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Glasgow Rangers recorded a fourth straight win in all competitions on Sunday with a 1-0 win over Hibernian at Ibrox in the Scottish Premiership.

Tom Lawrence scored the only goal of the game in the first half with a stunning, curling, effort from distance to find the far top corner, after a VAR review deemed him to be onside.

Hibs had the perfect chance to equalise just before the break, though, after John Souttar was penalised for a handball offence in the six-yard box, but Mykola Kukharevych produced a weak penalty that Jack Butland saved with ease.

Despite giving away the penalty in the first half, the Scotland international did not have a terrible day at the office at the heart of the Gers defence.

John Souttar's performance against Hibernian

The central defender could have no complaints with the decision from the referee, with the help of VAR, as his elbow was outstretched to block the shot, but it was a genuine last-ditch attempt to save what looked to be a certain goal.

It was more unlucky than it was a huge error from Souttar, who did more than enough to make up for that penalty concession with the rest of his display.

Ground duels won

2/3

Aerial duels won

3/5

Pass success rate

96%

Clearances

9

Tackles + interceptions

2

As you can see in the table above, the former Hearts man made a whopping nine clearances and won five of his eight duels throughout the game.

His most important clearance came in the final throes of the match, as he rose above everyone in the box to thump a header away from a crowded box as Hibs pushed for an equaliser.

There was, however, a player who was worse than Souttar and should now be ruthlessly ditched from the starting XI by Philippe Clement – Vaclav Cerny.

Why Vaclav Cerny should be dropped

The head coach must brutally drop the Wolfsburg loanee from the starting XI after another poor display on the right wing for the Light Blues.

His performance was summed up by his exchange with some supporters at Ibrox just before he was substituted in the second half. A section of the fanbase were frustrated, seemingly with his lack of progressive play, and it led to gestures and some words from the winger, which did not go down well with the crowd.

He was worse than Souttar, who made positive defensive contributions before and after the penalty incident, as the forward offered very little in the game.

Shots

4

4

Goals

0

0

Big chances missed

1

0

Key passes

0

0

Duels won

3/8

4/11

As you can see in the table above, Cerny has struggled badly in the last two matches for Rangers, with zero goals, zero chances created, and one ‘big chance’ missed.

More specifically, against Hibs, the underperforming winger gave away possession on 12 occasions, once every five minutes he was on the field.

The Czechia international did not record a shot on target or create a single chance in the 1-0 win over Hibs, and some of the supporters let him know how they felt about his lack of impact on the pitch.

Clement must now drop Cerny from the starting XI and offer another player, potentially Ross McCausland – after his strike off the bench against Malmo, a chance to shine on the right flank, with Nedim Bajrami on the left.

GvB wanted "special" star at Rangers, now he's worth £37m more than Jefte

The former Light Blues manager had the impressive defender on his “list” at Ibrox.

ByDan Emery Sep 25, 2024

Barcelona have been given the green light to select Dani Olmo and Pau Victor after the National Sports Council (CSD) granted a precautionary measure.

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• Barca failed to register stars with La Liga
• Olmo & Victor initially ruled out for rest of season
• CSD has given them permission to play for now

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The pair were initially ruled out for the rest of the season as Barcelona failed to register them by the deadline. Now, though, the CSD has intervened to rule that they can play until the case is properly settled. While both players were left out of the Supercopa de Espana semi-final match against Athletic Club on Wednesday, the pair may be allowed to play if they make the final.

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  The CSD said that "professional athletes have the right to a sports career in accordance with their potential and with all the guarantees and certainty" in a statement published on Wednesday evening, adding that failure to grant the precautionary measure would cause "sporting and economic damage" for the players and the club, and could have further implications for the national team and La Liga.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  CSD's ruling means that Olmo and Victor will likely be allowed to play in La Liga again as soon as next week and until a final ruling is given following Barcelona's appeal against their failed registration.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  The news comes too soon to see the two Spain internationals feature against Athletic Club in Saudi Arabia, but it seems their return to Hansi Flick's side is just days away.

In a deal that would replace Pedro Neto for years to come, Wolverhampton Wanderers are reportedly plotting a move to beat Manchester United to the signature of an exciting young winger.

Wolves transfer news

Those in the Midlands endured a mixed summer transfer window, with both Max Kilman and Pedro Neto joining Premier League sides West Ham United and Chelsea, before the likes of Jorgen Strand Larsen and Carlos Forbs arrived to boost Gary O’Neil’s side.

Yet, even after those reinforcements, Wolves remain without a single Premier League victory after five games in what is a major cause for concern when it comes to their early survival hopes.

It hasn’t been for the want of trying, however, with Wolves taking the lead in a strong performance against Aston Villa only for their Midlands rivals to battle back and eventually secure a 3-1 victory. In the story of Wolves’ season so far, they’ve lacked the attacking quality that they could now find in the transfer market.

According to Swedish outlet FotbollSkanalen, Wolves sent scouts to watch Bazoumana Toure in action for Hammarby and are now plotting a move to beat Manchester United to his signature.

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2 ByConnor Holden Sep 26, 2024

Hammarby director Mikael Hjelmberg recently admitted that scouts have been watching his side’s future star, telling FotbollSkanalen as relayed by United in Focus: “There are a lot of clubs coming to the match against Hacken (on Thursday).”

“We need to plan for a future without him. Then if it happens this winter, next summer or even further than that – I don’t think so, we’ll see. But the longer we get to keep him the better.”

Seemingly resigned to losing Toure, Wolves should swoop in as soon as they get the chance to sign a player who would replace Neto once and for all at the Molineux.

"Strong" Toure is one for the future

At just 18 years old, Toure is certainly one to watch. The Hammarby winger is quickly becoming the star of the show in Sweden, with six goals and three assists throughout the current campaign representing his recent rise. Now, if Wolves can jump ahead of Manchester United to sign the teenager, they’ll have a major coup in 2025 and the ultimate heir to Neto’s throne.

Scouts around England have been impressed by the Ivorian, with The Next Wave – a scout based in London – dubbing Toure’s alertness “strong” which heavily “compliments his speed”.

When the January transfer window swings open, it will be interesting to see whether the Midlands club decide to make an early move or, indeed, wait until, the summer in an attempt to jump ahead of Manchester United in the race for a future star.

Craig Overton and Josh Davey sparked a dramatic Somerset resurgence on the third day of the LV= County Championship match with Middlesex at the Cooper Associates County Ground.When the home side could add only 90 to their overnight score of 178 for 4, Steve Finn finishing with 5 for 77, they conceded a first-innings lead of 89 runs. But Overton, with 5 for 34, and Davey, 3 for 28, skittled Middlesex for just 117 in their second innings, leaving a victory target of 207. By the close, the hosts had posted 104 for 4, with skipper Tom Abell unbeaten on 43.Related

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At the start of the day, Somerset were forced to call Jack Brooks into their team as a Covid replacement for Lewis Gregory.Bartlett and Lewis Goldsworthy extended their fifth-wicket stand in Somerset’s first innings to 90 before Tom Helm had Goldsworthy caught behind for 39. Bartlett went to fifty, off 107 balls, with 10 fours, but fell to Helm on 55, nicking a drive to wicketkeeper John Simpson.Steve Davies was caught at backward point off Finn, who struck again when Davey clipped a leg-side delivery to fine leg where Helm took the catch.Overton played sensibly for his unbeaten 38, receiving good support from Jack Leach in a ninth-wicket stand of 39. But Finn forced Leach, on 16, to fend a catch to short leg and Brooks quickly fell to the second new ball, taken by Tim Murtagh.The afternoon session began with Middlesex 11 without loss. Sam Robson and Max Holden took the score to 44 before a brilliant Tom Banton catch at backward point in Davey’s first over saw Robson depart for 18. Nick Gubbins was dropped by James Hildreth at first slip in the same over. But soon it was 48 for 2 as Holden edged Overton through to Steve Davies.The Somerset wicketkeeper held another catch when Peter Handscombe feathered an Abell outswinger and notched his 600th first class victim when Gubbins chased a wide ball from Davey.The probing Davey then had Simpson taken at third slip by Abell before Martin Andersson was caught and bowled off a leading edge by Overton. When Robbie White was pinned lbw on the back foot by Overton, the visitors had lost seven wickets for 38 runs. At tea, they were 85 for 7 and led by 174.Overton struck twice more in the final session for well-deserved match figures of 8 for 94 and Somerset looked favourites.An absorbing match took another twist when Murtagh bowled Banton with the first ball of Somerset’s second innings and then trapped Tom Lammonby lbw for 9. But Abell and Hildreth prospered in the early evening sunshine, Hildreth looking in prime form until falling to Andersson for 43 after a stand of 78, before nightwatchman Leach departed to the final ball of the day.

The summer transfer window officially slams shut for business on Friday and Celtic do not have much time left to complete their incoming and outgoing business.

Brendan Rodgers is yet to make an outfield signing of a player who was not a part of his squad from the 2023/24 campaign, as Adam Idah and Paulo Bernardo have joined on permanent deals after their loan spells in Glasgow.

He has also brought in two goalkeepers – Viljami Sinisalo and Kasper Schmeichel – to replace Joe Hart, who retired at the end of last season after three years at Parkhead.

To date, though, there have not been any outfield players to improve the squad that ended last term as the Scottish Premiership and SFA Cup champions.

There could be movement in the final days of the summer transfer window, however, as one of Rodgers' stars looks set for a move away from the club.

Attacking midfielder Matt O'Riley is the subject of interest from Premier League side Brighton & Hove Albion, who are reportedly set to sign him for a deal worth up to £30m.

His exit from the Scottish side would be a big blow for the club after his terrific performances at the top end of the pitch throughout the 2023/24 campaign.

Why losing Matt O'Riley would be a huge blow

The Denmark international has been a consistent performer for the Premiership champions and has proven himself to be an influential figure on the pitch since his move from England in 2022.

Ange Postecoglou swooped to sign the young whiz from League One side MK Dons in January 2022 for a reported fee of £1.5m, which means that Celtic would make a gigantic profit on him if they cash in for more than £25m.

He produced four goals and three assists in 16 matches during the second half of that season, before going on to register three goals and 12 assists in 38 league games during his first full campaign in Scotland.

The left-footed magician then exploded under Rodgers last season by showcasing his quality as both a scorer and a creator of goals on a regular basis for the Hoops.

O'Riley registered 18 goals and 13 assists in 37 appearances from a central midfield position in the Premiership for Celtic as they won the division.

23/24 Premiership

Matt O'Riley

Squad rank

Sofascore rating

7.91

1st

Goals

18

1st

Assists

13

1st

Big chances created

14

1st

Key passes per game

2.5

1st

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the 23-year-old talent was the club's most influential figure at the top end of the pitch when it came to scoring and creating goals in the top-flight.

No player provided as many goals, assists, big chances created, or key passes as O'Riley did in the Premiership for Celtic, which illustrates how important he was to the team.

Whilst the Bhoys may look to replace him with an immediate first-team addition, like LAFC's Mateusz Bogusz, Rodgers could also land a future star who could be developed into the next O'Riley at Parkhead.

Celtic's interest in teenage sensation

Earlier this month, Swedish outlet Fotboll Direkt claimed that Celtic are one of a number of teams interested in signing Hammarby youngster Bazoumana Toure.

The report stated that the Hoops have sent scouts to watch the 18-year-old talent in action over the summer as they consider a move for the gem.

It was also revealed that Crystal Palace, Eintracht Frankfurt, and Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen are also keeping tabs on the Ivorian ace, which suggests that there could be strong competition for his signature from major leagues in Europe.

Earlier this summer, it was reported that it would take an offer of more than £7.3m to tempt Hammarby into cashing in on their starlet before the end of the window.

It now remains to be seen whether or not Celtic, Palace, Frankfurt, or Leverkusen are willing to offer £7m+ to land the Ivory Coast international to bolster their respective squads over the coming days before Friday's deadline.

Selling O'Riley to Brighton for £30m could free up some funds for the Hoops to play with and Toure could come in as a future star for the Scottish giants.

Why Celtic should sign Bazoumana Toure

The 18-year-old is an up-and-coming talent who could be developed into a top-quality player for Celtic in the years to come, which means that they could invest in him at £7m+ in the hope that he is worth £30m or more in the future.

He would not be a like-for-like replacement for O'Riley but the teenage whiz is another left-footed attacking midfielder who has the potential to contribute with goals and assists.

Whilst the Danish ace typically operates in a central midfield role, with a license to get forward into attacking positions in a dominant Celtic side, Toure is a left-sided player who has also been deployed as one of two number tens in behind a centre-forward with Hammarby.

The Ivorian sensation, whose form was hailed as "phenomenal" by video scout Elijah Michiels, has enjoyed a strong start to his first-team career in the 2024 Allsvenskan season so far.

2024 Allsvenskan

Bazoumana Toure

Appearances

13

Sofascore rating

7.45

Goals

5

Key passes per game

1.1

Big chances created

3

Assists

2

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Toure has provided quality as both a scorer and a creator of goals from an attacking midfield position, whether that has been wide left in a three or centrally in a two behind a striker.

At the age of 18, he has plenty of time left ahead of him to develop and progress further and there would not be any immediate pressure for him to perform at Parkhead, given that he has yet to prove himself outside of Sweden.

Rodgers could bring him in as a long-term project and look to help him improve on the training pitch over the months and years to come, to develop him into O'Riley 2.0 as another left-footed midfielder who can score and create goals on a consistent basis.

Related Celtic in talks to sign £8.5m magician who's a Kyogo and O'Riley hybrid

The Hoops are reportedly pursuing a deal to sign the versatile attacker this month.

Posts ByDan Emery Aug 22, 2024

Lee Carsley is set to turn down club offers as he targets the England manager's job after Thomas Tuchel's 2026 World Cup campaign.

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Carsley has eye on England job after World CupWon five of six games as interim coachHanded debuts to eight playersFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Carsley's role as interim coach of the England first team squad has now ended, and he has returned to his role as Under-21s coach. However, it may not be the last we hear of the former Everton man in relation to the senior international set-up.

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Carsley largely impressed in his time in charge, although not enough to make the job his own permanently. It has instead gone to former Chelsea and Bayern Munich boss Tuchel, who has been given the reigns for the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico.

With an experienced manager now at the helm, England will be confident of making a deep run at the tournament, but should they fall short, then the head coach job could open up once again, something that Carsley will look to take full advantage of. While he has made no direct statement indicating this, reports that friends of Carsley say he is happy in the international environment, and he will be well placed should the job open up after the World Cup.

WHAT CARSLEY SAID

Speaking about his time in the England job, Carsley recently said: "I’m on the road a lot, so service stations is where I seem to get the most advice. Some of it is good, some of it is not so good. I seem to meet a lot of West Ham fans, very Jarrod (Bowen)-heavy.

"It’s mainly team selection… I was in a queue in a Starbucks and a fella was talking about the false nine and the tactics, after the Greece game. I just wanted a soy latte! I am not sure I will give Thomas a lot of advice. He is in a better position than I am in terms of the experience he has had and the staff he has. It will probably be more about the players, the personalities and the stuff you won’t see on the TV."

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR CARSLEY AND ENGLAND?

With Carsley back with the U21s, the England team await the arrival of Tuchel in 2025 ahead of their World Cup qualifying campaign.

Chelsea have been dealt a staggering blow as Sonia Bompastor has confirmed that Kadeisha Buchanan has sustained an anterior cruciate ligament tear.

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• Buchanan sustaines ACL injury
• Sixth Chelsea player to sustain issue
• Bompastor confirms blow

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Bompastor confirmed after Chelsea's superb win over Manchester City that Bompastor sustained an ACL injury during the Blues' victory over Liverpool earlier this month. The news is devastating for the WSL title contenders, with the centre-back almost certain to miss the remainder of the season.

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  Remarkably, Buchanan is the sixth Chelsea player to be sidelined with an ACL injury, joining Jorja Fox, Sophie Ingle, Sam Kerr, Mia Fishel and Aniek Nouwen on the treatment table for the same issue. Niamh Charles and Lauren James have also missed lengthy periods, with Bompastor having to battle with availability issues throughout her spell in west London.

• WHAT BOMPASTOR SAID

  Bompastor said after Chelsea's win over City: “I didn’t want to talk about it before, because we just found out the last results this morning but Kadeisha tore her ACL in the Liverpool game.

  “I’m really sad and I didn’t want to talk about the situation before the game because I wanted my players to stay focused on the Man City game. But everybody in the club is devastated about the news.

  “She was performing very well. She was an important player for us but now this is the situation so we just now are going to support her as much as we can, players, staff, club and yeah she’s strong, she’s okay. She will have surgery and then we have to move on.”

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Chelsea are next in action against Celtic in the Champions League on Wednesday before another titanic WSL fixture, this time against Manchester United. Bompastor's side are currently unbeaten at the top of the WSL, with seven wins from seven.

Kyle Abbott has no immediate plans to push for an international return for South Africa and aims to use his stint in the country’s domestic game to retrieve the competitive edge he lost from almost a year out of action.Abbott, who played 11 Tests for South Africa before signing a Kolpak deal with Hamsphire, has made himself available for the Centurion-based Titans franchise for the rest of the season. He will play in the One-Day Cup, which starts on Saturday, January 9, and could also feature in up to three rounds of first-class cricket and the T20 Challenge. Then, he will head back to Southampton for the first of two years as an overseas player, a status he has transitioned to after the end of the United Kingdom’s transition period with the European Union put an end to Kolpak registrations.Though Abbott is eligible to play for South Africa, and he did not rule out the possibility of a return, he indicated that he first wants to find his form. “At the moment, [international cricket] is not in my immediate view. I had a very tough 2020 not playing cricket. I need to get back into the space where I was 18 or 15 months ago,” Abbott said, from the biosecure environment in Potchefstroom where the One-Day Cup will be played.”My objective is to get back playing professionally and get back to the level that I was, which is proving to be quite difficult at the moment. The body has had rest but it’s been quite difficult getting back to that competitive edge.”Related

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• Life as a Kolpak

In 2020, Abbott played only two matches – in the Lanka Premier League – in which he bowled just five overs after travel restrictions made it impossible for him to return to Hampshire for the county season. With both South Africa and England in lockdown because of the Covid-19 pandemic, Abbott – who returns home to Durban in the UK winter – could not organise a visa and accommodate for a quarantine period in England. As a result, he came to an agreement with Hampshire to sit out the season.That meant Abbott had a break from the time he finished at the Paarl Rocks in South Africa’s Mzansi Super League in December 2019 until the LPL in November 2020 and the lay-off affected both his training regime and his motivation. “For the first couple of months, I was quite happy,” he said. “I was enjoying the time off and not feeling guilty that I wasn’t playing anywhere or training or bowling. That was quite nice but then as soon as it got close to when they started to kick off in the UK, I started to itch a little bit and miss it a little bit.”I found myself at stages unmotivated where I would sit for days and think, ‘why must I gym? Why must I run? I can’t see an end.’ I think a lot of us went through that.”But, now that cricket has restarted in South Africa, Abbott decided to use the same system through which he worked his way into professional cricket to work his way back albeit via a different route. Instead of returning to his home team, the Dolphins, he opted for the unfamiliar territory of the Titans. “I needed an environment that would get me back into cricket and purely focusing on cricket. Having played against them in the past, I have admired the way they’ve gone about their work. It’s a hard environment and I felt I needed that to get myself back playing.”Kyle Abbott will return to Hampshire as an overseas player this year•Cricket South Africa

The Titans are home to a host of South African internationals, including Dean Elgar, Aiden Markram, Faf du Plessis, Lungi Ngidi and Tabraiz Shamsi, but most of them will be unavailable during Abbott’s stay due to international duty. For Abbott, that presents an opportunity to work with some of the younger players in the South African system and to give back to the place he still calls home. “I feel like I still owe a lot to South African cricket,” he said. “I am pretty happy and excited to impart some knowledge back to the system and see South African cricket stay strong.”Abbott’s generosity to the South African system stands in stark contrast to the feelings that surrounded him when he left, having just established himself as the third seamer in the Test attack.His Kolpak deal was first revealed by ESPNcricinfo, before he had told his team-mates, in the middle of a series against Sri Lanka. His departure dwindled South Africa’s resources as he joined a long list of players including Rilee Rossouw, Simon Harmer and Duanne Olivier, who moved to county cricket to benefit from the security of the pound and an escape from the politics of the South African game.But Abbott said going Kolpak was not as simple as chasing money and escaping drama. “People don’t realise that it was never an easy decision for any of us at the time. Life over there is not as easy as people may think – from being away from home for six months to catching a lot of flak from people in the crowd,” he said.”As much as South Africans want to see Kolpaks go, a lot of the English supporters don’t want to see us there. We almost felt we were the outsiders there as we were the outsiders here in South Africa. At the end of the day, it’s our jobs. I understand where people are coming from. It’s an emotional thing. It’s a patriotic thing. But for most of us, myself definitely, it’s purely a career decision that I had to make at the time. I don’t regret anything I ever did.”I’ve grown a hell of a lot as a bowler and a person because I’ve been thrust responsibility and almost the go-to man in most situations and most games. The first-class system in the UK has to be the strongest in the world. The [number] of teams competing every week for something only strengthens cricket. That whole Division One, with the top four or five teams competing for the trophy and bottom for relegation – at any given stage you might only have two or three teams out of it and not playing for much. To have that strength and competitiveness is excellent.”Abbott bends his back in training•Cricket South Africa

For that reason, Abbott is pleased that the South African game will soon be going a similar way. From the 2021-22 season, the domestic structure will consist of 15 teams in two divisions, with automatic promotion and relegation. “It’s been a long time coming for Cricket South Africa to do something like this and put more value on results. In a normal season here, once you get a few rained-out games and then maybe a draw, you are out of it. Now those remaining games are going to be huge because no-one wants to get relegated,” he said.”It’s a terrible feeling. I’ve been on the brink of it, in 2017. It was down to the last hour of the last day of 14 first-class games and it’s a horrible feeling. In South Africa, it’s long overdue considering the amount of facilities we have from Buffalo Park to Potchefstroom, places that can host good first-class cricket.”He maintains he “wants to see South African cricket in a strong position,” and hopes the game can get back on its feet after a difficult 18 months. “South Africa and the Proteas are very close to my heart and I’ve always got an eye on what’s happening here,” he said. “It’s very hard to comment from outside [but] from chatting to guys in the last couple of days and asking how the national teams is going, everyone is incredibly happy. They seem to think it’s in a very healthy position, which is great news.”

****

Dear Sir,I write this letter with a heavy heart & deep sense of embarrassment.I’m old enough to know that one doesn’t talk ill of the dead. And I hope you are also old enough to be in the know of my personal relationship with Late Arun Jaitley was never quite on the same page. Let’s say we weren’t really cricketing buddies when he was the President of DDCA. My reservations about the choice of people he hand picked to run the day to day affairs of DDCA is well known. I remember walking out from a meeting at his residence whence he was unable to throw out a rowdy element using terribly foul language. I think I was too head strong..too Old school..& too proud an Indian cricketer to be co-opted into the corrupt darbar of sycophants Arun Jaitley mustered at the Kotla during his stewardship.Related

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• Ramachandra Guha: 'Cleaning up Indian cricket is a lost cause'

It pains me no end to point out the far from flattering facts about DDCA’s unsavoury past, but trust me it has a context. I was not raised to carry on the fight to the next generation. But I was also taught that if I firmly believe in taking a stand I must stick with it. But sadly this is how it has unfolded. Keep in mind, these are the ills of nepotism-you get blamed for decisions you weren’t part of and you can’t even give the excuse of absence.As I observe now even in your leadership DDCA’s court culture of fawning obeisance continues. After the Feroze Shah Kotla was named hurriedly & most undeservingly after Late Arun Jaitley my reaction then was maybe somehow good sense might prevail to keep Kotla sacrosanct. How wrong I was. Now I gather a statue of Late Arun Jaitley is going to be installed at the Kotla. I’m not at all enamoured with the thought of a statue of Arun Jaitley coming up at Kotla.I pride myself as a man of immense tolerance & patience..but all that I’m afraid is running out. DDCA has truly tested me & forced me to take this drastic action.The Kotla was named after Arun Jaitley following his death in 2019•India Today Group/Getty Images

So, Mr President I request you to remove my name from the stand named after me with immediate effect. Also, I hereby renounce my DDCA membership. I’ve taken this decision with sufficient deliberations. I’m not prone to disregard the honour that was bestowed upon me. My gratitude to Justice Sen & the Committee of M/s Dr ND Puri..Dr Ravi Chaturvedi..Vijay Lokapally..& Neeru Bhatia..all people of social & professional eminence..who extended the warm gesture to Mohinder Amarnath & myself..will never fade. But as we all know with honour comes responsibility. They feted me for the total respect & integrity with which I played the game. And now I’m returning the honour just to assure them all that four decades after my retirement, I still retain those values.A mere google search would have helped to know that Late Arun Jaitley’s tenure at DDCA was riddled with corruption. You being a lawyer should also know the cases of massive misappropriation of funds are still pending in courts.Late Arun Jaitley I’m told was an able politician. So its the Parliament & not a cricket stadium which needs to remember him for posterity. He might have been a good cricket fan too, but his dalliance with cricket administration was dubious & left much to desired. This is not a rhetorical assessment but a factual appraisal of his time at DDCA. Take my word, failures don’t need to be celebrated with plaques & busts. They need to be forgotten.Mr President if ever you get to travel to the cricket stadiums around the world you will find how aesthetically challenged Kotla is and how it lacks the grandeur of a Test Centre. You need to be educated that sports administrators don’t need to be self serving. People who surround you presently will never inform you that it’s WG Grace at Lord’s..Sir Jack Hobbs at the Oval..Sir Donald Bradman at the SCG…Sir Garfield Sobers at Barbados & Shane Warne of recent vintage at the MCG..who adorn their cricket stadia with the Spirit of Cricket never out of place..so when the kids walk into these stadiums these majestic statues/busts enhance & enliven the inspiring stories of these past heroes that their elders tell them. Sporting arenas need sporting role models. The place of the administrators is in their glass cabins.Since DDCA doesn’t understand this Universal cricket culture, I need to walk out of it. I can’t be part of a stadium which has got its priorities so grossly wrong & where administrators get precedence over the cricketers. Please bring down my name from the stand with immediate effect. You needn’t worry about me or my legacy. God Almighty has been very kind to me to keep me alive with my cricketing convictions. I don’t wish my strength of character to be maligned by my silence or association to this unsporting act.Thankfully…bishan bedi.

A £21 million player is reportedly very tempted to join Tottenham this summer, coming after a potentially "concrete" offer behind the scenes.

Postecoglou targets Spurs overhaul over multiple transfer windows

Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou has been forthright in his vision, as he seeks to build a winning team at N17 and orchestrate a rebuild of the current squad.

£25 million attacker who Ange personally wants has agreed to join Tottenham

The Lilywhites could be on the verge of a second summer signing.

1 ByEmilio Galantini Jun 26, 2024

Postecoglou wants a new-centre-back, midfielder and striker at Tottenham this summer, with the Australian already seeing Timo Werner's loan deal extended for another season. Chairman Daniel Levy is ready to back the Lilywhites head coach after a promising debut campaign, as Tottenham came very close to sealing fourth in their first year without club-record goalscorer Harry Kane.

A fair few players could depart N17 as well, coming after they released Ivan Perisic, Eric Dier, Japhet Tanganga, Ryan Sessegnon and Tanguy Ndombele already. Tottenham recently attempted a player-plus-cash bid to sign Jacob Ramsey from Aston Villa, which included out-of-favour midfielder Giovani Lo Celso.

Postecoglou believes it will take three or four windows of transfers before Spurs are a major force, though, and has urged patience in their potential rise to the top.

Son Heung-min

7.30

James Maddison

7.17

Pedro Porro

7.04

Cristian Romero

7.03

Dejan Kulusevski

6.96

"We've got a lot of work to do still on the squad and I don't think we're anywhere near where we want to be," said Postecoglou on Tottenham's current squad.

"It probably will take a little bit more than three windows to get there, for sure. Just in terms of the robustness, adaptability, and compatibility of the squad, I think there's still a fair bit of change we need to do.

"I certainly don't think we're one or two players away from getting to where I want us to be, nowhere near it. Some of that will be natural evolution. Some of it hopefully means we continue to get the improvement we've had this year from some of our players. If that happens over the next 12 months, then we'll be in a great position."

One position you didn't expect them to be planning for is between the sticks, especially after Guglielmo Vicario's fantastic debut campaign as Tottenham's undisputed number one to replace Hugo Lloris.

The Italian was praised for some of his heroic displays, but given Fraser Forster is their only senior back-up, a report from Spain states that Spurs are now targeting Espanyol keeper Joan Garcia.

Garcia tempted to join Tottenham after potentially concrete offer

Spanish newspaper AS claims Tottenham are the team "most tempting" Garcia, who helped Espanyol achieve promotion back to La Liga at the first time of asking.

They add that Spurs could have already sent a concrete proposal to the 23-year-old, though don't exactly clarify whether it has definitely gone in. The Spaniard, who will represent his country in the Olympics soon, is described as a key player in Espanyol's quest back to La Liga – and he's now being chased by clubs all over Europe as a result.

Garcia's deal is also thought to include a £21 million release clause.