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Despite falling to his first defeat as Aston Villa manager, Steven Gerrard would no doubt have been left impressed by a number of his players following Wednesday night.

The Villans were beaten 2-1 by Premier League champions Manchester City at Villa Park, and brought an end to the quick turnaround in results Gerrard had produced in his first couple of weeks in the dugout.

One man who epitomised that newfound belief at the club, was Marvelous Nakamba.

The Zimbabwe international was at his energetic and dynamic best on Wednesday, covering every blade of glass looking to stop City from playing through the lines and dominating proceedings.

As per Sofascore, the midfielder won seven duels on the night – only Ollie Watkins and John McGinn won more – while nobody made more than his quite impressive six tackles (Matty Cash could only match it).

Nakamba was quick to snap at the feet of City’s attacking players, and was only taken off by Gerrard late on in the second half for the Villa boss to inject some fresh energy.

And, writing in his post-match player ratings for The Birmingham Mail, Ashley Preece gave him a seven, saying: “Tackled well as Villa’s middle man in midfield once again. Nakamba was workmanlike in his approach once more here before he ran himself into the ground as Sanson injected some energy for the final 13 or so minutes. Another good effort from Nakamba.”

On Twitter, journalist James Hendicott dubbed the Zimbabwean as an “absolute revelation” under Gerrard, and that he “looks a superb player all of a sudden.”

As is often the case with new managers coming in, there will be players who fall by the wayside and others who come more into the reckoning, and under Gerrard, Nakamba looks like a player reborn.

He’s started the past three games for the new Villa boss, while yesterday was the first time Gerrard had actually taken him off.

While much of the focus will be on how the former Liverpool captain can get the best out of Villa’s numerous attacking players, his ability to coach Nakamba into a midfield machine could be key too.

Meanwhile, this Villa man had a “rough night” vs City…

Aston Villa should consider sanctioning the sale of Anwar El Ghazi in the January transfer window.

What’s been said?

That’s according to Ex-Premier League goalkeeper Paddy Kenny, who, in a recent interview with Football Insider, called for Aston Villa director of football Johan Lange to cash in on the 26-year-old this winter, following recent reports that Villa would be willing to accept an £18m offer for the winger amid interest from AS Roma.

Speaking about the future of El Ghazi, Kenny said: “He’s not been in their plans for a while now, so I don’t think this would be a bad move at all. If it frees money and wages up to maybe bring someone in January in, get it done.

“They’ve got a lot of really good attacking players now. Unfortunately, that means that they are going to have to have a bit of a clearout. If he is interested in that move and is ready to move to Italy, then it makes sense for both parties to go for it.”

Stealing a living

After enjoying an impressive debut campaign at Villa Park on a season-long loan deal from LOSC Lille back in 2018/19 – scoring five goals and registering six assists over 31 Championship appearances – a move which Villa would spend £8.1m to make permanent in the summer of 2019, the future appeared to be bright for El Ghazi under the guidance of Dean Smith.

Indeed, after another decent season in 2019/20, with the £11.7m-rated man scoring four goals, providing four assists and creating for big chances over 34 Premier League appearances, the Netherlands international went on to score a highly impressive ten goals over just 28 top-flight fixtures last term – finishing as the club’s second-highest goalscorer in the league.

However, following the £100m sale of Jack Grealish this summer, Lange brought in a wealth of new attacking talent to Villa Park, landing the signings of players such as Emiliano Buendia, Leon Bailey and Danny Ings.

As a result, the £38k-per-week El Ghazi has fallen down Smith’s pecking order, making just four Premier League appearances so far this season, as well as averaging a disappointing SofaScore match rating of just 6.63.

As such, while it is undeniable that the man who The Villa View Podcast dubbed an “inconsistent” player has been a useful part of Smith’s squad over the years, considering his rather hefty weekly wage, the club should not allow the 26-year-old to simply sit on the bench for the remainder of the season.

That leads us to agree with Kenny’s claim that Lange should move the winger on in January – with it beginning to appear as if El Ghazi is somewhat stealing a living at present.

In other news: Aston Villa dealt potential blow on “exemplary” £5.2k-p/w beast, Johan Lange must act

The West Indies captain lauded his players for fighting hard under adverse circumstances

Cricinfo staff14-Jul-2009

Floyd Reifer led a weakened West Indies team to defeat in the first Test against Bangladesh, but he chose to see the brighter side of a dispiriting loss, lauding his players for fighting hard under adverse circumstances. “For a team that was brought here right before the Test match, I thought we really fought well,” he said. “We represent West Indies and we’ll go to Grenada [the venue for the next Test] and fight hard.””It was a rush,” Reifer said about the experience coming into this Test. “But we’ve been training and practicing hard, and it’s good to be back here again playing Test cricket.”Reifer singled out the performance of the batsmen in the first innings as the factor that tilted the game in Bangladesh’s favour. West Indies were bowled out for 307 in their reply to Bangladesh’s 238, but only after Dave Bernard and Darren Sammy helped take them into the lead following a middle-order wobble. Each of the first five batsmen, including Reifer, reached double figures, but only one among them went on to score a half-century. “In the first innings, a lot of the guys got starts but never carried on to make big scores,” he said. “Omar Phillips made 94, but we should have got a bigger total in the first innings.”Reifer’s Barbados team-mate Kemar Roach, who grabbed six wickets in his debut Test, came in for special praise. Roach finished with 3 for 67 in the second innings with the wickets of Mushfiqur Rahim, and Mahmudullah in the morning on the fifth day. “The first time I saw him [Roach] as an under-19 bowler, I always thought he was going to play for West Indies. He does a lot, especially with the old ball, getting it to move in and out and he performed very well this morning, bowling decent lengths and lines.”While mentioning that West Indies could opt for an extra batsman for the next Test to counter the Bangladesh spinners, Reifer added he would want a more competitive surface for his fast bowlers – his team’s main strength. “We would want some more grass on the wicket, and some bounce,” he said.

Kevin Phillips says Everton’s Tom Davies ‘might need to leave to further his career’, which has ‘stagnated’ at Goodison Park. 

The lowdown

According to a report from Football Insider last month, Davies’ future is in doubt.

His £25,000-per-week contract expires in June 2023 and there’s apparently yet to be any progress towards an extension.

This uncertainty has alerted Crystal Palace, who are keeping a close eye on the situation, claims a source for the outlet.

Davies has yet to start a Premier League game this season but has played three times as a substitute, albeit for a total of just 34 minutes (via WhoScored).

New boss Rafael Benitez has shown a preference for Allan and Abdoulaye Doucoure in the middle of the park.

Despite his limited involvement in 2021/22, Davies’ Transfermarkt value remains as high as it’s ever been at £16.2million.

The latest

Speaking to Football Insider, Phillips reflected on how the landscape had changed for Davies for his boyhood club.

“His career has stagnated a bit,” he said. “18 months ago the kid was getting a lot of game time and playing good football.

“The problem for him is, Allan and Doucoure have come in. Their arrival has pushed him down the pecking order. He is at the back of the pecking order really.”

While supporters may be particularly reluctant to see an academy product go, Phillips says Davies has to look after his own interests.

“Is his time at Everton up? Maybe,” he said. “The fans will not want to see him leave because he is a good young player who’s come through the academy there.

“But, I think Davies knows that he might need to leave to further his career.

“Davies may need to look for a move in January and I think he’d be a very good signing for someone. I think a move will be on the cards in January.”

The verdict

There may still be opportunities for Davies. Allan will turn 31 in January and his injury record suggests there will be periods of absence.

It’s a question of whether Davies is happy to accept a back-up role at his hometown club for now, or whether he’s determined to be playing week-in, week-out further down the league.

He seems to be one of those who’s suffered slightly from the change of manager, but it’s still very early days in Benitez’s tenure.

In other news, fans were buzzing over this transfer news.

تمكن نادي النصر السعودي بقيادة مدربه الجديد الفرنسي رودي جارسيا من تحقيق الفوز مساء اليوم الإثنين أمام توريمولينوس الإسباني بهدفين لهدف.

دخل المدرب الفرنسي جارسيا اللقاء بتشكيل كالتالي:

حراسة المرمى: وليد عبد الله.

خط الدفاع: سلطان الغنام، عبدالاله العمري، علي لاجامي، جيسلان كونان.

خط الوسط: عبدالمجيد الصليهم، علي الحسن، بيتي مارتينيز، سامي النجعي، تاليسكا.

الهجوم: فينسنت أبو بكر.

اقرأ أيضًا.. متحدث النصر السعودي السابق: موقف أبو جبل قوي جدًا ولو حدث ما أخشاه سيكون النادي في خطر شديد

سجل الهداف الكاميروني فينسنت أبوبكر هدف النصر الأول في شوط اللقاء الأول، مستغلًا تمريرة على طبق من ذهب من سامي النجعي، وفي نفس الشوط أضاف البرازيلي أنديرسون تاليسكا ثاني أهداف العالمي، مستغلًا ارتداد تصويبة بيتي من حارس الفريق الإسباني، لينتهي الشوط الأول بتفوق النصر بثنائية نظيفة.

📹 | هدف #العالمي الاول | فنيسنت ابو بكر | مباراة #النصر_توريمولينوس الاسباني#العالمي_في_ماربيا_برعاية_سوم 💛 pic.twitter.com/wmjesiTc9y — نادي النصر السعودي (@AlNassrFC) August 8, 2022

دفع رودي جارسيا بعدة تبديلات في الشوط الثاني، أبرزها مشاركة بعبد الله مادو وماجد قشيش وعبد الفتاح آدم وحمد المنصور كبدلاء لعلي لاجامي وتاليسكا وبيتي وسلطان الغنام.

وفي بداية الشوط الثاني أحرز توريمولينوس هدفه الوحيد عبر هدف عكسي لينتهي اللقاء بفوز النصر بهدفين لهدف.

وسبق وأن لعب النصر 3 مباريات ودية تحضيرية في الصيف الجاري الأولى أمام لاس بالماس وانتهت بالتعادل 2-2، وفاز على مواطنه سرقسطة 2-1 في التجربة الثانية، وكسب ملقا 2-0.

وينتظر أن يلعب النصر الودية الأخيرة أمام قادش الخميس مع العودة للعاصمة الرياض يوم الجمعة.

📹 | هدف #العالمي الثاني | اندرسون تاليسكا | مباراة #النصر_توريمولينوس الاسباني#العالمي_في_ماربيا_برعاية_سوم 💛 pic.twitter.com/eqkOqAIakq — نادي النصر السعودي (@AlNassrFC) August 8, 2022

وكان النصر أنهى الموسم الماضي في المركز الثالث في جدول ترتيب الدوري السعودي للمحترفين ليتأكد مشاركته في كأس السوبر المحلي.

النصر نجح هذا الصيف في ضم الظهير الأيسر الإيفواري جيسلان كونان من ستاد ريمس في صفقة انتقال حر عقب نهاية تعاقده مع النادي الفرنسي، بجانب ضم الحارس الكولومبي المخضرم ديفيد أوسبينا في صفقة انتقال مجانية عقب انتهاء تعاقده مع نابولي الإيطالي، بجانب البرازيلي لويس جوستافو.

In weather more suited to Sheffield than Sharjah the most surrealRoses match in recent memory was decided by the Duckworth/Lewis method aftertorrential rain forced the players from the field for Yorkshire to bepronounced comfortable 156-run winners

Mark Pennell25-Mar-2009
ScorecardIn weather more suited to Sheffield than Sharjah the most surrealRoses match in recent memory was decided by the Duckworth/Lewis method aftertorrential rain forced the players from the field for Yorkshire to bepronounced comfortable 156-run winners.The victory ensured Yorkshire finished third in the pre-season Pro Arch Trophy event and, as if to rub salt in their rival’s wounds, it emerged later that Lancashire’s new skipper, 34-year-old Glen Chapple, may be sidelined for a fortnight after collecting a hamstringinjury.Lancashire’s pursuit of Yorkshire’s mammoth total of 310 for 5, builtaround hundreds from Anthony McGrath and Joe Sayers, was already on theropes when torrential a storm with lightning called a halt to the contest.Sayers and McGrath shared a second-wicket stand of 237 – a tournamentrecord – to heap pressure on Lancashire whose best riposte came fromStephen Parry with 3 for 44 from eight overs. Lancashire coach Peter Moores remained phlegmatic afterwards saying:”We can have no complaints, they were just better than us on the day.”Having been forced to field first after losing the toss, Lancashiremade the best of starts when Steven Cheetham had Andrew Gale caught atmid-on by Chapple in the first over.But Sayers and his skipper McGrath then rode their luck, both enjoyinga life, to go on and bat Lancashire out of the game. McGrath, droppedon 84, raced to three figures off 97 balls with 10 fours and threesixes then immediately afterwards Sayers, who was reprieved on 78, postedhis maiden limited-overs century from 123 balls with seven fours andtwo sixes.Steven Mullaney eventually sent McGrath packing before Parry dismissedSayers, yet Yorkshire still had power to add through Tim Bresnan’squick-fire 40.Within six overs of their reply Lancashire were deep in trouble on 18 for 2 after losing Kyle Hogg and a fit-again Mal Loye. Adrian Shankar followed them back to the pavilion soon after, and when Tom Smith came to the crease in place of Chapple, Lancashire were 69 for 5 and already down and virtually out.Steve Patterson and David Wainwright picked up two wickets apiece andwere gunning for more when the game was abandoned after 37 overs.Commenting on Chapple’s injury, Moores added: “He has got a tear inhis hamstring we think, but we don’t know how bad it is. It could be aniggle or it could be something slightly more serious.”He will have a scan when we get back to England. He will face sometime out, but how long that is going to be remains to be seen.”

MatériaMais Notícias

Sassá está vivendo uma nova fase. Após uma passagem pelo Botafogo marcada por polêmicas e problemas disciplinares, o atacante parece ter se encontrado no Cruzeiro. E segundo o próprio, deixou de lado a personalidade polêmica.

O jogador concedeu entrevista nesta segunda-feira, na Toca da Raposa, após marcar o gol de empate do Cruzeiro diante do Flamengo, no último domingo. Sassá admitiu mudar sua postura nas redes sociais, já que suas postagens sempre geravam polêmicas, e afirma estar se tornando uma pessoa politicamente correta.

-Está chato (o futebol). Eu sou a prova viva disso. A gente não pode postar nada em rede social, não pode brincar com time adversário… Estou até evitando postar no Instagram, estou sendo bastante xingado. Eu gosto de brincar, futebol é alegria, brincadeira. Mas agora tem que ser politicamente correto.

Durante a coletiva, Sassá tentou se esquivar de falar sobre sua saída conturbada do Botafogo, mas suas palavras não deixaram de alfinetar o ex-clube e o treinador Jair Ventura.

-Não vou falar o que quero. Do contrário, vai dar trabalho. Está doido. Com o Jair, no Botafogo, eu comecei desde a base, aqui no Cruzeiro é outra história, o Mano tem muito mais bagagem, vou aprender bastante, espero crescer bastante. Mas não é isso que quero falar não.

Sassá rasgou elogios à estrutura do Cruzeiro e afirma ter se encontrado jogando em Belo Horizonte, onde considera ter mais projeção:

-Queria vir para um lugar mais tranquilo e onde eu poderia ter mais repercussão. Cruzeiro é time grande, onde posso me projetar ainda mais. E aqui é mais tranquilo de viver.

Sassá e o Cruzeiro voltam a entrar em campo nesta quinta-feira, quando enfrentam o Fluminense, no Giulite Coutinho, pela 15ª rodada do Brasileiro.

RelacionadasBrasileirãoATUAÇÕES: Everton se destaca no Fla; Sassá é o melhor do CruzeiroBrasileirão16/07/2017BrasileirãoNúmeros da Bola: Estatísticas de Cruzeiro 1×1 FlamengoBrasileirão16/07/2017CruzeiroApesar do empate, Mano elogia Cruzeiro: ‘É esse o caminho’Cruzeiro16/07/2017

Chris Gayle, who played a crucial role in ensuring West Indies remained competitive against New Zealand, has said that mental preparation was the key to his recent success

Cricinfo staff15-Jan-2009
Chris Gayle’s stunning form has made him the world’s No. 1 ODI batsman © Getty Images
Chris Gayle, the West Indies captain, has said that mental preparation was the key to his recent success. He played a crucial role in ensuring West Indies were competitive against New Zealand and finished as the top run-scorer in both the Tests and the one-dayers.”I’m not crazy but I talk to myself,” he said after the final ODI against New Zealand in Napier. “It’s my way of working on the mental side. I analyse their [opposition] bowling and what attack I’ll be up against and those sorts of things. I’ll do that for the series against England as well.”Gayle has hit four centuries in his last nine one-day innings to become the No. 1 ODI batsman. “Once I’m ready mentally, trust me, I can guarantee that I’ll get some runs.”Gayle and the ever-reliable Shivnarine Chanderpaul were again the key performers against New Zealand and Gayle was unhappy that his side’s younger batsmen, such as Xavier Marshall and Kieron Pollard, didn’t perform better during the series. “Although quite a few didn’t get among the runs, it was a learning process for them,” he said. “They should go back home, play some good first-class matches and make the best use of the opportunities when they come around again.”However with a packed schedule ahead once the England series gets underway, Gayle wanted the senior players to get some rest. “I’d advise players to get a break and sort themselves out to be ready for the first Test in Jamaica [starts on February 4],” he said. “When you check the itinerary there is a lot of cricket coming up.”West Indies play four Tests, five ODIs and a Twenty20 in the home series which ends on April 3, before heading out to England less than three weeks later for two Tests and three ODIs. That will be followed by the World Twenty20 in June before they host Bangladesh for two Tests and three ODIs.

Cricinfo previews the fifth ODI between Sri Lanka and India in Colombo

Cricinfo staff07-Feb-2009Match factsSunday, February 8, 2009
Start time 10:00 local, (04:30 GMT)
Sanath Jayasuriya has been kept quiet after his century in the series opener. Will he step up to prevent a whitewash?© AFP
The Big PictureIt’s been a demoralising series for Sri Lanka, but they need to pick themselves up for Sunday’s final game to avoid their first-ever whitewash in a five-match contest. Mahela Jayawardene hasn’t been able to do much to arrest the slide. He tinkered with the bowling combination in the previous two games but Sri Lanka still leaked in excess of 300 in both matches. His hands have been tied as far as the batting line-up is concerned – the four senior batsmen and the promising Thilina Kandamby being undroppable, leaving little room for personnel changes.Winning the toss could be one way he can help – the spinners have had plenty of assistance when they bowl second at the Premadasa but Muttiah Muralitharan and Ajantha Mendis haven’t had the chance to bowl under lights.India are on their longest winning streak in one-day internationals but have to watch out for complacency. One motivation for them is that if Australia beat New Zealand on Sunday, and India lose, they will slip back to No. 3 in the rankings.ODI form guide (most recent first)Sri Lanka LLLLW
India WWWWWWatch out for …Sanath Jayasuriya has enjoyed some success against India at the Premadasa Stadium, and the fact that he has only scored 44 from three innings after his century in game one suggests he is due for some runs. If he survives the early overs, the Indian bowlers could be in for a tough time. With the series out of control and pride on the line, don’t be put it beyond the 39-year-old to provide some fireworks on Sunday.Gautam Gambhir shrugged off an indifferent series with a career-best 150 in the last game. Gambhir’s strategy of walking down the track before the delivery may have a bit of risk in it, but it clearly speaks of his self-assurance and purpose of throwing the bowler off key. Virender Sehwag’s early departure forced Gambhir to steady himself and set a platform, and together with Mahendra Singh Dhoni he flourished. Dhoni always speaks of getting good starts, so it would fall on Gambhir to bat responsibly.TeamsIndia are probably going to rest Yuvraj Singh and Praveen Kumar and bring in Sachin Tendulkar and L Balaji. Tendulkar received three dubious decisions before being rested for the fourth ODI, and he will be itching to get in an innings of substance before India head off on a grueling tour of New Zealand. Balaji was recalled to the team in place of an injured Munaf Patel and, on the back of a good domestic season, will be keen to add to his 29 ODI appearances, the last of which came in 2005 in Sri Lanka. There is also a possibility that India will hand young allrounder Ravindra Jadeja his maiden Indian cap, and sit out the left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha. Zaheer Khan may come back too.India: (likely) 1 Sachin Tendulkar, 2 Virender Sehwag, 3 Gautam Gambhir, 4 Suresh Raina, 5 Rohit Sharma, 6 Mahendra Singh Dhoni (capt & wk), 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Irfan Pathan, 9 Zaheer Khan, 10 L Balaji, 11 Ishant Sharma.Sri Lanka gave no indication of making any changes to their squad the day before the final match. Chamara Kapugedera failed again, so his spot is under pressure. If he does indeed make way it would be for Jehan Mubarak, unless Sri Lanka bring in Upul Tharanga, who has not got a match all series, and move a patchy Tillakaratne Dilshan back to the middle order.Sri Lanka: (probable) 1 Sanath Jayasuriya, 2 Upul Tharanga, 3 Kumar Sangakkara (wk), 4 Mahela Jayawardene (capt), 5 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 6 Thilina Kandamby, 7, Angelo Mathews, 8 Farveez Maharoof, 9 Nuwan Kulasekara, 10 Muttiah Muralitharan, 11 Ajantha Mendis.Pitch and conditionsThe pitch is expected to be more like the last two, unlike the second game, even though this is a day game. As Ishant Sharma put it, “it would be better to bowl first as conditions will be helpful. The track becomes flat as the match progresses, to even 300 becomes an easy target’.Stats & Trivia Yuvraj and Dhoni have been the most successful batsmen against Murali. Yuvraj has scored 47 from 58 balls and been dismissed once, while Dhoni has done better, scoring 45 off 42 without getting out to him. Murali has proved expensive this series, going for 203 runs in 40 overs at 5.07-an-over. Sri Lanka have struggled in the middle overs in the three matches they’ve lost chasing. They have lost an average of five wickets between overs 16 and 40, and have averaged 29.86 at a rate of 4.48. India’s figures tell a different tale. They’ve lost 11 wickets at an average of 52.54, and have scored at a healthy rate of 5.78.Dilshan and Jayasuriya average 39.83 while batting together. However, after an impressive display against Pakistan, they’ve been below-par in this series (at the bottom), averaging just 19.25.

Glasgow Rangers have been dealt a big blow as Ianis Hagi is now likely to miss their next two games.

The Lowdown: International break

Hagi was called up to the Romania squad for their FIFA World Cup qualifying matches against Liechtenstein and North Macedonia.

He certainly caught the eye against the former, grabbing himself an assist, as well as winning five of his duels and recording three successful dribbles and three key passes (Sofascore).

The Latest: Hagi illness

As quoted by The Daily Record, the Romanian FA have now revealed that Hagi has returned a positive Covid test, and as a result missed their clash with North Macedonia:

“Today (Tuesday) around noon, Ianis Hagi complained of slight headaches in the Skopje national team’s camp.

“He performed a quick test under the coordination of the medical staff of the national team and the result is positive.

“The player immediately went into isolation. Until today, on the occasion of this action of the national team, Ianis had performed 5 Covid tests, all with a negative result.”

It also means that he is now likely to miss the Light Blues’ next two games against St Johnstone in the Scottish Premiership and Lyon in the UEFA Europa League respectively.

The Verdict: Blow

It is certainly a huge blow for Steven Gerrard to now lose one of their key players in Hagi for their next two fixtures, especially against Lyon.

The Liverpool and England legend would have wanted to get off to a good start in the Europa League, but it looks like they will have to try and do it without the 22-year-old.

Dubbed ‘brilliant’ by Gerrard after his impressive performance in their 1-0 home win over Alashkert earlier on in the season, Hagi has certainly been playing well so far this season, scoring two goals and making one assist in six appearances in total over all competitions (Transfermarkt).

Nonetheless, the Ibrox faithful will have to find another source of creativity for the next week or so.

In other news, find out which Premier League club tried to sign this ‘magnificent’ Gers star here!