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“You know a bowler of his calibre, to be able to play consistently for the long term, that’s where I’m trying to put in all my efforts and energy,” says LSG mentor

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Feb-2025

Mayank Yadav hasn’t had a good time in 2024 with injuries•BCCI

Will tearaway Mayank Yadav be fit for IPL 2025? Lucknow Super Giants have been working with the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru over his “roadmap to fitness” and coach Justin Langer and mentor Zaheer Khan remain very hopeful, but they are also clear that they will not rush him back.”We’ve had some interesting conversations around his roadmap to recovery and fitness with NCA, so we’re working with them,” Zaheer told reporters in Lucknow on Tuesday. “We hope for their support as well, them buying into the philosophy of really looking after a youngster, because he’s not only important for LSG, he’s important for Indian cricket as well.”Mayank had an injury-ridden 2024, interspersed by fiery showings for LSG and India. He won Player of the Match in two of his first three games at IPL 2024, for searing spells of 150kph-plus pace, but then in his fourth game he walked off with an abdominal issue that ruled him out of the tournament. He began rehab at the NCA and recovered from that injury, but then he picked up a separate injury while bowling at the NCA.In October he got his first India call-up, for the three-match T20I series against Bangladesh. On debut in that series, he consistently hit 145kph-plus (12 balls of his spell were recorded as such). He finished the series with four wickets and with excitement mounting in Indian cricketing circles, only to pick up an injury once again. He has not played a competitive match since then, but he was retained by LSG ahead of IPL 2025 for INR 11 crore (USD 1.31 million approx.)Zaheer said conditioning him physically to stand up to the workload of bowling at such speeds, without repeatedly breaking down, was his main priority. “You know a bowler of his calibre, to be able to play consistently for the long term, that’s where I’m trying to put in all my efforts and energy, in terms of giving him the best environment which will really help him play longer without really taking these breaks. I think that’s really important and that’s the outlook which we have.”So as much as we are keen on having him [play IPL 2025], we want him 150% fit not just 100% fit so we’ll do everything possible to get him there.”Related

Fast-bowler injuries threaten Pant-powered LSG's season

LSG fast bowler Mayank Yadav set to miss first half of IPL 2025 with back injury

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Coach Langer spoke on the same lines, pointing out that it often takes a young fast bowler – Mayank is 22 – time for their developing body to settle and shrug off injuries. “We know how exciting he is, we watched that last year… Some of that pace last year was extreme pace, so we’re very hopeful but he’s a young fast bowler, and it doesn’t matter what country you’re from, it’s a hard business being able to bowl that pace, and with a young body, it’s going to take some time to develop. So we’re hopeful and positive, but we’ll wait and see how things progress over the next little piece.”LSG will have a new captain at IPL 2025, with Rishabh Pant taking the reins after becoming the most-expensive player ever at an IPL auction (INR 27 crore/USD 3.21 million approx.). Both Zaheer and Langer expressed excitement at having a batter of his talents in the set-up.”I have no doubt the kind of player he is, I hope he stays as expressive when he captains,” Zaheer said. “We want to imbibe those values within the team as well. When we were looking at him as captain, we were looking at a kind of flavour LSG should play. We hope LSG approach their cricket the same way Rishabh plays his cricket.””I believe in T20 cricket, most important person in the team is the captain. If I’m selecting a team, the No. 1 person is captain so we’re thrilled to have Rishabh, with his style of play,” Langer said. “We’re going to be on the edge of our seat. It’s going to be exciting to watch, he’s got something different not many have. He has this freedom, talent, and a way about him where he’s going have a real impact as captain and player.”

20-Aug-2016When things got under way, Kagiso Rabada struck a career-best 32 not out and frustrated the New Zealand quicks•AFPTrent Boult ended the resistance when he had No. 11 Dane Piedt caught behind and South Africa were all out for 263•AFPSouth Africa had early success when Tom Latham edged Dale Steyn to first slip in the seventh over•Gallo ImagesA fired-up Steyn then trapped Martin Guptill lbw with a deceptive inswinger and New Zealand were 12 for 2•AFPKane Williamson and Ross Taylor just about survived three tough overs together before rain came down in Durban again•Gallo ImagesSouth Africa and Steyn, with figures of 6-4-3-2, went into lunch happy. Rain consumed the rest of the day and New Zealand finished on 15 for 2, trailing by 248 runs•Gallo Images

Glasgow Rangers finally ended their away day woes in the Scottish Premiership, securing a relatively comfortable 3-1 victory over Dundee United at Tannadice on Sunday afternoon.

Philippe Clement’s men trailed to an early Sam Dalby effort as it appeared the Light Blues would once again slip on their travels. Before the interval, Mohamed Diomande netted a fine long-range strike to level things up.

Goals from Robin Propper and Cyriel Dessers in the second half saw the Ibrox side return to Glasgow with all three points, but Diomande was wrongfully sent off in the dying minutes.

In truth, it was a dreadful decision by referee Nick Walsh, but it shouldn’t take the shine away from how good Diomande was during the match.

The Ivorian is finally emerging into a player that is performing at a consistently high level, and he will be key for the Gers going forward.

Mohamed Diomande’s season in numbers

Diomande has missed just three matches for Rangers throughout the 2024/25 campaign, with one of them due to suspension.

During that time, the 23-year-old has scored five goals while registering four assists in all competitions under Clement.

His positional flexibility has seen the player operate either in a more advanced role as a number ten or in a defensive position, utilising his abilities in both positions.

He has impressed most in the Premiership. Along with his six goal contributions, Diomande has created four big chances, and averages one key pass while succeeding with one dribble per match, proving that he loves to get forward as much as possible from the heart of the pitch.

Defensively, the midfielder averages 1.1 tackles, 0.5 interceptions, recovers 4.1 balls per game and wins 54% of his ground duels. Judging by his heatmap (courtesy of Sofascore), Diomande covers a lot of ground, either trying to start an attack or providing cover for those bombing into the final third.

His performances have been impressive indeed, which has been reflected in his market value. According to Transfermarkt, the midfielder is now currently valued at £5m and this will only rise the better he performs over the coming months.

Despite having someone of this quality in his squad, Clement is always looking to add new talent to his first team. Will he be able to sign a player who is currently starring for another Premiership club this term?

Rangers eyeing move for Dundee starlet

A couple of weeks ago, the Scottish Sun reported that the Light Blues were considering making a pre-contract move to sign Dundee star Lyall Cameron, who was entering the final few months of his deal.

The report from the Sun claims that the Gers are leading the chase for Cameron’s signature, although there is plenty of attraction from other parties.

Indeed, Aberdeen have joined the fray, showing interest in launching their own move for the Dens Park talisman. He might get slightly more game time by joining the Dons, yet European football and a chance to win trophies are just a couple of the incentives on offer at Ibrox.

At the time of writing, Cameron is currently valued at just £850k by Transfermarkt, but should he make the move to Glasgow and continue the form he has displayed this season for the Gers, then there is no doubt his valuation will soar.

This could suggest that the Light Blues will have a wonderful chance of securing a significant profit on the Scot, especially if he begins to attract the attention of clubs from down south or abroad.

Market Movers

Last summer, Clement made a similar move by signing Connor Barron. Fast-forward a few months later and his value has risen significantly, reaffirming the rise Cameron could be about to enjoy if he moves to Glasgow.

Rangers' first Lyall Cameron

The Ibrox side had chased Barron’s signature for a while before finally signing their man last summer after he departed Aberdeen following the expiration of his contract.

During his spell with the Dons, the midfielder made 76 appearances for the club during his three full seasons at Pittodrie, quickly becoming one of the best young talents in Scotland, just as Cameron has shown throughout 2024/25.

The Scot was lauded by Scotland U21 manager Scot Gemmill while playing at Aberdeen last season, who said: “Connor is very impressive on and off the pitch the way he conducts himself.” And the midfielder has wasted no time in trying to make his mark for Rangers.

While he may have struggled to make the starting XI in recent weeks due to the form of Nico Raskin and Diomande, with both players shining as a midfield duo, Barron has still made 33 appearances for the club across all competitions.

Attacking the goal isn’t exactly his forte, but his ability to control possession from the middle of the pitch is exactly why Clement brought him to Rangers in the first place.

Indeed, his 90% pass success rate in the top flight proves this, while the former Aberdeen starlet wins 3.2 total duels per game along with averaging 1.8 tackles per game in the Premiership.

Accurate passes

24.3

42.5

Tackles

3

1.8

Interceptions

1.7

0.6

Ground duels won

3.7

3.2

Possession lost

7.7

6.8

He is still raw and developing all the time, but if Clement can manage the midfielder, there is no doubt he can be a star for the club over the next few years.

Connor Barron's market value in 2025

Although he joined upon the expiration of his contract, Rangers had to pay Aberdeen a compensation fee of around £600k.

This is small change, however, especially considering his valuation at the time of writing. According to Transfermarkt, Barron is now worth £2m and this figure has been rising ever since he arrived in Glasgow last summer.

It is evident that the club have struck gold on Barron. While he is undergoing a tough spell right now, he needs to continue to work hard and the midfielder will get his chance.

Furthermore, Barron is worth over £1m more than Cameron at this moment in time, which proves just how good a signing the youngster has been for the Gers.

Rangers have struck gold on "thunderous" star who is worth more Fernandes

Rangers have a player in their squad who has seen their market value increase rapidly.

1 ByRoss Kilvington Jan 25, 2025

West Ham United chiefs are in “ongoing” talks over signing an England player for new manager Graham Potter, with a high-ranking Hammers source telling one news outlet that a move for him is very much on the cards.

West Ham working to back Graham Potter in January

So far, Potter has suffered two defeats in the West Ham dugout and one thrilling win at home to high-flying Fulham, but the former Chelsea boss has scarcely had any time to implement the philosophy which brought him so much success at Brighton.

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ByEmilio Galantini Jan 21, 2025

Potter is also working with Julen Lopetegui’s players, and is yet to make his first official new signing as manager. That isn’t for lack of trying, as the 49-year-old is believed to be “very” keen on exploring loan deals for Chelsea duo Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Carney Chukwuemeka (ExWHUemployee).

Aston Villa (away)

January 26

Chelsea (away)

February 3

Brentford (home)

February 15

Arsenal (away)

February 22

Leicester City (home)

February 27

West Ham have also seen a new £57 million bid for Jhon Duran rejected out of hand, as their search for a new centre-forward to come in for injured duo Niclas Füllkrug and Michail Antonio carries on behind-the-scenes.

In any case, the east Londoners are working to back Potter at the London Stadium, and a new midfielder is believed to remain on their to-do list.

Another one of their reported targets, alongside the likes of Dewsbury-Hall and Chukwuemeka, is Lille midfielder Angel Gomes.

While this would be one for the summer, considering his contract expires at the end of this season, it is believed that West Ham are attempting to agree on a pre-contract with the Three Lions ace who earned his first ever international call-ups in late 2024.

The former Man United gem bagged eight assists across 31 Ligue 1 appearances for Lille last campaign, averaging a very impressive 91.3 per cent passing accuracy in their midfield (WhoScored), leaving little wonder the tidy, composed technician is attracting Premier League interest.

West Ham in "ongoing talks" with Angel Gomes over contract

According to a “senior” club source, speaking to Hammers News, West Ham are in “ongoing talks” with Gomes over signing for them – but they face stiff competition from London rivals Tottenham, who pose a “big” threat.

“Talks are ongoing but nothing is close and there’s competition given his status,” said the inside informant to Hammers News. “Tottenham are a big problem now.”

If Potter’s side can pip Ange Postecoglou to the 24-year-old’s signing, there is little denying he’d be an excellent coup, especially on a free deal.

“He’s the type of quality player you want your club looking at, obviously,” said pundit Paul Robinson to Tottenham News.

“He’s going to get more minutes at international level. He’s a top-quality player. A move back to the Premier League won’t be out of the question. If he’s playing at the top level, you want your club to be involved in the race.”

Pakistan seamer will provide fast-bowling cover with Naveen-ul-Haq still involved at the IPL

ESPNcricinfo staff23-May-2023

Naseem Shah played for Gloucestershire in the 2022 Blast•Getty Images

Leicestershire have signed Pakistan fast bowler Naseem Shah on a short-term deal for the start of the Vitality Blast.Naseem will act as cover for Afghanistan overseas Naveen-ul-Haq, who is currently involved in the IPL play-offs with Lucknow Super Giants. Naseem was due to arrive in England on Tuesday and be available for Leicestershire’s Blast opener against Lancashire on Thursday.”Having Naveen in the IPL play-offs meant we had to make a quick call and we are extremely excited to have secured someone of Naseem’s calibre,” Leicestershire Director of Cricket, Claude Henderson, said.”He’s proven to be a world-class performer in T20 cricket, and we look forward to seeing him in a Leicestershire shirt shortly.”Leicestershire start their campaign with back-to-back games, away to Lancashire and then at home to Warwickshire, followed by a trip to Worcestershire on Monday. Should Lucknow reach Sunday’s IPL final, then it is likely Naveen would miss all three fixtures.Naseem featured for Gloucestershire in the Blast last season, taking five wickets in three games. He was also signed by Welsh Fire to play in the Hundred, but withdrew due to international commitments.Naseem said: “I’m very excited to be joining the Foxes for the start of the Vitality Blast. I can’t wait to meet my team-mates and help win games for Leicestershire.”

أعلنت وزارة الشباب والرياضة، بشكل رسمي، يوم الثلاثاء 8 يوليو، عن موافقة مجلس النواب المصري على التعديلات التي تمت على قانون الرياضة.

وكانت وزارة الشباب والرياضة أجرت بعض التعديلات على قانون الرياضة، ويعد أبرزها اعتماد منع مجالس الإدارات من الترشح أكثر من مرتين متتاليتين.

وقال مصدر لـ بطولات في تصريحات خاصة: “وزير الرياضة أشرف صبحي، استقر على تأجيل انتخابات الأندية التي كان مقررا لها في نوفمبر المقبل، لمدة عام على أن تبدأ في بداية يوليو 2026”.

وأضاف: “هذا القرار لن يشمل الأندية التي لديها انتخابات في عام 2027، القرار يخص الأندية التي ستجري انتخابات هذا العام”.

وأوضح: “يأتي سبب هذا القرار، حتى يمنح الأندية فرصة لتوفيق أوضاعها بعد صدور قانون الرياضة الذي تم اعتماده من مجلس النواب”.
 
وأتم: “القرار قيد المراجعة الآن مع الجهات المختصة من أجل إعلانه بشكل رسمي وإعلان الصيغة النهائية لتأجيل الانتخابات”.

يذكر أن النادي الأهلي هو أحد أبرز الأندية التي كانت ستقام انتخاباتها في شهر نوفمبر المقبل للعام الحالي 2025.

Manchester City found themselves in an unusual position heading into Wednesday night’s Premier League clash with Nottingham Forest, having unbelievably lost their four league clashes before going into the contest at the Etihad.

Thankfully for City supporters watching on, Pep Guardiola’s men breezed past Forest to silence a growing contingent of doubters, with an emphatic 3-0 scoreline just what the doctor ordered after a dismal stretch of recent results.

The relief written on everyone’s faces associated with the usual table-toppers at the full-time whistle was clear to see, as stars such as a silky Kevin De Bruyne shone brightly all night long.

Standout performers for City

It goes without saying that the Belgian attacking midfielder is one of the best talents in the Premier League when he’s at his eye-catching best and he certainly was at the very top of his game across the 3-0 victory.

De Bruyne would ensure that any nerves inside the Etihad would dissipate when he resoundingly fired home the second goal of the contest, after some tricky feet from his compatriot, Jeremy Doku found him in plenty of space to strike a fierce effort past a helpless Matz Sels.

Whilst the City captain showed off his class with that finish, Doku would also time after time show off his daringness on the ball to push his stuttering side on to a much-needed three points, with the tricky 5 foot 8 ace amassing a stunning six successful dribbles to constantly leave the visitors guessing.

There were also the likes of Bernando Silva, who scored early on to kickstart the positive display, alongside Erling Haaland who set up Doku’s decisive third goal.

But, it was the performance of Jack Grealish that rightfully won plaudits when the dust had settled on the comprehensive win, with the former Aston Villa gem excelling in a deeper role for his bruised side to soften the continued blow of Rodri still being sidelined.

Grealish's performance in numbers

Accused of playing “like a mannequin at times” by ex-City shot-stopper Shay Given when chucked out to the left wing, Guardiola gambled on the exciting talent to come good in a holding midfield spot this mid-week, and it more than paid off.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast's Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

The City number ten would confidently spray the ball around the pitch across his 89 minutes, with Grealish exiting the field of play with a sublime 98% pass accuracy in-tact, alongside other glowing numbers.

That ability to keep things ticking in the centre of the park is akin to the absent Rodri, who averaged a 92% pass rate in the Premier League last season.

Looking at the graphic above, it was a well-rounded display from the England international, who offered the same energy as Rodri usually offers in spades with seven successful duels being won, alongside also showing off his comfortable nature joining in with attacks with two shots registered.

Grealish’s top showing in an unfamiliar position wouldn’t go unnoticed by Daily Express journalist Amos Murphy, who dished out a high 8/10 rating to the 29-year-old post-match, stating that he provided a ‘much-needed bounce’ centrally.

Struggling at times to find a position that has best suited him in Manchester, it could be that this tweak to play him alongside Ilkay Gundogan in a deep role is an ingenious one, with Guardiola also stating that the Birmingham-born star did “brilliantly” with what was asked of him.

With Rodri sidelined for the foreseeable, the Spaniard will hope he’s finally found an adequate short-term replacement for the Ballon D’Or winner in Grealish, rather than the ageing Gundogan, as fixtures continue to come full pelt this December in the Premier League.

Man City’s next five PL fixtures
Date	Opponent	Location
7th of December	Crystal Palace	Away
15th of December	Manchester United	Home
21st of December	Aston Villa	Away
26th of December	Everton	Home
29th of December	Leicester City	Away
Sourced by Transfermarkt

The fixture list is also tough arguably, with a trip to Grealish’s former employers coming soon alongside a tense Manchester Derby, but Guardiola will hope his troops have turned a corner after a comfortable win over Nuno Espirito Santo’s side.

Man City readying move to sign "ball-striking monster" to replace Alvarez

Manchester City are looking to bolster their forward line with an exciting addition in January.

By
Ben Gray

Dec 4, 2024

Pat Cummins won’t reveal the make up of his team until the toss in Nagpur

Alex Malcolm08-Feb-20231:38

Cummins explains the difficulty of winning in India

Pat Cummins says he won’t reveal Australia’s first Test XI until the toss on Thursday, but Todd Murphy is firming to make his Test debut, while Peter Handscomb’s chances of a Test recall are increasing as Australia are wary of the problems too many left-hand batters might face on a made-to-order Nagpur pitch.The ground staff at the VCA Stadium were seen carefully curating the pitch two days before the start of the match, including doing selective watering of the surface. They watered the middle of the pitch and the areas outside the right-handers’ off stump at one end, but left those on a good length outside the left-handers’ off stump at both ends bone dry. There was also brushing and selective mowing of certain areas.Speaking from the team hotel on Wednesday morning, Cummins, the Australia captain, was not drawn into a discussion on pitch preparation, but did note that it would be a factor in Australia’s selection for the match.Related

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“I think it is a factor over here,” he said. “With so much traffic from the right-handers bowling, at times there is a bit more out there for the left-handers. The Indian line-up is going to be packed full of right-handers, so I think it plays a small factor.”Cummins ruled allrounder Cameron Green out of the series opener against India. Matt Renshaw had taken his place in Australia’s last Test match, but keeping him in for this one would mean five left-hand batters in the top seven having to deal with the bone-dry area of the pitch that is likely to get chewed up, as both teams have only right-arm quicks in their attack. While Cummins did not explicitly say that put Handscomb ahead in the pecking order, the chances of his recall seem to be increasing.Australia are set to play a four-man bowling attack with Cummins and Scott Boland to play as the two quicks in the absence of the injured duo of Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc. Nathan Lyon will be their lead spinner. That leaves left-arm spinner Ashton Agar and offspinner Todd Murphy fighting for the last spot in the XI.1:11

O’Keefe: Todd Murphy will be a superstar

“I think he’d be as prepared as he could be,” Cummins said of the uncapped Murphy. “He’s been bowling beautifully in the nets over here. He’s started really well for Victoria in first-class cricket. If he got the nod, he’s got Nathan Lyon down the other end that he can work with; he’s ready. Everyone in the squad here has had really good preparation. Whoever we pick is 100% ready to go.”The fear of playing two specialist offspinners – and leaving Agar out – against India’s right-hand dominant batting line-up may have dissipated within the Australian camp after seeing the pitch on Tuesday.”It’s a factor. These conditions, they really spin, so just really good bowling is what you’re after, being consistent time and time again,” Cummins said. “I don’t think you need to go searching for anything more; the conditions will come to you.”You’ve seen Nath be really, really effective over here [with] a lot of bat-pad, leg-slip catches for the right-handers. So ideally, you’ve got variety in any attack, but I don’t think it has to be the case just for that sake.”Cummins has had an incredible record of winning tosses as Australia Test captain, with seven of his last eight and nine of 13 overall so far falling in his favour. He is hoping to keep that run of success going in Nagpur, but believes the toss may not be as big a factor if the pitch is a raging turner.”I think we’ll bat,” Cummins laughed. “I think when the conditions spin from day one, it’s actually not. I think you’ve seen India’s record. They win just as many games batting second as they do batting first. I think it can be overstated when the conditions do spin really quickly.”

Jonathan David is among those to have been linked with Manchester United, but the Canadian striker has hinted that his future lies elsewhere.

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Impressive strike rate in Ligue 1Allowing contract to expireLinked with teams across EuropeFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱GettyWHAT HAPPENED?

The 25-year-old forward continues to generate plenty of interest after revealing that he will be severing ties with Lille as a free agent this summer when his contract expires. David has enjoyed five productive seasons in France, but is ready to spread his wings once more.

AdvertisementTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The Canada international has hit 23 goals this season, while only Mohamed Salah, Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappe posted more goal involvements than he managed in 2024. It is that end product that is catching the eye of United and clubs across Europe.

Getty ImagesWHAT JONATHAN DAVID SAID

David is not ruling out a move to the Premier League, but admits that it has always been his dream to play in Spain. He has told the podcast: “To be honest, I think I can adapt to every League. Every league has their differences. I think the Premier League is a lot faster and more physical than all the other leagues.

“But I grew up watching a lot of La Liga. I wouldn’t say that would be my preferred league, but I think that’s a league that I enjoyed watching the most… I think one day, I would like to play there. But will that happen? I don’t know. I’m not opposed to anything, and we’ll just see where the future takes us.”

DID YOU KNOW?

David added on readying himself for another challenge, having already passed several difficult tests in his career to date: “I've had difficult moments, especially my first season and even my first two seasons at Lille. I think I had a dry spell, but now I'm scoring so much. But for me in those situations, it's about putting your focus on the work, so doing extra after training and always working hard, and knowing something will happen.

“Knowing I've put the work in gives me more confidence on the pitch, knowing that I did what I could, so I have no regrets. Normally, I'm more of a reserved, shy guy, but moving to different countries makes you evolve as a person and makes you come out of your shell. You have to get involved. As a player, everywhere you go you have to adapt because the culture is different, the play style is different, the players are different are there are different expectations of you.”

Glasgow Rangers finally confirmed the appointment of their new chief executive officer with the arrival of Patrick Stewart, who will officially arrive next month.

James Bisgrove left the role six months ago and it has taken half a year for the Scottish giants to find his successor, with this appointment of the former Manchester United chief.

He worked with the Premier League side for almost 20 years and, therefore, arrives at Ibrox with knowledge of how a big club operates and makes ruthless decisions.

Nils Koppen was recently confirmed as the club’s new technical director and Stewart will work with him, alongside the rest of the board, to make key decisions on the club’s future.

The former Manchester United chief does not come in at the easiest of times at Ibrox, however, as the team have been struggling on the pitch in recent weeks.

Rangers dropped points in the Scottish Premiership at the weekend as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Dundee United in Glasgow, and it has led to more speculation over the future of manager Philippe Clement.

The case for Philippe Clement to be sacked

RangersReview recently reported that Stewart will have the biggest say on day-to-day operations at Rangers and that his first decision upon his arrival, in the middle of next month, will be whether or not the manager will keep his job.

Football Insider have also claimed that the Light Blues will not make an immediate decision on the head coach’s future, after the draw with Dundee United, and that could be because they are waiting for the new CEO to start.

The issue is that the Gers play six times before Stewart’s start date, including a Europa League clash with Tottenham Hotspur and a League Cup final against Celtic.

So far this season, Clement’s side have lost three times and drawn twice in their 12 Premiership games and find themselves a whopping 11 points adrift in the title race, which has led to speculation around the head coach’s position.

Motherwell

5th

2-1 win

Celtic

1st

3-0 loss

Dundee United

4th

1-0 win

Aberdeen

2nd

2-1 loss

Dundee United

4th

1-1 draw

As you can see in the table above, Rangers have only won two of their five games against the other teams inside the current top five in the Premiership, losing two and drawing one.

Clement’s team were also knocked out by Dynamo Kyiv in the Champions League play-off in August, adding further fuel to the fire, and that coupled with the dismal form in the league is why Stewart must ditch the manager when he arrives next month.

It is not just the manager who should be ditched by the incoming CEO, however, as striker Cyriel Dessers is one player who must be moved on when the January transfer window opens for business in just over a month.

Cyriel Dessers' form for Rangers last season

In the summer of 2023, former Rangers head coach Michael Beale swooped to sign the Nigeria international from Cremonese for a reported fee of £4.5m.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast's Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

He ended the 2023/24 campaign with a return of 22 goals and nine assists in all competitions, which sounds like a very solid return on paper. However, the underlying numbers behind his performances suggested that it was a difficult season for the former Serie A marksman.

In the Europa League, Dessers scored one goal in seven games and struggled badly out of possession. He lost a whopping 74% of his duels in those seven outings, which shows that opposition defenders found it far too easy to get the better of him in physical contests.

Appearances

35

Goals

16

Big chances missed

27

Conversion rate

16%

Pass accuracy

70%

Duel success rate

33%

As you can see in the table above, the 29-year-old forward was incredibly wasteful in front of goal with a staggering 27 ‘big chances’ missed in the Premiership.

He was also, as was the case in Europe, dominated by opposition defenders on a regular basis, which meant that Rangers did not have a reliable outlet to hit in the number nine position.

Why Cyriel Dessers should be sold

Stewart could seal an instant masterclass at Ibrox by parting ways with the manager and then cashing in on Dessers when the January transfer window opens, as his struggles have continued into the current season.

The £27k-per-week striker has not kicked on and improved in his second campaign with the Light Blues. He is still struggling with the same issues that he had in the 2023/24 campaign, as his finishing has been wasteful and his play out of possession has left a lot to be desired.

In the Europa League, Dessers has scored one goal from 2.57 xG and missed five ‘big chances’ in just four outings, whilst losing 68% of his duels with opposition defenders. This means that he has scored two goals in 11 games in the competition since the start of last term.

Unfortunately, the experienced marksman has also failed to provide consistent quality on the pitch in the Premiership, with one goal in five games against the other teams inside the top five.

Appearances

12

Goals

4

Big chances missed

6

Pass accuracy

72%

Duel success rate

34%

As you can see in the table above, Dessers has only scored one goal in every three matches on average and, again, missed more ‘big chances’ than he has scored goals, whilst also being dominated out of possession.

The Nigerian centre-forward has scored 20 goals and missed a whopping 33 ‘big chances’ in the Premiership since the start of the 2023/24 campaign, which illustrates how wasteful he has been in front of goal.

With this, and his £27k-per-week wage, in mind, one of Stewart’s first tasks must be to work with Koppen to find a suitor for the striker in January, as Rangers must find an upgrade on him in the number nine position to improve their form domestically and in Europe.

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It would be an instant masterclass from the new CEO if he can brutally ditch Dessers, alongside Clement, and land a more reliable centre-forward for the Ibrox giants.