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Ravindra Jadeja and Shubman Gill fight back for India after Steven Smith ton

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Australia lost eight wickets for 132 runs to be bundled out for 338

Vishal Dikshit08-Jan-2021After what initially looked like Australia’s day in the first hour and then India’s as they took quick wickets, the second Test at the SCG remained finely balanced with a fighting century from Steven Smith, a crucial four-for from Ravindra Jadeja, an impressive maiden half-century from Shubman Gill and some tight bowling from the hosts to end the day. India were still trailing Australia’s 338 by 242 runs after they dominated the day scripting Australia’s collapse of 132 for 8 around Smith, who was run out for 131.Ravindra Jadeja is congratulated by his team-mates•Getty Images

In reply, a steady stand between Gill and Rohit Sharma – India’s third opening combination in as many matches – of 70 gave India a platform before both fell in quick succession for 50 and 26 respectively. Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara used straight-bat techniques with caution in the last hour without bothering much about the scoring rate in their stand of 11 runs in 12.5 overs.Gill and Sharma also used compact technique against the good balls and the necessary scoring shots when the bowlers erred. The ball hardly moved around and the lack of edges or batsmen getting beaten would have left Mayank Agarwal feeling a little unlucky especially watching Sharma score freely on the flattest track of the series so far.Related

  • Australia's batting ills continue despite Smith ton

A patient Gill left and defended balls off the back foot, pulled with style and even ramped while hogging the strike against his Kolkata Knight Riders team-mate Pat Cummins, whereas Sharma had a mini-battle against Nathan Lyon that featured maidens, a straight six, a paddle sweep for four, and a close bat-pad appeal before the opener handed a return catch to Josh Hazlewood for 26. Gill cruised to 50 soon after but produced a rare edge which was taken sharply by Cameron Green at gully off Cummins.Smith had earlier saved Australia in the middle of a collapse when he marshalled them to a respectable score with a 27th Test century – his eighth against India and third in five innings at the SCG across formats. Their collapse was started and wrapped up by Jadeja who first dismissed Marnus Labuschagne and Matthew Wade in quick succession before returning later in the day to remove Cummins and Lyon. In between, Jasprit Bumrah’s new-ball burst produced a fiery spell of 7-3-12-2 that sent back Cameron Green and Tim Paine cheaply. Jadeja then fired in a direct hit from the deep to run Smith out.Steven Smith roars after bringing up his hundred•Getty Images

Smith’s innings was paced to perfection as he put an end to a string of single-digit scores. He started the day with a crisp cover drive off Bumrah, was forced to play plenty of deliveries around the stumps with India’s leg-side trap in place for the old ball, and then left plenty outside off when the visitors changed their lines with the second new ball. At the end, he also collected quick runs with his drives and trademark flicks when wickets started to tumble, scoring 71 of the 106 runs Australia managed after the fourth wicket.Things were more promising for Australia when the day started as Labuschagne and Smith looked comfortable against a ball that was already 55 overs old in the hands of India’s inexperienced attack, and the duo stretched them past 200 with just two wickets down. But Rahane’s introduction of Jadeja worked as the left-arm spinner first had Labuschagne edge to slip for a sharp catch by Rahane for 91, and then accepted a gift from Wade who stepped out and skied a catch to mid-on when the second new ball was just over three overs away. And once India got that new ball, Bumrah zipped and moved it around to trouble the middle order.He set up Green and Paine in similar fashion: he first teased them with away-swingers and some that held their lines before he suddenly brought one in to trap Green lbw for a 21-ball duck and then shattered Paine’s stumps for 1. Only Mitchell Starc contributed from the tail with a brisk 30-ball 24.Smith, meanwhile, was hardly fazed. Despite Bumrah’s twin strikes, he punched the fast bowler for a four on off and flicked him next ball for quick runs to approach the nineties. Next over, he flicked Navdeep Saini for four to reach 93, and after another 17 balls in the nineties he got to his century with a nudge behind square on leg followed by a rare animated celebration that saw him punch the air with the bat in one hand and the helmet in the other.”I’m reading lots of things people say about being out of form, but I think there’s a difference between out of form and out of runs so it was just nice to score a few and maybe keep a few people quiet,” he told soon after the century. As wickets fell, he ramped and swatted Bumrah for fours, and slog-swept Jadeja. He eventually fell short of a second run despite a dive as Jadeja fired in a throw from the deep on the leg side that hit the base of the stumps.

England expressed concerns over bio-secure integrity, says South Africa team doctor

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Dr Shuaib Manjra says CSA respects concern, after cancellation of Cape Town fixture

Firdose Moonda04-Dec-2020England have expressed concerns over the integrity of the teams’ bio-secure bubble in South Africa, leaving the ODI leg of their tour in jeopardy, after a positive test for Covid-19 from the hosts’ camp led to the first ODI being postponed on Friday.The match was called off an hour before the toss and has been rescheduled to Monday, with all players and hotel staff to be retested on Friday evening.However, South Africa have yet to determine how one of their players contracted the coronavirus and, although they maintain their confidence that the bio-secure environment works, a further round of tests scheduled for Friday afternoon may decide whether the three matches are able to go ahead.”There is a cause for concern and England has expressed a concern. England are questioning the confidence they have in the bio-secure environment and rightfully so,” Dr Shuaib Manjra, CSA’s chief medical officer, said.”If there has been a player who tested positive in the last week, they have cause for concern and we respect that concern. We met with the English medical team and we have planned out a way. We will retest all players and hotel staff [tomorrow, later brought forward]. We will await the results and determine a course of action and then on Tuesday before the final ODI we will retest the team again.”ALSO READ: First ODI at Cape Town called off after Covid scareSouth Africa’s players have so far been tested five times, three times before the start of the T20I series which revealed two positive cases, and once in between the T20Is and ODIs. Although CSA have declined to confirm the names due to doctor-patient confidentiality, David Miller and Andile Phehlukwayo are widely understood to be the first two players in question.The first player who tested positive did not enter the bio-bubble and isolated on his own while the second was removed from the bubble when he tested positive two days later. Both players tested negative on the fourth round of tests, just before the start of the T20 series last Friday, and rejoined the squad last Saturday.The third positive case was discovered a week later, from a test before the start of the ODIs yesterday, and CSA is unsure how it came about. Heinrich Klaasen was a notable absentee from Tuesday’s final T20I, with his captain Quinton de Kock stating at the toss that he was sick.”This test surprised us because we have confidence in the integrity of the bio-secure environment,” Manjra said. “Further tests indicate that this is a more recent case that occurred within the bio-secure environment. So clearly there seems to be some kind of breach which we have investigated in great detail to try and determined where this happened.The first ODI between England and South Africa at Cape Town was postponed due to a Covid-19 scare•Getty Images

“We have traversed a couple of different spaces, trying to recount some of the events: speaking to the player, looking at security cameras, looking at other information and we haven’t been able to date to identify where the source was but clearly it’s cause for concern.”The situation is understood to have unsettled the England camp, who have been staying at the same Vineyard hotel as the South Africa squad, albeit in separate wings with mixing between the two squads banned. Communal areas have been used on a rota basis and deep-cleaned between whiles, with the hotel staff also staying on the premises. Outside of travel to matches and practice, the teams’ only other authorised departures from the hotel grounds have been for rounds of golf at Boshenmeer, near Paarl, again subject to strict protocols.England’s 24 players, plus support staff, are due to leave South Africa on a chartered flight on December 10. With the prospect of Christmas at home for some members of the squad, and imminent stints in Australia at the Big Bash for others, there is believed to be a reluctance among the players to jeopardise those plans.A scheduled joint press conference between ECB and CSA was cancelled soon after the match had been called off, with Ashley Giles, the team director, later addressing the situation in a statement.”On behalf of the England touring party and the ECB, I would like to thank Cricket South Africa for their collaborative approach to postponing today’s one-day international,” Giles said.”Our number one priority is the health and safety of the England team and management group, and the correct decision was made following discussions between the two boards and respective medical teams.”The England party will remain at its base in Cape Town on Friday and Saturday, and we are hopeful that the three-match series will be played before we depart next Thursday starting with the match at Paarl on Sunday.”In conceding that a player may have breached protocols, Manjra was adamant that no-one was allowed to leave the team hotel in Cape Town unsupervised.”I can categorically state that there is no player who is able to leave the hotel environment by virtue of the fact that there is security around and the security will not allow the player to leave, unless that player is leaving in an assigned vehicle which is an official vehicle with an official driver,” Manjra said.”There is a command centre here led by the Colonel from the Claremont Police Force and they strictly enforce the bio-bubble. They wouldn’t allow anybody to leave.”ESPNcricinfo

However, earlier on in the tour, players did leave for what appear valid reasons. “In fact some players left as a group to go across to the Oval [across the road from the hotel] to train and that became a matter of concern because they had seen it and we had addressed that concern with the Colonel and the command centre. It is impossible for any player or official to leave this.”That revelation gives credence to Manjra’s suggestion that the bubble is not working as intended. “I am fairly convinced that 99% of the time this environment is working,” he said. “There may be a breach that is unbeknown to us. I am not saying there is zero risk. There may be a slight risk. There are a lot of moving parts in a tour such as this and we are trying to control that.”South Africa’s would not be the first breach of protocols in the new normal. Last month, West Indies’ players were barred from training during their period of managed isolation in New Zealand after sharing food and socialising in hallways, while Pakistan were put on a final warning that they would be sent back home after several similar incidents. Pakistan remain in isolation and have not been granted an exemption to train.This is South Africa’s first experience hosting a bio-bubble – the tour is believed to be worth £3 million to CSA – and they are due for three more this summer, with incoming tours scheduled against Sri Lanka, Australia and Pakistan. It is England’s first time in a bubble away from home, having successfully negotiated their home summer with a series of bio-secure environments.

Azhar Ali, Fakhar Zaman lead way against modest attack

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

There were half-centuries for Azhar Ali, Fakhar Zaman and Usman Salahuddin as Pakistan enjoyed a gentle workout in Leicester

George Dobell19-May-20181:44

Good to get red-ball practice – Zaman

Pakistanis 321 for 9 (Azhar 73, Zaman 71, Salahuddin 69*) v Leicestershire
ScorecardIf Pakistan are to win a Test series in England for the first time in more than two decades, it seems likely Azhar Ali will need to lead the way with the bat.Without some of those familiar names of recent times – the likes of Younis Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq, who both averaged in excess of 40 as Pakistan drew here in 2016 – it will surely be incumbent upon Azhar to try to replace their runs and provide a steadying influence to a somewhat inexperienced batting order. Now aged 33, and with three centuries and three half-centuries from his previous eight Tests, much is expected of him.So it would have been encouraging to see him some form on the first day of this two-day, non-first-class match in Leicester. After a modest start to the tour – he has a top-score of 15 after five first-class innings – he looked supremely comfortable here in cruising to an untroubled 73. On a sluggish pitch where run-scoring opportunities were not especially plentiful, he saw off the new ball patiently and put away anything short or over-pitched without fuss. Bringing up his half-century from 83 balls with his 10th four – a gorgeous cover drive that would have made Younis proud – he posted 121 for the first wicket with Fakhar Zaman.There is a caveat. Leicestershire are not the strongest of the first-class counties – they finished bottom of Division Two of the County Championship in 2017 without a single win – and this was, effectively, their 2nd XI. Only two of those involved here – Lewis Hill and Ateeq Javid – played in their last Championship match – a victory, to be fair – and only one other member of this side (Dieter
Klein) has featured in the Championship this season. If England were presented with such opposition immediately ahead of a Test series overseas there would be moans and they would not be entirely unjustified.That having been said, there are some decent players involved. Klein, a left-arm seamer who gains skiddy pace from a quick arm, produced the ball of the day to account for Sami Aslam – pitching on line, it held its own to beat the outside edge and take the off stump – and later ended Azhar’s innings. Attempting to cut, Azhar looked aghast when a thick under-edge brought the ball crashing into his own off-stump.Zak Chappell would have strengthened the attack significantly, but sustained a shoulder injury just ahead of the game as he attempted to help his mother with some shopping bags. Which does rather beg the question: what had she bought and how strong is she? It is hoped he may be fit to return as early as mid-week.Fakhar Zaman roars after bringing up his maiden ODI century•Getty Images

Pakistan made a few changes, too. Identifying this game as a rare opportunity to allow some of their squad a game, they rested five likely members of their Test side, with Mohammad Amir reserved for brief bowls at intervals and before play on a pitch on the side of the square.Usman Salahuddin took his chance to impress with a patient half-century but Saad Ali let his frustration get the better of him and was caught and bowled as he tried to make some progress against the spinners. Sarfraz Ahmed also fell in aggressive fashion: trying to repeat a slog-swept six from the previous ball, he gifted a catch to mid-on.Zaman was almost as impressive as Azhar in that opening stand. Having played himself in with impressive patience – his first 75 deliveries realised a modest 34 runs – he then started to unfurl the attacking strokes that will be so familiar to those who saw him in England last year. Richard Jones, a seam bowler of some experience, was thrashed for six boundaries in an over and seven in 10 balls at one stage as Zaman, who struck six of them, made a late – and probably vain – bid for a Test place. He eventually fell to a catch to midwicket trying to thrash one into the Rutland countryside.Impatience cost Faheem Ashraf, who was caught at cover, and Mohammad Abbas, caught at mid-on, and left Leicestershire’s spinners, Javid and Aadil Ali – men with six first-class wickets between them – boasting figures of 4 for 70 from 20.5 overs. It was a pleasing enough way to spend a lovely summer’s day, but you do wonder if it’s like preparing for an Artic hike by nipping for an ice-cream.

Advantage Mumbai at home away from home

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They have won nine of their 11 games at the Eden Gardens, and another could catapult them above KKR, into fourth place

The Preview by Sreshth Shah08-May-20185:07

Hogg: Milne’s pace could expose KKR at Eden Gardens

Form guide (most recent matches first)

Kolkata Knight Riders: lost to Mumbai Indians by 13 runs, defeated Chennai Super Kings by six wickets, defeated Royal Challengers Bangalore by six wickets
Mumbai Indians: defeated Kolkata Knight Riders by 13 runs, defeated Kings XI Punjab by six wickets, lost to Royal Challengers Bangalore by 14 runs

Big picture

When TS Eliot penned “April is the cruelest month” in , it’s quite likely he was talking about Mumbai Indians.They’ve always struggled through the season’s first half, only to blossom as the tournament enters May. This season is no different, and with three wins in their last four games, Mumbai are now fifth, and might just be one win from jumping to fourth on the points table.Mumbai are finally finishing games well – the inablity to do so hurt them in the first half – and are clinching important moments in their matches. Jasprit Bumrah did that in Pune and Indore while Hardik Pandya displayed that skill on Sunday, when he followed up a late flourish with the bat with a six-run 18th over to shut KKR’s middle order down.KKR, on the other hand, find themselves one defeat, potentially, from falling off the top four. Their situation reflects the chinks they are yet to iron out, which have so far kept them from going on a run of wins.Mitchell Johnson no longer strikes fear into opposition batsmen while Shivam Mavi and Prasidh Krishna still have some way to go as fast bowlers. Robin Uthappa has gone past 50 only once this season, while Nitish Rana’s poor strike rate in the middle overs has put extra pressure on Dinesh Karthik and Andre Russell.KKR will need to sort out these issues given the momentum Mumbai bring to the contest, and given Mumbai’s record at Eden Gardens. The venue is truly a home away from home for Mumbai, who have won nine of their 11 games there. They’ve also won their last seven games against KKR, home or away, and their captain Rohit Sharma has exceptional numbers in Kolkata.Kolkata Knight Riders have not beaten Mumbai Indians for over three years now•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Likely XIs

Kolkata Knight Riders: 1 Chris Lynn, 2 Sunil Narine, 3 Robin Uthappa, 4 Shubman Gill, 5 Nitish Rana, 6 Dinesh Karthik (capt & wk), 7 Andre Russell, 8 Piyush Chawla, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Prasidh Krishna/Shivam Mavi 11 Mitchell Johnson/Tom CurranMumbai Indians: 1 Suryakumar Yadav, 2 Evin Lewis, 3 Rohit Sharma (capt), 4 Ishan Kishan (wk), 5 Krunal Pandya, 6 Hardik Pandya, 7 JP Duminy, 8 Ben Cutting, 9 Mitchell McClenaghan, 10 Mayank Markande, 11 Jasprit Bumrah

Previous meeting

On a sunny Sunday afternoon, Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik propelled Mumbai to 181 for 4. Hardik led the defence too, finishing with 2 for 19 from his four overs, and KKR fell short of their target by 14 runs.Mumbai Indians’ pacers gave Knight Riders the short stuff•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Strategy punt

Against KKR on Sunday, Mumbai changed their lengths to shut down KKR’s scoring. Mumbai’s pacers bowled 69% of their deliveries either short or short of a length – while conceding 7.75 per over – and earned three wickets. Expect more of the same at the pace-friendly Eden Gardens.Vinay Kumar, meanwhile, could also be a left-field choice for KKR to combat Rohit. Vinay has dismissed Rohit in each of their six meetings. Rohit’s strike rate against Vinay is only 66.67.

Stats that matter

  • The side winning the toss has opted to bowl in all 12 matches at Eden Gardens since IPL 2017, and have won 66.67% of those games.
  • The brothers Pandya are reliable middle-overs operators. Krunal’s economy rate is only 6.7 in overs 7-15, while Hardik goes at 7.2.
  • Dinesh Karthik has never been dismissed by Hardik or Bumrah. He strikes at 172 against Hardik, and at over 200 against Bumrah.
  • Chris Lynn, on the other hand, has terrible numbers against Hardik and Bumrah. He’s fallen to Bumrah three times in five games while Hardik has dismissed him twice in seven balls.

Fantasy picks

How can you go against Rohit in Kolkata? At the Eden, he’s made 264 against Sri Lanka in an ODI, 177 on Test debut, a Ranji Trophy double-hundred, 109* in the 2012 IPL, 98* in the 2015 IPL and 84* in the 2016 IPL. In all, he’s gone past 30 five times in 11 IPL games.If you’re a KKR fan, stick with the spinners. They’ve taken 21 wickets among them at home, at an average of 18.1 and a strike rate of 14.4. With three spinners giving you four overs each, that’s an average of five wickets per game.

Ex-Spurs man makes big Rodgers claim

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

Former Tottenham Hotspur captain Graham Roberts has told Football FanCast that Brendan Rodgers would consider leaving Leicester City to join Spurs following Jose Mourinho’s sacking, despite reports suggesting the Northern Irishman would prefer to stay in the east Midlands.

The ex-Liverpool manager has been linked with the post in north London in recent weeks, with chairman Daniel Levy said to admire the Foxes boss.

He has had an impressive few years, taking Liverpool to within a hair’s breadth of becoming Premier League champions, and then guiding Celtic to two Scottish Premiership titles in a row.

Since his move to Leicester, he has established them as one of the best clubs outside the traditional top six, and they are currently third in the league.

There have been questions over whether Rodgers would consider such a move to a club like Spurs, such is the work he has done at the King Power Stadium, but Roberts believes that the job would appeal to him.

Mourinho was sacked earlier this month, with Ryan Mason installed as the interim head coach until the end of the season.

Speaking to FFC, Roberts said: “Brendan Rodgers is another one. Will Brendan Rodgers want to come to Tottenham? I would think yes, I think we’re a bigger club than Leicester.”

Marcus Bent expects Mourinho depature

by z3u9t.icu Uncategorized

Former Premier League striker Marcus Bent has exclusively told Football FanCast that he expects Tottenham to sack Jose Mourinho this summer.

Mourinho’s position has come under serious threat in recent months, with Spurs currently five points off the top four, meaning they’re likely to be without Champions League football for the second season in succession.

Tottenham have also crashed out of both the FA Cup and Europa League, meaning next week’s Carabao Cup final against Manchester City is their last chance to salvage something from the season.

Should Spurs lose to City, Mourinho will be on the brink of being unable to bring either Champions League football or silverware in his first two campaigns in north London.

And Bent told Football FanCast that those failures could cost the Portuguese his job:

“When he was at Chelsea, he had a side full of names, big names. It was kind of defensive-attacking, and I don’t think that works for Tottenham.

“He tried to go to Man United and do that, and it didn’t quite work. He’s tried to do that at Tottenham, but they’re a free spirit. He’s tried to bring more defensive formations and I don’t think it’s working.

“Will he stay on? I’m not too sure. My hunch is, I think they’ll let him go.”

Johnson must unleash Hawkes

by rastrear-estafeta.com Uncategorized

Having seen him impress for Sunderland’s U23 side so far this season, Lee Johnson should unleash Josh Hawkes over the coming weeks in a bid to help his side secure promotion from League One.

Having joined Sunderland from Hartlepool United last summer – a club where the attacking midfielder scored 13 goals and registered one assist over 63 appearances – Hawkes has so far made just one appearance for Johnson’s first team, with the 22-year-old playing the full 90 of the club’s 2-1 defeat to Fleetwood Town in the EFL Trophy back in November.

However, over his 17 Premier League 2 appearances for Elliott Dickman’s Sunderland U23 team, Hawkes has been in sensational form, bagging 11 goals and providing five assists for the development side.

And, in a recent interview with Football Insider, Sunderland legend Kevin Phillips discussed his admiration for the youngster, stating his excitement at the potential Hawkes appears to possess, as well as calling for Johnson to involve the midfielder in the first team setup going forwards.

He said: “He is at the perfect age to come into the first team. Only Lee Johnson can make that decision but I would expect him to be involved next season. They need to start blooding these young talented players.

“His numbers for the U23s speak for themselves and I am sure he has the potential to make an impact next year. I am sure he is being talked about in meetings at the training ground.”

Indeed, with Sunderland’s form having tailed off dramatically in recent weeks, there would appear to be no better time to inject a shot of youth into the team, as Hawkes clearly has the ability to influence games in terms of both scoring and creating chances, something which could prove the difference for Sunderland in the dying moments of matches where they have been struggling to break an opponent down.

This has been the case for the Black Cats in all of their last six fixtures, as, despite dominating against Peterborough United, Charlton Athletic, Wigan Athletic, Blackpool, Hull City and Accrington Stanley, Sunderland have managed to pick up just three points.

And, with Johnson’s side sitting comfortably in the play-off positions with three fixtures of the regular season to go, the 39-year-old has a very clear opportunity to afford Hawkes some minutes ahead of their play-off fixtures, as he could be a game-changer in those crucial matches.

In other news: Move over Sanderson: SAFC could save millions by unleashing “lovely” rarely-seen beast – opinion

Man United considering fantastic swap deal

by z3u9t.icu Uncategorized

After their last swap deal involving Alexis Sanchez and Henrikh Mkhitaryan ended in disaster, the Red Devils may have been cautious to complete such transfers once again.

However, TuttoSport have suggested that the Red Devils could send the lesser-seen Donny van de Beek to Juventus in order to facilitate a move for current Bianconeri midfielder Adrien Rabiot.

It’s a move which would make perfect sense, albeit in the process admitting that bringing the Dutchman to Old Trafford was a mistake.

When comparing the two players, Rabiot comes out on top in most, if not all, facets of the game.

According to WhoScored, the former Paris Saint-Germain ace has attempted more shots per game this season – 0.8 to 0.1 – than van de Beek. Those numbers are justified in their respective outputs with Rabiot having scored twice to the Dutchman’s once.

Whilst that lack of goal threat could be a direct consequence of van de Beek’s lack of action and the fact that his position is occupied by Bruno Fernandes, there is not a single attacking statistic in which the former Ajax man is victorious.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/latest-man-united-transfer-rumours-and-news” title=” Latest Man United transfer rumours and news!”]

He completes fewer key passes and fewer passes in general, whilst the only positive he has on his Juventus counterpart is that he only has 0.7 unsuccessful touches per game to Rabiot’s 1.3.

Meanwhile, the Frenchman has a far better pass success rate and contributes 3.3 greater defensive contributions per appearance than van de Beek.

They are certainly statistics which could suggest that Rabiot is a fantastic all-around midfielder, a sentiment echoed by Old Lady boss Andrea Pirlo, who has labelled him as a “complete player”.

It appears that Manchester United would be getting a far better player in return, so Ed Woodward should certainly consider jettisoning van de Beek in exchange for Rabiot in a deal which could potentially be far more profitable than the disastrous Sanchez and Mkhitaryan swap.

AND in more news, take a look at which Red Devils legend has saved the club “millions”…

Wolves: Rafa Mir could be their new Jimenez

by rastrear-estafeta.com Uncategorized

When it’s come to luring new strikers to Wolves, the club haven’t really got things spot on.

Willian Jose is yet to score for the Old Gold this term while Fabio Silva has netted only three times since his club-record move from Porto.

Those players are all in danger of falling into the category of Leo Bonatini, Leonardo Campana and Rafa Mir.

Though, while both Bonatini and Campana are failing to catch the eye during their loan spells, Mir has lit up La Liga in scintillating fashion.

The 23-year-old was signed from Valencia in 2018 and after a woeful set of temporary spells at various clubs in Europe, he was loaned to Huesca this term without little thought.

Mir has never scored in English football and is dubbed one of the worst signings in Nottingham Forest’s history.

He signed for Forest on loan in 2019/20 but didn’t find the net in 11 appearances. A move back to Spain has been influential, however.

The striker is now one of the best strikers in the Spanish top-flight and has even scored against Barcelona. That may have been from the penalty spot but it was tucked away with the confidence of a player in the form of his life.

Mir has scored two hat-tricks this term, against Real Valladolid and Marchamalo while he also bagged against Copa del Rey winners Real Sociedad.

The marksman now has 15 goals in all competitions and has beaten the goalkeeper on six occasions in his last five outings. Evidently, he is very much a different player from the one who has struggled so regularly in England.

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The Wolves loanee has scored more goals in La Liga this term than Joao Felix, Antoine Griezmann and impressive Spanish internationals Mikel Oyarzabal and Iago Aspas.

But what’s changed for Mir? Well, he’s now got a manager that trusts him and the entire Huesca team is built around him.

Speaking to The Athletic earlier this season, Spanish football writer Robbie Dunne only had praise for the forward.

Dunne began: “He’s a little bit like Diego Costa in that he’s aggressive, he likes running the channels, he holds off defenders, he’s athletic and strong. He’s not exactly technically gifted but he has an unorthodox running style that works for him, he can keep the ball, he’s got a powerful strike, he’s quick and he’s good in the air.”

Considering Wolves were reportedly interested in a move for Diego Costa last January, perhaps they were wise to swerve a move. After all, Dunne claims Wolves already have a player like him on their books.

The writer added: “The only weakness is that he’s not very technically capable, so perhaps he doesn’t add a whole lot in the build-up, meaning a game can pass him by. You see him getting frustrated when he’s not on the ball. He’s maybe got an assassin’s mentality. When there are enough crosses coming into the box and down those channels, he can thrive.”

That final line sounds an awful lot like Raul Jimenez. Wolves have lacked an out and out goal scorer this term with the Mexican missing since November while he recovers from a fractured skull.

He is a player who thrives on creative players getting into the channels and then either delivering a cross or pulling the ball back for him. It’s clear that Mir appreciates the same sort of service in Spain.

With both players standing at 6 foot 3, they’d offer a similar presence in attacking areas. Wolves have lacked plenty in forward areas this season so they should consider handing Mir a proper opportunity in 2021/22.

With the right help and service, he could be Nuno Santo’s next Jimenez.

AND in other news, Move over Silva: Wolves must seal swoop for £34.5m gem who makes “spectacular plays”…

James Pearce reacts to Klopp decision

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

Liverpool slipped to their fifth-straight home defeat in the Premier League as they lost 1-0 to Chelsea on Thursday night.

Pearce reacts

The Reds lost out to a well-taken Mason Mount strike just before half-time, in a game where Jurgen Klopp’s side only managed to register just one shot on target during the 90 minutes.

The German tactician’s substitutions raised some eyebrows on the night – taking off the Premier League’s top goalscorer Mohamed Salah after the hour mark. Despite having Naby Keita at his disposal, he brought James Milner on as his final change as opposed to the more creative midfielder.

This move from Klopp confused Pearce. Replying to a fan on The Athletic’s Q&A session after the full-time whistle, the journalist seemed baffled by the decision not to feature Keita when Liverpool were chasing a goal.

He said: “Naby Keita would have been [a better choice to bring on]. Very odd decision. The subs didn’t improve LFC tonight. Liverpool just don’t attack with the same kind of fluidity and intensity. The structure of the team looks wrong.”

Transfer Tavern Verdict

Pearce is spot on here. It looks as if Klopp made changes just to go with some fresh legs – as opposed to a shift of tactics.

Keita’s attacking prowess could have provided Liverpool with a different dimension. While they were much better in the second half, the Reds’ number eight may have provided some cutting edge in the final third.

While injuries at the back have been an issue, going forward, Liverpool look incredibly lacklustre and some tough decisions need to be made.

In other news, Emile Heskey believes Liverpool mainstay needs to ‘take a backseat.’