أعرب مهاجم وهداف الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي برشلونة، روبرت ليفاندوفسكي، عن سعادته الشديدة بتواجد هانز فليك مع العملاق الكتالوني.
وبدأ فليك عمله في الصيف مع برشلونة ليعود لتدريب ليفاندوفسكي من جديد بعد فترة مع بايرن ميونخ وحصل الثنائي سويًا على أكثر من بطولة أهمها دوري أبطال أوروبا وكأس العالم للأندية.
اقرأ أيضًا.. سبورت توضح موقف برشلونة من صفقة جوناثان ديفيد في يناير
وتحدث ليفاندوفسكي عن تواجد فليك في حواره مع صحيفة “ذا أثلتيك”، وقال: “كنت سعيدًا جدًا، لأنني كنت أعرف ما سيحدث، لقد عملت كثيرًا مع هانز ولا نحتاج إلى التحدث كثيرًا لأنني أفهمه”.
وتابع: “المرة الأولى التي تحدثت فيها معه هذا العام كانت خلال الفترة التي كان برشلونة يبحث فيها عن مدرب جديد، كانت فترة قصيرة، حوالي أسبوعين أو ثلاثة أسابيع قبل بداية الصيف”.
وأضاف: “نشعر بالقوة هذا الموسم، هذا يرجع إلى الإعداد البدني الجيد في فترة الإعداد، لا داعي للقلق في المباريات وكيفية التغلب على الخصم، نعلم أننا بخير، كل شيء يتحسن”.
وعن الشائعات التي تدور حول الفريق: “لقد عزلت نفسي تمامًا عما يُقال، قرأت وسمعت الكثير من المعلومات المضللة ولا أتفهم سبب حدوث ذلك”.
ومواهب برشلونة: “هناك تواصل جيد بيننا وهذا بدأ في الموسم الماضي، أجلس معهم في وجبة الغداء ونتحدث عن الحياة، أستمع إلى مخاوفهم ويسألونني عما كنت أفكر فيه في سنهم”.
وعن مسيرته الكروية: “لقد لعبت في عصر ليونيل ميسي وكريستيانو رونالدو، أعتقد أنني كنت قريبًا من هذا المستوى في بعض الأحيان، بل وتفوقت عليهم في مباريات مختلفة”.
ومستقبله: “لا أستطيع التكهن بأي شيء بالوقت الحالي، لأنني بحالة جيدة، ربما بعد عامين أو ثلاثة أعوام، سأشعر بأنني لا أريد اللعب في هذا المستوى العالي، ولكنني لا أعرف ما سيحدث بالمستقبل”.
In recent seasons, Chelsea have had a huge turnover of players as they try and close the gap created by the likes of Arsenal and Manchester City.
Todd Boehly's mammoth investment has seen the club break the English transfer record twice with Enzo Fernández and Moises Caicedo, with the midfield duo both costing the Blues £106m and £115m, respectively.
Undoubtedly, the club have had to balance the books and sell multiple players to comply with the Premier League's strict FFP rules, with the likes of Kai Havertz and Mason Mount departing Stamford Bridge to allow for new signings.
Although at the time it seemed like the Blues conducted brilliant business in offloading Havertz for £65m, he's rapidly improved under Arteta in recent months, scoring eight times and assisting five in his last 13 Premier League appearances.
However, despite Germany's successes, the club also made a huge mistake in selling another young talent, who could find himself playing in England's top flight once again next season.
Ethan Ampadu's stats in 2023/24
After joining the Blues for a £2.5m compensation fee from League Two side Exeter City back in the summer of 2017, youngster Ethan Ampadu had high expectations of being a huge success after joining the club at the age of just 16.
However, he would leave Stamford Bridge on loan on four separate occasions, joining the likes of RB Leipzig and Sheffield United on a temporary basis, before finally departing the club on a permanent deal last summer.
Ethan Ampadu in action for Wales.
The club allowed the Welsh international to join Championship side Leeds United for a fee in the region of £7m, ending his six-year stint in London – only making 12 first-team appearances for the Blues.
Ampadu has since started and played every single minute for Daniel Farke's side in the second tier as they aim to secure an immediate return to the Premier League following relegation last season.
The 23-year-old has also been named in the Championship's team of the season for his efforts with Leeds this season, whilst also claiming the Whites' player of the season award.
Given his recent form in England's second tier, Chelsea may live to regret the decision to sell him last summer, with his market value soaring as a result.
Ethan Ampadu's market value in 2024
Less than a year after his departure, former Chelsea ace Ampadu now has a market value of £20.4m, as per Football Transfers, with his figure higher than that of £89m signing Mykhailo Mudryk, who's now only valued at £18.8m.
Mudryk – who has just six goals and assists in the league this season – is currently looking like a busted flush, while for Ampadu, his move to Elland Road has allowed the youngster to flourish with regular game time, which has seen an increase of 188% in his market value.
Chelsea players valued less than Ampadu
Player
Market value
Robert Sanchez
£19.3m
Mykhailo Mudryk
£18.8m
Wesley Fofana
£18.6m
Malo Gusto
£15m
Noni Madueke
£14.3m
Stats via Football Transfers
Should Farke's side claim promotion this season, Mauricio Pochettino's mwn may have to face the Welshman in the Premier League – with Ampadu certainly wanting to prove a point to his former employers.
The "top-class" talent, as dubbed by football scout Jacek Kulig, was never handed a consistent run in Blues first-team, with Chelsea now paying the price for offloading him as he certainly would've filled the void at the back, with the club still targeting reinforcements despite Boehly's heavy spending.
Chelsea made mistake selling star who's now worth more than Nkunku
He would have been perfect amid the club’s current injury woes…
Their utter domination with the bat was followed up with the ball, with Nayeem picking wickets off successive balls in the very first over of Zimbabwe’s second innings
The Report by Liam Brickhill24-Feb-2020
Mushfiqur Rahim celebrates a landmark•AFP
Stumps Mushfiqur Rahim’s third Test double hundred, alongside Mominul Haque’s first Test ton as captain, helped Bangladesh soar to 560 for 6 dec on day three in Mirpur and take control of the match.The pair added 222 for the fourth wicket against a wilting Zimbabwean attack, and after Mominul was eventually prised from the crease Mushfiqur batted on (and on) extending Bangladesh’s lead to a massive 295 before the declaration came. This is Bangladesh’s second-highest first-innings lead; the highest being 397 batting first against West Indies in October 2018. Their utter domination with the bat was followed up with the ball, and a double strike from Nayeem Hasan in the very first over of Zimbabwe’s second innings left the visitors staring at a potentially massive innings defeat.The signs were ominous for Zimbabwe when, having taken a couple of overs to settle themselves this morning, Mushfiqur and Mominul eased through the gears and peppered the boundary almost at will. Mushfiqur favoured the glide through gully as he found both the pace of Zimbabwe’s bowlers and the benign nature of the pitch very much to his liking.Displaying faultless judgment, he raised his 50, 100, 150 and 200 with boundaries, all of which were either slapped through point or guided through the gully, with the third man position left vacant for much of the day.Together the pair motored Bangladesh ahead of Zimbabwe’s first-innings effort with only three wickets down, and the arrival of the second new ball seemed only to galvanise their efforts. Mominul slotted the cleanest of drives through extra cover to raise his ninth Test ton, drawing level with Tamim Iqbal in that regard and also equalling Craig Ervine’s captain’s knock: this is the first time in Tests that two players have made their first hundreds as Test captains in the same game.Backed into a corner and out of options, Zimbabwe reverted to an extremely defensive mode of bowling in an effort to rein in the rampant batsmen. The seamers switched to an around-the-stumps angle, repeatedly pushing the ball across and well wide of Mushfiqur. His patience held firm, but the scoring rate dropped: having gone 30 overs without bowling a single maiden, Zimbabwe finally managed to string the dots together and add some frustration to proceedings.Aiming to break free with a lofted drive, Mominul didn’t get the elevation he wanted and left-arm spinner Ainsley Ndlovu stuck his hands up to hold a stinging return catch to dismiss him, finally, for 132.That was Ndlovu’s maiden Test wicket, and he soon had a second as Mohammad Mithun feathered an edge behind. But a focused Mushfiqur only dug in in response, extending Zimbabwe’s pain, and found an able partner in Liton Das, adding a further 111 for the sixth wicket.Having reached a composed fifty, Liton edged an attempted dab off Raza to present another chance, with wicketkeeper Regis Chakabva holding his fifth catch: the most by a wicketkeeper in a Test innings at this ground. Indeed, his performance behind the stumps was one of the few bright points for Zimbabwe.But still Mushfiqur wasn’t done, and while Taijul Islam had some fun with some big shots at the other end, he continued nervelessly to a record third double hundred, reaching the milestone with his 28th boundary and celebrating in emotive fashion. No-one has scored as many doubles for Bangladesh as him, and in the course of his knock he also became Bangladesh’s leading all-time run-scorer in this format, passing Tamim Iqbal.That brought the declaration, finally, but the nightmare was not yet over for Zimbabwe. Opening the bowling, Nayeem zipped his second ball straight through Prince Masvaure’s defences, and then found the edge of nightwatchman Tiripano’s bat immediately afterwards to find himself on a hat-trick. Brendan Taylor survived the hat-trick ball, but Bangladesh are now in complete control of the match.
Corinthians e Sâo Paulo fizeram um clássico Majestoso muito pouco movimentado na noite desta quarta-feira (30), pela oitava rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro, na Neo Química Arena.
Com o Timão mais disposto a se defender do que atacar, e o Tricolor pouco criativo, a partida disputada sobre o gelado ambiente de Itaquera, com 8ºC terminou empatada em 0 a 0.
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AS NOTAS DO CLÁSSICO: >ATUAÇÕES: Sistema defensivo do Corinthians é o destaque no empate >ATUAÇÕES: Zaga vai bem, mas setor de criação joga mal, e São Paulo empata
O time do Morumbi teve mais posse de bola, mas foi o Alvinegro do Parque São Jorge quem finalizou mais, 8 a 6, sendo que três de cada lado foi em direção ao gol.
Volpi e Cássio fizeram boas defesas, uma em cada tempo, no que foram os melhores momentos do jogo.
MILAGRES DE VOLPI
Um início de jogo cadenciado das duas partes, teve o primeiro momento de perigo ao 15 minutos de jogo, com o Corinthians. Fagner cobrou falta pelo lado direito, cruzando para Gil no meio da área cabecear no canto direito do goleiro Tiago Volpi que espalmou. No rebote, Mateus Vital finalizou cruzado para nova defesa do arqueiro são paulino.
SÃO PAULO ACORDA
Na faixa dos 30 minutos do primeiro tempo, o São Paulo acordou. O time tinha mais a bola durante toda a etapa inicial, mas teve muitas dificuldades em quebrar as linhas baixas do Corinthians. Quando o Timão se lançou ao ataque, o Tricolou aproveitou para contra-atacar, com Benitez pelo lado direito, cruzando na entrada da pequena área, para Eder completar por cima do gol.
Na sequência, Daniel Alves deixou Eder novamente na cara do gol, mas o goleiro Cássio, do Timão, cresceu e fez a firme e boa intervenção.
MILAGRES DE CÁSSIO
O segundo tempo parecia ser mais movimentado, quando o Corinthians se lançou ao ataque nos primeiros minutos, mas logo a partida caiu o ritmo e os times deixaram de criar chances claras de gol.
A primeira grande chance aconteceu aos 28 minutos da etapa final, com o Tricolor, em duas finalizações seguidas defendidas por Cássio. A primeira foi de fora da área, com Rodrigo Nestor, já a segunda foi com Vitor Bueno.
Sem muitas emoções a mais, a não ser um princípio de confusão entre os jogadores das duas equipes, o gelado Majestoso terminou sem gols.
CORINTHIANS 0 X 0 SAO PAULO – 8ª RODADA DO BRASILEIRÃO
Local: Neo Química Arena, São Paulo (SP) Data e Hora: 30 de junho de 2021, às 21h30 Árbitro:Leandro Pedro Vuaden (RS) Assistentes:Jorge Eduardo Bernardi (RS) e José Eduardo Calza (RS) Árbitro de Vídeo:Adriano Milczvski (RS) Público e renda: Portões Fechados Cartões amarelos: Mateus Vital (Corinthians); Lizieiro (São Paulo) Cartão vermelho:
GOLS:
CORINTHIANS: Cássio; Fagner, João Victor, Gil e Fábio Santos; Gabriel (Roni, 26’/2T), Cantillo e Vitinho; Gustavo Mosquito (Marquinhos, 18’/2T), Jô e Mateus Vital (Xavier, 46’/2T).Técnico: Sylvinho
SÃO PAULO: Tiago Volpi; Bruno Alves, Miranda (Diego Costa, 43’/2T) e Léo; Igoer Vinícius, Luan (Igor Gomes 43’/2T), Lizieiro (Rodrigo Nestor, 28’/2T), Daniel Alves, Benitez (Rigoni, 10’/2T) e Reinaldo; Eder (Vitor Bueno, 28’/2T).Técnico: Juan Branda
شارك المصري محمد صلاح في مباراة فريقه ليفربول أمام مانشستر سيتي، ببطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.
وفاز ليفربول أمام خصمه مانشستر سيتي، بهدفين دون رد، خلال المباراة التي جمعت الفريقين على ملعب “أنفيلد”.
اقرأ ايضاً.. فيديو | محمد صلاح يُهدي ليفربول فوزاً ثمينًا أمام مانشستر سيتي بثنائية نظيفة في الدوري الإنجليزي
وشارك محمد صلاح أساسيًا في مباراة اليوم أمام مانشستر سيتي، وخاض اللقاء حتى الدقيقة 84.
وبحسب شبكة “فوت موب” حصل محمد صلاح على تقييم 8.4 من 10 في لقاء اليوم وهو الأعلي بين لاعبي الفريقين.
وتمكن صلاح من تسجيل هدف ليفربول الثاني بحلول الدقيقة 78 من علامة الجزاء، وتمكن أيضاً من صناعة الهدف الأول لـ كودي جاكبو.
ولمس محمد صلاح الكرة 29 مرة من بينها 7 داخل منطقة الجزاء، وقام بالتسديد على مرمى الخصم في 3 مناسبات.
وقام محمد صلاح بصناعة فرصة وحيدة في المباراة، وأهدر فرصة محققة للتسجيل ووصلت دقة تمريراته إلى 73%. ملخص لمسات محمد صلاح امام مانشستر سيتي في الدوري الانجليزي
Tom Harrison warns ICC may need to reassess Future Tours Programme to address post-pandemic world
ESPNcricinfo staff09-Jun-2020
Tom Harrison, the ECB’s chief executive•Getty Images
Tom Harrison, the ECB chief executive, has indicated that the World Test Championship may not prove fit for purpose in a post-Covid world, after warning that the sport needs to take stock of its priorities at international and domestic level to address the pandemic’s long-term implications.Speaking on the eve of West Indies’ arrival in England for their rescheduled Test tour, Harrison warned that a second wave of Covid cases could lead to further disruption to the international schedule in 2021 and beyond, and called on the ICC – which is due to discuss international contingency plans at its latest board meeting on Wednesday – to work towards creating a better “narrative” for cricket fans around the world.”Out of this we can develop an international and a domestic schedule which really appeals to people and they can really look forward to,” Harrison told the BBC’s Tuffers and Vaughan Show. “That’s the challenge that, frankly, we probably wouldn’t have had been able to address without Covid, but creating this kind of intervention enables us to take stock, and to think about what is really important in our game.”Let’s fix the Future Tours Programme. Let’s create a narrative for fans that makes sense to people that underpins cricket’s Test future. Let’s get the World Cup qualifying sorted out, let’s find a place for World T20 bilateral internationals and make them work for people. And then you start to piece together something that people can get genuinely excited about.”Harrison’s comments come barely a year after the launch of the long-awaited World Test Championship, which was unveiled at the ICC’s board meeting in June 2018 as part of the new FTP, which governs all major tournaments and bilateral engagements up until 2023. A one-day Super League, a two-year qualification tournament for the 2023 World Cup, had been due to get underway in May 2020, both of which had been intended to provide narrative and context to the international fixture list.ALSO READ: Players find themselves in the middle of history – CWI chiefAnd while the ECB had been prime movers in the establishment of the WTC – the first final had been due to be held at Lord’s in June 2021 – Harrison’s comments suggest their stance has now moved closer to that of the BCCI, which suggested in April that the tournament should be deferred until a sense of normalcy returns to the world calendar.In a separate interview with the BBC’s Today programme, Ashley Giles, the England team director, said that the ECB should be “incredibly grateful” to West Indies for taking part in a tour that helps to fulfil the host board’s contractual obligations to Sky Sports. However, Harrison warned that it would be difficult to expect similar commitments in bilateral series where there are fewer financial imperatives at stake.”We need to play more meaningful cricket against countries that people want to see us play cricket against,” he said. “We need to re-establish those Test series that are so important to fans in this country. And we need to be careful about the extent to which we’re forcing countries where Test cricket is not supported to play as much as they do.”These are issues that we can now tackle, knowing that we have the opportunity to do it for the first time in a very long time. All of these decisions can be the ones that the ICC help us, as international boards, take over the next few weeks and months.”The West Indies series will address a significant tranche of English cricket’s losses this summer, which Harrison had estimated would be in the region of £380 million in the event of no cricket being played in 2020. But he warned that the board will still be dealing with the fall-out for several years to come.”The reality is we’re facing a very uphill challenge, not just in this country but I think globally,” Harrison said. “Cricket’s got to try and find a way to navigate through this Covid crisis.”We are a sport that survives on media rights revenues. That doesn’t just fund the game at international level, it funds it at all levels, right away through in the ECB’s case to grassroots cricket, All Stars Cricket, club cricket. All of that is part-funded by what we’re able to get from our media rights value.”[The West Indies tour] helps us mitigate the impact of that, but I don’t think there’s a scenario that completely fills the hole of the crisis that we’re facing,” he added.”The reality is most of our counties rely on match-day funding to help their businesses survive and grow. And so, the reality is we’re looking at the most significant financial crisis in ECB history, and that is not an exaggeration. No question about that, we’re going to be facing and dealing with this for a few years.”
Agora vestindo as cores do Vila Nova-GO, o zagueiro Xandão quer fazer um grande segundo semestre com o elenco goiano. Segundo o defensor, com passagens pelo futebol português, CSA e Bahia, a meta é ter alto nível de desempenho ao longo dos próximos meses.
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TABELA > Veja classificação e simulador do Brasileirão da Série B-2021 clicando aqui
> Conheça o aplicativo de resultados do LANCE!
GALERIA >Veja 24 jogadores brasileiros interessantes livres no mercado
– Vou trabalhar muito ao longo deste segundo semestre para fazer um grande ano com a camisa do clube. Estou muito motivado com esse projeto e me dedicando ao máximo no dia a dia para melhorar ainda mais meu desempenho em campo – disse.
Ainda para o jogador, o Tigrão tem tudo para brigar pelo acesso esse ano.
– O grupo vai trabalhar muito para crescer e para fazer um grande segundo semestre este ano. Estamos nos empenhando para que os próximos meses sejam de grandes resultados para todos.
O Vila Nova entra em campo nesta terça-feira para enfrentar o Brasil de Pelotas, dentro de casa, às 16h, pela 11ª rodada do Brasileirão da Serie B.
Celtic all but sealed their third successive Scottish Premiership title with a narrow 2-1 win over their local rivals at Parkhead on Saturday afternoon.
The Hoops scored two goals in quick succession during the first half as Matt O'Riley gave the hosts the lead before an own goal from John Lundstram made it two just three minutes later.
Cyriel Dessers pulled one back for Rangers with a close range header but Lundstram was sent off for a dangerous challenge on Alistair Johnston, and the away team spent the second half failing to get back into the match.
O'Riley was one of the standouts on the park for the Scottish giants with his midfield wizardry but he was not the only star of the show for Celtic, as Daizen Maeda was as good as the Denmark international.
Matt O'Riley's Old Firm magic
The left-footed maestro caught the eye once again for Celtic as he registered his 15th Scottish Premiership goal of the campaign, in 35 appearances.
O'Riley, who has also chipped in with 12 assists in the league, opened the scoring at Parkhead with a thumping finish into the bottom right corner after Callum McGregor played the ball to him just inside the box.
Matt O'Riley
Vs Rangers (11/05/24)
Touches
64
Shots
5
Goals
1
Key passes
3
Duels won
7/12
Pass accuracy
90%
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, the Danish gem was also reliable in possession, provided a big threat in the final third as a shot-taker and creator, and competed well in his duels.
However, O'Riley did let himself down with a weak penalty that gave Jack Butland the chance to make a save, which provided the away side with a chance to get back into the match in the second half, albeit they did not take it.
Daizen Maeda's big contributions
Maeda was unplayable alongside his Danish teammate in the Old Firm clash as his work in and out of possession was crucial to Celtic's success on Saturday.
Brendan Rodgers once claimed that the Japan international has the work rate of "two players" and that was on full display against the Light Blues at Paradise.
Kenny Miller described him as a "pressing machine" on commentary for Sky Sports, which fellow commentator Chris Sutton agreed with, as the winger constantly closed down opposition players to stop Rangers attacks in their tracks.
Celtic's Daizen Maeda.
James Tavernier ended the match with a 57% pass accuracy and one key pass, compared to his usual 78% pass accuracy and 3.2 key passes per game, which illustrates how effective Maeda's closing down was.
Whenever the English full-back attempted to bomb down the flank or put a ball into the box, the Hoops winger was there in the right place to close him down and force him to produce a turnover or go backwards.
The right-footed forward, who started on the left flank, also made a telling contribution in attack as his burst down the left wing produced the cross from which Lundstram prodded the ball into his own net.
Maeda does not officially get the assist for the goal but it was his teasing delivery into the box that forced the midfielder to find the back of his own net.
Overall, the talented ace, who had 34 touches of the ball and completed 100% (2/2) of his dribbles, was unplayable with his fantastic pressing and wing play, and that is why him and O'Riley were two of the standouts for the Scottish giants.
Mushtaq Ahmed to join the travelling party as spin-bowling coach
Umar Farooq09-Jun-2020
AFP
Pakistan have roped in Younis Khan and Mushtaq Ahmed as the batting and spin-bowling coaches respectively for the upcoming tour of England. Khan and Ahmed will join head coach Misbah-ul-Haq and bowling coach Waqar Younis for the tour – scheduled for August-September – comprising three Tests and as many T20Is.This is Khan’s first appointment with the PCB since his retirement in 2017. The board was earlier interested in roping him in to work at the development level at the NCA but those talks didn’t materialise. He was recently asked to give a pep talk to players on video in lockdown and this appointment, according to the PCB, is to provide Misbah and Younis “the necessary and essential resources that can help them further uplift the performance of the side”.”For me, there has never been a bigger honour and a better feeling than to represent my country and I feel privileged to have been again offered the opportunity to serve it for a challenging but exciting tour of England,” Khan said in a statement issued by the PCB. “The Pakistan side includes some immensely talented cricketers who have the potential to achieve greater heights. Together with Misbah-ul-Haq, Mushtaq Ahmed and Waqar Younis, we will try to make them better and prepare them as best as we can with on and off field coaching and guidance.”I have never been shy of sharing my experiences and knowledge, and I think this particular tour provides me with an ideal opportunity where I can spend post-training time with the players to engage with them on batting techniques, bowler assessments, mental toughness exercises besides talking them through with scenario planning.”We all know English conditions demand not only precise technique but patience and discipline, and if you can master these, then you will not only excel in England but anywhere in the world. With the quality we have in the team, I think we have a good chance to produce good results if we prepare properly, get our processes right and hit the ground running as soon as we land.”Misbah, who had retired with Khan three years ago, said he was looking forward to reuniting with his former team-mate in the dressing room. Misbah was acting as the batting coach since the position was left vacant by Grant Flower. Earlier, Shahid Aslam, a Level 4 coach, was part of the coaching staff, acting as an assistant to Misbah in the nets for the players. Mansoor Rana, an experienced coach, was also part of the support staff but was largely working as the team manager only.With players set to train in a bio-secure environment and unprecedented standard operating procedures, Pakistan were falling short of coaching hands in the nets. They were also without a fielding coach after Grant Bradburn had taken over an in-house non-travelling role as head of high-performance coaching. With a lengthy tour with 25 players coming up, and to share Misbah’s workload under complex training arrangements, it was decided to bring in two more coaches.”We know each other better than most think as we have worked hand in glove in the past decade to contribute in some of Pakistan’s most historic and memorable Test wins,” Misbah said in the release. “With the reputation and record Younis brings with him not only as a disciplined and hardworking batsman but also as an athletic fielder and a strategist, I see this as a great opportunity for our young players to hone their skills and learn how to make the transition from a good to a great cricketer.”Due to events beyond human control, the series in England will be one of the most challenging and difficult and, as such, we need to have the best talent and brains on our side. Younis as well as Mushtaq clearly tick all these and additional boxes, which will assist us in achieving our targets.”Ahmed was already contracted with the PCB for his services as as spin-bowling consultant for 120 days. He was originally meant to work at the NCA but his services could be used from age-group set-up to the national team, as required. In the last five years he had been part of the national set-up at different times. His longest coaching stint as bowling coach with Pakistan was 18 months before he was replaced by Azhar Mahmood in 2017.”Mushtaq Ahmed is loaded with the experience of helping elite cricketers from different countries and is widely regarded as a mentor,” Misbah said. “Mushtaq is always involved in the game and this attitude will further help us in our pre-series preparations and enhance our prospects in the series.”
Aston Villa have had one of the most impressive seasons in the Premier League in recent years. After being a consistent top-four challenger all season under Unai Emery, they finally had Champions League football confirmed after Tottenham lost 2-0 at home to Manchester City on Tuesday night.
Villa are currently on 68 points, although they could end on 71 if they win their final game of the season, which is away to the in-form Crystal Palace. That will be their second-highest points tally in the Premier League, just falling short of the 74 they got in 1992/93 when they finished second in the table, behind Manchester United.
At home, Villa have been formidable, winning 12 of their 19 games at Villa Park, scoring 48 goals and winning an impressive 40 points. That is bettered only by Liverpool with 45, Arsenal and City, who both have 44 points, according to Understat.
Aston Villa midfielder John McGinn
It has certainly been a phenomenal season for Villa, who will be hoping to build on their successes of this season by getting a top-four spot once more in 2024/25 and making a good account of themselves amongst Europe’s elite in the Champions League.
With that in mind, it will be the case that Villa look to strengthen their squad next season. They have already been linked with a whole host of players, including one current Premier League star.
Villa could sign Premier League attacker
The player in question here is Arsenal and England attacking midfielder Emile Smith Rowe. The 23-year-old has struggled for game time at the Emirates Stadium this season, and could well look to leave to play more regular football. He has managed just 453 minutes in all competitions for the Gunners this season, although has been unavailable for ten games due to injury.
According to The Mirror, Smith Rowe is one of “at least seven players” to have been made available for transfer this summer by Mikel Arteta and Co, a list which also includes the likes of Aaron Rasmdale and Eddie Nketiah.
Emile Smith Rowe playing for Arsenal
Villa are one of two clubs to hold interest in signing Smith Rowe, with West Ham United the other side considering a deal, according to a report earlier this year from GIVEMESPORT. The Villans may well have the upper hand on that deal, due to their Champions League involvement next season.
He could well be available for around £30m which is a considerable way above his market value. As per Football Observatory, Smith Rowe is valued at just £8.5m ahead of the 2024 summer window.
How Smith Rowe and Jack Grealish compare
Bringing in the Arsenal man could end the hunt for the long-overdue replacement for Jack Grealish, three years after his £100m move from Villa Park to the Etihad Stadium and Manchester City.
It certainly feels like the versatile attacker could fill the void Manchester City’s number 10 left when he departed Aston Villa. The similarities between Smith Rowe and Grealish are noticeable.
Former Aston Villa winger Jack Grealish.
Former Villa striker Tony Cascarino compared the two back in 2021 on talkSPORT, explaining that Smith Rowe has “this amazing ability of rolling players”, before going on to explain how “Jack Grealish does that really well”. He is excellent at drawing fouls and carrying the ball over long distances, just like Villa's former skipper.
Indeed, Smith Rowe’s close control and his ability to create space for himself in tight situations is one of his very best attributes. His former manager from his loan spell at Huddersfield Town, Danny Cowley, believes the 23-year-old is so good he "could find space in a telephone box."
In fact, Smith Rowe and Grealish’s statistics stack up very closely when comparing, the Arsenal man’s impressive 2021/22 season.
As per Fbref, Smith Rowe averaged 3.05 progressive carries and 2.07 carries into the final third per 90 minutes. Comparatively, Grealish averages 7.77 progressive carries and 4.11 carries into the final third per 90 minutes this season. That's a pretty big difference, although it does suggest they both like to carry the ball at their feet.
However, the Arsenal outcast averaged more passes into the final third with 1.92 per 90 minutes compared to Grealish’s 1.34 this season, and just slightly less progressive passes per 90 minutes, with 3.99 compared to the City winger’s 4.46 per 90 minutes.
Arsenal midfielder Emile Smith-Rowe.
Interestingly, though, the ten goals that Smith Rowe scored in 2021/22 is a better output than any of Grealish’s Premier League seasons so far. The England international’s best tally is eight goals in 2019/20 for Villa.
Smith Rowe's 2021/22 Premier League season by numbers
Apps
33
Minutes
1,920
Goals
10
Assists
2
Stats from Transfermarkt
Both stylistically, and statistically, Grealish and Smith Rowe are very similar footballers. Operating as one of the false wingers under Unai Emery, the manager who gave him his debut, could see Smith Rowe thrive once again in professional football.
The England international would thrive in that role in the half-space behind Ollie Watkins, feeding Villa’s centre-forward with passes and being able to carry the ball in central areas, where he does his best work.
Dubbed “the Croyden De Bruyne” over the years by Arsenal fans, there is little doubt of Smith Rowe’s quality. Perhaps a move to Villa can help him rediscover his best form at the highest level, and fill the void left by Grealish a few years ago.
Aston Villa looking to sign Watkins partner who'd be perfect on UCL nights
He would be perfect for Watkins and he’s been described as “one of the EPL’s best players”.