Wolverhampton Wanderers have had a frustrating start to the campaign and Vitor Pereira has been dealt an injury blow involving one of his key players.

Wolves turn focus to Everton clash after defeat at Newcastle

The Old Gold are still to pick up a point in the Premier League and find themselves rooted to the bottom of the table after a frustrating 1-0 loss to Newcastle United last weekend.

Despite a closely contested encounter with plenty of solidity from both sides, Nick Woltemade’s header proved to be the difference, and in a way, he also highlighted Wolves’ lack of attacking potency.

Furious at how the flow of the match was halted, Pereira vented his frustration on Match of the Day by claiming the officials’ willingness to dish out yellow cards slowed his side’s momentum.

He said: “I’m very proud of my team. I think we competed since the first minute until the last minute in a difficult stadium.

“In the end I have a question. How is it possible for a team to press and be aggressive and win duels if we got yellow cards? It spoiled our game. It’s not possible to be aggressive and compete at this level with yellow cards in the middle of the field.”

Nevertheless, their lack of creativity has had a knock-on effect in the final third, something that will need to be rectified as Wolves gear up for a crucial double-header against Everton in the EFL Cup before Leeds United visit Molineux this weekend.

Dele Alli could provide an out-of-window dose of inspiration for the Old Gold. However, Pereira has now been dealt another blow in his search for coolness in front of goal that will frustrate supporters.

Wolves fear Jorgen Strand Larsen injury is now 'more serious'

As relayed by The Yorkshire Evening Post, Wolves may be without Jorgen Strand Larsen for the visit of Leeds this weekend, after Pereira admitted last week the Norway international’s Achilles injury is ‘more serious’ than first feared.

Explaining that the timeline for his return can’t be set in stone, he said after Saturday’s defeat to Newcastle: “Day by day, it’s his Achilles tendon, we cannot push — we need to be patient.”

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During the summer, Strand Larsen was the subject of significant interest from Newcastle and was valued at around £65 million by the Old Gold, hence why he ended up remaining at Molineux.

In a frustrating turn of events, the 25-year-old may be missing a while longer and unable to add to his return of 16 goals and five assists in 41 appearances across all competitions since joining initially on loan from Celta Vigo last summer.

Tolu Arokodare made his debut in the defeat at St James’ Park, and he may now be called upon for the coming run of matches following his move to the West Midlands from Genk.

Newcastle United have had a helter-skelter of a summer transfer window, and Eddie Howe’s side haven’t reached the end of the tunnel just yet.

Of course, the frenetic nature of this window doesn’t necessarily mean it’s been a poor one for the Magpies, even though a slew of transfer targets have slipped through Toon fingers, namely at centre-forward.

And so we have the Alexander Isak conundrum. Will the Sweden striker play in black and white two weeks from now?

If Newcastle stick to their guns and resist the player and Liverpool’s attempts, his threats of maintaining his self-ostracisation might seem somewhat shallow, for the 25-year-old would surely not jeopardise his career in such a manner, with Champions League football looming and a World Cup campaign looming on the horizon across the pond.

However, keeping Isak at St. James’ Park comes with the huge caveat that there is no telling what version – if any – will front Howe’s ship over the coming year.

That’s why sealing a move for Yoane Wissa is so important.

The latest on Yoane Wissa to Newcastle

Wissa was one of the most prolific forwards in the Premier League last season, scoring 19 goals across the term. Bryan Mbeumo often took the plaudits under Thomas Frank’s wing, but the DR Congo striker was every bit as effective.

Frank, now manager at Tottenham Hotspur, wants to sign Wissa before the closure of the transfer window, thus putting another spanner in the works for Howe.

Luckily, the 28-year-old is determined to sign for Newcastle this summer, having removed all Brentford affiliation from his social media footprint as he looks to seal his move to England’s North East.

A deal for Wissa has always been a separate entity when considering the fight to keep Isak on Tyneside.

That’s why – while Newcastle are prepared to keep their star striker at the club – plans are still being explored for a potential successor.

Newcastle consider rejoining transfer battle

According to TEAMtalk, Newcastle are willing to forgo their interest in Nicolas Jackson if it means Aston Villa secure the Senegalese’s services, because then they could re-enter the race for Ollie Watkins.

Villa have been hindered by the trammels of PSR this summer, but the public stance at Villa Park is that their 29-year-old talisman is going nowhere, even if they land Jackson from Chelsea.

However, this hasn’t stopped Newcastle from preparing to register their interest once again, though it would seem that Aston Villa are sticking to their £50m valuation.

Why Newcastle should sign Ollie Watkins

Despite the late advance of Tottenham, Wissa continues to keep his sights on Newcastle’s first team, and at some stage, Brentford are sure to ease their resistance.

Whatever happens, Newcastle must also put their focus into signing Watkins, for he would do a half-decent job at stepping in for Isak.

Described as “one of the best 9s in the world” by Statman Dave, Watkins has proven time and time again his expertise as a Premier League frontman, and that could remain so with a one-way trip to Tyneside at this later stage of his career, leading the line as Isak’s replacement, should that come to pass.

He has a good record against Newcastle: five goals and three assists across ten matches. Watkins blanked, however, last weekend.

Even so, it wouldn’t hurt to take from the Premier League a striker rich in potency when pitted against United, and fronting their team with him.

Last season, Watkins wasn’t at his best, but he still managed to finish the league campaign with a return of 16 goals and eight assists.

A willing runner behind defences and a combative forward with a wide breadth of ways to hurt opponents, Watkins would be the cream of a new crop of attacking talent at Newcastle, for sure.

While Wissa and Watkins could cohabit within Howe’s Newcastle frontline, it’s hardly controversial to suggest that the former might outrank the other. The Villan star has proven himself and then some in the world’s toughest league, and he’s also got more variation to his attacking game than the Brentford sharpshooter.

Indeed, as per FBref’s data, Watkins ranks among the top 3% of strikers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for assists and the top 19% for progressive carries per 90.

Quite the player. And he’s something of a star on the big stage too, boasting some pretty impressive individual records against the English top flight’s legacy ‘big six’.

As Howe looks to mastermind the latest success in his growing list of triumphs as Newcastle manager, there’s every chance that Watkins at the spearhead would allow Newcastle to reprise their place in the Champions League at the end of the season while competing for further slices of silverware, having gotten a taste for the big prizes during last season’s Carabao Cup final victory over Liverpool.

Would Watkins definitively prove to be an upgrade on Wissa? It would appear so. He’s got more about him, and even after a ‘poor’ campaign in the Premier League last year, the Three Lions star still managed to trail Wissa in his pomp by just three goals.

Newcastle have a problem in Alexander Isak. He has divorced himself from the Newcastle squad and appears willing to stay in isolation.

But with Watkins added to the fold, United would have what they need to attack the season. He’d certainly be an upgrade on Wissa, but given the two forwards would be competing alongside each other, that doesn’t really matter, does it?

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MatériaMais Notícias

Desde a queda precoce do Corinthians na fase de grupos da Libertadores, o técnico Vanderlei Luxemburgo e a diretoria do Corinthians decidiram ir com um time alternativo para o jogo contra o Liverpool-URU e nos playoffs da Sul-Americana.

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+ Renove o seu estoque de camisas do Timão com o cupom LANCEFUT 10% OFF

Luxa irá seguir com a mesma estratégia para os confrontos contra o Newell’s Old Boys, da Argentina, pelas oitavas de final da Sul-Americana. Assim, jogadores pouco aproveitados e garotos da base ganharão mais uma chance de impressionar Luxemburgo. Abaixo, a reportagem lista três jogadores que vem aproveitando as oportunidades no time reserva e três que estão deixando a desejar.

Gabriel Moscardo

Os 15 minutos em campo de Gabriel Moscardo contra o Liverpool-URU foram suficientes para fazê-lo cair nas graças não apenas de Vanderlei Luxemburgo, como também da torcida corintiana.

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Desde o jogo contra os uruguaios, Moscardo foi “promovido” ao time titular e atuou contra Bragantino, Atlético-MG e nos dois jogos contra o América pela Copa do Brasil. A ascensão do jovem de 17 anos fez a diretoria  estender o contrato dele até junho de 2026, e a posição de volante já não é mais urgência no clube.

Felipe Augusto

Com a saída de Júnior Moraes e a inconstância de Romero, Luxemburgo apostou em Felipe Augusto, e o garoto de 19 anos ressurgiu no Timão após problemas em 2021 e 2022. Com mobilidade e faro de gol apurado, ele balançou as redes na partida de ida contra o Universitario e passou a “incomodar” Yuri Alberto pelo posto de centroavante titular da equipe.

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Carlos Miguel

O goleiro agarrou as oportunidades nos jogos continentais para se consolidar como reserva imediato de Cássio. O camisa 22 foi o mais regular da equipe nos três jogos continentais e teve seu auge diante do Liverpool-URU, ao defender uma cobrança de pênalti, garantindo a vitória do Corinthians.

Cantillo

Sem atuar há três meses pelo Corinthians, Cantillo ficou de fora dos relacionados para o duelo contra o Liverpool-URU, pela fase de grupos da Libertadores. Insatisfeito com sua situação no clube, o volante se reuniu com a diretoria e pediu para ser negociado.

Até agora, não houve clubes interessados em abrir conversas com o Corinthians pelo jogador. O colombiano viajou com a delegação para o Peru, mas foi preterido por Ryan Gustavo, que entrou no segundo tempo e marcou o gol da vitória sobre o Universitario.

+ Veja tabela com os confrontos das oitavas de final da Copa Sul-Americana

Giuliano

Titular com Fernando Lázaro, Giuliano perdeu prestígio após a chegada de Vanderlei Luxemburgo e vem sendo utilizado na equipe alternativa. O treinador corintiano resolveu testá-lo como primeiro volante, mas as atuações do camisa 20 na nova função não vem convencendo.

Giovane

Apesar do prestígio na Seleção Brasileira Sub-20, Giovane vem sendo pouco utilizado pelo Corinthians na atual temporada. Nem mesmo a chegada de Luxemburgo, que vem dando mais espaço para garotos da base, mudou o status do atacante de 19 anos.

Reserva e com pouco minutos nos três jogos com a equipe alternativa, Giovane busca jogar com mais consistência, e times italianos sinalizaram interesse de levá-lo para as categorias Sub-23.

Josh Cobb, the only man named player of the match in two T20 Blast finals, has retired from professional cricket to take up a new role as boys academy lead at Warwickshire.Cobb, 34, played 448 professional games across a career which started at Leicestershire in 2007 and has seen him represent two other Midlands counties in Northamptonshire and Worcestershire. He was also a Bangladesh Premier League winner with Dhaka Gladiators in 2013, and has captained Welsh Fire in the Hundred.A powerful top-order batter, Cobb won his first match award in a Blast final for his bowling, taking 4 for 22 as Leicestershire beat Somerset to the title in 2011. Five years later, his innings of 80 off 48 balls secured Northamptonshire’s second T20 title as they beat Durham at Edgbaston – the ground he will now call home in his new role.Cobb spent two weeks working with Australia’s players as a consultant coach during their ODI series in England last September, an opportunity that was the result of his relationship with Andrew McDonald, his former Leicestershire team-mate. He is following his father Russell – who runs the UCCE set-up at Loughborough University – into coaching.”Since making my debut 18 years ago, it’s been a thoroughly enjoyable ride with plenty of ups and downs,” Cobb said in a statement on Tuesday. “I’m immensely thankful for the people I’ve met, places travelled, and memories created over the years. Cricket has given me so much. Scoring my first hundred at Lord’s aged 18 and winning the T20 Blast Finals twice are just some of the memories I’ll cherish.”Recent graduates of the Warwickshire academy include Jacob Bethell and Dan Mousley. “My challenge is to keep developing homegrown players that can go on to play for the Bears and England,” Cobb said. “I’m excited at the chance to lead an academy at such a great club like Warwickshire, one that’s had a lot of success over a number of years.”

Dele Alli was seen as a youngster with huge potential at Tottenham Hotspur, but despite his early success at the club, he struggled to maintain his top-level performances.

The Englishman joined the Lilywhites in a £5m deal from MK Dons back in the summer of 2015, taking the Premier League by storm in his first couple of seasons.

He scored 37 times in his first three years in North London, registering a further 26 assists – helping him win the PFA Young Player of the Year award two years in a row.

However, it would all come crashing down for the midfielder, subsequently dropping down the pecking order under Jose Mourinho, with off-field issues rearing their head and leading to his demise.

Fast-forward to 2025, manager Thomas Frank has another talented player in the same situation, which could lead to his own exit from the club in the near future.

The latest on Yves Bissouma’s Tottenham future

Despite being a regular in Ange Postecoglou’s plans, making 44 appearances in all competitions, midfielder Yves Bissouma looks set to be sold by Spurs in the coming weeks.

The Malian international, who cost £35m from Brighton in the summer of 2022, has ultimately failed to impress new boss, Frank, but mainly due to his off-the-field issues rather than on-field performances.

He was left out of the Super Cup clash with PSG due to disciplinary reasons and has failed to be a part of any squad since then, not even making the bench for the Lilywhites.

It’s not the first time the 29-year-old has been involved in off-the-field antics, being spotted inhaling nitrous oxide – leading to a suspension from the hierarchy.

However, he looks set to be sold to Turkey in the coming days, with Fenerbahce interested in his signature, but he should also be joined by another player out of the exit door.

The Spurs player who should be axed alongside Bissouma

Whilst this summer was mainly about incomings at Spurs, decisions have been made to offload players to create wriggle room for Frank to work with after taking the reins.

The Dane splashed upwards of £100m on the signatures of Xavi Simons and Mohammed Kudus – adding needed quality into the club’s forward line for 2025/26 and beyond.

Such moves have added to the likes of Brennan Johnson and Richarlison, with the pair already opening their account for the new campaign under Frank.

However, despite joining on a permanent basis this summer, attacker Mathys Tel could find himself on the periphery after the latest development in North London.

The Frenchman joined the Lilywhites in a £30m deal from Bayern Munich, re-joining the club after spending the second half of the previous campaign on loan with Spurs.

At just 20, he has bags of time to fulfill his potential, but it’s unclear whether he will be able to achieve his goal under Frank after the new emerging from the club this week.

Tel, who’s been labelled “incredible” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, was left out of the Lilywhites’ Champions League squad for the 2025/26 campaign – casting doubt over his long-term future.

Mathys Tel’s Tottenham Hotspur career in stats

Statistics

Tally

Games played

21

Minutes played

1287

Goals scored

3

Assists

1

Yellow cards

3

Red cards

0

Average rating

6.75

Stats via FotMob

Such a situation is similar to that of Dele, subsequently being alienated from the first-team squad, which could see the player move closer to the exit door.

However, such a scenario could eventually see the club lose Tel for a minimal fee, just like they did with Dele a couple of years ago – needing to cash in on his services if he currently isn’t in Frank’s plans.

The decision to leave the youngster out may prove to be an unpopular one with the fanbase, especially after the hierarchy forked out £30m for his signature a matter of months ago.

The player himself would also undoubtedly be angry with the latest development, with the board needing to fund a move away from the club for Tel alongside Bissouma to allow them to kick on their development elsewhere.

Related Sold for £28m: Levy hit gold axing Spurs flop now worth less than Bissouma

Tottenham Hotspur made the right call by allowing one player to leave the club in recent years.

Posts ByEthan Lamb Sep 5, 2025

Former Napoli chief Pierpaolo Marino has criticised Kevin De Bruyne, accusing the ex-Manchester City maestro of "stepping on Scott McTominay's toes" and hindering the Scot's impact. Marino also added that De Bruyne's current level at Napoli is nowhere near enough to warrant a comparison with the ageless Luka Modric, who has been off to a sensational start for AC Milan.

Modric and De Bruyne mark eras at Madrid and Man City

Modric and De Bruyne brought an end to their illustrious careers at Real Madrid and Manchester City, respectively, after defining an era of midfield dominance at both clubs for 13 and 10 years. Though well past their prime, the two footballing giants have now chosen Serie A as their next destination.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportSerie A careers off to a flier

While Modric joined AC Milan — a club the Croatian maestro passionately supported as a child — De Bruyne was signed by reigning champions Napoli. Both players have made an excellent first impression in their first five Serie A appearances, having earned praise from several former stars who predicted that Modric and De Bruyne would soon emerge as the league’s top two midfielders.

Over the weekend, Napoli and Milan played a closely-contested fixture, which ended 2-1 in the Rossoneri's favour. The victory saw Massimiliano Allegri's side go top of the table, level on points with the Partenopei.

Ex-Napoli chief speaks on Modric and De Bruyne comparisons

Although De Bruyne scored Napoli's only goal, he was substituted in the 72nd minute by Antonio Conte after Pervis Estupinan was shown a red card. The 34-year-old was left visibly frustrated and expressed his disapproval of the decision while coming off, prompting Conte to address the situation.

In the aftermath of the game, ex-Napoli general manager Marino was critical of De Bruyne. "Is De Bruyne still the player he used to be, or is he just a shadow of his former self? So far, he hasn't scored from a free kick or penalty, and according to our colleagues at TuttoNapoli.net, De Bruyne is now a problem for Conte," Marino told .

He added: "If he messes up simple things, then you see that the comparison with Modric, who at 40 has done what De Bruyne hasn't done so far in Naples, is merciless. Napoli changed a midfield that worked very well for De Bruyne, and at the moment, it's not working.

“De Bruyne is stepping on McTominay's toes, who is not performing with goals and finishing like last year, and it's obvious. The problem is significant. Kevin also disputes his substitution because he is convinced that he is making a great contribution. In this Napoli team, he has only made an impact by taking penalties, but you don't need a player of De Bruyne's calibre for that. In my Napoli team, Maurizio Domizzi took penalties, and he took them well." 

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(C)Getty ImagesWhen do Napoli and Milan play again?

Napoli will to return to winning ways and open their account in the Champions League when they welcome Sporting CP at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Allegri's troops will hope to stay at the top of the Serie A table when they face a tricky trip to in-form Juventus on Sunday.

Karun Nair’s comeback knock went in vain as DC imploded to lose by 12 runs

Shashank Kishore13-Apr-20252:00

What was the turning point in DC’s innings?

Mumbai Indians (MI) clinched a thriller they had no business winning; not certainly after a comeback knock for the ages from Karun Nair, who smashed a 40-ball 89 in a chase of 206. But Karn Sharma, their Impact Sub, cracked open the game with a three-wicket haul, to cause an implosion that ended with a hat-trick of run outs in the penultimate over as Delhi Capitals (DC) fell short by 12 runs.It meant there are no unbeaten teams left at IPL 2025. DC would rue the two points that were stolen right from under their nose, disrupting their run of four straight wins, as their homecoming at the Arun Jaitley Stadium was met with a heartbreak no one saw coming.For MI, this was only their second win in six games, but it’s the one that will reinvigorate a campaign that threatened to turn pear-shaped less than halfway in.Nair’s comebackSeven years after his most recent IPL half-century, and three years since he played in the tournament, Nair set the pace in DC’s chase after Jake Fraser-McGurk was out first ball.Coming off a ridiculous run of rich form in the domestic season, Nair’s takedown of Jasprit Bumrah in the powerplay – he picked 28 off nine deliveries, including three fours and two sixes – landed the early punches on MI.Karun Nair made his first IPL fifty in seven years•BCCINair was all wrist and hand-eye coordination – whipping Bumrah off his hip with nonchalance and being equally audacious by making room and carving him inside-out over deep extra cover for two sixes. Against spin, he was quick to pick lengths and sweep, and on an occasion reverse-sweep.He went into overdrive after bringing up a 22-ball half-century and looked set to get to three figures when a magic ball from Mitchell Santner got him. Expecting the wet ball to skid through, Nair played for a straight one, only to see the ball rip square and beat his push to hit top of off.Five balls later, when Axar Patel was out to a leading edge to give Bumrah his first wicket of the season, MI had some inkling of hope. DC were 145 for 4 at the end of that over, the 13th.The ball changeIPL’s new rule change that allows teams to ask for a new ball to counter dew after 11 overs into the second innings brought MI some much needed relief at the start of the 14th.Three balls in, relief turned into elation when Tristan Stubbs toe-ended a slog to make it four wickets in four overs. When KL Rahul fell in eerily similar fashion two overs later, the 16th, after being done in the air and off the pitch to top edge a return catch, DC were in the middle of a full-blown collapse.Even so, with 42 off 24 needed and two batters – Ashutosh Sharma and Vipraj Nigam who orchestrated a similar comeback against LSG – at the crease, DC still had hope that kept thinning when Trent Boult nailed five yorkers in a gun 17th over that went for just three runs.This is when Santner, who’d already bowled arguably the ball of the match to get Nair, bounced back after conceding a six and four to Nigam before deceiving him in the air to have him stumped. The relatively drier ball offered plenty of grip and turn, and Santner now had his second.Will Jacks and Ryan Rickelton combined to run out Ashutosh Sharma•BCCIThe hat-trick of run outsBumrah’s figures as he ran in for his final over, the 19th of the match read 3-0-34-1. With Ashutosh still in, DC had hopes. After refusing a single off the first ball, he hit him for two consecutive fours – a reverse ramped over short third followed by a thick outside edge.With the equation down to 15 off 8, Ashutosh carved a yorker-length ball to deep point and turned for a second that proved costly. The decision to run the second wasn’t the problem; that he had to run around Bumrah as he turned around at the non-striker’s end cost him a split-second which eventually had him short of the crease.Then Kuldeep Yadav and Mohit Sharma were run out off successive deliveries as MI ended with a hat-trick of run-outs to close out the game.Tilak shines after wristspin twins strikeTilak Varma was subbed out two games ago for being unable to force the pace. In his first outing after that, he made 56 off 29 in a tall run chase against RCB last week. On Sunday, he top-scored with 59 off 43 to help MI post 205.It was his eighth IPL half-century, astonishingly his first in a winning cause. The knock provided MI a base, which Naman Dhir maximised to provide the finishing kick.A floater in the batting order, Dhir 38 off just 17; his fifth-wicket stand off 60 off 33 with Tilak helping MI recover from the wickets of Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya in the space of six deliveries in the middle stages.DC’s wristspin twins Kuldeep and Nigam combined to pick up 4 for 64 off eight overs, after MI threatened to take the game away when Rohit Sharma began by imperiously driving Mitchell Starc for two fours and then scooping him for a six.Suryakumar Yadav, batting at No. 3 for the first time this season, and Ryan Rickelton too got off to starts but couldn’t convert. But just when it seemed as if MI would be restricted, they found saviours in Tilak and Dhir, who gave them a total to bowl at – those extra runs at the end seemingly making a wholesome difference to the result.

علق الإسباني جيرارد بيكيه، مدافع الفريق الأول لكرة القدم السابق بنادي برشلونة على تصريحات لامين يامال الأخيرة حول ريال مدريد، قبل مواجهة الكلاسيكو.

ومن المقرر أن يواجه نادي برشلونة نظيره ريال مدريد مساء غدٍ الأحد، في تمام الساعة السادسة والربع بتوقيت القاهرة ومكة المكرمة.

ويستضيف ملعب “سانتياجو برنابيو” مباراة الكلاسيكو بين ريال مدريد وبرشلونة ضمن منافسات الجولة العاشرة من بطولة الدوري الإسباني “لا ليجا”.

كان لامين يامال، قد سخر من ريال مدريد إذ اتهمهم بأنهم “يسرقون ويشتكون” على حسب ما وصف (للاطلاع على ما قاله كاملًا من هنا).

وقال بيكيه، في تصريحات نقلتها صحيفة “ماركا” الإسبانية: “لطالما كانت المنافسة بين برشلونة وريال مدريد قائمة ومتواجدة، أخبرونا أننا سرقنا، وقلنا لهم ذلك أيضًا، إذا خسرت أمام ريال مدريد، فسيُهاجمونك دائمًا”.

وعن لامين أوضح: “لا أعرف ما الذي سيحل به، لديه فرصة للتحرر من كل شيء، لديه ميزة مذهلة، لنتقبل لامين كما هو، من الواضح أنه سيكتسب الخبرة فيما بعد”.

وأضاف: “لا أحد في الثامنة عشرة من عمره كما في الثامنة والثلاثين، لامين يامال لاعب مميز للغاية وانتقاده في مدريد أمر مفهوم، إنهم يتمنون لو كان لديهم لامين، لا نعرف إلى متى سنستمتع به، دعونا لا ندمره، في كرة القدم اليوم عليك أن تعتني بنفسك جيدًا”.

ووجه رسالة إلى لامين يامال قائلًا: “تتعلم أكثر عندما تفشل، عندما ترتكب الأخطاء، عندما تخسر، لامين محظوظ لأنه منذ انضمامه إلى برشلونة وهو يظهر بشكل رائع، فقد فاز بالدوري الإسباني ووصل إلى نصف نهائي دوري أبطال أوروبا”.

وأردف: “في مسيرة امتدت 15 عامًا، تخسر ولا يكون أداءك دائمًا في أفضل حالاته، وهنا تتعلم أكثر وتكتسب قوة عقلية كبيرة، تتعلم من الهزائم أكثر من الانتصارات وسيخسر لامين في مرحلة ما من مسيرته وسيؤدي أداءً أسوأ قليلًا من الآن وسيتعرض للنقد”.

وأتم عن التغييرات التي حدثت في كرة القدم: “كرة القدم تتطور بشكل جنوني، لعبت مع لاعبين كانوا يدخنون سيجارتين في اليوم الذي يسبق المباراة، إذا فعلت ذلك الآن فلن تتمكن من المنافسة، جميع لاعبي كرة القدم يهتمون بأنفسهم ويعيشون مع كرة القدم بشكل مختلف”.

Celtic’s striker situation is a complete mess.

On deadline day, Adam Idah was sold to Swansea City for £7m, just 12 months on from making his loan move permanent for £9.5m, but this appeared a reasonable fee, given the Irishman’s underwhelming form during the previous campaign.

The Hoops wanted to sign Kasper Dolberg from Anderlecht, but were never able to agree a fee with the Belgian club, while it transpired the Dane was never that keen on the move either, instead re-joining Ajax for €10m (around £8.6m).

Celtic supporters have enjoyed watching plenty of top-class strikers in recent years, Kyōgo Furuhashi, Giorgos Giakoumakis, Moussa Dembélé and Odsonne Édouard to name but a few, but even a forgotten former Celtic centre-forward has been outscoring their new striker, Kalechi Iheanacho.

What Celtic supporters should expect from Kelechi Iheanacho

With the transfer window having closed and no senior recognised striker at the club, Celtic could only sign free agents, needing to do so before the UEFA squad registration deadline at 11pm last Tuesday.

In an act of desperation, they brought in Kelechi Ịheanachọ, only able to do so because Sevilla had agreed to terminate his contract, showing how much he was valued at the Estadio Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán.

Well, considering he scored zero goals in nine La Liga appearances for los Nervionenses, it’s easy to understand why.

In fact, since Ịheanachọ’s most productive scoring season, bagging 19 for Leicester City in the 2020/21 campaign, he has scored just 26 goals across four seasons, of which only 15 have come in the league.

Assuming he debuts against Kilmarnock on Sunday, the 28-year-old will become the third Nigerian to represent Celtic, after centre-back Efe Ambrose, who made 169 appearances, and midfielder Ibrahim Rabiu, who made only two in 2012.

However, it very much remains to be seen if reuniting with Brendan Rodgers can spark Ịheanachọ back into life, so would the Celts actually have been better off keeping hold of a striker you’ve probably completely forgotten about?

Ex-Celtic striker starring in the Championship

Back in January 2019, Celtic signed a certain Vakoun Issouf Bayo from Slovakian side DAC 1904 Dunajská Streda for around £2m and, well, he did not make much an impact in Glasgow.

Nicknamed the Crow, he scored just two goals in 17 appearances in hoops, on target during a 5-0 League Cup demolition of Partick Thistle, as well as tapping home the third when the Bhoys beat Clyde 3-0 in the Scottish Cup, shortly before the pandemic.

Upon his arrival at Parkhead, Bayo stated that he wanted to replicate the form of then first-choice centre-forward Édouard and, well, fair to say he did not achieve this.

Thus, he was loaned out to Toulouse for the 2020/21 season, scoring 13 goals as les Téfécé reached the Ligue 2 play-off final, defeated on away goals by Nantes, but this form convinced Gent to buy him for £1.4m, with Celtic probably happy to recoup the majority of the initial transfer fee paid to sign him in the first place.

After then scoring 14 goals in just 26 outings for another Belgian club, namely Royal Sporting Charleroi, he made his way to Watford, really making a name for himself in Hertfordshire.

Bayo bagged 21 goals for the Hornets, including a stunning overhead kick against Derby at Vicarage Road, as well as netting four times in 30 second-half minutes at Hillsborough against Sheffield Wednesday last November.

He is also now showcasing his talents at international level, scoring the only goal as Côte d’Ivoire beat Burundi in a crucial World Cup qualifier in Abidjan on Friday, set to feature in les Éléphants’ top of the table clash with Gabon on Tuesday too.

At club level, while he’s yet to get off the mark this season, Bayo did start Udinese’s 2-1 victory over Inter Milan at the San Siro before the international break, having joined the Bianconeri, also owned by the Pozzo family, from Watford.

Where Are They Now

Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast’s Where Are They Now series.

So how do his statistics compare to those of Ịheanachọ?

Appearances

41

24

Minutes

2,242

1,165

Goals

10

1

Assists

0

2

All statistics below are on a per-90 basis:

Shots

2

1.3

Shots on target

0.9

0.5

Shots on target %

33.9%

18.2%

Goals per shot

0.15

0.03

Conversion rate %

21%

8%

Touches

29.6

34.3

% of touches in the box

13%

9%

Avg Sofascore Rating

6.71

6.65

As the table emphasises, Bayo’s statistics were almost universally more impressive last season, scoring ten EFL Championship goals from an average of less than 30 touches per 90, underlining that he is very much a penalty box poacher.

​​​​​​​

Ịheanachọ himself was once a fox in the box, mainly during his time with the Foxes, but his powers of began to wane in recent seasons.

Celtic supporters will hope this is just a dip in form, rather than a terminal decline but, when your statistics are worse than those of Bayo, that’s not especially encouraging, is it?

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Ruben Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 system has received plenty of criticism at Manchester United, but it looks here to stay as far as the manager is concerned and that may see one star player continue to suffer.

Amorim: "I am not going to change"

A 2-1 win against top six rivals Chelsea at least handed Amorim a much-needed glimmer of hope, but that doesn’t take away the problems that he still has in his Man United side.

Victory over the Blues saw the former Sporting Club boss reach just his ninth Premier League victory in around 10 months in charge, summing up the work that is still to come at Old Trafford. Yet, even with such a dismal record, Amorim has insisted that his 3-4-2-1 system will not be changing anytime soon.

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The manager told reporters after a 3-0 defeat at the hands of Manchester City: “I understand and accept it is not a record you should have in Manchester United.

“There are a lot of things, you have no idea what happened during these months but I am not going to change. When I want to change my philosophy, I will change. If not, you have to change the man.”

One player who has struggled to make his mark in the current system as of late is Bruno Fernandes. The midfielder has been forced to settle for a deeper role in front of the back three rather than one of the two most advanced positions. As a result, he has contributed to just one open-play goal all season, which came against Chelsea last time out.

According to former player Lee Sharpe, however, it’s not the captain who’s suffering the most under Amorim. Instead, it’s another one of United’s top players who’s struggling to find his feet.

Lee Sharpe reveals why Amad has "suffered" under Amorim

According to Sharpe, it’s Amad Diallo who has “suffered” during Amorim’s reign. The winger was United’s “best player” in stages of last season in the opinion of the former Old Trafford ace, but has now been limited by being asked to play a number of different roles instead of nailing down just one.

Without a goal all season and with just one assist to his name, the numbers certainly suggest that Sharpe is correct in his verdict. Alas, just like his formation, Amorim is unlikely to change things any time soon.