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While things appear to be on the up away from the pitch at Nottingham Forest, with new CEO Dane Murphy prioritising the signings of young and exciting talents as well as shipping out a great deal of the Reds’ deadwood, it would appear to be the same old story on the pitch for the Garibaldi.

Indeed, at the start of the club’s 2020/21 Championship campaign, Forest lost their first four fixtures of the season, a run of results that eventually led to Sabri Lamouchi’s sacking and Chris Hughton’s appointment at the City Ground.

However, it is now Hughton who will be feeling the pressure, as following Wednesday evening’s 2-1 home defeat to Blackburn Rovers, the 62-year-old is now just one game away from repeating his predecessor’s undesirable feat of suffering four consecutive losses to kick off his side’s campaign.

The latest defeat to Rovers was, in truth, something of an even game, with Forest having 60% of the ball, Blackburn taking more shots, Hughton’s side completing nearly 150 more passes than their opponents and, ultimately, Tony Mowbray’s side outscoring the hosts by two goals to one.

Having said that, there were nevertheless a number of below-par performances in the Forest ranks, with perhaps the most disappointing display coming from the Reds 19-year-old winger, Alex Mighten.

Indeed, over the course of his 64 minutes on the pitch, the £2.5k-per-week forward managed no shots on target, completed just 15 passes, was dribbled past twice and touched the ball a grand total of 37 times – 18 times less than the Forest goalkeeper Brice Samba.

The £450k-rated man also gave away possession of the ball on 14 separate occasions and lost six of his 10 duels – a win rate of just 40%.

These returns saw Mighten earn a disappointing SofaScore match rating of 6.2, the second-worst of any Forest player in the fixture, with only Jordan Lawrence-Gabriel – who was sent off in the 90th minute following a second booking – receiving a lower rating than the 19-year-old.

As such, while he is undoubtedly still an up and coming talent at the City Ground, the youngster will certainly have to improve his level of performance against Stoke City this weekend if he is to have any chance of keeping his spot in Hughton’s starting XI going forwards – if he is indeed given the chance by his manager.

In other news: Forest dealt transfer blow over “outstanding” £19k-p/w gem, Murphy will be gutted

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Uma das metas do técnico Dorival Júnior é conseguir o equilíbrio entre a defesa e o ataque do Santos. E ele parece estar no caminho certo. Com três jogos sem derrotas, a defesa do Peixe ocupa a terceira colocação entre as melhores da Libertadores, enquanto o ataque ocupa a primeira posição na categoria de finalizações, com 21 e seis gols marcados.

Apesar dos dois gols sofridos – já havia acumulado um contra o The Strongest – no jogo contra o Santa Fe, em que o Santos levou a vitória por 3 a 2, o Peixe segue na disputa das melhores defesas do campeonato continental, ficando atrás de Barcelona de Guayaquil (ECU) e Nacional (URU) (2) e empatado com The Strongest, Santa Fe e Emelec (3).

Já o ataque santista deixou para trás todos as equipes do Grupo 2 quando se trata das finalizações. São 21 contra 19 do Santa Fe e 14 do Sporting Cristal e Strongest.

Para o comandante do time, é questão de tempo o aperfeiçoamento do Alvinegro. No entanto, comparado ao início da temporada, em que o Santos teve apenas um empate – contra o Ituano por 0 a 0, no Paulistão – Dorival conseguiu um equilíbrio maior na Liberta e segue sendo, entre os times brasileiros, o único invicto, com duas vitórias e dois empates em quatro jogos.

– É questão de tempo para encontrarmos esse equilíbrio. Temos uma defesa sólida, composta, que melhorou com a sequência de jogos na zaga (para Lucas Veríssimo e David Braz), e um ataque que sempre funcionou e criou muitas chances – disse em entrevista coletiva após o confronto com Santa Fe.

Restando duas rodadas para o encerramento da primeira fase da Libertadores, o Alvinegro precisa de apenas uma vitória para se classificar para a próxima fase.

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Leeds United could sign another Raphinha in PSV starlet Noni Madueke, and the England U21 international appears to be a perfect fit for Marcelo Bielsa.

What’s the story?

Reports in recent weeks have claimed that the Whites have reignited their interest in the PSV Eindhoven winger after some third-party discussions, and now, former Leeds man David Norris has thrown his backing behind a potential move.

He said exclusively to Football FanCast: “That high intensity all the time, I don’t always think is going to work because teams will just step off and let them do their thing or play a bit longer and take that out of it.

“Teams are going to know more about them, so they might need a couple of different ways and options of playing. I think his composure is his big thing and he looks like he can play.”

Perfect for Bielsa

With nine goals and eight assists in all competitions last season, Madueke really took his game to another level with PSV in 2020/21, so much so that he earned a call-up to the England under-21 setup, where former manager Aidy Boothroyd talked up his potential.

He said: “He’s a powerhouse of a player, technically very good, left-footed and likes to come in off the side of the pitch, off the right and go and link. He’s got a goal in him, he’s very creative. He’s got a massive smile, a lovely kid. The lads have taken to him, as they would because he’s a good player, he has that respect for what he’s done at PSV.”

His ability to beat players one on one, and of course that natural instinct to come inside onto his stronger left foot, sees obvious comparisons to Raphinha and why Bielsa would no doubt love him at Elland Road.

Former PSV ace Tommie van de Leegte raved about the 19-year-old’s style of play, saying (via Goal): “He’s fast and has the capability to trick his opponent. He brings creativity and is very explosive in his actions.”

Just like Raphinha, who scored six and set up another nine, Madueke can make the difference either as someone to take chances, or create them given his own record last year.

Given that ability to take players on, and the fact he doesn’t shy away from pressing from the front (he won 51% of his duels last season, more than the likes of Raphinha and Jack Harrison), he appears to be a perfect fit for Bielsa.

Meanwhile, Leeds United have reignited their interest in this “top player”…

An update has emerged on Leeds target Okay Yokuslu, regarding Celta Vigo’s stance on his future.

What’s the talk?

According to Spanish outlet Marca, Celta Vigo are willing to cash in on Leeds United transfer target Okay Yokulsu this summer. The La Liga outfit are attempting to lower their wage bill and are now prepared to sell the defensive midfielder to raise funds in the coming weeks.

Leeds are reportedly one of the clubs looking into a possible deal for the midfielder who spent last season on loan at West Brom. He is said to be available for a fee in the region of £5m (€6m).

Bielsa would love him

Victor Orta must pounce on the opportunity to sign Yokuslu following this update as he could be an excellent addition to Marcelo Bielsa’s squad, which he would be buzzing with.

£5m for a player who impressed in the Premier League and is in the peak years of his career appears to be a bargain deal on paper and one which Leeds should seize upon to bolster their ranks ahead of next season.

The Turkish international spent the second-half of the 2020/21 campaign on loan to West Brom in the Premier League.

Although, he was unable to prevent them from being relegated, his individual displays caught the eye and he showed that he is capable of putting in strong displays as a holding midfielder against the best teams in England.

He averaged a superb WhoScored rating of 6.96 in 16 appearances for the Baggies, a score only four outfield players for Leeds – Kalvin Phillips, Raphinha, Liam Cooper and Patrick Bamford – were able to better.

This means that he ranked higher than both Mateusz Klich and Stuart Dallas, who operated as the two number 8’s ahead of Phillips in the XI.

Although, Klich and Dallas plundered 12 goals between them and Yokuslu would be more of a conservative option in that area of the pitch, which could give Bielsa more tactically flexibility with his system.

Earlier this year, West Brom defender Kyle Bartley called him “tenacious” and praised his performance against Manchester United.

He said:

“I thought he was great against Manchester United on his full debut and then he backed that up with another impressive performance on Saturday against Burnley. He’s tenacious. He’s good on the ball. He’s calm and composed.”

His defensive statistics back up Bartley’s claim. He averaged 4.6 tackles and interceptions per game in the Premier League, a tally unmatched by Leeds’ midfield options.

Therefore, Bielsa could love having him in the squad as he could be an added enforcer in the middle of the park to press the opposition and win the ball back in good areas, with the 27-year-old having already shown that he can do it in the English top-flight.

AND in other news, Leeds must land “explosive” £60m-rated gem who’s “so fast”, Bielsa’s desperate for him…

The Standard Bank Cup, the premier South African Domestic limited overs competition, got off to a flyer with 975 runs being scored in the two opening matches played on 8 November.Easterns, the recently crowned first class champions, were beaten by North West in Potchefstroom with Arno Jacobs walking away with the man of the match award after scoring 118. A 123 run partnership with Davey Jacobs set the Dragons up for a total of 259/8 in their allotted 45 overs.In reply the Easterns ended 22 runs short after starting off well. Two quick run outs, that of Zander de Bruyn and Derek Crookes, put a stop to the flow of runs with Easterns finishing on 237/9.In Bloemfontein the home team was set up for their 59 run win, and a bonus point, with Morne van Wyk becoming one of only a hand full of players to score 150 runs in a domestic limited overs match. A partnership of 146 with Jimmy Adams, ending on 64, allowed Free State Eagles to reach 249/4.A good start from Adam Bacher (54), Daryll Cullinan (30) and 28 from Warren Dugmore was all that Gauteng could offer in resistance eventually bowled out for 210.With a shortened season bonus points are going to play a major roll in finalising the semi-finalists come January 2003. Free State will be well pleased to have started on a good wicket.

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No treino desta manhã na Academia de Futebol, Egídio mostrou bastante habilidade no coletivo do Verdão. O lateral deu dois dribles desconcertantes em seus companheiros, sendo um dos destaques na atividade entre os atletas.

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Former Sheffield Wednesday midfielder Carlton Palmer has told The Transfer Tavern in an exclusive interview that Osaze Urhoghide was wise to leave the Owls for Celtic this summer.

The 21-year-old central defender joined the Scottish giants on a free transfer earlier this month after his contract expired, linking up with team-mate Liam Shaw once again.

Wednesday were desperate to keep hold of Urhoghide, with the Yorkshire club posting on their official website back in May that the Dutch youngster had been offered a new deal.

Urhoghide opted to sign for Celtic in the end, though, and Palmer believes it was the right decision.

Speaking exclusively to TT about the player’s move, the ex-Wednesday star said:

“It’s just indicative of what’s going on at Sheffield Wednesday. He’s not going to stay. I mean, listening to the articles, I think he had a lot of offers and some from the Premier League.

“He’s wise to go somewhere where he’s going to play and develop, you know. But they were never going to stay at Sheffield Wednesday once they got relegated if they’ve got down to the final year of the contract.”

As for incomings, Darren Moore has been able to strengthen the left-back position in the current transfer window.

The Owls confirmed earlier this week that they have signed Jaden Brown from Carabao Cup opponents Huddersfield Town.

Steve Howey has offered his opinion on Manchester City transfer target Andre Silva regarding how well he could do in the Premier League.

What’s the talk?

Former Manchester City player Howey believes that the Eintracht Frankfurt striker would do well in the Premier League as he has been able to perform in the Bundesliga. He told Football Transfer Tavern: “The Bundesliga is still a tough league without a doubt and I do feel as though he would do quite well.”

A few weeks ago, Sport Bild, as transcribed by Sport Witness, claimed that City have an interest in Silva and made contact with his agent. Eintracht Frankfurt are said to want at least £34m (€40m) for their top goalscorer to allow him to leave this summer.

Earlier this year, Frankfurt boss Adi Hutter hailed Silva as being “ice cold” from the penalty spot, comparing him to Bayern Munich centre-forward Robert Lewandowski. He said: “André Silva is the solo forward up top, but he does it really well.

“He wasn’t rewarded against Leverkusen, today he was. His composure on penalties reminds me of Robert Lewandowski, who always turns ice cold.”

Pep needs him

Txiki Begiristain must sanction a swoop for Silva this summer. Sergio Aguero’s departure has left a hole to fill in City’s squad and the 25-year-old could be ideal replacement for the Argentine next season. Pep Guardiola needs a new starting centre-forward to lead the line and Silva fits the bill for what City should be seeking.

His goal return in the Bundesliga for Frankfurt last season was sensational. The Portugal international found the back of the net 28 times in 32 starts for the German outfit, averaging an incredible WhoScored rating of 7.51.

For context, Kevin de Bruyne was the only Man City player who averaged a higher WhoScored rating in the Premier League than Silva did in the Bundesliga. His 28 goals were also 15 more than any City player managed in the top flight, as Ilkay Gundogan ended the season as Guardiola’s top league scorer with 13 goals.

Therefore, the £34m-valued goal machine could be a much-needed addition to Guardiola’s squad. He could provide the goals City lacked from central areas, with Gabriel Jesus’ tally of nine the most any striker racked up for City in the Premier League.

If you have any concerns over Silva potentially being a one-season wonder for Frankurt, he also scored 12 goals in 16 starts for the club in the 2019/20 campaign, emphasising that he is a lethal goalscorer at the top level. Therefore, Txiki needs to make sure that he is able to seal a deal for Silva this summer to fulfil Guardiola’s squad needs.

AND in other news, Txiki must avoid grave Man City error with £260k-p/w “warrior”, fans would be livid…

عاد فريق تشيلسي لدرب الانتصارات من جديد في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، بعدما تعثر في المباراة الماضية أمام آرسنال في الديربي، وانتصر اليوم الأحد في الديربي أيضًا ولكن على وست هام يونايتد بهدف نظيف.

وأقيمت المباراة على ملعب “ستامفورد بريدج”، ضمن فعاليات الجولة الرابعة والثلاثين من الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

وسيطر البلوز على مجريات المباراة، ووصلت نسبة الاستحواذ لـ67%، ولكن لم يتمكن لاعبو المدرب الألماني، توماس توخيل من ترجمة السيطرة لأهداف في الشباك.

اقرأ أيضًا.. تقارير: روديجر يرفض عرضًا ضخمًا لتجديد عقده مع تشيلسي

وست هام أكمل الدقائق المُتبقية من نهاية المباراة بـ10 لاعبين، حيث حصل كريج داوسون على بطاقة حمراء، بعد خطأ في منطقة الجزاء، ليتم احتساب ركلة جزاء لأصحاب الأرض، وانبرى لها الإيطالي جورجينيو في الدقيقة 87، ولكنه فشل في تسجيلها.

وانتظر تشيلسي حتى الدقيقة 90، من أجل إحراز هدف الفوز، حيث جاء في الوقت القاتل عبر الدولي الأمريكي كريستيان بوليسيتش بعد تمريرة عرضية أرضية من الجهة اليسرى لداخل منطقة الجزاء، وكريستيان من داخل المنطقة ومن بين مدافعي المطارق، تمكن من تسديد الكرة وسكنت شباك الحارس فابيانسكي.

انتصار تشيلسي جعل رصيد الفريق 65 نقطة في المرتبة الثالثة بالدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، فيما توقف رصيد وست هام يونايتد عند 52 نقطة في المركز السابع. شاهد هدف فوز تشيلسي علي وست هام

Somerset County Cricket Club have been so overwhelmed by standard of the nominations for the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Award medals that they have decided to increase the number that are going to be presented

SOMERSET29-Mar-2002Somerset County Cricket Club have been so overwhelmed by standard of the nominations for the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Award medals that they have decided to increase the number that are going to be presented.Originally it was planned to present just twelve of the medals to the most deserving individuals in Somerset who have dedicated their time in a voluntary capacity to one cricket club.Numerous nominations for the medals were received by Somerset Cricket Development Officer Andrew Moulding, but when it came down to deciding who the lucky recipients were going to be it proved to be an impossible task.Andrew Moulding told me: "The club has had a fantastic response to the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Award, and the level of nominations has been so impressive that it has been impossible to sort out the twelve most deserving cases."Mr Moulding continued: "They have all been fantastic applications, for instance one person who was nominated had given sixty six years of service to one club, fifty of which he had been on the committee. In his years with the club he had been a player, secretary, groundsman and umpire. That’s an impressive record, and there are any number that are just as impressive in their own ways."The Cricket Development Officer told me: "After discussion it has now been decided to increase the number of Queen’s Golden Jubilee Award medals from twelve to fifty, and even then it will still be a difficult choice to make!"The fifty medals will be produced locally and will be based upon a combination of the ideas put forward by the pupils of Year 9E at Heathfield School in Taunton, who were given the design of the medal as part of a project that they were undertaking with their teacher Mary Harding.The youngsters from Heathfield School who were involved in the project will be invited along to the County Ground on May 12th when the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Award medals will be presented.Somerset Chief Executive Peter Anderson told me: "The standard was so high that in the end we decided to present fifty medals, which makes symmetrical sense, one for each year of the Queen’s reign."