
In the here and now, the in-demand 45-year-old has managed to pick up 19 wins from 53 games in charge of Blackburn, with an early patch of form this season during November and December even seeing his side pick up five Championship wins on the trot without shipping a single goal.
He could be just what Derby needs to stabilise, therefore, with Warne very much sending the Rams down on their current trajectory, which would have ended up being his staggering fourth relegation from the division.
Away from Eustace’s numbers at Blackburn in terms of wins, draws and losses, his track record with getting more out of the group he has at his disposal could also be music to the ears of a struggling Nathaniel Mendez-Laing.
After all, in Lancashire to date, the Solihull-born boss has managed to get an experienced Andreas Weimann firing on all cylinders again, with the ageing Austrian up to eight goals and one assist from 30 appearances this season.
Mendez-Laing G/A record at Derby
Season
Games
Goals scored
Assists
24/25
34
2
4
23/24
50
10
18
22/23
51
8
11
Sourced by Transfermarkt
It’s been quite the drop-off for the former Cardiff City winger, in contrast, who has just a measly six goal contributions next to his name from 34 contests, compared to his bumper 28 goal contributions during Derby’s promotion heroics.
The Derby captain’s trickery and eye for a goal could be key to the Rams attempting to leap away from their current lowly predicament, and with Eustace notably getting more out of a 33-year-old Weimann at Blackburn, he could well be just what Mendez-Laing needs too, who is just one year shy of his ex-Bristol City counterpart.
Birmingham boss John Eustace.
Derby fans won’t have been revelling in delight about Warne leaving, but if the relegation-threatened Rams were able to win the services of the “excellent” Eustace – as he was once labelled by journalist Alan Biggs – to replace their out-going manager, survival might well be on the cards.
Championship Table: Latest standings for the 2024/25 season
Latest English Football League Championship standings 2024/25.
Mary Earps returned to Paris Saint-Germain this week after completing England duty, and celebrated her cleansheet in a 6-0 win over Reims.
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Earps returns to Paris after England dutyKeeps 10th league clean sheet against ReimsPSG chasing Lyon for the league titleFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱Getty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?
Earps had been called up to the England squad for the April international break by Sarina Wiegman. However, the former Manchester United goalkeeper did not feature for the Lionesses as Chelsea's Hannah Hampton got the nod ahead of her for England's Belgium clashes in the Nations League.
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Since her move to Paris Saint-Germain as a free agent from Manchester United last summer, Earps has been on top form and has only conceded 12 goals in 20 league games for Les Parisiennes. On Sunday, Earps kept her 10th Feminine Division 1 clean sheet, her second straight with PSG and celebrated her side's 6-0 win over Reims.
WHAT EARPS SAID
On Instagram, Earps posted photos from the win over Reims and wrote: "Back-to-back cleanos and another strong performance from the girls."
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WHAT NEXT FOR EARPS?
Paris Saint-Germain are chasing Lyon for the Feminine Division 1 title this season, and they are eight points off the top with four games remaining until the end of the season. Earps will be back in action when the French side takes on Le Havre on Wednesday, April 23.
تحدث هانز فليك، مدرب برشلونة، بعد فوز فريقه أمام بلد الوليد، في الدوري الإسباني، كما أجرى تقييمًا لأداء لاعبيه.
عاد برشلونة وحول تأخره أمام بلد الوليد إلى فوز بنتيجة 2-1، في الجولة الرابعة والثلاثين للدوري الإسباني “الليجا”.
ويأتي فوز برشلونة، قبل مباراته الهامة أمام إنتر ميلان، في إياب نصف نهائي دوري أبطال أوروبا (الثلاثاء القادم)، والكلاسيكو ضد ريال مدريد بالدوري الإسباني (الأحد 11 مايو).
وقال فليك في تصريحات نشرتها صحيفة “آس” الإسبانية، عن العودة الجديدة للفريق بعد معاناة: “الهدف كان حصد النقاط الثلاث، ولهذا أنا راضٍ عن الفوز رغم المعاناة التي مررنا بها”.
وعن داني رودريجيز وإصابته، أفاد: “أظهر جودته خلال الفترة التي شارك فيها، يجب أن نساعده على التطور، فهو جزء من فريقنا، في التدريبات أثبت أنه يملك المستوى الذي يؤهله للتواجد هنا، علينا دعمه ليستعيد عافيته ويواصل معنا”.
اقرأ أيضًا | رجل مباراة برشلونة وبلد الوليد في الدوري الإسباني
وإذا كان خاب أمله من تصرفات بعض اللاعبين، أوضح: “عندما تُجرى تغييرات عديدة في التشكيلة الأساسية، تفقد بعض التلقائيات، نحن سعداء بالنقاط الثلاث، وتمكنا من إراحة بعض اللاعبين قبل مباراة الثلاثاء”.
وأكد: “عندما تقوم بإجراء العديد من التغييرات، تصبح الأمور صعبة، لكنني أثق في لاعبيّ، قدموا كل ما لديهم، ولم يكن من السهل اللعب اليوم في هذه الظروف، نعم، كانت هناك أخطاء، لكننا فزنا في النهاية”.
وعما إذا كان خطط للدفع بلامين يامال، رافينها، ودي يونج، أم اضطر لتعديل الخطة، أفاد: “كان الأمر واضحًا بخصوص بيدري ودي يونج، 45 دقيقة لكل منهما، ورافينها أيضًا حصل على راحة لمدة 50 دقيقة، ولامين… من الجيد لهم أيضًا الحفاظ على الإيقاع”.
وإذا كان هذا الفوز استنزفه أكثر مما كان يتوقع، رد: “نعم، لكن هذه هي طبيعة الأمور عندما تكون متأخرًا بنتيجة 1-0”.
وبشأن عودة تير شتيجن، وتقييمه لأداء حارس المرمى في المباراة، علّق: “في الشوط الثاني أظهر جودته، من الجيد رؤيته بهذا المستوى، تشيزني سيلعب في دوري الأبطال وضد ريال مدريد”.
وعن مشاركة فيرمين لوبيز كمهاجم صريح بعد الدفع بداني أولمو، أفاد: “قمنا بوضع أولمو في مركز ’10’ وفيرمين كمهاجم صريح ‘9’ لدمجه أكثر في مجريات اللعب، حتى نتمكن من الهجوم بشكل أفضل أمام كتلة دفاعية منخفضة بهذا الشكل”.
وتابع: “ليس من السهل اللعب كمهاجم وأنت بالأصل لاعب وسط، لأنك تريد امتلاك الكرة، وأعتقد أن هذا الوضع كان أفضل له”.
وأشار: “فيرمين دائمًا لديه فرصة ليكون أساسيًا، سواء في مركزه أو في مراكز أخرى، يمكنه اللعب في أماكن مختلفة، غدًا سيحصلون على راحة، وعندما نسافر إلى ميلانو سنتخذ القرار”.
وعن حالة جافي، أتم: “جافي بخير، أخبرني أنه يشعر بأنه بخير، لكن علينا الانتظار حتى الغد، أما داني، فأنا حزين جدًا من أجله، لقد عانى سابقًا من الإصابات، وكانت هذه أول مباراة له معنا”.