Category Uncategorized

What to do with a problem like Darwin Nunez? The Liverpool striker has evoked every emotion available to the Reds fanbase, wowing and winding up with equal measure as he catches the eye and misses the net.

The Uruguay international is a singular player, capable of sending a frisson of excitement and a frisson of fear through his own support with equal measure, blessed with influential prancing in the danger area and afflicted by inexcusable profligacy in front of goal.

The transfer window is around the corner, looming like a rumbling storm over yonder, and while Arne Slot will arrive at Anfield to head a new era at Liverpool, there is going to be plenty of change, players coming and going as Jurgen Klopp ends his Premier League tenure.

Will Nunez be a part of this revamp? His long-term future is a point of discussion and FSG's CEO of Football, Michael Edwards, will have headed such talks at the transfer table.

Liverpool's summer transfer plans

According to mounting reports from Spanish sources, Nunez is firmly on the radar of Barcelona as Xavi's side search for Robert Lewandowski's successor, one of the finest goalscorers of his generation but entering his 36th year with the 2024/25 season.

Nunez signed for Liverpool for a club-record fee rising to £85m back in 2022 but has only scored 33 goals from 94 matches and has been rebuked in recent weeks for his part in Liverpool's late-season slump, ebbing from form and blanking across six successive top-flight matches.

The 24-year-old has fuelled the growing situation of his role in Slot's squad by deleting LFC-related imagery from his social media accounts, and it's no wonder that Liverpool appear to be searching for a new centre-forward.

One of the latest names to emerge belongs to Mohamed Amoura, who plays in Belgium for Union Saint-Gilloise and, according to a prior report from L'Equipe, has already been contacted by Liverpool bosses.

Amoura has a price tag of €20m (£17m) and would be a bit of a risk – but then Edwards and Liverpool often opt for the less-trodden path and could score a blinder with this one.

Darwin Nunez's season in numbers

Admittedly, Nunez has made gains during his second campaign at Liverpool, posting 18 goals and supplying 13 assists in all competitions, winning the Carabao Cup and playing a key part in the resurgence from the drab 2022/23 campaign.

Darwin Nunez: PL Stats Comparison
Stat	22/23	23/24
Matches played	29	34
Matches started	19	22
Goals	9	11
Assists	3	8
Big chances missed	20	27
Pass completion	67%	71%
Big chances created	11	11
Key passes per game	1.0	1.0
Dribbles per game	0.6 (49%)	0.4 (45%)
Duels won per game	2.8 (38%)	2.5 (38%)
Stats via Sofascore

If some of the more spiteful social media discourse is to be believed, Nunez is posturing as a Prem-level striker, but this is not the case. Nunez has his flaws but he has many strengths and has demonstrated improvement after his first campaign in England.

The £140k-per-week star has been far more effective creatively but he's still left plenty to be desired with his finishing, ranking among the top 18% of forwards across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals but also ranking among the top 1% for shots taken per 90, as per FBref.

This metric corroborates his wastefulness, especially when collating that with data that shows a return of 20 goals across two Premier League campaigns that have also seen a staggering 47 big chances missed.

If Barcelona present Liverpool with an attractive financial package it would be difficult to say no. Especially with fellow forwards Diogo Jota and Cody Gakpo eager to cement starting berths under Slot and Amoura on the radar.

How Mohamed Amoura could fit in at Liverpool

Amoura has been hailed for his "incredibly prolific" first season in Belgium by talent scout Jacek Kulig and indeed has set the foundation for a prosperous career.

Across all competitions, the Algeria international has scored 23 goals and supplied seven assists, notably scoring and assisting as USG defeated Liverpool 2-1 in their final Europa League group-stage match.

Mohamed Amoura: Stats vs Liverpool
USG 2-1 Liverpool (14/12/23)
Stat	#
Minutes played	84'
Goals	1
Assists	1
Shots on target	3
Accurate passes	15/19 (79%)
Key passes	3
Dribble attempts	5/5
Duels won	8/15
Stats via Sofascore

Some performance. Amoura proved he can throw down with the best as his talismanic performance sank Liverpool and ensured his side cemented a third-place finish and advanced to the Europa Conference League knockout rounds.

What's more, he has scored 18 goals from 22 league matches this season while missing only three big chances – that is an extraordinary level of precision in striking moments.

The Algerian striker ranks among the top 1% of positional peers across divisions similar to the Jupiler Pro League for goals scored per 90, as per FBref – sure, that's wonderful stuff.

But he also ranks among the top 10% for assists, the top 7% for shot-creating actions, the top 1% for progressive carries, the top 4% for successful take-ons and the top 11% for tackles per 90.

He does the fundamentals perfectly, plies his trade with the clarity and composure of a natural-born star. Amoura is yet to try his hand in one of Europe's top-five leagues but there's a sense that he would be an excellent replacement for Nunez, offering similar snap and spark in his all-round play but, more importantly, offering a clinical touch that has evaded the Uruguayan.

But what of Nunez's stunning goalscoring season with Benfica, before joining Liverpool, you cry. True enough, the South American star scored 24 goals from 28 starts in Liga Portugal in 2021/22, but he still missed 14 big chances in less testing circumstances.

The rigours of the Premier League have struck many promising players down, but Amoura has an inborn goalscoring talent and he has the all-encompassing, dynamic skill set to complement.

He's not the household name that some might expect if Liverpool are to replace Nunez this summer, but trust in Edwards, trust in Liverpool's transfer diligence.

Darwin Nunez axed, £180m trio sign: Arne Slot's dream XI at Liverpool

Things could be looking rather different at Anfield come August.

By
Angus Sinclair

May 9, 2024

This might prove to be a shrewd signing, one that would be perfect for Slot's high-energy system. It might be an addition that ensures Liverpool enter a new era with a flourish.

Paceman impressed on Test debut against Australia in 2024

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Mar-2025Ben Sears, the New Zealand fast bowler, has signed for Yorkshire for the 2025 season, and will arrive in time for their second County Championship game of the season, against Worcestershire at Headingley.Sears, 27, has impressed with his raw pace for New Zealand, including in his only Test to date, against Australia in 2024, when he claimed five wickets at Christchurch, including 4 for 90 in the second innings. He had previously made his T20I debut against Bangladesh in 2021.He will be joined at Headingley by his fellow New Zealand quick Will O’Rourke, who has signed for the T20 Blast, while the club has also drawn comparisons with his compatriot, and former Yorkshire overseas player, Lockie Ferguson.”I can’t wait to get over to Headingley and start playing with the guys,” Sears said. “Some of the signings made already are exciting and I hope I can add to that.”It’s important to set the tone early in any season. We have some big games in that first block, and I’ll be ready to get the team off to the best start possible.”Head Coach Anthony McGrath said: “Ben is a real talent who can get some extra bounce when he bowls. In that early section of the year when pitches can be greener or slower, he’ll be a real handful and I’m excited to get him over and start working with him.”Gavin Hamilton, General Manager of Cricket added: “To attract such talented bowlers like Ben to the club is testament to the lure of Yorkshire across the globe. Ben is an exciting talent and will provide the squad with an extra element that will be crucial this season.”We’re thrilled he has signed and look forward to welcoming him to Headingley in April.”

MatériaMais Notícias

da stake casino： Após dez dias, o Vasco volta a campo pela 24ª rodada da Série B do Campeonato Brasileiro. O adversário será o CRB, justamente o atual quarto colocado com 40 pontos, às 19h, no Estádio Rei Pelé. Com 32, o Cruz-Maltino promoverá a estreia do técnico Fernando Diniz, e busca iniciar uma arrancada nos quinze jogos que restam para o fim da competição.

RelacionadasFutebol NacionalFluminense supera o Vasco e vai à final do Campeonato Carioca sub-20Futebol Nacional15/09/2021Núm3ros da bol4De volta ao Vasco, Nene pode bater novos recordes no clubeNúm3ros da bol415/09/2021VascoAprovado ou não? Em enquete do LANCE!, torcedores respondem sobre contratação de Nene pelo VascoVasco15/09/2021

da 888casino：
Além de Diniz, o Gigante da Colina poderá ter em campo seus últimos três reforços. Nene, Walber e Jhon Sánchez viajaram com o grupo para Maceió e estarão à disposição do treinador. Resta saber se ambos começarão jogando ou ficarão no banco. A grande expectativa da torcida fica por contra de Nene, que tem muita história no clube, e foi apresentado nesta quarta.

+ Confira e simule a tabela da Série B do Campeonato Brasileiro

No lado da equipe alagoana, o técnicoAllan Aal tem uma dúvida para escalar os titulares. O zagueiro Gumvem sentindo dores na panturrilha direita e não atuou contra o Goiás, no último sábado. Caso o capitão não volte,Ewerton Páscoa é o favorito para atuar no setor com Caetano. Na frente, Nicolas Careca voltou de lesão, jogou no sábado, e ficará como opção.

Como mandante, a equipe alagoana perdeu para o Goiás na última rodada e acumulou alguns tropeços nesta Série B. Foram, até o momento, cinco vitórias, cinco empates e uma derrota. o Vasco, por sua vez, não tem um bom desempenho fora de casa. Os cariocas venceram duas, empataram três e perderam em seis oportunidades.

FICHA TÉCNICA
CRB X VASCO

Data/Hora: 16/8/2021, às 19h (de Brasília)
Local: Rei Pelé, em Maceió (AL)
Árbitro:Luiz Flavio de Oliveira (SP)
Assistentes:Miguel Cataneo Ribeiro da Costa (SP) eFabrini Bevilaqua Costa (SP)
VAR:Rodrigo Guarizo Ferreira do Amaral (SP)
Onde assistir:SporTV, Premiere e tempo real do LANCE!

CRB (Técnico:Allan Aal)
Diogo Silva; Reginaldo, Páscoa (Gum), Caetano e Guilherme Romão; Marthã, Wesley e Diego Torres; Jajá, Pablo Dyego e Júnior Brandão.

Desfalques:Diego Ivo (joelho), Frazan (suspenso), e Victor Ramos (transição).
Suspenso: Frazan
Pendurados:Diogo Silva, Guilherme Romão, Alexandre Melo, Claudinei, Marthã, Erik, Ewandro, Alisson Farias e Pablo Dyego.

VASCO (Técnico: Fernando Diniz)
Vanderlei; Léo Matos, Miranda (Walber), Castan e Zeca; Bruno Gomes, Andrey (Caio Lopes), Nenê (Marquinhos Gabriel), Morato (Pec), Jabá (Sanchéz) e Cano.

Desfalques: Daniel Amorim (suspenso) e Michel (lesionados)
Suspensos: Daniel Amorim
Pendurados: Bruno Gomes, Leandro Castan, Miranda, Juninho e Zeca

Everton have made some questionable decisions with transfers over the last few years, which is one of the reasons the club have found themselves in hot water with the Premier League.

The Toffees have been hit with multiple points deductions this campaign, with Sean Dyche's side accumulating eight points for multiple breaches of PSR and FFP.

Signings of players such as Jean-Philippe Gbamin and Yerry Mina cost the club over £50m, with the duo both departing Goodison Park on free transfers upon the end of their contracts.

However, the club can add another player to their list of talents who have failed to replicate their best form at the club, after he departed the Toffees a couple of years ago after an unsuccessful stint at the club.

Allan's stats at Everton

After arriving at Goodison Park for £21m during the summer of 2020, Brazilian midfielder Allan had high expectations of succeeding after his impressive five-year stint at Napoli.

He made 24 appearances in the 2020/21 Premier League campaign, starting all but one of Everton's first 13 matches of the campaign. However, a muscle issue would see him miss all of January and February before returning in March and enjoying another permanent place in the starting lineup.

Allan would keep his starting role throughout the following campaign, under the guidance of Rafa Benitez and Frank Lampard. The Brazilian would be a mainstay under the Spaniard but would fall down the pecking order under the former Chelsea boss.

He only started nine games under the Chelsea legend, before not playing in four of the five remaining Premier League games during the 2021/22 season.

Allan's stats at Everton
Statistics	Tally
Appearances	57
Goals	0
Assists	3
Yellow cards	13
Stats via Transfermarkt

His lack of minutes would see him depart Goodison during the summer of 2022, with the club doing a brilliant job of offloading the midfielder given his hefty weekly wage of £70k-per-week – equating to roughly £7.2m in total across the two seasons, as per Capology.

Allan's wage in 2024

Allan – who cost Everton around £28m when combining his total salary and initial transfer fee – departed the club for a move to the United Arab Emirates side Al Wahda for an undisclosed fee to play regular football after a stop-start period under Lampard.

He's since managed to appear 50 times for the club in just over 18 months, with the 33-year-old finding form in front of goal, scoring three times and creating four assists in 18 matches this campaign.

The Brazilian still earns a whopping £86k-per-week as per Salary Sport, with Everton having needed to shift his huge weekly earnings to create some wriggle room in their battle to comply with PSR rules.

Despite his immediate impact on the first-team squad, the club did the right thing by offloading the ageing talent, with the one-time Napoli man notably dubbed an "imposter" due to his dismal displays away from Goodison – as per broadcaster David Downie.

Also branded as a figure who "can't run" by talkSPORT pundit Harry Redknapp – while once also completing just two passes in 73 minutes of a Merseyside derby – Allan was certainly an unwanted and unneeded drain for those on Merseyside.

The Toffees arguably now have much better options in the middle of the park, thankfully, with the likes of Amadou Onana and James Garner far more influential than the veteran midfielder ever was.

Everton may have to sell "magnificent" ace to avoid further PSR woes

The club could still yet receive a further punishment.

By
Ethan Lamb

Apr 9, 2024

Everything you need to know about the new Celtic kit, including leaks, where to buy and more.

The Celtic and Adidas partnership is in excellent health with the third year of the five-year agreement between the two organisations raking in record merchandise revenue for the club.

Buy now

In simpler terms, Celtic fans purchased Adidas gear at an extraordinary rate, well beyond expectations. The German sportswear manufacturer continues to serve as Celtic's official kit supplier in the 2024–2025 season, covering both the men's and women's teams.

So, what will the likes of Matt O'Riley, Kyogo Furuhashi, and Joe Hart be wearing when they feature for the Bhoys next season?

Here, GOAL brings you everything you need to know about the new Celtic kits, including where to buy, prices, leaks, rumours and more.

AdidasCeltic 2024-25 home kit, release date & priceBuy now

Celtic's new home kit for the 2024–25 season has been officially unveiled on May 29, 2024. After choosing a modernised graphic design for the green hoops last season, Adidas has returned to a more traditional style for Celtic for the new season and comes without any black.

The famous green and white hoops (horizontal stripes) take centre stage with a plain style, along with the famous club badge and Adidas logo, with sponsors Dafabet across the middle.

Buy now

A darker green colour has been preferred for logos and applications, including distinctive curved side panels of the Adidas 2024 template. The collar is white on the front and dark green with a curved line pattern on the backside. Perhaps the best aspect about the new home shirt, though, is that it is available to buy in a sponsor-less version, which looks a whole lot cleaner and more traditional.

The Adidas Celtic 2024-25 home kit is automatically a fan-favourite and fans can get their hands on a replica with an embroidered crest for around£70($90) for the stadium version in adult sizes.

Advertisementadidas/CelticCeltic 2024-25 away kit, release date & price

Adidas and Celtic dropped the club's away jersey for the 2024-25 season on July 22, 2024, featuring green horizontal hoops as well as a bold clover crest for a stand-out new look.

Predominantly a yellow top, the kit will be accompanied by green shorts and yellow socks with green details.

Set to go on sale from July 30, the 2024-25 away kit will retail at £70 ($90) for a standard adult shirt.

Celtic 2024-25 third kit, release date & price

Celtic revealed the brand new 2024/25 Third Kit on Wednesday, August 21. Third kits generally tend to be canvases for experimentation and that is certainly the case with the Hoops' third gear this season, which is a standout with its military green base and striking camouflage design, a nod to the flags and scarves waved by passionate Celtic fans.

This design also honours the 30th anniversary of the removal of terracing at Celtic Park in 1994. The shirt features white/off-white detailing, including the Adidas logo, Celtic crest, and sponsor.

Paired with matching military green shorts and socks, this kit will be available from August 29 for £70 ($90) for a standard adult shirt.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

adidas/CelticCeltic 2024-25 training kit release date & priceBuy now

The new Adidas x Celtic 2024-25 training wear range sports a more classic, sleek look, yet stands out with a bold pattern.

The range of products includes T-shirts, shorts, coats and track pants. The training kits are made with recycled materials and proudly sport the club crest.

Get your Adidas x Celtic 2024-25 training kit starting from about £45 ($60).

The Manchester United fanbase will be left frustrated, angered, and potentially in disbelief at what they are seeing this season.

Last night’s 4-3 defeat to Chelsea further damaged the reputation of Erik ten Hag, in what was yet another example of horrific game management.

By the 20th minute, the Red Devils were already two goals behind, but somehow, the score line was 2-2 at halftime, thanks to goals from Alejandro Garnacho and Bruno Fernandes.

Amazingly, the visitors completed the comeback in the 67th minute, with the Argentine scoring a brace, but all the hard work was undone with a last-ditch double from Cole Palmer, who scored in the 100th and 101st minute to pick up three points and take home the match ball.

The game was yet another one to forget for the majority in red on the field, with one player in particular even being worse than Diogo Dalot.

Diogo Dalot’s performance against Chelsea

On the whole this season, Dalot has been one of the most consistent performers for the Red Devils, with his continuous availability being extremely important amid the defensive injury crisis.

However, the Portuguese defender was way off the mark against Chelsea, playing as a left-back with the task of stopping the incredible Palmer.

In truth, the defender was rather solid in the first half, even setting up Fernandes’ equaliser with a delicious cross to the back post.

On the other hand, he was caught out a few times, as highlighted by his five fouls, with one of them being the most defining moment of the game, conceding a penalty with moments to go.

Overall, it was a night to forget for the 25-year-old, but he still wasn’t the worst individual on the field.

Man Utd teen could have a Mainoo-esque impact in Martinez’s absence

Man United’s defensive department is now extremely thin after the recent injury update.

ByTom Lever Apr 3, 2024 Casemiro must immediately be dropped

After being excluded from the starting lineup against Brentford at the weekend, Casemiro returned against Chelsea, where he failed to have any positive impact whatsoever.

In harsh reality, as each game goes by, the midfielder’s ability to perform to the standards needed is decreasing, and the speed of the Premier League is becoming a tad overwhelming.

Nonetheless, the Manchester Evening News handed Casemiro a 6/10 rating for his performance against the Blues, with even Samuel Luckhurst stating that he was 'often exposed'.

Tackles

0

Interceptions

0

Dribbled past

2

Ground duels lost

4/5

Pass accuracy

84%

Bearing in mind that Casemiro was the only defensive midfielder in the starting lineup, for him to make zero tackles and no interceptions is rather embarrassing, especially when the fact that he was dribbled past twice is added to the mix.

For context, the number 18’s partner, Kobbie Mainoo, made three tackles and two interceptions, but it wasn’t like the 32-year-old offered much on the ball either, as shown by his passing statistics.

In truth, Casemiro’s inability to cover ground efficiently was highlighted, underlined, and circled, with his lack of athleticism costing the team massively. He’s even weak in the duel and during individual battles nowadays, as shown by the fact he lost four of his five ground duels.

Unfortunately, Casemiro is often a passenger who’s always a step behind the play, and his lack of presence in the middle of the park is one of the reasons why Man United have now conceded 109 shots in their last four Premier League matches, with 28 of those coming at Stamford Bridge.

Overall, it’s quite clear that the former Real Madrid man must be dropped and even moved on in the summer, because despite his experience and track record, he’s currently offering very little.

If you’re Sofyan Amrabat sitting on the bench, you must be questioning the decision-making of the boss and thinking, surely I can’t do much worse? Even if the Moroccan has been underwhelming himself.

Man Utd can unleash “monster” in new role to ease Martinez injury blow

Man United have been hit with more injury setbacks this week.

ByTom Lever Apr 4, 2024

Virat Kohli didn’t miss cricket as much as he thought he might after the Covid-19 pandemic brought the world to a halt, as he returned to the nets for Royal Challengers Bangalore to prepare for IPL 2020. Kohli said that he embraced a break he couldn’t get otherwise before the pandemic.Kohli has played, on average, at least 40 international matches per calendar year since the start of 2017 and had already played 15 by March this year. Those numbers account for the breaks he has taken to rest, and do not include the IPL games he has also had to play.”When we had our practice session yesterday, is the time I realised how long it’s been,” Kohli said in Royal Challengers’ series. “When I was heading to the practice session I felt nervous, felt a bit jittery, but things were okay. Honestly I didn’t miss the game as much as I thought I might. Maybe because I was going for nine-ten years before that and this was the only break I was ever going to get. And that long. But it was a revelation for me. My focus was not solely on how I’m missing the game all the time and just carrying on with life and doing other things.”ALSO READ: Kohli on his first net session after lockdownIn February this year, Kohli had spoken of the “rigourous” schedule that was coming over the next three years, and said that he had managed to maintain his intensity over the years because of the periodic breaks that he had taken. This time round, with no other choice, and with the opportunity to spend time with his wife who has similarly demanding schedules, Kohli said “just being home” was enjoyable.”The best thing was Anushka [Sharma] and I were at home. We never got so much time to spend together, since we started seeing each other. This was the longest we got to spend with each other,” Kohli said. “Just being home, being in your own home with the one you love – you couldn’t ask for anything better. We just made the most of that whole time. Created a bit of a routine for ourselves.”Kohli and Royal Challengers have been in the UAE for over a week now, and have begun work on many fronts, including the team culture and an effort to maintain the mental wellness of their players. It is understood that Royal Challengers are the only franchise travelling with a mental health expert. Alongside all of that, there was also a team call led by Kohli in which he spoke to the younger players about the importance of respecting the biosecure bubble.”What I said on the zoom call, I don’t think it should be pressure for anyone. The magnitude of the situation is such. We’re all here to eventually play cricket, take care of this tournament, take care of our surroundings that we’re in. The bio-bubble needs to be respected at all times for the tournament to happen,” Kohli said.Virat Kohli and Mike Hesson have a chat in the nets•RCB

“We’re here to play. We’re not here to have fun and roam around and say I want to hang out in Dubai. That is not the time we’re living in. So we have to accept the phase that we’re going through and understand the privilege just to be a part of the IPL. Everyone should accept that and not have desires that make them behave in a manner that is not required.”Royal Challengers have not been in the playoffs since being runners-up in 2016, and have finished bottom of the table twice since then, including last year. In that period, they’ve also had three head coaches, with Simon Katich being the latest to take on the role. Mike Hesson will be supporting him as Director of Cricket Operations. Kohli said the combination has already made him optimistic about the upcoming season.”Mike and Simon and Adam [Griffiths, bowling coach] along with the other support staff – they all seem balanced, pretty clear in what they want. At the same time they’re very respectful of the fact that they need to manage people a certain way, but also setting a very clear, very forthright culture in front of them; that this is where you need to go, we’ll help you along the way, but the culture will not change because of individual preferences.”That is the balance that these guys have created wonderfully till now and I’m sure they’ll keep continuing to do so because they don’t seem like the kind of people who will waver when there’s pressure. They’re firm, they’re clear on where they wanna go and they’ll take the team along. They’re not going to just walk away when things get difficult. That’s the sense I’ve got till now and it’s a good feeling to have people like that.”

Former India captain says the tournament can unearth new Indian talent that can help the team win world trophies

Nagraj Gollapudi09-Mar-2020If India have to emerge as world beaters in women’s cricket, it is time the BCCI invests in a women’s IPL soon. That is the recommendation of former India captain Sunil Gavaskar, who believes the women’s IPL need not follow the eight-team structure of the men’s tournament, but could comprise four or five teams so that untapped talent can come to the fore.Gavaskar’s made the suggestion in a chat with on Sunday immediately after Harmanpreet Kaur’s team lost in the final of the T20 World Cup in front of a record 86, 174 fans at the MCG on International Woman’s Day.Gavaskar said the Indian women shouldn’t be disheartened by the defeat because they had done the country “proud” and made “us hold our heads up”. But he wanted the BCCI, which is led by former India captain Sourav Ganguly, to have a serious discussion on the women’s IPL.”To Sourav Ganguly and the BCCI, I would say is, look at, obviously this year is not going to be possible, but next year, having a women’s IPL because that will earn lot more talent,” Gavaskar said. “There is already a lot of talent which we see and which will now come to the fore with the performance of this Indian team throughout this tournament. All I can say once again is that this Indian women’s team has done us proud and we are very proud of your performance. Never mind the result in the finals. You still have made us hold our heads up.”Gavaskar pointed out that he had suggested starting a women’s IPL in 2017 as well, after India lost to England in a closely contested ODI World Cup final in front of a full house at Lord’s. “I’ve been asking for a women’s IPL for the last couple of years ever since I saw the finals at Lord’s 2017. That is where you actually saw that there is potential for a women’s IPL.”And like I said, it doesn’t necessarily have to start with an eight-team IPL, it can start maybe with a five-team or four-team IPL or WIPL or whatever you might want to call it. But I think if you start with that, there’ll be more talent that will come to the fore, just like it has for the men’s team.”Harmanpreet Kaur walks out for the toss•Getty Images

The men’s IPL started in 2008 and ever since it has given higher opportunities to several uncapped players. Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya are two of the biggest names that have utilised the IPL as a springboard to vault in to the Indian team.”Today look at this Indian men’s team,” Gavaskar said. “There are more (players) not from the metros. They’re more from what you would otherwise call the rural areas, the interiors of India, that is where all the talent is. And that is where all the talent in women’s cricket also could be. And therefore, if we tap that talent, we will have much better teams. We will have competition within the team itself to try and get into the Indian team. And that’s only healthy for Indian women’s cricket.”The BCCI has been attentive to the growth of women’s cricket in India. In 2018, it conducted a one-off women’s T20 challenge match, which was played between two teams comprising the biggest names in the game. Last year the T20 challenge grew to include three teams, who played across four matches coinciding with the men’s IPL playoffs. This season the BCCI added another team to the T20 challenge which means four teams will play seven matches during the men’s IPL play-offs.The T20 Challenge provided 16-year old Shafali Verma a grand stage to showcase her skills at the start of her career, which reached new heights at this year’s T20 World Cup, where she emerged India’s highest run-getter. Kaur has already expressed her desire to see the tournament become more full-fledged.Go outside the off stump and swing to leg – Shafali Verma wants to try it all•Getty Images

“We are hoping for some more games for the Women’s Challenge and I hope some more teams will get it,” she said at the presentation in Melbourne. “That tournament is very important for us because that tournament is one of the high quality tournaments for us domestically. From that we already got two good players and hopefully in the upcoming tournament we do get more players so that they can come and contribute for the team.”Gavaskar echoed those thoughts. “The more matches that they play, the more experience that they get,” he said. “They will also be able to share the dressing room with some of the stars of world cricket, like the Indian Premier League where the young Indian players (male) were able to share change room with the Indian greats, but also greats from the cricketing world.”According to Gavaskar, if the BCCI needed any more proof that a women’s T20 league is a good investment, it should look at the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) which has been driven by investment from Cricket Australia for several years. The WBBL’s contribution to Australian women’s cricket can been seen not just through multiple ICC world titles, but also through fresh young talent.”Yes, you’ve got to say that the Australian Cricket Board has backed Australian women’s team for a long, long time. They also had the WBBL, which has given plenty of opportunities to even a lot of our Indian players: Smriti Mandhana, Harmanpreet [Kaur], Deepti Sharma – they have all played in the WBBL. That is a big tournament.”That is a tournament where you get to play the best players in the world, and you learn from them. But like the IPL, majority of the players in the WBBL are Australian women players in that, and that certainly has helped them to find that many more players.”A women’s IPL will make a lot of sense because that will mean there will be a lot more exposure for the women, there will be a lot more talent, which is probably there, but we don’t know at the moment, will come to the fore. And then as the years go by Indian women’s team will start winning a lot more trophies.”

Reliable journalist Joshua Barrie has provided a key injury update regarding a "powerful" Rangers star, ahead of a crucial meeting with Benfica.

Rangers injury news ahead of Benfica clash

The Gers' impressive season continued on Sunday afternoon, following a 2-0 win away to Hibernian in the Scottish Cup quarter-finals, with three competitions still to play for in 2023/24. John Lundstram and Fabio Silva got the goals for Philippe Clement's side, as anticipation grows over what could be possible in the coming months.

The matches continue to come thick and fast for Rangers, who host Benfica in a huge Europa League clash on Thursday night, having drawn 2-2 away in Portugal in their last-16 first leg last week.

In order for Clement's men to have the best possible chance of reaching the quarters, in a competition still containing the likes of Liverpool, Bayer Leverkusen and Roma, they need as many key men fit as possible, but there are some injury concerns heading into the game.

Both Dujon Sterling and Ross McCausland picked up knocks in the victory away to Hibs, and they join a host of Rangers players on the sidelines currently, with Ryan Jack, Todd Cantwell, Danilo, Alex Lowry, Scott Wright, Oscar Cortes, Abdallah Sima and Kieran Dowell all absent.

Key injury update over "powerful" Rangers star

According to Barrie on X, there is hope that Sterling's injury is not a serious one, having been walking around under his own power at the end of Rangers' win at Hibs: "Sterling was walking at the end of the game so you hope his injury isn't serious."

This does at least have to be considered a positive for the Gers, at a time when lots of good fitness news is needed, with Benfica set to pose a big threat to their European hopes later this week.

Granted, Clement's team did excellently to get a draw in the first leg, but there is still so much work to do against a strong team featuring the likes of Antonio Silva at the back and legendary attacker Angel Di Maria – a World Cup winner with Argentina.

Sterling has been an important figure for Rangers this season, appearing 16 times in the Scottish Premiership and providing genuine versatility, playing on the right wing, in midfield and at right-back, proving to be an effective squad player for Clement.

Appearances

16

Starts

6

Tackles per game

1.1

Fouls committed per game

1.0

Times fouled per game

1.2

Interceptions per game

0.8

Pass completion rate

81.3%

Having footballers of that ilk available is always vital, and this is a player who has been lauded by former manager Alex Neil in the past, who said of him: "Dujon, for me, is arguably one of the best one-on-one defenders I’ve seen. There are very few players who get past him – he is strong, powerful and determined."

The perfect player to fix Rangers' double injury blow at Ibrox

Clement could potentially have another two players out injured for the Benfica clash

ByRoss Kilvington Mar 11, 2024

Whether Sterling is fit for Benfica remains to be seen at this point, and while he may not start even if he was fully fit, having him as an option would be a big boost.

It goes without saying that West Ham United need to mount a big response after last weekend's chastening 6-0 home defeat to London rivals Arsenal in the Premier League.

The malaise has been spreading for a while in east London as West Ham still seek their first victory of 2024 – having been knocked out of the FA Cup by Bristol City last month too – and this afternoon's clash against Nottingham Forest at City Ground could be definitive vis-a-vis David Moyes' future at the helm.

Of course, it's not all doom and gloom. West Ham still reside in eighth place in the Premier League and are behind Newcastle United only on goal difference, now beginning a favourable run of games that could lighten the chatter around Moyes' position.

But there is no doubt that this is an issue demanding redress. Injuries to the likes of Lucas Paqueta and Michail Antonio have damaged the fluency over this recent tough spell but there is enough quality to turn the tide and Forest, who languish in 16th place (two points above the drop zone), must be defeated to ensure that continental qualification does not slip away.

Nuno Espirito Santo's hosts desperately need some respite themselves and will not roll over for West Ham, making for a compelling encounter in the English top-flight.

West Ham team news vs Forest

As stated, Brazilian playmaker Paqueta remains sidelined following a calf problem, though he has returned to training in a significant boost for the Irons. Antonio, meanwhile, could make his first appearance since the start of November – against Forest, incidentally – after finally overcoming a knee injury.

Edson Alvarez and captain Kurt Zouma, both culpable for the dreadful performance against Arsenal last time out, should start despite coming off at half-time in that one.

It's a strong and near-complete side making the northward trip to Nottingham, and Moyes will need to engineer a positive display to ease the growing concerns that could boil over if Forest bag victory.

Nayef Aguerd must not start

Harking back to that Arsenal game again (sorry), it's hard to uproot any positives from the contest, with a lifeless defence allowing the likes of Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli to slalom into the danger area with ease, helpless against the string-pulling excellence of Martin Odegaard and devastated by the all-encompassing masterclass from one of their own: Declan Rice.

Few could hold their heads high after such a miserable afternoon but those in the rearguard failed woefully in maintaining a semblance of control in front of Alphonse Areola's goal.

Zouma will start this afternoon, and few would argue against it despite the Frenchman's slide in form of late, but Nayef Aguerd has proved himself unworthy since returning from the African Cup of Nations with Morocco and must be relegated to the bench against the Tricky Trees.

The 27-year-old has been largely impressive since signing from French side Rennes for £30m in June 2022 and finished third in West Ham's Player of the Season awards last term, behind Rice and Said Benrahma.

This season, he has started 18 times in the Premier League but got himself sent off early on against Chelsea. Across the season he has completed only 79% of his passes while making two errors and conceding a penalty, as per Sofascore.

The Athletic's Roshane Thomas has also noted earlier in the campaign that "defensive errors are holding him back", but against Arsenal, his display wasn't laden was errors, but rather, weighed down by a staticness that allowed the antagonists to wreak havoc in second gear.

Aguerd didn't actually lose a ground duel last weekend, but this is because the £50k-per-week centre-half didn't actually make a single ground duel attempt, also completing only 65% of his passes and losing possession on a whopping 17 occasions.

This is unforgivable, with the Evening Standard's Dom Smith branding him with a 3/10 match score for his insipid efforts, writing: 'Got nowhere near Saka for Arsenal’s fifth goal, allowing the England forward to roam free and slam home. Torrid afternoon for Aguerd.'

Elanga benched in Nottingham Forest's predicted lineup vs West Ham

Nottingham Forest will look to pick up their first Premier League win of 2024.

ByTom Lever Feb 17, 2024

The 6 foot 2 ace attempted just one ground duel against Fulham during December's 5-0 drubbing too and will need to sit today's fixture out if he is to absorb the importance of ramping up the gas for his side in the future.

And given that Konstantinos Mavropanos is waiting in the wings, it does seem to be the perfect solution for Moyes, making an alteration that might just secure victory and save his skin.

Konstantinos Mavropanos could save Moyes' skin

Factory-built for the modern game, Mavropanos is a ball-playing defender with an aggressiveness and tenacity that makes him a good option for Moyes, having been described as a "gladiator" by former boss Pellegrino Matarazzo in the past.

As per FBref, the Greece international ranks among the top 2% of centre-backs across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for shots taken, the top 12% for successful take-ons, the top 25 for interceptions and the top 14% for aerial battles won per 90.

The one-time Arsenal prospect was signed from German side Stuttgart in a £19m deal last summer and has since started seven matches in the Premier League, scoring once.

Having won 65% of his duels in the division so far, the 6 foot 5 Mavropanos would be an excellent partner for Zouma in today's game, averaging 3.5 ball recoveries and 4.2 clearances per match and actually keeping more clean sheets than Aguerd (3 versus 2) despite playing eight fewer fixtures.

Strengths

Weaknesses

Interceptions

Concentration

Tackling

Discipline

Aerial duels

Dribbling

Source: WhoScored

The magnitude of the forthcoming affair cannot be understated; if Nottingham Forest clinch victory Moyes' reign would dangle by a tenuous thread indeed.

Aguerd has proved himself unreliable of late and given that Mavropanos has done a good job since coming in, he must be provided with a starting berth to ensure that his side prevail.