Openers overturn the deficit as Nottinghamshire set themselves for final-day push

ECB Reporters Network25-Jun-2024

Haseeb Hameed hits down the ground•Getty Images

Nottinghamshire 360 and 177 for 1 (Hameed 91, Slater 70*) lead Somerset 470 (Abell 111, Pretorius 95*, Pennington 5-96) by 67 runsSouth African all-rounder Migael Pretorius added an unbeaten 95 to his four first-innings wickets to help Somerset carve out a 110-run first innings lead on day three at Trent Bridge – yet with Nottinghamshire 177 for one in their second innings at the close, Craig Overton’s team have a lot to do if they are to take home a third Vitality County Championship win of the season.Pretorius, who spent part of last season with Durham, hammered six sixes and eight fours in a 71-ball assault to ensure that the efforts of Tom Abell and Tom Lammonby on day two were not wasted.Somerset had suffered a mid-innings stumble from 315 for four to 356 for eight and were still in arrears until Pretorius and Jack Leach (37) put on 79 in rapid time, the 29-year-old Pretorius missing out on a second career hundred only because he ran out of partners.Nottinghamshire fast bowler Dillon Pennington took five for 96, raising his tally for the season to 29 with his first five-wicket haul since moving from Worcester to Trent Bridge in the winter. Leg spinner Calvin Harrison’s reward for bowling 39 overs in the heat was figures of three for 173.Yet the wicket of Haseeb Hameed, bowled by captain Overton for 91, is Somerset’s only second-innings success so far from 58 overs of toil after the Nottinghamshire skipper had shared a 172-run opening partnership with Ben Slater, who finished on 70 not out in the company of nightwatchman Olly Stone.Earlier in the day, Abell could add only six to his unbeaten 105 on Monday before he misread a ball from Harrison that trapped him leg before. A glancing blow on the helmet facing fast bowler Stone had hardly helped his cause.His dismissal sparked a flurry of wickets. New batter Kasey Aldridge lasted only seven deliveries before being brilliantly caught at second slip by Harrison off Pennington, who found some extra bounce in his next over to frustrate James Rew, caught behind for 49.At 325 for seven in the 99th over, the sides were level on points, yet the next 11 overs saw Somerset surge ahead thanks largely to Pretorious, whose aggressive hitting brought him a 32-ball half-century.Pretorius hammered six over midwicket off Pennington and cleared the rope three times off Harrison, who was hit down the ground for another maximum by Leach. Back-to-back fours off Pennington from the England man raised the 400-mark in the 107th over.Pennington had Overton (20 from 13 balls) leg before and Harrison dismissed Leach via an edge behind soon after lunch, but Nottinghamshire missed out on a third bowling point. Not only that, they were powerless to stem the flow of runs from Pretorious.He launched one enormous slog-sweep off Harrison that achieved the not inconsiderable feat of clearing the Smith-Cooper Stand before driving Pennington for his sixth six – and could count himself mightily unfortunate to be left stranded when last man Jake Ball, who faced just five balls and contributed not a single run to a 35-run partnership, was leg before to give Pennington his five-for.Somerset were in a commanding position, in theory at least. Yet they would almost certainly have to bowl Nottinghamshire out for a second time if that position were to become a platform for a win, which looked potentially to be a tall order on an increasingly docile pitch.Thereafter, little happened to challenge that assessment. Dusty footmarks offered something for Leach to work with bowling from the Radcliffe Road End. The left-arm spinner was in action as early as the eighth over as openers Hameed and Slater set about negotiating the 26 overs up to tea but fashioned only one real chance in that period, the left-hander Slater put down by Overton at slip on 27.It allowed the pair to reach the interval with 72 runs knocked off the deficit, a platform from which their partnership became the biggest opening stand of the season for Nottinghamshire when it passed 81. Both completed half-centuries soon afterwards, the captain from 101 balls, Slater from 107.The final session similarly brought no rewards until the last 20 minutes of the day when Overton, bringing himself back for one last burst of pace, with Rew standing up to the stumps, bowled Hameed nine short of a century to break the partnership on 172.

Dillon Pennington was Nottinghamshire’s outstanding performer as Lancashire were denied the prosperity they had been hoping for when they opted to bat on day one of their Vitality County Championship match at Trent Bridge.Skipper Keaton Jennings made 91 and overseas batter Tom Bruce 73 but Lancashire let a good position slip, tumbling from 190 for 2 to close on 306 for 8.Pennington inflicted heavy damage by taking 3 for 15 in an excellent five-over spell with the second new ball before seamer Dane Paterson dealt Lancashire a further blow by removing Bruce in the day’s penultimate over.With Australian spinner Nathan Lyon rested for this round, Lancashire have named England pace bowler Saqib Mahmood in their line-up for the first time in 12 months following a stress fracture.It had looked like evolving as Lancashire’s day until the last half-hour of the middle session, when Jennings and George Balderson, who had shared a third-wicket stand worth 107, were both out in quick succession.The morning session had been theirs until Josh Bohannon’s dismissal by Lyndon James from what would have been the penultimate ball before lunch. Bohannon had picked up four boundaries against the Nottinghamshire allrounder, albeit one off an edge, but was struck on the front pad as he looked for a fifth through the on side and was clearly out.Despite pace bowlers Pennington and the fit-again Olly Stone subjecting Lancashire’s openers to a testing opening passage on a used pitch with a decent covering of grass, Nottinghamshire’s only breakthrough prior to that had come in the 10th over, when Paterson found the edge to have Luke Wells caught at second slip.Encouraged by James’ breakthrough, which had ended what had been a threatening partnership between the aggressive Bohannon and a more measured Jennings, Nottinghamshire emerged from lunch with renewed energy. Yet it was Lancashire’s third-wicket pair who dominated for the next couple of hours.Jennings, having built a painstaking 128-ball half-century, which he completed with his 10th boundary, upped the tempo. A paddle sweep for four and a nicely driven straight six off Calvin Harrison’s legspin signalled growing assuredness and he looked well set for a second hundred of the season.But Nottinghamshire’s bowlers never let their effort levels dip and fought back in the half-hour before tea.Jennings will take the blame for his own demise, going for a reverse sweep against Harrison but able only to top-edge it to slip where Tom Moores – back in the Nottinghamshire side for the first time this season but unable to prise the wicketkeeper’s gloves from Joe Clarke – took an easy catch.But the departure of Balderson was purely down to the skill of the bowler, Stone’s impressive contribution deservedly rewarded when the batter was beaten for pace as he tried to flick across the line, squarely in front as the ball collided with the front pad. The two wickets transformed 190 for 2 into 196 for 4.Lancashire’s double setback meant two new batters at the crease, but with Bruce taking the lead, reaching a half-century off 69 balls, it took the second new ball for Nottinghamshire to restore a measure of parity on the day, Pennington striking twice in the space of nine deliveries as George Bell edged to first slip and Matthew Hurst to third.The ex-Worcestershire quick picked up his third scalp when England spinner Tom Hartley found the safe hands of Harrison at second slip, after which Bruce reined himself in noticeably. Lancashire picked up a second batting point but the loss of Bruce, leg before to Paterson, was another big blow.Before play began, players and spectators observed a minute’s silence in respect for Josh Baker, the Worcestershire spin bowler who died last week at the age of just 20. Baker represented his county against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge only last month.It was a particularly poignant moment for Pennington and Jack Haynes, who now wear Nottinghamshire colours but shared the New Road dressing room with Baker before switching counties at the end of last season.

أوضح خافيير تيباس، رئيس رابطة الدوري الإسباني لكرة القدم، وجهة نظره في سبب عدم فوز نجم برشلونة لامين يامال بجائزة الكرة الذهبية.

يامال، البالغ من العمر ثمانية عشر عامًا، حلّ ثانيًا في تصويت الكرة الذهبية، خلف الفرنسي عثمان ديمبلي.

فاز عثمان ديمبيلي، مهاجم باريس سان جيرمان، بالكرة الذهبية بعد أن ساهم في فوز فريقه بالثلاثية الموسم الماضي، بما في ذلك لقب دوري أبطال أوروبا لأول مرة في تاريخ النادي.

ويامال توج بجائزة كوبا التي تمنح لأفضل لاعب شاب، وقد حققها للعام الثاني على التوالي، وهو أول لاعب يفوز بها مرتين متتاليتين.

وقال تيباس، وفقًا لما نقلته صحيفة “ماركا” الإسبانية: “لو كان عمر يامال يزيد عن 23 عامًا، لكان فاز بها أيضًا، أنا متأكد، ولكن بما أنه كان أصغر سنًا، فقد مُنح الجائزة الأخرى (كوبا)”.

وأضاف تيباس: “إذا استمر على مستواه الحالي، وهو أمر مرجح، أعتقد أنه سيفوز بـ الكرة الذهبية بلا شك”.

ولم يشارك يامال في آخر ثلاث مباريات لبرشلونة بسبب إصابة تعرض لها أثناء مشاركته مع منتخب بلاده إسبانيا في وقت سابق من هذا الشهر.

All roads lead to Bilbao in the Europa League, with Manchester United still left with a glimmer of hope regarding the chance to end this wretched campaign on a real high.

For a third successive campaign, the Red Devils could round off the season with a notable piece of silverware. Even in the most desperate of times, this team can still pull a rabbit out of the hat.

European glory and the ensuing Champions League qualification would certainly be something to cherish, although it should not mask the task ahead for new boss Ruben Amorim, with the Portuguese coach still yet to truly revive this sinking ship.

Currently residing in 14th in the Premier League, the Old Trafford side have now scored just once across their last four top-flight outings – a fact that has only heightened the need to bolster the forward line this summer.

With the likes of Jadon Sancho, Marcus Rashford and Antony all looking set to depart permanently this summer following their respective loan moves, the hope will be that funds will be available to revive this limp attacking unit.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic

53

29

10

Romelu Lukaku

96

42

12

Odion Ighalo

23

5

1

Edinson Cavani

59

19

6

Cristiano Ronaldo (2nd spell)

54

27

5

Wout Weghorst

31

2

3

Anthony Martial

317

90

46

Rasmus Hojlund

88

24

6

According to recent reports, it already looks as if INEOS have settled on their first leading target, ahead of strengthening for next season.

Latest Man Utd transfer news

With few distractions, outside of Europa League action, the remainder of the campaign should well be used to get ahead on the transfer front. No longer should United be left scrambling around in August or on deadline day.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Thankfully, the new INEOS regime appear to be keen to avoid that latter scenario, with reports already rife that the Red Devils are progressing with regard to the potential signing of Wolverhampton Wanderers talisman, Matheus Cunha.

Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has outlined that United are in pole position for the Brazilian’s signature, with The Athletic’s Laurie Whitwell since adding that positive talks have been held regarding the 25-year-old’s personal terms.

That comes amid claims from the Daily Mail’s Simon Jones that suggested Amorim and co are even ‘inching closer to an agreement’ for the former Atletico Madrid man, albeit with United still needing to activate his £62.5m release clause.

Jones went on to add that INEOS are keen to get terms agreed by next month, to ensure that ‘they still have headroom under Profit and Sustainability Rules’, with it likely to be the case that the club will need to sell to buy if notable deals are to be made this summer.

Having seemingly fended off competition from the likes of Newcastle United, it looks as if United are closing in on the signing of such a leading Premier League talent…

Why Man Utd could be set to sign the next Cantona & Berbatov

It has been a common theme in the Premier League era – particularly during Sir Alex Ferguson’s glory days – for United to try and raid the rest of the division for the best attacking talents, be it Wayne Rooney, Louis Saha, Robin van Persie, Dimitar Berbatov and, of course, Eric Cantona.

There are certainly shades of the latter two with regard to Cunha, with the £90k-per-week star something of a “maverick” and a “flawed genius”, in the words of journalist Nathan Juddah, albeit while combining that with his status as a “match-winner” and a “superstar”.

Those are no doubt traits shared by the great Cantona, in particular, with the iconic Frenchman a truly enigmatic and talismanic figure for United, following his arrival from rivals Leeds United on a £1.2m deal in November 1992.

The driving force of United’s domestic dominance in the early 90s, ‘King Eric’ went on to claim four league titles during his stint in Manchester, while racking up 82 goals in 182 games for the club in total.

With his collar up and chest out, the beloved forward strutted his stuff around the Old Trafford turf, combining moments of magic on the pitch, with his at-times colourful actions off it. Who can forget that Kung-Fu kick at Selhurst Park.

Cunha, meanwhile, mirrors that knack for going from the sublime to the ridiculous, with 2024/25 alone seeing him memorably score directly from a corner against Amorim’s side on Boxing Day, albeit while since receiving two separate suspensions for off-the-ball altercations.

Like Cantona, the one-time RB Leipzig man can be hot-headed, but more importantly, however, he appears to relish his talismanic status at Molineux, having now scored 14 league goals this season, after netting 12 times in 2023/24.

Capable of operating as a centre-forward or off the front – again, like Cantona – the ‘maverick’ Brazil international has that ability to switch it on in an instant, as he actually tops the division for most time spent walking on the pitch, excluding goalkeepers.

That at-times ‘lazy’ quality is something that was shared by the aforementioned Berbatov, albeit with the Bulgarian – who signed from Tottenham Hotspur in the summer of 2008 – subsequently outlining the benefits of that approach:

The silky striker memorably claimed the top-flight Golden Boot as United romped to the title in the 2010/11 campaign, having also possessed that Cantona-esque knack for the spectacular, be it his touchline trickery against West Ham United, or his overhead-kick as part of a treble against Liverpool at Old Trafford.

Cunha – who scored from range out of nothing at Anfield back in March – can also conjure up a magic moment in an instant, with the Red Devils needing that ‘maverick’ talent to revive this lifeless frontline.

Like Cantona and Berbatov before him, the 25-year-old certainly isn’t perfect, but he is a showman. It doesn’t appear that the United jersey would weigh too heavy on him…

Romano: What we know so far about Man Utd's £62.5m talks for Matheus Cunha

This would be some coup.

ByBarney Lane Apr 22, 2025

Manchester City’s strong end to the season continues.

On Friday night, the Sky Blues beat Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-0 at the Etihad with, who else, Kevin De Bruyne the only scorer.

Having now won four Premier League games on the spin, Pep Guardiola’s team now have second place well within their sights, widely expected to continue their winning streak on Saturday, considering they’ll be facing rock-bottom Southampton.

Despite this recent upturn in form, which includes reaching a third successive FA Cup Final, Guardiola still insists that this season has been a disaster, hence why he’s planning to spend big this summer, so could he go shopping within the league?

Manchester City's midfield target

The Blues are lining up a big-money move this summer with the likes of £100m-rated Morgan Gibbs-White now in their sights and Bayer Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz also a target.

That said, could it be another Premier League star who Pep and Co turn to?

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Indeed, according to a report in Spain, Manchester City ‘have submitted’ an offer of £55m to Tottenham Hotspur for the services of James Maddison, who they claim is viewed as the long-term ‘successor’ to the outgoing De Bruyne.

Maddison would surely add a touch of creativity and vision to Man City’s midfield, something that has been lacking throughout this season.

The 28-year-old England international joined Spurs from Leicester City for a reported fee of £40m two summers ago but, with Tottenham currently down in 16th, no European football next season could force them to sell key assets, unless they’re able to win the Europa League of course.

So, would Maddison be a good signing for Manchester City, and which recent move would this be reminiscent of?

How Maddison compares to Jack Grealish

Of course, the Sky Blues are no strangers to signing high-profile English international attacking midfielders from within the Premier League, breaking the then-British transfer record to secure the services of Jack Grealish for £100m in 2021.

Now coming towards the end of his fourth season at the Etihad, Grealish’s Man City career can be split into two distinct parts, as the table below outlines.

Appearances

39

50

36

31

Minutes

2,730

3,487

2,114

1,520

Goals

6

5

3

3

Assists

4

11

3

5

As the numbers emphasise, during Grealish’s first two seasons in Manchester, he was a regular starter and key contributor, but this has certainly not been the case during this campaign or the last, starting only one Premier League fixture since Christmas.

So, would Maddison be able to replicate the form of great Grealish should he make the move to the Etihad?

Well, let’s compare the duo this season to help answer that question.

Appearances

31

45

Minutes

1,520

2,717

Goals

3

12

Assists

5

11

Goals – xG

+0.1

+4.2

Shots on target %

32.3%

46.6%

Pass completion %

87.7%

81.5%

Attempted take-ons

37

106

Take-on success %

37.8%

41.5%

Big chances created

3

8

Progressive carries

92

62

Progressive passes

71

221

Touches per 90

36

66

As the table highlights, Maddison’s statistics this season are almost universally more impressive than Grealish’s for every metric included.

He’s certainly a more progressive passer, while simply on goals and assists alone, the Spurs star – who is “unbelievable” in the eyes of Sky Sports pundit Darren Ambrose – has a lot more end product.

The one problem could be that Maddison’s season may actually be over.

Ange Postecoglou stated that he is “concerned” his star midfielder could require knee surgery, which would be a major blow because, as Jack Pitt-Brooke of the Athletic argues, he might just be Tottenham’s most-important player, given ‘how good he is at finding those pockets of space’.

Thus, any potential summer sale would be a massive blow for Spurs but, on the flip side, this would be a major coup for Man City.

He'd be amazing with Haaland: Man City pushing to sign £100m "magician"

Erling Haaland could be boosted in attack if Manchester City snap up this exciting star.

ByKelan Sarson May 4, 2025

MatériaMais Notícias

da marjack bet： Em situações delicadas no Campeonato Brasileiro, onde brigam para fugir da zona do rebaixamento, América-MG e Corinthians têm no mata-mata um alento. Nas quartas de final do torneio, as suas equipes se enfrentam nesta quarta-feira (5), pelo confronto de ida, em Belo Horizonte. Portanto, sabia onde assistir América x Corinthians pela Copa do Brasil, além das prováveis escalações, arbitragem e outras informações.

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da stake casino： Após eliminarem Internacional e Atlético-MG, respectivamente, Coelho e Timão têm no mata-mata a possibilidade de ser campeão nesta temporada. Ambos estão mal no Brasileirão e, por isso, podem apostar todas as fichas na Copa do Brasil.

Do lado americano, o técnico Vagner Mancini terá o atacante Everaldo, que já vestiu a camisa corintiana. Já pelo Timão, a grande novidade é Renato Augusto, recuperado de uma lesão na panturrilha e que viajou para Belo Horizonte. Recém-contratado, o argentino Matías Rojas também está na capital mineira, mas aguarda a situação contratual para ser registrado pelo Timão.

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AMÉRICA-MG X CORINTHIANS
COPA DO BRASIL – QUARTAS DE FINAL – JOGO DE IDA

Local:Arena Independência, Belo Horizonte (MG)
Data e hora:5 de julho de 2023, às 21h30 (horário de Brasília)
Árbitro:Leandro Pedro Vuaden (RS)
Assistentes:Rodrigo Figueiredo Henrique Correia (FIFA/RJ) e Kleber Lucio Gil (SC)
Árbitro de vídeo:Wagner Reway (VAR-FIFA/PB)
Onde assistir:Globo (para São Paulo e Minas Gerais, exceto Juiz de Fora), SporTV, Premiere e Prime Vídeo (para todo o Brasil)

AMÉRICA-MG

Matheus Pasinato; Marcinho, Éder, Maidana e Danilo Avelar; Lucas Kal, Breno e Emmanuel Martínez; Felipe Azevedo (Rodrigo Varanda), Everaldo e Gonzalo Mastriani (Aloísio). Técnico: Vagner Mancini.

Desfalques: Ricardo Silva, Matheusinho, Adyson, Dadá Belmonte e Luan Campos (lesionados)
Pendurados: Alê, Emmanuel Martínez e Everaldo

CORINTHIANS

Cássio; Bruno Méndez, Gil, Murillo e Matheus Bidu; Roni (Fausto Vera), Maycon, Ruan Oliveira (Renato Augusto) e Guilherme Biro; Róger Guedes e Yuri Alberto.Técnico: Vanderlei Luxemburgo.

Desfalques: Chrystian Barletta e Ángel Romero (processo de transição física)
Pendurados: Fábio Santos e Matheus Bidu

Tudo sobre

América-MGCopa do BrasilCorinthians

كشف صابر زكي شقيق عمرو زكي مهاجم الزمالك ومنتخب مصر السابق، عن حقيقة تدهور حالة “البلدوزر” الصحية خلال الأيام الماضية.

وكان الإعلامي أحمد شوبير قد طالب الجماهير في تصريحات له عبر برنامجه الإذاعي، بالدعاء لعمرو زكي مهاجم الزمالك ومنتخب مصر السابق، مما أثار جدلًا واسعا حول تدهور الحالة الصحية لعمرو زكي.

وقال زكي خلال تصريحات لبرنامج “الماتش” المذاع على قناة “صدى البلد”: “عمرو زكي بالفعل مريض جدًا من كثرة الكلام الذي يقال، أحاديث غريبة جدًا لا أساس لها من الصحة كل ما أشيع أن حالته الصحية المتدهورة لا أعرف ما الغرض من هذا الكلام”.

طالع | عمرو زكي: هدف ناصر منسي أمام الأهلي “أوروبي”.. ونصيحة للاعبي الزمالك

وأضاف: “لماذا الزج باسم عمرو زكي دائمًا في هذه النوعية من الشائعات وهو مستاء جدًا من الأنباء التي خرجت، ووالدتي حالتها الصحية ليست أفضل شيء وتعبت جدًا وبكت بعد شائعة مرضه”.

واختتم تصريحاته: “شقيقي بدأ الاتفاق مع عدة برامج وخلال العشرة أيام الماضية اتفقنا مع برنامج في أحد القنوات العربية للظهور من خلاله”.

Half-century anchors run-chase as Kent are outgunned

ECB Reporters Network25-Aug-2024Worcestershire secured their second successive win in the Vitality County Championship to bolster their hopes of retaining Division One status as they overcame bottom-placed Kent by eight wickets at Visit Worcestershire New Road.Tom Taylor and Joe Leach picked up the final two Kent wickets this morning to leave Worcestershire, who were promoted last summer, with a modest victory target of 101.Although Worcestershire openers Gareth Roderick and Jake Libby fell cheaply, Kashif Ali (52 not out) and Rob Jones (23 not out) saw their side over the finishing line with an unbroken stand of 69.Worcestershire’s 23-point haul followed on from victory in their previous game against Durham at the Seat Unique Riverside, albeit nearly seven weeks ago.They were in the ascendancy for the bulk of the game once Kent had lost 10 wickets for 98 runs in their first innings after being 73 for 0 at one stage.It was two of their players returning from lengthy spells out through injury who made significant contributions.Joe Leach, who is retiring at the end of the season, rolled back the years with a six-wicket haul in Kent’s first innings his first appearance for three months after a recurrence of a knee problem.Club Captain Brett D’Oliveira has been troubled by a shoulder injury for a year but he returned after having extensive rehab during the past month to score 97 from 90 balls and change the momentum of the game in Worcestershire’s favour.Gareth Roderick, with a half century and seven catches behind the stumps, Rob Jones and Ethan Brookes also produced key roles with the bat while Tom Taylor bowled well throughout and deserved a more tangible reward than his five wickets in the game.Kent are now facing an uphill battle to maintain their top flight status after suffering their sixth defeat in 10 games.The big plus point for them was the stunning form with the bat of Tawanda Muyeye who hit a half century and a career best 211.Kent resumed on 353 for 8 – an overall lead of 76 after the last over dismissal of Muyeye yesterday evening.Akeem Jordan, who had picked up five first-innings wickets on his Championship debut, cover drove Taylor for four.Taylor continued his impressive form with the ball demonstrated throughout the game and went past the outside edge on several occasions.He claimed his fourth wicket when Jordan’s off stump was sent cartwheeling out of the ground after he attempted a drive.Leach wrapped up the winnings when George Garrett (6) pushed forward and Gareth Roderick held onto a low chance away to his left.It was Roderick’s fourth catch of the innings and seventh of a game where he has gone past 100 dismissals for Worcestershire.Jordan struck an early blow for Kent when Worcestershire set off in pursuit of their modest target in holding onto a return catch from Roderick.Jake Libby then shouldered arms and was bowled by Garrett at 33 for 2 and rain caused a 40 minute delay after lunch and the loss of 10 overs.But Kashif was soon into his stride with a succession of boundaries to banish any fears of a late twist in the outcome of the match.He twice cut on loan Alfie Ogborne for four and turned the same bowler off his legs to the ropes.A slash to third man off Ogborne brought Kashif his 50 from 67 balls with 10 fours and clinched the victory.

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.

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.

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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ByRoss Kilvington May 24, 2025

Crystal Palace have been demoted to the Conference League from the Europa League after UEFA ruled they had breached multi-club ownership rules.

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Article continues below

Article continues below

Palace consigned to Conference League Could be replaced by Nottingham Forest Role of John Textor seen as key Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Palace have been demoted to the Conference League from the Europa League after UEFA ruled the club had breached multi-club ownership rules. Businessman John Textor owns shares in both the Eagles and French side Lyon, who were previously relegated from Ligue 1 due to financial breaches but have since won an appeal to be reinstated to the French top flight, meaning they will take their Europa League spot after finishing sixth.

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understand Palace intend to appeal the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. They had earned their spot in Europe's secondary club competition after winning last season's FA Cup. Textor and Palace had argued that he does not hold overall control at Selhurst Park and recently sold his shares to Woody Johnson, the owner of the New York Jets. However, UEFA have pushed ahead with its ruling.

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Regardless of whether it's in the Europa League or Conference League, the 2025-26 season will be the first campaign in their history where Palace will take part in European competition.

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Palace's summer transfer business has been hampered somewhat by the uncertainty of their European fate. They will appeal the decision in the hope of it being overturned.