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Fair to say, it’s been an eventful week at Everton.

On Thursday, mere hours before their FA Cup tie at home to Peterborough United, it was announced that Sean Dyche had been sacked, leaving Leighton Baines and club captain Séamus Coleman in caretaker charge, overseeing an unspectacular 2-0 victory.

Remarkably, this is the first time any Premier League club have sacked their manager on the day of a game, prior to kick off, for 30 years.

Then, on Saturday morning, it was confirmed that David Moyes had returned, 13 years after leaving Merseyside for Manchester United, having overseen a whopping 518 matches during his first spell in charge.

With the Toffees currently 16th in the Premier League table, a mere one point clear of the relegation zone, reinforcements are needed, but could the first arrival of the second Moyes-era be imminent?

Everton want to bolster their forward line

According to a report by TEAMtalk, Everton are ‘in talks’ with Olympique Lyonnais over the signing of Ernest Nuamah.

Meanwhile, reports from France on social media claim the deal is only ‘one step away’ with an ‘agreement almost reached between the different parties.’

Numah joined Lyon from Danish Superligaen side Nordsjælland for a reported €30m in 2023, suggesting the Blues are unlikely to get him on the cheap.

However, as noted by Colin Millar, Matt Slater and Matt Woosnam of the Athletic, les Gones have been provisionally relegated from Ligue 1 “following an audit of their finances”, informed they must “satisfactorily improve their financial situation before the end of this season”.

As a result, Nuamah appears set to be sacrificed, although no Everton supporter should consider this a done deal until he has officially put pen to paper.

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That’s because, in the summer, Nuamah was reportedly on the verge of joining Fulham, only to “vanish” part-way through his medical, after breaking down in tears, declaring his love for OL and refusing to move to West London, with American owner John Texter subsequently forced to send an apology letter to the Cottagers.

Fair to say, the Toffees will be hoping to avoid similar complications.

How Ernest Nuamah compares to Dwight McNeil

Ghanian commentator George Addo Jnr on Twitter describes his compatriot as “some talent”, with journalist Owuraku Ampofo adding that he is “a fantastic dribbler”.

Wesley Mak of Opta’s The Analyst labels him as “a multi-functional forward” capable of playing anywhere across the front three, comparing him to West Ham’s Mohammed Kudus, another Ghanian attacker who began his career at the world-renowned Right to Dream Academy.

Well, considering Everton are the Premier League’s second-lowest scorers this season, ranked rock-bottom for xG, the Blues need all the attacking reinforcement they can get, but how does Nuamah compare to their joint-top scorer Dwight McNeil?

Appearances

56

56

Minutes

3,205

4,732

Goal

8

7

Expected goals

6

4.3

Assists

4

10

Expected assists

5.1

12.2

Shots on target %

39.7%

27.4%

Shot-creating actions

109

190

Crosses

122

365

Attempted take-ons

160

103

Progressive carries

146

111

The table outlines that these two wingers are stylistically very different.

McNeil is much more a creator, hence why he’s accumulated significantly more assists and expected assists while, last season, only eight players across Europe’s “top five” leagues put in more crosses than his 229; Dyche-ball at its finest.

Meanwhile, Nuamah is much more of a dribbler, registering more take-ons and progressive carries, with the Ghanian significantly more of a goal threat, bagging 15 goals during his final campaign at Nordsjælland, on target against such illustrious opponents as Paris Saint-Germain and Eintracht Frankfurt since making to move to Lyon.

Well, considering Everton have scored nil during eight of their last ten Premier League outings, failing to find the net in a whopping 39% of the league games Dyche took charge of, Nuamah will certainly be a welcome addition for all Evertonians.

Could be an awful Lookman repeat: £100k-p/w Everton star in talks to leave

Everton could be set to sell one of their highest earners this month

ByRoss Kilvington Jan 13, 2025

Batter Shimron Hetmyer has returned to West Indies’ T20I squad for the upcoming five-match series against India and the following three-match series against New Zealand after clearing a fitness test. Hetmyer had been omitted from West Indies’ recent squads on fitness grounds, and was with the ODI group earlier this month in Port-of-Spain to work with the trainers and the support staff. He last represented West Indies in November 2021, during the T20 World Cup in the UAE.”We welcome back Hetmyer and it is good to see him again in West Indies colours,” chief selector Desmond Haynes said in a CWI media release. “He will fortify the batting group and with his experience and adaptability we have a ‘finisher’ who can add value and win matches for the team and delight the supporters.”Everything we do, we have to take into consideration we have a big tournament coming up later this year, which is the ICC T20 World Cup, so we are planning and gearing up towards that event. It is good to give the players some exposure to the international stage and look to find the right combinations.”ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Opening batter Evin Lewis, however, was not part of the squad once again. After Lewis was overlooked for the recent white-ball series at home against Bangladesh, Haynes had said that Lewis had not completed a fitness test that had been arranged for him during his IPL stint with Lucknow Super Giants.Left-arm fingerspinner Gudakesh Motie, who had been sidelined from the second and third ODIs against India with a fractured thumb, sustained while fielding, has not recovered sufficiently to be available for selection for the T20Is against India and New Zealand. In the absence of Motie, Akeal Hosein, the other left-arm fingerspinner, and Hayden Walsh Jr, the legspinner, are the frontline spin options for West Indies.Allrounder Fabian Allen, who can also bowl left-arm spin, has pulled out for personal reasons. Allen has not played a competitive game since making his IPL debut for Mumbai Indians in April 2022. Left-arm seamer Sheldon Cottrell, meanwhile, was unavailable because of injury.Allrounders Dominic Drakes, who was part of the reserves for the T20Is against Bangladesh, and Jason Holder, who recovered from Covid-19 and proved his fitness in the third ODI against India on Wednesday, returned to the main squad. West Indies have a wealth of all-round options to choose from: Keemo Paul, who has recovered from a hamstring injury sustained during the Bangladesh series, Romario Shepherd and Odean Smith are the others.Devon Thomas has been retained as the back-up wicketkeeper to Pooran, ahead of Shai Hope. Apart from Thomas, Shamarh Brooks and Brandon King, all the members of West Indies’ T20I squad have had a taste of the IPL as squad members or net bowlers. Hosein and Walsh Jr. have worked with Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals respectively as net bowlers.The first T20I against India at the Brian Lara Stadium in Tarouba on Friday will also be the first international match to be played at the venue. Warner Park in Basseterre will host the next two T20Is before the sides head to Lauderhill for the final two T20Is. Three days after the last T20I against India, West Indies will face a full-strength New Zealand team in a three-match T20I series in Jamaica.Pooran had said earlier this week that he was wary of the workload but wanted his best players to be available for selection as West Indies build towards the T20 World Cup this year and the ODI World Cup next year.”That [managing workloads] is a tough one because as a group we want to win and we want all our players to be available for us,” Pooran said. “But in seeing that we need to look after our players and that’s the key as a collective effort for the coach, chairman of selectors and myself, we need to determine… not only myself but the other guys who we believe need to rest.”Obviously, that’s very important with eight T20 games coming up, four more ODIs and then CPL coming up and the addition of the 6ixty and the CPL, we definitely need to manage the players. How? I’m not too sure, but we need to figure it out and be smart about it as well. But, at the end of the day, we want to win, and we need to have all our guys to be available to us.”

Vinicius Jr labelled Cristiano Ronaldo as his "idol" after the Al-Nassr superstar hit another incredible landmark with his brace against Al-Hilal.

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Al-Nassr beat Al-Hilal 3-1Ronaldo scored twice on the nightVinicius expressed his admiration for the PortugueseFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Ronaldo once again took centre stage in the Saudi Pro League as Al-Nassr edged past fierce rivals Al-Hilal in a pulsating derby clash on Friday evening. The Portuguese icon delivered two goals – one just after the interval and another late on – to guide his team to a 3-1 triumph in Riyadh. The victory narrowed the gap between Al-Nassr and second-placed Al-Hilal to just three points, igniting fresh hope in the title race.

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Following his decisive display, Ronaldo took to Instagram to share his joy with his global fanbase. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner posted a series of celebratory images from the match and captioned them boldly: “RIYADH IS YELLOW AND BLUE!”

WHAT VINICIUS SAID

Among the thousands of fans and fellow players who engaged with the post was Real Madrid’s Brazilian star Vinicius Jr, who added a touching comment that reflected his admiration for Ronaldo. “Our very own idol!!!” wrote Vinicius, publicly acknowledging the role Ronaldo continues to play as a role model for young players around the world.

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DID YOU KNOW?

Vinicius has never hidden his appreciation for Ronaldo, and his latest comment reaffirmed the deep respect he holds for the football legend. And the Portuguese is deserving of all the praise as he hit another incredible milestone of scoring 20+ league goals in a season for the 15th time in his career, following his brace against Al-Hilal.

Whereas his incredible form in the 2024–25 campaign has taken him to 30 goals in all competitions for Al-Nassr. With the striker still hungry for more, he remains on track toward achieving his self-set goal of reaching 1,000 career goals – a target that would likely require at least two more years of consistent output at the highest level.

The managerial merry-go-round is in full swing in the Premier League now with Russell Martin’s dismissal from the Southampton hot seat following on from Gary O’Neil losing his job at Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Both managers were facing a losing battle to remain employed, especially Martin who bowed out from his time at the Saints with a depressing 5-0 loss to Tottenham Hotspur, which left his side rooted to the bottom of the league on a dire five points.

Now, the next appointment has to be spot on in order to try and give Southampton a fighting chance at somehow surviving, as many names begin to be linked to the vacancy.

Southampton's managerial search

The main faces being linked to the pressurised job post include Danny Rohl and Carlos Corberan, as Southampton cast their net into the Championship to find Martin’s successor.

Rohl has previously been a coach at the Saints, with the German at the club under Ralph Hassenhuttl’s lengthy tenure, whilst Football Insider has revealed that Corberan is a ‘top contender’ to take over at the Premier League’s basement club, having been in the dug-out at West Bromwich Albion since 2022.

Away from those two in-work managers, there are also many unemployed bosses who could be up for consideration to come in and be just the fresh blood needed at St. Mary’s.

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One of those free agent managers is reportedly Kasper Hjulmand, who would be seen as both an upgrade on the heavily fancied Corberan and recently departed Martin if he does relocate to England soon.

What Hjulmand could offer Southampton

That’s the case according to a report by talkSPORT, who state that the relegation favourites have long admired the Dane, with the potential for Hjulmand to be swayed into taking on the tough opening.

The 52-year-old has shown in the past, however, that he can work wonders under pressure as a manager, having guided one of his previous clubs, FC Nordsjælland, to their first-ever Danish Superliga title in 2012, among other glittering achievements.

Moreover, he also helped his nation reach the semi-finals of the Euros in 2020, only to be beaten by Gareth Southgate’s England 2-1 in a closely fought contest at Wembley.

Therefore, it does feel as if the ex-Denmark head coach is worthy of an opportunity to test himself in England’s elite division, with Hjulmand also tallying up more victories as a manager overall when weighed up next to Corberan and Martin.

Hjulmand’s managerial record vs Corberan’s vs Martin’s
Manager	Games managed	Wins	Draws	Losses
Hjulmand	358	147	83	128
Corberan	242	96	64	82
Martin	252	101	56	95
Sourced by Transfermarkt

Boasting 46 more victories than Martin as a more experienced head, Hjulmand could sense this is the perfect job for him to get stuck into after resigning from his international team position earlier this year.

After all, the 52-year-old’s play style in aiming to keep possession before launching into an attack would suit the Saints well, having averaged 53% of the ball this campaign to date despite being often blown away by superior opponents.

Whilst Corberan would perhaps be able to offer some more stability, as a defensive coach who knows the ins and outs of the English game, Hjulmand could be the bold left-field choice Southampton are crying out for, with 560 goals rippling the back of the net under his exciting managerial methods.

Once labelled as a “fantastic coach” by Simon Kjaer when the pair worked together at Denmark, the proof will be in the pudding if the Scandinavian can miraculously keep his new club afloat should a deal go through.

Better than Rohl: Southampton looking at "elite" Martin replacement

Southampton are on the hunt for a Russell Martin successor.

By
Kelan Sarson

Dec 17, 2024

Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou is personally eyeing a La Liga club’s “superior” star player, who is currently regarded as their saving grace amid the side’s lacklustre start to the campaign.

Tottenham target new winger amid Timo Werner uncertainty

Right now, it is currently undecided whether Spurs will take up the £8.5 million option to buy RB Leipzig loanee Timo Werner permanently at the end of this season – leading to reports that the Lilywhites are targeting long-term potential replacements for the German.

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Werner has got a goal and two assists to his name in all competitions this season, with the 28-year-old getting on a Spurs scoresheet for the first time since March during their 2-1 win over Manchester City in the Carabao Cup.

The former Chelsea star has been criticised for his wasteful finishing in front of goal, which has become a recurring theme, with Werner failing to repeat his prolific 34-goal haul in all competitions for Leipzig back in 2019/20.

“I mean, Timo Werner. Timo Werner whatever he did in Germany, he has been unable to do in two spells in England,” said ESPN pundit Craig Burley after his gaping missed chances against Manchester United earlier this season.

“His end product was once again atrocious, and that adds to the pressure that goes on a team defensively when you are just not finishing teams off. It wasn’t just Timo Werner, but if he starts the next game after the international break, I will be very surprised.

“A young 17-year-old in [Mikey] Moore is probably going to come in his place. Brennan Johnson has come through a tough time when people were talking about his end product. He gets six goals in six.”

Tottenham vs Fulham

December 1

Bournemouth vs Tottenham

December 5

Tottenham vs Chelsea

December 8

Southampton vs Tottenham

December 15

Tottenham vs Liverpool

December 22

Tottenham have refused to rule out the possibility of keeping Werner beyond this campaign, but it is believed the likes of Denmark winger Andreas Skov Olsen of Club Brugge are being monitored as possible long-term stand-ins (GiveMeSport).

Real Sociedad star Takefusa Kubo, a player dubbed the “Japanese Messi”, is also a target for the north Londoners as they weigh up replacements for Werner should they decide not to activate his buy-out clause.

Postecoglou eyeing Real Valladolid star Raul Moro for Tottenham

According to GiveMeSport, another winger in Tottenham’s thinking is Real Valladolid sensation Raul Moro.

The Spain Under-21 international, who can play on either flank, has bagged three goals and an assist for Valladolid in all competitions – with members of the Spanish media branding Moro their “superior” star player in a relegation-threatened team at the foot of the table.

Now, GMS writes that Moro is on Postecoglou’s personal radar at Tottenham, with the club sending scouts on missions to assess the 21-year-old ahead of a potential move this winter.

The forward would also cost around the £9 million mark, which makes this a very doable mid-season transfer financially.

Capitals will have to clear RT-PCR testing on the morning of the game for the match to take place

Nagraj Gollapudi19-Apr-2022Wednesday’s match between Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals will take place in Mumbai instead of Pune, subject to Capitals clearing RT-PCR testing on the morning of the game. In case the match cannot take place as scheduled on April 20, the IPL will reschedule it.By late afternoon on Tuesday the prospect of the match taking place as scheduled brightened as Capitals were given permission to conduct a training session. The IPL, though, laid down the condition that only the players and the coaches would be allowed for the session which would be at the BKC ground on Tuesday evening.ESPNcricinfo has learnt that the decision to change the match venue was taken by the IPL at a meeting on Tuesday, in the wake of several members of the Capitals’ contingent testing positive for Covid-19. In a media release, the IPL said it has shifted Wednesday’s match from the MCA stadium in Pune to the Brabourne stadium “to avoid any further incident due to any undetected case during a long-distance bus journey in a closed environment.”Related

Capitals-Royals clash moved from Pune to Wankhede Stadium

Inconsistent Capitals and Kings clash under Covid-19 cloud

Delhi Capitals allrounder Mitchell Marsh tests positive for Covid-19

The IPL also said there were five confirmed Covid-19 cases in the Capitals contingent: Patrick Farhart (physiotherapist, tested positive on April 15), Chetan Kumar (massage therapist, tested positive on April 16), Mitchell Marsh (tested positive on April 18), Abhijit Salvi (team doctor, tested positive on April 18), and Akash Mane (social-media content team member, tested positive on April 18).On Monday, Capitals issued a statement confirming Australia allrounder Marsh was hospitalised, after testing positive for Covid-19, while the rest of the cases were asymptomatic.It is understood that Marsh was moved to hospital as a precautionary measure after he reported feeling unwell, including experiencing chills. The others who tested positive have been moved to a separate facility outside the team hotel because the hotel where the Capitals are staying had laid down the condition that anyone testing positive, including those that are asymptomatic, would need to move out of the premises.The IPL became concerned as soon as Farhart became the first known Covid-positive case this season. Ahead of Capitals’ clash against Royal Challengers Bangalore last Saturday, the IPL had asked both teams to not physically mingle after their match at the Wankhede Stadium. Both teams were seen waving at each other from a distance after the match, which Capitals lost. Doubts over Capitals’ game against Kings grew as additional cases emerged and the Capitals’ contingent was asked to isolate in their rooms on Monday.Since April 16, the IPL said, all members in the Capitals’ bubble have undergone four rounds of RT-PCR tests. In the latest round, conducted on Tuesday morning, all members outside of those that tested positive, had returned negative results. As per the protocol, all those that have tested positive will need to isolate for seven days and then return negative results on the last two days after which they would be able to rejoin the bubble.While IPL has managed to create a Plan B for Wednesday’s match, it will closely monitor the development, considering a Covid-19 outbreak had forced the suspension of the league at the halfway stage in 2021. Back then, there were multiple points within the IPL bubble that were identified to be vulnerable. This time, too, there were concerns around the bubble being breached, considering all teams, barring Mumbai Indians, are staying at hotels where other guests are allowed. While teams are staying on separate floors, where no one outside the bubble is allowed, players and support staff are allowed to use public spaces like the swimming pools within restricted timings.GMT 1210 The piece was updated with news of Capitals getting permission to conduct a training session.

Antony's agent has hit back at Ruben Amorim after the Manchester United manager claimed the winger lacked the "physicality" needed to play in England.

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• Man Utd loaned Antony to Real Betis
• Amorim claims he lacked "physicality" for EPL
• Forward's agent fires back

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  United loaned Antony to Real Betis in January after he fell out of favour under Amorim and he has registered three goals and two assists in seven appearances for the Spanish club. Amorim has since suggested the physical level needed to compete in Spain and England is very different, telling : "When you play against any team in England, the physicality is there. If you don't have physicality, you will struggle a lot." However, Antony's agent believes that argument is "superficial".

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• AFP
  

  WHAT ANTONY'S AGENT SAID

  Antony's agent, Junior Pedroso, retorted to via Fabrizio Romano: "We respect the opinion of coach Ruben Amorim but we completely disagree with his analysis. To attribute Antony's lack of success at United solely to physicality is a very superficial argument and does not reflect reality."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Antony never impressed at Old Trafford after becoming United's second-biggest transfer of all time when he joined from Ajax for £85m in 2022. He scored just 12 goals in 96 appearances but has got off to a much better start in Spain.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR ANTONY?

  Antony is set to return to action on Thursday evening when Real Betis take on Vitoria S.C. in the first leg of their Europa Conference League last 16 tie. Manuel Pellegrini's side will then host Las Palmas in La Liga on Sunday.

In Chelsea’s latest UEFA Conference League outing, it was FC Noah that faced their wrath, in an 8-0 thumping at Stamford Bridge.

In this game which bought goals galore, the Blues held 58% possession, took 31 shots (18 of which were on target), created 11 big chances and generated 5.80 xG.

Tosin Adarabioyo opened the scoring before Marc Guiu made it two less than a minute later. Axel Disasi made it three with a headed finish, with Joao Felix adding two more, alongside an absolute pearler from Mykhailo Mudryk, putting Chelsea 6-0 up at half-time.

The hosts added two more before the end of the game, with Christopher Nkunku grabbing both, getting himself on the scoresheet, and taking his overall tally to ten for the season, in just 16 appearances, and 686 minutes played.

But it was a man of the match display from Felix that stole the headlines, not only scoring a brace but also gracing Stamford Bridge with his usual tricks and flicks.

Joao Felix's performance in numbers

The 24-year-old attacker has found himself on the cusp of the Chelsea side, coming from the bench in Premier League games, and starting in cup competitions, making ten appearances since his arrival for the Blues, scoring five goals and providing one assist.

Minutes

90

Goals

2

Assists

0

Touches

58

Accurate Passes

29/37

Key Passes

2

Crosses

1/2

Long Balls

5/8

Shots

7

Successful Dribbles

5/7

Ground Duels Won

6/9

Felix was at the hub of creation for Chelsea on Thursday night, taking over the playmaking duties of Cole Palmer, completing five of his eight long passes, making two key passes, taking seven shots, completing five of his seven dribbles, and, of course, scoring his two goals.

But what the Portuguese did off the ball was just as impressive, ghosting between the lines to receive things, often being the out ball for Chelsea defenders, but also tracking back, working hard, and winning six of his nine ground duels, showing his willingness to fight for his teammates and regain possession.

That said, the performance of Mudryk, so often the outcast, so often the scapegoat, also caught the eye.

Mykhailo Mudryk's performance in numbers

The 23-year-old has made 13 appearances for the Blues in all competitions this season, and his wonderful goal last night takes him to a tally of two strikes and five assists for the season across 738 minutes.

Much like Nkunku, the winger has found himself on the outskirts of the Premier League team, coming from the bench in those games and starting in the cup competitions. It’s hardly a surprise either with his performances under Mauricio Pochettino and indeed early on in Maresca’s reign described as “useless” by talkSPORT’s Andy Jacobs.

Therefore, his display against European minnows Noah certainly spoke volumes of how much he has improved under their new Italian manager to date.

The Ukrainian speedster was given an 8/10 match rating by Football.London, who praised his ‘genuinely unstoppable’ effort which was probably the best goal of the game. That certainly takes some doing in a match where the back of the net is rattled eight times.

Minutes

90

Goals

1

Assists

0

Touches

44

Accurate Passes

23/29

Key Passes

4

Long Balls

1/2

Shots

3

Successful Dribbles

2/4

Ground Duels Won

3/6

Mudryk certainly dazzled, making as many as four key passes in the game, and deserved to be rewarded with an assist, to go alongside his goal.

But the Ukraine international also managed two successful dribbles of his four attempts and won three of his six ground duels, both areas Chelsea fans want him to improve upon, and provide consistency.

With Jadon Sancho currently out with an injury, the former Shakhtar man will be looking to break into the Premier League side for more minutes with just Pedro Neto ahead of him for the left-wing spot.

There is a possibility that Neto goes over to the right, replacing Noni Madueke, to get the Ukrainian in the side against Arsenal on Sunday afternoon.

Chelsea leading race to sign "monstrous" £66m Nkunku upgrade

Chelsea are leading the race for a new goal machine, as they look to upgrade on Nkunku

ByConnor Holden Nov 7, 2024

Nine-day tournament starts in Edgbaston on July 29 2022 with the gold medal match scheduled for August 7

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Nov-2021Women’s cricket will debut at next year’s Commonwealth Games with a re-match of the 2020 T20 World Cup final. Australia and India are set to lock horns again on July 29 as a nine-day tournament kicks off in Edgbaston with the gold medal match scheduled for August 7.Seven of the eight teams in this competition were confirmed in April earlier this year. The final one will be determined through a qualifying tournament that will be taking place in January 2022. Their first match of the Games will be against England on July 30. The next day will feature a match that brings the entire cricket world to a standstill. India vs Pakistan.The teams have been split into two groups of four and the top two from each group will qualify for the semi-finals which take place on August 6.Save the date: It’s Australia vs India at the Commonwealth games on July 29 2022•Getty ImagesEngland were an automatic pick into the Games as a result of their being the hosts. The other six teams were chosen based on their place in the ICC T20 rankings as of April 1 last year. Barbados became the West Indian representative on the basis that they won the domestic title in 2020. The 2021 competition had to be postponed.”We have seen tremendous growth of the women’s game over the past few years and the Commonwealth Games will undoubtedly be another major moment on that journey,” ICC acting chief executive Geoff Allardice said.This is only the second time that cricket finds a place in the Commonwealth Games, and it will be kicking off the 22nd edition of the event along with Netball.

Glasgow Rangers’ faint hopes of a Premiership title challenge took another hit on Sunday afternoon as they slumped to a disappointing 1-0 loss.

14 months after the Light Blues lost to Killie when they were managed by Michael Beale, it is evident that nothing has changed in that period, as Philippe Clement is failing to get anything out of his current crop of players.

The Belgian faces three crucial games in the next ten days which could determine whether he remains in his post or not.

There was not a single standout performer against Killie, with several players being outfought in the important areas on the pitch, including the heart of the midfield.

John Souttar was far from his best, despite shining for Scotland during the international break, shackling Cristiano Ronaldo during the 0-0 draw against Portugal last week.

John Souttar's performance in numbers vs Killie

The centre-back may have got the best of Ronaldo recently, but he found Killie forward Marley Watkins a difficult character to keep quiet.

Touches

96

Accurate passes

80/88

Total duels (won)

8 (7)

Possession lost

8

Tackles

0

Clearances

3

Statistics can sometimes mask a poor display and that is the case with Souttar against the Rugby Park side. He managed 96 touches and completed 91% of his passes throughout the game, while also winning an impressive seven of his eight contested duels.

Despite this, Watkins ran him ragged during the encounter and his work rate paid off during the dying moments of the tie as Souttar was caught out, which allowed the Killie striker to score what turned out to be the winner.

Matthew Elder, journalist for the Scotsman, gave Souttar a match rating of just 4/10 for his performance, and he is going to need to cut out the mistakes ahead of what looks like the most important stretch in the club’s season.

Although he has been at Ibrox since 2022, Souttar has yet to convince a large section of the supporters with his performances. The bonus is, that the defender isn’t earning a fortune at the club, plus he helps with the Scottish contingent for the European quotas.

The former Hearts defender is one of the lowest paid first-team squad members, currently earning £8.1k-per-week at the Light Blues.

Signing players who will offer some value to the squad without paying them a fortune is the aim of any Rangers manager, with the move for Souttar in 2022 making sense in this regard.

The centre-back earns less than the likes of Tom Lawrence, Rabbi Matondo and Ridvan Yilmaz, all players who have struggled with consistency during their time in Glasgow.

There is one player in particular who is also earning more than Souttar but is way below the standard of quality required to challenge for the title; Kieran Dowell.

Why Rangers need to sell Kieran Dowell

Towards the end of the 2022/23 campaign, Michael Beale was keen on getting a head start with regard to his transfer business as he sought to begin his rebuild at the Gers.

One of the first players to join that summer was Dowell, who agreed a pre-contract agreement in May, with Beale praising the midfielder, saying: “I am delighted to welcome Kieran to Rangers. He already has great experience in his career, with a number of Premier League appearances, and he is a player we feel will fit well into our squad and our style of football.”

On the surface, it looked like a smart move. Dowell had played for both Everton and Norwich City during his career and, with strength in depth required, the Englishman was a relatively risk-free signing.

It didn’t take long for the supporters to realise that Dowell wasn’t exactly Rangers material.

The former Everton academy graduate didn’t quite feature as often as he would have liked during his maiden season in Glasgow.

Overall, he made just 17 appearances, with only five of these coming from the starting XI. The midfielder did score twice, against Livingston and Motherwell in the Premiership, but chances were few and far between.

He was even left out of the Europa League group-stage squad, further hindering his chances under Beale.

Things didn’t exactly get better with Clement, as he was only used sparingly, aside from a four-game spell during the festive season, as injuries and suspensions hampered the squad.

The midfielder failed to even rank in the top 15 among the Rangers squad for accurate passes and key passes per game in the top flight last term, and his chances have been few and far between throughout the current campaign.

Dowell has played only nine times under Clement in 2024/25, with only two of these appearances coming from the starting XI. It is evident that the Belgian needs to move him on sooner rather than later, especially considering how much he is being paid…

Kieran Dowell’s wage at Rangers

The midfielder is currently earning £16k-per-week at the Light Blues, which is double what Souttar is earning, despite the Englishman operating on the periphery of the squad.

This has been part of the problem at the club for a long time now, signing players who fail to live up to the expectations while they continue to earn a staggering wage, thus draining the club of vital resources.

It looked like Clement was intent on solving this during the summer, moving on the likes of Connor Goldson and Sam Lammers. The fact Dowell is still part of the squad is scarcely believable and, hopefully, he will move on before too long.

Much will depend on whether there are any potential suitors for the player, but even securing a minimal fee for him would surely be a bonus, especially since Beale didn’t pay a penny to secure his signature a year ago.

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