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RCB and KKR serve up a thriller with a different kind of tension

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

There was no animosity between the sides this time, but it was still an engrossing game

Shashank Kishore21-Apr-20241:17

Tom Moody analyses Starc’s final over against RCB

KKR versus RCB at Eden Gardens is often an eventful contest.There was the infamous 49 all-out in 2017, and more recently ‘lord’ Shardul Thakur scored a brazen half-century to pull off a stunning rescue act.On a sweltering Sundary afternoon, KKR and RCB played out another memorable game in Kolkata, and though nearly 450 runs were scored it wasn’t your regular IPL run fest. In the end the contest was decided by… well, the barest of margins. With a wicketkeeper from England diving full length to break the stumps and run out a batter from New Zealand, who was attempting a second run off the final ball to take the match into a Super Over.The heartbreak was once again RCB’s to suffer as their season hurtles towards an early conclusion with their seventh loss in eight games. And yet, this hit different, because it was different from their feuds with KKR in the past.Only a month ago, KKR’s mentor Gautam Gambhir had said the “one team I wanted to beat every time and probably even in my dreams was RCB.” But there he was, on the eve of the match, displaying camaraderie for the second time this season with Virat Kohli, whom he has had several feisty altercations with in the IPL.Related

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How RCB finished so near and yet so far against KKR

KKR survive Karn scare to win by one run

Du Plessis: 'Your decision making is clearer when you are winning games'

The contest came alive nonetheless through Phil Salt’s salvo in the powerplay, RCB’s exceptional catching, and an exchange of blows that ensured that neither team stayed in control for too long. There was a flashpoint at the start of RCB’s chase when Kohli’s cameo – which included a no-look six off Mitchell Starc – was cut short by a high full toss that he felt should have been a no-ball, but the flaring of tempers died down once it was clear the decision was based on technology and not human intervention.A 102-run stand for RCB’s third wicket between Will Jacks and Rajat Patidar threatened to decide the game far too early. An ask of the nature of 86 off 54 balls with eight wickets in hand should have been straightforward in this extremely high-scoring season, but it is rarely so between RCB and KKR. Four wickets in the space of two overs, and the visitors were reeling.Dinesh Karthik, who had scores of 53 not out and 83 in RCB’s most recent defeats, brought the game down to 31 off 12 balls. One big over away from ending a run of five successive defeats. A finishing test a day after he expressed his desire to play the 2024 T20 World Cup for India. But when Karthik fell for an 18-ball 25, RCB still needed 21 off the final over with only two wickets in hand.Mitchell Starc stood at the top of his mark. He’d been expensive all season and he’d gone for 36 in his first two overs on Sunday, but surely with Karn Sharma and Mohammed Siraj at the crease, the game was beyond RCB?Mohammed Siraj is distraught even as KKR celebrate their dramatic one-run win•BCCIOn a pitch where pace-off seemed the way to go, Starc trusted his Plan A: pace-on. He went full and he went fast, but he missed his lengths. The first ball of the final over to Karn was in the slot outside off stump and disappeared over the cover boundary. The second was similar too; this time it grazed the edge of Karn’s big swing but the TV umpire decided the ball had bounced just before Salt collected it behind the stumps.Yorker anybody? Or what about the bouncer? Sweat pouring off his face, his purple jersey clinging to his skin, Starc was on his haunches two balls in. He rose to deliver more of the same. Karn stayed inside his crease, cleared his front foot, and slammed the third and fourth deliveries over extra cover and point for sixes.With only three to get off two balls, and RCB’s hopes as high as they’d been all day, Starc found his length and delivered a yorker-length delivery. Karn connected with the toe of his bat and Starc bent down low to grab a sharp return catch with just one hand. Under pressure in oppressive conditions, he had managed to cling on when it mattered most.It seemed to have taken plenty out of Starc but he managed to bowl a tight last ball, yorker-length and tailing away as Lockie Ferguson squeezed it to deep cover. The throw to the wicketkeeper was poor and it took an outstanding take and dive from Salt to break the stumps and leave RCB one run short of where they needed to be.It was a strange contest, with 12 scores more than 15 but none higher than 55, the most in that range in any IPL game. And though it didn’t have the headline performance that lingers in the memory, it did have the fight and the finish to further embellish the RCB-KKR rivalry.

Pacey Khaled Ahmed gives Bangladesh something to cheer for

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

In these two Tests, he has shown a range of skills that has repaid coach Domingo’s faith in fast bowlers

Mohammad Isam27-Jun-2022Bangladesh’s batting failure has overshadowed their fast bowlers’ rise in recent times. When Khaled Ahmed completed his maiden five-wicket haul against West Indies in the second Test in St Lucia, their fast bowlers had taken a total of 51 wickets, the most by pacers in a year .It was the first time fast bowlers took 50 wickets together, surpassing their haul of 48 wickets in 2008. It was a testament to both their tremendous effort of the last two-and-a-half years, and was in line with head coach Russell Domingo’s vision at a time when they nearly vanished in Bangladesh cricket.Related

  • Kemar Roach's landmark day puts West Indies in sight of victory

  • Domingo: 'Very disappointing' to see Bangladesh make 'basic errors'

  • Why is Bangladesh's batting on the decline in Tests?

  • Bangladesh ditch all-spin home attack as Domingo calls for balanced pitches

Khaled is the latest of the current fast bowling group to get a big haul. Taskin Ahmed re-established himself with performances throughout 2021 and 2022, before the shoulder injury halted him. Ebadot Hossain, after he starred in the Mount Maunganui Test against New Zealand, is now the leading wicket-taker for the team in Tests. Shariful Islam too has proved himself as the go-to left-arm quick even when Mustafizur Rahman was available in the Test squad.On Sunday, Khaled completed his five-for when No 11 Jayden Seales edged his pacy outswinger. It took Bangladesh 127 overs to bowl West Indies out. The pace attack is still a work-in-progress, and there were long phases when, in the words of the head coach Russell Domingo, they bowled “soft balls” . This was evident as West Indies made 408 in reply to their first-innings total of 234. At stumps, the visitors were 132 for 6, trailing by 42 runs.However, Khaled’s performance is a key takeaway for Bangladesh. He had removed Alzarri Joseph and Kyle Mayers earlier in the morning. Joseph holed out at midwicket while centurion Mayers succumbed to Khaled’s slower ball. On the second day, Raymon Reifer and Nkrumah Bonner had both played on to his rising deliveries just a shave outside offstump, resulting in two wickets in the same over.Khaled has shown a range of skills in these two Tests. Bowling into the stumps at the end of the third day in Antigua, he rattled the West Indies line-up in their 84-run chase. He removed Kraigg Brathwaite, Reifer and Bonner in the space of ten balls. West Indies recovered from 9 for 3, and a bit of criticism came Khaled’s way for not following up on that opening burst.Khaled Ahmed wheels away after getting Nkrumah Bonner•Randy Brooks/AFP via Getty ImagesThe same criticism crept back on the second day in St Lucia when he, and the rest of the bowling attack, couldn’t pick up wickets after taking four in the first session. Khaled was largely ineffective for three spells for the rest of the day, only taking wickets on the third morning.Khaled has been doing all of this work against the backdrop of his family experiencing the Sylhet floods. On the day he took those three quick wickets in Antigua, there were pictures of water at chest height in many areas in Sylhet circulating. He hails from Alampur on the southern outskirts of the main city, an area that has witnessed some of the worst flooding and lack of power, food, and other necessities.The BCB had to evacuate the High-Performance side that was scheduled to train at the Sylhet International Stadium earlier this month when the flood hit the city. The board said recently that they are keeping tabs on the families of some of the Sylhet-based players, but undoubtedly, it has been a worrying time for them.Having debuted more than three years ago, Khaled is reaping the rewards in the long format only now. He had his first Test wicket in December last year, in his 70th over in his fourth Test. In his next Test, in Durban, he took 4 for 92 in the first innings. Khaled had finally turned a corner, and it came at a time when Bangladesh were in desperate need of a fast bowler to step up; Taskin, who had been fiery in the ODI series in South Africa before that Test, was playing with a shoulder injury.He had sat out the Tests against New Zealand earlier this year when Ebadot Hossain, a fellow Sylheti and a more colourful character, took centre stage with his six-for in the Mount Maunganui Test. There was also Abu Jayed, a seamer who relied heavily on the swing, as part of the Sylhet pace trio that had surprised everyone when they were all selected together in 2019. Jayed took three four-fors, but never appeared like a threat. He is a mild trundler who pegged away from one end. Later, Jayed lost his place in the team.Khaled has had it tough too, but he has always been a quiet person. He needed knee surgery in 2019 after going wicketless in his third Test in the same year. Khaled would often be seen training on his own at the BCB academy in Mirpur.Many Test discards train in BCB’s main facility throughout the year. Many don’t make it, despite years of effort. Fast bowlers have been the most expendable among these discards. The likes of Jayed, Khaled and Ebadot were considered fringe cricketers for several years when the then-coach Chandika Hathurusingha convinced the BCB and team management that he would rely only on spinners at home. When Domingo announced in February 2020 that they were going to ditch the all-spin plan to win overseas, it was a lifeline for the fast bowlers.But Domingo’s words weren’t going to bring them back. Bangladesh’s fast bowlers had to do the job. And, they have mostly earned back their respect and acceptance. Now, it is clear that the Bangladesh captain has a pace plan. Khaled getting his maiden five-wicket haul is a testament to Domingo’s conviction on a good cricketing plan, but also another significant step in the right direction for the fast bowlers.

Where does Ben Stokes rank among the top allrounders of all time?

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Over the last four and a half years, the England star has racked up truly special all-round stats

S Rajesh and Shiva Jayaraman31-Jul-2020″We’re in the presence of greatness.”
– Ben Stokes has everyone – fans, critics, team-mates – eating out of his hands, and with good reason: over the last four and a half years, he has scored eight Test hundreds and averages 43.3 with the bat. And he has taken 110 wickets at 28. Even these numbers don’t do justice to his range of skills: with bat in hand, he has the astonishing ability to go through multiple gears in the same Test (Old Trafford, 2020) and even the same innings (Headingley, 2019). With ball in hand, he bowls the tough overs and the long spells when England are looking for a breakthrough. Add to that his wholehearted fielding and the ability to be the perfect team man, and it’s little wonder that England can’t have enough of him.ESPNcricinfo LtdFor the purposes of this article, though, we’ll limit the analyses to his two primary skills, batting and bowling. The high notes that Stokes has hit as a Test allrounder over the last few years have, quite justifiably, evoked comparisons with the all-time great allrounders. How does his peak thus far compare with the best of other allrounders? Let the numbers do the talking.From the start of 2016 – when he made his highest Test score, of 258, against South Africa in Cape Town – till the end of the second Test of the recently concluded home series against West Indies, over a span of 45 Tests, there has been a difference of 15.6 between Stokes’ batting and bowling averages. How does that compare with the best 45-Test streaks of other allrounders? (The best 45 Tests in terms of highest difference between batting and bowling averages are considered.)Taking a cut-off of at least 1500 runs scored and 100 wickets taken in these 45 Tests – Stokes scored 3401 runs and took 110 wickets in these matches – only four allrounders out of 22 have a higher difference in average: Garry Sobers, Jacques Kallis, Imran Khan and Shaun Pollock. Sobers and Kallis had slightly poorer bowling averages than Stokes, but were phenomenal with the bat, averaging more than 70. Imran was outstanding with both bat and ball in the period between September 1982 and December 1991, scoring nearly 55 runs per dismissal and conceding only 20.1 runs per wicket. Pollock just made the 1500-run cut-off – he scored 1561 runs in 45 Tests between January 1999 and September 2003, though his contribution to team runs was extremely low, as we’ll see later – but his bowling stats were stunning: 185 wickets at 19.9. For the top three allrounders, the difference in averages was more than 30, while the difference for Pollock was 20.2.ESPNcricinfo LtdFor all the other top allrounders, though, the difference was less than 15.6. Stokes is marginally ahead of Keith Miller (difference 15.4) and Ian Botham (14.6), while Tony Greig and Andrew Flintoff, the two other leading England allrounders on the list, managed a difference of around ten runs between their batting and bowling averages in their best 45 Tests.Twenty-two allrounders make the cut-off of 1500 runs and 100 wickets in their best 45 Tests, and among them Richard Hadlee is in seventh place – a slot above Botham – with an average difference of 14.8, while Kapil Dev, the fourth among the Fab Four allrounders of the 1980s, is 18th with a difference of 4.6.

It needs to be mentioned here that the stats for these 22 players vary widely, in terms of both runs and wickets. Sobers scored 4790 runs and Kallis 4372 in 45 Tests, while Pollock scored only 1561, and Wasim Akram 1506. On the other hand, Kallis took only 103 wickets, and Sobers 126, compared to 253 by Hadlee, 203 by Botham, 189 by Kapil, 185 by Pollock, and 180 by Khan. While they are all broadly categorised as allrounders, their roles in their teams were very different: Sobers and Kallis were clearly batting allrounders, while Hadlee, Botham, Kapil and Pollock were largely bowling allrounders.Sobers scored 19.7% of West Indies’ bat runs in these 45 Tests, Kallis contributed 18.2%, but in terms of percentage of team wickets, Kallis only contributed 14.2% and Sobers 16.5%. Hadlee, meanwhile, scored only 10.2% of his team’s runs but took a whopping 37.9% of their wickets. Pollock’s batting contribution to South Africa’s kitty was minimal. He scored only 7.1% of their runs in these 45 Tests, which is the second-lowest percentage among the 22 allrounders in this list – only Chaminda Vaas, with 7%, is lower – but took 25.2% of South Africa’s wickets. The percentages for Khan were 11.9 (runs) and 28.2 (wickets).

For Stokes, the numbers are even: he has scored 14.8% of the England’s bat runs, and taken 14.7% of their wickets. That essentially makes him more of a batting allrounder, given that bowling allrounders tend to take around 25% of their team’s wickets. Botham, for instance, took 31.2% of England’s wickets and scored 13.1% of their runs in his best 45 Tests, between June 1978 and July 1982. The corresponding numbers for Greig were 17.2% and 13.8%, and for Flintoff 22.3% of the wickets and 11.8% of the runs. The scatter plot above indicates where these 22 allrounders are positioned with respect to the percentage of team runs and team wickets they contributed in their best 45 Tests. It is clear from the plot that Stokes makes bigger contributions with the bat than with the ball. Only three among these 22 allrounders – Sobers, Kallis and Shakib Al Hasan – score a higher percentage of their team’s runs, while 19 take a higher percentage of wickets.With Stokes, though, just the number of wickets doesn’t do full justice to his contribution as a bowler. He bowls the tough overs and the long spells when England are looking for breakthroughs, and that is best illustrated by this stat: 41 of his 156 career wickets have ended batting partnerships of 50-plus. The percentage of 26.3 is the highest among all fast bowlers who have taken 100-plus career wickets.

And here is further proof of Stokes’ bowling effectiveness when the rest of the attack didn’t have things going their way. On the ten occasions when he has taken a four-wicket haul, he has a strike rate of 24.7 balls per wicket; in those innings, the rest of the attack struck every 93.3 balls. The ratio of 3.8 between the two strike rates is the third best among all bowlers with at least ten four-fors – there are 183 bowlers on that list. Only Fidel Edwards and Peter Pollock have a better ratio, and then just marginally. The latest such example was the Southampton Test against West Indies, when Stokes took 4 for 49 in 14 overs in the first innings while the rest of England’s attack took the remaining six wickets in 88 overs.The sample size is admittedly small here, but it illustrates Stokes’ ability to make things happen when his team-mates aren’t quite getting it right. In bowler-friendly conditions, when Anderson, Broad and Co are running through batting line-ups, Stokes sometimes doesn’t even get to bowl. His value is when things get tougher for the bowlers, and then his contributions are invaluable.

Maintaining a 40-plus average with bat and a sub-30 average with ball over an extended period of time is rare for most allrounders – most tend to slip up with either bat or ball – but Stokes now has an ongoing streak of 50 such Tests: since October 2015, he averages 40.63 with the bat and 28.69 with the ball. In all of Test cricket, there are only two allrounders who have maintained these stats for more than 50 Tests: Khan (81 Tests) and Kallis (76). (These are the longest such streaks for each player.)From his seventh to his 87th Test, Khan averaged 40.06 with the bat and 22.22 with the ball. Given that his entire career lasted 88 Tests, that means the period in which he crossed that threshold covered 92% of his career, which is remarkable. The longest such streak for Kallis extended from his 14th to his 89th Test, during which period he averaged 61.62 with bat, and 29.93 with ball. While averaging over 40 with the bat wasn’t much of a problem for him, Kallis became less of a bowler later in his career and his average crept over 30, though his career bowling average remained a respectable 32.65.ESPNcricinfo LtdStokes’ current streak of 50 is already two Tests better than Botham. Between February 1978 and July 1982, Botham had a 48-Test streak where he averaged 40.31 with bat and 23.44 with ball, but thereafter his batting average slipped below 40. Flintoff’s longest such streak was 42 matches, while Greig’s was 37. There have only been eight allrounders who have had such streaks of 40-plus Tests, including Daniel Vettori, who is joint fifth with 48 such Tests, ahead of much bigger names.Since the start of 2016, Stokes has been one of the pillars of England’s batting, despite coming in relatively low, at No. 5 or 6: in this period, only Joe Root has scored more runs (4612) at a marginally better average (44.77, to Stokes’ 43.3). Since the start of 2019, Stokes has been the undisputed leader in the batting line-up, scoring 1453 runs at 53.81; no other player has scored 600-plus runs at a 40-plus average in this period.Stokes’ value in the batting line-up is especially immense in situations when England have lost wickets relatively early and need the lower middle order to lift the team to a reasonable total. With his ability to block or attack as the situation demands, Stokes has the game to see off dangerous bowling spells, and then attack and score quick runs with the lower order. When batting at No. 5 or lower since the start of 2016, he has played 34 innings when England have made 300-plus totals; in those innings, he has scored 2004 runs, which works out to 14.9% of England’s runs. That is the highest percentage of runs scored by any England batsman at No. 5 or lower, in a stretch of 34 innings when the team has scored 300 or more. His percentage is marginally higher than the best 34-innings sequences of Graham Thorpe, Paul Collingwood, Botham and Ian Bell. That, in a nutshell, illustrates Stokes’ importance in the lower middle order.

Through this article, Stokes’ current peak has been compared with the all-time peaks of legends who have retired, which is slightly unfair to Stokes because he is likely to scale greater heights – or at least maintain his current form – over the next few years. If he does manage that, a similar analysis in a couple of years could see him even higher up the list of the greatest allrounders of all time.

Jhoan Duran's First Entrance to Close Out PhilIies Game Was Absolutely Electric

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

New Phillies reliever Jhoan Duran was called upon to close out his first game with his new club against the Detroit Tigers on Friday night, and his first entrance was absolutely electric.

Duran, nicknamed the Durantula, was known during his time with the Minnesota Twins to emerge from the bullpen to intense music, a light show, and the home crowd waving their cellphone lights. That routine won't be changing now that he's in Philadelphia, as Citizens Bank Park gave him the same treatment.

Here's a look at the entrance:

With the Phillies holding onto a 5-4 lead, Duran needed only four pitches to get the job done, forcing a groundout, a foul-out, and a lineout to secure the victory.

It's been a whirlwind couple of days for Duran, who was heartbroken to be dumped by Minnesota. But, after being able to get his No. 59 jersey from his new manager Rob Thomson and securing his first save for the National League East-leading Phillies, he's surely already starting to feel right at home.

فليك قبل مباراة برشلونة وأتلتيكو مدريد: هناك شيء مفقود ونحتاج لمزيد من التحكم

by h79snht.top Uncategorized

أبدى هانز فليك، مدرب نادي برشلونة، قلقه بشأن مستوى الفريق، وذلك قبل مواجهة أتلتيكو مدريد في بطولة الدوري الإسباني للدرجة الأولى.

برشلونة سوف يستضيف أتلتيكو مدريد يوم غدًا الثلاثاء على ملعب كامب نو، وذلك لحساب منافسات الجولة التاسعة عشر من الدوري الإسباني (قمة مُقدمة من الجولة المذكورة).

ويسعى برشلونة للفوز على أتلتيكو مدريد، وذلك من أجل الاستمرار في صدارة الدوري الإسباني، وسط منافسة شرسة مع ريال مدريد.

وخلال المؤتمر الصحفي الخاص باللقاء، والذي نقلته صحيفة موندو ديبورتيفو، أشاد فليك في البداية بقوة أتلتيكو مدريد هذا الموسم.

وقال فليك: “نلعب ضد فريق رائع بقيادة أحد أفضل مدربيه وعلينا الارتقاء بمستوانا، ستكون مباراة صعبة وعلينا جميعًا العمل بجد، إذا نظرنا إلى جدول الترتيب، نجد أن هناك فرقًا قوية جدًا وجاهزة، نحن في نفس الموقف ونستعيد لاعبينا، علينا الارتقاء بمستوانا”.

وأضاف فليك في حديثه: “هناك شيء مفقود ونحتاج إلى مزيد من السيطرة والتحكم، لدينا الكفاءة ونريد أن نراها، قلت ذلك بعد المباراة ضد ديبورتيفو ألافيس، لقد ارتكبنا الكثير من الأخطاء وعادةً ما نمتلك الكفاءة اللازمة للسيطرة على المباراة، وهذا ما افتقدته في المباريات الأخيرة، أريد أن أرى هذه الكفاءة”.

كما كشف فليك عن حديثه مع رافينها، نجم برشلونة ، عقب نهاية مباراة البرسا ضد ديبورتيفو ألافيس بالدوري الإسباني يوم السبت الماضي، حيث ظهر المدرب الألماني وهو يبكي.

وأوضح: “الفوز ضد أحد الفرق الكبيرة سيكون فرصة رائعة، إنها ذكرى طريفة من تلك المباراة بينما شعرت بخيبة أمل لأننا فقدنا الكرة كثيرًا، وطُرد لاعبان من مقاعد البدلاء”.

وأردف فليك: ”عندما سجلنا الهدف الثالث حصل ماركوس على بطاقة حمراء وتحدثت معه، إنه صديقي وأهم شخص لدي هنا في الجهاز الفني ودار هذا الحديث في ذهني”.

وتابع: ”أردت أن أصفي ذهني قليلًا ولم أرد الجدال. لكنني بخير ومستعد لأي شيء يلقيه علي النادي، أنا سعيد جدًا لوجودي هنا ومن الطبيعي أن تسوء الأمور في مباراة كهذه”.

وواصل فليك في حديثه عن مباراة برشلونة وديبورتيفو ألافيس: ”هذه المباريات تؤثر عليك وتكرس الكثير من الطاقة، ثم أعود إلى المنزل وأسترخي. لم أكن حزينًا أو أفكر في أشياء أخرى، لسنا في أوج عطائنا كما في العام الماضي لكن لدينا إمكانيات”.

وعن وضعية بيدري قال فليك: ”نعم هو جاهز، يمكنه أن يلعب بشكل أساسي”.

وعن حالة رافينها ورونالد أراوخو أضاف فليك: ”رافينها جاهز لكن أراوخو ليس جاهزًا للعب بعد، كنا نعمل على جاهزية رافينها، حيث قام فقط بحركة الروندو ثم توقف، أنا واثق من قدرته على لعب المباراة بأكملها بينما رونالد ليس جاهزًا، إنها مسألة شخصية، ولا أريد أن أقول المزيد. أرجو منكم احترام رغبتهما وهذا كل ما أستطيع قوله”.

أقرأ أيضًا .. تطورات حالة ثلاثي برشلونة المصاب قبل مباراة أتلتيكو مدريد

وعن تشجيع وحب جماهير برشلونة له وعودتهم إلى ملعب كامب نو، أوضح فليك في حديثه: “هذا هو الوضع وأنا سعيد جدًا بالجماهير، لا أقول إنني أبالغ في كرمي. الوضع هو ما هو عليه، الأمر يمتد من الملعب إلى المدرجات”.

وعن حارس مرمى برشلونة، مارك أندريه تير شتيجن ووضعه أردف فليك: “ليس هذا الوقت المناسب للحديث عن هذا وليس هذا وقت اللعب،  علينا الانتظار واتخاذ الخطوات التالية”.

وعن تصدر ترتيب الدوري الإسباني بعد تعثر ريال مدريد ضد جيرونا تابع فليك: “نواجه نفس الضغط الذي واجهناه في الموسم الماضي، سبق أن قلنا إن هذا العام سيكون أصعب لأن الجميع يسعى للفوز على البطل، نحن في المركز الأول لكننا لسنا في أفضل حالاتنا، وعلينا أن نستعيد مستوانا”.

وعن تعادل ريال مدريد وجيرونا واصل: “لم أشاهد المباراة، تلقيت رسائل وعرفت أن شيئًا ما قد حدث. استيقظت من النوم ثم شاهدت أبرز اللقطات، كل تركيزي منصب على فريقي”.

وتطرق فليك لحارس مرمى برشلونة، خوان جارسيا، حيث قال: “دربت نوير ومارك أندريه تير شتيجن، وهما حارسي مرمى رائعين. خوان لديه مستقبل باهر، فمنذ اليوم الأول يمكنك رؤية إمكانياته وهو يظهرها في المباريات، يتميز بجودة عالية في يديه وقدميه، إنه سريع جدًا وكان القرار الصائب للنادي هو ضمه، سيقدم لنا الكثير في السنوات القادمة ويعطينا أمانًا كبيرًا”.

وأضاف فليك في حديثه: “يجب أن نبذل قصارى جهدنا ضد فريق عظيم، إن أتلتيكو مدريد من أفضل الفرق في أوروبا، يتمتع بجودة عالية، وقد تحسن مستواه خلال فترة الانتقالات الصيفية، أستمتع بمشاهدتهم يلعبون لأنهم يتميزون بهجوم قوي مع أننا نمتلك أيضًا جودة عالية، ومهمتنا هي إظهار ذلك”.

وعما إذا كان برشلونة يحتاج إلى تحسن ذهني أو تكتيكي أوضح: “من المهم دائمًا أن تكون قائدًا لفريقك، لكن هذا الموسم عانينا من العديد من الإصابات، لم نختلق أي أعذار لكننا نحتاج إلى دقائق لعب أكثر مع التشكيلة الأساسية، فالموسم الماضي كان خير مثال على ذلك”.

واختتم فليك: ”كان لدينا بيدري، ودي يونج، والمدافعون، الذين كانوا دائمًا على نفس المستوى، كنا نتمتع بهذا الثبات الذي نكافح لتحقيقه هذا العام وهذه ليست أعذارًا، ونحن نديرها، الهدف الآن هو الفوز بمباراة كبيرة كمباراة الغد”.

Man City now expected to sign "unbelievable" PL star who nearly joined Liverpool

by h79snht.top Uncategorized

Manchester City are now expected to sign an “unbelievable” Premier League star, having moved into pole position in the race for his signature.

Man City keen to strengthen amid defensive struggles

Man City have looked potent from an attacking point of view this season, having already scored 32 Premier League goals, five more than any other club, with talisman Erling Haaland leading the way at the top of the goalscoring charts.

However, there have been some defensive frailties on display, with the Blues only just managing to edge out Fulham in a 5-4 thriller last time out, and pundit Clinton Morrison has made it clear that it is an issue Pep Guardiola will need to rectify.

Speaking after the victory at Craven Cottage, Morrison said: “You would never see this Arsenal team be 5-1 up and concede three goals. They need to get that sorted out.”

“Maybe, if they have a bit of money to spend in January, they need to look to strengthen at the back, especially in the right full-back area.”

A new right-back is of interest, with the Blues now ready to snap up Newcastle United star Tino Livramento, but they may also look at strengthening at centre-back.

That is according to former Everton chief executive Keith Wyness, who recently told Football Insider that Man City have moved into pole position in the race for Marc Guehi’s signature.

Wyness said: “I think that he will end up at City and I think that’s where I expect him to be. There is a lot of interest but I think he’s actually shown me that he’s actually thought things through and acted quite sensibly and taken some decent advice. He handled the Palace thing quite well.”

“And so I would expect him to move to City and I think he would be a great replacement, basically for John Stones is what we’re thinking about now.”

Man City now favourites to sign "incredible" £88m star, Pep's captivated by him

City have taken the lead in the race for a Premier League star, with Pep Guardiola a big fan.

ByDominic Lund Dec 2, 2025 Guehi could be "unbelievable" Stones replacement

Stones’ contract is set to expire next summer, and City may be in two minds about offering him an extension, given the centre-back’s terrible injury record over the past four seasons, missing a plethora of games for club and country.

Season

Games missed due to injury

2022-23

13

2023-24

12

2024-25

36

2025-26

3

Guehi, on the other hand, has been very reliable for Palace, having made 145 Premier League appearances over the past five campaigns, and he received high praise from football writer Ed Aarons amid links to Liverpool in the summer.

Ultimately, the move to Anfield fell through, despite Guehi completing a medical, and with the Reds enduring a torrid campaign, most recently drawing 1-1 at home to Sunderland, City should seize the chance to get one over on their rivals by signing the England international.

Semenyo alternative: Liverpool preparing £177m bid to sign their new Diaz

by rastrear-estafeta.com Uncategorized

Liverpool’s issues run far and wide this season, and Arne Slot’s second season is falling from a concern to a calamity. Nottingham Forest pitched up at Anfield on Saturday and won 3-0. That’s six defeats from seven Premier League matches for the champions.

The fact that Liverpool produced a confident and front-footed performance for the first half-hour, before Murillo pounced after a corner, is immaterial. Even the residue of the fluent and coherent and tenacious spine has deserted Slot’s side.

Things can change quickly in football, but on the basis of the current evidence, Liverpool will struggle to secure a place in next season’s Champions League, let alone challenge high-flying Arsenal for the title.

Change is needed, a strange thing to say given the Reds’ record-breaking summer of spending. But with such glaring tactical problems, it feels likely that FSG will authorise a signing or two this winter.

Liverpool search for winter signings

With Ibrahima Konate so horribly out of sorts and free to talk to overseas suitors in January, out of contract at the end of the season, there is an understandable anxiety about Liverpool’s defensive depth, let alone the stability of the backline.

This club’s reputation as masterful strategists has disintegrated over the past few months. The squeals of delight from rival fans are loud, and it goes without saying that it’s crucial that sporting director Richard Hughes gets it right if dipping back into the market come January.

Liverpool need a centre-back, sure, but that’s not the extent of their issues, with Slot actually hinting in the past week that his club’s transfer arm may extend in a different direction.

Well, according to Spanish sources, Liverpool are preparing to launch a statement bid for Bayern Munich’s Michael Olise, who has been earmarked as an alternative to Antoine Semenyo, admired by FSG and with a £65m release clause that becomes active in January.

Liverpool might have broken the British transfer record on Alexander Isak this summer, but they are now looking to smash that once again with a deal for the French winger, who is valued at €200m (about £177m).

Change is needed at Anfield, and with Olise added to the fold, the intensity and sparkle that have been so sorely lacking may be rekindled.

What Olise would bring to Liverpool

Liverpool have been lacking something out wide this season, and a large part of that has been the failure to effectively replace Luis Diaz.

Diaz, sold to Bayern Munich this summer, was so dynamic and dangerous, and in his new teammate Olise, Liverpool could restore that style of wide forward to their set-up.

Olise has been described as “easily a top-five right winger in the world” by analyst Ben Mattinson, and with the need for a Mohamed Salah replacement intensifying, this could be the perfect move to go for, the Les Bleus star only continuing to go from strength to strength.

Whether Liverpool opt for the cheaper route in signing Semenyo remains to be seen, but this would be a statement, and Olise has proven his capacity to succeed in different systems and different areas.

Of course, there is a big difference between playing for Bournemouth and starring for Bayern Munich. The Cherries are an attractive and impressive outfit, but they lack the offensive freedom of Die Roten at the peak of the Bundesliga.

Goals scored

0.63

0.55

Assists

0.63

0.27

Shots taken

4.62

1.91

Shot-creating actions

6.82

3.28

Touches (att pen)

7.55

3.64

Pass completion (%)

81.6

69.4

Progressive passes

6.40

3.55

Progressive carries

5.45

3.19

Successful take-ons

2.31

1.91

Ball recoveries

4.72

5.28

Tackles + interceptions

1.36

1.82

Olise would be able to transfer his elite-level experience back over to the Premier League, where he has played so spectacularly before, and provide Slot’s side with creative and physical upgrades, echoing Semenyo’s skills in that regard.

But he would also give Liverpool the Diaz-like presence they have missed since the summer. The Colombian’s energy and core strength made him a fearsome Premier League winger, and with 17 goals and eight assists across all competitions last term, he was instrumental in propping up Slot’s reputation.

Podcast host Ryan Dilks said five years ago that Olise was a “superstar in waiting”, destined for the top, and now that has been put into practice, with the 23-year-old in his second season at Bayern and currently boasting nine goals and ten assists across 18 matches in all competitions this season.

It cannot be understated how much of a detrimental effect Diaz’s sale has had on Liverpool’s form and fluency this season. Olise would fix that. As per Sofascore, he has won 4.4 duels per game in the Bundesliga this season. His final season in the Premier League with Palace? Olise averaged 5.7 duels per match.

Liverpool are crying out for this kind of winger, and while Semenyo would add qualities that the club need, Olise is equally tenacious and physical, and he’s far superior from a technical standpoint and proven as one of the game’s most prolific wide forwards around.

Liverpool have slipped and slid into a morass of their own making. There are many circumstances surrounding this current crisis, but Slot is making many questionable tactical decisions and the players themselves have lost every shred of confidence and work-rate, two fixed points of the Dutch coach’s successful first season in charge.

It’s clear that there isn’t enough width and energy down the flanks, and so Olise could be the perfect Semenyo alternative to replace Salah by handing back to Merseyside a bit of Diaz-esque flair.

Semenyo upgrade: Liverpool want to sign "the best youngster in the world"

Liverpool look set to make a move for another elite-level youngster this January.

1 ByEthan Lamb Nov 24, 2025

Mets Manager Carlos Mendoza Had the Perfect Joke About His Team’s Busy Offseason

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Have you heard the news? Juan Soto is a New York Met.

Late on Sunday night, news broke that Soto had signed a 15-year, $765 million deal that will keep him playing baseball in Queens for the near-, mid-, and far-future.

The signing—the biggest in the history of professional sports—sent shockwaves across the baseball world. While the Mets popped champagne, Soto’s other suitors were left to go back to the drawing board to reload their rosters ahead of the 2025 season.

Chances are there are very few people on the planet more excited about Soto’s decision to join the Mets than manager Carlos Mendoza, but don’t worry, he’s playing it cool.

While speaking with reporters at MLB Winter Meetings after the deal was struck, Mendoza was asked, sarcastically, which of the Mets’ offseason acquisitions was his favorite thus far.

“Frankie Montas!” Mendoza responded without missing a beat. “Jose Siri! Frankie Montas and Siri. Exciting to have both of them.” The comment earned laughs from the gathered crowd.

The cheeky response wasn’t a shot at Montas or Siri, both of whom are set to be solid contributors to the Mets this season, but a way of laughing off the elephant in the room of Soto’s near-billion dollar deal. Given that the contract wasn’t officially official, Mendoza didn’t comment much further on the matter.

That said, there’s no rush now—Mendoza and the Mets now have 15 years of talking about how great Soto is that they can look forward to.

Yankees' Giancarlo Stanton Offers Simple Free Agency Advice to Juan Soto

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Almost as soon as the New York Yankees lost the World Series to the Los Angeles Dodgers Wednesday night, attention turned to the impending free agency of Yankees right fielder Juan Soto. The four-time All-Star—still just 26—is poised to command a massive salary from whichever team is fortunate enough to sign him.

After the game, New York designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton made a pitch to Soto based on his personal experience with free agency—or lack thereof.

"I've never been in (free agency), so…" Stanton told reporters. "So just, 'stay with us,' would be the advice."

The reporters assembled chuckled at Stanton's plea, as did the slugger himself.

Stanton—still riding the then-record contract he signed with the Miami Marlins in Nov. 2014—is scheduled to hit free agency for the first time after the 2028 season, for which the Yankees have a club option.

Soto—who reportedly turned down a $440 million contract from the Washington Nationals in the summer of 2022—is set to follow a very different path.

Cássio pede desculpas à torcida do Corinthians após eliminação na Sul-Americana

by h79snht.top Uncategorized

MatériaMais Notícias

Capitão do Corinthians, o goleiro Cássio pediu desculpas por conta da eliminação na Conmebol Sul-Americana. O Timão foi derrotado pelo Fortaleza, por 2 a 0, na noite desta terça-feira (3), no jogo de volta da semifinal. No agregado, o Leão do Pici bateu a equipe alvinegra por 3 a 1.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasFora de CampoCraque Neto critica trio do Corinthians em eliminação e alerta: ‘A preocupação é o rebaixamento’Fora de Campo03/10/2023CorinthiansCorinthians deixa de ganhar quantia milionária com eliminação na semifinal da Sul-AmericanaCorinthians03/10/2023Sul-AmericanaVÍDEO: Assista aos gols de Fortaleza x CorinthiansSul-Americana03/10/2023

+ Garanta a sua vaga no curso que formou craques como Pet, Dante e Léo Moura! Cupom: LANCE1000

Cerca de quatro mil torcedores corintianos estiveram presentes na capital cearense para acompanhar a partida na Arena Castelão.

– A torcida do Corinthians sempre se faz presente. A gente pede desculpas para a torcida. Eliminação e derrota dura. Difícil falar, é digerir – destacou o goleiro ao fim da partida.

Com a desclassificação no torneio continental, o Timão terá pela frente somente o Campeonato Brasileiro. Na 13ª colocação, a equipe do Parque São Jorge está flertando com a zona do rebaixamento desde o início da competição. E mesmo com o ‘respiro’ dado nas últimas rodadas, o clube está somente a quatro pontos do Z4.

continua após a publicidade

Para Cássio, a missão a partir de agora é acabar com o risco de descenso e buscar coisas maiores no Brasileirão.

+ Renove o seu estoque de camisas do Timão com o cupom LANCEFUT 10% OFF

– Tem que ver e rever, seguir em frente. Temos jogo pelo Brasileiro, fazer o que a gente não tem fazendo, uma campanha mais regular, tirar o Corinthians ali debaixo e conseguir algo melhor – pontuou o camisa 12.

O próximo compromisso corintiano será neste sábado (7) contra o Flamengo, ás 21h30 (de Brasília).

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