اشتكى البرتغالي لويس كاسترو، المدير الفني للفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي النصر السعودي، من قلة اللاعبين المتاحين لديه، والوصول المتأخر لآخرين بعد مشاركتهم في منافسات يورو 2024؛ وذلك قبل بدء الموسم الجديد.

وأشار كاسترو إلى أن هذا الأمر هو سبب واضح في ظهور الفريق بشكل فني متراجع خلال التدريبات والمباريات الودية التي خاضها النصر خلال معسكره الإعدادي في البرتغال وإسبانيا.

وقال كاسترو في تصريحات عبر صحيفة “الرياضية” السعودية: “الوقت الجاري صعبٌ للغاية على الفريق، نحن لا نلعب بصورة جيدة، إذ ليس لدينا عددٌ كبيرٌ من اللاعبين، إلى جانب وصول لاعبين آخرين متأخرين”.

وأضاف: “أعد الجماهير النصراوية بمواصلة العمل الشاق لوضع الفريق على الطريق الصحيح”.

طالع أيضًا | تضحية بالغة.. ريال مدريد يضع شرطًا معقدًا لضم لاعب النصر السعودي

وكان النصر قد تعرض مساء الخميس الماضي لخسارة أخرى قوية بنتيجة 3-0 أمام ألميريا الإسباني، الذي احتضن على أرضه سابع وآخر تجريبيات الفريق خلال المعسكر.

وخسر النصر أيضًا بنتيجة 4-0، أمام بورتو البرتغالي، وبهدف دون رد أمام مواطنه بورتيمونينسي، وغرناطة الإسباني.

وأسفرت تجريبياته الثلاث الأخرى عن فوزه 1-0 على ماريتيمو البرتغالي، وتعادله 1ـ-1 مع مواطنيهما لوليتانو وفارينزي.

يذكر، أن كاسترو نجح الموسم الماضي مع النصر في الفوز ببطولة كأس الملك سلمان للأندية العربية بعد فوزه في النهائي على الهلال بنتيجة 2-1، واحتل المركز الثاني في الدوري السعودي.

For all the pressure on the Pakistan batsmen, they will get at least two more innings to cement their places in the side after Sarfraz Ahmed confirmed an unchanged top six for the second Test at Newlands.In a week where speculation about a number of changes to the personnel and batting order had been rife, Pakistan have instead opted for stability. And the pressure on the batsmen to score runs increases further after Sarfraz, Pakistan’s captain, also ruled out selecting allrounder Faheem Ashraf, deciding to go instead for four specialist bowlers.”We will go with the same batting line-up,” Sarfraz said. “I’m very hopeful of my batsmen doing well here. They are working really hard in the nets and playing very well, so hopefully we will bounce back in this Test match.”We are going with six specialist batsmen for this match [and not Faheem]. We need to try and score some runs because we know if our batsmen score runs, we have the bowlers to put the pressure on the opposition.”ALSO READ: Knee injury forces Haris Sohail out of South Africa tourThe fallout after the second-innings collapse in Centurion, where Pakistan lost nine wickets after tea to slump from the relative riches of 100 for 1 to 189 all out, was dramatic enough that an unchanged top six was something of a surprise. It began with leaked reports of an outraged Mickey Arthur having harsh words with his senior players, leading to intense scrutiny around the position of Asad Shafiq in particular, and saw strong words from batting coach Grant Flower about Fakhar Zaman’s approach.But with Haris Sohail ruled out of the tour, Pakistan’s reduced options from the bench eased the pressure on the incumbents somewhat, though with Mohammad Rizwan waiting in the wings, batting positions are not exactly nailed on.”When Asian teams come to South Africa, it’s very challenging,” Sarfraz said. “We’re used to playing on low-bounce pitches, but when we come to Australia, South Africa and New Zealand, every Asian player struggles. But those players who are good enough, like many of ours, make it work. Our batting coach talks to the players so hopefully we will get better.”Sarfraz was candid about his team combination, also disclosing they would go in with a combination of three seamers and one spinner. Faf du Plessis, on the other hand, had been much more guarded in how South Africa would line up for the New Year’s Test.”When we looked at the pitch today, it looks a lot different from how it looked yesterday,” Sarfraz said. “The look is completely changed. I believe we’ll go in with three fast bowlers and one spinner.”With Mohammad Abbas coming in and slotting straight into the side, Pakistan will have to drop one of the three who featured in Newlands. Sarfraz wouldn’t be drawn on which one – Hasan Ali is the likeliest to make way – but said any fast bowler would enjoy playing in these conditions.”It’s not just Abbas, every fast bowler will like bowling here because the way they prepare the pitches here at the moment. If you see the Centurion pitch, every fast bowler likes that kind of pitch. I know this is [Vernon] Philander’s home town, so he will enjoy bowling here. Hopefully Abbas will also enjoy himself.”He singled out Shaheen Afridi for particular praise for his performance at Centurion, suggesting if he continued to bowl like that he would “soon become the best fast bowler in Pakistan”, and expressing full belief in his side to bounce back on a tour that has begun somewhat shakily.”If you talk about the third day [in Centurion], if we took one catch or the umpire gave Dean Elgar out, the situation would be very different. Maybe that would have triggered a collapse, so who knows? We are really hopeful and our bowling gives us a lot of confidence. If we have runs on the board we’ll give them a hard time.”

There was never any doubting Jurgen Klopp, surely? Last term Liverpool looked a shadow of the team that had run Manchester City so close to the title, and indeed won the Premier League during that bizarre campaign during the pandemic.

The club had lost its aura and that was largely due to a paperweight midfield that was without a cut and thrust capable of competing with the barnstorming central areas that City and Arsenal possess.

They lacked a Rodri, a Thomas Partey, players who crash around while still bringing an element of class to the way they use the football.

However, in 2023/24, that problem has been fixed. A holding midfielder is perhaps still required but in Dominik Szoboszlai, Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister, a brighter picture has been painted.

So, the thought of adding to that young triumvirate of players is exciting. Enter the January transfer window…

Liverpool's January plans

Chief among the club's plans for the upcoming transfer window will be keeping Mohamed Salah who was the subject of a mega bid from Saudi in the summer.

The thought of their great Egyptian leaving in the next few years is becoming more of a reality the longer time goes on and finding an heir apparent is wise.

It perhaps explains recent links to Bayer Leverkusen sensation Florian Wirtz. The German has attracted the interest of Chelsea of late according to reports but Liverpool are in the conversation too.

Indeed, as per claims in Spain, the Reds are even preparing a €92m (£80m) bid to lure the 20-year-old away from the Bundesliga.

Wirtz's stats this season

Widely renowned as one of the most promising young footballers on the continent, Wirtz has recovered exceptionally well from a horrendous ACL injury that kept him out of action for the best part of nine months in the latter stages of 2022.

Despite that, he was still able to feature 25 times across all competitions for Leverkusen last term, posting four goals and eight assists.

In 2023/24, however, he has gone to another level. Under the wing of former Liverpool hero Xabi Alonso, Wirtz already has six goals and ten assists in 17 outings.

It's been a remarkable start to the season for a young talent who sadly for Alonso seems destined for greater pastures.

Wirtz's style of play

Wirtz is a phenomenally versatile player having played on the wing fleetingly in his young career, as well as a second striker and as a classic number 10. It's in that attacking midfield position, however, where he's been electric this season.

A right-footed talent, the player's heat map (as per Sofascore) dictates that he likes to drift inside onto his favoured foot, often operating in the left-hand channel.

Though, as a remarkable goal in October (shown below) dictates, he can also operate equally as well on the opposing side, gliding past players in jaw-dropping fashion.

This is seemingly a player who has it all. Anton Ferdinand, whether you take his opinion seriously or not, is one man who has been left in awe of the Germany international who he claimed should be spoken about "in the same way as Bellingham", a man Liverpool were so religiously linked with before his move to Real Madrid.

Klopp may have Szoboszlai in his ranks now, a man compared to the marvellous Philippe Coutinho but truth be told, Wirtz is the true heir.

Like the Brazilian who left Anfield for Barcelona, he likes those left-hand channels, cutting inside and unleashing a deadly dose of creativity.

At his peak, Coutinho was a freak of nature in the opposition's third of the pitch. During 2017/18, he sat inside the top 2% of positionally similar players in the Premier League for progressive passes per 90 (11.77) and progressive carries (5.60).

Wirtz isn't quite the same level of ball carrier, managing 4.23 per 90 this season in the Bundesliga, but his creativity is immense. Ranking inside the top 2% of positionally similar players in the German top-flight, he has registered 7.59 progressive passes. It's not quite the dizzy heights of Coutinho just yet but at the age of just 20, these numbers will certainly get even better.

Such a generational talent would, therefore, be a wonderful addition to the Anfield ranks. It's just a pity they'll have to break the bank to seal their next Coutinho.

India captain Virat Kohli, though, feels that he is “best suited” for the No. 5 spot in ODIs

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Jan-20194:08

Dhoni best suited for No. 5 spot – Kohli

MS Dhoni’s batting spot has become a raging debate in the lead-up to the World Cup. After scoring three successive fifties, including a series-clinching 87 off 114 balls from No. 4, he has said that he’s ready to float in the middle order. While India’s vice-captain Rohit Sharma believes Dhoni at No. 4 is “most ideal”, captain Virat Kohli says he is “best suited” to bat at No.5.Dhoni is no longer the explosive force he once was, but he has absorbed pressure on the slow pitches in Australia and has secured two successive chases after taking it to the last over in his own inimitable style.In the series opener in Sydney, he walked in at No.5 after India were reduced to 3 for 4 within four overs. He weathered many attacks in a chase of 289 before falling in the 33rd over. He batted at No. 5 in the must-win second ODI for India and struck an unbeaten 54-ball 55 to force the series into a decider. In the third match on a tough pitch, Dhoni was dropped twice on 0 and then on 74, but he pressed on to win it for India.”Well, it’s good (enjoying batting at No.4?),” Dhoni said at the post-match presentation after claiming the Man-of-the-Series award. “If I am batting at 6 and somebody is batting at 4, we’ve to look if we can interchange the position and see if the team [balance] remains the same. It’s not about where you want to be, it’s about how many you can fill in that position. I’m happy to bat at any number. If I have to go back and bat at 5 or 6, I’m happy to do that. Because the important thing is where the team needs me. After playing 14 years, I can’t say I can’t bat at 6 and I need to bat at 4 or 5, so I will bat at where the team needs me.”When asked if the management was keen on keeping Dhoni at No.4 Kohli said: “I personally feel No.5 is the best-suited spot for him because that allows him to do a bit of both – get some game-time and finish games off and attack as and when required. The management discussed No. 5 was the ideal position for him and if you saw him in Adelaide as well he was pretty comfortable batting there. He was more himself in that game and he built onto this knock.”ALSO READ: Chopra: What is Dhoni’s role in the India ODI side?On Friday, Dhoni managed only 12 off 22 balls against legspinner Adam Zampa and 5 off 17 balls from Jhye Richardson, but he made up for that by attacking Peter Siddle, Billy Stanlake and Marcus Stoinis to shift the pressure back on Australia. Kedar Jadhav eased the pressure on Dhoni with timely boundaries and hard-run twos in an unbeaten 121-run stand.”It was a slow wicket, so it was a bit difficult to hit whenever you want to,” Dhoni said. “I think it was important to take it till the end because some of their main bowlers were on the verge of finishing their quota of overs. So, you have to target the bowlers you can on wickets like these. No point going after the ones who’re bowling well. That was the game plan and it was really well supported by Kedar. He’s somebody who plays some unorthodox shots and great shots in the middle, so it takes that pressure off me when you’re looking to go right till the last over.”Kohli conceded that he was nervous when the asking rate ballooned in the chase, but agreed with Dhoni, saying that the key was to take the game deep.”As MS said, it wasn’t that easy a wicket to bat on. So, he had to take the game deep,” Kohli said during the presentation. “They’re professional enough to finish it off. We were a bit nervous there, but two set batsmen in the middle knew exactly what they wanted to do. So, they got the job done. In the end, that’s what matters.”

Reliable transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano has shared what the West Ham board and directors are currently "working" on for January.

Fulham 5-0 West Ham

Before Sunday's embarrassing result at Craven Cottage, Irons boss David Moyes was enjoying a fine run of six wins over West Ham's previous eight games in all competitions – including victories against the likes of Arsenal and Tottenham.

Few could've predicted that West Ham would be on the wrong end of a 5-0 humbling at Fulham over the weekend, and it's a result which has piled the pressure back on Moyes.

Player facing "difficulties" inside West Ham as "tension" with Moyes shared

He’s apparently having a tough time.

ByEmilio Galantini Dec 9, 2023

The Scotsman's contract expires at the end of this Premier League season, and reports suggest Moyes is likely to leave West Ham in 2024 and not be offered fresh terms to stay.

The extent of West Ham's defeat at Fulham has resulted in some calls for West Ham to part company with Moyes sooner than that, but it's reported that Moyes is in no danger of an imminent sack despite the big loss (The Guardian).

Speaking after the trip to west London, Moyes was apologetic over the performance but admitted that, on paper, West Ham are still in fairly good stead after two tough away games.

"Everyone had two away games or two homes in this period and not many have taken six points," said Moyes on the Fulham defeat (via whufc.co.uk).

"Two away games, if you’d given me three points Id have probably said yes. If you’d given me two draws we’d have said that might have been good results away from home, so to get three points from the two games wasn’t that bad.

"But more importantly it was a disappointment today in how we performed."

West Ham arguably missed Edson Alvarez in midfield and were forced to play Jarrod Bowen as a makeshift striker again in the absence of Michail Antonio.

Technical director Tim Steidten wants to sign a new forward for West Ham as we approach the January window, according to club insider ExWHUemployee, as their lack of depth up front has arguably been exposed lately.

The winter transfer market represents an opportunity for West Ham to strengthen in key areas, and hopefully avoid terrible defeats akin to the weekend.

Fabrizio Romano shares West Ham transfer plan

Now, renowned transfer reporter Romano has shared an update on West Ham's transfer plans for January. Sharing what the club's board and directors are plotting next month, the journalist claims they could actually be set for a busy month as the Hammers hierarchy get "working".

“I expect West Ham to be busy in January as they’re looking at opportunities around," said Romano to Caught Offside.

"Though it’s still too early to say anything about specific names. Nothing is advanced, but the owners and directors are working on it.”

This will come as a promising bit of news for supporters, and we believe the signing of a new striker should take first priority.

Martin Crowe and Jonah Lomu, the late New Zealand rugby player, have been commemorated with a cricket trophy named after them. The Hagley Oval in Christchurch will bring together cricket and rugby players for the inaugural ‘Black Clash’ Twenty20 match on January 25.

Squads

Team Rugby: Kieran Read (capt), Richie McCaw, Israel Dagg, Beauden Barrett, Jordie Barrett, Aaron Smith, Jason Spice, Ali Williams, Kendra Cocksedge, Kaylum Boshier, Ofisa Tunu’u (wk), David Hussey (international wildcard)
Team Cricket: Brendon McCullum (capt), Grant Elliott, Luke Ronchi (wk), Kyle Mills, Chris Harris, Nathan Astle, James Franklin, Hamish Marshall, Liz Perry

Team Rugby have signed up former Australia batsman David Hussey as the international wildcard.Lomu, who was a globally renowned rugby star, was New Zealand’s youngest ever All Black, when he made his debut at the age of 19. He died at the age of 40, following a heart attack. Crowe, the former New Zealand captain, and one of the country’s greatest batsman, lost a long battle to cancer in March 2016, aged 53.”It’s truly fitting that the names of these two national heroes have pride of place on what is a wonderful, iconic piece of Kiwi art,” David Higgins, the founder and director of the Duco Events Group, which is organising the event, said.”I’ve always believed that Martin and Jonah have not been fully recognised for the contribution they made to the country through their tremendous deeds on and off the sports field. Both Martin and Jonah were men whose achievements transcended the sports field. So to be able to honour them even in a small way by naming the T20 Black Clash trophy the Lomu-Crowe trophy just feels right.”The Lomu-Crowe trophy is designed after a Maori adze, featuring a finish blade made of greenstone. Created by the famed New Zealand artist Shane ‘Spud’ Dudley, the trophy was unveiled in Christchurch on Wednesday, along with player jerseys for the two teams.”It’s huge. Look at the trophy, it’s amazing, it’s beautiful,” Israel Dagg, the All Blacks and Crusaders outside back, said. “It symbolises New Zealand and, obviously, you’ve got two great, world renowned athletes in Lomu and Crowe. Those names will live on forever.”Dagg will be one of 12 players who are a part of Team Rugby. Dagg has had a tryst with cricket in the past, when in 2005, when he was 16, he was invited to bowl at the Australian nets. Dagg had reportedly clocked 143kmph, earning the endorsement of Brett Lee.”I’ll try and get it down as fast as I can,” he said. “Obviously, with rugby you do a lot more upper body weights. I’ll try and do 130, something like that. I live pretty close to [All Blacks captain Kieran] Reado, so I might knock on his door and go and have a net.”Team Rugby have an uphill battle against a Team Cricket that is full of former New Zealand stars, such as Grant Elliott, New Zealand’s hero in the 2015 World Cup semifinal and final, who sold the match’s competitive spirit. “Absolutely. Everything to lose, nothing to gain but our pride,” he said. “I think pride is the important thing. I’ve always seen games like this start off with a bit of a smile on the face, but then there’s always a pivotal moment and suddenly that completive spirit takes over.”Team Rugby will don the red and black colours of Canterbury, while Team Cricket will turn out in blue. Team Cricket haven’t yet picked a wildcard, who will be announced next week.

MatériaMais Notícias

A próxima sexta-feira é decisiva para o CSA. Na 5ª colocação da Série B, o Azulão precisa vencer o Náutico nos Aflitos e torcer pelo tropeço do Juventude para sacramentar a sua volta à elite do futebol nacional.

+ TABELA DE CLASSIFICAÇÃO DA SÉRIE B

Para o duelo longe de casa, o técnico Mozart terá que pensar em mudanças na defesa e ataque, já que ele não poderá contar com duas peças importantes suspensas.

No miolo de zaga, Luciano Castán é a baixa. Em seu lugar, Filemon é o favorito. No sistema ofensivo, Pimpão também está fora. Sendo assim, Rafael Bilu pode ficar com a vaga.

Paulo Sérgio

Se Pimpão está off da rodada final, ao menos o artilheiro Paulo Sérgio está mais que confirmado para retornar ao trio ofensivo e tentar marcar os gols do acesso.

Veja a provável escalação: Matheus Mendes, Norberto (Rafinha), Cleberson, Rodolfo Filemon e Diego Renan; Geovane, Yago e Nadson; Gabriel, Bilu e Paulo Sérgio.

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كشف ميكيل أرتيتا المدير الفني لفريق آرسنال، عن تشكيل اللاعبين الذين سيخوضون مباراة ولفرهامبتون، في الجولة الأولى من الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

وتنطلق مباراة آرسنال وولفرهامبتون في تمام الساعة الخامسة مساءً بتوقيت “القاهرة” على ملعب “الإمارات”، بصافرة الحكم جاريد جيليت.

اقرأ ايضاً.. فيديو | ملك البدايات.. محمد صلاح يسجل هدف ليفربول الثاني أمام إيبسويتش تاون

وشهد تشكيل آرسنال تواجد الوافد الجديد، ريكاردو كالافيوري، على مقاعد البدلاء في مواجهة اليوم. تشكيل آرسنال أمام ولفرهامبتون في الدوري الإنجليزي

حراسة المرمى: ديفيد رايا.

خط الدفاع: بن وايت، ساليبا، جابرييل، زينتشينكو.

خط الوسط: ديكلان رايس، مارتن أودريجارد، توماس بارتي.

خط الهجوم: كاي هافيرتز، مارتينيلي، بوكايو ساكا.

🔴 𝗧𝗘𝗔𝗠𝙉𝙀𝙒𝙎 ⚪️

🧱 Saliba at the back
🪄 Odegaard pulling the strings
✊ Havertz leads the line

Looking to start strong – COME ON YOU GUNNERS! — Arsenal (@Arsenal) August 17, 2024

Antony has reportedly hired a personal photographer throughout the season to capture him in "action" for Manchester United.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Antony scored first PL goal in a year
• Celebrated with a Sonic toy for his son
• Had been planning it since the start of the season

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Brazilian forward made headlines not just for his on-field performance but also for his unique celebration during the recent Premier League match against Burnley. Having last scored in the Premier League back in April 2023 against Nottingham Forest, Antony ensured that his celebration, following his first goal of the 2023-24 season, was captured in the best way possible as he headed towards the camera holding up a Sonic the Hedgehog toy to the ecstatic Old Trafford crowd, while also symbolically tucking the ball under his shirt.

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• Getty
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  According to Antony had been preparing for this moment for almost the entire season and the Sonic toy has been travelling to Old Trafford along with the photographer since the first Premier League home game for the campaign, hoping to be put to use once the winger found the net. The 24-year-old forward later revealed that the toy celebration was dedicated to his son, who is a fan of the Sonic character, while tucking the ball under his jersey was a tribute to his pregnant girlfriend.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Antony has had a disastrous season so far with just three goals in 36 matches across competitions. His two other strikes came in the FA Cup this season against Newport and Liverpool, respectively.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  After scoring against Burnley, Antony should be buoyed to give his best in the final four games of the Premier League season as a perfect run in these matches could propel United to a fifth-place finish and a Europa League spot, if Tottenham drop enough points in their respective fixtures. However, the Red Devils can also qualify for Europe if they beat Manchester City in the FA Cup final on May 25 at Wembley.

Tottenham Hotspur boss Ange Postecoglou will listen to offers for one of his first-team players in January and will use any finances gained to bolster his ranks in one key position.

Tottenham injury list…

Heading into January, Spurs will surely be keen to add bodies in light of injury issues that have given Postecoglou several selection headaches over the course of this term. At present, Micky Van de Ven, Rodrigo Bentancur, Ivan Perisic, Manor Solomon, Ryan Sessegnon and Eric Dier are on the treatment table at Hotspur Way, as per The Evening Standard.

In the case of Dier, injury expert Dr Rajpal Brar told Tottenham News that the England international could be out for months with a muscle problem, stating to the outlet:

"Initially, the best-case scenario would have been simply muscle soreness and him being available for the next match, provided that soreness and discomfort subsided. However, he does seem to be out for at least a couple of weeks."

"Worst-case scenario would be a high-grade muscle tear, in which case the timeline would depend on the specifics i.e. which muscle, how badly. He is looking at months out in that case."

Ange must now unleash Spurs' own Yaya Toure over Hojbjerg

The central midfielder was on the bench last time out against West Ham.

ByDan Emery Dec 10, 2023

Of course, the January window will represent a much-needed opportunity for Postecoglou to acquire some additional reinforcements ahead of the second portion of the campaign. Bringing in a winger and a central midfielder is believed to be on the agenda in N17; nevertheless, there isn't a huge transfer kitty to work with at the club, which could lead to loan options being considered as an alternative means of securing new players.

Selling players to accumulate funds is another route that could be explored by Spurs and one new report suggests that this practice could now be put into practice at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with Postecoglou pulling no punches.

Tottenham could sell Richarlison…

According to Football Insider, Tottenham are prepared to sell Richarlison in January after interest from Saudi Pro League sides in the Brazil international has come to light. One source described to the outlet that the former Everton man's move to the Lilywhites "hasn’t worked out for all parties."

Richarlison's time at Tottenham Hotspur in numbers (Transfermarkt)

Appearances

48

Goals

5

Assists

7

The report states that Spurs would look to then invest any money gained from the sale of Richarlison to finance a move for a new defender in the January transfer window following injuries to Van de Ven and Dier.

Labelled a "warrior" by Antonio Conte, the 26-year-old has been active in the box this term, taking on an average of two shots per match in the Premier League prior to Sunday's game against Newcastle where he starred, scoring twice (Richarlison statistics – WhoScored).

Nevertheless, Richarlison has never been a free-scoring presence for Spurs and a move elsewhere may allow him to revitalise his career while also providing Postecoglou with some extra financial muscle heading into the January window.