It’s been a frustrating few weeks for Brendan Rodgers and matters have now only been made worse by the recent update on an injured Celtic player that he risked playing against Rangers before the international break.
Celtic sign Kelechi Iheanacho
Much of Rodgers’ frustration has surrounded Celtic’s transfer business. Their 0-0 draw against Old Firm rivals Rangers summed up the attacking problems that they still needed to address and, as such, Kelechi Iheanacho has since arrived. Joining back up with Rodgers for the first time since their Leicester City days, the forward desperately needs this move to go well.
The Nigerian was a free agent when Celtic turned his way, having been released after a disappointing spell at Sevilla. Now, at 28 years old, the Bhoys have handed him one final opportunity to get his career back on track.
Speaking to the club website after welcoming Iheanacho to his side, Rodgers told Celtic’s official website: “I know Kelechi so well and what he can bring to the team. He is such a talented player, with great ability, athleticism and work-rate.
“I am sure he will love being at Celtic and I believe our fans will love what he brings. He has great experience and he is right in his peak years so he can be a great signing for us. I am sure he will make a big contribution to the team.”
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Hoops supporters are not in great spirits.
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The debate is ongoing as to whether the forward’s arrival will hand Celtic the boost that they were looking for, but whilst that rumbles on, the Scottish champions have been handed an undeniable blow on the injury front.
Anthony Ralston injury update after Rodgers risked him
After dropping out of the Scotland squad alongside Kieran Tierney, Anthony Ralston is now an early doubt to face Kilmarnock. The defender was thrown in the deep end and risked against Rangers despite appearing to take a knock just days before in Celtic’s Champions League tie against Kairat Almaty and Rodgers has since suffered the consequences of that decision.
Given that Alistair Johnston is already sidelined with a hamstring tear, Celtic now have themselves a mini injury crisis in the right-back spot. It begs the question as to why Rodgers would risk Ralston against Rangers in the first place.
The manager is certainly a fan of the defender, having told reporters at the end of last season: “Guys like Tony are really pivotal to the culture of this club. He doesn’t play every single game, but he is probably one of our most important players here because of his history at the club.”
Celtic now have just 10 days to get Ralston back fit and ready for the Kilmarnock game as they look to return to winning ways in the Scottish Premiership.
Lionel Messi's former team-mate, Diego Gomez, scored a contender for the Puskas Award with an insane 35-yard goal for Brighton in the Carabao Cup against Barnsley. The Paraguayan midfielder ripped the Tykes to shreds in the Carabao Cup, smashing home four goals in a performance that will find a place in the Seagulls' folklore.
Getty Images Sport
Goal of the season shouts
Gomez opened the scoring of a 6-0 win with a routine close-range finish, the kind you’d expect any midfielder worth his salt to tuck away. But the second was a belter, rifled in from the edge of the Barnsley box with venom that had supporters screaming 'goal of the season' across social media.
That would’ve been enough to headline any highlight reel, but Gomez wasn’t finished. Just after the half-hour mark, he launched a half-volley from close to 40 yards out.
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Gomez refused to stop at a hat-trick
Most players would’ve walked off happy with a match ball and a hat-trick, but Gomez. On 68 minutes, the midfielder popped up again to tuck home his fourth, rubbing salt into Barnsley’s already gaping wounds.
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Brighton kids pile on the misery
Even when Gomez’s number went up in the 75th minute, Brighton didn’t take their foot off the gas. Academy prospect Harry Howell stepped onto the stage with his first-ever professional strike. Moments later, Yasin Ayari added the sixth to round off a 6-0 thrashing under the Oakwell floodlights.
Matthew Kuhnemann will proceed with imminent tests on his bowling action, despite a thumb injury ruling him out of Tasmania’s Sheffield Shield clash with South Australia.One week after being cited by ICC officials for having a suspect action, Kuhnemann was expected to return to cricket for Tasmania in Adelaide on Tuesday. But those plans have since been scuppered, with the spinner not medically cleared to play for Tasmania after the dislocated thumb he suffered in the BBL.AAP understands Kuhnemann has not suffered a fresh injury, and the decision is a precautionary one after he played through the issue in Galle.Despite sitting out the Adelaide match, Kuhnemann will be required to complete ICC testing in the next fortnight because the injury is not on his bowling (left) hand. Officials have remained tight-lipped on the details surrounding Kuhnemann’s test for the sake of his privacy, but it is expected to go ahead in the next fortnight.Related
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The biomechanical testing will also be able to be completed at the National Cricket Centre in Brisbane, despite the ICC preferring players head overseas for assessment.Kuhnemann will complete the tests under the watchful eye of ICC body experts, with markers on his arm and several cameras filming. He will need to bowl at a similar speed and with similar ball revolutions to what he did in Sri Lanka, where he took 16 wickets at an average of 17.18.The ICC will then take a matter of weeks to determine if Kuhnemann’s action is legal, or if his arm straightens by more than the allowable 15 degrees. The 28-year-old is believed to be in reasonably good spirits, with questions still circling about the timing of him being reported after eight years in professional cricket.”All we can do as a group is throw our support behind him,” Tasmania captain Jordan Silk said. “He has obviously had a fantastic couple of weeks away with the Aussie side, and was a big factor in them wining that series over there.”It’s come as a shock to a lot of people, but all we can do as an organisation is wrap our arms around him and look forward to having him back around the group.”Silk echoed the words of stand-in Australia captain Steve Smith, believing Kuhnemann would be cleared by the tests.ICC rules allow bowlers to play domestic cricket while under the microscope, but ban them from international matches. If Kuhnemann is cleared he will be able to continue bowling, but if he fails the test he will be banned until he can prove he has changed his action to meet guidelines.”He’s still a quality bowler for us and someone we expect to have an impact later in the year,” Silk said. “We’re really confident that process will go smoothly and we can welcome him back to our change-rooms and have him be a big part of our season.”A win for Tasmania against table-topping South Australia would keep them in the race for a spot in the Shield final, with one win separating second and sixth on the ladder.Beyond this summer, Kuhnemann would be a strong chance to be in Australia’s squad for the tour of West Indies in June, if his action is cleared.
Celtic announced their squad for the league phase of the Europa League earlier this week after they were knocked out of the Champions League qualifiers by Kairat.
There were some interesting selection decisions made by Brendan Rodgers and his staff, including the exclusion of summer signings Shin Yamada and Jahmai Simpson-Pusey.
The Hoops swooped to sign Simpson-Pusey from Premier League giants Manchester City to bolster their options in the centre-back positions, but he has yet to get going at Parkhead.
A month on from his arrival in Glasgow, the 19-year-old defender has not even made the matchday squad in any of the club’s four domestic matches, and was an unused substitute in two games against Kairat in the Champions League.
Now, the teenage talent has been left out of the squad for the league phase of the Europa League and does not appear to be a frontline part of the manager’s thinking.
This suggests that the Manchester City loanee is unlikely to be a threat to any of the current starters at the back for Celtic anytime soon, despite some criticism of the left side of the defence.
Why Celtic may need a new left-sided defender
After the 0-0 draw with Rangers in the Scottish Premiership last weekend, 67HailHail posted an article highlighting numerous posts from Celtic supporters who have been unimpressed with Liam Scales and are confused as to why he is starting games.
The Ireland international has started every league game for the Hoops this season and started both legs against Kairat in the left-sided centre-back position over Auston Trusty.
Auston Trusty
Whilst some supporters appear to be calling for the USA international, who was signed from Sheffield United on a permanent deal last summer, to come into the starting line-up, the ex-Arsenal defender did not cover himself in glory in the Premiership last season.
Trusty was given plenty of opportunities to impress by Rodgers, starting 22 times in the league, but failed to outperform Scales with his defensive contributions.
Appearances
26
22
Clean sheets
14
10
Tackles + interceptions per game
1.9
2.3
Dribbled past per game
0.2x
0.5x
Error led to shot
1
4
Error led to goal
0
1
Duel success rate
72%
64%
As you can see in the table above, the American defender made five times as many errors that led to shots or goals for the opposition, whilst winning a lower percentage of his physical duels.
Trusty, who was criticised by Kris Boyd for his part in the Kevin Nisbet goal in the video below, has yet to prove that he can be a reliable presence in defence for Celtic, which may be why Scales continues to start.
Simpson-Pusey’s lack of involvement since his move on loan from Manchester City, and the fact that he is only at the club until next summer, does not suggest that he is likely to be the long-term replacement for Scales.
However, Rodgers has another young centre-back in his squad who could emerge as the long-term successor to Scales next to Cameron Carter-Vickers.
Chalkboard
Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.
Dane Murray battled back from injury issues to make his comeback on loan at Partick Thistle last season, and was brought back by Rodgers in January to be part of the first-team squad at Celtic.
Why Dane Murray could replace Liam Scales
The 22-year-old star, who reportedly earns £1.4k-per-week, has been ahead of Simpson-Pusey in the pecking order so far this season, with appearances against Falkirk, Livingston, and Kairat.
Murray, who scored his first senior goal for the club in the League Cup win over Falkirk, has shown great promise in his three outings for the first-team in the opening month of the campaign.
The towering defender was rewarded with a new contract halfway through last month, taking his deal through to 2028, and Rodgers heaped praise on him in the official announcement, saying: “Dane is a young player I have really enjoyed working with and is someone who has really developed well across the past few seasons.
“I know there is so much more to come from him and I believe he can have a really successful future with us.”
At the age of 22, he still has plenty of time left to develop in the way that Rodgers wants him to, and to break through and establish himself as a regular in the starting XI to realise that ‘successful future’.
Minutes
90
45
Goals conceded
0
0
Clearances
7
2
Interceptions
1
0
Tackles
3
1
Dribbled past
0x
0x
Duels won
8/13
2/2
Pass accuracy
89%
98%
As you can see in the table above, Murray impressed against Livingston in the Premiership and Kairat in the Champions League from a defensive perspective, as he was dominant in duels and made numerous important defensive actions.
Celtic did not concede a single goal in those two games, with the Scottish titan’s defensive quality playing a significant part in that, and these performances show that he is ready to contribute at first-team level for the Hoops.
With question marks from supporters over Scales, Trusty’s disappointing performances last season, and Simpson-Pusey’s lack of involvement this term, there could be an opening for Murray to burst into the team.
Whilst Rodgers prefers to have naturally left-footed players play on the left side, right-footed Carl Starfelt started in that role in Ange Postecoglou’s treble-winning season and the manager has used centre-backs on their ‘weaker’ side in the past two campaigns.
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Therefore, Celtic may already have their long-term replacement for Scales in the building, if Murray can push on and prove himself to be a consistent performr in the senior side.
تمكن منتخب مصر، من تحقيق الفوز على نظيره منتخب غينيا بيساو، في المباراة التي جمعت بين الفريقين ضمن تصفيات كأس العالم.
والتقى منتخب مصر مع نظيره منتخب غينيا بيساو، في تمام الساعة العاشرة مساء بتوقيت القاهرة على ملعب القاهرة الدولي، في الجولة العاشرة والأخيرة من تصفيات إفريقيا المؤهلة لكأس العالم 2026.
وحقق منتخب مصر الفوز على منتخب غينيا بيساو بهدف دون رد، ليُنهي الفراعنة مشوار تصفيات كأس العالم، منفردين بصدارة المجموعة في تصفيات كأس العالم، وبدون أي هزيمة.
وأحرز محمد حمدي، هدف مصر الأول أمام غينيا بيساو، في الدقيقة العاشرة من عمر الشوط الأول للمباراة، برأسية من داخل منطقة الجزاء، بعدما قابل عرضية مرسلة من الجانب الأيسر بعد تنفيذ ركلة ركنية.
طالع | ترتيب مجموعة منتخب مصر بعد نهاية تصفيات كأس العالم
بهذا الفوز، رفع منتخب مصر رصيده إلى 26 نقطة في صدارة المجموعة، ويحتل منتخب بوركينا فاسو المركز الثاني برصيد 21 نقطة.
يُذكر أن منتخب مصر كان قد ضمن تأهله رسميًا إلى نهائيات كأس العالم عقب الفوز في الجولة الماضية على منتخب جيبوتي بثلاثية نظيفة. أهداف مباراة منتخب مصر وغينيا بيساو في تصفيات كأس العالم
Giants ended their losing streak to post their second win of this WPL
Shashank Kishore27-Feb-2025
Ash Gardner scored 58 to take the team home•BCCI
A close finish was in the offing. Gujarat Giants (GG) were stifled early in a small chase. Then came an expensive ninth over that went for three fours and a six as Ashleigh Gardner took on rookie Prema Rawat. It turned the scales the way of GG emphatically, as a tricky chase against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) turned into a canter.It left RCB winless at home in three games so far this season. It also meant three sides – RCB, GG and UP Warriorz – are now tied on four points. This lights up the prospect of a tight finish to the group stage next week in Lucknow and Mumbai.Perry’s rare failureShe came into the tournament under a hip injury cloud, but her batting form didn’t seem to suggest any problem. Coming in on the back of 90*, 81, 7 and 57, Ellyse Perry was out for the first duck in her WPL career when she mistimed Gardner to Tanuja Kanwar at square leg off her fourth ball. That wicket, coming on the back of Danni Wyatt-Hodge’s lbw in the first over to Deandra Dottin, left RCB 16 for 2 in two overs.Gautam sizzles; Mandhana fizzlesIt was an uneasy stay at the crease for Smriti Mandhana, repeatedly squared up and beaten on the outside edge by 21-year-old Kashvee Gautam, one of the brightest Indian fast bowlers on show in WPL 2025. Mandhana struggled against late movement as Gautam’s first two overs went for just four. All that pressure led to a wicket at the other end when Mandhana was predictably out to spin yet again when she slog-swept Kanwar to Harleen Deol at deep midwicket for 10 off 20 balls.Kashvee Gautam has been the brightest young Indian fast bowler at the WPL•BCCI
Ahuja injects momentumDuring the season spent away at rehabilitation after a back injury last year, Kanika Ahuja set herself clear goals. She didn’t want to be known as a “five-ball batter” in the WPL anymore. She worked hard on her power game, shades of which were on display on Thursday as she laid into Priya Mishra, the legspinner.She read the googly off the hand and her manner of stepping out to imperiously loft her twice in the over, including the first six of the innings, spoke volumes of her growth. Ahuja would repeat that two overs later when she stepped out to launch Gardner. Her 33 off 27 before falling to Kanwar led to another RCB slip-up. Georgia Wareham’s cameo of 20 then helped them to 125 for 7, their joint-lowest total in the WPL.Renuka gives RCB hopeGG went with a third opening combination in five games. Dayalan Hemalatha, the latest to join the game of musical chairs, did little to repay the faith following scores of 9, 0 and 4 in her precious three innings. Having been reprieved early when Wyatt-Hodge misjudged a catch at mid-off, she was out stumped looking to heave Renuka Singh for 11. Mandhana’s decision to bowl Renuka out up top paid dividends when Beth Mooney holed out to deep midwicket as GG were reduced to 32 for 2 in the seventh.Gardner tees offA 19-run over off Rawat in the ninth turned the tide for GG as Gardner fed off Rawat’s inexperience, expertly using the depth of the crease to pull, while also showing her driving abilities when the ball was tossed up. The surge in momentum was such that even Deol’s brain fade in trying to hit out against Wareham didn’t lead to any panic.Litchfield reverse-sweeps away to gloryPhoebe Litchfield, playing in only her second game of the competition, exhibited tremendous game awareness and played a succession of reverse sweeps to negate Sneh Rana’s threat to quickly offset any pressure, while ensuring the required rate swiftly went down. She was also aided by some luck when Richa Ghosh put her down on 11 off Rana with GG needing 39 off 42.This didn’t affect her tempo or her adventurousness, which also greatly helped Gardner, who hit Wareham for back-to-back sixes on her way to her third half-century of the season, this time off 28 balls. Gardner and Litchfield’s 51-run stand off just 36 ensured the match was won with 21 balls to spare, greatly helping GG boost their net run-rate even though they stay fifth.
With Giovanni Leoni already on his way, Liverpool and Richard Hughes are now reportedly very keen to accelerate another summer deal before the deadline at the start of next month.
Slot confirms Leoni agreement
Sitting down for his first Premier League press conference of the season, Arne Slot had some good news for Liverpool fans. The Dutchman confirmed that an agreement has been reached with Italian side Parma to sign defender Leoni, who is reportedly set to be presented in front of Anfield before the Reds square off against Bournemouth tonight.
Slot told reporters: “The clubs have agreed a deal but he hasn’t signed. The moment he signs I can go into more detail.”
In a deal worth around £26m, the 18-year-old will replace Jarell Quansah at the home of the Premier League champions following the defender’s earlier departure to Bayer Leverkusen.
Following their Community Shield defeat against Crystal Palace on penalties, there were some concerns about Liverpool’s centre-back problem, but that has only sparked the Reds into life in the transfer market once again. And with Leoni, their window has only reached new heights.
Whilst the Italian is unlikely to have an immediate starting place ahead of Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate, Arrigo Sacchi’s praise suggests that Liverpool have got themselves a future star.
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The legendary manager wrote in Gazzetta Dello Sport: “We’ll see if the deal goes through, but in any case, I’d say the Reds would be making a great move by signing this young man, whom I followed with interest and curiosity in the second half of last season.”
Even after Leoni, however, Liverpool are still not done. Reports are now suggesting that Hughes has already shifted his focus towards another top target.
Hughes now keen to accelerate Guehi move
According to Caught Offside, Hughes is now very keen to accelerate a move to sign Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace. The two clubs reportedly remain far apart in their valuations, with Palace demanding around £50m and Liverpool currently willing to pay as much as £40m, but the fact that the defender is into the final year of his contract will hand the Reds the advantage.
Crystal Palace's MarcGuehicelebrates after the match
As for the player, himself, Guehi reportedly wants to complete a summer switch to Anfield and join up with the Premier League champions, a far cry from reports earlier this summer that he would “run across London” to join Arsenal.
The England international shouldn’t have too many concerns about game time, either. As things stand, Ibrahima Konate is set to depart as a free agent next summer, allowing a player of Guehi’s calibre to take hold of the position next to Van Dijk on a permanent basis.
Minutes
3,059
2,560
Progressive Passes
134
115
Ball Recoveries
146
98
Aerial Duels Won
68
74
Described as “great” by Manchester City’s John Stones and “world class” by Ezri Konsa, Guehi has only pushed on ever since and should now be at the top of Liverpool’s wishlist.
Tottenham Hotspur have ramped up their transfer activity over the last couple of days, with owner Daniel Levy finally starting to conduct some impressive pieces of business.
Xavi Simons joined the Lilywhites in a £52m deal from RB Leipzig at the end of last week – subsequently being presented to the fans before the defeat against Bournemouth on Saturday.
Such a move adds to the additions of Mohammed Kudus, Joao Palhinha and Mathys Tel – adding further quality to Thomas Frank’s already impressive first-team squad.
With the window now just a couple of hours away from closing, it remains unclear if the board will be able to add any further additions to help the new boss in his quest for success.
However, it may not be through a lack of trying from the hierarchy, with numerous other players currently in their sights before the 7pm transfer deadline.
Spurs’ hunt to land new signings on deadline day
Reports have emerged in recent hours that Atlético Madrid midfielder Conor Gallagher is still a target for Spurs – despite the LaLiga outfit’s reluctance to sell him.
Frank’s side aren’t alone in their pursuit of the 25-year-old, with fellow Premier League side Newcastle United also monitoring the Englishman’s situation.
However, he’s not the only player in their sights, with Manchester City star Savinho still on the Lilywhites’ radar, according to TBR Football’s report prior to the deadline.
They claim that Frank’s side haven’t given up hope of landing the Brazilian attacker this summer, even after having an offer rejected, with Pep Guardiola’s side stating he’s not for sale.
It’s also been claimed that the 21-year-old has been the club’s leading target in the last few days before tonight’s deadline, but it’s unclear if another offer will be lodged for his signature – with a £70m valuation previously being mooted.
Why Spurs’ £70m target would be perfect alongside Kolo Muani
In an attempt to bolster the Spurs frontline, Frank and Levy have struck a deal with PSG over a deal to land French striker Randal Kolo Muani on a season-long loan deal.
Talks were held between the two parties over a potential switch to North London, with a breakthrough appearing in negotiations in recent hours.
A €5m (£4.3m) loan fee has been agreed between the two sides, with a deal not including an option to buy – which would make the Frenchman the fifth senior addition of the window.
He’s proven his quality in recent times, netting 10 goals in his 22 appearances on loan at Juventus last campaign – handing Frank another clinical option within the final third.
However, if the 26-year-old is to be a success in North London, he will need to be provided with ammunition within the final third – something which potential addition Savinho could provide.
When delving into his underlying stats from last season, the Brazilian posted numerous superb numbers that would provide endless opportunities for the PSG loanee in forward areas.
Savinho, who’s been labelled “incredible” by boss Guardiola, ranked in the 96th percentile for progressive carries per 90 (7.1) – with such numbers allowing him to transfer the ball into the final third in North London.
Savinho’s stats in the Premier League (2024/25)
Statistics (per 90)
Tally
Games played
29
Goals & assists
9
Progressive carries
7.1
Shot-creating actions
5.7
Successful take-ons
2.7
Key passes made
2.4
Passes into the opposition box
2.4
Carries into the opposition box
3.8
Stats via FBref
He also produced 2.4 key passes per 90, and completed 2.7 successful take-ons per 90, which could provide Kolo Muani with a flurry of chances to hit the ground running under Frank this season.
Just because he’s able to create chances for others doesn’t mean Savinho isn’t capable of going alone – subsequently able to find the net himself – as seen by his tally of three goals last campaign.
The prospect of the duo linking up together in North London throughout 2025/26 is certainly an exciting one – subsequently topping off what has been a superb window for Spurs.
If they can replicate their aforementioned numbers together in the near future, there’s no reason why the club can’t be competitive in the Premier League and Champions League under Frank’s guidance.
Best Deadline Day deal since Kulusevski: Spurs make approach for £17m star
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Former Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg has described the relentless pressure that Manchester United players under Sir Alex Ferguson would put on match officials. He explained how they would consistently challenge decisions in order to influence future calls. Clattenburg reveals that he started saying to the United players to 'tell Ferguson to f*ck off' and that he knew what was happening.
Clattenburg speaks out on Man Utd tactics
Clattenburg refereed in England’s top flight between 2004 and 2017, and was widely regarded as one of the top officials of his generation. However, he has claimed that during his early days in the Premier League, Ferguson’s United would try to get into his head.
AdvertisementAFPWhat Clattenburg said about Ferguson's 'mind games'
Speaking on the podcast with Adebayo Akinfenwa, Clattenburg said: "Sir Alex would send one of his players in, not to influence that decision because he knew referees weren't going to change their mind, but it was the next one, and it was the next one. So you would make a decision and then you would have Rio Ferdinand, Roy Keane, then they would send somebody else and it would be one after the other after every decision. Chipping away, chipping away, it was mind games.
"It never shaped [decisions] because I always wanted to get the next one right, I used to pride myself on getting everything right, but unfortunately you can’t and that’s human fact. There’s nobody perfect in football… but what it did was I would go away and analyse myself and I would go: ‘How can I manage that better? How can I manage them without becoming arrogant or pissing them off?’
"So the way I started to handle it in the future, when they would come in one by one, I would just say: ‘Go and tell your gaffer to f*ck off', and tell them what's happening… Man Utd were the ones because there weren’t many doing it at that point.
"I remember Rio Ferdinand once, I said to Rio, ‘tell him to f*cking behave himself’, and he says, ‘I'm not telling him. I'm not telling him’!"
Ferguson let his mask slip on one occasion
When asked if Ferguson was ever intimidating, Clattenburg replied: "Sir Alex never really did much, it was just his presence. He would never be there, he would never come in with the team sheets. He never tried to do anything in the team exchange, which some coaches tried to do, they would intimidate you, and he was never there afterwards.
"But I remember before my first big fight with him, and I lost, I was refereeing Bolton, and he believed Kevin Davies was kicking Patrice Evra up in the air too much in the first half. When you’re at Bolton, it’s a battle, as referees you know it’s a battle, and refereeing Bolton vs Man Utd is not an easy game. You know it’s going to be physical and Man United players didn’t want it physical. He didn’t believe I was protecting Patrice Evra, and at half-time he volleyed me. And I mean really volleyed me. And I went, ‘I’m not f*cking having that’. I said to the policewoman in the tunnel, ‘you can tell him he’s not coming back out’, and she said ‘I’m not f*cking telling him, you can tell him!’. Everybody was frightened of him."
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Man Utd's dark arts failed to work
Clattenburg's account provides insight into the tactics used by Ferguson's United away from the actual football, highlighting the intense pressure referees faced when officiating the Red Devils in that time. In the case of Clattenburg, who went on to referee Champions League and European Championship finals, he has insisted he didn't let these ploys distract him from the task on hand on any given matchday.
India captain says their three allrounders gives them a lot of options
Andrew Fidel Fernando19-Feb-20251:12
Harshit or Arshdeep in India’s XI?
So what if it’s overcast in Dubai? And so what if there’s dew, or a little spice in the deck, or some movement in the air? Whatever this venue throws at India, they have the bowling options to deal with it.So said captain Rohit Sharma, ahead of India’s first match of the Champions Trophy against Bangladesh. This is a venue to which India are well-accustomed, having played nine T20Is here since October 2021. They haven’t played an ODI in Dubai since 2018, but the versatility in their likely XI will put them in a good position to adjust on the fly, according to Rohit.”If it’s going to be overcast, we have the bowling arsenal to combat that,” he said. “If there are overhead conditions helping the bowlers, we have the bowlers to exploit that. And if we bat in those overhead conditions, the batters know exactly what to do.”Among the strengths in this India squad, are the presence of “multi-skilled” cricketers, Rohit said. Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, and Ravindra Jadeja could potentially all play in the same XI. Without spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, who was ruled out through injury, these are bowlers Rohit may lean on through the course of the tournament.Related
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Rapid Rana is at the bleeding edge of Bangladesh's proud seam-bowling tradition
Bangladesh set for India's spin-test in Dubai
“Those three guys – Jadeja, Axar, and Washy – give us a different dimension to the game, our combination, and our squad, and add a lot of depth. That is why we tried to get players who have two skills rather than one.”One of India’s pure bowling options, however, is wristspinner Varun Chakravarthy. He’s played only one ODI so far, but has an impressive List A record, having claimed 60 wickets from 24 matches at a spectacular average of 14.80. He is a player who deals in subterfuge, Rohit said.”He doesn’t bowl too many variations to us in the nets. He bowls just one type of delivery. Maybe, he doesn’t want to show his variations even to us. But that is a good thing. He has got certain weapons which he wants to just put it out there, when it actually matters. I am more than happy if he wants to do that.”But, he has got something different which is why he is here with us. He has been impressive in the last eight to nine months. That is why we wanted to bring him here and see what he has and what he can do for India on the big stage.”Another player who Rohit will look to, is Mohammad Shami, who only returned to international cricket late last month, after undergoing ankle surgery in early 2024. He only bowled 15.5 overs across the two ODIs he played against England, claiming a wicket in each outing. With Bumrah out, Shami’s form may be especially important to India’s chances.”All we wanted with Shami was to get back to wearing India colours more than anything else. Whether he gets wickets or not was completely immaterial to us [in the England series].”When you talk about a bowler like Shami, who has done the job over the years so many times for us – for them it’s just about getting back into rhythm. Hopefully he can find some rhythm early on in this tournament.”