Manchester United brushed Leicester City aside 3-0 to make it seven games unbeaten under Ruben Amorim in all competitions.

Fans know of too many false dawns to get overly excited, but there are signs of a team coming together, unity and belief being knitted back into the fabric ahead of a big summer transfer window that will see some of the deadwood shipped on and new faces welcomed.

But there was something foundational about the Red Devils’ victory at relegation-threatened Leicester. Amorim will want to use this purple patch as a springboard to something tangible, lasting.

Still 13th in the Premier League standings, hopes of success lying almost exclusively in the Europa League, but the momentum is mounting at the perfect time, for sure.

Man United's performance vs Leicester

Before half an hour was on the block, Rasmus Hojlund calmly finished past Mads Hermanssen to end his 21-game goal drought and perhaps now turn a corner.

Similarly, Alejandro Garnacho ended his woes in front of goal, instinctively pouncing on some dismal defending to snap his 24-match barren run.

Ayden Heaven’s inspiring start to life as a professional suffered a cruel blow when he was stretchered off after the break with a potentially serious injury, but this should not detract from genuine signs of progress.

There was, of course, one man about all the others at the King Power; you know who.

It might seem a little rogue, but this player’s recent efforts are beginning to see him take the mould of a former Man United great named Paul Scholes.

Amorim's own version of Paul Scholes

Bruno Fernandes was in inspired showing against Ruud van Nistelrooy’s Leicester. Assisting both Hojlund and Garnacho’s goals before scoring his 16th of the campaign in the dying embers.

A fitting reward for the “main man,” as he was lauded by commentator Seb Hutchinson upon dispatching his strike.

Like former Man United skipper Scholes, he is an unflappable presence, a leader and an attacking example. Follow his lead and you’ll do alright.

The Manchester Evening News’s Samuel Luckhurst was certainly impressed, handing the skipper an 8/10 match rating and writing: ‘The most assured on the ball in the first half and quietly effective as the forwards claimed the headlines.’

Quietly effective, eh? Fernandes’ deeper-lying role is paying dividends and indeed throwing shades of Scholes back into the Red Devils team.

Attacking midfield

25

8

9

Central midfield

12

5

2

Defensive midfield

4

3

3

Centre-forward

3

0

1

Having recently slotted into a deeper-lying role, Fernandes’ ball-playing influence is being promoted to a different, maybe more controlled, realm, all the while retaining his potency in the contribution department.

The Portugal international’s efforts in Leicester actually mean he joins Scholes in an illustrious list of United stars to register more than 50 goals and 50 assists in the Premier League,

On top of that, Sofascore record that Fernandes made six tackles, won seven duels, completed 86% of his passes and recovered possession a whopping 17 times; truly, he’s the complete player, much like Scholes before him.

The data suggests he can perform this new job to a lasting effect. As per FBref, Fernandes ranks among the top 1% of positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for passes attempted and progressive passes, and the top 7% for shot-creating actions per 90.

Sometimes, you find yourself wistfully thinking of how Fernandes would fare in one of the great United sides of old.

Based on the present evidence and indeed the Magnifico’s performances over the past several years, it’s hard to argue that he’d look out of place alongside the likes of Scholes.

Amad 2.0: Amorim can ease Dorgu blow by handing Man Utd star a new role

Manchester United face Leicester City this afternoon, looking to build on their Europa League triumph.

ByEthan Lamb Mar 16, 2025

Shadab Khan provides impetus with bat before Tymal Mills closes out last-over victory

ECB Reporters Network08-Jun-2023

Sussex 181 for 8 (Shadab 59, Hollman 2-30) beat Middlesex 177 for 5 (Eskinazi 94*, McAndrew 2-34) by four runsStephen Eskinazi’s 94 proved in vain as Middlesex went down by four runs to Sussex at Lord’s to set an unwanted record of eight successive defeats.Seaxes skipper Eskinazi batted throughout the chase for 182 but needing to hit the last ball from Tymal Mills for six he swung and missed, leaving Sussex the victors. It means 12 successive defeats in T20 for the men of Lord’s.Sussex, for whom this was just the second win of the campaign, owed much to Pakistan international Shadab Khan’s 59 from 30 balls, during which he shared a fourth-wicket stand of 91 with veteran skipper Ravi Bopara, a record for the southcoast outfit against Middlesex in the Vitality Blast. Luke Hollman and Ryan Higgins were the pick of the home attack with two wickets apiece.Middlesex initially held sway in the powerplay, removing Michael Burgess and Tom Alsop cheaply. The former’s scratchy effort ended when he nicked Josh de Caires to Jack Davies and there was a second catch for the wicketkeeper when Alsop attempted to ramp Martin Andersson.Tom Clark twice swung Andersson over the ropes but should have been caught attempting the hat-trick only for Higgins to drop a dolly at midwicket. And the opener was given another life when he charged Hollman only for Davies to miss the stumping.Higgins atoned in part for the drop when he bowled Clark soon afterwards, but wicket-taking balls had been wasted and that proved costly when Shadab and Bopara went on the offensive. Shadab was especially belligerent with two glorious straight hits among his five sixes as he sped to 50 in 24 balls, with his skipper, as he has done so often at Lord’s, Bopara proving an excellent foil.Shadab eventually slashed Higgins to Andersson on the point fence to spark a mini collapse which also witnessed the end of Bopara, but James Coles employed the long handle to good effect as the visitors posted an imposing score.The hosts made another poor start when Joe Cracknell lobbed Fynn Hudson-Prentice’s first ball to mid-on’s hands, but three successive fours from Eskinazi in Henry Crocombe’s first over gave them some impetus. Eye in, Eskinazi flat-batted Mills over point for six as 60 came from the powerplay.Eskinazi raced to 50 in 31 balls with a six and five fours and Pieter Malan caught the mood, pulling Mills into the Tavern Stand hospitality boxes. Bopara, in a typically frugal spell, ended a stand of 85 when he bowled Malan for 36, but 79 were needed from the final 48 balls.Max Holden was reprieved on 4 when dropped at cover only to hole out at midwicket off Nathan McAndrew with 43 needed but successive fours from new man Jack Davies kept the hosts in the hunt. Two more fours from the wicketkeeper’s flashing blade off the expensive Mills left 21 needed from the final two overs and when Eskinazi lapped McAndrew that elusive win looked in sight.Davies though departed to a brilliant catch by Clark on the mid-off fence and 12 off the last over proved too many.

England have named an unchanged 14-man squad for the fifth Ashes Test at the Kia Oval, as they look to bounce back from the disappointment of drawing in Manchester with a win to square the series.Despite being “pretty much perfect throughout”, in the words of captain Ben Stokes, England were unable to force victory at Old Trafford as heavy rain over the weekend meant only 30 overs were possible on day four and none at all on day five. The result meant Australia retained the urn with a game to spare.As in 2019, England go to south London unable to win the series but with the incentive of denying Australia their first win on these shores since 2001. “It is a massive game for us and 2-2 sounds a lot better than 3-1,” Stokes said.England will have to assess the fitness of Chris Woakes, who has had a major impact in his two appearances and is the side’s second-leading wicket-taker with 12, but has reported feeling quad stiffness.The Headingley Test was Woakes’ first in the format since England toured the Caribbean in March 2022 and he said last week, before the fourth Test started, that he had pulled up “extremely sore” after bowling 35 overs across the match in Leeds.He added that playing back-to-back Tests “won’t be an issue” if selected to play at The Oval, and that “the adrenaline and the occasion” would get him through. But with a World Cup in India looming later this year, England may decide not to risk one of their main all-format players.”There are some tired bodies and we have a short period until the Oval so we will have to see who is fit then,” Stokes told the BBC.Mark Wood’s workload is also likely to be monitored and England could face a decision over whether to include James Anderson in their XI. Michael Vaughan, the former England captain, said the selection of Anderson – who has four wickets at 76.75 in the series – had cost England at Old Trafford and his place could come under threat from Ollie Robinson or Josh Tongue.England squad for the fifth Test: Ben Stokes (capt), Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Jonathan Bairstow, Stuart Broad, Harry Brook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Dan Lawrence, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root, Josh Tongue, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood

MatériaMais Notícias

Recém-classificado para a semifinal da Copa do Brasil, o São Paulo enfrenta uma semana de jogos complicados. No domingo (21), encara o Santos pelo Campeonato Brasileiro e pouco dias depois encontra o Flamengo, justamente pelo jogo de ida na “decisão”.

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>ATUAÇÕES: Mesmo com falhas de Reinaldo, Luciano é o homem da classificação do São Paulo

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> Veja tabela do Campeonato Brasileiro

Para o encontro com o Peixe, o Tricolor deve optar por uma equipe alternativa para evitar desgastes. Nesta altura, a prioridade de Ceni é totalmente focada na Copa do Brasil.

A equipe carimbou sua classificação após eliminar o América-MG na Arena Independência. Com um gol de vantagem do confronto de ida, Luciano marcou mais dois no empate desta quinta-feira (18).

Assim, a meta agora é enfrentar o Rubro-Negro e conseguir vantagem logo no primeiro duelo, que acontecerá no Morumbi. Desta forma, chega com mais tranquilidade para o desafio no Maracanã.

Com a quantidade de decisões complicadas em um curto espaço de tempo, o treinador do São Paulo teme desgastes físicos. Este ano foi complicado para o elenco no quesito lesões. Entre os nomes no departamento médico, três não devem retornar este ano: Arboleda, Luan e Caio – que tiveram que recorrer à cirurgia.

O confronto com o Santos, mesmo que aconteça fora de casa e carregue o peso de clássico, não deve contar com a força máxima da equipe.

Porém, o elenco do Tricolor deve ter duas novidades: as estreias de Nahuel Bustos e Ferraresi no Campeonato Brasileiro. Os dois reforços chegaram nos últimos dias, mas não puderam disputar a Copa do Brasil porque foram anunciados depois do término de inscrição para a competição.

Bustos atuava no Girona, da Espanha. Apresenta características de ataque, visto como uma peça para substituir a saída de Rigoni e até mesmo cumprir o papel de centroavante. Já Ferraresi atua como um zagueiro, podendo reforçar o setor defensivo da equipe, que sofre desde o afastamento de Arboleda.

A Copa do Brasil carrega dois fortes pesos. Trata-se de um título inédito. Nunca, em toda sua história, o São Paulo saiu vitorioso na competição. Erguer a taça seria de grande mérito para Rogério Ceni – visto como ídolo pelos torcedores – e para o restante da delegação.

Outro ponto entra em questão. O campeão do torneio pode embolsar até R$ 100 milhões em premiação. Este valor seria de grande alívio para os cofres do clube, que enfrentam uma dívida estimada em mais de R$ 700 milhões.

O San-São deste domingo (21) acontece na Vila Belmiro, às 19h. Neste sábado (20), o São Paulo deve se reapresentar às 16h e realizar o único treinamento antes do confronto.

Veja uma possível escalação:

Jandrei; Ferraresi, Luizão e Léo; Rafinha, Gabriel Neves, Galoppo e Wellington; Marquinhos Guilherme, Luciano e Bustos.

Opening stand of 148 provides platform for crushing win over bottom side Leicestershire

ECB Reporters Network30-Jun-2023

Derbyshire 231 for 4 (Wood 110*, Came 56) beat Leicestershire 160 for 9 (Handscomb 61, Zaman 3-27) by 71 runsAn explosive maiden T20 century by Tom Wood fired Derbyshire Falcons to a 71-run win over Leicestershire Foxes at Derby and kept alive their Vitality Blast hopes.Wood smashed an unbeaten 110 which included 12 fours and four sixes off 57 balls as the Falcons posted 231 for 4, their highest total in T20 cricket.Harry Came with 56 off 36 balls shared an opening stand with Wood of 148 from 81 balls, another Derbyshire record in the competition, before late cameos from Leus du Plooy and Haider Ali piled on the misery for the Foxes.Peter Handscomb replied with 61 from 43 balls but the Foxes came up well short on 160 for 9 with Zaman Khan taking 3 for 27 to leave the Falcons needing to beat Worcestershire in the last game on Sunday to have a chance of making the quarter-finals.Derbyshire began sedately, failing to find the ropes in the first three overs, but Wood served up a taste of what was to come by hitting Ed Barnes for two boundaries in the fourth before launching into Michael Finan. He pulled the pace bowler for the first six of the innings and swatted three more fours to take 19 from the over and lift the Falcons to 55 at the end of the powerplay.When Barnes, who injured his right hand stopping a drive from Wood, returned at the Racecourse end, Came ramped him over third man for six before a misfield gave Woods his seventh four and his 50 which came off 28 balls.The Foxes were struggling to stem the run flow and Woods hoisted Colin Ackermann high over long-off for his second six to take the Falcons to 100 without loss at the halfway stage.Louis Kimber’s first ball in T20 cricket was dispatched over long-off for six by Wood who pulled the last ball of the over for another maximum. Came pulled Tom Scriven for six on his way to 50 from 34 balls and drove the seamer over the ropes as 20 came from the over.Wood was given a life on 86 when Kimber dropped him at long-on but the stand ended in the 14th over when Came drilled Ackermann to long-off. But there was no respite for the Foxes as Wood smashed Barnes over mid-off for his 11th four to reach his century off only 51 balls.Callum Parkinson had Wayne Madsen caught behind off a top edge but that only brought in du Plooy who smashed Finan for consecutive sixes as the Falcons sailed past 200.After du Plooy was caught behind off Tom Scriven, Haider hammered two sixes to take the Falcons past their previous highest T20 score of 222 and leave the Foxes facing a daunting chase.They set off well with 61 coming from the powerplay before Wiaan Mulder was bowled for 35 aiming a big drive at Mattie McKiernan.Rishi Patel pulled Wood over long-on for six and dispatched McKiernan on to the top tier of the media centre to keep the Foxes in the hunt but they still needed 131 from the last 10 overs.Patel went in the 11th when he skied a big drive at George Scrimshaw and the soaring asking rate claimed Ackermann when he swept Alex Thomson to deep square in the next over.Nick Welch hoisted McKiernan over long-off for six before he was cleaned up by Zaman and Kimber’s attempt to hit Scrimshaw out of the ground only ended in the hands of Haider running back from mid-on.Zaman claimed the big wicket of Handscomb and yorked Scriven before Zak Chappell removed Finan to seal victory with Barnes unable to bat.

Mason Greenwood has generated plenty of transfer talk, but a "look forward to more" message has hinted at the Marseille forward staying put.

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• Enjoyed impressive debut campaign in France
• Attracted interest from teams across Europe
• Ligue 1 giants have no intention of selling

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The 23-year-old forward enjoyed the most productive campaign of his career to date in 2024-25. On the back of moving to France from Premier League giants Manchester United, Greenwood registered 22 goals and six assists through 36 appearances in all competitions.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  His 21 efforts in Ligue 1 were enough to earn a share of Golden Boot honours alongside Champions League winner and Ballon d’Or favourite Ousmane Dembele of Paris Saint-Germain. He also rewrote the history books at Stade Velodrome.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Greenwood’s debut season with Marseille saw him better some club legends, including ex-Chelsea striker Didier Drogba. A collection of match-altering performances helped to deliver Champions League qualification.

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  Interest is said to have been attracted from across Europe, with La Liga heavyweights Barcelona and Atletico Madrid reportedly keen on the former Getafe loanee, but Marseille have no intention of parting with a player that they have tied to a contract through to 2029.

Chelsea currently sit in a superb position under boss Enzo Maresca, looking to secure a top-four finish in the Premier League, subsequently claiming a Champions League place next season.

The Blues currently have a one-point advantage over fifth-placed Manchester City with just nine games to go in 2024/25, holding the cards over a return to Europe’s greatest competition.

However, the Italian will want to correct the recent slump in form that has seen his side lose three of the last five league outings, with the prospect of Champions League football one that will financially benefit the club massively.

If they are to return to their best form, many will hope the injury suffered by one player isn’t a serious one, allowing him to make a positive impact between now and the end of the campaign.

An update on Cole Palmer’s recent injury

Attacker Cole Palmer has struggled to produce his best form in recent weeks, failing to register a single goal or assist since the 2-2 draw with Bournemouth on the 14th of January.

However, his drought may look to be extending further, after withdrawing from the recent England squad following a muscle injury picked up in training last week.

The 22-year-old missed the 1-0 defeat against Arsenal at the Emirates last Sunday, pulling out of international duty and subsequently being treated by the medical staff in West London.

Palmer was sent for a second scan earlier this week to determine a timeline for his return, with the hope that he can return for the clash with Tottenham Hotspur on April 3rd.

His time on the sideline coupled with his lack of impact when fit has seen one former academy star outscore the club’s talisman this campaign, potentially making the wrong call in allowing him to depart.

The former Chelsea academy star who’s outscoring Palmer

Whilst Palmer has endured a torrid run of form in recent weeks by his usual standards, he’s still managed to star this campaign, registering 14 goals and six assists in his 33 appearances to date.

He’s managed to score the most league goals of any player in Maresca’s squad, proving to be worth every penny of the £40m fee forked out for his signature in 2023.

However, whilst the attacker signed during that window, the club also allowed one other player to depart in the form of academy star Malik Mothersille, who left on a free transfer after his deal expired.

The 21-year-old spent three years at Cobham after joining from Leyton Orient in 2020, catching the eye at various youth levels with his goalscoring exploits.

Mothersille registered 19 goals during his time as a Blue, but it wasn’t enough to force himself into the senior ranks, leaving to gain valuable game time elsewhere to further his development.

The attacker, who’s been dubbed “outstanding” by journalist John Verrall, has certainly done just that, going from strength to strength after joining Peterborough on a free transfer back in September 2023.

Whilst he only managed six goals and five assists in all competitions last campaign, he’s found his goalscoring touch once again in 2024/25, playing a huge part in their relegation battle.

Morhersille has registered 15 goals and eight assists for Darren Ferguson’s men, currently sitting as their top goalscorer and managing to outscore Palmer as a result.

It’s great to see such a promising youngster finally find his feet in the professional game, starting to transfer his talents from youth level – subsequently allowing him to make a name for himself.

Whilst it may only be League One, his record in recent times is evidence of the superb work done by the academy in West London, with the club capable of producing talents just like the 21-year-old for many years to come.

Best signing since Hazard & Kante: Boehly struck gold on Chelsea's "genius"

Chelsea struck gold signing this “world-class” ace who’s their best signing since Hazard & Kante

ByConnor Holden Mar 22, 2025

Abhishek Sharma, Sai Sudharsan, Prabhsimran Singh and Harshit Rana are also part of the 15-member squad

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Jul-2023Yash Dhull, the Delhi batter who led India to the Under-19 World Cup title last year, will captain India A at the Men’s Emerging Teams Asia Cup 50-overs tournament, which will be held in Sri Lanka from July 14 to 23. Dhull’s deputy is the Punjab and Sunrisers Hyderabad allrounder Abhishek Sharma.The tournament involves the A teams from the five Asian Full Member boards – Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka – as well as the senior teams of Nepal, Oman and UAE.There is no age restriction on the players who can feature in this tournament, but India have named a squad with a distinctly youthful tinge, with all 15 players less than 23 years old. Four of the five standby players are Under-23s as well, with the Saurashtra wicketkeeper-batter Snell Patel the lone exception at 29. The squad, incidentally, was picked by India’s junior selection committee chaired by former Karnataka keeper Thilak Naidu.The main squad includes a number of players who impressed during IPL 2023, including top-order batter Sai Sudharsan – who scored 96 in the tournament final – keepers Prabhsimran Singh and Dhruv Jurel, and fast bowlers Harshit Rana and Akash Singh.Former Saurashtra batter Sitanshu Kotak is the head coach of the side. He will be assisted by bowling coach Sairaj Bahutule and fielding coach Munish Bali.India A will begin their campaign on July 13 when they face UAE at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo.India A squad: Yash Dhull (capt), Abhishek Sharma (vice-capt), Sai Sudharsan, Nikin Jose, Pradosh Ranjan Paul, Riyan Parag, Nishant Sindhu, Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Dhruv Jurel (wk), Manav Suthar, Yuvrajsinh Dodiya, Harshit Rana, Akash Singh, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Rajvardhan Hangargekar. Standby players: Harsh Dubey, Nehal Wadhera, Snell Patel, Mohit Redkar

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers made a bold call to return to Parkhead for a second time in the dugout when he joined the club in the summer of 2023.

He replaced Australian boss Ange Postecoglou, who left to join Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur, and has enjoyed an excellent second spell in Glasgow to date.

The Northern Irish boss won the Scottish Premiership and SFA Cup last term, beating Rangers 1-0 with a last-minute winner in the final, and have already won the League Cup so far this season.

Rodgers had left the club in 2019, after an almost three-year stay at Parkhead, and currently has two players who played under him in his first spell, in Callum McGregor and James Forrest.

The former Liverpool and Leicester City head coach managed some terrific Celtic stars between 2016 and 2019, and previously had a midfielder who was the perfect complement to McGregor in the middle of the park – Stuart Armstrong.

The kind of midfielder Celtic need next to Callum McGregor

McGregor has scored eight goals in the Premiership so far this season, but that is an outlier in his career as he has only managed more than seven league goals one other time for the Hoops, scoring nine in the 2019/20 campaign.

Typically, the retired Scotland international is deployed at the base of the midfield as the lone number six, with two central midfielders ahead of him in a 4-3-3 system.

This is the ideal position for the left-footed metronome because of his passing ability – completing 94% of his passes in the league this season – but also because of his lack of pace and dynamism in and out of possession.

Celtic need to have midfielders around him who can run and cover ground whilst also being able to influence matches at the top end of the pitch, which is exactly why Armstrong was the perfect number eight to play in the midfield three with him.

As you can see in the table above, the Scottish midfielder provided a decent threat as both a scorer and a creator of goals from a central midfield position for the Hoops in the Premiership, whilst he racked up 28 goals and 25 assists in all competitions.

Armstrong, whose performances earned him a £7m move to Premier League side Southampton in 2018, played 88 games under the Northern Irish head coach and contributed with 22 goals and 13 assists.

The right-footed dynamo provided great physical attributes to go along with his technical skills. Rodgers once hailed his athleticism, saying: “Physically he has everything: he’s fast, he’s strong, he’s powerful.”

Armstrong was, therefore, a complete midfielder who perfectly complemented McGregor by providing energy, pace, strength, and attacking contributions from midfield, and Rodgers has unearthed his new version of the Scottish ace, but it is not Arne Engels.

Why Arne Engels is not the new Stuart Armstrong

The Belgium international, who joined from Augsburg last summer for a club-record fee of £11m, has been a standout in the middle of the park with his ability to contribute in the final third.

Engels has racked up ten goals, with eight of those coming from the penalty spot, and registered 12 assists. This means that he has only managed two goals from open play in his 43 appearances for the Hoops, suggesting that the Belgian ace does not offer a huge goalscoring threat away from the penalty spot.

The 21-year-old midfielder is closer in profile to McGregor than he is Armstrong, though, as he does not provide outstanding strength or pace in the middle of the park, losing 54% of his duels in the Premiership this season.

There is, however, a midfielder in the Celtic squad who is the new version of Armstrong for Rodgers, and it is Portuguese maestro Paulo Bernardo.

Why Paulo Bernardo is the new Stuart Armstrong

The Scottish giants swooped to sign the 23-year-old talent from Benfica on a permanent deal for a reported fee of £3.5m last summer, after spending the 2023/24 campaign on loan at Parkhead.

Bernardo, who has been out of action since the middle of February with an ankle injury, has been unearthed as Rodgers’ next Armstrong because of his similar attributes in the middle of the park.

The Portugal U21 international was once described as a “high-intensity” and “tenacious” player by U23 scout Antonio Mango, which speaks to the energy and strength that he can provide in midfield. That is backed up by the star’s 57% duel success rate in the Premiership this term, as he has won the majority of his physical battles.

This suggests that Bernardo has the Armstrong-esque physical attributes that Engels currently lacks, which helps the former Benfica man to provide a defensive presence for the Hoops.

As you can see in the table above, the £3.5m signing has improved from his first season at the club and has been a reliable and creative figure with the ball at his feet, as Armstrong was, whilst also being excellent out of possession.

Goalscoring is an area for Bernardo to improve on, with seven goals in 69 matches for Celtic to date, but he has already proven himself to be a pretty complete central midfield option for Rodgers when fit and available.

As you can see in the clip above, he does have the instincts to get himself into goalscoring positions and it is down to Rodgers to ensure that the team is creating enough chances for him to add more goals to his game.

Bernardo has already been a terrific addition to the club and emerged as the manager’s new version of Armstrong with his play in and out of possession as a central midfielder, but the Portuguese whiz could take his game to the next level by adding a consistent threat as a goalscorer in the months and seasons to come.

Celtic eyeing move for manager's dream who's been likened to James Milner

He leaves “everything on the pitch”.

1

By
Barney Lane

Mar 24, 2025

علق محمد إسماعيل المشرف على الكرة بفريق إنبي، على رحيل عبد الناصر محمد وتوليه منصب مدير الكرة بـ نادي الزمالك في الفترة المقبلة.

وكان الزمالك قد أعلن في الساعات الماضية عن تشكيل الجهاز الفني الجديد بقيادة البلجيكي يانيك فيريرا مديرًا فنيًا، وجاء عبد الناصر محمد في منصب مدير الكرة.

وقال محمد إسماعيل في تصريحات تلفزيونية عبر قناة “أون إي”: “عبد الناصر محمد هو المدير الرياضي لنادي إنبي، لكنه كان بعيدًا عن كرة القدم في الفترة الماضية، وقد أبلغ الشريعي أنه سيرحل عن إنبي، لكنه لم يحدد اسم النادي الذي سينتقل إليه”.

طالع | رئيس إنبي يرد على تصريحات عبد الناصر محمد: ما قاله لا يصح.. وتعاقده معنا ما زال ساريًا

وأردف: “عبد الناصر محمد من أساطير النادي ورمز كبير في إنبي، وإذا لم تنجح تجربته الجديدة، فسيجد مكانًا له دائمًا في إنبي”.

وأكمل: “عبد الناصر محمد كان موجودًا معنا في النادي يوم الأربعاء الماضي، ولا أعتقد أنه من الممكن أن يقول إنه لم يدخل النادي منذ شهر”.

وبسؤاله هل يمكن أن يتزامن منصبه كمدير للكرة في نادي الزمالك مع منصبه كمدير رياضي في إنبي؟، أجاب: “لا، حاليًا هو متفرغ تمامًا لنادي الزمالك، ونحن كنادي إنبي سعداء بوجود أحد أبنائنا في الزمالك”.

واختتم: “عبد الناصر محمد رمز كبير، ولا يصح أن نقول إنه أُقيل، يمكن القول إنه تم الاحتفاظ بوظيفته، ولكن لا يوجد قرار واضح بإقالته ولن يحدث ذلك، وسيتم البحث عن بديل له”.