Erling Haaland appears to have added to his fleet of supercars, with the Manchester City star spotted behind the wheel of a £350,000 F1 safety car.
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Norwegian striker signed lucrative dealSplashing the cash on elaborate purchasesHas added to his fleet of luxury supercarsFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
The vehicle in question is the Aston Martin DBX 707, which can be seen gracing the track of Formula One circuits as the likes of Lewis Hamilton, Lando Norris and Max Verstappen compete for supremacy in a sporting arena built for speed.
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The luxury ride can also be spotted on the odd street in Manchester, with Haaland unable to push said car to its limits on suburban roads. He has, however, taken ownership of another prized possession – while opting for another bold colour choice.
THE GOSSIP
Haaland was recently seen behind the wheel of a Porsche 911 GT3 – with a price tag of over £200,000 – which he picked up in garish orange. His Aston Martin is an outlandish lime paint job, rather than the British Racing Green that it usually comes in when gracing Grand Prix events.
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The 24-year-old frontman is clearly putting the funds from his new 10-year contract to good use. The prolific striker, who is nursing a knock at present, is said to be earning around £500,000-a-week, which has been backdated to the start of the 2024-25 campaign.
كشف هاني رمزي، نجم منتخب مصر السابق، كواليس رحلته الاحترافية في أوروبا، والتي بدأت بعد مشاركته مع الفراعنة في كأس العالم 1990، مشيرًا إلى أن مشواره لم يكن سهلاً، لكنه تعلم الكثير من التجربة التي أثرت في شخصيته سواء داخل الملعب أو خارجه.
وخلال حديثه في بودكاست “القلعة الحمراء”، أكد رمزي أن منتخب مصر واجه تحديات كبيرة في مونديال 1990، حيث وقع في مجموعة صعبة ضمت هولندا بطلة أوروبا 1988، وإنجلترا العريقة، وأيرلندا التي قدمت مستوى رائعًا آنذاك، وأوضح أنه خلال البطولة، انتشرت شائعات عن عروض احترافية للاعبي المنتخب، لكن أغلبها لم يكن حقيقيًا.
وتحدث رمزي عن بداياته الاحترافية، مؤكدًا أنه تلقى عرضًا من ساوثهامبتون الإنجليزي بعد كأس العالم، وخاض تجربة مع فريق الشباب هناك، إلا أن الصفقة لم تكتمل بسبب خلاف مالي بين النادي الإنجليزي والأهلي، بعدها، تلقى عرضًا من نيوشاتل السويسري، وأتم انتقاله بفضل رجل الأعمال كامل أبو علي، رغم أن الأهلي طلب مليون دولار، وهو مبلغ ضخم وقتها، ليتم الاتفاق على دفع 300 ألف دولار لمدة ستة أشهر، ثم دفع المبلغ المتبقي بعد التأكد من نجاحه.
موعد مباراة الأهلي والهلال في ربع نهائي دوري أبطال إفريقيا
وكشف رمزي عن معاناته في بدايات احترافه، حيث واجه صعوبة في التأقلم بسبب الطقس القاسي، وعزلة الحياة في سويسرا، خاصة مع عدم توفر وسائل الاتصال بسهولة آنذاك، لكنه قرر الاستمرار بسبب التزامه تجاه أسرته ورغبته في النجاح.
وأكد أن تعلم اللغة كان عاملًا حاسمًا في اندماجه مع الفريق، مشيرًا إلى أن العديد من اللاعبين المصريين فشلوا في الاحتراف، ليس بسبب ضعف المستوى الفني، بل بسبب عدم القدرة على التكيف مع البيئة الجديدة.
وانتقل رمزي إلى الدوري الألماني عام 1994 عبر بوابة فيردر بريمن، حيث وجد مستوى مختلفًا من القوة والسرعة والضغط الجماهيري، قبل أن يتعرض لإصابة خطيرة في الرباط الصليبي عام 2003، والتي عُولجت بشكل خاطئ، مما أطال فترة غيابه.
وبعد عودته في 2005، انتقل إلى أحد أندية الدرجة الثانية في ألمانيا على أمل المشاركة في كأس الأمم الأفريقية 2006، لكن حسن شحاتة لم يستدعه، ليقرر الاعتزال بعد رفض الأهلي ضمه من جديد.
وفيما يخص مسيرته التدريبية، أوضح رمزي أنه بدأ العمل في نادي إنبي بناءً على ترشيح علاء عبد الصادق، مستفيدًا من خبراته التي اكتسبها خلال مسيرته الاحترافية، كما ساهم في قيادة منتخب مصر الأولمبي للتأهل إلى أولمبياد 2012 بعد تصفيات قوية في المغرب، إلى جانب الأداء المميز الذي قدمه المنتخب قبل الخروج أمام اليابان.
وعاد ليؤكد أن العديد من اللاعبين يمتلكون موهبة كبيرة، لكنهم لم ينجحوا في الاحتراف بسبب عوامل أخرى مثل السمات الشخصية، أو عدم إتقان اللغة، أو صعوبة التأقلم مع المجتمعات الخارجية، مشيرًا إلى أهمية أن يعمل اللاعب على تطوير نفسه باستمرار.
واستشهد بنجم ليفربول محمد صلاح، الذي لعب معه في أولمبياد 2012، مؤكدًا أن شخصية صلاح في ذلك الوقت كانت مختلفة تمامًا عما هو عليه الآن.
وقال رمزي: “محمد صلاح 2012 يختلف عن صلاح 2025، سواء في المستوى البدني أو الثقافي، أتذكر أنه كان يجلس دقائق معدودة فقط على مائدة الطعام في المعسكرات، فنصحته بالتواصل مع الناس، والآن هو يلتقي أمير إنجلترا ويتحدث أمام رؤساء العالم، الفرق في الشخصية كبير جدًا، لقد عمل على نفسه كثيرًا ونتمنى له التوفيق دائمًا”.
واختتم رمزي حديثه قائلًا إنه كان لديه “نَفَس طويل” في الاحتراف، لكنه لم يكن كذلك في التدريب، مشيرًا إلى أنه كان يجب أن يحارب أكثر من أجل مواصلة مسيرته التدريبية وتحقيق نجاحات أكبر.
Celtic head coach Brendan Rodgers was heavily backed by the board during the recent summer transfer window, as the club smashed their transfer record for the Northern Irishman.
The Hoops agreed a club-record fee of £11m to sign central midfielder Arne Engels from Bundesliga side Augsburg to bolster their options in the middle of the park.
Adam Idah, Paulo Bernardo, Viljami Sinisalo, Kasper Schmeichel, Alex Valle, Auston Trusty, and Luke McCowan were also brought in to add depth to the squad.
The new additions have pushed some players to the fringes of the group and one dud who has struggled for game time so far this season is Luis Palma.
Luis Palma's struggles at Celtic
The Honduras international joined from Greek side Aris in the summer of 2023 and enjoyed a promising debut campaign with the Scottish giants.
Palma showed plenty of signs of promise in the 2023/24 campaign in the Scottish Premiership, with a return of seven goals and nine assists in 28 appearances.
Celtic forward Luis Palma.
Unfortunately, the 24-year-old forward has not done enough to convince Rodgers that he deserves a place in the starting XI ahead of Daizen Maeda on the left flank, and has only played 37 minutes in the league this term.
The Honduran star, who scored two goals in the Champions League last season, has shown that the potential is there for him to be a key player for the Hoops if he can recapture his previous form, though, so there may still be a future for him at Parkhead.
One player who Rodgers should brutally ditch, however, is central midfielder Odin Thiago Holm, who has played even fewer minutes than Palma.
Why Celtic should cash in on Odin Thiago Holm
It was reported that the Hoops splashed out a fee of £2.6m to sign the central midfielder from Valerenga on a permanent deal in the summer of 2023.
The 21-year-old flop has reportedly been earning £4.8k-per-week – £250k-per-season – and this means that he has earned roughly £300k in wages since his move to the club last year.
What have Celtic got in return for the £2.9m they have spent on Holm so far? He has produced one goal and one assist in 16 matches in all competitions, and has only started two league games in total – both of which came last term.
Francis Turley
1
0
Mikey Johnston
16
0
Hyun-jun Yang
22
0
Odin Thiago Holm
25
0
Luis Palma
37
0
As you can see in the table above, only Yang, Johnston, who has since left the club, and academy graduate Francis Turley, have played fewer minutes in the league this season.
Celtic have signed Engels, McCowan, and Bernardo in his position, on top of already having Callum McGregor and Reo Hatate, and Holm has not made a matchday squad in the league since Engels and McCowan arrived on deadline day.
At the age of 21, he is the same age as the Belgian starlet and one year younger than Bernardo, which does not suggest that his development is likely to see him outgrow them – as they are already ahead of him at a similar age.
Rodgers must drop Hatate for Celtic star who made a "massive difference"
The Hoops boss should finally unleash the summer signing from the start.
ByDan Emery Oct 7, 2024
Therefore, Rodgers must brutally ditch Holm from the squad and cash in on him in the January transfer window, with £2.9m already sent down the drain on him so far.
Central Sparks 139 for 6 (E Jones 71) beat Lightning 136 for 8 (Freeborn 32, Arlott 2-13) by four wicketsWith a captain’s innings of 71 from 55 balls, Eve Jones ensured her Central Sparks side didn’t suffer an upset against their Midlands neighbours Lightning at New Road, Worcester. Chasing 137 to win, the Sparks knew only a win would do to keep them in the hunt for finals day. They won by four wickets with a ball to spare as Issy Wong smashed Grace Ballinger down the ground for four.Lightning have yet to win a game in this season’s Charlotte Edwards Cup; that being said, they gave Central Sparks some moments of concern.Sonia Odedra and Bethany Harmer, the Lightning openers, started with the freedom to swing, and it was Harmer who impressed, hitting Wong out of the attack with consecutive fours and a six in the space of three balls, following it up with two fours of Emily Arlott’s following over.The pair added 54 before Clare Boycott bowled Harmer for a 26. When Odedra was bowled for 22 by Anisha Patel’s first ball, it felt like Lightning were starting to lose their momentum.It was up to Abigail Freeborn, who top-scored with 61 on Wednesday, to lift Lightning with 32 from 33 balls, again the highest individual tally of the innings. However, a fall of late order wickets ensured that Lightning fell far short of 150. Arlott took two wickets in her final over as Lighting lost their last four wickets for 22 runs.Jones and Marie Kelly had led to a convincing victory over Southern Vipers only days ago. It looked as if the two meant business again with 17 runs coming from Sophie Munro’s first five balls before the bowler forced Kelly into the mistake and was caught at cover by Harmer.When Kirstie Gordon caught Milly Home three balls later, Sparks were now looking for the calm head of Jones to get them through. With Gwen Davies, the pair added 50 runs for the third wicket. They were keeping up with the rate and were starting to look favourites.They found partnerships at the right times, but with the run rate required at over seven an over, Jones needed to be there at the end. With eight balls left of the innings and six runs to win, Yvonne Graves caught Jones, and the following ball Arlott was bowled by Odedra. But Chole Hill and Wong kept their cool, and it was the home side that prevailed.
Durham survived a run-laden homecoming by an old favourite, Mark Stoneman, to secure a place in the Royal London Cup final against Glamorgan on Thursday. Stoneman struck 117 on his first return to the northeast since joining Surrey five years ago, but Durham judged their demanding pursuit of 281 with aplomb, waltzing through the closing stages to win by five wickets with 15 balls to spare.”I’m coming to get you” was the gist of the light-hearted text message that Stoneman sent to Scott Borthwick, a former colleague at both Durham and Surrey, ahead of this semi-final, but it is Borthwick whose first season back at Durham, as a captain ambitious to bring back the good times to the northeast, who retains the chance of collecting a trophy. Nevertheless, with an entire team requisitioned for other duties, Surrey have acquitted themselves well.Stoneman, meanwhile, might well leave Surrey at the end of the season, with Middlesex among his most persuasive suitors. He does not immediately strike you as an all-format cricketer, but that ambition still endures and even though he envisaged seeing out his career at Surrey as recently as May it could tip him into moving across the river.Durham, who have lost only once over 50-overs this season, will start favourites against Glamorgan after emerging victorious in a contest between arguably the two most powerful batting line-ups in the competition. They were rewarded for putting Surrey into bat when overcast skies roused Chris Rushworth into a new-ball spell of 3 for 23 in seven overs – Ollie Pope among them for a six-ball duck – before their in-form batters took full toll of Surrey’s attack.Graham Clark now has 598 runs at 86.57 and he made a statement from the outset when he slapped Surrey’s first ball, from Matt Dunn, through extra cover for four; Alex Lees, now has 547 at 78.14, and drove vigorously for his 75. They are the top two run-makers in the competition and their confidence has spread to the entire Durham side.David Bedingham’s assertive half-century (56 from 35 balls) whistled Durham to victory, but it was Borthwick’s 71 that will have warmed their supporters most of all. His ambition for his native county burns through every innings – his legspin has been taken off the shelf to good effect too – and, although he was dropped twice, most badly on 51 when Dunn was slow on to a top-edged pull at long leg, when he departed with 63 needed off 10, Durham were well in control. Three off Durham’s top four fell to the pull, Borthwick the unluckiest as he middled one straight at Pope, lurking at deep square.Mark Stoneman walks off after making a century on his old home ground•Getty Images
Pope’s three-match return to Surrey in the RLC has been an unhappy one. Those calling for his return for England at Headingley to bat at no 3 clearly are determined to pay no heed of county form, which these days comes several rungs below “hitting it well in the nets”. To be fair, he fell to an excellent delivery as Rushworth seamed one back to uproot his middle stump, and Surrey slipped to 40 for 3 before Stoneman and Jamie Smith repaired matters in a stand of 155 in 32.Stoneman met Rushworth conservatively, taking only three singles off him in the 15 deliveries he faced in his opening spell. He needed no reminding that the life expectancy of a left-hander on an overcast morning in Chester-le-Street when Rushworth was on the prowl was a short one. Matt Salisbury allowed him more liberties – 34 off 24 in the same new-ball phase – loosening the stranglehold every time Rushworth tightened it.Borthwick and Stoneman might have texted light-heartedly ahead of the tie, but there was nothing sociable about their match-up, professionalism demanded serious expressions. Borthwick was convinced he had Stoneman lbw, sweeping, as he approached his half-century, and he stared aghast, a yard or so from Stoneman, for several seconds after umpire Graham Lloyd rejected his appeal.The stand with Smith, who provided the elegance to go with Stoneman’s proficiency, was well judged, only to be outdone by Durham later in the day. Stoneman played conservatively in mid-innings against the spinners, not just Borthwick, but the slow left-armer Liam Trevaskis, who might have been put under more pressure.His pragmatism was necessarily abandoned in Rushworth’s final over, which went for 17, including a six over long-on that he would not have contemplated when the ball was harder. When Smith was lbw to Borthwick for a career-best 85, Surrey had 10 overs to add to their 195 for 4. But Rikki Clarke top-edged to fine leg and Cameron Steel’s return to Durham brought only a single, forcing Stoneman to up the ante.He reached 99 with an all-run four against Borthwick (Clarke, lungs heaving, should have been run out gallantly undertaking the fourth only for Borthwick’s shy to miss the stumps), tucked away his sixth List A hundred shortly afterwards, and was run out at the start of the final over, beaten by Clark’s throw, as he tried to keep the strike. The Chester-le-Street crowd gave him a standing ovation. The Durham team kept their game faces on and saved their smiles until a place at Trent Bridge was achieved.
A former Brighton defender who played alongside Viktor Gyokeres believes the Swedish striker was far from Glenn Murray's level during his time there.
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Gyokeres thriving at SportingLinked with move to Man UtdCompared to Murray by former playerFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Gyokeres' rapid rise has put him on a pedestal as one of the most in-demand strikers in Europe in 2025 but a former team-mate has given his account of the Swedish goalscorer during their time at Brighton together. Gaetan Bong recalls watching Gyokeres' train on the south coast and revealed he was not even near the level of the main striker at the time Murray.
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Speaking to, former full-back Bong said: "Everyone who knew him in his early days in England will tell you the same thing. He was a decent and combative striker, but without disrespect, he had quite a few faults. There was nothing to say that he was going to explode one day.
"I remember seeing this guy come into the locker room who didn’t look like much. It was surprising to see him there because Brighton were used to recruiting people who were fast and not bothered with the ball for their position, already had an imposing physique, but how can I put it. Technically and in his finishing, it was… mediocre, for example, he was far from the level of Glenn Murray, who was our starting number nine."
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim can take a lot of credit for Gyokeres' global reputation. The former Sporting boss developed the striker during his time in Portugal and remains keen to bring him to Old Trafford and rekindle their past relationship.
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It is unclear whether the Red Devils will move for the 26-year-old this month but they are in desperate need of a boost. United sit in the bottom half of the Premier League table and have struggled to score goals, with Joshua Zirkzee and Rasmus Hojlund not living up to expectation as it stands.
Manchester United have had a far-from-ideal start to the 2024/25 campaign. It was a big summer transfer window at Old Trafford, where the Red Devils spent around £205.9m as per Sky Sports. However, their start to the new season certainly does not reflect the big bucks splashed by Erik ten Hag’s side.
The new campaign actually got off to a winning start for the Dutchman and his side, as they overcame Fulham at Old Trafford. United beat the Cottagers 1-0, with a goal from debutant Joshua Zirkzee sealing all three points in the Premier League’s opening game.
Manchester United's Joshua Zirkzee scores vs Fulham
However, things quickly went downhill from there, and the 13-time Premier League champions suffered two defeats in a row. The first of those came at the hands of Brighton and Hove Albion, who beat United 2-1 on the South Coast after a late winning goal from Joao Pedro.
Their most recent loss came against big rivals Liverpool. The Anfield side toyed with the Red Devils, eventually securing a 3-0 victory with two goals coming from Luis Diaz and one at the hands of Mohamed Salah. That was a particularly poor performance from United, but there was one player in particular who struggled, a man whose value in the past few months has rapidly declined.
Casemiro’s value in 2024
The player in question here is United’s Brazilian midfielder, Casemiro. The 32-year-old has been a shadow of his former self in 2024 and is far from the destroyer in midfield who helped Real Madrid win five Champions League titles between 2014 and 2022.
Indeed, that has led to plenty of criticism from the wider media, with former Liverpool defender and Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher one of those to criticise the former Brazil captain. Carragher famously said United’s number 18 must “leave the football before the football leaves you” after United lost 4-0 away to Crystal Palace last season.
His performance against Liverpool last Sunday was perhaps the icing on the cake on what is a sad decline by someone who was once one of the best midfielders in Europe.
Manchester Evening News journalist Samuel Luckhurst gave Casemiro a rating of 1/10 following his showing against the Reds, claiming it was “one of the worst” first halves of football by a United player at Old Trafford. He was hauled off at half-time.
His numbers from the game certainly reflect this. As per Sofascore, the 32-year-old completed just 70% of his passes, won only two from five ground duels, was dribbled past twice and made two errors leading to a goal. It was a poor performance.
Stat
Number
Pass accuracy
70%
Possession lost
14
Ground duels won
2/5
Dribbled past
2
Errors leading to goal
2
With that in mind, it is perhaps unsurprising that the former Madrid midfielder’s value has dropped so much. According to Transfermarkt, he is now valued at just £16.8m, a far cry from the high of £67.5m he was valued at in 2020 whilst still a Los Blancos player.
Despite his steep decline, the Brazilian is still a player who Ten Hag has trusted throughout his tenure at Old Trafford. The 32-year-old has pulled on that famous red shirt 87 times, scored 12 goals and registered nine assists along the way.
Market Movers
Football FanCast's Market Movers series explores the changing landscape of the modern transfer market. How much is your club's star player or biggest flop worth today?
There is no doubt that the fast decline of United’s number 18 has impacted the team, and it is certainly sad to see such a legend of the modern game look a shadow of his former self. He has now slipped far down the list of highest-valued players at Old Trafford, and there has been something of a changing of the guard.
The next generation of Red Devils stars have now begun to overtake Casemiro, including Alejandro Garnacho.
Alejandro Garnacho’s value in 2024
It has been something of an astronomic rise to the top for 20-year-old Argentina international Garnacho. The winger has become a crucial player under Ten Hag and has since become a full international with the 2022 World Cup winners. The dynamic winger was part of Lionel Scaloni’s squad that won the 2024 Copa America.
Alejandro Garnacho
In total, he has played 90 times for the Red Devils so far, an impressive number of appearances at such a young age. He has scored 19 goals and has 11 assists to his name, with the 2023/24 campaign in particular proving to be successful for the youngster, his best yet in terms of goals and assists.
Competition
Games
Goals
Assists
Premier League
36
7
4
Champions League
6
1
0
FA Cup
6
1
1
Carabao Cup
2
1
0
Total
50
10
5
The youngster has already scored some crucial goals for United so far, despite being so early in his Old Trafford career. The wing wizard scored United’s opener in both the FA Cup Final and the Community Shield, both against Manchester City.
The cumulation of the United number 17’s impressive performances in Red so far has led to a prestigious nomination for the Kopa Trophy. Garnacho is in with a shot at winning the award for Europe’s best young player, along with fellow United academy graduate Kobbie Mainoo, and the likes of Lamine Yamal.
Given the impressive start Garnacho has made to his Red Devils career, it is no surprise he is so highly valued now. The 20-year-old is worth more than double that of Casemiro, with his current value as per Transfermarkt standing at £37.9m.
Not only does that show just how good the youngster has been for Ten Hag’s side, but it also represents superb profit margins for United. They paid an incredibly low fee to acquire his services from Atletico Madrid back in 2020, just £420k, as per the Manchester Evening News.
Described as a “wonderboy” by football scout Antonio Mango, the 19-year-old certainly seems to be a superb investment for United so far. He has already shot up in value thanks to his impressive performances, and could even receive an award as a result.
It has certainly been a brilliant piece of business from the Red Devils, and Garnacho continues to repay their faith.
Man Utd "phenomenon" sold by Solskjær is now outscoring Hojlund & Zirkzee
يرى خالد الغندور، لاعب الزمالك السابق، أن نادي الزمالك لن يستطيع منافسة غريمه الأهلي، مُشيرًا إلى الصعوبات التي تواجهها القلعة البيضاء، موجهًا انتقادات عنيفة لمجلس الإدارة برئاسة حسين لبيب.
وقال الغندور عبر برنامجه الإذاعي “اللعبة الحلوة”، على “أون سبورت إف إم”: “قولًا واحدًا، الزمالك لن يستطع منافسة الأهلي.. هل الزمالك سينافس الأهلي بالجمهور؟ التنافس يكون من خلال قدرات اللاعبين في الملعب، وعمل توازن مالي داخل الفريق”.
وتابع: “بدون زعل، مجلس إدارة الزمالك الحالي هو من سعى ليكون موجود بعد رحيل المجلس السابق، ومعظمهم رجال أعمال ومعهم أموال، والجمهور توقع منهم إنهم سيقومون بحل تلك الأزمات المالية”.
طالع أيضًا | حازم إمام: صفقة الأهلي الجديدة خنجر في ظهر إدارة الزمالك
وأضاف: “بالفعل هناك غرامات كثيرة على الزمالك، والمجلس السابق (مرتضى منصور) ترك النادي وعليه ديون، لكن في النهاية الجمهور لا يرى غير فريقه، الزمالك يفقد حمزة المثلوثي ولا يستطيع تعويضه، ناصر ماهر عندما أصيب لم يجد النادي البديل الكفء، وأحمد حمدي كذلك”.
واستكمل: “حتى محمود الونش عندما تعرض لإصابة ظل سنة ونصف بعيدًا، والزمالك لم يستطع أن يعوضه ببديل آخر، لذلك لعب حمزة المثلوثي في مركز المساك، ولو كان الزمالك ضم بديلًا جيدًا كان الونش عندما يعود لن يجد فرصة للمشاركة، لكنه عاد وشارك أساسيًا من أول مباراة وحتى الآن، هذا دليل إن الإدارة لم تتعاقد مع لاعبين كفء، وطبعًا تم التعاقد مع مصطفى الزناري، والآن الإدارة تُفكر في الاستغناء عنه، بالتأكيد كلها اختيارات خاطئة للاعبين انضموا للفريق”
واختتم: “هناك لاعبون عادوا نكاية وعناد مع المجلس السابق، مثل سيف فاروق جعفر، لأنه لم يكن يُقدم المستوى المطلوب في بيراميدز، لكنه عاد عنادًا، هذا هو حال الفريق”.
When people suggest there are too many first-class counties, Derbyshire tend to be one of those they highlight.And, much as some of us might want to refute that, you can see why. They’ve only had two seasons in the top division of the County Championship – 2000 and 2013 – and the last time one of their players was selected to play for England was in 2002. Yes, Gary Ballance and Ian Blackwell played for Derbyshire and England. But the last serving Derbyshire player to win England selection was Dominic Cork. And if you’re not challenging for trophies or producing many quality players, well, what’s the point?Related
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They don’t have a great record against Warwickshire, either. They haven’t beaten them in a first-class game since 1993 and have only played them three times in the last decade.So, this is a big year for Derbyshire. They are, in some senses, exactly the sort of team this new Championship structure was designed to encourage. After years of slipping dangerously close to irrelevance, they have a chance to show that, with a bit of extra incentive, they can mix it with the best. And, in sharing a group with Essex, they really are in with the best.It didn’t start well. After little more than half an hour, they were 7 for 3 with three of their top four having been dismissed for ducks. You would expect any surface at this time of year to provide some assistance to seamers, but there was nothing outlandish on show here. Indeed, this seems to be a better pitch than anyone had any right to expect after the relentlessly cold weather in recent days. After the immaculate Oliver Hannon-Dalby – whose first seven-over spell cost just three runs – returned to surprise Wayne Madsen with a bit of extra bounce, Derbyshire were 40 for 5.Luis Reece and Matt Critchley provided some resistance in adding 93 for the fifth-wicket. While Reece’s innings was, for the most part, a dogged affair – not that there’s anything wrong with that – Critchley batted with a fluency and elegance that nobody could match on the day. At one stage, he took Craig Miles for four successive boundaries – three of them gorgeous drives – and reached his fifty in just 58 balls.Although neither could strictly be said to have come through the Derbyshire system – Lancashire played a more significant role in the development of both players – they are the sort of players around whom the club could mount a decent campaign this summer.But neither of them progressed much beyond 60. And with nobody else in the team reaching 15, it left Derbyshire without a batting bonus point and as much as 100 runs short of a par score. It was, in short, an underwhelming start to their challenge.To be fair to Derbyshire, they were unfortunate to run into Liam Norwell in top form. Some of Warwickshire’s coaches believe he is the second quickest bowler on their staff, after Olly Stone, and here he generated surprisingly sharp pace while maintaining a probing line and length. He claimed two wickets in his first over – Billy Godleman forced into playing at one and Anuj Dal missing a straight one – and returned later returned to break the Reece-Critchley stand.Going round the wicket, he brought an edge from the left-handed Reece with another that forced a stroke and bounced a little, before Critchley pushed at one outside off. In between times, Harvey Hosein appeared to be hurried by one that bounced more than anticipated and was also caught in the cordon. It was the 12th five-wicket haul of Norwell’s first-class career and his second in six games since joining Warwickshire in 2019. Warwickshire’s catching was excellent despite the chilly conditions.Norwell admitted he had been nervous before play. While there’s little doubting his ability, he had struggled with injury in recent years – this is just his seventh first-class game since the start of 2018 – and he knows that, aged 29, he is running out of opportunities to show what he can do. This game came exactly 10 years since his first-class debut; a game in which he claimed 6 for 46 against Derbyshire.But he was preferred to Henry Brookes in this match and is rated by Warwickshire’s director of cricket, Paul Farbrace, as a key reason the club avoided relegation in 2019.”I just want to repay the faith Warwickshire have shown in me,” Norwell said. “I’ve had a pretty right time of things over the last few years; this is the first time I’ve been fit for the start of the season since 2017.”The coach [Mark Robinson] has given me confidence and told me to relax. He’s told us to enjoy it and tried to instil some belief. I’m not looking too far ahead: I just want to stay fit and put in some good performances to repay that faith.”While Will Rhodes, leaving a straight one, fell early in reply, there was good news for Warwickshire off the pitch, too. Their replacement overseas player, Hanuma Vihari, arrived in the country around lunchtime and will now quarantine in Birmingham in the hope of being available for next week’s game against Nottinghamshire. Warwickshire also expect Stone, who missed this game as part of his planned workload management ahead of the Test series against New Zealand, to play next week. They hope he will play four Championship matches before that Test series. Ryan Sidebottom is currently coming back from injury but is expected to play club cricket this weekend.While Vihari is, for now, planning on playing no more than three games, he is expected to be available for more. Indeed, with little sign of progress in Pieter Malan’s attempts to obtain a visa, there has to be a chance that Vihari will play until he is required by India.
Southampton are one of a number of clubs who are interested in completing the loan signing of a "special" Liverpool teenager who has been compared to Wayne Rooney, according to a new update from reliable journalist James Pearce.
Southampton transfer news
Saints still need to complete more business between now and the end of the summer transfer window, with Villarreal and Chile striker Ben Brereton Diaz seen as a strong target. In fact, a £7m fee has reportedly been agreed, as they look to seal an impressive addition.
Crystal Palace youngster Jesurun Rak-Sakyi has also emerged as a rumoured target for Southampton, with the youngster seen as an attacking player with lots of potential. Still only 21 years of age, the Eagles may be keen to keep hold of him, though, especially having already lost Michael Olise to Bayern Munich earlier this window.
The future of Celtic attacking midfielder Matt O'Riley is still up in the air, too, and while a move to Atalanta feels the most likely outcome this summer, Saints have been mentioned as possible suitors. The Dane was superb for the Hoops last season, registering 31 goal contributions (18 goals and 13 assists) in the Scottish Premiership, helping his side clinch the league and Scottish Cup double in the process.
Meanwhile, Southampton have already completed the double signing of young pair Welington and Juan from Brazilian side Sao Paulo, with the duo arriving next January after signing pre-contract deals.
Southampton keen on signing "special" ace
According to Pearce on X, Southampton are interested in signing Liverpool winger Ben Doak on loan this summer, but they aren't alone in expressing a willingness to snap him up:
Doak is an incredibly exciting talent who could be such an eye-catching temporary addition for Saints this summer, possessing blistering pace out wide, as well as an ability to both cut inside or hit the byline. At 18, the Scot is understandably still a raw footballer whose end product needs some work, but former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is a big admirer.
"Ben Doak, obviously nice signs, he’s with us in training again. Special boy, really confident, has something nobody else delivers really, this kind of dribbling, this kind of straight-forward bravery, all these kind of things."
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Doak has also been compared to Rooney in the past, in terms of his stocky build and fearless style of play, and while Russell Martin may not see him as a starter in every game, given his age, he has the potential to be such an effective squad option for a year, affecting games as a substitute with his directness and trickery.