Northants secure return for Matthew Breetzke in Championship and Blast
ESPNcricinfo staff03-Oct-2024Lancashire have signed Australia allrounder Chris Green as one of their overseas players in the Vitality T20 Blast for the next two seasons.Green, 31, was Lancashire’s leading wicket-taker in the Blast this summer with 14, helping the club to qualify for the knockouts – although, due to the lengthy gap after the group stage, he had moved on to the CPL and was unavailable for their quarter-final defeat against Sussex.His contract again includes the provision to play in the County Championship and One-Day Cup, subject to availability. Green, who also turned out for Trent Rockets in the Hundred, made six One-Day Cup games appearances – scoring his maiden hundred – and one in the Championship for Lancashire in 2024.”I absolutely loved my first year with the club and I am even more excited to be coming back for the next two seasons – I can’t wait to join up with the team again next summer,” Green said. “It is a really special group of players at Lancashire. I know that there are big things to come, and I am looking forward to playing my part in that during 2025 and 2026.”I really felt the support from all of the Red Rose Members and supporters this summer and I can’t wait to see you all again next season at Emirates Old Trafford.”Lancahisre’s director of cricket performance, Mark Chilton, said: “One of our key priorities heading into the winter was to secure Chris’ services so we are really pleased to get this deal done early and to have his commitment to playing for Lancashire in the Vitality Blast for the next two years.”Chris made a huge impact for us on the field and had a number of options and offers to play around the world, but we are delighted that he has committed to being here at Emirates Old Trafford. Not only did Chris’ performances with bat and ball stand out this season but he also really impressed us with his leadership and his personality had a huge influence on the dressing room. We are all looking forward to welcoming him back to the club next summer.”Breetzke back at NorthantsNorthamptonshire, meanwhile, have re-signed South Africa top-order batter Matthew Breetzke for the first half of the 2025 summer. Breetzke will be available for Northants’ first eight games in the County Championship, as well as the whole of the Blast group stage.The 25-year-old finished as Northants’ leading run-scorer in the 2024 Blast, with 460 at a strike rate of 153.84, helping the club to reach the quarter-finals.”I’m delighted to sign with Northamptonshire for the 2025 season,” Breetzke said. “I really enjoyed my time at the club this year. I think the team has a lot of potential to push for promotion as well as go a few steps further in the Blast and win it. I’m looking forward to helping the team and hopefully achieving many more victories along the way.”
Four months after the board called off the visit to the country, a number of English players will now be part of the league
Matt Roller27-Jan-2022The Pakistan Super League is a finishing school for England’s best T20 cricketers. Since the league’s inception in 2016, England players have become increasingly popular to the extent that they now dominate the overseas player pool at the PSL, with nearly two-dozen due to appear in the 2022 edition which starts on Thursday.Ten of the playing XI for their first T20 international against West Indies on Saturday have PSL experience and the only exception, Adil Rashid, has expressed his desire to play in it in future. Eight members of the squad for that tour will fly from Barbados to Pakistan straight after this series to join up with their respective teams, and all six teams have English representation in their squads.A number of players have furthered their international cases through their involvement, including Phil Salt, Saqib Mahmood and Tymal Mills. “Playing for Peshawar Zalmi was a massive stepping stone for me to play for England,” Dawid Malan said back in 2019. “The pressure you get as an overseas player is like no other – it sets you up for when you get back to international cricket,” added Liam Livingstone.The involvement of leading overseas players in the PSL has been a contributing factor in bringing international cricket back to Pakistan on a regular basis. Chris Jordan and Malan both played in – and won – the 2017 final, the first PSL game staged in Pakistan rather than the UAE; five years later, 23 English players will travel to Karachi and Lahore with full confidence in security arrangements.Related
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The 2022 edition clashes with several international series and the Bangladesh Premier League, but falls during a rare break in England’s schedule. There is a wide range of players involved: leading internationals, T20 circuit regulars, young players cutting their teeth and senior county pros looking for franchise experience. There are even two English coaches leading franchises in Peter Moores (Karachi Kings) and James Foster (Peshawar Zalmi).But if the English influx is mutually beneficial, it also serves as a reminder that only four months ago, the ECB decided to call off men’s and women’s tours to Pakistan on the flimsiest grounds imaginable through a statement laced with hypocrisy and innuendo.”We know there are increasing concerns about travelling to the region and believe that going ahead will add further pressure to a playing group who have already coped with a long period of operating in restricted Covid environments,” the statement said.The Team England Player Partnership later clarified that the players had not been consulted over the decision; Ramiz Raja, the PCB’s chairman, said that Pakistan felt as though they had been “used and binned”.Phil Salt will turn out for Lahore Qalandars in PSL 2022•PA Images/GettyThe statement also made reference to the T20 World Cup, casting doubt on whether “touring under these conditions” would represent “ideal preparation”, as though there was no choice but to send a first-choice, full-strength squad. In doing so, it ignored that the fixtures’ very purpose.The men’s series – which would have comprised two T20Is and been England’s first tour since 2005 – was effectively an acknowledgement of the sacrifice made in Pakistan’s tour to England in 2020, during which their players quarantined in a three-star hotel and spent seven weeks in a country where Covid-19 was spreading fast. As a result, the ECB could fulfill its commitments to broadcasters and avoid an even heavier financial hit than the one it suffered.Pakistan toured again in 2021 for three ODIs and three T20Is, and fulfilled the series even after England’s first-choice squad was ruled out of the 50-over leg after a Covid outbreak. If England had been overseas in similar circumstances, would they really have seen the tour through?Tom Harrison, the ECB’s chief executive, said at the time that England wanted to “play our part in ensuring the safe return of international cricket to this wonderful nation of passionate cricket fans” but by withdrawing in such vague circumstances, soon after New Zealand had pulled out of their own series, they immediately cast doubt on Australia’s upcoming tour – which, thankfully, looks set to go ahead.Perhaps this is water under the bridge. Ian Watmore resigned as the ECB’s chairman shortly after England’s withdrawal from the tours, and Harrison flew to Pakistan in November for discussions with Ramiz which concluded with an extension of England’s planned tour this winter from five T20Is to seven.But cricket’s insistence on postponing rather than cancelling fixtures means there is no guarantee that the reasons, which supposedly underpinned this winter’s withdrawal, will not apply in October. England’s leading white-ball players have almost no wiggle-room in their schedule, and next winter are also due to play bilateral series in Australia, South Africa and Bangladesh on top of a T20 World Cup: can the ECB guarantee they will all be available?The obvious solution would have been to go ahead with the men’s tour as scheduled and, in the event that players declared themselves unavailable due to their IPL commitments, a desire for family time ahead of a busy winter overseas or any other concerns, to find replacements accordingly.The contrast between English players’ clear desire to play in Pakistan and the ECB’s insistence that it could not fulfil a four-day, two-match tour should stick in the craw. The ill-judged, short-sighted decision to postpone is not one that will be forgotten quickly.
خيم التعادل السلبي على نتيجة مباراة الأهلي والمصري، في المواجهة التي جمعت بينهما مساء اليوم ضمن منافسات الدوري الممتاز.
وأقيمت المباراة بين الأهلي والمصري، على أرضية استاد برج العرب في الإسكندرية، في إطار لقاءات الجولة الـ13 من الدوري الممتاز.
وعقب مباراة اليوم، وصل رصيد الأهلي إلى 23 نقطة، من الفوز بـ6 مباريات والتعادل 5 مرات بجانب هزيمة وحيدة حتى الآن، خلال مشواره في الدوري المصري.
ويخوض الأهلي المواجهة القادمة أمام سيراميكا كليوباترا على استاد هزاع بن زايد بمدينة العين الإماراتية، ضمن منافسات السوبر المصري بنظامه الجديد بمشاركة 4 أندية.
طالع | ترتيب الدوري المصري بعد فوز الزمالك وبيراميدز وتعادل الأهلي
ويأمل الأهلي في التتويج ببطولة السوبر المصري، ساعيًا لكسب ود جمهوره بسبب تذبذب أداء ونتائج الفريق منذ بداية الموسم الحالي. موعد مباراة الأهلي وسيراميكا كليوباترا في السوبر المصري
من المقرر أن يلتقي الأهلي مع سيراميكا كليوباترا، يوم الخميس 6 نوفمبر 2025، في تمام الساعة الخامسة مساءً بتوقيت مصر، السادسة مساءً بتوقيت السعودية، والسابعة مساءً بتوقيت الإمارات.
وتُنقل المباراة عبر قناة أون سبورتس الناقل الحصري للبطولة.
يتوقع بول ميرسون لاعب أرسنال السابق، عودة محمد صلاح إلى تشكيل ليفربول ضد برينتفورد مساء اليوم السبت على الرغم من تلميحه بأن النادي أخطأ بتمديد عقده.
ويسعى محمد صلاح لاستعادة مكانه في تشكيل المدرب آرني سلوت، حيث يعود ليفربول لاستئناف مبارياته في الدوري الانجليزي الممتاز.
وكان محمد صلاح قد جلس على دكة البدلاء في فوز ليفربول على آينتراخت فرانكفورت بخماسية لهدف واحد في دوري أبطال أوروبا يوم الأربعاء.
ولم يقدم محمد صلاح بداية جيدة لهذا الموسم حيث سجل ثلاث اهداف وصنع ثلاث أهداف خلال 12 مباراة، وابتعد عن التسجيل في آخر خمس مباريات له مع النادي وأكد غضبه وعدم رضاه على مواقع التواصل الاجتماعي عن ما يمر به مع ليفربول.
ويعتقد ميرسون أن صلاح سيبدأ أساسياً أمام برينتفورد وقال لموقع “sportskeeda” :”سؤال المليون دولار قبل نهاية الأسبوع، هل سيشارك محمد صلاح؟”.
أقرأ أيضاً.. مبيومو يكشف حقيقة السخرية من محمد صلاح في طريقة احتفاله أمام ليفربول
وأضاف :”لم يبدأ صلاح ضد فرانكفورت، وفاز ليفربول لكن هذه مباراة لا غنى عن الفوز فيها، إذا خسر ليفربول سيبتعد عن آرسنال بسبع نقاط”.
وواصل حول توقيع صلاح لعقد جديد مع ليفربول: “لقد توقعت هذا منذ زمن، أليس كذلك؟ قلت إنه بعد ستة أشهر من توقيع العقد، سنجلس نتساءل، لماذا يمنحونه هذا العقد وهم يعلمون أن مستواه سيتراجع”.
وتابع: “أعرف ما فعله صلاح العام الماضي لكن هذا أصبح ماضياً، انظروا لما فعله فلوريان فيرتز الموسم الماضي، هذا ليس كافياً ليصبح ضمن تشكيل ليفربول الأساسي الآن، أليس كذلك”.
وأكمل ميرسون: “سيتعين على سلوت اتخاذ قرار حاسم هذا الأسبوع، صلاح ليس قريباً من اللاعب الذي اعتادنا عليه خلال السنوات الماضية، لكنه لاعب لا يمكن استبعاده”.
وختم عن خطورة برينتفورد :”هم بارعين جداً في الكرات الثابتة لذا أتوقع أن يبدأ كل من إيكتيكي وجاكبو المباراة نظراً لطولهما وقدرتهما على تقديم أداء مميز في مثل هذه المواقف، أعتقد أنه سيعتمد على صلاح كمهاجم ثابت وأتمنى أن يكون كل شئ على ما يرام هنا”.
Rahul Dravid says Indian cricket has evolved into an “extremely powerful” force, thanks to the growing talent pool that now extends to even the remotest corners of the country.Dravid, who coached India to the T20 World Cup triumph in June, said a strong club cricket culture has a lot to do with bucking the old trend of city cricketers dominating the passage to the national team.”If you look at Indian cricket today, Indian cricket is extremely strong, it’s extremely powerful,” Dravid said during the 50-year celebration of Mount Joy Cricket Club. “One of the big reasons for that is that talent comes from everywhere, from all over the country.””If you go back to the time of, say, GR Vishwanath or even when I was starting out, most of the talent came from the big cities or a few states.”Even if there were talented boys in smaller places, they had to come to the big cities to play cricket. But today I think you see in Indian cricket that boys are coming from everywhere.”Dravid said it’s getting reflected in the standards of domestic cricket in India.”You just look at the standard of the Ranji Trophy. In the old days when you played in the South Zone, other than playing Hyderabad or Tamil Nadu, I think it is fair to say, without being disrespectful, that a lot of other teams you could take it not for granted but you could certainly take it a little bit more lightly.”I don’t think there is any team in the South Zone today that you can walk in and say you will beat comfortably.”Hailing the club cricket structure in the country, particularly in Karnataka, Dravid said the system has allowed the sport to remain accessible to all.”We need clubs to be strong. We need cricket not to be concentrated in the hands of a few people. We need cricket to be egalitarian, we need it to be all over the place.”You cannot have talent or facilities concentrated only in one or two places. To get the best out of talent, we need to ensure that young boys and girls are getting access to good infrastructure in every part.”Dravid briefly revisited his club career to underscore the need for that system to thrive.”After the practice, HAL [Hindustan Aeronautics Limited] would give us two eggs and one small glass of milk. I would always stay back for that glass of milk and those eggs. Not because I wanted the milk and eggs. But because I wanted to sit and listen to the likes of BK Kumar or Nandan talking about cricket. And it used to be great fun to listen to them and learn so much from them.”
West Indies fast bowler Shannon Gabriel has retired from international cricket, ending a career that began in 2012. The 36-year-old played 59 Tests, 25 ODIs and two T20Is picking up a total of 202 wickets.”During the past 12 years,” Gabriel said on Instagram on Wednesday, “I have dedicated myself to playing international cricket for the West Indies. Playing this beloved game at the highest level has brought me immense joy, but as the saying goes, all good things must come to an end. Today, I am announcing my retirement from International cricket.”Firstly, I would like to express my gratitude to God for the numerous blessings and the opportunities my family and I have received during my time playing for the West Indies. Secondly, I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to Cricket West Indies administrators, coaches, and staff members. Words cannot adequately convey the appreciation I have for your hard work and support over the years. Last but not least, I am grateful to my teammates and all those who have stood by me and supported me along the way. You have made my journey to the top truly special.”Moving forward, my plan is to continue representing my country [Trinidad and Tobago], club, and franchise teams around the world with the same love and passion I have shown throughout my career.”2:31
Archive: What’s the big deal about Shannon Gabriel?
Gabriel was at his best in Test cricket, where he used his height and his strength to great effect, sometimes even on lifeless pitches. He holds the fourth-best match-figures for a West Indian – 13 for 121, which he picked up at home against Sri Lanka in June 2018. His ability to generate pace and bounce were impressive enough that West Indies fast bowling legend Courtney Walsh compared him to Patrick Patterson and Ian Bishop. It took a while for him to tap into these gifts consistently but by 2017 he became a regular member of the team and was part of famous wins like the one against England at Headingley.The other big moment of Gabriel’s career came with the bat, when he took strike in Dominica with West Indies nine down against Pakistan. There were only seven balls left to draw the Test, and with it, the series. He went for a big slog and got bowled. This was 10 days after he put in a Player-of-the-Match performance to help West Indies to a bounce-back victory.Gabriel ran into further trouble in 2019 when he was banned for four ODIs after making an apparently homophobic remark at Joe Root. He accepted the sanction and apologised for his behaviour but did insist, later, that the incident was blown out of proportion.Gabriel last represented West Indies in July 2023 but has since been active in domestic cricket, playing for Trinidad and Tobago. Last year, he was part of the Abu Dhabi T10 as well.
It is make or break for Sunderland this afternoon as their 2024/25 campaign will be defined by the outcome of today’s Championship play-off final clash with Sheffield United.
The Black Cats beat Coventry City 3-2 on aggregate in the semi-finals of the play-offs, thanks to a dramatic late winner in extra-time from central defender Dan Ballard, sending the Stadium of Light into raptures.
Regis Le Bris now faces the unenviable task of selecting the right starting XI to take to the field against Sheffield United this afternoon at Wembley, and Chris Rigg is one player who should be brought back in.
Why Chris Rigg should start
Sunderland know that this is a high-stakes game and that any small errors could be the difference between another season in the Championship or playing Premier League football in the 2025/26 campaign.
Sunderland'sChrisRiggand Wilson Isidor celebrate after the match
Therefore, it could make sense to bring in another midfielder who can provide solidity just ahead of Dan Neil and Jobe Bellingham, making it even harder for the Blades to break them down.
In the regular Championship season, Rigg won four duels per game on average, winning 47% of his battles overall, and averaged 1.6 tackles and interceptions per game, without a single error that led to a goal or a penalty for the opposition.
Chalkboard
Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.
This means that the teenage midfielder would add another layer of defensive insurance ahead of the back four by coming into the side, but it would also mean that Eliezer Mayenda would have to drop to the bench to make way for the English ace to play behind Wilson Isidor.
Why Eliezer Mayenda should be dropped
Le Bris should ruthlessly drop the 20-year-old starlet to the bench for today’s final in order to make room for Rigg to provide a reliable presence at the top of the midfield.
This would also provide Mayenda with the opportunity to come on as an impact substitute, which suits his style of play with his directness and pace on the counter-attack, as he could cause problems for a tired Sheffield United defence late on.
Sunderland's Eliezer Mayenda celebrates scoring their first goal
His disappointing performance against Coventry in the second leg of the semi-final, though, suggests that it may be too much of a gamble to play him from the start.
Minutes
120
Goals + assists
0
Successful dribbles
2/6
Pass accuracy
29% (2/7)
Duels won
6/18
Key passes
0
Possession lost
15x
As you can see in the table above, Mayenda played the full 120 minutes against the Sky Blues and only completed two passes, without creating any chances, and lost the vast majority of his duels.
This suggests that he could be a liability in the final from the start if he produced a similar kind of performance, as the Sheffield United players could find it too easy to beat him in duels and to intercept his passes.
Therefore, dropping him for Rigg, who has won 47% of his duels and completed 79% of his passes in the Championship, could increase Sunderland’s chances of being solid from the start.
Le Bris would then have the option to bring Mayenda’s pace off the bench to make an impact late on, by taking Rigg off to play the Frenchman in a front two with Isidor, which is why this could be a good tactical move for multiple reasons.
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Uncontracted trio of Behrendorff, Agar and Tye also named, while Ellis and Meredith won’t play for Tasmania next week
Alex Malcolm19-Sep-2024Injury-prone Cricket Australia contracted pace duo of Lance Morris and Jhye Richardson are set for domestic white-ball returns. Both quicks have been named in Western Australia’s 14-man squad for their opening One-Day Cup matches against New South Wales and South Australia, on Sunday and Tuesday, respectively, at Cricket Central in Sydney.Morris has not played cricket at any level since suffering a side strain in February during what was his second ODI, with the injury ending his season. Routine scans during the off-season showed a hot spot in his back despite not feeling any pain. Morris was ruled out of playing in the Major League Cricket, and was also not considered for Australia’s limited-overs tour of the UK.He will begin a slow build back towards a red-ball return, and will likely only play one of the two 50-over matches next week, with WA naming six fast bowlers in their squad. That includes the uncontracted veteran duo Jason Behrendorff and Andrew Tye.Related
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Richardson, meanwhile, did play over the winter after coming off a horror run of hamstring and shoulder injuries in recent seasons. He played one game in the IPL for Delhi Capitals, and then three matches for Perth Scorchers in the Top End T20 Series in Darwin in August.Richardson’s return to domestic 50-over cricket is another step forward for him, but it remains to be seen whether he will be fit enough to return to first-class cricket with the Sheffield Shield in October.Uncontracted left-arm spinner Ashton Agar has also been named in WA’s squad, alongside Behrendorff and Tye after also opting to become a freelance cricketer.Cameron Bancroft looks set to keep wicket for WA, with Josh Inglis away on national duty. Former WA back-up wicketkeeper-batter and 50-over opener Josh Philippe is set to face his old side on Sunday for the first time after moving to New South Wales. Philippe was a key part of WA’s hat-trick of One-Day Cup titles, having played in all three and been Player of the Tournament in 2022-23.WA are looking to become the first men’s side in Australian One-Day domestic history to claim four consecutive titles, even as they have won five of the last seven.Elsewhere, Nathan Ellis and Riley Meredith won’t play in Tasmania’s opening two One-Day Cup matches against Victoria and Queensland in Melbourne, on Monday and Wednesday, respectively.Ellis is still recovering from the hamstring injury that saw him ruled out of Australia’s limited-overs tour of the UK, while Meredith only arrived back in Australia this week and is set for another scan on the side he injured in the opening match of the tour against Scotland. Ellis did not play in any of Australia’s next four T20I matches due to side soreness before returning home, and his recovery time is still to be determined.
It is no understatement to say that Glasgow Rangers require a major overhaul this summer.
Not just in the playing squad or staff members, but in mentality. Since the Ibrox side won the Premiership title in 2021, the Gers have won only two trophies since.
In comparison, Celtic have won every available league title on offer and have clinched a domestic double this season, although they did lose to Aberdeen in the SFA Cup final.
Rangers interim managerBarryFergusonbefore the match
Things have to change at Ibrox, and fast. The 49ers’ involvement should give those at the club a boost, but the priority is a new manager.
The likes of Steven Gerrard and Davide Ancelotti have been linked with a move to Glasgow, while several other candidates have been touted for the vacant role.
Whoever becomes the next permanent manager will have work to do in order to improve the first-team squad this summer.
There are various positions that need urgent improvement, no doubt about that. Furthermore, several players could be sold to raise funds and help reduce the wage bill.
Cyriel Dessers may finish the season as the top scorer in the Premiership, but if a reasonable offer comes in this summer, the club should cash in.
Why Rangers must sell Cyriel Dessers
Never has a Rangers player exuded more Jekyll and Hyde-like qualities than Dessers. One minute, he is simply unplayable, causing chaos for opposition defenders domestically and in Europe.
Next, he struggles with the easiest of chances and offers next to nothing in the final third.
There is no doubt about his record in front of goal for the Light Blues since he joined in a deal worth £4.5m from Cremonese in the summer of 2023. Indeed, the Nigerian striker has scored 51 goals and grabbed 16 assists across 109 games for the club during his first two seasons.
On the surface, this is an impressive record in front of goal. He has shone in Europe, with his display against Fenerbahce one of the finest by a Gers forward in quite a while.
Unfortunately, these performances are few and far between. Throughout the 2023/24 league season, Dessers missed a staggering 27 big chances across 35 matches.
Over the same number of games in 2024/25, he missed 21 big chances, a slight improvement, but still not great.
Metric
2023/24
2024/25
Goals
16
18
Assists
4
2
Shots per game
2.9
2.4
Big chances missed
27
21
Goal conversion percentage
16%
22%
During the winter transfer window, several clubs were linked with making a move for Dessers. Saint-Étienne, Cagliari, and Empoli were all showing interest in securing a move for the 30-year-old.
Much to the disappointment of large sections of the support, the centre-forward remained in Glasgow until the end of the season at least.
He has two years left on his current contract, which suggests now would be the ideal time to cash in and secure a decent fee for the player.
This could be used to fund future signings, especially a couple of younger players with a higher ceiling for growth.
Dessers shouldn’t be the only player to be moved on this summer by the new manager. Nedim Bajrami is reportedly attracting interest from afar, and now might be a good time to part ways with the Albanian.
Nedim Bajrami has offers on the table
According to reports in Albania (as relayed by Glasgow Times), Bajrami has two options on the table with regard to a summer exit away from the Light Blues.
One comes from the Italian top flight, while the other is from the Bundesliga, and the report states that the midfielder is likely to leave Glasgow when the transfer window finally opens.
Much will depend on the price, however, as the 49ers will be keen on recouping much of the £3.4m that was spent on the Albanian last summer.
It’s safe to say he hasn’t exactly enjoyed the most productive of campaigns in Scotland, despite arriving with plenty of hype.
What exactly went wrong with Bajrami?
Why Rangers must sell Nedim Bajrami this summer
The 26-year-old had impressed for his country at Euro 2024, scoring an incredible opener against Italy after just 23 seconds.
A move to Ibrox in the final days of the summer transfer window looked like a real coup for Philippe Clement.
What looked like a potentially transformative signing for the club eventually turned into a waste of money. Across 44 games for Rangers, he only scored five goals and chipped in with four assists, showing that he has rarely made a big impact at the top end of the pitch.
Considering the sum of money the club had paid, this was hardly the best of returns, especially following a decent start to life in Glasgow.
The midfielder only started 15 Premiership matches, creating only four big chances, averaging one key pass and succeeding with just one dribble per game in the top flight.
In Europe, Bajrami didn’t fare much better. Indeed, he could only muster a single goal from 11 appearances, winning less than half of his total duels per game and averaging 1.3 key passes per game, which shows how ineffective he has been on the European stage since his move to Ibrox.
Bajrami
The nadir came against Queen’s Park in the Scottish Cup back in February. Rangers suffered a shock 1-0 home defeat – arguably one of their worst domestic losses – but Bajrami was subbed at half-time following a dismal display.
Stevie Clifford, who runs Four Lads Had a Dream, criticised the Albanian a month before, saying:
“I’ll highlight it again, it’s not singling him out, but Nedim Bajrami is not offering enough at all.
“We need him to influence games & be involved, largely anonymous so far, again.
“£4m is big money to do it in these type of games & he’s miles off it so far.”
All of these points point towards a likely summer exit when the window opens next month. Should Rangers receive a bid that is deemed acceptable, then they must be ready to cash in.
He didn’t live up to initial expectations, and regardless of who the new manager is, Bajrami’s future already looks settled with the offers that are on the table from other clubs.
Hopefully, he can make better signings this summer.
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da pinup bet： Ao entrar em campo nesta quinta-feira (25), às 19h (de Brasília), o Fluminense se deparará com um duro obstáculo no confronto com o The Strongest. O fato da partida ser realizada no Estádio Hernando Siles, em La Paz, cerca de 3.600 acima do nível do mar, vem sendo um trunfo para o Tigre em edições da Copa Libertadores.
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da bet nacional： A equipe não é derrotada como mandante por brasileiros na Libertadores desde o longínquo ano de 2013. Desde então, o The Strongest obteve cinco vitórias e dois empates em jogos válidos pela competição.
Para minimizar os efeitos causados pela altitude, a delegação tricolor viajará nesta quarta-feira (24) e, após se prepararem em Santa Cruz de La Sierra, irão perto da partida para o Hernando Siles.
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Porém, há bons presságios que levam supersticiosos tricolores a ficarem otimista em um resultado positivo. A equipe brasileira que derrotou o The Strongest se tornou campeã da Copa Libertadores posteriormente. Em plena altitude, o Galo capitaneado por Ronaldinho Gaúcho saiu na frente com Diego Tardelli. A equipe boliviana igualou com Reina. Na reta final, em meio ao sacrifício, Méndez marcou contra e definiu a vitória por 2 a 1.
Outro fator contribui para a confiança da torcida. Atualmente nas Laranjeiras, o meia Lima defendia o Ceará na partida na qual o Vozão desbancou os donos da casa com uma vitória por 2 a 1. A virada veio nos acréscimos, em jogo suado pela Copa Sul-Americana.