It’s been quite the ride for those of a Liverpool persuasion. Over the past decade, the Reds have gone from being a Premier League laughing stock to one of the most imperious outfits on the continent.

Jurgen Klopp conquered English football and handed the Anfield side their sixth Champions League title too. He willed Liverpool into an incredible, attractive unit and left the squad in perfect shape for someone like Arne Slot to come in and take the reins.

Now, with Manchester City in a spin and Arsenal and Chelsea not quite so impressive, Liverpool are the early favourites to win Europe’s top competition in 2024/25 and are four points clear at the Premier League summit having played a game less than second-placed Chelsea.

Life is good, but it could be better yet in the months and years to come. It’s crucial to understand that the Merseysiders are technically in their first iteration, their nascent stage. Slot inherited a wonderfully talented crop, but he’s still pumping his teachings into the club.

Let’s put the brakes on a moment and remember the last time Liverpool were in their early stage as an elite-level outfit. Way back in 2017/18, they had broken free of mediocrity and were back in the Champions League, and oh how fun Klopp’s side were.

When Klopp's Liverpool were pure… fun

It was the year that Liverpool suffered heartbreak at the final stage of Europe’s elite club competition, and perhaps it felt like a once-in-a-generation opportunity missed, but Klopp’s lads rebounded to win the thing one year later.

That 2017/18 season, however, was one of excitement and incredible moments, Klopp having birthed an iconic team but not yet fashioned it into something sustainable. Albeit, he came within a whisker.

Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino were playing their first term as a trio, and though they went on to achieve great things over a number of years, there was a remarkable period with Philippe Coutinho nestled in behind.

The Brazilian playmaker had been at Liverpool since January 2013, when he left Inter Milan in a bargain deal worth £8.5m, and for a while stood as the lonely bright spark in a grey pre-Klopp world.

With 54 goals and 45 assists across 201 outings for the Redmen, he was a real talent, indeed a beacon of hope, but Coutinho saved his finest football for those final few months.

Having handed in a transfer request in August 2017 as Barcelona lurked, seen it rejected by Klopp and his crew, and then played with a feverish intensity that lifted Liverpool into standing as one of the finest attacking teams on the continent.

Matches (starts)

14 (13)

Goals

7

Assists

6

Pass accuracy

79%

Key passes*

2.9

Dribbles*

2.8

Tackles*

1.2

Total duels won*

5.6

When Coutinho left, it felt pretty devastating, but La Blaugrana forked out an English-record-breaking £142m to bring the magician over to Catalonia, where he never hit the same giddy heights.

Liverpool then had the resources to mould Klopp’s project into something capable of not just dazzling in moments, but offering tangible routes toward illustrious prosperity with a consistency that fans could scarcely have dreamt of only months earlier.

Klopp described Coutinho as a “genius of a player” during the early stage of his tenure, but he didn’t prove to be indispensable and was actually the perfect sale for an outfit on the rise.

Why selling Coutinho was an incredible success

You could grind it down to a simple sentence: the stunning financial gain filled Liverpool’s coffers to the brim.

With Michael Edwards and Klopp not yet divorced and fractious toward each other, Liverpool were able to identify and swoop for targets deemed capable of taking the club to the highest level of European football.

Southampton centre-back Virgil van Dijk was signed in a deal worth £75m, a world record for a defender, in January 2018, and Roma goalkeeper Alisson Becker arrived the following summer for £67m, in the wake of the Champions League final defeat against Real Madrid that ended Loris Karius’ Anfield career.

Smart recruitment has been central throughout Liverpool’s successes of the past decade, but it’s clear that without Coutinho’s sale for such a staggering sum, the same heights wouldn’t have been reached, for the Reds would have been forced to settle for lesser parts in one area or another.

Just imagine a world where Van Dijk stands in Chelsea blue, playing for the Londoners after Liverpool were unable to act upon their vested interest.

How about you picture a Champions League landscape with Alisson Becker between the Santiago Bernebeu sticks, for he rejected Real Madrid in favour of Klopp’s Liverpool.

Neither of these dreadful eventualities proved to be anything more than paper talk. Talk about a watershed moment. The very framework of Liverpool’s prosperity over the past eight years is built on Coutinho’s sale, arguably the most important piece of transfer business conducted since Klopp’s arrival way back when.

Liverpool could count on Coutinho, now 32, for a moment of magic, but found something better in the players welcomed with the funds collected from his sale.

And for Coutinho, surely a sense of regret. Despite winning the Champions League with Bayern Munich and two La Liga titles with Barcelona, he’s indeed failed to ever reach the stunning level that he displayed under Klopp’s wing, having now been on Aston Villa’s books for the past several seasons.

That said, the Brazilian has spent the past few years out on loan, with Al Duhail in Dubai and now Vasco de Gama in his homeland, now valued at just £5m, as per Transfermarkt.

It would seem that Liverpool hit the jackpot at the perfect time with this one, not least because his dramatic fall in market value has left him worth less than Slot’s firing player Wataru Endo, who is 31 years old and valued at £11m.

The fact that even an ageing Endo – who looks set to depart in January – is worth more than Liverpool’s record-breaking sale is a testament to his decline, with the playmaker perhaps wondering what might have been had he never left Anfield behind.

Sold for 1823% more: Liverpool struck gold on Klopp's "outstanding talent"

Liverpool made a great profit selling him

ByJoe Nuttall Dec 12, 2024

Newcomers Brits and Mlaba are among the 15 to get a deal for the 2022-23 season

ESPNcricinfo staff02-May-2022Mignon du Preez was left out of the 15 women who were awarded central contracts for the 2022-23 season by Cricket South Africa on Monday. The 32-year old former captain played a crucial role in taking her team to the semi-finals of the 2022 Women’s World Cup, but has since retired from Test-match and ODI cricket and remains available only for T20s. Also missing is Nadine de Klerk, who was part of the contracted 15 in 2021-22.The space they left behind was filled up by top-order batter Tazmin Brits and left-arm spinner Nonkululeko Mlaba. Pholetsi Moseki, CSA’s chief executive officer, heaped praise on the two newcomers for their “dedication and work on and off the field” over the last 12 months.”After a remarkable year for the Momentum Proteas that saw the team climb to and maintain second spot in the ODI world rankings, it is with immense pleasure to announce next season’s squad of contracted players as they embark on their next challenge in world cricket.”Just like the previous 12 months, the next year brings forth a hugely-anticipated calendar of international cricket for the Proteas Women and we strongly believe in the set-up in place at the top of our women’s game to continue breaking boundaries and make their mark in the game,” he said.”On behalf of CSA, congratulations to Tazmin Brits and Nonkululeko Mlaba on their newly-awarded contracts. Their dedication and work on and off the field has not gone unnoticed and these contracts are a reward for their contributions.The upcoming season will begin with South Africa Women touring Ireland for three T20Is and three ODIs from June 3 before a multi-format tour of England between June 25 and July 27. Then there are the Commonwealth Games T20s in August followed by the T20 World Cup in February 2023, with South Africa hosting the global event for the first time. CSA will play host to the inaugural Under-19 Women’s T20 World Cup next year too.Women’s contracts: Tazmin Brits, Trisha Chetty, Lara Goodall, Shabnim Ismail, Sinalo Jafta, Marizanne Kapp, Ayabonga Khaka, Masabata Klaas, Lizelle Lee, Suné Luus, Nonkululeko Mlaba, Tumi Sekhukhune, Chloé Tryon, Dané van Niekerk, Laura Wolvaardt.

Everton have struggled through the 2024/25 campaign and, having been dispatched by Manchester United to kickstart a spate of difficult December fixtures in the Premier League, wobble on the precipice.

Sean Dyche, in any case, teeters on the edge, his place in the manager’s seat looking less certain by the week. While the Toffees displayed signs of life in the opening half-hour against the Red Devils, it is perhaps for that reason that Everton need to enforce change.

There are flashes of something… more, and in order to realise that potential, the Toffees might be wise to pounce on one of the potential replacements that have already been sounded out.

Everton eyeing Dyche replacements

At the end of November, TEAMtalk revealed that Everton had compiled a shortlist of managers to replace Dyche, should results fail to upswing before the new year.

With The Friedkin Group set to purchase majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri’s 94% stake in the Merseyside outfit, change is going to be afoot, and though former Premier League managers Graham Potter and Maurizio Sarri are shortlisted, Everton should turn their attention toward up-and-coming Edin Terzic.

The 42-year-old left the Signal Iduna Park dugout at the end of the 2023/24 campaign and, having once served as Slaven Bilic’s understudy at West Ham United, could bring fresh ideas back to the Premier League with an Everton side crying out for inspiration.

Manager Focus

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Why Edin Terzic would be the perfect fit

Terzic took Borussia Dortmund to the Champions League final last season, and though the Yellow Wall performed admirably against Real Madrid, there’s a certain inevitability about Los Blancos, who weathered a storm and struck to lift a record-extending 15th trophy.

Dortmund’s Gio Reyna once gushed over the German’s “high-intensity” brand of football, with his principal 4-3-3 formation sure to open up a new layer of ball-playing success for the Toffees too, spreading out midfield parts to ensure sweeping coverage of the middle of the park.

Dyche’s Everton have claimed the paltriest possession average from any Premier League team this season, and though his counter-attacking style has had its benefits in the past, the dismal defensive display that was put in against Man United last weekend suggests that even his usual steely framework is splintering and teetering on collapse.

Premier League 2024/25: Least Average Possession
Rank	Club	Position	Possession
16th	Bournemouth	13th	44.8%
16=	Crystal Palace	17th	44.8%
18th	Ipswich Town	19th	41.8%
19th	Nott’m Forest	6th	41.7%
20th	Everton	16th	40.9%
Stats via FBref

Everton need energising, and Terzic could be the perfect man for the job, perhaps even able to use some of his Dortmund links to bring in up-and-coming talent from the Bundesliga to commence his prospective reign.

Known for building strong player-coach connections with the likes of Jude Bellingham and Erling Haaland, while also having worked under Jurgen Klopp in Dortmund’s youth teams, it seems like a no-brainer, for he would turn Everton toward a more modern and exciting brand of football.

Ultimately, Dyche will be afforded more time, but with West Ham seemingly eyeing up their former assistant as Julen Lopetegui continues to struggle in east London, the Blues might want to act swiftly to finally give rise to a promising future.

TFG must ditch Everton star who "looked about 90 years old" vs Man Utd

Sean Dyche’s Everton were thrashed at Old Trafford to compound their struggles.

By
Angus Sinclair

Dec 2, 2024

Criticism of USMNT's effort and "want to win" are largely off the mark, yet there remain a litany of tactical issues to be addressed

Welcome to the U.S. men's national team panic sphere, where this team is suddenly "in crisis." It's a tragic place for a soccer team to reside. It doesn't really anything. What it does do, though, is fuel the kind of nonsensical rhetoric so often found around this most puzzling of footballing entities.

On Thursday night, the U.S. lost 1-0 to Panama in the CONCACAF Nations League semifinals. It was a pretty bad one. Mauricio Pochettino got his tactics wrong. Panama defended very, very well. Throw in some poor goalkeeping from Matt Turner at the death, a couple of puzzling non-subtitutions, and it was the perfect storm – a picture-book international smash and grab from the Panamanian perspective.

The U.S., as a result, will not play for the opportunity to defend their Nations League crown. Instead, they will face Canada in a not-really-that-happy-to-be-here third-place match at 6 pm ET Sunday at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. This, in the eyes of many, means the U.S. soccer world is ending. There have been cries for more "intensity" and "grit" and "passion."

There are references to the good old days, when mid-table Premier League players such as Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey, plus a plucky bunch of MLS fillers and European exiles willed their way to a series of dramatic, heroic failures by simply shouting at each other and wanting it more.

And so the rhetoric rumbles on around the national team. These are common themes, this central idea that American ideals – a "pull yourselves up by your bootstraps" style of soccer – is needed to push this overtly European looking side to victory.

Even Pochettino said after the loss that the USMNT "need to find a way to compete better. I don't like to say that. We are the USA, but you can't win with your shirt. You cannot win because you play here or there. You need to show and you need to come here and be better and suffer and win duels and work hard."

But that continuous insistence on "fight" is a vast oversimplification of a far more complex problem. These are a lot of good footballers who really do want to win when they step on the pitch. The Panama fixture was far more indicative of a lacking player pool and poor tactical nous – weighed down by an expectation of excellence that is unrealistic to place on a series of talented yet flawed players.

• Getty Images
  

  The burdens of the past

  The United States has a puzzling history when it comes to its men's national soccer team. Like many nations, it has a series of signature moments. There was the famous 1-0 win over England at the 1950 World Cup, the "Dos a Cero" over Mexico 52 years later, Donovan's winner against Algeria, Tim Howard's 16 saves in defeat to Belgium.

  Soccer is relatively new in this country, its culture still brewing, but there are still touchpoints to be found.

  What it lacks, though, is a clear soccer identity. And that is the problem. There is no recognizable game-model to fall on, or signature style to harken back to. Spain keep the ball and pass you to sleep. Germany run and press. Brazil are more technically skilled. England – also quite good at losing in big moments – are stronger.

  But modern football requires a top-to-bottom set of principles as to how a team should play with the ball. Instead, the U.S. seems to run off platitudes. They are going to "fight harder" than you. They just "want it more." They have that "dog" in them. And, ironically, for some time, that was enough. The United States made a living in the early to mid 2000s off being the plucky underdog side that could dig in, win its tackles, defend the box, and hit on the break.

  For a generation of players, that was a calling card. Mix that intensity with a few talented individuals playing above the level of everyone else, and it worked a charm. Donovan, Dempsey, Howard, Michael Bradley – total Champions League appearances, 10 – were treated like national heroes. These guys became known for their fighting spirit, mostly because it was the way they could win.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Change, change, change

  The irony is, playing off emotion can only last for so long. It also relies heavily on the assumption that each wave of players thinks, acts and responds in the same way. But these are abstract qualities that don't exist in every footballer.

  The U.S. was, in some senses, lucky that a group of players with similar mentalities came through at the same time. There was a collegiality here that really counted for something. Still, look at the results, and there isn't much to fall back on. The actual material stuff in the trophy cabinet holds little value.

  The USMNT have won the Gold Cup – a competition that is increasingly a glorified set of summer friendlies between reserve teams – seven times. Elsewhere, they have slightly overperformed in the occasional World Cup, but always lost at the expected time (thus explaining the hunt for an elusive "signature win.") Tim Howard's performance against Belgium is remembered fondly in American circles, but came in a 2-1 loss to a vastly superior team.

  Expectations, we are told, should be different now. In this generation – and no, it is not "golden" – the U.S. has its most talented group of footballers ever. Position for position, on quality alone, they would likely beat any other era of American side.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  A program revamp and the expectations

  The difference, now, is that there is pressure on a manager to get it all right. And the U.S. has tried and failed for some time. That famous loss to Trinidad and Tobago that ushered out the "dog" era came with a new face in the dugout and a litany of new names worked into the mix. But even that soon turned stale.

  The last 18 months of the Gregg Berhalter era felt like a sporting funeral procession. There was an understanding among many observers – often unspoken – that the former Columbus crew manager was not good enough to carry the U.S. through another World Cup cycle. He was considered, in some ciricles, fortunate to be in charge for Copa America.

  And he proved as such in 270 minutes at that tournament. The U.S., of course, went out in the groups, losing to – and here's the kicker – Panama, in one of the more underwhelming major tournament performances from a host nation in recent memory. Berhalter went unceremoniously, and there were very few who felt particularly bad about it.

  A new face had to come in. So arrived Mauricio Pochettino, experienced club manager, expected to play savior. The early signs were good. A win over – you guessed it – Panama opened his reign with promise.

  A comprehensive defeat in Mexico was cast aside and tagged down, fairly, to a litany of injury issues and player absences. Jamaica were handily done away with in November, before January camp was negotiated with the kind of sigh appropriate for a 10-day period in which nothing of consequence ever happens.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Panama and what went wrong

  The Nations League is a curious thing. For non-host nations, there are implications associated with seeding and World Cup qualification. For the USMNT, hosts of the 2026 World Cup along with Canada and Mexico, it serves as more of a pin in an imaginary board, a date circled on a calendar.

  There is a vague importance to all of this, if only because there is a game to be played – and the USMNT had never lost in the tournament. This new generation had another shot to prove that it could shake off the burdens of the old.

  Pochettino himself stressed the importance of defending the Nations League title, both near and long-term.

  "I want to win the competition," he said earlier this week, "because that is going to help us to build our confidence and trust in the way that we are going to need. At the same time, we need to be intelligent, to try to discover the best players and to build a strong core of the team that has the possibility to fight for big things. That mentality is about now, winning."

  "The objective is the World Cup, and I think we are translating the idea that we need to compete in our best way and win the tournament because I think it's important for the future. In one year, we want to compete for the big trophy: the World Cup."

  And as a result, Pochettino, groovy, shouty, and all, sincerely tried here. There was a formation in place, with footballers assigned to play them. What looked like a five at the back on paper turned into something resembling a 4-2-3-1 in possession. Yunus Musah looked like a right back on the team sheet, but spent a good portion of the game playing as an extra center midfielder or floating in the high right half space. There were, to be sure, ideas.

  But Panama were good – very good. Like any shrewd opponent playing away from home, they set up to lose. Two banks of five parried away every U.S. attack with relative ease. They never really tried to keep the ball, and ensured that they didn't have it in areas where they could be pressed.

  They completed 320 passes to the USMNT's 645. And when Cecilio Waterman, a 33-year-old forward who plays his football for Coquimbo Unido of the Chilean League, was given his chance in the 94th minute, he buried it. This was counter-attacking football in all of its whimsy.

Celtic continued their march towards a fourth straight league title with an emphatic 4-0 victory over St Johnstone at Parkhead in their last outing of 2024 on Sunday.

The Hoops end the calendar year with a bang and are now a whopping 14 points clear of Rangers in second place ahead of their Old Firm clash with their city rivals on Thursday.

Brendan Rodgers will surely have been delighted with the dominant nature of his side’s performance on Sunday, taking 30 shots and creating six ‘big chances’ – scoring four.

The defence, which was much-changed with Alistair Johnston and Alex Valle coming in, also kept the away side at bay, restricting them to one shot and zero ‘big chances’ created, which meant that Kasper Schmeichel had yet another quiet afternoon in Glasgow.

It was a thoroughly deserved three points and the confidence should be high heading into the game against Rangers at Ibrox in the first match of 2025.

One player who should be full of confidence for that all-Glasgow clash should be central midfielder Paulo Bernardo, who put in an excellent display against St Johnstone.

Paulo Bernardo's performance against St Johnstone

The Portuguese maestro was given another chance to impress by Rodgers despite his struggles against Motherwell in the previous Scottish Premiership outing.

Bernardo had lost seven of his eight duels and failed to take a shot on goal or create a ‘big chance’ for the team in his time on the pitch in that 4-0 win for the Hoops.

The summer signing from Benfica was given an opportunity to make up for that performance by bouncing straight back with a strong display against St Johnstone, which is exactly what he did.

Bernardo won three of his six duels and made two tackles and two interceptions, without being dribbled past once, which illustrates how much his defensive work improved from the Motherwell game to Sunday’s clash.

There was also an improvement from the midfield whiz, who was on loan at Parkhead in the 2023/24 campaign, with his work in possession for the Scottish giants.

Minutes

90

Key passes

2

Big chances created

1

Pass accuracy

87%

Shots

3

As you can see in the table above, Bernardo created two chances for his teammates and troubled the opposition’s goal with three efforts of his own.

One of his shots led to Kyogo Furuhashi’s first goal, as the midfielder’s close-range effort was parried to the striker, and one of his key passes assisted Daizen Maeda’s goal, with a sublime through ball between the lines to send the Japan international through.

There was one Celtic player, however, who may be looking over his shoulder in the January transfer window, as his performances have been lacklustre – Hyun-jun Yang.

Why Hyun-jun Yang should be moved on

The South Korean winger was given another chance to shine after winning a penalty in the 4-0 win over Motherwell, but struggled to stamp his mark on the match.

Yang was the only member of the starting set of midfielders and forwards to end the match without a goal or an assist, as Bernardo, Reo Hatate, and Arne Engels all registered assists, and Kyogo and Nicolas Kuhn both scored.

The young forward did not register any shots on goal and failed with five of his eight attempted dribbles, losing possession 19 times in total, which shows that he struggled to make a real impact in the final third.

A lack of end product has been an issue throughout his time in Glasgow so far. Despite reportedly earning more (£6k-per-week) than Bernardo (£5.8k-per-week) – per Salary Sport – he has produced far less in front of goal.

Appearances

33

39

Goals

1

5

Big chances missed

6

7

Big chances created

7

9

Assists

3

6

As you can see in the table above, the Portuguese star, who is the same age as Yang (22), has offered far more to the team at the top end of the pitch, despite playing in a midfield position, rather than out wide.

The South Korean winger has, quite simply, not produced much in the way of quality in the final third in the Premiership, with four direct goal contributions in 33 matches.

At the age of 22, there is no need for Celtic to write him off and cash in. However, a loan move to another club where he can go and play regularly and hone his skills before returning to Parkhead to compete for a spot in the team for the 2025/26 campaign.

Yang could benefit from going, perhaps to another team in the Premiership or to another side in Europe, out on loan to find some consistency in his performances, rather than dipping in and out of the Hoops team throughout the season.

Sending the South Korean talent out on loan would also free up a space in the squad for the Scottish giants to bring in a new player to bolster the squad.

What Celtic could do out wide in January

It was recently reported that Rodgers would like to bring in a left winger to improve his options ahead of the second half of the 2024/25 campaign.

Chalkboard

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

The job for the recruitment team is to, then, find suitable options to come in and provide an upgrade on Yang, who could then be brutally binned from the squad to go out on loan in January.

Celtic are reportedly interested in Sarpsborg forward Sondre Orjasaeter and the Norway U21 international could come in to provide more quality at the top end of the pitch.

Appearances

28

Goals

5

Big chances missed

5

Assists

5

Big chances created

12

Dribbles completed per game

2.4

As you can see in the table above, the 21-year-old ace could offer more as both a scorer and a creator of goals than Yang, if his form translates to Scottish football.

Whether it is Orjasaeter or another signing, bringing in a new forward in January would mean that Celtic could bin the South Korean youngster, who could benefit from going out on loan.

Rodgers could land big Maeda upgrade in Celtic swoop for £5m talent

Celtic could improve the quality of their attack by making this signing in January.

ByDan Emery Dec 27, 2024

MatériaMais Notícias

O trabalho de reformulação no departamento de futebol do Internacional está a todo vapor. Paulo Autuori foi escolhido para assumir o cargo de coordenador técnico.

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Antes de chegar ao Colorado, Autuori estava no Goiás. Porém, pediu demissão após um mês de trabalho e resolveu topar o desafio no Inter.

– VEJA A TABELA DA SÉRIE A DO BRASILEIRÃO

O agora coordenador técnico volta a trabalhar no Beira-Rio depois de 23 anos. Em 1999, Autuori foi o treinador do time e levou o Inter até a semifinal da Copa do Brasil.

Essex implosion undermines slow approach, as Root prepares to enter on day three

Alan Gardner06-May-2022

Paul Walter reached his century after resuming on 89•Getty Images

There is only one Nobel Prize winner to have played first-class cricket – and it is not hard to see why the game appealed to Samuel Beckett. Waiting is a practically part of the mise-en-scene. And so, while the players of Essex and Yorkshire embraced their roles to the full during an engaging tussle at Chelmsford – and other protagonists commanded the stage in far-flung parts of the county circuit – Joe Root stood in the wings and readied himself for a first bat of the summer.His wait was extended into day three, presumably at his own discretion after the fall of Yorkshire’s second wicket with 6.5 of the scheduled overs remaining. The batter emerging from the marquee serving as the away team dressing room turned out not to be Root 66, but Revis 77, 20-year-old allrounder Matthew promoted up the order as nightwatchman.With England’s new Test captain, Ben Stokes, launching himself into the season with trademark vigour at the expense of Worcestershire’s bowlers, and a number of Root’s international team-mates past and present notching hundreds already in this round of Championship action, the sense was that Yorkshire’s No. 4 would be champing at the bit to do his bit. But there was no requirement to add to the three overs of offspin he bowled on day one, and he largely remained inscrutable behind his shades while trooping from mid-on to fine leg as Essex extended Yorkshire’s stay in the field to five sessions.Perhaps his reticence come the evening was well judged: Root made 0 and 2 on his first visit to Chelmsford in 2012, and a golden duck when Yorkshire were bowled out for 50 on this ground (but still went on to win) four years ago. On this much flatter surface, Essex chiselled out the wickets of Adam Lyth, George Hill and Dimuth Karunaratne – to the last ball of the day – as Root opted against an examination by Sam Cook, Shane Snater and Simon Harmer in the fading light.It may have ranked a few notches below Root’s much-anticipated return to the fray – or Stokes teeing off at New Road, for that matter – but the morning began in Chelmsford with all eyes on Paul Walter, the high-tower Essex batter in search of his maiden first-class hundred. Walter had been 89 not out overnight, having spent the large part of day one putting in place Essex’s foundations alongside Alastair Cook, and there was an atmosphere of expectancy around the County Ground as the members bustled in to take their places.They could afford to take their time, safe in the knowledge that Walter would not be rushing to the landmark. Having been out for 93 against Northamptonshire last week – just shy of his first-class best, the 96 he made against Gloucestershire last season – and after enjoying a couple of reprieves on Thursday, this was an opportunity not to be passed up.To the complete absence of ball-by-ball updates on Sky Sports News and hastily compiled Twitter highlights packages, Walter ticked along in his quest. He started by playing out a maiden from Jordan Thompson, moved into the 90s with a push to mid-off, then crept closer with a sliced drive wide of the slip cordon for four. Thompson came perilously close to locating his outside edge on 98, but after 45 minutes of the morning session – and 28 balls in the 90s – a fine leg glance ran away to the rope and enabled Walter to remove his helmet and raise his bat for the first time in professional cricket.Walter knows a bit about waiting, too, having made his Essex debut in 2016 (batting at No. 10) as a 22-year-old. His hundred came off 263 balls, although despite an increasingly lugubrious reputation in the longer format, he was first brought into the set-up on the back of his long-levered hitting in T20 – one mighty six in a 2nd XI fixture leaving its mark on a window pane in Chelmsford’s famously compact press box.There was an occasional glimpse of higher gears, such as when Walter thumped Dom Bess into the hospitality suites at cow corner, but no sense that Essex were keen to set about Root and Co. with the ball. Such was their dedication to platform-building, that you might have imagined this was in fact Cape Canaveral readying for a space launch (under the aegis of NASA Hussain, of course). At the 110-over cut-off, they were still well shy of 300 and a third batting bonus point, with Walter and the nightwatchman, Sam Cook, batting through most of the morning in compiling a 73-run stand.Yorkshire were complicit, with both Walter and Matt Critchley put down in consecutive overs from Dom Bess. But the drawback of Essex’s stodgy approach became apparent when they promptly lost 5 for 24 in the space of 16.3 overs after lunch. After more than six hours at the crease, Walter could be forgiven a tired swipe at Bess, to be caught at backward point, but Essex’s middle order then departed in a hurry: Adam Rossington missed his first ball from Bess, which hit the top of off, before Feroze Khushi was given out caught behind and Critchley bowled by one which perhaps kept a touch low.From 303 for 3, and seemingly intent on batting their way into an impregnable position, the Essex innings was threatening to subside for less than 350. It took some calculated biffing from Harmer, with five fours and three sixes in his half-century, to lift them above 400 – the last-wicket pair adding 58 at almost exactly a run a ball, and extending Root’s spell patrolling the outfield a little longer.

Ryan Giggs has reportedly been hit with a huge £40k wage bill after his restaurant went bust over spiralling £563k debts.

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Giggs had to shut down his restaurant in FebruaryOwes close to £40k to 22 workersInvested £100,000 back in 2014Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Giggs' restaurant, George’s Dining Room and Bar, located in Worsley near Manchester, ceased operations in February without prior warning. According to recently filed records with Companies House, the establishment owes its 22 employees a combined total of £39,986 in wages, as reported by Beyond unpaid salaries, the restaurant has accumulated financial liabilities reaching £495,145. These debts were disclosed in an official Statement of Affairs regarding the company's voluntary liquidation, which was submitted just days ago.

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Giggs had invested £100,000 of his own money into the venture, funds that now seem unlikely to be recovered following the restaurant’s collapse. In addition to wage arrears, the company owes significant amounts to others, including £117,000 to HM Revenue & Customs for unpaid tax and National Insurance contributions. A further £15,000 is outstanding for gas bills, while NatWest Bank is owed £35,000.

DID YOU KNOW?

Giggs had launched George’s Dining Room and Bar in 2014 alongside business associates Kelvin Gregory and Bernie Taylor. Both partners are also facing financial losses due to the liquidation, with Taylor reportedly being owed close to £13,000, while Gregory is set to lose over £53,000.

WHAT NEXT FOR GIGGS?

Despite this setback, Giggs has been involved in other business ventures, notably teaming up with former Manchester United teammate Gary Neville. The duo co-founded the GG Hospitality Group, which successfully launched Hotel Football near Old Trafford, as well as the luxury Stock Exchange Hotel in Manchester's city centre.

أكد الإيطالي كارلو أنشيلوتي المدير الفني لفريق كرة القدم الأول بنادي ريال مدريد، على صعوبة مواجهة خيتافي غدًا الأربعاء، في بطولة الدوري الإسباني.

ويحل ريال مدريد ضيفًا على خيتافي غدًا، في ملعب كولوسيوم، ضمن منافسات الجولة 33 وقبل أيام قليلة من ملاقاة برشلونة مساء السبت، في نهائي كأس ملك إسبانيا.

وقال أنشيلوتي في المؤتمر الصحفي للمباراة: “نعلم جميعًا صعوبة مواجهة خيتافي، فريق قوي يمتلك أفكارًا واضحة، وكلما اقتربنا من نهاية الموسم، تكون المباريات أكثر أهمية لجميع الفرق”.

طالع أيضًا.. آس: أيام ألونسو أصبحت معدودة في باير ليفركوزن

وأضاف: “نعرف جميعًا مشاكلنا هذا الموسم، خسارة ميليتاو وكارفاخال كان من الصعب تعويضهما، وغيّرنا أسلوب اللعب كثيرًا ليتناسب مع خصائص اللاعبين، وحتى الآن لم نجد التوازن، ولذلك نجد صعوبة في الفوز”.

وعن حالة مبابي قبل مواجهة خيتافي: “لن يكون متاحًا لمباراة الغد، لكنه سيتدرب هو وميندي خلال الأيام القادمة وأعتقد أن كليهما سيكون جاهزًا لمواجهة الكلاسيكو ضد برشلونة”.

وواصل بالرد على إمكانية إقالته حتى إذا فاز ببطولة الدوري والكأس: “في كرة القدم كل شيء يمكن أن يحدث، ليس لدي خلاف مع أحد وأحب التواجد على هذه الدكة لأطول فترة ممكنة، وأي يوم ستنتهي فيه فترتي مع ريال مدريد، سأرفع قبعتي امتنانًا لهذا النادي”.

وتجنب الحديث عن صافرات الاستهجان ضد مبابي في بيرنابيو مساء الأحد الماضي: “كيليان يعاني من الإصابة، ولا يستطيع المشاركة، لكنه يفعل كل شيء من أجل التواجد في مباراة السبت المقبل”.

وشدد: “لدينا هدف واضح وهو الفوز بالبطولات الثلاث المتبقية، الدوري والكأس وكأس العالم، لكن أعتقد أن الدوري والكأس يعتمدان على الفوز ضد برشلونة وانتظار هدية أخرى في الدوري، ولكن في هذه اللحظة، علينا أن نفكر في مواجهة خيتافي، ثم النهائي مساء السبت، لا نريد الذهاب لما هو أبعد من ذلك”.

وواصل تحليل وضع ريال مدريد: “في إيطاليا يقال إنه كلما حدثت مشكلة تكون يدك اليسرى السبب، حدث هذا أيضًا في الدور الأول، خسرنا العديد من المباريات، ولكن أحاول أن تكون علاقتي مع الجميع بناء على هويتي، عليك أن تُظهر حقيقتك، هذا الموسم غضبت في الكثير من المرات، يجب أن تحترم وتحصل على الاحترام”.

وعن جدول المباريات المزدحم، رد أنشيلوتي: “لا أشتكي من الجدول. شيء يمكن أن يحدث كثيرًا، لم نتمكن من خوض مواجهة أتلتيك بلباو يوم السبت واللعب يوم الثلاثاء، ولكن لدينا وقت للتعافي، قد يكون من الأفضل أن تكون المباراة في وقت مبكر أكثر، لأن الكثير من الأشخاص يكونون نائمين في هذا الوقت، وأتمنى أن لا يحدث ذلك مع فريقي”.

واختتم: “برشلونة الآن يبدو أنهم أفضل منا، ولكن النهائيات غير متوقعة أبدًا، وأعتقد أن هناك مبالغة في تصوير ريال مدريد كضحية في النهائيات”.

Arsenal survived a scare to book their place in the semi-finals of the EFL Cup following a 3-2 win over Crystal Palace.

The win secures a semi-final tie against Newcastle United with the second leg at St James’s Park, a venue where Arsenal have already lost at this season.

The match was a memorable one for Brazilian forward Gabriel Jesus, who fired a second-half hat-trick to take his tally to four goals this season, all incidentally in the EFL Cup. The performance has given Mikel Arteta a selection headache ahead of the Premier League trip to Selhurst Park. Does Jesus deserve to start over Kai Havertz, who has been struggling for goals of late?

However, there was one performance in Arsenal’s quarter-final victory that has led to many fans and pundits alike calling for the player to be dropped for the league trip to Palace after putting on a 5/10 show and making a mistake that allowed Jean-Philipe Mateta to open the scoring early on.

The Arsenal star who must now be dropped

Jakub Kiwior came under fire for his performance against Crystal Palace, with Phil Costa on X claiming the Polish international “isn’t good enough” for this Arsenal side.

Kiwior missed a header in the early stages of the game, which led to striker Mateta firing Palace ahead and Arsenal subsequently chasing the game.

Kiwior has made 14 appearances for the Gunners this season across all competitions but has yet to really establish himself as a key player since his arrival from Spezia in January 2023.

Kiwior has only won 52% of his defensive actions so far this campaign and with Arsenal competing for honours on all four fronts, Arteta can ill-afford to have any passengers on their prospective journey to glory.

Blocked shots

0

Interceptions

0

Tackles

0

Dribbled past

1

Errors leading to goal

1

Ground duels won

50%

Possession lost

3

The Poland defender did not make a single interception, block or tackle all game and made a glaring error that led to Crystal Palace opening the scoring. On the ball, Kiwior was also below par, having lost possession three times and won only 50% of ground duels during the match.

The performance will certainly have boss Arteta thinking about recalling a stalwart of Arsenal’s defence this season for the next crunch Premier League fixture.

The Arsenal star who should replace Kiwior in the starting lineup

Brazilian defender Gabriel Magalhaes has been outstanding for Arsenal this season, scoring three goals in 14 appearances and forming a formidable partnership with fellow centre-back William Saliba.

Gabriel recently missed three games with a knee injury but it seems Arsenal are desperate for him to be back to full fitness and back in the starting eleven as he is a significant upgrade on Kiwior in a number of key defensive metrics.

Goals

3

0

Tackles

11

4

Blocks

26

5

Interceptions

7

1

Aerials won

25

5

Pass completion

89.4%

84%

Progressive passes

4.27

2.22

Gabriel leads the way over Kiwior in the number of tackles of won, number of blocks made and number of interceptions completed. It is no surprise that Gabriel also has won significantly more aerial duels than his Polish colleague.

Furthermore, Gabriel has shown his threat from set-pieces this season, already powering three goals and has helped to build Arsenal attacks from the back with a higher pass completion and more progressive passes through the lines.

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It is clear to Arteta and Arsenal fans alike that the Gunners can afford no more slip-ups if they are to win their first title in over 20 years – Gabriel returning to the side against Crystal Palace could go a long way to ensuring that doesn’t happen.

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