The Philippe Clement era at Rangers is over.

Last weekend’s 2-0 home defeat at the hands of St Mirren, the Buddies’ first victory at Ibrox since 1991, proved to be the Belgian’s 86th and final match in charge, enjoying 55 victories but unable to lead the Gers to a 56th title.

His sacking was announced a week ago before, the following morning, it was confirmed that Barry Ferguson, who made 410 appearances for the club, will be in interim charge until the end of the season, assisted by a trio of fellow-former Rangers players, namely Neil McCann, Billy Dodds and Allan McGregor.

Given that, as noted by Graham Ruthven of the Total Soccer Show, Ferguson has no pedigree as a top-level manager, previously taking charge of Clyde, Kelty Hearts and Alloa Athletic with mixed success, he’s unlikely to get the job permanently.

So, should Rangers’ potential new investors, namely Paraag Marathe of 49ers Enterprises, look to a manager from farther afield, with Pep Guardiola’s approval no less, as Clement’s long-term successor?

What went wrong for Philippe Clement at Ibrox

Ever since Rangers were knocked out of the Scottish Cup by Queen’s Park, beaten at Ibrox in that competition by a team from a lower division for the first time ever, it was only a matter of time until Clement lost his job.

With his team also currently 16 points adrift run-away Premiership leaders Celtic, speaking on Premier Sports’ Scottish Football Social Club, former Hibs and Hearts midfielder Michael Stewart said he could not see how Clement could survive such an historic cup shock.

Meantime, speaking on the Scottish Football Show, Findlay Marks believes Clement has been a ‘dead man walking’ ever since that cup exit, adding that while the Belgian is clearly a good manager, he ‘never figured out… how to play in Scotland’.

Clement failed to win any of his first six Glasgow derbies, two of which came in cup finals, another reason why Mark Atkinson of the Scotsman believed ‘most Rangers-minded individuals wanted him gone’ a while ago.

With Rangers marooned in second spot in the Premiership, not going to catch Celtic and equally unlikely to be overtaken by Aberdeen, they can start planning for next season, which they know will commence on 22 or 23 July with the first leg of a Champions League qualifier.

By then, the Light Blues could have new owners, given that 49ers Enterprises are attempting to purchase a ‘controlling stake’ in the club, as reported by Jordan Campbell of the Athletic, so should they look to the other side of the world for their first managerial hire?

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Expand Collapse Rangers' ideal Clement successor

According to David Irvine of the National, Kevin Muscat is currently third-favourite to be the next Rangers manager, having been interviewed for the job back in October 2023, when Clement was appointed instead, a decision that left him ‘disappointed’.

As a player, Muscat made 26 appearances for Rangers in the 2002/03 season, also representing Crystal Palace, Wolves, Millwall as well as various clubs across Australia, infamously deemed to be too hot-headed by manager Alex McLeish to play in an Old Firm.

He’s since become something of a globe trotter in management, in charge of Melbourne Victory for six years, winning two A-League titles, before a brief stint as Ange Postecoglou’s assistant at the 2017 Confederations Cup in Russia.

After little over a dozen matches in charge of Sint-Truiden in Belgium, he then succeeded Postecoglou at Yokohama F. Marinos, after his compatriot became Celtic head coach, winning the J1 League in 2022.

Since December 2023, Muscat has been in charge of Shanghai Port in China, winning the Chinese Super League and Chinese FA Cup double last season, beating Shandong Taishan 3-1 in November’s final in Wenzhou, as he pointed out himself, achieving the club’s very first double.

“Guardiola has approved of Kevin Muscat’s high-tempo attacking football” as noted by digital producer Sacha Pisani, with the Manchester City boss saying of Muscat’s Yokohama side “wow… they are dynamic in their process, the build-up, everything they do. I like it.”

So, let’s see how he compares to Clement.

Clement @ Rangers vs Muscat

Stats

Clement

Muscat – Melbourne

Muscat – Yokohama

Muscat – Shanghai

Matches

86

200

116

46

Wins

55

95

67

33

Wins %

63.95%

47.5%

57.76%

71.72%

League titles

Zero

2

1

1

Cups

1

2

0

1

All stats courtesy of Transfermarkt

As the table underlines, Muscat has won a league title in three different countries, not many can boast that, while his Shanghai Port side won last season’s Chinese Super League title with a record-breaking 78 points, dropping only 12 points all year.

Thus, the 51-year-old’s pedigree means he has to be a serious candidate to fill the current vacancy at Ibrox.

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Liverpool have now held internal talks over a deal to sign an “underrated” midfielder who has a similar play-style to Toni Kroos, according to a report.

Reds still chasing a midfielder

The Reds missed out on Martin Zubimendi in a well-publicised transfer saga last summer, but their lack of new additions in midfield hasn’t hindered them this season, with Ryan Gravenberch stepping up to the plate and becoming a key player.

Arne Slot singled out his compatriot for praise after his performance against Fulham, saying: “Ryan did outstanding again today. Without the ball, he was mostly in our last line, had to play sometimes against a nine, against wingers who are really fast. And with the ball, he came into the midfield. An outstanding performance from him.”

However, the Merseyside club retain an interest in signing a new central midfielder, having identified a range of targets during the January transfer window. In a more attacking role, Rayan Cherki has emerged as an option, with Lyon potentially being forced to cash-in on one of their star players amid the ongoing financial issues at the club.

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In terms of defensive targets, Joshua Kimmich was on the Reds’ radar in January, given that he is yet to sign a new contract at Bayern Munich, with an initial approach being made.

Kimmich is not the only Bundesliga midfielder being considered, however, with Caught Offside revealing Liverpool have now held internal talks over a deal to sign Stuttgart’s Angelo Stiller.

Stiller has a tempting €40m (£33m) release clause included in his contract, which is unlikely to be viewed as a major outlay, although the Merseysiders are yet to hold direct talks with the player or his club.

Slot is still yet to make a final decision about who his priority midfield target will be this summer, but the Stuttgart star is certainly on the radar.

Stiller could be a solid addition to Slot's squad

The German’s affordable price tag is likely to appeal to Liverpool, and his performances over the past year indicate he could make a real impact at Anfield.

Slot is likely to want a midfielder capable of keeping for Gravenberch’s starting spot, and the 23-year-old has some similar qualities to the Dutchman, given that he is an impressive passer of the ball.

The Munich-born maestro ranks in the 97th percentile for progressive passes per 90 over the past year, indicating he is a forward-thinking player, while he also places in the 78th percentile for assists.

French journalist Coralie Salle has described the Bundesliga midfielder as “extremely underrated”, while also praising him for his passing ability and likening him to former Real Madrid man Kroos.

Given the level of Stiller’s performances in the Bundesliga, it is promising news he is being considered for a summer switch to Anfield, and winning the Premier League would place Liverpool in a very strong position to get a deal done.

Son Heung-min hailed his "best mate" Harry Kane and confirmed the Bayern Munich star will be the "biggest Spurs fan" during the Europa League final.

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• Son & Kane remain the best of friends
• Kane won the first trophy of his career with Bayern
• Son can follow in his footsteps by lifting the UEL trophy

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Kane and Son formed one of the Premier League’s most iconic attacking partnerships during their time together at Tottenham from 2015 to 2023. Though now separated by leagues and countries, the bond between the two remains as strong as ever.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Earlier this month, Bayern Munich secured the Bundesliga title — the first major honour of Kane’s career. Son was quick to congratulate his friend and acknowledged how significant the achievement was for the England captain. As Kane savours his Bundesliga medal, Son is hoping he too can celebrate silverware, with Tottenham on the verge of clinching the Europa League title.

• WHAT SON SAID

  Ahead of the Europa League final, Son said: "Everyone knows Harry is my best mate and it was a huge honour of playing alongside him. After he won his first title, we had a chat about his trophy. He is already on holiday, so he doesn't have to text me. I am just concentrating on myself with the boys and I'm sure Harry will be the biggest Spurs fan tomorrow and supporting us from his holidays."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR SON?

  The final, which sees Spurs face Manchester United on Wednesday night, is being seen as a defining moment for a squad that has faced immense pressure and mixed fortunes throughout the season. Victory would mark Tottenham’s first major trophy since 2008 and would also be a personal milestone for Son, who is yet to lift silverware during his long and committed service to the North London club.

Enzo Maresca insists Chelsea had no chance of competing for the Premier League title this season and that a top-five finish would represent success.

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Maresca aiming for top-five finishChelsea can't compete for titleOutlined what counts as successFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The Blues sit fifth in the league table with two matches to play, having seemingly been competing for top spot earlier in the season. The Italian insists that was never likely to last, though, and that he will be satisfied with his team's efforts if they stay where they are in the league.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportWHAT MARESCA SAID

Maresca said: "In the last two years we have finished 12th and sixth. It is not 10 or 15 years ago. I said many times already that we have had a good season, that can become a very good season if we are able to finish top five and also if we are able to win the Conference League. We had moments, for instance in the first five or six months, where we were second and third, so even better. Now we are there and we are going to ty to finish well."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

It was reported this week that Maresca will keep his job at Chelsea this summer and throughout next season before his position is reviewed next year, regardless of whether they secure a place in the Champions League.

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AFPWHAT NEXT FOR CHELSEA?

Chelsea play Manchester United in the Premier League on Friday before a trip to Nottingham Forest on the last day of the season. They then play Real Betis in the Conference League final.

Leeds United will be hoping to go one better in the closing stages of the season, aiming to finally end their two-year stint in the Championship under Daniel Farke.

The German led the Whites to a third-place finish, missing out on automatic promotion and having to feature in the play-offs, something which would result in a failure to secure a return to the Premier League.

Southampton claimed a 1-0 triumph in the final at Wembley, restricting the side to another season in the second tier, but the Whites have made the perfect response to the adversity they’ve faced.

They sit at the top of the table with just a couple of months of the campaign remaining, with Farke edging ever closer to claiming a third Championship title of his managerial career.

He’s made various key additions over the last couple of months after the play-off final heartbreak, with one of the signings thriving under the German’s guidance.

Jayden Bogle’s stats for Leeds in 2024/25

Right-back Jayden Bogle joined Leeds in a £5m deal from Sheffield United in the summer, looking to provide added quality to the side to right the wrongs of last season.

The 24-year-old has been crucial to their success, starting 33 times out of a possible 35 league matches to date, cementing himself as the number one option in that department.

Despite his defensive role, the Englishman has registered four goals and two assists in the Championship, notching the same number of contributions as attacker Mateo Joseph.

He’s also won 1.7 tackles per 90 this campaign, proving that he’s more than capable of contributing at the back – as seen by the club’s defensive record, which is the second best in the division.

However, despite his form at Elland Road, he’s been outperformed by one other player who previously plied his trade in Yorkshire – with the club rueing not being able to keep hold of the star.

The former Leeds star who’s outperformed Bogle on 2024/25

After their failure to get promoted, Leeds lost numerous key players, such as Georginio Rutter and Crysencio Summerville, moving to Brighton and West Ham United, respectively.

Various other players also departed Elland Road, one of whom was right-back Connor Roberts, who spent the campaign on loan in Yorkshire from Burnley, who were in the Premier League at the time.

The 29-year-old played a vital role in the first-team last campaign during his temporary stint, making 15 appearances after his January move, registering a goal and an assist for the Whites.

However, the Welsh international would return to his parent side after their own relegation back to the Championship at the end of the 2023/24 campaign.

Roberts has since impressed under Scott Parker, registering two goals and three assists in his 30 outings, notching one less goal contribution than Bogle but outperforming the Englishman in multiple key areas.

How Roberts compares to Bogle in the Championship (2024/25)

Statistics (per 90)

Roberts

Bogle

Games played

30

33

Goals & assists

5

6

Progressive passes

6

4.8

Goals per shot on target

0.5

0.3

Pass accuracy

83%

76%

% of tackles won

68%

60%

Take-on success

53%

49%

Stats via FBref

The 29-year-old, who has previously been labelled “superb” by journalist Simon Stone, has completed more progressive carries per 90, whilst completing more take-ons.

He’s also won more of his attempted tackles, showcasing his defensive ability and contributing to the Clarets’ incredible record, which has seen them concede just 10 goals in 35 matches.

Given his form at Turf Moor, the Whites must wish they were able to hold on to the full-back after his impressive loan spell in Yorkshire last time around.

However, their loss is Burnley’s gain, with Parker having a quality player who could bolster their chances of promotion, looking to prevent Farke’s men from finishing off the task.

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Former Aston Villa CEO Keith Wyness expects a “sensational” midfielder to move to Villa Park this summer, with Unai Emery said to be a “huge fan”.

Villa's summer transfer window plans

Villa were extremely active in the January transfer window, bringing in the likes of Marco Asensio and Marcus Rashford on loan, while Donyell Malen arrived from Borussia Dortmund on a permanent basis.

However, Emery remains intent on bringing in more additions in the summer, and the manager could be particularly keen to strengthen his defence, with a recent report revealing Celtic’s Cameron Carter-Vickers is now of interest.

An enquiry has also been made over the potential signing of Viktoria Plzen’s Pavel Sulc, who has impressed in an attacking-midfield role this season, although there could be competition for the Czech from the likes of Manchester City and Leeds United.

Aston Villa now plotting move to sign £67m star with same agent as Asensio

Monchi is a fan…

ByTom Cunningham Mar 9, 2025

The Villans are already well stocked in attacking midfield, with the likes of Morgan Rogers and Asensio at Emery’s disposal, but the latter player is only on loan from Paris Saint-Germain, meaning his long-term future remains up in the air.

However, in a recent interview with Football Insider, Wyness has now revealed he expects his former club to sign the Spaniard on a permanent basis in the summer window, saying: “I think they’ll push ahead and sign him, Emery has been a huge fan for many years.

“I’ve followed his career myself, I think back to when he was at Real Mallorca – that’s when he came to prominence in my mind, anyway.

“He’s a talent, and he seems to fit the number ten role that Emery wants him to play.

“I think they’ll do it. We know Villa will be tight, but they’ve done some clever trading around the PSR situation.

“I expect Monchi to be the master chess player and get it done. I expect Asensio to be one of the key targets, so they’ll make it happen.”

"Sensational" Asensio has started well at Villa

It is little wonder Villa may be keen to sign the 29-year-old on a permanent basis this summer, given that he has made a fantastic start to life in the Premier League since arriving on loan from PSG in January.

The £117k-per-week maestro missed the recent 1-0 win at Brentford through injury, but prior to that, he was in fine form in front of goal, finding the back of the net five times in his last four outings.

The former Real Madrid man has been lauded as “sensational” by members of the media in the past, and he is off to a flying start to his Villa career, showing signs he could be a key player for Emery going forward.

As such, it is exciting news that Villa are set to pursue a permanent move for Asensio in the summer, and PSG’s willingness to send him out on loan in January indicates a deal is there to be done.

Manchester City have arguably their biggest game of the season on Wednesday night, as they face Real Madrid in the second leg of their Champions League knockout round clash. The Citizens will be looking to turn around a 3-2 deficit at the Santiago Bernabeu.

The first leg was a fantastic, end-to-end game of football. Pep Guardiola’s side had the lead twice, through who else but Erling Haaland, before Los Blancos did what they do best and came from behind to win. Goals from Kylian Mbappe, Brahim Diaz and Jude Bellingham late on were enough to seal the victory.

If City are to win in the Spanish capital, they will have to be careful of Mbappe, who has a good record against them.

Mbappe’s record against City

Few opposition players strike fear into a team or their fans like Mbappe does. He is one of the world’s best players, who French legend Thierry Henry said last week he would want in his team “all day” as a manager.

There is a misconception that Mbappe’s start to life for Los Blancos has been poor. In actual fact, he has 24 goals and three assists in 36 appearances for his new club. He has been on fire despite not hitting his usual numbers at the start of the campaign, which just shows his level if anything.

Against City, Mbappe has a strong record. The 2018 World Cup Winner has played against the Citizens six times in his career, scoring four goals and grabbing one assist in that time. He has scored twice against Guardiola’s side for Monaco, once for Paris Saint Germain and once for Madrid.

Mbappe is a player who can really harm City and could be a player who can swing the tie. He is certainly someone who they must stop on Wednesday night if they want to reach the Round of 16 of the Champions League.

However, Guardiola’s side can fight fire with fire by unleashing their own version of Mbappe.

Man City’s answer to Mbappe

Maybe instead of stopping Mbappe, it is easier to simply try and outscore him. City might well decide to do that this week if Guardiola starts one of his star attackers, who has been in scintillating form recently.

Chalkboard

Omar Marmoush’s £59m move from Eintracht Frankfurt in January was arguably the biggest move across Europe. He has hit the ground running at the Etihad Stadium and was superb in his most recent outing against Newcastle United.

The Egypt international scored a first-half hattrick against the Magpies, to help his side to a 4-0 home win. They are the first goals he scored for his new side, in five appearances so far. One of those was a fleeting six-minute cameo against Los Blancos last week.

Football analyst Ben Mattinson described Marmoush as an “inevitable” footballer, something which Eddie Howe’s side certainly understood at the weekend. He was superb for Eintracht, too, with 37 goals and 20 assists in just 67 games for the club.

Interestingly, Marmoush is deemed to be a similar player to Mbappe, among those in his position across Europe’s top five leagues, as per FBref, over the last 365 days.

Per 90 minutes, the City number seven actually averages more goals and assists, with 1.46 compared to 0.9 for Mbappe, and has more goal-creating actions, with 1.13 compared to the Madrid striker’s 0.38.

Marmoush and Mbappe key stats compared
Stat (per 90)	Marmoush	Mbappe
G/A	1.46	0.9
Goals per shot on target	0.43	0.25
Chances created	2.05	1.46
Goal-creating actions	1.13	0.38
Progressive carries	4.27	4.72
Stats from FBref

It is certainly interesting that Marmoush and Mbappe are deemed to be such similar footballers. They are both clearly game changers, and it might serve Guardiola well to start the Egyptian forward this week – having been on the bench in the reverse fixture – as their reply to Mbappe in many ways.

There is no doubt that City’s marquee January signing could have a major say in the tie, and will be hoping to score a goal that could help his side into the Champions League Round of 16, if he gets the nod to start.

Forget Marmoush: Man City hit gold over star who's now worth 218% more

This has been a successful signing for Man City

1

By
Joe Nuttall

Feb 17, 2025

تحدث خالد مرتجي، أمين صندوق الأهلي والقائم بأعمال نائب رئيس النادي، عن انضمام أحمد سيد زيزو، لاعب الزمالك السابق إلى صفوف الأحمر خلال فترة الانتقالات الصيفية.

وقال مرتجي في تصريحات عبر قناة “أون سبورت”: “نحن في عصر الاحتراف، ولدينا من الخبرة ما يكفي للتعامل مع النجوم، كنت أتمنى ضم زيزو منذ ثلاث سنوات، لأنني كنت أشعر أنه يشبهنا وينتمي إلينا”.

وتابع: “زيزو من أفضل لاعبي مصر، وكنا بحاجة إلى لاعب مثله يضيف لنا الكثير، زيزو نجم كبير، ووجوده في الأهلي سيُضيف له وللفريق أيضًا، لقد كان متحمسًا للغاية، واتصل بي وهو في طريقه وقال لي أنا قادم بكل شغف، وأريد أن أبذل كل ما بوسعي لإسعاد جماهير الأهلي”.

وواصل: “عندما يُفكر الأهلي في التعاقد مع لاعب، لا ينظر فقط إلى إمكاناته الفنية، بل حتى في اختيار المدربين، يضع محمود الخطيب مجموعة من المعايير التي يجب أن تتوافر، وأؤكد أن زيزو تتوفر فيه هذه المعايير، وهو بالفعل يشبهنا في الروح والانتماء”.

واستكمل: “نحن، كمجلس إدارة، مهمتنا هي توفير كل المقومات التي تمكّن الجهاز الفني واللاعبين من تحقيق نتائج إيجابية لإسعاد الجماهير، لقد قلت للمدير الفني ريبيرو، نحن جميعًا هنا من أجل مساعدتك، قل لنا ما تحتاجه وسنقوم بتنفيذه وقلت له بوضوح نحن هنا لخدمتك وقد استغرب الرجل من أن عضو مجلس الإدارة ورئيس البعثة يقول له هذا الكلام”.

واستمر: “الأهلي هو من يصنع المدربين، تمامًا كما فعل مع مانويل جوزيه الذي جاء ولم يكن معروفًا، ثم أصبح رمزًا بفضل النادي، الأهلي هو صاحب الفضل على كل من ينضم إليه، ولا أحد له فضل على النادي”.

واسترسل: “الكابتن محمود الخطيب هو تاريخ كامل في حد ذاته، لاعب وعضو مجلس إدارة ومدير كرة وأمين صندوق ونائب رئيس، ثم رئيس للنادي، وقد تتلمذ على يد أساتذة كبار، واكتسب خبرات كبيرة على مدار أكثر من 40 عامًا لذلك، لا بد أنه قد تشرب الخبرة من كل المراحل التي مر بها كل من تولوا قيادة الأهلي منذ تأسيسه عام 1907 وحتى اليوم يسيرون على نفس النهج”.

واستطرد: “لقد تعلمنا على يد أساتذة، قد نختلف في بعض الأمور إذا كانت هناك مساحة للاختلاف، ولكن إن لم تكن هناك هذه المساحة، فالأمر محسوم ولا مجال للنقاش”.

طالع.. الجوهرة “ميسينهو” وتكافؤ تاريخي.. كل ما تريد معرفته عن بالميراس منافس الأهلي في كأس العالم للأندية وأردف: “الأهلي وقف بجانب علي معلول، فهو صاحب تاريخ كبير وقد نقش اسمه بحروف من ذهب، ولا أحد يستطيع التقليل من شأنه، وقد خرج من الباب الكبير وعندما تعرض للإصابة، لم يتخلَّ عنه النادي، بل دعمه، وهو يستحق منا أكثر من ذلك لكن في النهاية، تبقى رؤية المدير الفني والالتزام بعدد اللاعبين الأجانب هي الحاكمة، ومصلحة الأهلي فوق الجميع هذه هي كرة القدم، أجيال تسلّم أجيالًا ومعلول قد سجل اسمه في التاريخ، والنادي وقف بجانبه، ويستحق الأفضل دائمًا”.

وأضاف: “لدينا لجنة تخطيط، والمفوض من مجلس الإدارة هو الكابتن محمود الخطيب، وميزانية كرة القدم رابحة لأنها تدرّ دخلًا على النادي، ولن نقوم بأي تصرف يتجاوز إمكانياتنا، حتى بعد التعاقد مع هذه الصفقات”.

وتابع: “أرغب في تطبيق مبدأ اللعب المالي النظيف، نحن نُعلن ميزانيتنا بشفافية، وأود أن أعرف من أين تحصل بعض الأندية على الأموال التي تمكّنها من إبرام صفقات كبرى والأهلي يتمتع بالشفافية، ومن أراد الاطلاع على ميزانية النادي، فليتفضل، فلا شيء لدينا نخفيه، أود أن أعرف من أين تحصل الأندية الأخرى على أموالها، وأين تصرفها”.

وبخصوص الفوز بالدوري: “هناك أكثر من نادٍ، وليس ناديًا واحدًا، شكك في نتيجة بطولة الدوري، ومن حق كل طرف أن يبحث عن حقوقه، لكني لا أظن أن الأمر سيُحسم قريبًا، فإجراءات محكمة التحكيم الرياضي “كاس” طويلة ومعقدة”.

وأتم: “أرى أن الحق مع الأهلي، فهو نادٍ يترفّع عن تقديم الشكاوى في كثير من الأحيان، لا أعلم لماذا تُرفع القضايا، ونحن الأحق بالبطولة، فهي الأصعب والأقوى من وجهة نظري لكن طالما أن الأمر وصل إلى المحكمة الرياضية، فلننتظر ونرَ ما سيحدث”.

Ecclestone’s 3 for 13 and Capsey’s 51 ensured England’s wobble didn’t cost them the win

Matt Roller13-Feb-2023

Sophie Ecclestone shakes a leg in celebration•Getty Images

England stumbled across the line against Ireland in Paarl, winning by four wickets with the better part of six overs remaining after Alice Capsey thrashed 51 off 22 balls.Capsey fell immediately after reaching a 21-ball half-century, the joint-fastest in Women’s T20 World Cup history, as England looked for a net run-rate boost in pursuit of 106. They stuttered after her dismissal, losing 5 for 33, but Ireland’s own collapse with the bat ensured there was never any scoring pressure on England.Ireland were aggressive with the bat after winning the toss. They reached 80 for 2 after 12 overs, with Gaby Lewis playing fluently after surviving a dropped chance off Lauren Bell in the first over. But they fell away dramatically, losing 8 for 25 in 35 balls. Sophie Ecclestone made the crucial intervention, dismissing Lewis in a double-wicket maiden which sparked a dramatic collapse.Ecclestone took a sharp, diving catch at mid-off in the following over to dismiss Louise Little and leave Ireland five down, before Sarah Glenn struck twice in her final over. Ecclestone yorked Ireland captain Laura Delany with her final ball to finish with 3 for 13, with Bell and Katherine Sciver-Brunt striking either side.Ireland needed early wickets – and got one, as Sophia Dunkley chipped to mid-on. But they bowled poorly with the new ball, with the nerves of a young team playing their first T20 World Cup fixture in four-and-a-half years.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Capsey was disdainful, swinging her way to England’s fastest fifty in this format – before lofting Arlene Kelly to long-off. Cara Murray took three wickets with her legbreaks after Danni Wyatt ran herself out to take the shine off England’s win, but they secured the two points with 34 balls to spare.Gaby Lewis leads Ireland’s bright start
Ireland had not played in a Women’s T20 World Cup since 2018 but expectations were high after their victory against defending champions Australia in a warm-up fixture. They became higher still when they crashed four fours off the first nine balls of the innings, openers Lewis and Amy Hunter trading boundaries.Lewis, Ireland’s all-time leading run-scorer in T20Is, set the tone when she pounded the first ball she faced through backward point for four, though did benefit from some early luck. She cut her fourth ball straight to Wyatt, who shelled a straightforward chance at point.Heather Knight turned to spin in the third over on a dry, used pitch but Lewis continued to score fluently, reverse-sweeping and sweeping boundaries. Hunter holed out to deep midwicket off Charlie Dean, but Ireland raced to 42 for 1 off the six-over Powerplay.After two lengthy delays to fix a loose stump-camera cable, Orla Prendergast’s bright cameo ended when she was bowled by a ball from Glenn that kept low, but Lewis and captain Delany continued to tick over, reaching 80 for 2 at the end of the 12th over as they looked to build a platform for a late launch.England’s spin squeeze
Ecclestone is Knight’s trump card, and she opted to play it in the 13th over, looking to break the burgeoning partnership between Lewis and Delany. It worked, as Lewis top-edged a sweep to Wyatt – who hung onto this low chance at deep backward square leg – and Ireland’s middle order was exposed.Eimear Richardson was trapped lbw, looking to paddle-sweep her first ball. Louise Little survived the hat-trick ball and lofted Dean back over her head for Ireland’s only six, but miscued her next delivery to Ecclestone at mid-off.Glenn struck twice in her next over. First, she trapped Waldron – playing her record 180th game for Ireland – lbw on the sweep and then crashed one into Leah Paul’s middle-and-off stump. Ireland had lost five wickets in 17 balls, and the game was over as a contest.Murray sparks mini-collapse
England needed only 33 off 13 overs when Murray was introduced, and Delany must have rued holding her back so long. A wicket fell in her first over when Wyatt pushed to short cover and set off for a single that was never there, and Murray had her own first wicket with her seventh ball when Nat Sciver-Brunt holed out to long-off.Knight and Amy Jones both fell with the finish line in sight, Knight diverting a ball onto her own stumps via the glove and Jones chipping meekly into the covers. But Ireland never had quite enough runs to play with, and England’s implosion came a little too late to give Ireland any real hope.WPL offers England sub-plots
Knight admitted before the tournament that the inaugural Women’s Premier League (WPL) auction was “on everyone’s minds”, saying: “It would be naive to think it isn’t a slight distraction.” Before Monday’s game had started, three England players – Nat Sciver-Brunt, Dunkley and Ecclestone – had secured contracts, but Knight herself went unsold in the first round of bidding.By the innings break, three more players had deals: Capsey, Bell and Knight herself, with travelling reserve Issy Wong also picked up. The rest of the squad went unsold, and Knight will need to ensure players’ franchise contracts do not become a distraction across the rest of the tournament.

MatériaMais Notícias

Nesta terça-feira (19), Grêmio e Brusque se enfrentaram em Santa Catarina, pela 19ª rodada da Série B, e ficaram no empate em 1 a 1, com gols marcados no início do segundo tempo. Bitello abriu a contagem aos três minutos para os visitantes, mas Wallace Reis deixou tudo igual.

Com o resultado, o Imortal continua no G4, com 33 pontos conquistados. Por outro lado, O Quadricolor estaciona na 12ª colocação, com 22 tentos.

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No próximo sábado (23), o time comandado por Roger Machado recebe a Ponte Preta, em sua Arena, às 16h30 (de Brasília). Um dia depois, o Brusque viaja para Campinas e enfrenta o Guarani, às 11h.

SEM GOLS!
A primeira boa oportunidade surgiu dos visitantes. O volante Bitello foi levando a marcação, arriscou de longe e obrigou o goleiro a espalmar para escanteio. Logo depois, o Brusque respondeu com Rodolfo Potiguar em cobrança de falta, que foi por cima.

Aos 13 minutos, após cruzamento na área, o atacante Fernandinho tentou um voleio, mas mandou para fora. Logo depois, o confronto ficou sem grandes oportunidades, com ambos povoando o meio-campo, mas com dificuldades na criação de jogadas.

Na reta final, após boa trama, Balotelli recebeu na direita, mandou para o gol e Grando espalmou para escanteio. Por fim, Campaz cobrou falta direto, para fora.

BOLAS NA REDE!
Na volta do intervalo, logo aos três minutos, Bitello fez boa jogada, tabelou com Biel, recebeu livre e chutou entre as pernas do goleiro para balançar as redes.Aos 8′, após escanteio cobrado, Wallace subiu bem e empatou o confronto.

O duelo ficou bem aberto, com ambos tendo boas chances. Zé Mateus recebeu com espaço e arriscou de fora. Logo depois, em lance bem semelhante, Campaz mandou por cima. Sem maiores oportunidades, o confronto se encerrou em 1 a 1.

FICHA TÉCNICA DA PARTIDA
BRUSQUE 1 X 1 GRÊMIO

Local: Estádio Augusto Bauer, Brusque-SC
Data/horário: 19/07/2022 – 19h (de Brasília)
Árbitro: Luiz Flávio de Oliveira (SP)
Assistentes: Miguel Cataneo Ribeiro da Costa (SP) eDaniel Luis Marques (SP)
Árbitro de Vídeo (VAR): Igor Junio Benevenuto de Oliveira (MG)
Cartões amarelos: Álvaro, Fernandinho (Brusque)
Cartões vermelhos: –
GOLS: Bitello (3’/2T) (0-1), Wallace Reis (8’/2T) (1-1)

Brusque – técnico: Luan Carlos
Jordan; Pará (Edílson 33’/2T), Éverton Alemão, Wallace e Airton; Rodolfo Potiguar, Balotelli, Zé Mateus e Álvaro (Gabriel Taliari 33’/2T); Fernandinho e Crislan (Júnior Todinho 17’/2T).

Grêmio – técnico: Roger Machado
​Gabriel Grando; Rodrigo Ferreira, Geromel, Bruno Alves e Diogo Barbosa; Villasanti (Thiago Santos 35’/2T) e Bitello (Matheus Sarará 42’/2T); Biel (Pedro Lucas 35’/2T), Campaz (Janderson 21’/2T) e Ferreira (Elias 42’/2T); Diego Souza.