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Chelsea have now entered negotiations over a deal to sign a rapid new centre-back, and an opening offer is set to be made within weeks.

Blues looking to sign new centre-back despite Cahill comments

With Levi Colwill suffering an ACL injury back in August, the Blues’ offer centre-back options have had to step up to the plate this season, and Gary Cahill has been very impressed with their performances, so much so that he believes his former club don’t need to sign a new defender.

Cahill said: “There has been a lot of noise around this for a long time, but I think the lads that are there are doing a very good job of proving that they don’t need to add to this position,”

“I’ve been very impressed with Wesley Fofana since he’s come back. Touch wood that he stays fit.

“Trevoh Chalobah: look at the job he’s been doing – he’s a bit of an unsung hero. Trevoh is probably the most underappreciated player at Chelsea.

However, while a senior centre-back may not be required, BlueCo are always keen to bring in exciting up-and-coming prospects, and they have now entered negotiations over a deal for Gremio defender Luis Eduardo.

That is according to a report from AS (via Sport Witness), which states Chelsea have now entered talks to sign Eduardo, alongside Premier League rivals Manchester United, with opening offers set to be made in the coming weeks.

The Blues are now trying to ‘accelerate’ their pursuit of the centre-back, given that scouts have been left impressed with his performances, with the 17-year-old well-known for his pace, having reached 38 km/h for Gremio earlier this year.

The speedster has a €60m (£53m) release clause included in his contract with the Brazilian club, although it is unclear whether BlueCo would be willing to shell out such a big fee on a very young player.

Related Chelsea now ready to trigger £44m release clause for "unstoppable" striker

The Blues are looking to sign a new centre-forward, who has been in fantastic form so far this season.

Posts ByDominic Lund Nov 30, 2025 Luis Eduardo impressing at youth level

The teenager is yet to establish himself as a regular starter for Gremio, having made just one appearance for the senior team, but he has put in some eye-catching performances for both club and country at youth level.

Despite being a centre-back, the Corrente-born ace managed to score two goals in seven appearances for Gremio U20s in 2025, while he has also netted three goals in 13 appearances for Brazil U17s.

Eduardo could be one for the future, but Cahill is correct in his assessment that Chelsea don’t need to worry about bringing in a new centre-back anytime soon, given Chalobah’s recent form, most recently netting the opening goal in the 1-1 draw with Arsenal.

Enzo Maresca also has Josh Acheampong and Benoit Badiashile at his disposal as back-up options, and with Colwill still to return, the manager is well-stocked at centre-back.

Arne Slot's future is in the spotlight after Liverpool's 3-0 Premier League defeat to Nottingham Forest on Saturday at Anfield plunged the Reds deeper into crisis. The loss was Liverpool's sixth in seven Premier League matches and means Slot's side are in the bottom half of the table after 12 games played. Questions are now being asked of the Dutchman and his methods, particularly after a big-spending summer that saw costly stars such as Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike arrive.

• Liverpool's stance on Slot's future revealed

  Despite Liverpool's dismal start to the season, the Reds currently have no intention of sacking Slot, according to Fabrizio Romano. The transfer guru offered an update on the situation on YouTube, explaining: "What’s going on with Arne Slot? Guys, at the moment I have no information that the Liverpool owners are thinking of making an immediate decision about Arne Slot. So Liverpool are NOT thinking of changing the manager right now. Of course, they – the owners, the club – want to see different results, they expect a lot more from Arne Slot and his team. Surely Liverpool expect to see something different from both the manager and the players, because it’s not just Arne Slot. The players also have to take responsibility, as Virgil van Dijk said, so it’s like the players and the manager.

  "Arne Slot knows that the situation is dangerous, complicated, but at the same time he feels the support and trust of the club. Liverpool are NOT in talks with any other manager and are not even considering the possibility of sacking the manager. This is the current situation. Of course, the results have to change, and quickly, both in the Champions League and in the Premier League, especially in the Premier League, because Liverpool are really in a complicated situation. This is the feeling today."

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  Liverpool 'going backwards' under Slot

  Former Arsenal defender Martin Keown feels that Liverpool are going backwards under Slot. The manager spent heavily in the summer to rebuild his squad, with Jeremie Frimpong, Milos Kerez and Giovanni Leoni also arriving, but has seen his team go on to lose half of their Premier League matches. Keown told BBC Sport: "Whether it's a crisis, I don't know. It's certainly a major problem for the manager to go six defeats from seven. Unthinkable. The wheels are coming off now for Arne Slot. It was Jurgen Klopp's team and he has tried to come in and make changes, but he has spent £450m on players and they are going backwards."

• Van Dijk admits Liverpool are in a mess

  Slot admitted the defeat to Nottingham Forest was a "very, very bad result" and captain Virgil van Dijk says the team are in a "mess". The Dutch star also feels the players are letting their manager down and has called on the squad to improve quickly.

  "We had a great three or four days’ preparation but in a game you are dealing with facts and the facts are we conceded a set piece in the first half and a terrible goal at the start of the second half," he told reporters. "We are definitely letting him [Slot] down, but we’ve let ourselves down as well. You look at yourself first and then you help each other, you help each other get out of this mess because at the moment it is a mess – that’s just a fact. As the champions we can’t be in the situation we are in right now. What are we going to do about it? We’re going to try to turn it around and that’s the mentality everyone should have."

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  Liverpool back in Champions League action

  Liverpool will turn their attentions back to the Champions League next and a visit from PSV. The Reds have been in better form in Europe, beating Real Madrid last time out and starting the campaign with three wins from four. PSV currently sit top of the Eredivisie table but have managed just one win – a 6-2 thrashing of Serie A champions Napoli – so far in the Champions League. Anything other than a victory against PSV, will pile more pressure on Slot ahead of a Premier League fixture against West Ham on Sunday.

If Rangers are going to reestablish themselves as both Scottish football’s dominant side but also a force in Europe once again, their recruitment simply must improve.

Sporting director Kevin Thelwell gave an interview to the club’s official TV channel this week, his position very much under the microscope from supporters following a very underwhelming transfer window.

Summer signings such as Emmanuel Fernandez, Joe Rothwell, Jayden Meghoma, Thelo Aasgaard and others have either made little impact or not impressed so far.

Rangers supporters won’t like this, but they’re going to have to replicate Celtic’s largely successful player trading model, with the side from across the city regularly selling players on for a sizable profit, something the Gers rarely do.

In fairness to them, the Light Blues did manage this with Hamza Igamane who departed this summer, so could an “exciting” new recruit be the next one to follow?

Hamza Igamane's impact at Rangers

When Igamane arrived at Rangers, he was a complete unknown quantity, signing from Botola club AS FAR in his native Morocco for £1.7m.

Well, the young striker certainly impressed during his one season in Govan, scoring 16 goals across all competitions, of which four came in the Europa League, while also bagging a hat-trick against Hibernian at Easter Road back in January.

He will though be most fondly remembered for this thunderous strike at Parkhead in March, snatching a 3-2 Old Firm victory over Celtic during Barry Ferguson’s interim tenure, awarded the club’s goal of the season.

Igamane though did not plan on sticking around in Glasgow, sold to Ligue 1 side LOSC Lille for a reported fee of £10.4m in August, which may prove to be an absolute bargain as far as les Dogues are concerned.

He scored twice on his Ligue 1 debut against Lorient at Stade du Moustoir, netting seven times for Lille to date overall, including three in the Europa League, featuring a brace against PAOK last month.

Meantime, Igamane scored his first two senior goals for Morocco in September, on target during World Cup qualifiers against Niger and Zambia, set to be a key figure in Walid Regragui’s squad for both the Africa Cup of Nations on home soil next month and then the World Cup in the summer.

Consequently, Rangers supporters may actually feel as though they let the striker go on the cheap, albeit there was nothing the club could do once his release clause was met.

So, who could be the Light Blues’ next bargain signing to depart for a huge profit, after exponentially improving his value and reputation at Ibrox?

Rangers' next Hamza Igamane

As already noted, many of Rangers’ summer signings have not impressed, hence why Russell Martin was sacked after just 17 games in charge, while, despite improvements under Danny Röhl, they remain fourth in the Scottish Premiership and rock-bottom of the Europa League standings, still yet to pick up a point.

However, almost inarguably, the best-performing of all their summer recruits has been Djeidi Gassama.

The Mauritania-born French youth international arrived from Sheffield Wednesday for just £2.2m, available at a cut-price given that now-ousted owner Dejphon Chansiri was running the EFL Championship club into the ground at the time, which looks like being a complete bargain, with the table below documenting the winger’s importance.

Gassama’s Rangers statistics 25/26

Stats

Gassama

Rangers rank

Minutes

1,733

4th

Goals

6

1st

Assists

2

4th

Shots per 90

2.3

1st

Key passes per 90

0.9

4th

Successful dribbles per 90

1.8

1st

Stats via Transfermarkt & SofaScore

Indeed, only Jack Butland, John Souttar and captain James Tavernier have played more minutes than Gassama so far this season and rightly so.

The Frenchman ranks first when it comes to goals, shots per 90 and successful dribbles per 90, with five of his six goals to date coming in European competition, on target home and away against Panathinaikos, at the double when Viktoria Plzeň visited Glasgow, while also on target in defeat at Sturm Graz.

Upon his arrival, then-manager Martin labelled Gassama an “exciting player who will get supporters on the edge of their seats”, while the winger expressed his delight in being reunited with manager Röhl, who’d also been his boss at Hillsborough, describing the German as “like a father to me”.

Earlier in the campaign, when Rangers’ form was diabolical, former right-back Alan Hutton asserted that Gassama had been their “shining light”, now only likely to get better under Röhl, the coach who kick-started his rise at Sheffield Wednesday.

Well, according to Football Transfers, Gassama’s estimated market value has already increased to around £4.5m, more than double what Rangers paid to sign him.

Scoring goals in Europe will certainly attract interest, proving that the attacker can perform at a higher level than just the Scottish Premiership.

Thus, still only 22 years old, Gassama appears destined to become Rangers’ next Igamane-like sale, while, for now, Röhl has to build a cohesive team to get the best out of his star forward.

Related Not Chermiti or Miovski: £4.5m flop is one of Rangers' worst ever signings

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Posts ByBen Gray Nov 13, 2025

MatériaMais Notícias

Primeira mulher presidente do Palmeiras, Leila Pereira concedeu entrevista na manhã desta quinta-feira (14) e abordou as polêmicas recentes sobre o pedido de desculpas de Carlos Belmonte, diretor do São paulo, a Abel Ferreira.

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➡️ Tudo sobre o Verdão agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso novo canal Lance! Palmeiras

– Quando ele (Abel Ferreira) comete alguns excessos, ele é punido por isso. Isso que é importante, porque recentemente aconteceu um fato com um rival nosso e, o que nós esperávamos, era um julgamento, que eles fossem punidos, assim como o Abel sempre é punido. O que não pode acontecer são pedidos de desculpas falsos. Isso abre precedentes complicados, porque é só você pagar uma multa e está tudo bem. Fiquei muito revoltada com o acordo que fizeram – finalizou.

+ Diretor do Palmeiras se revolta com acordo entre São Paulo e TJD

➡️ Vai secar o rival hoje? Aposte R$100 na Lance! Betting e ganhe mais de R$400 na vitória do São Bernardo!

Leila também fez um breve balanço do seu processo de ascensão ao posto de presidente do clube.

– Meu primeiro mandato termina agora em dezembro e nossa, como passa rápido, parece que foi ontem. Foram tantas emoções. Costumo dizer que é muito fácil administrar um clube de futebol. Eu era uma simples sócia, eu e meu marido, e procuramos o Palmeiras – disse a presidente em participação no programa Mais Você.

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Na sequência, ela exaltou a parceria com seu marido, José Roberto Lamacchia, e revelou alguns detalhes que vive nos bastidores do Verdão.

– Meu marido sempre estimulou a trabalhar, a ser independente. Apesar de ter uma diferença de idade grande, aliás acho que o maior feminista que conheço é meu marido, ele sempre incentivou muito e quando surgiu a oportunidade de ser conselheira doPalmeiras, falei posso colaborar com nosso clube, me candidatei e fui a conselheira mais votada da história – comentou.

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Futebol NacionalLeila PereiraPalmeiras

Are Newcastle United finally clicking into gear this season?

It appears that way, with Eddie Howe’s Magpies now three wins from their last three matches in all competitions, which included an excellent 2-0 EFL Cup win being picked up over Thomas Frank’s challenging Tottenham Hotspur last time out at St James’ Park.

Still, the Toon only have three wins next to their name in the Premier League from their opening nine clashes, meaning more positive results need to be picked up in the bread and butter of the top-flight soon, with away trips to West Ham United and Brentford now on their agenda.

Nuno Espirito Santo’s men will, no doubt, be fearful of Newcastle’s attack as they loiter near the bottom of the tough division, with Nick Woltemade helping himself to yet another goal against Spurs to add to his ever-increasing Magpies back catalogue.

Woltemade's unbelievable Newcastle start

Woltemade would ensure his new side would progress through to the quarter finals of the EFL Cup when he headed this effort past a hapless Antonín Kinský.

He hasn’t just reserved his goals this season for when he comes up against stand-in goalkeepers, however, with Woltemade also boasting a mightily impressive four strikes back in league action, which has even led to opposition managers such as the Brighton and Hove Albion boss Fabian Hurzeler hailing him as “special” in what he can uniquely offer the Tyneside giants.

Indeed, it isn’t just a lethal edge that the 6-foot-6 marksman can provide, whether that be when he’s racing through on goal, or being positioned intelligently to head home a cross, with Woltemade also often in the correct spaces to progress his side’s efforts going forward with a killer pass.

He was at the heart of Harvey Barnes’ goal against Benfica in the Champions League, for example, as his ingenious flick then led to the number 11 firing home, after Anthony Gordon had played it into his path.

To put it simply, acquiring the ex-Stuttgart striker for £69m – although looking rather steep at the time – has now gone down as a “first class” signing, as his manager has recently stated.

Howe and Co. could well look to this coming January in trying to win more attacking firepower in a similar vein to their new star-man, as one move is reportedly eyed up…

Newcastle's search for another striker

After all, although William Osula has looked dangerous off the bench for Newcastle in recent matches, there is a lack of depth in the striker spot at St James’ Park – with Yoane Wissa still sidelined.

This might spark the Magpies into attempting to seal Alexander Sorloth’s signature in January, as Ross Wilson plots what his first bit of business at his new club will be as the fresh sporting director.

Newcastle could do far worse than landing Sorloth if rumours are to be believed, with Spanish outlet Marca – via Sport Witness – that eyes are very firmly on the Norwegian’s exploits at Atletico Madrid between now and the transfer window swinging open, with scouts from Newcastle previously watching the 29-year-old in action back in September.

The similarities between Woltemade and the Scandinavian are immediately obvious, with Sorloth coming in at a gigantic 6-foot-4 frame himself.

On top of that, despite some wobbles this season under Diego Simeone, he has been a reliable source of goals for most of his stay in Spain to date, leading to the fiery Simeone lauding him as a “phenomenal” finisher.

Looking at the table above, it’s clear that Sorloth possesses the same split-second instinct Woltemade possesses when finishing off chances, with this season seeing him bag three goals, despite only averaging 40 minutes of action in La Liga per game.

In total, the 66-time Norway international now has 61 Spanish top-flight strikes next to his name, which far outweighs his German counterpart’s Bundesliga tally of 14 goals.

Away from clearly being potent, Simeone has also noted that Sorloth is “important in every moment and context of the game you can imagine”, with an eye for an assist and carving out an opening also clear, with Howe very much ready to use him as a focal point like Woltemade, knowing he’s a similar team player.

It’s unlikely that he would usurp Woltemade from the get-go, but as another second-in-command option for a potential £27m fee, it feels like a no-brainer to chase after.

Saved by Woltemade: Newcastle star is looking like 2023 Gordon under Howe

This Newcastle recruit has not hit the ground running in Eddie Howe’s team.

By
Angus Sinclair

Oct 30, 2025

The former Sri Lanka cricketer will be at the helm of the men’s side, with his first major assignment being the Asia Cup in September

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Jul-2025Former Sri Lanka Test cricketer, Kaushal Silva has been appointed the new Hong Kong men’s head coach.His appointment comes ahead of Hong Kong’s Asia Cup campaign, where they will play the tournament opener on September 9 against Afghanistan.Silva played 39 Tests between 2011 and 2018, and has had coaching stints in Sri Lanka, England and Australia since 2019, when he finished up as a player. But this will be the 39-year-old’s first time at the helm of an international side.Related

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He was a prolific wicketkeeper-opener in first-class cricket: in 209 matches, he scored 13,932 runs with 41 hundreds, three of which were for the Test side.Burji Shroff, the chairperson of Cricket Hong Kong, China, said in a press release that the appointment aligned with the board’s plans: “Kaushal’s dedication to nurturing and developing talent resonates with our vision for the future of cricket in Hong Kong. We believe that under his guidance, we can not only elevate our competitive standing but also promote the sport within our community.”Silva said his “focus will be on instilling a strong work ethic and a winning mentality amongst the senior squad and working to identify and nurture fresh talent for continued growth”.Hong Kong’s last assignment was the recent Asia Pacific Cricket Champions Trophy, played in Singapore, where they lost to Malaysia in the title round.With Silva’s appointment, they will be looking to further their credentials in Group B of the T20 Asia Cup, where they will also face Bangladesh and Sri Lanka in the first group stage.

Ben Stokes admitted that England had not been “able to stand up to the pressure” applied on them by Australia after his side went 2-0 down in the series in Brisbane. He said England had to show more fight but reiterated his belief that he could lead them back from the brink, with a 3-2 result now their only route to regaining the Ashes.England’s captain pinpointed dropped catches on the second night as one of the tourists’ key failings, undermining their rally with the pink ball under lights. Having been 290 for 3, Australia fell to 329 for 6 – still behind England’s first-innings 334 – but capitalised on a host of reprieves to eventually stretch their total beyond 500 on the third day.Stokes added that he did not believe there was a skills deficit with Australia but conceded England’s mentality in tough situations had twice been found wanting after two chastening defeats. For the second Ashes in a row, England find themselves 2-0 down after two games and, although they came back to draw in 2023, that would not be enough to reclaim the urn from Australia. Only once in Ashes history has a side won 3-2 after being 2-0 down, and that was Don Bradman’s Australia in 1936-37.Related

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“Very disappointing,” Stokes said at the post-match presentation. “A lot of it comes down to not being able to stand up to the pressure of this game, this format, when the game is on the line. In small passages, we’ve been able to bring the game back into some kind of control and then we’ve let us slip away. We’ve done that again here this week, and it’s very, very disappointing, in particular, because of the ability of the players that we have in that dressing room.”We need to think a bit harder and deeper about those moments and what we’re taking mentally into those, and overall show a bit more fight when it’s needed.”We sit there and watch what’s going on in front of us, what Australia are looking to throw at us, and what plans they’re trying to bowl to,” he added. “And then it’s up to us as players to be able to go out there with a plan and how to negate the threat.”To me, it just seems to be a constant theme at the moment, that when you know the game is in a pressure moment, Australia keep outdoing us. They say Australia isn’t a place for weak men. We’re definitely not weak, but we need to find something, because we’re two-nil down now we’ve got three more games to go, and we need to, sort it.”Speaking to TNT Sport after the game, he said that errors in the field had hurt England the most. England put down five chances on day two – Jamie Smith off Travis Head, Ben Duckett off Alex Carey and Josh Inglis, Brydon Carse off Michael Neser and Joe Root off Carey – as Australia carved out a match-defining lead of 177.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

“A huge part of it was that we had to take 15 wickets,” Stokes said. “You can’t drop catches. They always come back to bite you. And I think it definitely showed there. If we were able to hold on to our chances, we shouldn’t have been batting last night [day three]. No one means to do that kind of stuff. No one means to drop catches. No one means to not bowl an area where you set plans to but, yeah, those kind of things just can’t happen at this level.”On the gap between the sides, he said: “It’s a mentality. It’s a mindset about how you take yourself out there in those situations. You know, Test cricket has its own pressures anyway, and how you handle those moments, how you handle yourself in those moments, how you get yourself into a clear head, a clear space to make good decisions. That’s so important to being successful at this level.”England had posted their highest score in Australia since 2018 after opting to bat first in the day-night Test, buoyed by Joe Root’s maiden hundred on Australian soil. But after Head’s reprieve on 3, Australia’s openers raced off to a 77-run opening stand, with Jake Weatherald’s punchy 72 from 78 setting the tone – and Stokes took some of the blame for a wayward bowling effort, as he and Brydon Carse in particular leaked runs.”Not being able to execute skill is something that you can live with, because no one means to bowl away from the plan that we’re trying to do. We knew exactly how we needed to bowl on that wicket, and we weren’t able to do it for a long enough period to put the Australian batters under pressure. And that was evident in the way that Australia were able to score so quickly and so easily against us.”I think Jofra and Gus set the tone very nicely, actually, when we first took ball, but then myself and Brydon sort of let the game get away from us quite quickly. So, yeah, just not being able to execute what’s needed, not only with batting and also with the ball. We’ll be having some conversations that I’ll be keeping in the dressing room.”Asked about lessons from previous tours – England have lost 5-0, 4-0 and 4-0 in their last three Ashes series down under – Stokes said that he wanted to maintain belief within the dressing room.”Don’t panic, don’t flap, don’t waver, and just have complete and utter belief in our guys as a team. Because I know we can do this. I believe emphatically in the group, I believe empathy, myself, as a captain, as a leader, that I can get the guys into a place where they need to be to able to win these next three games.”

Pakistan will begin their build-up to the 2026 T20 World Cup with a three-match T20I series in Sri Lanka next year, during early January. The Salman Agha-led side will travel to Dambulla in Sri Lanka, where all three matches will be played on January 7, 9 and 11.The short tour is Pakistan’s first white-ball assignment of the new year, and the PCB said it “will provide the side with valuable match practice ahead of next year’s global event”. Pakistan are playing all their World Cup games in Sri Lanka.Over the past six months, the PCB has heavily prioritised fielding the national team for as much T20I cricket as possible. Since the end of the PSL in May 2025, Pakistan have played home and away series against Bangladesh, a series in West Indies, two tri-series, the Asia Cup, and a home series against South Africa. They were victorious in all but the away series in Bangladesh and the Asia Cup, where they lost the final to India.Related

• T20 World Cup: India grouped with Pakistan, England with West Indies

Sri Lanka have just concluded a three-week tour of Pakistan too, which saw them play three ODIs and a tri-series, with the latter also featuring Zimbabwe.Aside from the T20Is in Sri Lanka, Pakistan also have a three-match home series against Australia in the final week of January, before they return to Sri Lanka for the World Cup, which begins on February 7. Pakistan have been placed in Group A for the World Cup and their group fixtures, played in Colombo, will be against India, Namibia, Netherlands and United States.

Ashwani Kumar might not even have played the game, but he did, and bowled crucial overs to help Mumbai Indians eliminate Gujarat Titans from IPL 2025 and get into Qualifier 2

Shashank Kishore31-May-20252:13

Moody: Ridiculous how far ahead of the rest Bumrah is

B Sai Sudharsan had just missed a scoop off a full Trent Boult delivery. Unhappy that the umpire had not called it a leg-side wide, he signalled for a review. At that stage, Gujarat Titans (GT) needed 99 off 48 to knock Mumbai Indians (MI) out of IPL 2025. It was a proper dogfight.As the third umpire did his work, and concluded that Sai Sudharsan had moved across his stumps too much, Hardik Pandya called his quicks for a conference. A few animated words and a slight shuffling of the fielders later, they dispersed. But the pause didn’t help MI; Boult ended up conceding 18 runs in that over, with Washington Sundar plundering two sixes and a four. Heavy dew, something MI hadn’t anticipated, had set in.Now, Hardik felt the need for another meeting. A message was on its way from the dugout, too, but the umpires politely instructed the reserves to go back. Just then, Suryakumar Yadav signalled for medical help, suggesting that he was cramping. MI now had the time they wanted. Gamesmanship? Genuine injury? Either way, it was a momentum-breaker for GT.Related

• 'He's a vaccine for any illness' – Aaron, Moody in awe of Bumrah

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• MI eliminate GT to set up Qualifier 2 with PBKS

In the huddle, Jasprit Bumrah took charge of the conversation. And as they dispersed, Ashwani Kumar looked like he would bowl. Before Hardik asked him to stop and handed the ball to Bumrah instead. In an ideal scenario, Hardik wouldn’t have brought Bumrah on for a third over this early – it was the 14th; but desperate times called for desperate measures.With the equation having been whittled down to 81 off 42, and the Washington-Sai Sudharsan partnership having reached threatening proportions, this was Hardik’s last roll of the dice. And four balls in, his call stood vindicated. A searing yorker had Washington completely off balance as he tried to evade the toe-crusher, and the ball snuck between his legs and smashed into the stumps.Bumrah ran down the pitch, his fists punching the air downwards. MI had the breakthrough they were after. “It’s very simple. Whenever you think the game is going away, just bring him [Bumrah] on,” Hardik said with a grin after the match on the broadcast. “When you have that [Bumrah], it’s a luxury. It’s like Mumbai housing prices – he’s that [precious].”Ashwani Kumar closed out the game for Mumbai Indians•BCCIAshwani bowled the next over. It’s likely he wouldn’t have not played the game, since the team management had been toying with the idea of playing an extra spinner because the surface wasn’t anything like the one that hosted Qualifier 1. While there was consistent bounce, there was no exaggerated seam movement. But the call to bring Ashwani on at that moment – with 77 needed from 36 – was in itself a massive show of faith.Earlier this month, he had come in as a concussion sub for Corbin Bosch and dismissed Jos Buttler at a crucial moment en route figures of 2 for 28. On March 31, he had ended with the best figures on IPL debut – 4 for 24. With Bumrah still recovering from injury then, Ashwani’s performance had been timely, one that helped kickstart a turnaround.On Saturday, as per ESPNcricinfo’s pitch map data, 15 Ashwani deliveries were either full or yorker-length. His focus on nailing what he had been asked to do was unwavering, and a nine-run over at that stage, keeping the equation at 68 off 30, was gold.2:49

Are MI favourites for Qualifier 2?

Ashwani’s eagerness to bowl had been evident from even before MI took the field. Their batting innings had barely wound down when he followed bowling coach Lasith Malinga out to the field, stump in one hand and cone in the other. The warm-up over was done.”We have given him simple plans so that he doesn’t get confused,” coach Mahela Jayawardene said of Ashwani at the post-match press conference. “A lot of guys on the field help him. Booms [Bumrah], Deepak [Chahar], Hardik, all those guys have those chats. But it is all about execution and the pressure and what we have seen in him.”I mean, this is not the first time. We use him tactically when we need to against opposition. In big games, if he can produce this, he will get more confident. What you see is not the full Ashwani. There is much more to come from him; he is a fabulously skilled bowler. We just need to keep grooming him in the right direction.”I think the first season itself, the way he has responded to the challenges that we put him through, he has done brilliantly. I know he hasn’t played much state cricket as well but when we saw him, we saw the skill that he has.”1:54

Have GT been let down by their middle order?

If Ashwani’s second over went for nine, his third, which came on the back of Richard Gleeson dismissing Sai Sudharsan, was equally noteworthy as he denied Rahul Tewatia and Sherfane Rutherford – two powerful left-hand batters who pride themselves on finishing games. Again, he conceded just nine to leave GT needing 45 off 18.Bumrah and Boult then took over to leave GT needing 24 from the last over. This was now Ashwani’s chance to close out the game he had played a massive part in already. But Gleeson had the ball. It felt as if Ashwani was robbed of his opportunity.Not quite. As Gleeson walked off clutching his hamstring three balls in, Hardik threw the ball to Ashwani to complete the job. But even with 21 to defend off three balls, Bumrah kept signalling to him from short fine leg, trying to make sure he didn’t bowl a wide or no-ball. Suryakumar and Hardik ran in from their positions to speak to him. And when he had M Shahrukh Khan tamely chipping a full delivery to extra cover with his first ball of the over, they were all over him.Bumrah had brought the fire, and Ashwani the calm. At the end of it, MI were within two wins of a sixth IPL crown.

Will Celtic appoint a new manager during this international break?

Following Sunday’s 4-0 Premiership victory over Kilmarnock, interim manager Martin O’Neill honestly admitted that he does not know whether or not he will still be in charge when the Hoops are next in action against St Mirren in Paisley a week on Saturday.

Reports this week suggest the board are intensifying their search for Brendan Rodgers’ long-term replacement, currently in London holding talks with candidates, with a leading target having now emerged.

Whoever takes charge, considering Celtic will play 11 matches, including a League Cup Final, before the transfer window opens, will need to get the best out of the Hoops’ current squad, so could landing their dream target be good news for the club’s best attacker?

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However, their dream candidate all along has been Bodø/Glimt boss Kjetil Knutsen, who, according to a report by TEAMtalk, ‘remains a frontrunner’.

They claim that a move to Glasgow is viewed as the ‘perfect next step’ for the 57-year-old, who is out of contract in the Arctic Circle later this year, having worked miracles with Bodø/Glimt since being appointed in 2018.

His team demolished Ange Postecoglou’s Celtic 5-1 on aggregate in a Conference League tie back in February 2022, so could he soon be returning to Parkhead, only this time in the home dugout?

And would his arrival help to get the best out of Daizen Maeda?

Why a change of manager could revive Maeda

Earlier this season, Maeda revealed that he had asked to leave Celtic this summer to take the next step in his career, but was not allowed to do so, following the sales of Nicolas Kühn and Adam Idah, while no replacements for them were even brought in until the final hours of the window.

Well, after scoring 33 goals last season, the Japanese forward has not been at his scintillating best this time round, scoring only four goals so far, most notably nodding home the stoppage time winner against Motherwell, also on target against Killie last weekend.

Overall, most of Maeda’s statistics have decreased this season, as the table below highlights.

Goals

0.6

0.5

Assists

0.4

0.3

Shots

1.8

2

Conversion rate %

32.65%

21.43%

Big chances missed

0.6

0.83

Chances created

1.5

1.2

Big chances created

0.35

0.28

Forward passes

3.6

2.1

Touches

43.2

44.8

Touches in the box

6.6

6.6

Average rating

7.31

6.87

As the table documents, the majority of Maeda’s numbers have endured a downturn this season, including goals, shooting accuracy and chance creation, missing more big chances on a per-90 basis too.

When the Japanese international is at his best, he is able to ferociously close down defenders and burst into space, as this goal in last season’s League Cup Final highlights, something he has not been allowed to do very often this season, hindered by the Celts’ stodgy style of play.

However, could that all be about to change, allowing Maeda to rediscover his best form?

The reason Knutsen is the outstanding candidate is that he has completely transformed Bodø/Glimt.

When he was appointed manager in 2018, the Yellow Horde were still in the Norwegian second tier, but they have now won four of the last five Eliteserien titles, chasing another with two games to go of this campaign.

Having said that, Bodø/Glimt have really made a name for themselves in Europe, reaching the Conference League quarter-finals in 2022 and last season’s Europa League semi-finals, qualifying for the Champions League group stages for the very first time earlier this year.

Michael Stewart believes Knutsen has done an “incredible” job in the Arctic Circle, while Jan Åge Fjørtoft praised Knutsen’s “clear philosophy” and “attractive” style of play.

Across his 351 matches in charge, Bodø/Glimt have always used a fluid 4-3-3 formation which, as outlined by Total Football Analysis, features attacking full-backs, thereby allowing the wide-attackers to drift inside and score goals.

Meantime, as documented by the Coaches’ Voice, Knutsen’s team consistently rank highly in terms of ‘most dribbles and 1v1 moments’, favouring quick interplay and direct attacks.

Well, all of this sounds like it would suit Maeda’s skillset, whether the Japanese forward was to be deployed centrally or out wide.

Concerningly, Maeda may still harbour hopes of a move away in January, with a World Cup on the horizon, but Knutsen, should he arrive, surely would not sanction the sale of Celtic’s best attacker, while his appointment may represent such a coup that the forward is convinced that the Celts are heading in the right direction once again.

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