All posts by h716a5.icu

On Roston Chase: “The type of cricket he plays fits right into our balance, right in the middle of our power-hitters”

Shashank Kishore16-Oct-2021Kieron Pollard feels that flexibility, game awareness, and the ability to tailor their game to situations while not giving up on their core strengths will define West Indies’ 2021 T20 World Cup campaign, as they look to take home their third trophy.The defending champions, led by Pollard, boast of a mix of players, all of whom have had varied T20 experience over the past three months. While some, like Lendl Simmons, Ravi Rampaul, Fabian Allen, Andre Fletcher and Roston Chase have had prolific CPL seasons, others, like Pollard himself, Dwayne Bravo, Evin Lewis, Nicholas Pooran and Shimron Hetmyer are coming off five intense weeks of the IPL in UAE.Related

Roston Chase is uniquely different from West Indies' other allrounders

Dwayne Bravo is reinventing himself in T20, age be damned

Akeal Hosein replaces injured Fabian Allen in West Indies squad

Fitter and wiser, Ravi Rampaul backs himself to bowl 'tough' overs for West Indies

Narine won't be added to T20WC squad despite IPL form

“It [IPL experience] was good, not just for us but all players involved in the World Cup, who got a feel of what is on offer,” Pollard said at a media event on Saturday. “There will be some stats comparison and trends that may have come out of the IPL. We have to take all that into consideration, take the context of the surfaces, atmosphere, and put them into our game plan.”For us, most of our guys got a chance to play recently here, so for us it’s about trying to hit the ground running, start off on a positive note, get those first two points and see what happens after that.”Pollard touched upon why it was important to do the simple things well, and how it was possible to do so without deviating from their tried and tested success formula of hitting big from ball one.”You’ve seen it all around the world, that is how we go about our cricket,” he said of the power-hitting. “Lot of people, analysts at different times, harp on dot balls, singles, ones and twos. Everything is important, but we still have to play to our strengths. I’m not going to say what that is because then the heading will be ‘West Indies just want to hit sixes’.

“Living in bubbles is difficult. If a guy who enjoys himself in any situation can’t take it, it shows how difficult it can be for some of us. We are backing him to do well”Kieron Pollard on Chris Gayle

“We need to keep our strengths as strengths and work on our weakness. We have a lot of powerful guys in the line-up, but if the situation warrants, we also have guys who can manoeuvre strike, run between the wickets. We look forward to playing complete games of cricket.”One of those players who has impressed with the very qualities Pollard mentioned is Chase. Two years ago, his game wasn’t deemed good enough for the shortest format. From there to having worked his way up to being CPL 2021’s MVP, the batting allrounder has come a long way. In a line-up full of big hitters, Chase lends calm and solidity with the bat, while also offering handy offspin. His rise up the ranks after having played just five games across six years – 2012 to 2018 – is staggering.”For him it was a matter of evolving his game and trying to be the best he can,” Pollard said. “He got a chance with St Lucia Stars. It’s a matter of putting guys in the right positions, and he has delivered for them for the last two years. It goes to show how every time you get a chance, you want to do well. He’s done well for himself.Roston Chase was the MVP at the recent CPL•Getty Images”The type of cricket he plays fits right into our balance, right in the middle of our power-hitters. We need a guy who can manoeuvre the ball, hit the occasional boundaries, and keep the run rate going. That’s an area we keep constantly working on, and we thought he was the right fit at this time. I look forward to see what he has to offer. He hasn’t played much white-ball cricket, and teams may not have that much data. Or maybe they do, there’s an archive full of runs and wickets. We look forward to reaping rewards of his form from the CPL.”On the sluggish pitches in the UAE, batting well, power-hitting or otherwise, would be important, but the other 20 overs are equally crucial – Pollard underlined the importance of using spin well and how the IPL experience would be beneficial in terms of knowing how to use them keeping in mind the different boundary dimensions of the three venues.West Indies have two frontline fingerspinners in Allen and Chase, while Hayden Walsh Jr brings in the wristspin variety. At the 2016 World Cup in India, they relied heavily on Samuel Badree’s legspin. He ended as their leading wicket-taker with nine scalps.Pollard’s response followed Virat Kohli’s, when he was asked why the focus has suddenly shifted once again from wristspinners to fingerspinners, while discussing R Ashwin’s return to the fold after a four-year gap. “At one point, wristspinners dominated, but in the recent past, for whatever reasons, don’t know if it is conditions or what, fingerspinners are back in favour,” Pollard observed. “If you want a guy to consistently bowl to a bigger side of the ground, fingerspinners may have more control. We have a couple of them in our armoury and we can hopefully maximise dimensions in whatever spin there is at any given time. Our spinners aren’t the most experienced but sometimes it can work in our favour.”And then there are Pollard’s two trump cards, two men who many thought had played their last World Cup when they stood on the winners’ podium on that emotionally-charged April night at Eden Gardens.At 42, Chris Gayle is among the oldest player in the competition, while Bravo, 38, is making up for lost time, having not played for West Indies between 2016 and 2020. He is now coming off a successful IPL campaign with Chennai Super Kings, where he was their designated death bowler, bringing to the mix his variations of slower deliveries and dipping yorkers to stifle opponents.”I think he has shown time and again what he brings to any team,” Pollard said of Bravo. “For Chennai to go on and win was a fabulous team effort, and for him personally to continue doing what he does at the back and to close out matches for teams was superb. There’s no pressure on him, we’re all looking to ‘sir’ to all that in this campaign.”Gayle, meanwhile, is 97 runs short of becoming the leading run-getter in T20Is. He missed the last stages of the IPL as he left the Punjab Kings set-up owing to bubble fatigue, but Pollard was looking forward to seeing his senior stalwart contribute to another World Cup win.”No words to describe what he has done for us in the T20 World Cups and in T20 cricket around the world,” Pollard said. “The guy with the most sixes, most runs, the fear he instils in bowlers. The main goal is for him to win the World Cup and he is looking forward to that.”He did what he did in terms of taking a break. He needed it. This is another big tournament for him. I hope everyone understood the nature of what transpired. Living in bubbles is difficult. If a guy who enjoys himself in any situation can’t take it, it shows how difficult it can be for some of us. We are backing him to do well.”

Ipswich Town will hope they can catch Everton on an off-day this coming Saturday when the two sides face off at Portman Road in the Premier League.

Kieran McKenna’s men will know the Toffees can be breached at will if they’re feeling charitable defensively, having seen Sean Dyche’s side leak a disastrous seven goals during their opening two clashes of the season, before shoring up in recent weeks with far stauncher displays.

The Ipswich boss will feel confident about his side’s chances at putting goals past Jordan Pickford with Liam Delap leading the line once more, who has proven himself to be a superb buy for the newly promoted side so far this campaign.

Delap's form this season

Delap was known to be a prolific striker on youth pitches for Manchester City before his bumper £20m move to the Tractor Boys, but Ipswich fans would have expected some teething issues to be present as he grew accustomed to being Ipswich’s leading attacking force in the men’s game.

It hasn’t been an uphill challenge for the 21-year-old whatsoever, however, as the ex-Man City wonderkid already has an impressive four strikes next to his name from seven top-flight contests.

Therefore, if Ipswich stand any chance at picking up their first three points of the season when met with the challenge of Sean Dyche’s visitors, Delap will have to continue performing at his A-Game.

He certainly was performing at the peak of his powers versus Aston Villa last time out at Portman Road, with the Tractor Boys hotshot only needing 22 touches of the ball against Unai Emery’s men to fire home two crucial strikes, to secure his side a well deserved 2-2 draw.

Delap would be too hot to handle for the Villa defence all afternoon with his full-throttle energy, and with Michael Keane and James Tarkowski not exactly the quickest defenders for the Toffees on their day, the entertaining Ipswich number 19 could experience more joy this weekend.

If he isn’t at the races and has a quiet day at the office though, McKenna could be prepared to throw this striker into the mix late on, who he utilised as an impact man in the Championship last season to devastating effect.

The player who could be Ipswich's own Duran

The player in question is Iraq international Ali Al-Hamadi, who was given a shot at the Tractor Boys last season after plying his trade in League Two with AFC Wimbledon previously.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast's Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Although he wasn’t front and centre of Ipswich’s promotion efforts – unlike the main first team names of Conor Chaplin and Nathan Broadhead – the ex-Dons man still played his role perfectly from off the bench to fire home some big goals in his side’s ongoing promoton hunt, to almost be Ipswich’s own Jhon Duran in that super-sub role.

Stat

Duran

Al-Hamadi

Games played

7

14

Games started

0

1

Minutes averaged

26 mins

22 mins

Goals scored

4

4

Assists

0

0

Scoring frequency

46 mins

76 mins

Stats by Sofascore

As can be seen looking at the table above, there are parallels to be made between Duran’s instinctive finishing for Villa currently off the bench and Al-Hamadi’s background role for McKenna’s men last season, with the 22-year-old only starting one Championship game but managing to fire home an impressive four strikes all the same – all of which came from a substitute role.

Referred to as an “unreal” talent by football analyst Tom Williams on social media – when charting his rise at Wimbledon – the time could be right for McKenna to spring Al-Hamadi onto tiring Premier League defences more often, with the reserve striker remaining rooted to the bench for his team’s last four league clashes.

Having taken to the Championship well after leaping up from League Two action, time will only tell if the Ipswich number 16 – who did net against his former side in the EFL Cup earlier in the campaign – can hack it at the very top of the English game.

But, McKenna will know he cannot rely on just Delap to come up trumps, with Al-Hamadi perhaps the answer off the bench when he isn’t performing at his finest.

Time's up: McKenna must offload Ipswich ace who earns as much as Delap

His earnings certainly ouweigh his importance on the first-team.

ByEthan Lamb Oct 11, 2024

It will be the the state’s first Test since 2016 after they were preferred over the MCG and SCG

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Dec-2021Hobart has been confirmed as the venue for the fifth men’s Ashes Test – which will be the second day-night fixture of the series – after seeing off competition from the much larger MCG and SCG.It will be the first Ashes Test hosted in Tasmania and the first in the state since 2016 when Australia played South Africa.”This is a famous victory for Tasmania,” premier Peter Gutwein said. “This top-level international event will be the biggest sporting event our state has ever hosted.”I’d like to thank Cricket Tasmania for their support with our bid. Also Cricket Australia for the way they engaged with us on this. And for making the right decision in the interests of cricket and development of the game across the country.”A new location was required for the final match of the series after Western Australia’s hard border restrictions meant it was not possible to hold the contest at Optus Stadium. The dates for fixture remain January 14-18.Related

Pucovski 'excited' to return to action after latest concussion

'I thought I would never play another Test again' – Malan

Stats – Head's record ton, Leach's tough day

Fifth Ashes Test moved out of Perth

Hobart’s Bellerive Oval had been the frontrunner – backed strongly by the state’s government while also being endorsed by Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison – but Cricket Australia had to weigh up the commercial considerations alongside their duty to take the game around member states.The ground can hold up to 20,000 spectators but the capacity for the Test is expected to be just under 14,000.The match will be played under lights with the pink ball so that broadcasters can maintain the primetime east coast slot that they get when a Test is played in Perth. Hobart will join Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide as hosting day-night Tests in Australia.”We are delighted to announce that Blundstone Arena in Hobart will be hosting an Ashes Test match for the first time and thank the Tasmanian government for its support,” Cricket Australia chief executive Nick Hockley said.”I would like to thank all the states and territories who took part in this process. The submissions we received were outstanding and we had no doubt that each of the venues that took part would have hosted a wonderful event.”There were a range of considerations, including commercial, logistical and operational factors and on the balance of these, the CA board agreed on Blundstone Arena being the most appropriate venue to host the fifth Vodafone Men’s Ashes Test.”Last month Cricket Tasmania came out very strongly against CA’s handling of the Tim Paine situation but they were always confident that would not be held against them in this process.”This is a great day not just for Tasmanian cricket, but for Tasmania in general,” Cricket Tasmania chief executive Dominic Baker said. “This will be without a doubt the biggest sporting event Tasmania has ever hosted.”Hobart was due to host the Test against Afghanistan last month but that was postponed due to the political situation round the Taliban government’s impact on female sport.

Arsenal are big admirers of a man who could finally fill the gap in Mikel Arteta’s squad that he intended Mohammed Kudus to occupy, it has been claimed.

Arsenal missed out on Kudus

In 2023, West Ham announced the signing of Kudus from Ajax, but it could have been very different. Arsenal and Chelsea were both interested in signing the Ghanaian, Kudus later confirmed, as they looked to bolster their attacking ranks ahead of the 2023-24 Premier League season.

“It’s true they were in contact”, Kudus explained. “But when West Ham came it moved fast and I made my decision based on speaking to people around the club, their project and how they see me as a player.

“I made the decision based on my gut feeling. That’s how I make my decisions. Whatever the ramifications are, I take it upon myself.”

One of the major draws for Mikel Arteta was Kudus’s versatility, with the 24-year-old able to play in central midfield, on the wing or even as a lone striker, all of which he did to good effect at Ajax and which attracted the attention on Mikel Arteta as well as David Moyes.

He has enjoyed a strong start to his Premier League career too, grabbing ten goals and six assists in 41 outings for the Hammers and attracting attention from clubs across Europe.

However, he will not come cheap, with a release clause believed to be around £85m in his contract at the Hammers, suggesting that perhaps for Arsenal that particular ship has sailed. Now, they could have found a younger alternative.

Arsenal big admirers of "difference maker"

That comes as Caught Offside claim that Arsenal are one of two sides chasing impressive Juventus talent Kenan Yildiz.

Arteta must axe 5/10 Arsenal man who lost 100% duels vs Liverpool

Arsenal have been suspect defensively in recent weeks.

ByMatt Dawson Oct 28, 2024

The Turkish international penned a new £59,000 a week deal in Turin in August, and has enjoyed a strong start to the new campaign under Thiago Motta.

He came off the bench to score twice and rescue a draw in their most recent outing against Inter Milan, a cameo that led Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig to hail the 19-year-old a “difference maker” on X.

His form has caught the attention of both Liverpool and Arsenal, and the report claims the Gunners are “big admirers of Yildiz and would be keen to sign someone of his profile to take the burden off Bukayo Saka”.

Still just 19-years-old, the Turkish international would be an expensive addition but would offer a decade of potentially top level football to whoever managed to lure him away from Juventus. He would also likely be cheaper than Kudus, and, listed among “similar players” to the Ghanaian on stat-site FBref, it is easy to see why.

Also capable of playing in midfield or on the left-wing, both have started the season in similar fashion.

Mohammed Kudus vs Kenan Yildiz 24/25

Mohammed Kudus

Kenan Yildiz

Appearances

8

9

Pass Accuracy

81.9%

82.5%

Shots on target per 90

1.36

0.71

Progressive carries per 90

5

5.29

Carries into the penalty area per 90

2.3

2.29

Shot creating actions per 90

3.4

3

Successful take on %

50%

48%

Having missed out on Kudus, would Yildiz be the perfect piece for Mikel Arteta’s side in the seasons to come?

Fenerbahce boss Jose Mourinho had nothing but kind words to say about Jan Vertonghen during their meeting in the Europa League on Thursday.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Mourinho led Fenerbahce to win over AnderlechtEmbraced former Spurs man VertonghenAdmits he is still close to BelgianFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Vertonghen did not get any minutes on the pitch during Anderlecht's 3-0 loss to Fenerbahce in the Europa League play-off match, but he did get a hug from his former manager Mourinho. The 'Special One' was in charge of the Belgian veteran during his Tottenham days and the pair clearly still share a close relationship following their warm moment on the sideline.

AdvertisementAFPWHAT MOURINHO SAID

Speaking on the moment after the game, Mourinho said: "Jan is still one of my boys. That will always be the case. The way he is as a footballer, but also as a person. I love that. I will cherish his shirt."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Although Mourinho is another manager who tried and failed to win silverware at Spurs, there is still a clear respect present between him and ex-players, even if the former Chelsea boss' tenure ended in flames.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT?

Vertonghen will be hoping to have more of a role in the return leg in Belgium. Fenerbahce head across Europe with a three-goal buffer going into the return leg.

Jackson’s 134 and Sakariya’s 5 for 62 went in vain for Saurashtra whereas Services were bowled out for 204 by Himachal Pradesh

Hemant Brar24-Dec-2021Baba Aparajith’s 122 trumped Sheldon Jackson’s 134 and Chetan Sakariya’s 5 for 62 as Tamil Nadu beat Saurashtra in a last-ball thriller at the KL Saini Ground in Jaipur to qualify for the final of Vijay Hazare Trophy 2021-22.Aparajith’s 124-ball knock, which included 12 fours and three sixes, ensured the required rate was never a problem for Tamil Nadu in their 311-run chase. He was well supported by his brother Baba Indrajith, with whom he added 97 off 107 balls for the third wicket, and Washington Sundar, with whom he stitched 76 in 79 balls for the fifth wicket.When Aparajith got out in the 43rd over, Tamil Nadu needed 67 from 44 balls with five wickets in hand and a set Washington in the middle. The incoming batter, Shahrukh Khan, then hit Jaydev Unadkat for a six and a four to reduce the equation to 32 required from four overs.It started looking like Saurashtra had all but lost the game, but Sakariya removed both Shahrukh and Washington (70 off 61) in his successive overs to dent Tamil Nadu once again. At the start of the chase, he had dismissed N Jagadeesan and Vijay Shankar to reduce Tamil Nadu to 23 for 2 in the fourth over.On the last ball of the 49th over, Sakariya sent back M Siddharth to complete his maiden five-wicket haul in List A cricket, leaving Tamil Nadu eight down.With seven required from the final over, Chirag Jani conceded only four off the first four balls against R Sai Kishore and Ragupathy Silambarasan. But a wide and a single on the penultimate ball by Silambarasan tied the scores. Kishore then hit the last ball for four to seal the match.In the morning, Saurashtra lost Harvik Desai early after being asked to bat. Jackson and Vishvaraj Jadeja took the side past 100 in the 22nd over; both Jackson and Jadeja brought up their half-centuries before left-arm spinner Siddharth broke the 92-run stand with the latter’s wicket. But at 123 for 2 in 25.2 overs, the platform was set for a big total.Prerak Mankad (37 off 32) and Arpit Vasavada (57 off 40) took full advantage of that to provide impetus to the innings. Meanwhile, Jackson brought up his hundred off 106 balls and, in all, hit 11 fours and four sixes during his knock. That, however, couldn’t fetch the win for Saurashtra.File photo: Rishi Dhawan bagged 4 for 27•AFPYet another all-round show from captain Rishi Dhawan steered Himachal Pradesh into their maiden Vijay Hazare Trophy final, ending Services’ fairy-tale run in the tournament at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur.After scoring 84 off 77 balls to lift HP to 281 for 6, Dhawan picked up 4 for 27 to help bundle out Services for 204 in 46.1 overs.Earlier in the day, Prashant Chopra and Digvijay Rangi added 74 for the second wicket for HP but Services struck back with two quick wickets to make it 106 for 4 in the 25th over.Dhawan then joined hands with Chopra, who soon brought up his fifth successive half-century of the tournament. The two added 88 in 103 balls for the fifth wicket before Chopra fell to Abhishek Tiwari for a 109-ball 78.If the partnership between Dhawan and Chopra stabilised the innings, the one between Dhawan and Akash Vasisht took the game away from Services. Dhawan and Vasisht smashed 83 off just 48 balls for the sixth wicket as HP ransacked 101 in the last ten overs. Dhawan struck nine fours and a six in his knock, while Vasisht remained unbeaten on 45 off 29 with four fours and two sixes.Dhawan, though, wasn’t done yet. He caused further damage with the ball, removing Lakhan Singh and Mohit Ahlawat cheaply to leave Services on 36 for 2 in their chase of 282. Ravi Chauhan (45 off 70) and Rajat Paliwal (55 off 66) showed some resistance but neither could carry on to make a big score.By the time Paliwal got out, in the 37th over, the asking rate had gone past nine an over. In search of quick runs, Services slipped from 174 for 5 to 179 for 8. The last two pairs took the side past 200 before Dhawan pegged back Bahadur’s middle stump to wrap up the game.

How much do the Los Angeles FC players earn annually and who receives the most into their account?

Los Angeles Football Club is among the most marketable Major League Soccer clubs ever since its inception in 2014. LAFC have been home to some superstars such as Gareth Bale, Giorgio Chiellini, Hugo Lloris, Olivier Giroud, and Walker Zimmerman.

In just their second season, LAFC won the Supporters' Shield in 2019 with a record-breaking 72 points. They added another Shield to their collection in 2022, alongside claiming their first-ever MLS Cup in the same year, further cementing their status as one of the league’s top clubs.

In 2024, they won the Western Conference (regular season) by finishing at the top of the table, while also clinching the U.S. Open Cup. They will be hoping to build on a very successful year by bringing in more silverware in 2025.

So, who is the highest-paid player at the BMO Stadium this season? And who is on the opposite end of the spectrum?

GOAL delved into the numbers from Capology and found out!

*

Getty Images SportGoalkeepers

No prizes for correctly guessing that Hugo Lloris is the highest-paid goalkeeper at LAFC. The Frenchman, though, earns a modest $350,000 per season.

Thomas Hasal and David Ochoa are the joint-second highest-paid, or lowest-paid, goalkeepers.

Name Salary

Hugo Lloris

$350,000

Thomas Hasal

$89,716

David Ochoa

$89,716

AdvertisementGetty Images SportDefenders

Former Barcelona player Marlon is the highest-paid defender at LAFC with a salary of $1.35m. Just behind him is 32-year-old centre-back Aaron Long, who earns over $1.2m per season.

Ryan Hollingshead and Sergi Palencia take the next two spots, although neither earn seven-figure salaries annually.

Lorenzo Dellavalle and Luca Bombino are the joint-lowest paid defenders at the club.

Name Salary

Marlon

$1,350,000

Aaron Long

$1,259,760

Ryan Hollingshead

$645,000

Sergi Palencia

$350,004

Eddie Segura

$250,000

Maxime Chamot

$220,000

Lorenzo Dellavalle

$71,401

Luca Bambino

$71,401

Getty Images SportMidfielders

Lewis O'Brien is the highest-paid player in his position at LAFC, ahead of Ilie Sanchez and Eduard Atuesta.

Erik Duenas, meanwhile, finds himself at the bottom of the list in midfield.

Name Salary

Lewis O'Brien

$1,825,500

Ilie Sanchez

$1,267,875

Eduard Atuesta

$689,700

Mateusz Bogusz

$675,000

Timothy Tillman

$600,000

Erik Duenas

$187,500

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty Images SportAttackers

Many might have expected Olivier Giroud to be the highest-paid attacker at LAFC, but he ranks second. The honor goes to Denis Bouanga, who enjoyed a standout 2024, scoring 28 goals in 48 appearances across all competitions and contributing 16 assists, making him the club's highest earner in attack.

Cristian Olivera finds himself in third position, followed by veteran striker Carlos Vela in the fourth position.

Adrian Wibowo is the lowest-paid player in the Black and Gold's front line.

Name Salary

Denis Bouanga

$2,920,000

Olivier Giroud

$2,800,000

Cristian Olivera

$680,000

Carlos Vela

$325,000

Nathan Ordaz

$128,500

Adrian Wibowo

$71,401

Gary O’Neil is under increased pressure as manager of Wolverhampton Wanderers. Even though the Old Gold won their first game of the season against Southampton last time out, thanks to a goal and assist from star man Matheus Cunha, their manager is still under fire with his side sitting 19th in the Premier League.

They have certainly started worse than people may have thought, including Phil McNulty, BBC Sport’s chief football writer. In his pre-season predictions, he predicted them to finish 15th, explaining he believes “Wolves can avoid danger”. Whilst there is still some way to go this campaign they haven’t made the best start.

A big reason for their struggles this term is their poor defensive record.

Wolves’ defensive stats

Wolves’ biggest weakness this season has undoubtedly been their defensive frailties, and it is a real cause for concern. They have comfortably conceded the most goals in the top flight this term with 27. That is five more than any other side, with Ipswich Town and Brentford the two closest sides who have both conceded 22.

They have conceded five or more goals in a single game twice this season. One of those came against the Bees, losing 5-3 in London.

The other instance was also against a London side, this time Chelsea, who beat them 6-2 at Molineux, in one of the most frustrating performances under O’Neil.

Their home record is certainly a cause for concern. As per Understat, the Old Gold have conceded 14 of the 27 goals at Molineux, three more than any other side. Their expected goals-against tally at home is currently 10.44xGA, with the 3.56 difference between that and the number of goals they have conceded at home the worst in the Premier League.

It is certainly a real issue that the Old Gold have such a leaky defence. As Sir Alex Ferguson famously said, “attack wins you games, defence wins you titles”. Whilst the Midlands club are not attempting to win the Premier League, a more watertight defence would certainly help their survival bid.

With that in mind, they may regret the sale of a former defender who is now worth so much more than what they made for him. That man is Nathan Collins.

Collins' value in 2024

The Irish defender joined Brentford for £23m back in July of 2023. At that time, the Old Gold were managed by Julen Lopetegui, who left around one month later, with O’Neil being drafted in as his replacement.

He only played one season at Molineux before swapping the Midlands for London in 2023. In total, the defender made 31 appearances, including 26 in the Premier League, although never managed to find the back of the net for Wolves.

Since making the move to the Gtech Community Stadium, Collins has become a pivotal player under the tutelage of Thomas Frank. The Republic of Ireland international has so far played 38 games for the club, managing to get on the score sheet three times, with one of those goals coming this season against the Old Gold.

Competition (season)

Games

Minutes

Clean sheets

Premier League (2023/24)

32

2650

7

FA Cup (2023/24)

2

210

0

Carabao Cup (2023/24)

1

90

0

Premier League (2024/25)

11

990

0

Carabao Cup (2024/25)

2

106

1

Given the defender is just 23 years of age, it is clear that the Bees signed a player for both the present and the future. He was described as a “complete and dominant” player by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, who also compared him to Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk.

Looking back on it, the Old Gold might regret selling Collins. Not only did he join a Premier League rival, but his value has since shot up. According to CIES Football Observatory, the defender is now worth as much as £46m, an increase of roughly £23m from what they sold him for.

O’Neil might well wish he still had Collins in his ranks to call upon, given their defensive frailties this term. Not only could he have helped sure things up at the back for Wolves, but they could have even sold him on for a far larger sum than what they did.

Dawson 2.0: Wolves want "monstrous" £79k-p/w star who can replace Mosquera

Gary O’Neil would be overjoyed if this defender joins Wolverhampton Wanderers in January.

1 ByKelan Sarson Nov 14, 2024

Batter produces brave and chanceless unbeaten ton, supported by Stokes and Wood

Alex Malcolm07-Jan-2022Jonny Bairstow saved England’s blushes and saved his Test career with a stunning SCG century to help his nation avoid the follow-on having slumped to 4 for 36 in the face of an Australian barrage on the third day.Bairstow’s century was both brave and chanceless. He copped a vicious blow on the thumb from Pat Cummins in the afternoon that left him doubled over in pain. But he brushed it off to score his second century in Australia and his seventh in Test cricket. It was his first in three years and 38 Test innings. He roared to the rooms after bringing it up with a flashing cut over backward point in the last over of the day in an emotional moment as the England team and fans stood and applauded a rare show of fight on this tour.He was brilliantly supported by Ben Stokes, who fought through obvious pain to make a vital 66 in a century stand with Bairstow, while Mark Wood made an excellent 39.It was an extraordinary day all up. Two hours were lost to rain and England went 70 balls without scoring and lost three wickets in the process. Australia dropped three catches, Stokes was bowled without the bails coming off and Scott Boland took 2 for 0 before hurting his side in a fall – he went for scans and was later cleared of injury. Australia produced their most ragged four hours of the series as Bairstow picked them apart with excellent footwork and positive intent to leave England 158 runs behind with three first-innings wickets in hand and two days remaining.After his top-order had literally ground to a halt in the morning, he never let Australia settle. He moved fluently onto the front and back foot but didn’t try and overhit the ball on a surface that played all sorts of tricks. He picked the gaps consistently and never missed anything straight. He was particularly savage on Nathan Lyon, with the offspinner conceding 71 from 12 overs. Bairstow struck eight fours and three sixes in his 103 not out from 140 balls.Stokes combined brilliantly with Bairstow as the pair batted through the middle session and put together England’s third-highest partnership of the series. It was also the fifth time in Test cricket an England fifth-wicket pair had scored a century partnership after coming together with the score at 40 runs or fewer. Stokes has been involved in three of themJonny Bairstow celebrates reaching his century•Getty ImagesStokes did have some luck. He offered a life to Cummins early but Australia’s skipper dropped the sharp return chance. He also survived one of the most bizarre moments of the series. As he shouldered arms to Cameron Green from around the wicket, the ball hit off stump and took a significant deflection but the bails stayed on. Australia appealed thinking it hit the back pad and he was given out lbw by umpire Paul Reiffel. Stokes reviewed and his pad was nowhere near the ball. He laughed with the Australians when replays showed it had rattled off stump without dislodging the bail to deny Green a wicket.Thereafter he was ultra-aggressive moving around the crease to disrupt Australia’s lines and length. He was in obvious pain with every stroke causing a jab in his injured side but he had Australia rattled. He crushed three consecutive boundaries off Mitchell Starc and played an outrageous lofted cover drive for six off Lyon after being beaten in flight. But Lyon got his revenge having been thrashed by Stokes and Bairstow either side of tea. Stokes played back to one that slid on straight and was trapped plumb in front. He walked off without looking at the umpire.Ben Stokes laughs after successfully reviewing a decision against him•Getty ImagesJos Buttler meekly chipped one to cover shortly after but Mark Wood picked up the slack. He was peppered with short balls but cracked 39 off 41 including three towering hooked sixes. The short ball tactic did work eventually for Cummins as Wood was out hooking, getting a tiny edge onto his helmet only for it to balloon to Lyon at point. Wood was initially given not out but it was overturned on review.Earlier, play was delayed by two hours due to a frustrating drizzle before normal service resumed for England in the shortened morning session as they lost 4 for 23 despite Haseeb Hameed and Zak Crawley producing England’s second-best opening stand of the series of 22. But even that wasn’t without luck. Following Crawley’s reprieve off a no-ball late on the second night, he was dropped at short leg by Marcus Harris although it was a very difficult chance high to his right. Hameed was given a life of his own with Alex Carey spilling him off Mitchell Starc diving late to his right in front of David Warner at slip. Having left two similar chances in the previous two Tests he made the late decision to go and spilled the one-handed offering.Both drops didn’t cost anything. Starc cleaned up Hameed snaking one back through a gaping gate to crash into middle and off. Hameed’s promising contributions at the Gabba look a distant memory following five single-figure scores. Crawley played two cracking strokes in his 18, thumping a drive on the up and smashing Starc forward of square on the back foot.But he too left a gaping hole between bat and pad for Boland to breach with some sharp movement back off the seam. It was part of a mesmerizing passage where Boland and Green put a stranglehold on England. They bowled 53 balls in the lead up to lunch without conceding a run. Crawley fell on the 24th ball of the sequence. Joe Root succumbed on the 43rd, wafting another loose square drive off the back foot with an angled bat only to be brilliantly caught by Steven Smith at second slip for a duck. It gave Boland figures of 2 for 0 from four overs and his Test bowling average dipped to 6.11, with a career tally of 9 for 55 following his heroics in Melbourne.Green deserved some reward at the other end and he struck with the 53rd ball of the sequence and the last before lunch. Dawid Malan was caught at a fine leg slip trying to glance a ball that reared at his ribs. The sequence stretched to 70 balls after lunch before Stokes and Bairstow finally broke free.

Celtic have made a terrific start to the new-look format in the Champions League this season and have already amassed their points total from last season.

The Hoops finished bottom of their group, racking up four points in six matches, in the 2023/24 campaign, as Brendan Rodgers’ side crashed out of Europe in dismal style.

However, the change to a league phase format, for the first time in the competition’s history, has seemingly helped the Scottish giants to find their feet in the tournament.

Celtic have won two, drawn one, and lost one of their opening four matches in the Champions League, leaving them on seven points, with their most recent win coming against RB Leipzig on Tuesday night.

The Hoops will now be hoping that the second half of their league phase campaign is as successful and that they are able to make it through to the knock-out stages of the competition in 2025.

Rodgers will need his players to continue to step up and perform in the Champions League and one former Celtic star who caught the eye on the European stage was attacking midfielder Lubomir Moravcik.

Lubomir Moravcik's Celtic career in numbers

The Slovakian whiz produced three goals and two assists in 15 matches as a central midfielder in European competitions for the Scottish giants, and both of those assists came in just three Champions League outings.

He registered two assists in three games, against Juventus, Porto, and Rosenborg, during the 2001/02 Champions League campaign for Celtic.

Former Hoops manager Martin O’Neill described the Slovakia international as one of the most two-footed players he had ever worked with, and hailed his talent as “amazing”. He also went as far as to say that Moravcik was one of the most “gifted” players he had ever seen, during his playing and managerial career.

The mercurial playmaker spent almost four years at Parkhead, between 1998 and 2002, and caught the eye with his exciting performances in the middle of the park, which earned him such high praise from O’Neill.

In those four seasons, the former Saint-Etienne magician contributed with a return of 31 goals and 14 assists in 118 appearances in all competitions for the Scottish giants, including six goals and nine assists in 21 outings in the Scottish Premiership in the 2001/02 campaign.

These statistics show that he was a central midfielder who could make a difference, with goals and assists, in the final third for Celtic, domestically and in Europe.

Moravcik, who scored four goals in 14 games against Rangers, won three domestic cups and two Premiership titles during his time in Glasgow, which shows that his goals and assists contributed to silverware for the Hoops.

It has been over 22 years since the midfield whiz moved on from Parkhead but the club may have unearthed their new version of Moravcik by hitting gold with Reo Hatate.

How much Celtic paid for Reo Hatate

In the January transfer window at the start of 2022, former Celtic head coach Ange Postecoglou moved to sign the Japanese maestro from J-League champions Kawasaki Frontale for a reported fee of £1.4m.

It has turned out to be a bargain signing for the Scottish giants because the terrific talent has gone on to emerge as a star for the Hoops in recent seasons.

The Japan international hit the ground running at Parkhead with a return of four goals and three assists in 17 appearances in the Premiership during the second half of the 2021/22 campaign.

In his first full season in Glasgow, Hatate contributed with nine goals and 11 assists in 45 appearances in all competitions, with nine of those assists coming in the Premiership.

Calf muscle tear

13th August 2023

6

Hamstring injury

25th October 2023

20

Calf injury

25th March 2024

14

As you can see in the table above, the central midfielder missed a huge chunk of the 2023/24 campaign through injury, which meant that Rodgers was unable to get the best out of him.

The 26-year-old star only managed three goals and four assists in all competitions for Celtic, as his season was disrupted by several injuries.

Reo Hatate's form for Celtic

The Hoops star has avoided any injury problems so far this term and has been available for every single match across all competitions for Rodgers, which has allowed him to build up his consistency on the pitch.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast's Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Scottish football account Inside The SPFL on X recently claimed that Hatate has “world class” ability and that he is the first Celtic player since Lobo Moravcik to pick out the kind of passes he plays, as the account stated that the midfielder sees the game “differently” to others.

That is serious praise for Hatate, given the Slovakian’s career with Celtic and the praise he received from O’Neill once upon a time, and it is deserved, when you consider the level of his performances at times.

The Japanese dynamo has produced one goal and one assist in four Champions League games so far this season, with a goal coming against Leipzig on Tuesday night.

Appearances

10

Sofascore rating

7.48

Goals

3

Big chances created

4

Assists

0

As you can see in the table above, Hatate has also caught the eye with his displays in the Premiership for Rodgers, now that he has been able to play consistently without picking up any injury issues.

He has showcased his Moravcik-esque passing ability by creating four ‘big chances’ for his teammates in ten matches, but their wasteful finishing has stopped him from registering any assists thus far.

The midfield ace, who was hailed as “outstanding” against Leipzig by pundit Chris Sutton, now has a market value of €10m (£8m) on Transfermarkt, thanks to his form during his time with Celtic.

Celtic have a star with "world-class" potential and he's their next Kuhn

The Celtic attacker has yet to showcase the best of his abilities in Scotland.

1 ByDan Emery Nov 6, 2024

This shows that Hoops not only struck gold by unearthing their new version of Moravcik in midfield but they also hit the jackpot by signing a player for just £1.4m and helping his value to soar over the subsequent years.