All posts by h716a5.icu

Tottenham Hotspur recorded yet another impressive victory over the weekend, extending their Premier League unbeaten run at the hands of Luton Town.

However, it was a game marred by referee drama again, with the official in question rightly dismissing Yves Bissouma for two foolish yellow card offences in the first half. It will mark a big blow to miss someone who has grown so swiftly into a hugely integral figure for Ange Postecoglou.

How is Yves Bissouma playing this season?

Having been brought in under Antonio Conte, opportunities were limited for the Mali international, despite having starred previously for Brighton and Hove Albion.

However, the clean slate provided by their new boss has already paid dividends, with the £25m man now boasting a 7.27 average rating in the league, making him the Lilywhites' seventh-highest-rated player.

The 27-year-old sits at the base of their midfield and provides the link between defence and attack, willing to accept the ball in tight areas and dictate the play. Such is his return to form, which has seen him maintain a 91% pass accuracy alongside 3.3 tackles per game, pundit Jamie O'Hara sought to laud him:

"For me, when he came in from Brighton, I thought he’s going to be a brilliant signing. And last season, he was terrible. This season, he looks unbelievable. He looks like a £100 million player."

So, with his one-match suspension sure to be a tough one to take, the former Celtic boss must begin devising a plan of how to replace such a monumental figure.

With few midfielders within the squad matching his play style, perhaps an experiment could be in order, to move Pedro Porro into a more central role to truly flex his creative muscles.

What are Pedro Porro's best qualities?

After all, the Spaniard boasts all the attributes needed to thrive in such a position, given he boasts fine anticipation, is strong in the tackle and remains economical in possession.

In fact, when compared to other full-backs across Europe, the former Sporting CP man sits in the top 1% for blocks per 90, the top 11% for shot-creating actions per 90, and is averaging a pass accuracy of 83% in the league this term, via FBref.

Although the £85k-per-week dynamo is starring on the right flank for Postecoglou, such a shift would only mark a temporary one, to retain an element of creativity that the likes of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Oliver Skipp perhaps lack.

Average Rating

7.46

7.29

Pass Accuracy %

83%

91%

Key Passes

1.6 per game

0.6 per game

Tackles

3.0 per game

3.3 per game

Ball Recoveries

5.1 per game

6.1 per game

Stats courtesy of Sofascore.

Such a suggestion is only reinforced given how Emerson Royal could certainly step in and perform if needed too, as although minutes have been scattered for the Brazilian, he still boasts a 92% pass accuracy and 2.4 ball recoveries per game in the Premier League, via Sofascore.

To further emphasise Porro's ability to shift inside, his heat map, whilst naturally very focused down the right, does actually have patches in the midfield areas anyway.

Then, Postecoglou's praise for the 24-year-old should act as decisive proof, given his delight with the adaptability of the new system:

"Pedro has been super. Obviously, with our full-backs, we’re asking for a different type of role than they’re used to, and both him and Destiny have opened up really well to it.

“They’re trying to learn, trying to understand it. I think it suits Pedro in many respects because he’s such a good footballer, technically, he’s a very good footballer, but he’s also a great athlete."

Whilst it will not be forever, a home clash against Fulham marks as good a time as any to trial an idea that could offer a viable replacement should Bissouma suffer from a long-term absence later in the season.

He has also elaborated on why he thinks two new balls is a bad idea in ODIs

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Jun-2018Ahead of their five-Test tour of England, India have their “most complete” pace attack in a long time, according to Sachin Tendulkar. He is particularly enthused by the variety within the fast-bowling group.”This is the most complete fast-bowling attack that India have had in many many years. In my assessment, this attack would go as one of the best,” Tendulkar told . “We have the luxury where we have a swing bowler (Bhuvneshwar Kumar), a tall bowler (Ishant Sharma), a skiddy bowler (Jasprit Bumrah) and a genuine quick bowler (Umesh Yadav).”It is a nice combination to have with so much variation on offer.”The batting ability of Hardik Pandya and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Tendulkar felt, would help balance India’s line-up.”The current India team is constantly looking at seamers who can contribute with the bat big time,” he said. “I think these two guys have contributed crucial runs every now and then.”Hardik has just got into the side but I think Bhuvi contributing brilliantly and that contribution changes the balance of the team in a positive manner.”It’s good to have batsmen who can bowl four-five overs but even better if we have bowlers who can score those crucial runs. The kind of contributions that can help you move forward.”In a separate interview with , Tendulkar also elaborated on his view that two new balls in ODI cricket was a recipe for disaster.”The point I am trying to make is the rule was introduced to help the bowlers upfront and also prevent discolouring of the ball,” he said. “I felt the surfaces we’re playing on are not helping the bowlers to swing. Neither have I seen swing up front nor have I seen reverse swing later. It’s kind of, we’re caught in-between.”The ball doesn’t get old enough to reverse. The bowlers’ hands are tied in the death overs. Earlier, the bowlers heavily relied on reverse swing; they had something to look forward to once the ball started getting scuffed up. Right now, with two new balls, that is not happening. Reverse swing has always been an integral part of cricket, both in Tests and ODIs. Since the introduction of two new balls, one has not seen the ball reverse. That element has been taken away from the game. It’s not healthy.”Tendulkar said the ODI series between England and Australia – in which England racked up three 300-plus scores including a world-record 481 for 6 at Trent Bridge – showed how much the combination of two new balls and flat pitches affected the balance between bat and ball.”This series reiterates my point,” he said. “If you see, the amount of swing the bowlers get off the surface has not been adequate, considering that they are playing with two new balls. When there is no help from the surfaces, even four new balls will not help the bowlers. If you want to have two new balls, then the surface provided must help the bowlers up front. The grounds over a period of time have become greener. As a result, the ball doesn’t get scuffed up. The ball retains its lacquer.”

Chelsea and Manchester United were both desperate to hire the transfer market maestro – but he's been persuaded to return to Anfield

When Michael Edwards was formally announced as Fenway Sports Group's new CEO of football on Tuesday, there was no packed press conference, no news story on Liverpool's official website, no celebratory social media post and no photograph either. But that felt fitting.

Edwards has always been one of the most media-shy figures in football, and while some Liverpool supporters might struggle to pick him out of a line-up, every single one would recognise his contribution to the club's success under Jurgen Klopp.

There was, then, no need for any fanfare. A simple statement sufficed because the significance of Edwards' return to FSG is obvious to everyone. With Klopp having already announced his intention to leave Liverpool at the end of the season, his former padel partner is unquestionably the most significant signing the club's owners will make this year.

Edwards, after all, has just been entrusted with the most difficult job in football: finding a worthy successor to a man that he himself has previously described as "a leader who will be remembered at Liverpool forever".

But when it comes to big calls, Edwards rarely errs. Indeed, his past success at Anfield is the reason why Liverpool fans are now suddenly far more optimistic about the future.

Getty Rise of 'the laptop guru'

Edwards joined Liverpool in 2011 as head of analytics and was derided in one infamous article as the "laptop guru" who had "done a number" on Brendan Rodgers after the manager's dismissal in October 2015. As it transpired, Rodgers had only himself to blame for failing to listen to Edwards' advice when it came to players such as Roberto Firmino, the multi-talented forward who was shockingly deployed at right-wing-back shortly before the Northern Irishman's exit.

By that stage, Edwards had been promoted to Liverpool's technical director, and it was he who pushed FSG to replace Rodgers with Klopp rather than Carlo Ancelotti or Eddie Howe, the other two names on the club's shortlist of potential new managers. Edwards and Klopp quickly clicked, and the former was appointed sporting director in November 2016, much to the latter's delight.

In complete contrast to Rodgers, Klopp liked the "concept of a sporting director" and said that "having worked under this model previously, I have found it to be nothing but positive and forward-thinking. Michael is absolutely the right person for this. He has the knowledge, expertise and personality to flourish in the role… This decision is hugely positive for us and it will make us better and stronger in managing the process of building and retaining playing talent at all age groups." Klopp wasn't wrong.

AdvertisementGetty'Similar opinions' on 'smart' signings

The pair formed a close working relationship – literally, with their offices adjacent to one another – and while they clashed occasionally over player recruitment, their arguments always ended amicably and, more importantly, in agreement.

It certainly helped that they shared "similar opinions" on football, as underlined by the fact that former Borussia Dortmund boss Klopp believed that ex-Hoffenheim forward Firmino – whom Edwards ended up naming his dog after – was a "smart" signing for Liverpool even before he had arrived at Anfield.

Such an obvious eye for astute acquisitions certainly helped Edwards when it came to convincing Klopp of Andy Roberton's world-class potential – and that Mohamed Salah would be a better signing than Julian Brandt. The pair also combined to great effect for the transformational transfers of Virgil van Dijk, Sadio Mane, Fabinho and Alisson Becker.

Getty Balancing the books

However, while Edwards' signings rightly drew a lot of attention, his sales also played a pivotal role in Liverpool's success. The Reds did not have anything like the same resources as Roman Abramovich's Chelsea, Abu Dhabi-backed Manchester City or the commercial colossus that is Manchester United, so Liverpool always needed to balance the books – and Edwards worked wonders in that regard.

The Van Dijk and Alisson deals simply would not have been possible if Liverpool had not forced Barcelona to pay an extortionate £105 million for Philippe Coutinho, but Edwards also deserves immense credit for convincing clubs to pay over the odds for the likes of Christian Benteke, Jordon Ibe, Mamadou Sakho, Joe Allen, Kevin Stewart, Dominic Solanke, Danny Ward, Ryan Kent, Danny Ings, Rafael Camacho, Ki-Jana Hoever and Rhian Brewster.

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Getty ImagesSuccess without Klopp?

When one considers that Edwards was also integral to an infrastructural overhaul at Liverpool, including the establishment of the research department, it's easy to understand why many connected with the club believe Edwards to be the second-most important factor in the Reds' revival over the past nine years, after Klopp.

The question now is whether he can replicate that success without Klopp – the most complete manager in modern football, as Edwards knows only too well. The reason why he threw his weight behind Klopp in 2015 was because the ex-BVB boss ticked every box. He had enjoyed success in Europe, had proven he could beat teams with bigger budgets, and had an exemplary track record when it came to improving players.

Liverpool could not have hoped for a better manager, either. He understood the club, the city and its people from the moment he arrived at Anfield. Furthermore, as this season has underlined, Klopp is not merely a charismatic master of motivation. He's also a tactical genius capable of not just reading games, but changing them with formation switches and substitutions.

Less than a year after revamping his entire midfield, Klopp has won a Carabao Cup with kids and somehow kept a injury-ravaged squad fighting on four fronts. Even if Liverpool don't end up winning the Premier League, it will be difficult trying to convince anyone to try to follow a veritable miracle-worker!

But if anyone can, it's Edwards, a transfer market maestro that both Manchester United and Chelsea were unsurprisingly desperate to hire. Seriously, what coach wouldn't relish working under a director renowned for making one successful signing after another.

Tottenham Hotspur’s inconsistent form came back to bite them on Sunday afternoon.

Despite going into their Premier League game away to Nottingham Forest off the back of a draw away to Newcastle United and a win at home to Brentford, Thomas Frank’s side looked second-best from the first minute to the last.

The North Londoners were unable to keep the hosts at bay, unable to create decent chances for themselves and generally looked bereft of ideas.

There were poor performers wherever you looked for Spurs, but two really stood out, one of which was Guglielmo Vicario.

Vicario's poor performance vs Forest

Vicario is a particularly frustrating goalkeeper: in one game, he can look like one of the best in the league, pulling off sensational saves, and the next game, he can look like one of the worst.

Unfortunately for Frank and Co, Sunday’s match against Forest most certainly fell into the latter category.

For example, while he is not entirely blameless for the first goal, most of the blame for the hosts’ second should fall at his feet.

If the Italian were better positioned for Callum Hudson-Odoi’s audacious effort, then it would have been a relatively straightforward stop, and the Lilywhites would’ve still been in the game.

Unfortunately, the former Empoli man got it all wrong, and while he made some saves after the fact, it was too little too late.

Minutes

96′

Saves

3

Goals Conceded

3

Goals Prevented

-1.19

Accurate Passes

21/31

Long Balls

3/12

Touches

39

Lost Possession

10

It wasn’t just his shot-stopping that was poor either, as in 96 minutes of action, the 29-year-old completed just 21 of 31 passes, was accurate in just three of his 12 attempted long balls and managed to lose the ball ten times despite taking just 39 touches.

In all, it was a truly terrible showing from Vicario, but while the media are mainly focusing on him, one of his teammates was arguably just as bad.

The Spurs dud who was as bad as Vicario

The bad news for Frank and Spurs fans is that you could realistically make the case for any number of players being the worst on Sunday, from Richalison to Mohammed Kudus and even Micky Van de Ven.

Chalkboard

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

However, when it comes to the outfield player who was as disappointing and as detrimental to the side as Vicario, it is impossible to look past Pedro Porro.

The Spanish full-back is enormously talented, and at his best can be far more of an attacking outlet than most others in his position.

Unfortunately, he’s not been anywhere near his best for some time, and was arguably at his worst on Sunday.

The former Sporting CP was entirely ineffective in attack, a massive liability in defence and, unsurprisingly, the watching press were not impressed with what they saw.

For example, the Standard’s Matt Verri awarded the full-back a 2/10 match rating, writing that he was ‘shocking defensively’ and that he ‘frustrated throughout.’

Minutes

96′

Expected Assists

0.04

Assists

0

Ground Duels (Won)

6 (2)

Fouls

2

Key Passes

0

Crosses (Accurate)

4 (0)

Accurate Passes

36/50 (72%)

Touches

81

Lost Possession

23

Shots

0

Dribbles (Successful)

1 (0)

This may all sound a little hypobolic, or unfair, but the 26-year-old’s statistics prove otherwise.

In his 96 minutes on the pitch, the Spaniard produced an expected assists figure of just 0.04, lost four of his six ground duels, committed two fouls, failed to play a key pass, failed in 100% of his dribbles and took 81 touches, but lost the ball 23 times.

Ultimately, Sunday was a terrible day at the office for the entire Spurs’ squad, but Vicario and Porro were particularly poor, and Frank should really be looking to drop them.

Spurs must sack Frank this week and hire the "best coach in the PL"

Tottenham Hotspur suffered arguably their worst defeat of the Thomas Frank era on Sunday.

ByMatt Dawson 2 days ago

A strong all-round performance from Warwickshire toppled Nottinghamshire by 108 runs

ECB Reporters Network27-May-2018
ScorecardA strong all-round performance from Warwickshire toppled Nottinghamshire by 108 runs in their Royal London Cup meeting at Trent Bridge.Warwickshire hadn’t beaten Notts in any of their last six one-day meetings and hadn’t won at Trent Bridge since 2008 but had the better of the exchanges after opting to bat first.Warwickshire scored 295 for 9 from their 50 overs, after winning the toss. Sam Hain, following on from centuries in his two previous innings, made 72, with contributions of 56 from Ed Pollock and 51 from Adam Hose. Hain’s runs came from 91 balls, with five fours.Matt Carter, on his one-day debut, returned figures of 4 for 40 for the hosts.Notts were then bowled out for only 187 in 38.5 overs, with Ross Taylor making 56. Aaron Thomason picked up a career-best 4 for 45 for the visitors.In pursuit of a victory target of 296 the Outlaws got off to a poor start, losing both openers with only four runs on the board. Chris Woakes, playing his first domestic match of the season, removed Riki Wessels for a single during an opening six over burst.Tom Moores and Taylor added 63 together for the third wicket before Thomason separated them, having Moores caught in the deep for 33. Taylor reached his 50 from 57 balls but then guided Henry Brookes straight into the hands of third man.The game ran away from Notts quickly during the middle overs, as Thomason picked up three more wickets and Olly Stone closed out the contest by bowling Carter with more than 11 overs still remaining.Earlier, Ed Pollock got Warwickshire off to a flying start, despite losing his opener partner Jonathan Trott to Samit Patel, for an eight-ball duck.The left-handed Pollock blazed his way to a quickfire half century, reaching the landmark from only 22 deliveries faced, four of which were launched over the ropes.Fired on by his aggressive start Pollock failed to reign in his stroke-play and paid the price when a lofted shot failed to clear midwicket, giving Carter the first of his four wickets.Notts rotated their bowlers regularly, using seven different inside the first 18 overs, including 19-year old quick Jack Blatherwick who, like Carter, was on debut.Samit Patel, who took 2 for 48, reduced the visitors to 172 for 3 when he had Hain taken at long-on, after a stand of 89 in 17 overs with Ian Bell.Hain reached his own 50 from 59 balls and advanced to 72 before charging Carter, to provide Tom Moores with a routine stumping.Carter’s third and fourth wickets were repeats of each other, as both Adam Hose and Tim Ambrose found Billy Root in the deep. Hose made 51 from 53 deliveries and Ambrose 38 from 37.Nicely placed on 180 for 3 after 30 overs, Warwickshire lost their way in the final stages of the innings, after appearing well set to reach 350.Woakes was run out for 9, as the holders put the squeeze on with some accurate death bowling during the final overs but the total was already well beyond reach.Warwickshire now move on to five points from four matches, equalling the points total of Notts, who have played a game more.

Less than 48 hours after MS Dhoni pulled his boys up for not executing plans properly in the field, they come up against the wily Sunrisers

The Preview by Alagappan Muthu12-May-20185:23

Manjrekar: Sunrisers have all their bases covered

Form guide (most recent match first)

Chennai Super Kings: lost to Rajasthan Royals by four wickets, beat Royal Challengers Bangalore by six wickets, lost to Kolkata Knight Riders by six wickets

Sunrisers Hyderabad: beat Delhi Daredevils by nine wickets, beat Royal Challengers Bangalore by five runs, beat Delhi Daredevils by seven wickets

Big PictureRemember all those times you flunked a test and were sent to extra coaching before the crack of dawn? Well, Chennai Super Kings might experience some of that as they prepare to meet the already-qualified Sunrisers Hyderabad.MS Dhoni actually looked like the dad who just didn’t know what to do with his kid – shrugging and shaking his head in exasperation – on Friday. After protecting his rag-tag bunch from cat-calls of “you’re too old” and “you field like a hologram”, the man has had enough. Execution matters, he said. Planning alone won’t work, he said. The bowlers need to commit to the plans, he said.Now, there would almost always be a pesky friend in this scenario, one who scores 90s and 100s all the time, sniggering away in the background. That’s Kane Williamson and his boys. They’re through to the knockouts of the IPL and they passed that test despite a ton of out-of-syllabus questions set by Professor Pant.CSK’s bowling is only threatening on slower pitches. With the ball not coming onto the bat, their spinners suffocate oppositions. But the problem is Sunrisers have two of the very best in that very art – Rashid Khan and Shakib Al Hasan. So perhaps they should hope for a batting pitch so they can outgun the table-toppers?In the newsThe shoulder injury that kept Wriddhiman Saha out of Sunrisers’ last match has not healed completely yet. Shreevats Goswami may get another game on Sunday.Super Kings have once again arranged a train to bring 1000 fans from Chennai to Pune to watch the match.Previous meetingCSK were going nowhere until Ambati Rayudu made the scoreboard move like errant children under the glare of the headmaster and set up a four-run win over Sunrisers.Likely XIsChennai Super Kings: 1 Shane Watson, 2 Faf du Plessis, 3 Suresh Raina, 4 Ambati Rayudu, 5 MS Dhoni (capt & wk), 6 Ravindra Jadeja, 7 Dwayne Bravo, 8 Harbhajan Singh, 9 Karn Sharma, 10 Shardul Thakur, 11 Lungi NgidiSunrisers Hyderabad: 1 Shikhar Dhawan, 2 Alex Hales, 3 Kane Williamson (capt), 4 Shakib Al Hasan, 5 Manish Pandey, 6 Yusuf Pathan, 7 Rashid Khan, 8 Wriddhiman Saha (wk), 9 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10 Siddharth Kaul, 11 Sandeep SharmaStrategy puntOffspin has worked against Dhoni (strike rate 92) and Suresh Raina (strike rate 112). To do that Sunrisers may want to bring in Mohammad Nabi, but use him after Ambati Rayudu (strike rate 148) and Shane Watson (strike rate 157) are out of the picture because they’ve been wallopping offspinnersMaybe Rashid Khan could target Rayudu (strike rate of 127 v legspin) and Shakib Al Hasan can work on Watson, who has faced 11 balls from a left-arm spinner and lost his wicket twice. All figures mentioned are for this IPL season only.On the flip side, CSK can try Karn Sharma against Shakib. The head-to-head in all T20s reads: seven balls, zero runs and two wickets.Stats that matter Sunrisers have won six matches in a row so far, making it their longest winning streak in the IPL Watson needs 11 runs to get to 3000 in the IPL. And he has been in such form this season that he’s not been troubled by fast bowling (strike rate 154, average 39) or spin bowling (strike rate 151, average 30) Kane Williamson will be vital for Sunrisers to negotiate Super Kings because he’s been magic against slow bowling this IPL: 202 runs in 164 balls, only one dismissal Dwayne Bravo has probably been the only fast bowler CSK can trust and he’s got a good record against Sunrisers: 13 wickets in 29 overs at an economy rate of 7.6Fantasy pickTake Dhoni. He averages 61 and strikes at 158 against Sunrisers. He is also fairly prolific in Pune with 456 runs in 16 innings.Sandeep Sharma (six wickets in 14 overs) and Shakib (four wickets in 11 overs) also have an excellent record at the MCA stadium.

When big money gets thrown around like it's nobody's business, a club's expectations will automatically increase, and it's Chelsea who have found themselves victims of that narrative in recent times.

Criticised for their overspending, the Blues have totalled over £1bn in transfer fees since Todd Boehly arrived at the club as the American attempted to buy his way to a league title and instead, bought his way to a 12th-place finish last term.

While most anticipated drastic improvements with the appointment of Mauricio Pochettino, the Argentine has found it to be a poisoned chalice having dropped points in five of their eight matches.

If Chelsea are in a similar position come January, Boehly could dip into his deep pockets once more and provide Pochettino with the funds to sign a striker.

Who could sign for Chelsea in January?

According to reports from ESPN this month, Chelsea are eyeing up a blockbuster move for Napoli's prolific marksman Victor Osimhen.

The Blues are still seeking reinforcements up front having lacked that killer touch in the final third this season and the Nigeria international could provide that.

He's forged a reputation for becoming one of Europe's most exciting strikers and the Italian giants have acknowledged that by slapping a reported £150m price tag on his head earlier this year.

Although that is a ludicrous amount of money to shell out, especially after totalling over £1bn in spending across three windows, Napoli could be forced to enter talks with his contract expiring in 2025.

Osimhen is also currently unhappy after he was the subject of two offensive clips that were shared on the club's TikTok account, casting doubt over his future while his agent threatened to sue the Serie A side in the wake of the fallout.

While it remains unclear as to whether Chelsea will pursue a deal for the 24-year-old in January, he would significantly bolster a forward line consisting of £32m summer arrival Nicolas Jackson, who has only scored twice in seven appearances this term, as well as Armando Broja.

How many goals has Victor Osimhen scored for Napoli?

In the past few years, Osimhen has become one of the most lethal strikers on the planet and an impressive return of 65 goals in 111 appearances for Napoli emphasises that point.

Accumulating 103 goals in 201 club matches across his career to date, it is clear that the Nigerian knows where the back of the net is, displaying unequivocal efficiency in front of goal, unlike Jackson.

The 22-year-old, who has been the subject of wasted opportunities and exhuming a lack of conviction, has supplied the Blues with a measly conversion rate of 10% this term, seven big chances missed and only two goals scored from an xG of 4.09, as per Sofascore.

By contrast, the "phenomenal" Osimhen – as lauded by Italian coach Walter Mazzarri – has produced incredible goal-scoring numbers, including six goals in eight Serie A matches this season, 4.1 shots per game and an xG of 6.11.

Osimhen's clinical edge is amplified by the fact he has ranked in the top 1% against his position peers across Europe's top five leagues for non-penalty goals, touches in the attacking penalty box and total shots as well as top 10% for aerials won in the past year, via FBref.

If Chelsea can negotiate a lower price for the sensational forward and beat off interest from elsewhere, he could provide the requisite magic that has been in short supply.

Liverpool have been linked with a swoop for a promising new defender, and he has now delivered his public stance on a move following rumours he is wanted in the Premier League.

What's the latest transfer news at Liverpool?

According to reports, FSG are preparing a bid to sign Brentford’s Aaron Hickey in January and Fabrizio Romano has also confirmed that they still hold a strong interest in Newcastle United’s Bruno Guimaraes, although he is about to sign a new contract at St. James’ Park.

Speaking of putting pen to paper on fresh terms, Kostas Tsimikas has now committed his future to Jurgen Klopp’s side by signing an improved long-term deal which is rumoured to run until 2027, in what is a huge boost to the squad depth on Merseyside.

Back in June, Italian outlet Calciomercato reported that the Reds had been watching US Lecce left-back Patrick Dorgu, with his agent later confirming that he was a player of interest to the side at Anfield, alongside rivals Manchester City and La Liga giants Barcelona.

With Andrew Robertson and Tsimikas available to him, the boss doesn’t really need to enter the market for any further reinforcements in their position, but the 18-year-old sounds ready to once again attract the attention of high-profile clubs having opened up on his future in a new public interview which suggests he's leaving the door open.

Are Liverpool signing Patrick Dorgu?

Speaking to Ekstra Bladet (via Sport Witness), Dorgu revealed he is a boyhood Chelsea fan, but asked to comment on the attention he’s received from Liverpool, Man City and Barca, he replied:

“I really just take it as motivation, that when the big teams look at me, it is because I am doing the right thing and must continue. Then it’s just a matter of time before the big teams come knocking."

How good is Patrick Dorgu?

Liverpool will know that Dorgu is still a teenager so the likelihood is that they are looking at him as a potential addition for the long-term future of the club rather than in the here and now, and there's no doubt that he could definitely be an exciting recruit should he eventually make the move to Anfield.

The Denmark youth international is extremely calm and composed in possession as he’s currently averaging an 85.2% pass success rate, alongside 1.2 tackles per game in the Serie A, displaying his desire to get stuck into challenges and win the ball back for his team.

Furthermore, Roberto D'Aversa’s £1.9k-per-week earner has plenty of pace which he loves to use to burst down the flank, dribble past his marker and create chances for himself and his fellow teammates in the final third, posting ten direct goal contributions (seven goals and three assists) in 69 appearances throughout his career.

Finally, Dorgu, who is naturally left-footed, has been described as a “dynamic” player by the Danish Scout, so he is naturally full of energy and can bring lots of youthful exuberance to the table, making him an exciting potential heir to the Robertson-Tsimikas duo as they approach their thirties.

The two openers smashed fifties in a revised chase of 125 off 13 overs to crush Kolkata Knight Riders

The Report by Deivarayan Muthu21-Apr-2018
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsIt is quite rare that T20 matches are decided in the Powerplay. Saturday was one such day when Kings XI Punjab’s openers KL Rahul and Chris Gayle outmuscled Kolkata Knight Riders’ Chris Lynn and Robin Uthappa to put them on top of the points table after a rain-hit clash. While KKR struck eight boundaries in their first six overs, Kings XI smashed 14 and were 73 for 0 by the end of the Powerplay in a chase of 192.Rain then forced a delay of about 90 minutes, after which the target was revised to 125 off 13 overs. Rahul holed out for a barnstorming 60 off 27 balls, with his team nine away from victory, but Gayle continued to do his thing and finished the chase with a straight six. Gayle stayed unbeaten on 62 off 38 balls – his third fifty-plus score in three games this season.If Narine doesn’t get you, Lynn will
Sunil Narine ran down the track against Mujeeb Zadran’s spin and holed out to deep midwicket in the second over for 1 off four balls. It wasn’t a particularly bad thing for KKR, considering Narine had tried to hit every ball, but it just did not come off today. Mujeeb then ventured wide of the crease and bowled offbreaks as well as the googly to keep Lynn guessing. Uthappa, however, cleared the path for Lynn by dumping the Afghanistan mystery spinner out of the attack. He upset the lengths with three fours behind square, including a reverse sweep, in a 15-run over.Uthappa kept the scorecard ticking and moved to 24 off 16 balls; by then KKR were 50 for 1 in six overs. Lynn then got stuck into the left-arm pace of Barinder Sran and cracked three boundaries in four balls. The pick of the shots was a front-foot pull – still head and a terrific bat-swing and all that jazz – into the stands beyond midwicket. Just like that things were dandy for Lynn.Lynn’s strength is to hit the ball in the ‘V’. In an interview with , Lynn said: “My risk versus reward is so much better hitting the ball straight. Even though it’s a bigger boundary, I’d rather do that”. Kings XI’s seamers, though, did not feed him the lengths and angles to go down the ground. So, Lynn cleared his front leg and muscled the ball in the arc between long leg and long-on. No less than 42 of his 74 runs came on the leg side.Respite for Kings XI
It was Ashwin himself who provided the breakthrough for Kings XI when he removed Uthappa for the fifth time in 10 IPL matches. The in-form Nitish Rana then fell for 3 in the next over after a mix-up with Lynn. After conceding 20 runs in his first two overs in the Powerplay, Mujeeb gave away only 12 in his next two overs.Ashwin also kept Lynn quiet, but his Tamil Nadu team-mate Dinesh Karthik was more fluent against him, whipping him for back-to-back fours through midwicket in the 11th over.Ankit Rajpoot’s hard lengths – neither driveable nor pullable – and Andrew Tye’s knuckle balls also contributed to KKR’s slowdown. One such ball had Lynn feathering behind in the 16th over. Sran then nipped out Andre Russell and Karthik in the 17th and the 19th overs to set KKR back further. KKR managed only 45 off the last five overs, but Lynn’s assault at the top meant they still posted 191 for 7.Gayle and Rahul at it again
But that score looked smaller when Rahul and Gayle raised their third successive fifty-plus opening stand. There is a method behind their madness: Rahul’s job is to go after every bowler, while Gayle bides his time and picks his target. The first two balls of Shivam Mavi and Andre Russell were sent to the boundary by Rahul. Gayle, at the other end, was bothered by the early swing and bounce of the 19-year old quick, but won the bout against his West Indies team-mate Russell, again.Before this match, Gayle had hit 50 runs off 30 balls from Russell in the IPL. He stretched that tally to 71 off 37 balls, before Russell clutched his leg and hobbled off the field, five balls into his second over. Narine then bowled two cheap overs but the wristspinners – Kuldeep Yadav and Piyush Chawla – leaked runs at the other end. Rain handed KKR a reprieve in the ninth over, but by then Kings XI were 96 for 0.The tempo did not change after the break. Kings XI now needed 29 off 28 balls, and Gayle bludgeoned a six first ball upon return to bring up a fifty off 28 balls. In the next over, Rahul brought up a fifty of his own with a six, off 24 balls. He, ultimately, picked out deep midwicket, attempting another six, the only blip in an otherwise immaculate chase.

Arsenal have seen an abundance of talent come and go through the years, with a host of stars gracing the pitch at both Highbury and the Emirates.

From the stars of Arsene Wenger’s Invincibles to the heroes in the making under Mikel Arteta, the Gunners have always maintained a high level of talent and glamour, despite form not always following suit in recent times.

Last season, it looked for a while that Arteta would be the first manager since Wenger’s unbeaten side of 2003/04 to lift the Premier League title, however, the north Londoners missed out by a narrow scale of five points by May.

Such progression turned attention back to the Emirates in a positive light after a number of seasons of mediocrity separated Arsenal from Europe’s elite as they were segregated from the top four.

With the youthful spark noticeable in north London, Arteta is attempting to uncover the next generation of icons, with the club’s latest answers to legends such as Thierry Henry and Dennis Bergkamp pushing to reach the heights of those before them.

While Wenger delivered the Gunners some blockbuster signings during his 22-year tenure as manager, there were a few names that the Frenchman has revealed he missed out on signing, with one name being a pillar of world football; Cristiano Ronaldo.

Did Arsenal nearly sign Cristiano Ronaldo?

Rewind to 20 years ago, and Arsenal were just days away from signing 18-year-old Ronaldo from Sporting CP.

Speaking to Ian Wright via SPORTbible, Wenger revealed that he wished he signed Ronaldo before he joined Manchester United, with the Frenchman explaining that if the Gunners had been a “fraction quicker” the Portuguese starlet would’ve relocated to north London.

Ronaldo supported the claims during his interview with Piers Morgan in 2019, stating that he was “one step” from joining Arsenal as opposed to United as an unknown teen.

Why didn’t Arsenal sign Cristiano Ronaldo?

Manchester United beat everyone to swiping up the teen’s signature, with Sir Alex Ferguson’s side paying a fee of £12.24m for the youngster after eyeing him for months.

As relayed by the BBC back in 2003, Ferguson revealed that negotiations with Sporting over the youngster “accelerated” due to other clubs wanting to make a move for him, with it later coming to light that Arsenal were one of those interested.

At the time, the 13-time Premier League-winning manager dubbed his new arrival as “one of the most exciting young players” he’d ever seen, which in hindsight was a viable description of the player he unearthed.

How many goals has Cristiano Ronaldo scored?

20 years down the line and the world now knows Ronaldo as one of the greatest players to ever grace the game, being a five-time Ballon d’Or and Champions League winner during his illustrious career.

Along with his many accolades, the Portuguese marvel has a domestic goal-scoring tally of 722, as well as scoring 123 international goals so far for his country.

You won't be surprised to hear that such a record surpasses the great Thierry Henry's domestic tally of 360 and even Lionel Messi's, albeit he is only one behind on 721 after moving to Inter Miami.

It’s taken the 38-year-old years of hard work and stellar maintenance to remain one of the best, with his continuous scoring streaks proving that he truly is one of the most luxurious talents to play the game.

Sporting CP

31

5

6

Manchester United

346

145

64

Real Madrid

438

450

131

Juventus

134

101

22

Al-Nassr TBC

25

21

7

For Manchester United, the winger scored a total of 145 goals over his two spells in England, hitting his peak at Old Trafford between 2006 and 2009, before returning in 2021 on the other side of his career.

In the 2007/08 season, Ronaldo hit top form, scoring 31 Premier League goals in 34 appearances, as well as netting eight in the Champions League and three in the FA Cup, as it became crystal clear just how far his talents would go.

Branded as a “total genius” by FIFA member Sunday Oliseh, the Madeira-born forward made a £80m move to Real Madrid in 2009 as his journey took him down a path away from the scenes he had conquered in England.

It was in Madrid that the phenomenon cemented himself as one of the greats, scoring 450 goals in 438 appearances for Los Blancos, and forming a rivalry for the ages with former Barcelona sensation Lionel Messi.

After nine years in Spain, the Portugal international relocated to Italy, signing for Juventus in a mammoth €112m (£99m) deal, where he went on to score a further 101 goals in just 134 appearances in Turin.

The narrative of Ronaldo’s career is goals, with the insanely prolific forward needing barely a chance to put the ball in the net in every season of his journey, telling of what Arsenal could have had by getting to him before Ferguson.

What could Cristiano Ronaldo have offered Arsenal?

At the time of his arrival in England in 2003, it was a Premier League dynamic of Arsenal vs Manchester United, and Wenger vs Ferguson as the two managers went head-to-head year after year to challenge for the crown.

From 1996 to 2004, it was either the Red Devils or the Gunners that claimed the title, communicating just how fine the margins were between the two squads that the two legendary managers were conducting.

Arsenal went unbeaten in the 2003/04 campaign, which happened to be Ronaldo’s first season in England.

The method that Wenger’s side won the title made it almost irrelevant that the Frenchman had missed out on signing the youngster, however, it would prove to be costly in the years to come.

To this day, the Gunners haven’t touched the Premier League title since that formidable season, however, United went on to win it another five times, as well as winning the Champions League in 2008.

As touched upon, Ronaldo contributed to 50 goals in that season alone, scoring 42 and assisting eight in all competitions, suggesting the importance of his ability in Ferguson’s XI at that time.

At times, it was considered that if Ronaldo was on form, United were on form, with the Portuguese legend being the poster boy of Manchester at the time, giving Wenger a taste of what he could have had if he'd captured his signature.

What is Ronaldo doing now?

At the age of 38, the forward is sticking to what he knows best by scoring in Saudi Arabia, representing Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League.

The former United whiz called time on his career in Europe in January 2023 as he signed for the Middle Eastern outfit, where he has since scored 21 goals in 25 appearances.

Dwelling on the ‘what ifs’ that life entails is a negative way to stance your purpose, however, with reference to what Arsenal could have had in Ronaldo, the question will forever be a sore subject for Wenger.