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Tottenham Hotspur are in the thick of the battle for Champions League qualification as the Premier League season draws into the crucial late stage, with Ange Postecoglou targeting a successful end to his first year in London.

Aside from the jubilation that comes in tandem with football under the European lights, Spurs need to establish their outfit at the forefront after languishing to an eighth-placed league finish last term.

The Champions League paves a road, one toward success unseen down at N17 in many years, and one that Postecoglou can use to beckon some of the most talented and battle-ready players toward the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, joining Heung-min Son, James Maddison, Micky van de Ven and co in their efforts.

Fail to finish in the top four, fail to present the nicest conditions to convince top transfer targets to join the project. In January, Spurs were active and made several promising signings, but failed to sign an established central midfielder, despite a big interest in players such as Chelsea’s Conor Gallagher.

Gallagher or a star of his like will be pursued during the summer, joining the current crop and possibly replacing Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, who is set for departure after falling into mediocrity under Postecoglou’s management.

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg's season in numbers

Hojbjerg has been a mainstay in north London for nearly four years, signing from Southampton for around £15m back in August 2020, and despite amassing 172 appearances and being described as a “phenomenal player” by the man who signed him, Jose Mourinho, he’s fallen out of favour under Postecoglou.

He’s still played a part, but it’s become clear that the Dane does not offer the right skill set to flourish in this new system, where a high-octane approach and fluid interchangeability become staples of the success.

While the holding midfielder has featured 27 times in all competitions, he has been handed a starting berth in the Premier League only six times, said to be at the centre of a “midfield lacking creativity” at times by correspondent Alasdair Gold.

But he has his qualities, right? Of course, Hojbjerg is a crisp and composed presence in the centre of the park who conducts his business assiduously, ranking among the top 6% of midfielders across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for passes attempted, the top 10% for progressive passes and the top 13% for clearances made per 90, as per FBref.

But this does not temper the lack of mobility, spark and invention that has been reflected in his playing time this term. Hojbjerg’s six starts in the top flight have largely come when absences prevent Postecoglou from fielding his desired options.

As per Sofascore, he might have completed 89% of his passes in the Premier League but an average of just 0.2 key passes, 1.0 tackles, 3.5 ball recoveries and 2.1 successful duels per game, he’s patently not right for the new set-up.

Why Spurs want to sell Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg

The points made above already answer why Hojbjerg is considered a spare piece in Postecoglou’s intricate Spurs system, but he is industrious and the fact that he is not a custom-made fit does not alone warrant his departure.

Tottenham Hotspur: Highest Earners

Player

Salary

Heung-min Son

£190k-per-week

James Maddison

£170k-per-week

Cristian Romero

£165k-per-week

Dejan Kulusevski

£110k-per-week

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg

£100k-per-week

Stats via Capology

Plainly, Hojbjerg is Tottenham’s fifth-highest earner (not including loanee Timo Werner) and this is surely part of the problem. His £100k-per-week earnings place him above all but the select few of Spurs’ best players, and there’s little justification for sustaining this going forward.

Up until this season, Hojbjerg had been a starring member of Tottenham’s squad – last year, he started 35 Premier League matches – but it’s crystal clear that Postecoglou views him as a utility option at best, and given that he is out of contract in 2025 and is unlikely to pen new terms, Daniel Levy must engineer his departure this summer.

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Having attracted attention in January, it’s increasingly likely that the 28-year-old will leave in several months, and while a replacement will be needed, Postecoglou might just rue last summer’s sale of a star who would be a much better fit.

Spurs' sale of Harry Winks

The man in question is Harry Winks, who was sold to Leicester City for £10m shortly after Postecoglou’s appointment last year after failing to cement a starting spot at Tottenham throughout a turbulent period that saw several managerial changes.

The 28-year-old made the brave decision to step down a division by signing with the Foxes but it was one that has paid off most handsomely, having cemented a starring spot at the heart of Enzo Maresca’s team, who are six points clear at the top of the Championship table with 12 matches to go.

A homegrown product at Tottenham, Winks made his senior debut way back in November 2014, coming off the bench as an 18-year-old in a 1-0 victory over FK Partizan Belgrade.

Tottenham Starting XI: Harry Winks’ 1st PL Start

Tottenham 3-2 West Ham (19/11/16)

Winks (51′) Kane (89′, 90’+1), Antonio (24′) Lanzini (68′)

GK – Hugo Lloris

RB – Kyle Walker

CB – Eric Dier

CB – Jan Vertonghen

LB – Danny Rose

CM – Mousa Dembele

DM – Victor Wanyama

CM – Harry Winks

AM – Christian Eriksen

ST – Vincent Jansson

ST – Harry Kane

Stats via Transfermarkt

While he was undoubtedly struggling to earn a regular role from the outset, Winks’ style of play would actually be far better suited for Postecoglou than Hojbjerg’s has proven to be, having been lauded as the “metronome setting Leicester’s tempo at the top of the Championship” by The Athletic’s Rob Tanner.

Indeed, the ten-cap England international has completed 94% of his passes in the second tier, averaging 0.6 key passes, 1.6 tackles, 3.5 successful duels and 5.8 recoveries per game.

Compare that with Hojbjerg, note how the Dane is trumped across every metric; of course, Winks is performing in a division full of inferior competition, but his ball-playing aptitude and energy have been vital for Leicester’s success, and while he probably wouldn’t feature from the opening every single matchweek under Postecoglou, he’s undoubtedly got the tools to make a bigger impression.

Moreover, he ranks among the top 1% of midfielders across divisions similar to the Championship for both pass completion and passes attempted per 90, highlighting just how effective he might be at the Spurs nucleus, being that ‘metronome’ to maintain fluency and drive.

Ultimately, Hojbjerg will probably leave after the campaign finishes and Winks will return to the Premier League with Leicester to revive their standing within English football, having been gushed for the “absolute bliss” of watching him play at the King Power Stadium by Mitch Fretton.

Perhaps if Hojbjerg had been shown the door and not Winks, Postecoglou might have had more suitable equipment to achieve his lofty goals in his fledgling period of a promising tenure.

MatériaMais Notícias

No jogo de dois times que não sabiam o que era perder no Campeonato Pernambucano, o aniversariante Náutico se deu melhor contra o Salgueiro e venceu por 3 a 2 para ficar ainda mais isolado na liderança do campeonato estadual. Os gols foram feitos por Erick (duas vezes) e Kieza por parte dos visitantes enquanto Tarcísio e Felipe Baiano marcaram para o último campeão do torneio.

>Como fica a classificação do Pernambucano após Salgueiro x Náutico?

A EFICIÊNCIA REINOU

Se na primeira etapa tanto o Carcará como o Timbu tiveram seus momentos de superioridade em relação ao volume de jogo, quem acabou sendo mais efetivo no momento de maior demonstração técnica foi o Alvirrubro onde Erick estava em noite inspirada.

No primeiro lance, ele aproveitou o passe pra trás dado por Jean Carlos e teve frieza para se livrar do marcador e bater bem para inaugurar a contagem na cidade de Salgueiro. Três minutos depois, ele contou com uma boa dose de sorte misturada ao oportunismo no choque entre o goleiro Lucas e o centroavante Kieza para só ter o trabalho de tocar pro fundo das redes adversárias.

PRESSIONOU, MAS LEVOU

Apesar da vantagem importante que já tinha constituído na etapa inicial, o Timbu não diminuiu o volume e se manteve no retorno do intervalo mais perto de marcar o terceiro (seja no chute “mascado” de Kieza em que Lucas Ferreira pulou bem para defender ou na batida firme de Rafinha que estourou na trave esquerda do adversário) do que uma possível reação do Salgueiro.

Entretanto, se no primeiro tempo quem demonstrou eficiência foram os visitantes, dessa vez foi o Carcará que Capitalizou duas chances quase que consecutivas para igualar as coisas no Salgueirão. Primeiro, em ótimo passe de Felipe Baiano onde Tarcísio foi preciso na batida para vencer Alex Alves e, depois, no chute de Felipe Baiano que se aproveitou do corte parcial da zaga do Timbu.

PRESENTE GARANTIDO?

Quando o momento anímico da partida parecia conduzir o confronto para maior chance de virada dos anfitriões, a estrela de Kieza fez diferença. Além de receber o passe de Rhaldney e ser derrubado dentro da área na penalidade marcada pela arbitragem, foi o próprio centroavante que assumiu a responsabilidade de bater no canto direito e fazer o terceiro tento do Náutico.

FINAL DE EMOÇÃO

Para dar um toque considerável de emoção e angústia, o zagueiro Camutanga acabou expulso por uma falta frontal no experiente Ciel em confronto onde o time da capital precisou exercer todo o seu poder de resistência defensiva para, aos 51 minutos, comemorar sua quinta vitória consecutiva no estadual.

FICHA TÉCNICA DA PARTIDA
​SALGUEIRO 2 x 3 NÁUTICO

Local: Estádio Cornélio de Barros Muniz e Sá, em Salgueiro (PE)
Data e hora: 07/04/2021 – 21h30 (de Brasília)
Árbitro:Gilberto Castro Júnior
Assistentes:Francisco Chaves e Dhiego Cavalcanti
​Cartões amarelos: Felipe Baiano, Sinho, Elenilson (SAL) / Vinicius, Jean Carlos, Hélio dos Anjos, Wagner Leonardo, Djavan, Marciel (NAU)
Cartões vermelhos: Camutanga, Hélio dos Anjos (NAU)

GOLS: Erick (24′ e 27’/1°T) (0-2), Tarcísio (24’/2°T) (1-2), Felipe Baiano (27’/2°T) (2-2), Kieza (32’/2°T) (2-3)

SALGUEIRO (Técnico: Daniel Neri)

Lucas Ferreira; Sinho, Elenilson, Richard e Alan Pires; Bruno Sena, Moreilândia (Aruá, aos 10’/2°T) e Felipe Baiano; Tarcísio, Ciel e Alison Araçoiaba (Héricles, aos 39’/1°T).

NÁUTICO (Técnico: Hélio dos Anjos)

Alex Alves; Hereda (Williams Bahia, aos 43’/2°T), Camutanga, Ronaldo Alves e Rafinha (Wagner Leonardo, aos 27’/2°T); Djavan (Marciel, aos 27’/2°T), Rhaldney, Jean Carlos (Luiz Henrique, aos 42’/2°T) e Vinicius; Kieza e Erick (Bryan, aos 27’/2°T).

Fulham defender Tosin Adarabioyo is on his way to Chelsea as a free agent, however, Manchester United reportedly tried to hijack the move.

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• Adarabioyo leaves Fulham
• Chelsea set to sign as free agent
• Man Utd made late attempt to sign

• (C)Getty Images
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Chelsea are on the verge of signing Adarabioyo on a free transfer from Fulham, with the 26-year-old set to be Enzo Maresca's first new recruit. The defender has already undergone a medical with Chelsea and has reached an agreement to make a move to Stamford Bridge this summer.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  However, The Daily Mail has now reported that United tried to make a late effort to try and sign the former Manchester City man. The Red Devils had indicated their interest in the 26-year-old earlier in the year but experienced delays with their squad planning, with Erik ten Hag's future at Old Trafford still up in the air. By the time the Sir Jim Ratcliffe-led club made their move Adarabioyo had already agreed to join Chelsea.

• Getty
  

  DID YOU KNOW?

  Newcastle United had also shown interest in the services of Adarabioyo earlier this summer and were seemingly the favourites in the race to sign the Manchester-born defender. However, Chelsea offered up a better financial deal and were able to sign the free agent ahead of Eddie Howe's side.

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• WHAT NEXT FOR ADARABIOYO?

  The defender's move to Chelsea is yet to be announced but the 26-year-old has already confirmed his Craven Cottage exit. The switch to Maresca's team should be rubber stamped soon.

One pundit has been giving his reaction to the news that a West Bromwich Albion regular could be leaving The Hawthorns before the end of the month.

West Brom transfer news

So far this month, Carlos Corberan has added to his attacking ranks after losing the loan services of Jeremy Sarmiento. The 21-year-old has since joined Championship rivals Ipswich Town, however, the Baggies have raided second-tier side Bristol City for Andreas Weimann.

The Austrian has put pen to paper on a loan deal until the end of the season, whereas Callum Marshall has also arrived from West Ham, and there could be further additions before the deadline on February 1.

EFL Championship done deals: Every January 2024 transfer

As the January transfer window closes, FFC has you covered for every in and out involving your club in the EFL Championship.

ByLuke Randall Feb 1, 2024

Celtic wingers Liel Abada and Mikey Johnston have emerged as winter window targets, but there is also the possibility of a number of exits. Reports have claimed that West Brom are in talks with Trabzonspor over a move to allow Okay Yokuslu to return to his former club, whereas youngster Tom Fellows is being looked at by Leicester City and Southampton.

Kyle Bartley is another who has been linked with an exit from the Midlands.

Luton Town eyeing move for West Brom’s Kyle Bartley

According to recent rumours from The Telegraph, Bartley is on a list of targets for Premier League side Luton Town in the final days of the January transfer window.

“West Brom defender Kyle Bartley is on a shortlist of centre-backs on Luton’s radar to strengthen Rob Edwards’ back line. Bartley, 32, has experience in the Premier League with Swansea and his current club and has six months left on his deal at the Hawthorns, where he has been a regular this season in the club’s bid for promotion to the Premier League.”

Reacting to the rumours, BBC pundit Carlton Palmer claimed it would be a “massive blow” for West Brom and Corberan if he does leave. Talking to Football League World, he said:

"Bartley is one of the best defenders in the Championship, and has Premier League experience with over 50 appearances. Luton Town have identified Bartley as a potential signing, but with West Brom fifth in the Championship table, in a play-off place and aiming for a play-off spot, they would be reluctant to let the player go in January.

"However, Bartley is out of contract in the summer, and with the club no further ahead with the takeover, any suitable offer, you would assume, would be accepted by the West Bromwich Albion board. This would be a massive blow for West Brom and Carlos Corberan, in his attempts to achieve what he is trying to do this season."

The 32-year-old, hailed as “incredible” in 2022 by pundit Kevin Campbell, has been a regular under Corberan and has made 185 appearances for West Brom, more than any other club during his career.

Alex Mowatt

6.90/10

Cedric Kipre

6.89/10

Darnell Furlong

6.88/10

Matt Phillips

6.87/10

Kyle Bartley

6.85/10

As can be seen in the table above, he’s been a star performer during the current campaign, so losing his services could be a real blow, as Palmer suggests.

Luka Modric has reportedly communicated his decision about his future to Real Madrid amid contract impasse.

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Modric's contract is valid until June 30A new deal is yet to be pennedMidfielder willing to extend his stay at RealWHAT HAPPENED?

The former Ballon d'Or winner's future hangs in the balance as Real Madrid are set to embark on a new era fuelled by fresh blood in midfield. The 39-year-old has spent over a decade at the Santiago Bernabeu but his minutes have waned in the current season under Carlo Ancelotti which has raised further concerns about his stay. However, the Croatian continues to be a crucial cog for Los Blancos and has shown that he can still turn the tide after coming on from the bench in important fixtures – as was evident against Manchester City in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinal tie.

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According to Modric has already "informed Real Madrid of his desire to stay at the club and sign a new contract." The Croatian is not concerned about his wages and has already turned down two massive offers as he awaits a response from the Real Madrid hierarchy.

DID YOU KNOW?

Although Modric has made 43 appearances this season across competitions for Real, only 25 of them have been starts – an unimpressive figure given his high standards. However, the club faithful want him to stay and were spotted singing chants while Real Madrid gathered at the Cibeles to celebrate their 36th league championship triumph.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR MODRIC?

There have been reports suggesting that Real Madrid would hand both Modric and Toni Kroos fresh deals. The club is currently mulling over the possibility of holding on to both midfield veterans as Ancelotti has allegedly put his weight behind the duo.

However, any decision is likely to be reached after the Champions League final as Los Blancos are focused on lifting a record-extending 15th title against Borussia Dortmund on June 1 at Wembley.

أعلن منتخب فرنسا في بيان رسمي، منذ قليل، استبعاد لاعب آخر من ريال مدريد، من القائمة المستدعاة لخوض مباريات التوقف الدولي لشهر سبتمبر، بسبب الإصابة.

ويستعد منتخب فرنسا لخوض مباراتين هذا الشهر، وذلك أمام إيطاليا وبلجيكا في دوري الأمم الأوروبية، يومي الجمعة والإثنين المقبلين.

وسبق أن أعلن منتخب فرنسا، يوم الإثنين، استبعاد لاعب ريال مدريد فيرلاند ميندي من المباريات الدولية لشهر سبتمبر بسبب الإصابة (لمطالعة التفاصيل من هنا).

ولكن يبدو أن المصائب لا تأتي فُرادى بالنسبة لـ ريال مدريد، حيث أعلن منتخب فرنسا إصابة جديدة لأحد لاعبيه وهو أوريلين تشواميني.

وأفاد منتخب فرنسا، في بيان رسمي، أن تشواميني يعاني من إصابة في القدم اليسرى، وتم استبداله بـ ماتيو جندوزي.

Sunderland will hope to appoint a new manager sooner rather than later, getting this weekend's Championship fixture with West Brom out of the way before their chosen man to succeed Tony Mowbray can come in and propel the Black Cats up the division.

Mowbray's sacking does look harsh if you're an outsider casually looking in, Sunderland only three points off the playoffs, currently in ninth spot.

Yet, it's not just all about the immediate results on the pitch for the Sunderland hierarchy and more about wanting to install a manager at the club who is more aligned with the vision of the club going forward.

The Black Cats want to appoint a forward-thinking figure to match the youthful Sunderland squad, Mowbray viewed merely as a competent short-term option.

Sunderland look likely to be going down the route of appointing a left-field manager to replace the outgoing 60-year-old, with a number of unorthodox names linked to the vacancy.

Sunderland manager latest

Kieran McKenna and Will Still were reportedly the favourites amongst a long list of targets to replace Mowbray according to TEAMTalk yesterday, Sunderland's ambitions evident for all to see if they did land McKenna at the expense of Ipswich Town.

Whoever the Black Cats do go for, they will have to fit the ethos of the club outlined by chairman Kyril Louis-Dreyfus in a statement released after Mowbray was relieved of his duties. Wanting "sustainability and success" as a must, the 34-year-old also spoke of the importance of a "high performance culture" and a "strong playing identity" to be proud of.

Five managers Sunderland could turn to after sacking Tony Mowbray

Sunderland unexpectedly relieved Mowbray of his duties last night, with a number of managers now rumoured for the Stadium of Light vacancy.

By
Kelan Sarson

Dec 5, 2023

Mowbray must have fallen short of what the Sunderland chairman wanted, triggering him into axing the manager after an underwhelming 1-1 draw at Millwall.

Louis-Dreyfus will hope this potential name coming in as the new manager can reinvent the Black Cats and help the team gradually move up the division back into the promotion places, OGC Nice assistant manager Julien Sable among those on the club's 'shortlist' – as per talkSPORT.

Unproven as a first-team boss, Sable is, however, still a wanted man for a reason.

Julien Sable's managerial style at OGC Nice

Sable is second in command to Francesco Farioli at Nice, Farioli previously in contention for the Sunderland job in the summer when Mowbray looked likely to exit before this campaign got underway.

The Black Cats are retreading similar footsteps going after Sable, therefore, but the Nice assistant manager is worthy of credit himself.

Nice currently find themselves in second spot in Ligue 1, the French outfit extremely hard to beat and break down with only one defeat next to their name and only five goals shipped in 14 games.

This resilient and dogged approach to games will have been worked on meticulously in training behind the scenes, Sable on the training ground daily implementing this style in drills alongside Farioli.

The Sunderland hierarchy would hope that the promising 43-year-old assistant could get the best out of the attackers at the Stadium of Light too away from helping the defence become more stoic, enabling the likes of Eliezer Mayenda and Nazariy Rusyn to come out of their shell.

Sable has been a caretaker manager before in his career at Saint-Etienne, but he will want to land a permanent manager role soon and Sunderland could well give the Nice man a chance to finally shine as a boss in his own right.

With reports indicating that Still's possible compensation could be a 'stumbling block', turning to another relatively youthful coach from Ligue 1, such as Sable, could well represent an ideal alternative.

The Championship hopefuls would have to give the 43-year-old first-time boss time to adapt to English football, hoping that when things do click he can be the long-term manager they've been searching for who can help Sunderland succeed for many years to come.

Having been on the wrong end of two brutal batting displays on night one, bowlers were in desperate need of a hero on the T10 League’s second day

Barny Read22-Nov-2018

Pravin Tambe belts out an appeal

Having been on the wrong end of two brutal batting displays on night one, bowlers were in desperate need of a hero on the T10 League’s second day. There were some encouraging performances from the first two matches, but the assault handed out by Mohammad Shahzad stuck in the memory more, as did the one-two punch of Paul Stirling and Eoin Morgan.Short boundaries and batsmen fearlessly launching into attacks are the hallmarks of T10’s marketability. It’s tailored to batsmen, the odds forever in their favour. Boundaries are the most valuable currency, and bowlers are sometimes but mere fodder; bowling machines with a pulse here for the derision of the batsmen charged with providing the entertainment.But cricket is at its best when bowlers have their tails up and the game is being squeezed into an almost unbearable tension. It brings out moments of brilliance from both parties, and if the game is swinging too far in favour of one or the other, the spectacle tends to suffer.So, a of sorts was needed to balance yin with yang. And he arrived in the shape of – on first glance – an unlikely figure: 47-year old Pravin Tambe.Having just seen Aamer Yamin take four wickets in as many balls in an albeit already dying match, the Indian legspinner crossed the picket line as the elder statesmen of the group.Yamin’s spell had hammered home, with devastating effect, his side’s advantage, to deliver the Bengal Tigers a 36-run victory over Northern Warriors. It was a stunning effort, but one that Tambe was about to reduce to a mere supporting evidence, as he made his own case, demonstrating the value of bowlers in the weird and wonderful world of T10.With new ball in hand, Tambe began inauspiciously, conceding five wides first up. A second wide followed. It didn’t look good for the man brought in to replace UAE spinner Ahmed Raza after Wednesday night’s defeat. When he had his first wicket, it was with a low full toss that Chris Gayle swatted straight down the throat of long-on.A dot ball followed, before Kerala Knights captain Eoin Morgan repeated Gayle’s dismissal almost step for step, letting out a wry smile as he fell. It was a telling look of ‘not our night’. Indeed, this was Tambe’s and the bowlers’. Batsmen have enjoyed too much of the spoils in recent times.Kieron Pollard was then undone first ball, bowled by a skidding delivery that just didn’t get up, putting Tambe on a hat-trick.Fabian Allen granted it, playing all around a dipping yorker and seeing the bails thrown out of their grooves. At this stage, Tambe had bowled just one over and had 4 for 6 with one of the most daunting top-orders in the tournament reduced to rubble.By the time he was done, Upul Tharanga had become his fifth victim, and Tambe was the first man to record a five-for in T10 cricket, with figures of 2-0-15-5.Beaming, and crowded with emphatic pats on the back, Tambe’s delight was shared among the union boss and his cohorts.Kerala were left reeling at 21 for 6, just three overs into their innings. It was a long way back from there, and the reigning champions couldn’t produce similar magic with the ball as the Sindhis romped to a nine-wicket victory.”I’ve never thought about my age. I enjoy this game and I keep enjoying this game,” Tambe said, quickly coming to terms with how challenging T10 is for his profession. “Being a bowler in this format, it’s a very short format and I think it’s for public entertainment. As a bowler, you have to think that you can’t give any sixes or fours. With that in mind, you will get wickets, and that’s what I got today.”Tambe had some words of advice for his peers on how they “can survive” in T10, a frank understanding of the challenge they face in cricket’s shortest iteration. “In this format, you don’t get a chance to set a batsman up. Every ball is going to go for a six. That’s what you have to think as a bowler in this format, so you try to bowl in the channels, and if you succeed in that, then you can survive in this format.”In this pick-it-up-and-drop-it form of cricket, individual performances such as Tambe’s stand out like exclamation marks. Huge scores off barely any balls jump out of scorecards accented far more heavily with low contributions. Ridiculous looking strike rates and astronomical bowling figures will obviously draw the eye.Equally, spells such as those from Yamin and Tambe explode off the page and there is no reason why this shouldn’t be the norm rather than an anomaly, despite the advantages afforded to batsmen.

Celtic are considering a move to bring a new goalkeeper to the Scottish Premiership in January, according to a fresh report.

Celtic's season so far

The Hoops have made a remarkable start to the domestic campaign having won 11, drawn three and lost none of their opening 14 games, meaning that they currently find themselves clear at the top of the table ahead of their rivals Rangers.

Whilst Brendan Rodgers doesn’t necessarily need to enter the market to improve his squad given their outstanding form, Joe Hart and Scott Bain will both have reached the expiration of their deals at the end of the season (Celtic contracts), so the manager could do with discovering the availability of goalkeepers.

Celtic signal January transfer plans; Rodgers convinced he can land targets

Celtic are keen to strengthen in January to give them an edge in the hunt for the Scottish Premiership title…

BySean Markus Clifford Nov 26, 2023

Back in 2018, Real Madrid’s Andriy Lunin put pen to paper at the Bernabeu Stadium, but during that time, he’s been sent out on three loans to CD Leganes, Real Valladolid and Real Oviedo, showing how low down in the pecking order he is under Carlo Ancelotti (Transfermarkt – Lunin statistics).

The Ukraine international is typically his manager’s third-choice shot-stopper behind Thibaut Courtois and Kepa Arrizabalaga when all members of the trio are fully fit, and with his terms set to run out upon the conclusion of the current campaign (Real Madrid contracts), the 24-year-old has been highlighted as a target at Parkhead.

Celtic eyeing swoop for Andriy Lunin

According to The Daily Record, Celtic are contemplating a move for Lunin at the start of next year, and there's a chance that he could be made available due to his lack of game time and minutes at Real Madrid.

“Real Madrid's backup keeper Andriy Lunin might just be available in January despite a recent run in the team. Record Sport understands he's one of the keepers under consideration at Celtic and while his recent prominence at Real might suggest he'll be a tricky man to land, Carlo Ancelotti dropped a hint that his stint in the team is coming to an end this weekend.”

Lunin could be a "top goalkeeper" for Rodgers

Since the start of his career, Lunin has kept 37 clean sheets from 112 games. Standing at 6 foot 3, Real Madrid’s colossus has made 15 saves from 17 shots on target against this year, giving him a save percentage of 88.2% (FBRef – Lunin statistics), which is higher than the 72% that Hart has managed so far this season (FBRef – Hart statistics), showing that he’d be an upgrade on the existing number one.

Sponsored by Nike, the Ukrainian additionally ranks in the 98th percentile for penalty saves so he has an excellent record when it comes to spot kicks, making him a really well-rounded player and one who would surely decide the odd cup fixture here and there too.

According to Carlo Ancelotti, Lunin is a “top goalkeeper” between the sticks, so if the right opportunity was to present itself, Celtic have to fully pursue a deal for their target by trying to fend off interest elsewhere and secure his services in January.

The Queensland duo is looking increasingly likely to join Aaron Finch and Travis Head for debuts in the first Test against Pakistan

Daniel Brettig in Dubai05-Oct-2018Australia may field as many as four debutants – Aaron Finch, Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne and Michael Neser – at the start of their first Test series since the Newlands ball-tampering scandal, the most in a single match since the World Series Cricket split four decades ago.Two days out from the opening Test against Pakistan in Dubai, Finch and Head are certain to play, while the Queensland pair of Labuschagne and Neser are looking increasingly likely to join them.It would be a particularly swift rise for Labuschagne, once again due to Renshaw’s misadventures. He was only included in the first-class portion of the recent Australia A tour of India when Renshaw strained a hamstring, and a pair of handy scores in the last match before the squad was picked vaulted Labuschagne above the likes of Peter Handscomb and Glenn Maxwell.Last week, Renshaw’s concussion when struck on the helmet at short leg meant Labuschagne batted in his place in Australia’s only warm-up fixture for this series, leaving the opener short of the preparatory batting time in the middle, much valued by the new coach Justin Langer.Labuschagne’s inclusion would necessitate a reshuffle of the batting order, with Finch opening alongside Usman Khawaja, Shaun Marsh at No. 3, vice-captain Mitchell Marsh at No. 4 and Head followed by Labuschagne at Nos. 5 and 6. This would also create a right-left mix well down towards the tail, with captain Tim Paine and spearhead Mitchell Starc at Nos. 7 and 8.”If we can continue to do what we’ve been doing over the last couple of weeks here with that middle-order group and especially the way we played in the tour match, there’s no reason why we can’t do that in the two Test matches in the next couple of weeks and really put a stamp on it,” Head said. “We’re here to win games of cricket. We’re here to perform. It’s really exciting for the core bunch of guys in that middle order to really step up and do the job.Tim Paine and Justin Langer pose during a portrait session•Getty Images”I think the message is always pretty simple. You want to go out and perform and win games of cricket for Australia. I know from the one-day team and that’s traditionally how it’s always been for the Australian cricket team. It’s always tough for spots and those guys are unlucky to miss out and have been in really good form, but in the tour match we were 4 for 500 [494]. The guys are in form, it’s always tough to get into the Australian cricket team and the fight for spots is always up.Head, who struggled notably against spin in the past, including against the left-arm spinner Jon Holland in a pair of Sheffield Shield finals, said that a strong defence would enable the tourists to spend enough time at the crease to overcome the radical differences to Australian conditions.”It’s challenging over here. We’ve had a lot of experience now. Obviously IPL, Australia-A tours, the Australian tour just gone in India. The guys played exceptionally well,” Head said. “Watching that, the way guys went in and played to the conditions and took it on, probably seemed a different kind of style to really grind it out. We’ve seen that again in the tour match.”I think we’ve developed over a little bit and we can continue to get better. The same thing personally as well. I’ve really worked hard on my forward defence. I’ve spoken a lot about that over the last couple of months. It’s been really consistent in my game and it has meant that I’ve been able to spend time out in the middle. Once you get a feel for the conditions, especially over here once it starts turning, if you get a feel for that and spend lots of time out in the middle, you need to go on with it and bat long periods of time. I’ll try and continue to do that and so will everyone else.”Neser, meanwhile, impressed in the tour game as a foil for Starc, and is duelling with the well-travelled Peter Siddle for the second pacer’s spot. Siddle, Starc and Nathan Lyon are the only members of the squad who took part in Australia’s last series in the UAE, a 2-0 defeat to Pakistan in 2014.