Michail Antonio has boldly declared “100 percent I will be back”, with the West Ham forward continuing his recovery from a horror car crash.
Article continues below
Article continues below
Article continues below
| Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱 |
Leeds United may look at their 1-1 draw with Preston North End in the Championship as two points dropped, despite their last-gasp equaliser.
They conceded a sloppy goal to go 1-0 down, as Pascal Struijk was easily beaten down the channel and Illan Meslier appeared to parry the ball into the corner of his own net.
Mateo Joseph helped to force a late own goal through Jack Whatmough but the result has now left the Whites three points behind Sheffield United in the table.
During the match, however, it was revealed that the West Yorkshire side have had an interest in one of the players from the opposition line-up.
Leeds United's interest in Preston star
Sky Sports commentator Gary Weaver was speaking during the first-half about Leeds’ search for a number ten to bolster their squad ahead of the January transfer window, and mentioned their interest in Gus Hamer, Emi Buendia, and James McAtee.
The Whites were linked with all three over the summer, including having a bid of £13m rejected for Sheffield United star Hamer, but a new attacking midfielder has been thrown into the mix.
Weaver claims that Leeds “have had a look at” Preston star Mads Frokjaer-Jensen in the past, with regards to their attempts to land a new playmaker.
There was no further mention of whether or not they remain keen on him or how much North End would want to allow one of their key players to depart from Deepdale next month.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
Daniel Farke should, however, push to secure a deal for the Danish wizard in January because the German head coach could unearth his own version of Pablo Hernandez.
Why Frokjaer-Jensen could be Farke's Hernandez
Firstly, Frokjaer-Jensen is similar to the former Leeds star in the sense that he is a right-footed playmaker who can operate centrally or on the right flank.
Hernandez played 66 times for the Whites on the right flank, drifting inside into central areas to affect the play, and the Preston whiz started on the right wing on Saturday – creating one ‘big chance’ for his team.
Preston have averaged 47.1% possession in the Championship this season, which means that the Dane is in a team that does not create plenty of opportunities for him to thrive at the top end of the pitch. Whereas, Leeds average 62.1% possession and could provide him with more chances to showcase his quality.
Starts
29
13
Goals
3
2
Big chances created
4
3
xA
3.82
1.68
Assists
8
0
As you can see in the table above, the creative potential is there for Frokjaer-Jensen to improve his output in a team that has significantly more of the ball.
The 25-year-old star, who produced eight goals and three assists in 28 league games for Odense in the 2022/23 campaign, could operate as a right-footed playmaker on the right flank, or as a number ten, like Hernandez.
Leeds’ former Spanish magician created 41 goals in 175 matches for the club, which shows that it would take a lot for the Preston man to emulate his success, but his creative quality in a low-possession Preston team suggests that Farke could unearth his own Hernandez by singing him in January.
Farke could drop Solomon in Leeds swoop for "incredible" 15-goal star
Leeds United have been linked with an interest in the impressive young attacker.
ByDan Emery Dec 13, 2024
MatériaMais Notícias
Luís Oyama está de volta ao Botafogo. O volante desembarcou no Rio de Janeiro na tarde desta terça-feira, foi aprovado nos exames médicos realizados no Estádio Nilton Santos e será anunciado oficialmente pelo clube durante a semana. O Alvinegro, vale ressaltar, pagou um preço menor do que o Mirassol pediu pelo volante no começo do ano.
RelacionadasBotafogoAl-Duhail se despede de Luís Castro em jantar antes de chegada do português ao BotafogoBotafogo22/03/2022BotafogoFederação de Futebol do Rio de Janeiro reconhece SAF do BotafogoBotafogo22/03/2022BotafogoPhilipe Sampaio explica rápida estreia no Botafogo: ‘Vim pra jogar independente do tempo’Botafogo22/03/2022
+ Luís Oyama chega ao Rio, já fala como jogador do Botafogo e destaca: ‘Me identifiquei com o clube’
Ainda antes da chegada de John Textor na rotina do clube, o Glorioso havia buscado a permanência de Oyama, um dos destaques da última Série B, no clube. A proposta, contudo, pouco andou: o clube paulista pediu mais de R$ 3 milhões – os números oferecidos pelo Alvinegro alcançaram cerca de 30% dessas cifras.
Sem ter como levantar fundos à época, o Botafogo desistiu de Oyama, que seria aproveitado pelo Mirassol no Paulista. Outros nomes chegaram e o Alvinegro entrou em processo burocrático para a chegada de John Textor, o que impediu a chegada de mais jogadores.
O nome de Oyama voltou à rotina do Botafogo esse mês. O novo departamento de futebol do clube, liderado por André Mazzuco, considerou que o jogador valia o investimento – mas não pelo valor solicitado antes. Então começaram as negociações e as formas que o “novo Botafogo” colocou em prática para conseguir um negócio menor.
O Mirassol foi eliminado da Copa do Brasil e teve o fim do Campeonato Paulista – desta forma, as finanças do clube, que está na Série C, não passariam mais por nenhum ‘impacto’ durante o ano. O contrato de Oyama com o Leão iria até maio de 2023, o que permitiria que ele assinasse um pré-contrato e saísse de graça para outra equipe a partir de novembro.
A nova condição financeira do Botafogo também foi primordial: o Mirassol, que manteve 40% dos direitos econômicos do atleta, prevê mais um retorno financeiro no futuro com uma possível venda. Todos esses motivos resultaram em uma nova proposta e negociação melhor para o Botafogo: cerca de R$ 2 milhões por 60% de Luís Oyama.
Outros clubes do Brasil estavam de olho e fizeram contatos oficiais por Oyama, que optou pelo Botafogo – o Mirassol, pelos motivos já citados, resolveu fazer negócio com o Alvinegro.
Ou seja, o clube pagou menos do que o Mirassol pediu há dois meses pelo jogador – o lado ruim é que ele não poderá jogar a Copa do Brasil por já ter entrado em campo na competição. De qualquer forma, é mais um reforço confirmado para Luís Castro.
Looking towards 2025 and potential reinforcements, Liverpool now reportedly want to use Arne Slot’s Dutch connections to hijack a £50m+ signing who could replace Mohamed Salah.
Liverpool transfer news
Although things are going smoothly on the pitch, there’s still every chance that Liverpool have their season overshadowed by three major exits. As things stand, Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold are all set to depart as free agents at the end of the current campaign in what would be the Reds’ worst nightmares. And whilst reports have been more positive surrounding Van Dijk and Salah’s Anfield futures, it remains a guessing game on the Alexander-Arnold front.
On all three cases, the Reds must prepare for the worst, which has seen the likes of Jeremie Frimpong already linked with a move to Anfield and now a winger who could replace Salah.
According to Caught Offside, Liverpool now want to use Slot’s Dutch connection in a hijack to sign Johan Bakayoko ahead of Newcastle United in 2025. The current Liverpool boss would have had the chance to take a closer look at the young PSV Eindhoven winger just last season, of course, when he was in charge of Feyenoord.
Why RB Leipzig are now worried about Xavi Simons after Liverpool approach
He’s been tipped to have a “really good career at the highest level”.
ByBarney Lane Dec 13, 2024
Now, Slot could revisit the Eredivisie and bring back a potential replacement for Salah. Valued at a reported €60m (£52m), the deal for Bakayoko certainly won’t come cheap, but Liverpool have splashed the cash in the past and could yet do so once more when 2025 arrives – beating Newcastle, Bayern Munich and others to the PSV star’s signature as a result.
"Fantastic" Bakayoko is one to watch
Replacing Salah will be mission impossible for whoever is handed the task and whenever that will be, but Bakayoko is certainly an interesting candidate. Still just 21 years old, the Belgian has already scored six goals and assisted a further three in all competitions for PSV in what follows last season’s stunning total of 14 goals and 14 assists by the end of the campaign.
The potential is certainly there for all to see, including Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig, who described Bakayoko’s run of form last season as “fantastic” and dubbed the Belgian “the best winger in the Netherlands”.
At a reported £52m though, it’s likely that the Reds wait until the summer and on Salah’s contract situation to potentially make their move and use Slot’s Dutch connection to sign Bakayoko.
Liverpool battled several adversities to avoid a defeat in a hard-fought 2-2 draw with Marco Silva’s Fulham at Anfield in the Premier League on Saturday.
The away side took the lead Andreas Pereira in the 11th minute before Andy Robertson was sent off for taking down Harry Wilson as the last man in the 17th. Arne Slot’s side reacted well to those setbacks, though, and equalised through Cody Gakpo just after the break.
Fulham battled their way back in front through Rodrigo Muniz, only for Slot’s super substitute Diogo Jota to come off the bench to score a late equaliser.
Whilst it was a decent point, given the circumstances after Robertson’s red card, there were some underwhelming performers for the Reds, including Luis Diaz.
Luis Diaz's performance against Fulham
The Colombia international was selected to lead the line for Liverpool, ahead of Darwin Nunez and Jota, and failed to offer enough to the team at the top end of the pitch.
He did compete well on the physical side of the match, winning two of his four ground duels and both of his aerial contests, and this meant that the forward was not bullied by the Fulham defenders.
However, Diaz only completed 79% of his attempted passes and made one key pass, without creating a ‘big chance’ for his teammates, and this shows that he struggled to provide much in the way of creativity.
The 27-year-old attacker was also wasteful in front of goal. He missed one ‘big chance’ and failed to convert his 0.64 xG (over two shots) to find the back of the net.
Slot must drop him for the substitute goalscorer Jota on Wednesday night in the League Cup against Southampton, and another player who should instantly be binned from the starting XI is central midfielder Curtis Jones.
Curtis Jones' performance against Fulham
The Liverpool academy graduate got the nod alongside Ryan Gravenberch and Dominic Szoboszlai in the middle of the park, and struggled in and out of possession.
Jones was not strong enough to compete against the Fulham players as he lost 75% (3/4) of his duels throughout his time on the pitch, which shows that it was too easy for opposition players to get the better of him.
It was not only his play out of possession that left a lot to be desired, though, as the England international also failed to create a single chance for his teammates.
Touches
50
80
51
Key passes
0
0
3
Duels won
1
7
5
Tackles + interceptions
0
4
2
Dribbled past
2x
0x
1x
As you can see in the table above, his partners in midfield both significantly outperformed him from a defensive perspective, whilst Szoboszlai was the main creative threat in there for Slot.
With this performance, and with it being a midweek cup game, in mind, the Dutch head coach must consider instantly dropping the Liverpool lightweight down to the bench for the clash with the Saints on Wednesday, due to his struggles on and off the ball.
Why RB Leipzig are now worried about Xavi Simons after Liverpool approach
He’s been tipped to have a “really good career at the highest level”.
ByBarney Lane Dec 13, 2024
The left-arm spinner had been battling a brain tumour
Mohammad Isam19-Apr-2022Mosharraf Hossain, the former Bangladesh left-arm spinner, has died aged 40 in Dhaka. He was suffering from brain cancer, which was diagnosed in March 2019. He had recovered after undergoing treatment, but the tumour relapsed in November 2020.Nicknamed Rubel, Mosharraf had been in hospital over the last couple of weeks, but went home after another bout of chemotherapy recently.Related
Bangladesh cricketer Mosharraf Hossain diagnosed with brain tumour
Mosharraf was one of seven cricketers to score 3000 runs and take 300 wickets in first-class cricket in Bangladesh. Among the highlights of his career was winning the Player-of-the-Match award in the 2013 Bangladesh Premier League final. He was the first of three Bangladeshi cricketers to win the award in a BPL final, the others being Tamim Iqbal (2019) and Alok Kapali (2015).Mosharraf is also the Bangladesh cricketer with the longest gap between international appearances. After playing his debut series in 2008, his next call-up came in 2016 when he was picked for an ODI series against Afghanistan. He also played an ODI against England, which turned out to be his final international match. Although short, the comeback was testament to Mosharraf’s consistent domestic form, rare for Bangladesh cricketers.Mosharraf made his first-class debut in 2001-02 season, while he was a Dhaka University student. He grew to be a domestic giant, and a regular among the top five wicket-takers in competitions like the National Cricket League and Dhaka Premier League.He is survived by his wife and one child.
Gloucestershire bowlers chip away but left facing sizeable first-innings deficit
David Hopps15-Apr-2022
Harry Brook compiled an excellent innings•Getty Images
News of Joe Root’s resignation as Test captain had caused regret to descend momentarily upon Yorkshire’s band of travelling supporters as they gathered in little clutches around the Bristol ground before start of play, but by the time that stumps were drawn they were able to applaud their latest champion. Root should have many thousands of Test runs in his locker before retirement and the odds are that when all is said and done Harry Brook will be alongside him as an established, battle-hardened member of England’s middle order.Brook averaged 38 in the Championship last season, making more of an impact in the shorter formats, but he remains ambitious to be an all-format cricketer and his hundred against Gloucestershire at the first time of asking, on a magical spring day, indicated that he is a player of growing resilience. “I regard Test cricket as the pinnacle,” he said.Such an assertion will delight many, but maintaining a commitment to all formats is challenging, especially when – as was the case with Brook last winter – it involves T20 stints in both Pakistan and Australia. He was strikingly self-critical when he offered up the thought that he had not taken full advantage of his England Lions opportunity in the winter, consumed by too many thoughts about the impending Big Bash. “Training and things,” he said, and left it there. Perhaps this innings began to put things right.If Root’s resignation had not been viewed as a done deal, Brook suggested that in the Yorkshire dressing room there had been little surprise. “We sort of expected it,” he said. They will now hope that Root’s return to Championship cricket might happen sooner than later as he concentrates on getting his batting in order and, if it does, then Brook will benefit from batting alongside him.Brook’s certainty ultimately dominated the second day, just as the compact figure of Gloucestershire’s opening batter, Marcus Harris, had dominated the first. He saved all his uncertain moments for when he was 99, his touch suddenly deserting him – what’s more against the bower who had met him with the most authority of all. “I was timing it well until I got to 99 – and then I didn’t time one for five overs,” he reflected.A single over from Ben Charlesworth saw Brook dropped low down at second slip by Tom Lace, an excellent delivery this; be dumbfounded by a thigh-high full toss; and then hop around after he was struck on the boot by a yorker. A back-foot steer through point secured his hundred, his second of the year, following a first T20 century for Lahore Qalanders in the Pakistan Super League. He fell in the next over, 101 from 164 balls, dead-batting a delivery from Josh Shaw on to his stumps.Watching Brook was a serious business for many Yorkshire onlookers on the day of Root’s resignation. Broken by the inadequacies of others will be the view from the White Rose. “Morning chaps, how are you doing?” had been the cheery greeting from an unsuspecting Gloucestershire supporter in a Panama hat (not at all Northern apparel) as he collected a couple of foldaway chairs, and organised his partner and dog into approved position. Three pairs of eyes glanced up momentarily and remained determinedly silent. Coming late and chatting like that in the middle of an over, what’s the world coming to? The Man Who Talked Too Much got the message and walked off in search of a coffee.Brook remains a bit of a fidget. There is always a pitch to tap, a glove to fiddle with, a shot to hone. On one occasion, he held up Zafar Gohar in his run-up to clear away an imagined speck of grass. When a stump was broken by a fielder’s throw, he hyperactively helped knock it back in. If you happen to miss a shot, the likelihood is that he will relive it for you seconds later, or at last relive a perfect version of it. But when the ball is bowled, that nervous energy increasingly comes together into certainty of thought and stroke.His blemish on 99 apart, he offered Gloucestershire little hope, although he might have run himself out on 18 when he lackadaisically assumed he could collect a routine single square on the off-side only to find Harry Duke, at the non-striker’s end, wracked with youthful uncertainty. Either might have been run out, neither was.Yorkshire had chipped 37 off Gloucestershire’s 227 on the first evening, but at 135 for 4 the match was in the balance. Adam Lyth and Dawid Malan both promised to go big, but Lyth edged a tempting wide half-volley from Charlesworth to first slip and Malan played on against Ajeet Dale, who tucked him up from slightly back-of-a-length and forced a faint inside edge. The suspicion was that Malan has been vulnerable to this dismissal before, the portcullis not quite falling in time, but it would not be altogether surprising if data analysts were able to pore through hours of footage to prove otherwise.From 135 for 4, with Brook’s innings yet to take shape, the match was in the balance, but Brook found good support from Duke and Dom Bess in stands of 91 and 71; if that continues, a wicketkeeper at No. 6 and a spin-bowling allrounder at No. 7 promises excellent balance. Duke found momentum with three boundaries in an over against Shaw, fortunate perhaps that Charlesworth flinched at backward point as he failed to pick up the flight of the ball.As Brook assumed control, Gohar’s left-arm spin played an important holding role. He made an impact last season with 11 wickets against Durham and was the first signing made under the new head coach, Dale Benkenstein. Brook, having his first sight of him, played him circumspectly, and failed to take a boundary off him. There was a wicket, too, Duke, caught at the wicket trying to dab.Many in the south-west feel that Gloucestershire can finish above Somerset this season, although the way their West Country rivals have started, that assumption may not mean too much. Behind the game here, there is nevertheless a solidity about them that augers well and Gohar can make a vital contribution to that.
Since Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital bought Chelsea, they have spent an eye-watering amount of money, investing in every area of the pitch, as well as stocking up some of the best young talents in the world.
One area Chelsea have heavily invested in since the arrival of their new owners, is central midfield, signing Moises Caicedo, Enzo Fernández, Roméo Lavia, Andrey Santos, Lesley Ugochukwu, Carney Chukwuemeka, Cesare Casadei and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall.
And it is their most expensive of the lot that has impressed the most, with Caicedo going from strength to strength and showing his true quality in all phases of the game.
Since joining the club, Caicedo has made 62 appearances, scoring two goals and providing six assists, whilst playing across 5,067 minutes.
The 23-year-old has won the most tackles and interceptions combined in the Premier League this season, hoovering up balls in the middle of the park, winning his duels and keeping things ticking for the Blues.
Enzo Maresca has even stated the importance of Caicedo to his side, calling him “fantastic” since become manager. We have also begun to see slightly more from Caicedo in the playmaking department, spraying passes from deep, and chipping in with some assists this season already.
That attacking nature could be further unleashed as the defensive line behind him improves, giving him slightly more freedom to express himself, and Chelsea may well look to improve that in the near future.
According to reports from talkSPORT, Chelsea are considering a move for Crystal Palace defender, Marc Guehi. The 24-year-old would reportedly cost in the region of £70m, as Newcastle refused to pay that fee for him in the summer transfer window.
Guehi came through the Chelsea academy, making 102 appearances for the U18, U19 and U21 sides, scoring nine goals and providing seven assists. But it was on loan with Swansea in the 2020/21 season that Guehi truly established himself, making 45 appearances and, contributing to 18 clean sheets.
It was his time at Swansea that saw him labelled as a “giant” by scout Jacek Kulig, despite being just 5 foot 11, which is small for a defender.
But his presence on the pitch, ability to read the game at such a young age, and make timely challenges in defence, made him a target for clubs to swipe away from Chelsea, and it was Palace who secured him for a fee of around £20m.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
Fast-forward to now, Guehi often captains the Eagles. The England international has made 126 appearances for Palace now, scoring seven goals and providing two assists, establishing himself as one of the league’s top defenders. He has also been a “monster” for England in the eyes of Palace reporter Bobbi Manzi on the way to earning 22 caps for his country.
A pairing of Guehi and Levi Colwill would provide Chelsea with an excellent base of progressive passing, both players having the ability to play disguised passes between the lines, an important factor of Maresca’s system at Chelsea, and a big reason the latter has thrived this campaign thus far.
|
Guehi vs Colwill comparison |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Stats (per 90 mins) |
Guehi |
Colwill |
|
Progressive Carries |
0.42 |
0.25 |
|
Progressive Passes |
4.17 |
3.92 |
|
Passes Attempted |
52.8 |
72.1 |
|
Pass Completion % |
85.2% |
89.2% |
|
Passes into Final Third |
3.75 |
3.83 |
|
Tackles |
1.33 |
0.83 |
|
Blocks |
1.92 |
1.25 |
|
Interceptions |
0.84 |
1.26 |
|
Aerial Duels Won |
2.75 |
1.50 |
|
Stats taken from FBref |
||
Despite being a smaller central defender, Guehi also wins 2.75 aerial duels, a metric that Chelsea haven’t dominated in recent years, and adding some extra aerial ability would go a long way to improving the squad at both ends of the pitch.
Not only would it solidify Maresca’s backline but it would go a long way to helping the midfielders, like Caicedo, gain some extra security when progressing play.
Chelsea want to sign £115m star who could make Palmer even more unplayable
Chelsea could sign an “unbelievable” striker to make Palmer even more unplayable
By
Connor Holden
Nov 27, 2024
Everything you need to know about explosive forward Rodrygo's wages playing for Real Madrid
Rodrygo is one of the three Brazilian gems in Real Madrid's attack and he has a habit of scoring crucial goals for Los Blancos, especially in the Champions League, making him a decisive player for the club.
Rodrygo arrived in the Spanish capital back in 2019 after playing for Brazilian side Santos for two seasons.
The Brazil international earns a substantial salary at Real Madrid, but exactly how much does he earn?
GOAL delved into the numbers with Capology and found out!
*
Rodrygo’s wages at Real Madrid in numbers
Having played for Real Madrid for a while now, Rodrygo makes about £202,717 ($261,975) on a weekly basis.
Meanwhile, his annual salary scale a little over £10 million ($13m).
Player
Nationality
Weekly wages in GBP
Weekly wages in USD
Annual wages in GBP
Annual wages in USD
Rodrygo
Brazilian
£202,717
$261,975
£10,541,294
$13,322,722
AdvertisementGetty Images SportTop earners at Real Madrid
Despite his substantial earnings at the club, Rodrygo fails to make the top five when it comes to the highest-paid players at Real Madrid.
The number one spot currently belongs to former PSG superstar Kylian Mbappé, followed by Austrian defender David Alaba.
Taking the third and fourth spots are Vinicius Jr. and Jude Bellingham, who earn identical wages, while Uruguayan midfielder Fede Valverde rounds off the list at number five.
Player
Nationality
Weekly wages in GBP
Weekly wages in USD
Annual wages in GBP
Annual wages in USD
Kylian Mbappe
French
£498,248
$629,355
£25,908,917
$32,726,459
David Alaba
Austrian
£356,659
455,608
£18,546,242
$ 23,691,627
Jude Bellingham
English
£330,187
$ 421,792
£17,169,698
$ 21,933,182
Vinicius Jr.
Brazilian
£330,187
$ 421,792
£17,169,698
$ 21,933,182
Fede Valverde
Uruguayan
£264,244
$337,555
£ 13,740,704
$17,552,863
Top earners in La Liga
When it comes to the top five earners in the league, Barcelona's veteran striker Robert Lewandowski tops the list.
Meanwhile, three Real Madrid players in Mbappé, Alaba, and Bellingham also make the top five.
The only Atlético Madrid player to make the cut is Slovenian goalkeeper Jan Oblak.
Player
Nationality
Weekly wages GBP
Weekly wages USD
Annual wages GBP
Annual wages USD
Robert Lewandowski
Polish
£528,330
$ 674,908
£27,473,166
$35,095,197
Kylian Mbappe
French
£498,248
$629,355
£25,908,917
$32,726,459
David Alaba
Austrian
£356,659
£455,608
£18,546,242
$23,691,627
Jan Oblak
Slovenian
£330,187
$421,792
£17,169,698
$21,933,182
Jude Bellingham
English
£330,187
$421,792
£17,169,698
$21,933,182
Getty ImagesHighest paid players in the world
Although it may seem like players in La Liga earn incredible wages, their salaries don't even come close when compared to the top earners worldwide.
Currently, all the players in the top five highest earners globally play in the Saudi Pro League.
Ranking first and second on the list are former Real Madrid attackers Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema, respectively, while Riyad Mahrez takes the third spot. Finally, rounding off the top five are Senegalese internationals Sadio Mané and Kalidou Koulibaly
Player
Club
Weekly wages GBP
Weekly wages USD
Annual wages GBP
Annual wages USD
Cristiano Ronaldo
Al Nassr
£3,224,935
$4,166,513
£167,696,622
$215,658,680
Karim Benzema
Al Ittihad
£1,612,468
$2,083,257
£83,848,311
$108,329,340
Riyad Mahrez
Al Ahli
£841,708
$1,087,460
£43,768,818
$56,547,915
Sadio Mane
Al Nassr
£644,987
$833,033
£33,539,324
$43,331,736
Kalidou Koulibaly
Al Hilal
£559,526
$722,890
£29,095,364
$37,590,281
Former Australia batter Chris Lynn, who was with Mumbai Indians for two seasons, says he has begun noticing signs of “factions” within the Mumbai camp. Lynn, who played just one match during his stint, which spanned the 2020 and 2021 IPL seasons, said Mumbai were looking like “11 individuals” rather than a “team of 11”.Lynn, an expert analyst on ESPNcricinfo for IPL 2022, made these comments on Thursday, after the Rohit Sharma-led Mumbai became the first team in IPL history to lose their first seven matches in an IPL season.Related
Winless Mumbai could turn to bench as they take on top-four aspirants Super Giants
Dhoni the finisher rescues Chennai Super Kings in last-ball thriller
Pretorius provides crucial prelude to Dhoni vs Unadkat
“When you are down at the bottom of the table, guys like your captain, but also Kieron Pollard – he will be normally running in from deep mid-on or mid-off, helping out, calming him down,” Lynn said on ESPNcricinfo’s T20 Time:Out show. “We haven’t seen that with Mumbai yet because they are starting to sort of break off into little groups and they just want to get off the field. And it’s not a great sign. And I think the change room right now wouldn’t be a great place to be in.”Despite not playing a single match, Lynn was part of the Mumbai squad that won the IPL in 2020. The environment then, Lynn said, was a complete contrast to what it appears to be now. “Flip side of that, when they won the tournament two years ago, there were conversations happening all the time – how can we get better, how can we get out of the over. All those little organic conversations were happening without coaching staff telling them to do that because blokes were up and about wanting to win. So we are not seeing that, we are seeing the complete opposite: it seems like instead of a team of 11, there’s 11 individuals out there.”Mumbai lost Thursday night’s match in a last-ball finish, with fellow strugglers Chennai Super Kings picking up their second win of the season.”Winning is a habit and losing is a habit,” Lynn said. “And we are seeing that with Chennai at the other end, they are playing some decent cricket. Mumbai on the other hand – they have got issues with the bat, with the ball, and in the field and mentally. It just seems like there are factions everywhere in the set-up. So hopefully they can sort that out soon because when Mumbai is playing good cricket it is good for IPL, it’s good for world cricket, and they are a very, very impressive side when they are doing well.”Mumbai Indians are the first team to lose their first seven matches of an IPL season•BCCI
Mumbai have remained at the bottom of the table through this IPL season, and with every defeat Rohit has struggled to explain why he and his players have failed not just in their primary skillsets but also in clinching crunch moments. Despite the failure of Jaydev Unadkat to defend 16 runs in the final over, Rohit praised his bowlers for keeping Mumbai in the game until the last ball. Both Rohit and Mumbai head coach Mahela Jayawardene blamed the top-order failure for the defeat.”You need to have the instinct to finish a game off,” Jayawardene said in his post-match press conference. “We were making mistakes even today. We knew the wicket was going to be tough for the first six overs. We just had to get through that period and set up a par score. I thought the bowlers bowled brilliantly, executed the plans. The experience of MS [Dhoni] at the end to close the game for them. These are the small margins we need to get over. Last few games as well we had our opportunities. We just need to keep fighting, that’s the message. Boys understand that, they have been working hard but they need to try to execute it out in the middle.”Tendulkar: ‘This format can be cruel’Former Mumbai captain Sachin Tendulkar, who is now part of the dugout as mentor, said the expectations borne by Mumbai, who have won five IPL titles, would always put pressure on Rohit’s team. Tendulkar agreed with Jayawardene that Mumbai needed to grab the “crunch” moments.”Let’s first understand that in this format there isn’t a team who has not experienced what Mumbai Indians have experienced this season,” Tendulkar told Matthew Hayden during an in-match chat with . “This format can be cruel. And those crucial moments in a match which don’t go in your favour then literally the margin is like… you lose a game by two or three runs or sometimes even the last ball.”And those smaller margins, we need to go out and conquer those moments, those crunch moments in the match are what we have to win. And they haven’t gone our way.”I would like to clarify one more point: in spite of having had a challenging season the boys have gone out and worked as hard as possibly they could during their practice sessions. This is a new team, a young team. It may take a little more time to settle down, but these phases are such where you have to ride through these phases, stick together as a team and find the solution.”