Jack Clayton made 133 not out to help Queensland post 307 for 5 after being sent in
AAP08-Feb-2025Jack Clayton’s resolute, unbeaten century for Queensland kept returning New South Wales prodigy Sam Konstas waiting for his first Gabba innings.Queensland No. 3 Clayton was unbeaten on 133 after day one as the Sheffield Shield returned in Brisbane on Saturday, the hosts 307 for 5 after being sent in by the Blues.The left-hander’s fourth first class century was a valuable one, Clayton leading the recovery after they had slipped to 45 for 3 in the first session.He enjoyed some luck after being pinned on the back by a bouncer with his first delivery, dropped at first slip on 98 and then scampering through for a risky single to bring up triple figures.Lachlan Hearne (63) was the more fluent of the pair earlier in the day before Clayton expanded with a series of confident straight and off drives.Jimmy Peirson (36) helped push the total towards 300 before returning allrounder Michael Neser and Clayton got the hosts to stumps.”Nice to get the team in a decent position [on] day one,” Clayton said. “Getting sent in to bat, we want to try and get a big total on the board and drive the game.”It’s really satisfying and it’s been a bit frustrating the first part of the season … some 80s and 90s and a lot of starts. To capitalise and with a bit of luck in there was really nice.”It means young gun Konstas will be made to wait for his first Gabba innings after he was replaced at the top of the Australian order by Travis Head in Sri Lanka and sent home to gain experience on the seam-friendly Brisbane surface.Debutants Hanno Jacobs (2-75) and Ross Pawson (1-64) both had early joy, the latter dismissing Matt Renshaw when the left-hander skied an attempted pull shot to cut short a confident start.Jacobs then had Angus Lovell and Ben McDermott’s scalps in quick succession before the rearguard began.
Celtic still have plenty of time left to dip into the market to improve their squad for the 2024/26 campaign before the summer transfer window closes at the start of next month.
Brendan Rodgers has made no secret of his desire to add more quality to his options across the park in the coming weeks, particularly in the attacking areas of the pitch.
Speaking earlier this month, the Northern Irish head coach said: “The squad will hopefully look again different come the end of the window.
“I think it’s very clear. We need to improve in the front end of the pitch. The attacking department has always, and always will be, the strengths of my teams. We’ve lost important players in that area, and we need to replace players in that area.”
As you can see in the post above, Rodgers confirmed back in May that Portuguese winger Jota is set to be out of action for up to nine months with a knee injury.
This means that Celtic supporters may not see the former Benfica starlet out on the pitch in green and white again until January or February of next year.
Why Celtic need to replace Jota
The Scottish Premiership champions need to sign another left-sided attacker before the window slams shut to ‘replace’ Jota, because he could be out for more than half of the season.
Celtic’s rather drab 1-0 win over St Mirren, decided by a deflected strike from Luke McCowan, highlighted the need for attacking reinforcements to come through the door in the weeks to come.
Rodgers would surely have loved to have had Jota available to bring off the bench, or start, to add some attacking quality in the final third, after the winger delivered four goals and two assists in seven league starts in the second half of last season.
24/25 Premiership
Jota (per 90)
Percentile rank vs wingers
Goals
0.63
Top 6%
xG
0.48
Top 8%
Assists
0.32
Top 17%
xA
0.37
Top 8%
Chances created
1.89
Top 25%
Stats via FotMob
As you can see in the table above, Jota hit the ground running in the Premiership after his return to Glasgow from Rennes in January, ranking highly among his positional peers as both a scorer and a creator of goals from the left flank.
The Portuguese star is a winger who has the ability to make a big impact at the top end of the pitch on a regular basis, which is why his injury came as such a big blow for the Hoops and Rodgers, and why he has to be replaced.
Daizen Maeda is currently the only fit and available senior left winger in the first-team squad, and James Forrest, 34, was the only winger of any description on the bench at all against St Mirren.
This is why the Hoops must dip into the market to sign a player who can fill the gap left by Jota’s injury, to ensure that Rodgers is not left without adequate resources out wide until next year.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
TEAMtalk recently reported that Brondby winger Clement Bischoff has emerged as a key target for Celtic, as they plan to bring in two more wingers before the end of the window.
The outlet claimed that the Danish youngster is available for a fee of around £6.3m, but that they could also face competition from Sunderland and Crystal Palace in the Premier League.
Why Celtic should sign Clement Bischoff
Celtic should push to win the race for the 19-year-old talent’s signature this summer because they could finally replace the injured Jota by bringing him to Parkhead.
Bischoff could be the perfect signing to fill the specific need of this signing. He is a young player who may not expect to start every single game straight away, at the age of 19, which means that Jota’s return from injury may not cause problems in the squad.
Whereas, having Jota, Maeda, and another senior left-sided attacker who wants to start every week could cause problems and leave Rodgers in a difficult situation.
This means that Bischoff could fit the bill perfectly by coming in to play important minutes in the first half of the season, before moving to more of a back-up role when the Portuguese forward is back, learning from him to aid his own development.
The teenage whiz, who was described as a “flamboyant” and “technical dribbler” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, has also shown enough quality in his time with Brondby to suggest that he can provide quality to Celtic straight away.
Extraordinarily, Bischoff has already created 24 chances and five ‘big chances’ in six games in all competitions in the 2025/26 campaign for the Danish side, playing on the left of a front three.
24/25 Superliga
Clement Bischoff
Appearances
29
Goals
2
Big chances created
9
Key passes per game
1.5
Assists
3
Dribbles completed per game
1.6
Dribble success rate
52%
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, the teenager only managed two goals and three assists at league level for Brondby last season, but all of his starts came as a left wing-back.
The Danish side have utilised him as a winger, instead of as a wing-back, at the start of this season and he has already produced one goal and one assist in three Superliga games.
Celtic manager BrendanRodgersbefore the match
This shows that he can provide more quality offensively when used on the wing, but it also shows that he is a versatile player who could be used in other positions down the left by Rodgers when needed.
Therefore, Bischoff could be a brilliant addition to the Celtic squad as a quality and versatile young player who could make an instant impact, whilst also having the potential to complement Jota when he is back fit and available.
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Celtic could help to unlock Adam Idah’s full potential by signing this reported transfer target.
Will he, won’t he? That is the question dominating those of a Liverpool persuasion, with it likely to prove an anxious few weeks amid the wait to see if Alexander Isak will make the jump to Anfield this summer.
Rival supporters are raising their eyebrows at such interest in the Newcastle United man, not least considering the £256m that has been spent so far, albeit with prior claims indicating that Arne Slot’s side could fork out for him and still be in the clear, considering how well the club has been run.
Having waited patiently amid a muted 2024 summer window, the Reds have sprung into action this time around, lasering in on Isak to solve their centre-forward woes, with the hapless Darwin Nunez seemingly heading for the exit.
The Uruguayan scored just seven times in all competitions last season, having been given the cold shoulder by Slot, while stand-in false nine Luiz Diaz has since secured his own departure, after joining Bayern Munich on a £65.5m deal.
That latter move has also heightened the need for competition for Cody Gakpo on the left flank, with recent reports indicating that the Merseysiders may well be looking toward a Premier League solution to bolster their attacking ranks.
Liverpool enter race for another Premier League addition
Isak remains priority number one right now, with reports suggesting that Liverpool are ready to lodge a bid of around £130m, following the bombshell news last week that the Swede had informed Newcastle of his desire to leave.
Isak
Despite rival interest from Saudi Arabia, the 25-year-old appears to have his heart set on making the move to Anfield, with the Magpies said to be lining up RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko as his replacement.
Away from solely focusing in on Isak, however, Caught Offside have suggested that the Premier League champions have also entered the race for Crystal Palace playmaker, Eberechi Eze.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
As per the report, while it is Arsenal who lead the race for the England international, they are facing ‘stiff competition’ from the likes of Manchester United, Manchester City and now Liverpool, with Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur also in the mix.
The 27-year-old is being lined up as a potential replacement for the outgoing Diaz, according to the piece, with the player’s £68m release clause likely to be an attractive prospect for any interested suitor.
Why Eze could be another Isak level signing
The beauty of signing a player like Isak is the fact that he has already proven himself in the Premier League, having scored 54 goals in just 86 appearances in the competition, following his arrival in the summer of 2022.
In that same time frame, Nunez – for example – has played 95 times in England’s top-flight, albeit while netting just 25 times, highlighting the significant upgrade that the Newcastle man would represent.
A terror for Premier League defences, Isak has already been described by Virgil van Dijk as “definitely the most in-form striker at the moment in world football”, with that glowing praise coming prior to the striker’s clincher in the Carabao Cup final triumph in March.
Such Wembley heroics are also familiar to that man Eze, with the former Queens Park Rangers starlet having scored the only goal as Palace saw off Manchester City in the FA Cup final just a few months later.
That crucial strike marked the versatile forward’s 14th goal of the campaign in all competitions, having also chipped in with a further 11 assists amid his role in a left-sided number ten berth.
Arsenal
7
1
0
Chelsea
9
1
1
Liverpool
7
1
1
Manchester City
9
2
1
Manchester United
11
0
0
Spurs
7
3
1
Total
50
8
4
Like Isak, the fleet-footed “magician” – as hailed by The Telegraph’s Sam Dean – has seemingly reached talismanic status at his current side, with now the perfect time for him to take that next step to a club operating at the summit of the European and English game.
Like Isak too, Eze has also showcased what he can do at Premier League level on a consistent basis, having registered 57 goals and assists in 146 games in the competition to date, 16 of which came in 2024/25.
Eze vs Wirtz
Of course, there is undoubted excitement over deals for the likes of Jeremie Frimpong, Hugo Ekitike and Florian Wirtz, although quite how that trio will fare in English football remains to be seen.
In Eze – the man who scored at Anfield in Palace’s 1-0 win back in April 2024 – there would be no such need for concern or questioning. This is a player who can immediately make an impression on Slot’s starting lineup.
With Isak leading the line, and the Englishman operating off the left flank, the Merseysiders could have a new deadly combination to unleash next season.
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Fast bowler set to depart Trent Bridge having played a role in six title-winning campaigns
ESPNcricinfo staff16-Sep-2024
Luke Fletcher was a stalwart at Notts for 17 seasons•Getty Images
Luke Fletcher, Nottinghamshire’s veteran seam bowler, is to leave the club at the end of the 2024 season after a 17-year career at Trent Bridge.Fletcher, who turns 36 on Wednesday, has taken 442 first-class wickets since making his Nottinghamshire debut in 2008, as well as 93 List A, and 108 T20 wickets. After working his way through the age-group system at Trent Bridge, he was released back to club cricket at Papplewick and Linby – and even worked on the gates at the club – before earning a consistent starting spot in 2009.He became a cult hero at Trent Bridge for his wholehearted approach to the game, and played a role in six title-winning campaigns, including their County Championship triumph in 2010 and two T20 Blast titles in 2017 and 2020.”For a local lad to represent this club is an honour, and I never could have expected the career I’ve had,” Fletcher said. “My overwhelming feeling now is how grateful I am for all the years I’ve spent with Notts and the memories I have made along the way.”A place is only as good as the people within it, and I’ve had the pleasure of sharing a dressing room with so many great people, and creating relationships that I will cherish forever.”But it’s also everyone around the club – from the ticket office to the chefs, community teams, ground staff, dressing room attendants and so many more. I’ve been here for such a long time and it has all meant a great deal to me.”Whilst I am sad that my time at the club is done, I couldn’t be happier with everything I have achieved. Trent Bridge feels like home, it always has done, and it always will do.”Fletcher’s finest year at the club came in 2021, when he was named PCA County Championship Player of the Year after taking 66 wickets at an average of 14.9. That came four years after a career-threatening injury in 2017, when he was struck on the head by a Sam Hain drive in a T20 clash against Birmingham Bears – an incident from which he made a full recovery.He is one of only five men to have taken 100 T20 wickets for Nottinghamshire, while his eight fifties for the club include two career-best scores of 92.”Luke is a hugely popular character, and with good reason,” Mick Newell, Nottinghamshire’s director of cricket, said. “He has given his heart and soul to this club, forged so many friendships and played with a smile on his face.”It says a great deal that Stuart Broad – who played with some of the greatest players of his generation – deems Fletch one of ‘the best team-mates you could ever have’.”It means so much to him to have represented his home county for nearly two decades, and that loyalty has been reciprocated by members and supporters who show him great affection.”His stats and success deserve mention too – he has worked tremendously hard at his craft to be the best he can be, and that has paid dividends.”We wish him all the best wherever he goes, and whatever he does – he will always get a warm welcome and special reception at Trent Bridge.”
For much of the last few months, the conversation around transfers and Arsenal has focused on their need for a new number nine.
It’s not hard to understand why that is, as by the end of last season, Mikel Arteta’s side had scored 17 fewer goals than Liverpool and three fewer than Manchester City, despite finishing second in the Premier League.
However, while the likes of Benjamin Sesko, Viktor Gyokeres and Ollie Watkins would all surely help the North Londoners score more goals, it would also make sense for them to bolster their winger and midfield options.
Fortunately, that appears to be what they are planning to do, as reports have now linked them with a tremendously exciting talent who has won comparisons to Bukayo Saka and Rodrygo.
Arsenal target wide talents
While a new striker is high on Arsenal’s list of priorities this summer, more wide talent appears to be just as important to Arteta and Co, as evidenced by links to players such as Noni Madueke and Rodrygo.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
The former could be available for around £50m, and while he won’t necessarily excite the fans, he is homegrown and familiar with the Premier League.
Rodrygo, on the other hand, is neither of those things, but with two Champions League titles to his name and a tally of 25 goal involvements in 53 appearances last season, he feels like he’s be more than worth the £85m it could cost to sign him.
With that said, another exciting talent has now entered the frame, someone who’s not only been compared to the Brazilian but also to Saka.
Yes, according to a recent report from French outlet L’Équipe, Arsenal are interested in AS Monaco gem Maghnes Akliouche.
The report has revealed that while in talks with Viktor Gyokeres’ agent, Andrea Berta also inquired about the 23-year-old, who has the same agent.
The report further explains that should the Gunners wish to pursue the French talent, they’d have to pay the Ligue 1 side around €70m, which is about £60m.
AS Monaco's MaghnesAkliouche
It would be a surprising signing, but given Akliouche’s ability and potential, Arsenal should continue exploring it, especially as he has been compared to Saka and Rodrygo.
How Akliouche compares to Saka & Rodrygo
In this instance, the primary comparisons to Saka and Rodrygo stem from FBref, which analysed players in similar positions in the Champions League this season and concluded that the Arsenal star was the fifth most similar midfielder to Akliouche, and the Real Madrid player was the tenth most similar.
Akliouche & Saka
Statistics per 90
Akliouche
Saka
Assists
0.22
0.24
Tackles + Interceptions
2.58
2.62
Carries
29.2
27.9
Successful Take-On %
37.1%
35.0%
Attempted Long Passes
4.16
4.52
All Stats via FBref for the 24/25 UCL Campaign
You can gain a better understanding of how these comparisons were made by examining the underlying numbers in which the Frenchman ranked closely to the two internationals. In the Englishman’s case, these metrics included assists, tackles plus interceptions, carries, and more, all per 90.
In the case of the Brazilian, the underlying numbers included metrics such as non-penalty expected goals plus assists, key passes, goal-creating actions, progressive carries, and more, all per 90.
Akliouche & Rodrygo
Statistics per 90
Akliouche
Rodrygo
Non-Penalty Expected G+As
0.40
0.48
Progressive Carries
4.16
4.64
Key Passes
1.46
1.65
Goal-Creating Actions
0.45
0.41
Expected Assists
0.16
0.16
All Stats via FBref for the 24/25 UCL Campaign
With that said, while sharing some key statistical similarities with two of the most exciting wingers in the game is certainly encouraging and suggests the Monaco ace has a bright future, it’s not the only argument for why the Gunners should sign him.
Another key one would be his output for last season.
In 43 appearances, totalling 3301 minutes, the brilliant 23-year-old, whom talent scout Jacek Kulig describes as having a “left foot made of gold,” scored seven goals and provided 12 assists.
That means he maintained an average of a goal involvement every 2.26 games, or every 173.73 minutes, and also means he would have been the joint fourth most productive player among Arteta’s squad.
Maghnes Akliouche for AS Monaco.
Ultimately, Akliouche might not be the most well-known player among Premier League fans, but he appears to be something truly special, and therefore, Arsenal should do what they can to sign him this summer.
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Glasgow Rangers are still in the process of finding a new head coach to lead them into the next era at Ibrox under the new ownership that is set to come in.
Patrick Stewart and Kevin Thelwell are tasked with finding a permanent replacement for Philippe Clement, who was relieved of his duties in February, after Barry Ferguson’s interim stint came to an end.
The former Scotland international only won five of his 16 matches in charge of the Gers during his time in the dugout, and it was then confirmed that he would not be offered the job on a full-time basis.
Then, rather bizarrely, the Daily Record reported that Ferguson was planning to get rid of Nils Koppen, the technical director, if he had been given the job, despite the Belgian chief being in a position above his.
The focus is now on finding an external candidate who can come in to bring success back to Ibrox after a season without any major trophies.
One coach who has been linked with a move to Ibrox this summer is former Real Madrid assistant manager Davide Ancelotti, who has been working with his father Carlo Ancelotti.
Why Rangers should avoid Davide Ancelotti
It is first worth acknowledging that there are reasons why the Gers are right to have taken an interest in the Italian coach, because he is vastly experienced at the top level of European football.
As you can see in the graphic above, his father has won the Champions League five times and lifted a league title in all five of the major European leagues.
Davide has not worked with Carlo for all of those achievements, of course, but he has been either a fitness coach or an assistant manager to the legendary manager in his last six jobs.
Real Madrid (Assistant manager)
Carlo Ancelotti
233
Everton (Assistant manager)
Carlo Ancelotti
67
Napoli (Assistant manager)
Carlo Ancelotti
73
Bayern Munich (Assistant manager)
Carlo Ancelotti
60
Real Madrid (Fitness coach)
Carlo Ancelotti
119
PSG (Fitness coach)
Carlo Ancelotti
77
As you can see in the table above, the Rangers target has plenty of experience coaching at the top level under his father, at massive clubs like Bayern Munich and Real Madrid.
However, Davide Ancelotti has not managed a single game as a first-team head coach or manager in his own right, which means that he would also arrive at Ibrox as an incredibly inexperienced boss in that respect.
Real Madrid assistant coachDavideAncelotti
This means that appointing him would be a huge gamble for Rangers because he is yet to prove that he can successfully coach a winning team on his own, which is why it may come as good news that there is a fresh report detailing the club’s plans to speak with another candidate.
Rangers set for talks with Davide Ancelotti alternative
According to The Scottish Sun, Rangers are set to hold talks with former Scotland international Russell Martin over a deal to be the next head coach at Ibrox.
The report claims that the ex-Southampton manager will meet with Gers chiefs at some point this week to discuss a potential move to Glasgow ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.
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It states that Ancelotti, Steven Gerrard, and Brian Priske are also in the running, as Stewart and Thelwell have a shortlist of candidates that they are working through to find the new Rangers head coach.
The Scottish Sun claims that there have already been initial talks held with Martin, but they are set for further discussions when they will allow him to outline how he would bring success back to Ibrox as a coach.
However, the outlet adds that he is also a strong contender for the Leicester City job in the English Championship, which could mean that the Light Blues need to move quickly if they want him as their next boss.
Martin should, with this in mind, be a strong candidate for the role because he could be an even better option than Ancelotti and Priske this summer.
Why Russell Martin would be a good appointment for Rangers
On paper, Priske looks to be an excellent option for the job because he has won two titles with Sparta Prague and one title with Midtjylland in Denmark, which shows that he can coach a winning team.
However, the Danish tactician has typically favoured a 3-4-3 shape throughout his career, which worked in Czechia and Denmark to win titles, but he had to adapt at Feyenoord and switched between 4-4-2, 4-3-3, and 4-2-3-1 formations, with little success, before being sacked shortly after losing 6-1 to Lille in the Champions League.
With Rangers typically playing against teams sitting in a low block, a 3-4-3 formation that is more suited to transitional games and playing on the counter with wing-backs bombing on may not suit a tilt at the Scottish Premiership title, and his Feyenoord performance suggests that he is not successful at coaching four at the back formations.
This is one key reason why Martin could be better than him for this job, because he plays an attacking 4-3-3 formation that is well-suited to dominating and breaking down low blocks, as evidenced by his side’s performance in the Championship in the 2023/24 campaign when they won the play-offs to earn promotion to the Premier League.
Pass accuracy
87.7%
1st
Passes into the penalty area
594
1st
Progressive passes
2556
1st
Shot-creating actions
1255
1st
xG
79.8
2nd
Points per game
1.89
4th
As you can see in the table above, the former Rangers loanee successfully deployed a team that dominated the ball whilst creating high-quality chances at an exceptional rate.
Analyst John Walker described Martin’s style as “exciting” and “total football” and those statistics back that up, as the manager has proven that he can coach a team to be incredibly dominant and creative when he has the players to do so.
Of course, he was sacked by Southampton earlier this season after a dismal run of 13 losses in 16 Premier League games, but the Saints went on to lose 30 times in 38 matches, suggesting that Martin was not the only problem there.
The Scottish tactician also showcased his coaching ability in the lower leagues in England with MK Dons, helping to coach this incredible goal below.
Martin could bring an enjoyable and successful style of play to Rangers that could help them compete for trophies again, and could be a better option than Priske, due to his stylistic issues, and Ancelotti, who is an unknown quantity.
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Sunderland supporters have been seriously put through the wringer by their side in recent memory, with League One football even on the menu back in 2019.
But, all that agony and woe surrounding the Black Cats has been finally lifted courtesy of Regis Le Bris’ heroics from the dug-out, as the Frenchman proudly brings Premier League football action back to the Stadium of Light.
The hope will be that Sunderland’s emotional 2-1 win over Sheffield United will keep Jobe Bellingham around for a little while longer, amidst interest from elite sides such as Borussia Dortmund.
But if that is to be Bellingham’s swansong moment, he delivered yet another classy display for his top-flight-bound side from the middle of the park, alongside a whole host of other standout performers.
Sunderland's best performers vs the Blades
Before looking at the other heroes in Le Bris’ camp, Bellingham stood out once again as a key part of the young and promising Sunderland side.
The in-demand number seven would only misplace six of his 55 passes when offering the Black Cats calm through the middle on such a tense stage, whilst also winning six duels to display more grit and fight than an underperforming Sydie Peck for the Blades.
Bellingham wasn’t the only star who managed to show up for the big occasion, however, as Daniel Ballard put in another imperious display defensively when winning his own sizeable duels count of 11, whilst Eliezer Mayenda also shone when levelling the proceedings as a pacey option up top.
But, the main talking point afterwards was Tommy Watson’s last-minute winner, with the homegrown Wearside product capitalising on a lax pass by Kieffer Moore to fire home a stunning effort to seal Sunderland’s progression back up to the big time.
That was one hell of a parting gift from the 19-year-old hotshot, who is set to join Brighton and Hove Albion this summer for £10m.
Indeed, Watson is perhaps the club’s next Jordan Henderson as he goes on to potentially affirm himself as a Premier League regular with the Seagulls.
Why Watson could be Sunderland's next Henderson
Amazingly, Henderson was only one year older than Watson when his big move to Liverpool occurred.
He never looked back after waving goodbye to his boyhood club either, leading to the now Ajax man going on to make 492 appearances for the Reds, alongside winning 83 England caps.
Therefore, Watson will be aiming to follow in Henderson’s footsteps as an equally talented and promising starlet through the middle – albeit one who unfortunately does their best work away from the Stadium of Light.
After all, from only 24 first-team games to date, the 19-year-old is up to three strikes with the best left till last when breaking Blades hearts. To add context, Henderson would only power home two more efforts himself donning Sunderland red and white, even from 55 more outings.
Watson’s G/A numbers for Sunderland
Age bracket
Games played
Goals scored
Assists
U18s
40
18
7
U21s
31
13
11
First team
24
3
0
Sourced by Transfermarkt
The attacker’s blistering numbers for the Black Cats at both an U18 and U21 level also show off a prodigy ready for the bright lights of the Premier League, albeit now without his hometown side.
Still, everyone associated with Sunderland will be overjoyed that it was one of their own that got them back up to the promised land regardless of his next onward route, with Roker Report writer Andy Tomlinson handing out an 8/10 post-match rating to Watson subsequently.
There will be a concern that Watson is only getting started and will be taken to new heights on the South Coast, much like Henderson managed at Anfield.
But, whatever does happen across Watson’s lengthy career to come, he will always have this moment of magic on his resume that took his boyhood employers back up to the Premier League.
Jobe Bellingham holds positive talks to leave Sunderland before play-off final
With Fabio Paratici set to return to the club, Tottenham Hotspur are now reportedly in constant contact with an impressive defender who’s also found himself on the radar of Real Madrid.
Fabio Paratici set for Tottenham return
Having left the North London club in 2023 following a two-and-a-half-year ban by FIFA which he is still serving, Paratici has reportedly agreed to return to Tottenham. The Lilywhites have plenty of work to do this summer and the return of an experienced sporting director may well go a long way towards things finally changing for the better under Ange Postecoglou.
How much room Spurs have to manoeuvre in the transfer window is the big question. Should they miss out on winning the Europa League and, subsequently, a place in next season’s Champions League, those in North London are unlikely to have a large budget to spend. After taking one leg in the final with a 3-1 first leg victory over Bodo/Glimt, however, Europa League victory is still very much a possibility.
Many will be quick to assume that a place in Bilbao is now firmly in Spurs’ grasp and Postecoglou reiterated that a repeat of his side’s performance on Thursday night next week will see them advance.
He told reporters: “Obviously they scored the goal late, which doesn’t reflect our dominance in the game, but if we repeat that performance next week it’ll be enough for us to get through.
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“Yeah, I think it puts us in a good position. I thought the players were outstanding today, I thought our performance was everything it needed to be, really well organised and disciplined defensively and really calm going forward and created good opportunities for ourselves.”
Europa League victory would no doubt help to turn the narrative of their season on its head, perhaps saving Postecoglou’s job in the process and even luring top transfer targets to the club.
Tottenham in constant contact with Jonathan Tah
According to The Boot Room, Tottenham are in constant contact with Jonathan Tah over a summer switch following the expiry of his current Bayer Leverkusen deal at the end of the season. The Lilywhites are far from alone, however, with Manchester United and now even Real Madrid also looking to convince the defender into a move.
As Paratici plots his first transfer back, those in North London could end the summer having landed a true bargain. The Leverkusen defender played a pivotal part in last season’s invincible domestic double and has impressed once again throughout the current campaign.
A player who’s earned plenty of praise over the years, former Germany boss Joachim Low told reporters after handing Tah his international debut at the beginning of his career: “He’s a young player with a lot of potential. He’s physically strong and very quick. Everything is possible.”
هنأ الرئيس عبد الفتاح السيسي، منتخب مصر للكاراتيه والسلاح، على الإنجازات المميزة التي حققها أبناؤنا الرياضيون مؤخرًا، مؤكدًا أن هذه البطولات تعكس عزيمة المصريين وإصرارهم على رفع راية الوطن عاليًا بين الأمم.
وكتب الرئيس عبد الفتاح السيسي، عبر صفحته الرسمية بموقع “فيس بوك”: “أتوجه بالتهنئة القلبية إلى منتخب مصر للكاراتيه، كبارًا وذوي الاحتياجات الخاصة، على الإنجاز التاريخي الذي تحقق بتصدر مصر الترتيب العام لدول العالم في بطولة العالم للكاراتيه، التي استضافتها مصر مؤخرًا”.
طالع أيضًا | استغاثة عاجلة من محمود البنا للرئيس السيسي بشأن التحكيم المصري
وتابع: “ولا يقل هذا الإنجاز أهمية عما حققه منتخب مصر للسلاح، الذي توج بذهبية كأس العالم لسيف المبارزة تحت ٢٠ سنة في هونج كونج، بعد أداء مشرف يليق بمكانة مصر وريادتها العالمية”.
وأضاف: “إن أبناءنا الرياضيين يثبتون يومًا بعد يوم أن مصر قادرة على صناعة الإنجازات في شتى الميادين بعزيمتهم الصلبة و إصرارهم الدائم على حصد البطولات”.
واختتم: “حفظ الله مصر وأبطالها، ووفقهم لمزيد من النجاحات والبطولات التي ترفع راية الوطن عاليًا بين الأمم”.
Eddie Howe didn’t name a weakened Newcastle United side against Bayer Leverkusen on Wednesday in the Champions League, despite the Tyne-Wear Derby looming large.
Indeed, the 48-year-old went full strength, as he picked the likes of Bruno Guimaraes, Sandro Tonali, and Anthony Gordon, even as his team’s tense showdown with Sunderland comes onto the overloaded fixture list on Sunday.
Going all out with his team selection didn’t mean a convincing win was forthcoming, though, as Newcastle’s frailties away from St James’ Park reared their ugly head once more in a 2-2 draw at the BayArena.
Unfortunately, many of Howe’s top performers throughout the season struggled in Leverkusen, as an 88th-minute equaliser from Alejandro Grimaldo proved to be a sickening end to a night that was meant to boost the Toon’s confidence, before travelling to the Black Cats.
Newcastle's worst performers vs Leverkusen
It was a well-worked move that saw the Spanish defender slot home past Aaron Ramsdale, but the lax marking of the full-back will have angered Howe at the full-time whistle, as Tonali looked nowhere near his energetic best once more.
The Italian just casually jogged about the pitch when the move was being orchestrated, with the ex-AC Milan man also falling victim to a sluggish display on the ball when giving up possession eight times.
As journalist Luke Edwards put it at the close of the 2-2 draw, he’s meant to “bring control” to contests late on, but looked haphazard on the flip side.
Moreover, Howe could now be second-guessing whether Malick Thiaw should start what will surely be a heated contest at the Stadium of Light, with the clumsy German fortunate not to receive a red card when bringing down Patrick Schick early into the first half, just before he could fire a shot at Ramsdale’s net.
Thankfully, the 24-year-old evaded the referee’s wrath, with the hope that he can get back to his rock-solid best on Wearside, having further come up short uncharacteristically on three of his eight duels away from St James’ Park.
Guimaraes was also left red-faced during the clash when he unfortunately put an own-goal past an unsuspecting Ramsdale, but he did more than enough at BayArena to keep his first-team spot, as seen in him notching up a hefty five key passes, as per Sofascore.
The same, however, can’t be said for one of his declining teammates…
The Newcastle star who must now be axed
Hailed as an “unbelievably frustrating” night from a Toon persuasion by Sky Sports’ Andy Sixsmith, it will be intriguing to see what changes Howe makes to his starting XI now for the demanding Tyne-Wear face-off to come.
Chalkboard
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Joelinton dropping out feels like an obvious alteration, as the underperforming number seven limped off with a clear injury issue on the hour mark.
To make matters worse for the waning Brazilian, his replacement, Lewis Miley, scored within 14 minutes of his introduction into the lively game, leading one content creator to state that the young Englishman has now “claimed his starting space.”
Minutes played
60
Goals
0
Assists
0
Touches
33
Shots
1
Accurate passes
20/23 (87%)
Key passes
0
Total duels won
2/9
Even if the lethargic South American didn’t have his injury issue to contend with, he would likely be fearful of the axe when looking at his poor numbers from the Leverkusen score draw in more detail, as the 29-year-old, who used to be known for his verve and determination centrally, ended up only winning two of his nine duels on the night.
On top of that, he also very much fell victim to fading in and out of the match, having come off at the hour mark with only 33 touches accumulated, unlike his midfield partners in Guimaraes and Tonali, who amassed a weighty 121 touches between them.
Even Ramsdale in between the sticks would tally up more touches, ending the 2-2 affair with a slightly higher 39.
Having lost his spark in the Premier League this season, too, with zero goals or assists next to his name from 13 league outings, it does feel like a straightforward swap to bring in Miley for some freshness against Sunderland, as the homegrown prodigy licks his lips at the prospect of facing the Toon’s fiercest rivals.
Dropping Joelinton is unlikely to be the only tweak at the Stadium of Light, as Howe does everything in his power to pick the strongest XI that hands his team the bragging rights on Sunday.
As bad as Tonali: £75k-p/w star had his worst game in a Newcastle shirt
This Newcastle star struggled in their 2-2 draw away to Bayer Leverkusen