وجه كونراد ميشالاك لاعب الزمالك الأسبق، رسالة إلى جمهور القلعة البيضاء بعد رحيله عن الفريق والانضمام إلى نادي بانيتوليكوس اليوناني خلال فترة الانتقالات الصيفية الجارية.
وانتقل كونراد ميشالاك، إلى صفوف الزمالك في صيف 2024 قادمًا من فريق أُحد السعودي على سبيل الإعارة.
وقال ميشالاك عبر حسابه الشخصي على موقع التواصل الاجتماعي “إنستجرام”: “جماهير الزمالك الأعزاء كما يعلم الكثير منكم، انتهت رسميا رحلتي الكروية مع نادي الزمالك في 9 فبراير 2025”.
وأكمل: “أحيانًا في كرة القدم لا تسير الأمور كما ترغب، لكنني سأظل دائما أذكر اللحظات الجميلة والبطولة التي فزنا بها معا في الموسم الماضي”.
طالع | مدرب هلال القدس: عدي الدباغ سيكرر مع الزمالك سيناريو وسام أبو علي.. وهذه مميزات اللاعب
وأردف: “أود أن أغتنم هذه الفرصة لأتوجه بالشكر الصادق لجميع زملائي في الفريق، وخاصة لجماهير الزمالك، لقد كنتم مذهلين حقا”.
وأتم: “طوال فترة تواجدي في النادي، شعرت بدعمكم العميق، وكنت فخورا بارتداء قميص ناد يمتلك جماهير بهذه العاطفة والوفاء أتمنى لكم كل التوفيق، لأن الجماهير والجهاز الفني واللاعبين يستحقون ذلك بكل تأكيد، ومع خالص الامتنان كونراد ميشالاك”.
Karun Nair’s unbeaten fifty underpins Northants hopes after Hassan Azad falls for 48
Vithushan Ehantharajah19-Sep-2023Even with an 18-point lead at the top of Division One and facing bottom-of-the-table Northamptonshire at home, Surrey arrived into this penultimate match of the season wary of complacency. At the Kia Oval, in weather confirming summer was really over, it was Tom Lawes, one of their own, who stepped up to maintain standards.Northamptonshire closed on 171 for the loss of 6, Lawes’ nagging, surprisingly brisk seamers responsible for half of them. A simple equation is two wins give Surrey the title, which is all they care about. The fine print for the rest of us is that victory with three bonus points puts the onus on second-place Essex to win to keep the County Championship alive. Across a bitty 63.4 overs, when the usually reliable senior figures were a little off with the ball, Lawes’ 3 for 47 has not only helped bag two of those bonus points but moved the game along with rain set to play its unwelcome part for the rest of the week.Rory Burns won his first toss in five, inserting the visitors in as grim conditions as possible without being bad enough to prevent play from starting on time. The skies were overcast enough to require the floodlights at full beam at 10:30am. And the sharp winds that persisted throughout the day were fierce enough for the flags sitting atop the Micky Stewart Pavilion to be brought down.At another time, Burns would have needed to reinforce his hairband before heading out onto the field. Alas, the flowing 14-inch locks are no more, shorn for a good cause to make a natural wig for The Little Princess Trust, a charity which provides real hair wigs, free of charge, to children and young people who have lost their own hair through cancer treatment or to other conditions.Related
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Given the climes, and prolific new-ball duo of Kemar Roach and Dan Worrall going up against a batting line-up that has only managed four bonus points all season, this was surely going one way. And yet 13 overs in, neither had caused Hassan Azad or Emilio Gay any discomfort, barring a delivery from Worrall that leapt off a length and clocked Azad on the jaw of his grille.At 29 for no loss, both left-handed openers would have been satisfied with their early work. But Surrey are not where they are because of the work of just two bowlers. Enter Jordan Clark, who needed just four deliveries to move to the top of the club’s wicket-taking charts with a 47th dismissal of the season as Gay flicked down the leg side to Ben Foakes.Azad, however, trucked on, typically barnacle-like in approach. He has long been about accumulation through survival, but that throwback approach has been found wanting this season, as per the average of 16.15 from 14 innings heading into this match. Nevertheless, on a day like today, stickability was the name of the game and, together with Karun Nair – one of two Indian batters in this match after Sai Sudharsan was handed a debut in place of Jamie Smith away on England duty – compiled a 55-run stand from 24.2 overs.There was a whiff of general sadness when Azad fell, short-arming Worrall behind with an apologetic pull, wary of the man lurking around the corner at leg gully. Not for the first time this season, the short-ball did for him, two shy of a second half-century of the season.Nair, meanwhile, was able to bring up his own in 108 deliveries, and will recommence his innings on Tuesday thanks largely to a life given to him by Jamie Overton when on 11, off the bowling of Worrall. That is likely to be more stop-start than day one, which featured just one shower stopping play for two hours from 1:30pm.Nevertheless, a relatively frustrating day for Surrey carried cheer beyond the wickets. Overton pulled up five deliveries into his second over with what looked like a twinge to his left groin. In the immediacy, their depth covered for the loss as he walked off and Burns brought himself on to send the final delivery down the leg side. Lawes plugged the gap from the Vauxhall End, eventually prising out Luke Procter with a length delivery that lifted and left the visiting skipper.By then, Overton had returned to the field, taking a regulation catch at second slip. And just to reiterate his bloody-mindedness, he was back bowling by the 57th over, rapping Saif Zaib on the hand before nicking him off two deliveries later with a full ball that arched away late.It was the second of three dismissals in 25 deliveries, sandwiched between Lawes removing Keogh – another catch for Overton – and yorking Lewis McManus. Overton should have had a third when Justin Broad fended some extra bounce behind, which Foakes could only tip over the bar.At 5:22pm, bad light stopped play and no doubt Surrey were rueing what looked set to be a procession of the remaining Northants wickets to make up for the early, Zaib-led resistance as they walked off. Remarkably, the clouds had parted enough to allow through what remained of the sun to give us a 5:38pm restart, with an optimistic 12 overs remaining.Six minutes later, back came the clouds and off went the players. The only play of note was a ninth boundary to Nair, driven through extra cover, to take him to a second half-century for Northants.
Litton, who missed the start of the Asia Cup with an illness, linked up with the team in Lahore a couple of days ago
ESPNcricinfo staff05-Sep-2023
Najmul Hossain Shanto picked up the injury during his century against Afghanistan•Associated Press
A hamstring injury has ruled Bangladesh batter Najmul Hossain Shanto out of the rest of the Asia Cup.The BCB said that Shanto would be brought back home to begin his rehabilitation, with an eye on getting him fit in time for the ODI World Cup, which starts October 5. He will be replaced by Litton Das, who was omitted from the original squad following a bout of ill health, had flown into Lahore on Tuesday morning to join the team.Bangladesh team physio Bayjedul Islam Khan said that Shanto picked up the injury during his century against Afghanistan earlier this week – he did appear to be struggling in the latter part of his innings. Shanto continued to bat until he got out for 104, but didn’t come out to field during the Afghanistan innings.”The player had complained of hamstring pain during batting and could not field. We had an MRI scan done confirming a muscle tear,” the physio said in a statement. “As a precaution, Shanto will not take any further part in the tournament and will be returning home to start rehab and prepare for the World Cup.”Shanto is the Asia Cup’s leading run-scorer at this stage, having made 89 in the first game against Sri Lanka before the century against Afghanistan, totalling 193 runs.Litton is likely to open the innings, and that might force Bangladesh to tweak their batting order, since they have so far opened with Mohammad Naim and one of Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Tanzid Hasan, and Shanto had batted at No. 3, his usual position, against Sri Lanka and No. 4 against Afghanistan.
The inter-zonal tournament will be played across two venues in Bengaluru
Shashank Kishore16-Jun-2023
Tilak Varma will turn out for South Zone in Duleep Trophy•Manoj Bookanakere/KSCA
BCCI’s season-opening 2023 Duleep Trophy, the inter-zonal first-class competition, is set to be hosted across multiple venues in Bengaluru from June 28 to July 16. Six teams across zones – North, South, East, West, Central and North-East – will participate in the tournament.The winners of Central Zone vs East Zone and North-East Zone vs North Zone will play West Zone and South Zone – last year’s finalists – respectively in the semi-finals from July 5. The final will be held at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on July 12.Once known for providing a push to players in national contention, the competition has been fighting for relevance in recent times. Last year, it was reintroduced after a three-season break due to Covid-19.Tilak Varma’s chance to impress with red ballHanuma Vihari has been named South Zone captain with Mayank Agarwal, the highest run-scorer of 2022-23 Ranji Trophy, as his deputy. The squad also features some prominent IPL performers such as Hyderabad’s Tilak Varma and Tamil Nadu’s B Sai Sudharsan. Washington Sundar, meanwhile, will make a comeback of sorts from injuries.Related
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Currently playing in the TNPL, Washington will have an opportunity to prove his long-format chops, particularly with the ball, with the selectors keen to ready back-ups for the Test squad, outside of the R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel.ESPNcricinfo understands the selectors are keen to see how he holds up, given Washington has been injury prone and is returning to top-flight cricket after missing much of IPL 2023 due to a hamstring injury. He’s also featured in just two first-class games over the past two seasons.KS Bharat, who featured for India in the World Test Championship [WTC] final last week, will be the frontline wicketkeeper. However, there’s a possibility he won’t be available for the tournament should he be picked in India’s Test squad for the Caribbean tour. Andhra’s Ricky Bhui is the second wicketkeeper in the squad.South Zone: Hanuma Vihari (capt), Mayank Agarwal (vice-capt), B Sai Sudharsan, Ricky Bhui (wk), KS Bharat (wk), R Samarth, Washington Sundar, Sachin Baby, Pradosh Ranjan Paul, Sai Kishore, V Kaverappa, V Vyshak, KV Sasikanth, Darshan Misal, Tilak VarmaRinku Singh was UP’s highest run-getter in the last Ranji Trophy season•KKR Knight Club
Rinku Singh, Dhruv Jurel rewarded on IPL formUttar Pradesh players dominate a formidable Central Zone squad led by fast bowler Shivam Mavi, who made his T20I debut earlier this year. Left-arm spinner Saurabh Kumar, who has been on the fringes of India A and the national team, is part of the squad alongside Rinku Singh and Dhruv Jurel, who are both fresh off a breakthrough IPL 2023 for Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals respectively.Over the past two seasons, Rinku and Jurel have also established themselves as all-format regulars for the state. They were the top two run-getters for UP in Ranji Trophy 2022-23, with 442 and 429 runs respectively. Rinku averages an impressive 59.89 across 59 first-class innings, with seven hundreds and 19 half-centuries.Upendra Yadav, who was fast-tracked into the India A setup two years ago, is also part of the squad and is likely to be the first-choice wicketkeeper, with Akshay Wadkar, the Vidarbha captain, next in line. Wadkar, 28, is widely considered to be one of the best wicketkeepers in the country, and has a formidable record to boot – he averages 53.31 across 60 first-class innings with eight hundreds and ten fifties.Central Zone squad: Shivam Mavi (capt), Vivek Singh, Himanshu Mantri, Kunal Chandela, Shubham Sharma, Amandeep Khare, Rinku Singh, Akshay Wadkar (wk), Upendra Yadav (wk & vice-capt), Dhruv Jurel, Saurabh Kumar, Manav Sathar, Saransh Jain, Avesh Khan, Yash ThakurPrithvi Shaw will feature in the West Zone squad•PTI
Top-heavy West Zone pick four openersPrithvi Shaw has been named in West Zone’s squad that will be led by Gujarat’s Priyank Panchal. There are two other openers in Ruturaj Gaikwad and Yashasvi Jaiswal, but there’s a possibility at least one of them, if not both, will be on the flight to the Caribbean for the two-Test tour and hence miss the Duleep Trophy.This is why the zonal panel was informed to not consider Rohit Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Ravindra Jadeja, Jaydev Unadkat and Suryakumar Yadav for the tournament.Arpit Vasavada, Saurashtra’s stand-in captain who played a stellar role in their Ranji Trophy 2022-23 triumph, has been rewarded with a berth at 34, while all-round performances have also hauled Baroda’s Atit Sheth and Mumbai’s Shams Mulani into the squad. Mulani was the second highest wicket-taker last Ranji season with 46 wickets in 14 innings. Saurashtra left-arm seamer Chetan Sakariya will lead the pace attack.West Zone squad: Priyank Panchal (capt), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Harvik Desai (wk), Prithvi Shaw, Het Patel (wk), Sarfaraz Khan, Arpit Vasavada, Atit Seth, Shams Mulani, Yuvraj Dodiya, Dharmendrasinh Jadeja, Chetan Sakariya, Chintan Gaja, Arzan NagwaswallaMukesh Kumar and Akash Deep will form the crux of Bengal’s bowling attack•Cricket Association of Bengal
Gun Bengal attack to lead East Zone’s chargeThe Bengal trio of Mukesh Kumar, Akash Deep and Ishan Porel, arguably the country’s best pace attack in the domestic circuit, will potentially line-up for East Zone in the Abhimanyu Easwaran-led squad. Anustup Majumdar, at 38, will be among the oldest players to feature in the competition.Majumdar played a key role in Bengal’s inspired run to the final, finishing the Ranji season as the third-highest run-scorer with 867 runs in 15 innings at an average of 61.92. Shahbaz Ahmed is the frontline allrounder, with Abishek Porel, Ishan’s cousin, named as the wicketkeeper after Ishan Kishan requested for a break. Wriddhiman Saha did not want to be considered for selection at 40.East Zone squad: Abhimanyu Easwaran (capt), Santanu Mishra, Sudip Gharami, Riyan Parag, A. Majumdar, Bipin Saurabh, A Porel (wk), K Kushagra (wk), Shahbaz Nadeem (vice-capt), Shahbaz Ahmed, Mukesh Kumar, Akash Deep, Anukul Roy, M Mura Singh, Ishan PorelPrabhsimran Singh will hope to continue his good form•Ishan Mahal/Punjab Cricket Association
J&K’s Abid Mushtaq rewarded for all-round potentialHe’s 26, but the selectors have been impressed with what Jammu & Kashmir left-arm spinner Abid Mushtaq offers as an allround option, which led to his selection into the North Zone squad captained by Punjab’s Mandeep Singh. Mushtaq was J&K’s leading wicket-taker with 32 wickets in seven games at an average of 14.37.Prabhsimran Singh, Punjab’s leading run-getter in the last Ranji Trophy season, has a chance to carry his IPL form into red-ball cricket, while Himachal’s Ankit Kalsi has broken through after barging the door down with tall scores for the past three seasons. Kalsi and Prashant Chopra made 703 and 783 runs respectively in the previous Ranji season.North Zone squad: Mandeep (capt), Prashant Chopra, Dhruv Shorey, Manan Vohra, Prabhsimran Singh, Ankit Kumar, Ankit Kalsi, Himanshu Rana, Abid Mushtaq, Jayant Yadav, Pulkit Narang, Nishant Sandhu, Siddarth Kaul, Vaibhav Arora, Baltej SinghNorth-East pick home-grown squadThe selectors have resisted the temptation to pick professional players who feature regularly for the new entrants in the domestic circuit. This explains the absence of key performers such as Chetan Bist or Shrikant Mundhe. Nagaland’s Rongsen Jonathan has been named captain, with Nilesh Lamichaney as his deputy.North-East Zone squad: Rongsen Jonathan(capt), Nilesh Lamichaney (vice-capt), Kishan Lyngdoh, Langlonyamba, AR Ahlawat, Joseph Lalthankhuma, Prafullamani (wicketkeeper), Dippu Sangma, Jotin Pheiroijam, Imliwati Lemtur, Palzor Tamang, Kishan Singha, Akash Kumar Choudhary, Rajkumar Rex Singh, Nagaho Chishi.
The Universitarios and the Rojinegros were informed that they will not be able to register new players
FIFA bans Pumas and Atlas from registering new players
The reason for the punishment is unknown
The clubs are seeking to resolve the situation
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WHAT HAPPENED?
The FIFA Disciplinary Committee placed Pumas and Atlas on their list of teams banned from signing, meaning neither team cannot register new players until the sanction is lifted. In response, the Universitarios and the Zorros have already taken a position.
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WHAT DID PUMAS AND ATLAS SAY?
"The Universidad Nacional Club reports that it was notified today by the FIFA Disciplinary Committee that it is unable to register its players. Our institution's legal department is already working on the necessary clarifications and clarifications to resolve this matter with the organization," Pumas said in a statement.
Atlas assured that all of the documents required by FIFA are in order, but because they were submitted after the established deadline, they were placed on the list, and they hope the ban will be lifted soon.
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DID YOU KNOW?
The UNAM team is currently involved in a legal dispute with Dani Alves over a claim of unfair dismissal in 2023, but it has not been reported whether the disqualification is due to this reason.
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WHAT'S NEXT?
Atlas has already begun its preseason training, while Pumas will report in the coming days to begin their preparations for the 2025 Liga MX Apertura tournament.
Celtic are set to receive more than £3m in a permanent Parkhead exit for one player this summer, it has been claimed.
Celtic transfer rumours
The Hoops are on course to seal yet another Scottish Premiership title, with Brendan Rodgers’ side building a 16-point lead at the top of the table ahead of rivals Rangers.
However, despite Celtic’s dominance, Rodgers and those behind the scenes in Glasgow are already looking to the summer transfer window to bolster the first-team squad.
Celtic’s next 5 fixtures
Competition
Date
Celtic vs Hibernian
Scottish Cup
March 9
Celtic vs Rangers
Scottish Premiership
March 16
Celtic vs Hearts
Scottish Premiership
March 29
St Johnstone vs Celtic
Scottish Premiership
April 6
Celtic vs Kilmarnock
Scottish Premiership
April 12
It has been claimed that Celtic are confident of signing Lennon Miller from Motherwell and could even cash in on Reo Hatate to make room for the 18-year-old.
Elsewhere, suggestions of a permanent deal for Celtic loanee Jeffrey Schlupp have been mentioned, with the Crystal Palace man out of contract at Selhurst Park in the summer.
Pundit Michael Stewart recently said: “From Jeffrey Schlupp’s perspective, oh my word. You are sitting on your backside doing nothing at Crystal Palace. Or, you are up at Celtic playing in games like against Bayern Munich and potentially winning things. Enjoying your football. Come the summer, I would imagine that Celtic will put a deal in place to try and sign him. His decision is ‘what better option are you going to get?’.
“You might not be playing every week, but as you see with Celtic, there are so many games. He will play a good chunk of games if he were to sign on.”
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Kieran Tierney is also set to return to Parkhead in the summer, with the left-back penning a pre-contract agreement with his Arsenal contract set to expire at the end of the season.
However, alongside numerous incomings, there could once again be a plethora of permanent outgoings. One of those looks set to be £11,000-a-week winger Luis Palma, who is currently out on loan at Europa League outfit Olympiacos.
Luis Palma set to leave Celtic in permanent £3m+ transfer
The Honduras international moved to Greece on loan in January with an option to buy at the end of the season, and it looks as if that decision has already been made by Olympiacos.
According to Futbol Centroamerica, Olympiacos are set to trigger their option to sign Palma from Celtic this summer, with the player impressing technical director Jose Luis Mendilibar, who feels Palma’s potential is very high.
So far, the 25-year-old has made five appearances for his new side, scoring once and registering one assist. He scored 10 times and provided 10 assists in 48 Celtic appearances.
A permanent deal is set to be worth close to €4m (£3.35m), and by the looks of it, it is just a matter of time until Palma’s days on the books of Celtic come to an end.
After a hectic January transfer window saw them welcome as many as five arrivals, Manchester City are now reportedly plotting a summer move to sign another midfield reinforcement for Pep Guardiola.
Man City transfer news
The Cityzens were in desperate need of a rebuild and commenced that construction during the winter window, adding another goalscorer in Omar Marmoush, three future star defenders in Vitor Reis, Abdukodir Khusanov and Juma Bah, before saving a defensive midfielder until last to cover for the injured Rodri – welcoming Nico Gonzalez on deadline day.
Speaking to the club website for the first time, Gonzalez expressed his delight over the move, saying: “This is the perfect opportunity for me at this stage of my career. I am 23 and I want to test myself in England. There’s no better club than Manchester City for me to do that.
“Look at the squad they have here. It’s unbelievable, full of world-class players. There isn’t a footballer in the world who would not want to be part of this set-up. I know the reputation Pep has and I cannot wait to work with him. In fact, I am honoured he wants me to play in his team.”
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Out of the five fresh faces, the £50m midfielder arguably has the most difficult task given that he’s job will be to replace Rodri and fix what has been a disastrous midfield without the Spaniard in the current campaign.
He may yet receive some help in that department in the summer too. According to Caught Offside, Manchester City are now battling Real Madrid and others to sign Hugo Larsson from Eintracht Frankfurt, who value their midfielder at a hefty €60m (£51m) this summer. Possibly splashing the cash once again, City could solve their midfield problem once and for all.
"Brilliant" Larsson is a rising star
Even when Rodri is crucially back fit and firing, Manchester City could do with some fresh faces in the middle of the park. The ageing stars in their current midfield have been exposed at times this season, with the Blues often overrun and the likes of Ilkay Gundogan, Mateo Kovacic and Bernardo Silva all struggling to keep up.
That’s where Gonzalez should immediately make an impact and where Larsson could eventually arrive to help. The 20-year-old Swede is a rising star, scoring four goals and assisting another two from midfield for Frankfurt this season and earning the praise of Jacek Kulig as a result. The football talent scout dubbed the Frankfurt star a “brilliant signing” last month.
Up against Real Madrid both on and off the pitch, Manchester City should be desperate to win the race and secure the arrival of Larsson this summer.
Murals of Lionesses stars Leah Williamson and Lauren James have been unveiled in London as part of Pepsi's newest women's football campaign.
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Williamson & James have murals unveiled
Lionesses stars to be involved in new Pepsi campaign
Barcelona duo Putellas & Graham Hansen also onboard
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WHAT HAPPENED?
Williamson's mural sits on Holloway Road, just a stone's throw from Arsenal's Emirates Stadium, while James' has been painted in Chelsea, with two-time Ballon d'Or winner Alexia Putellas and fellow Barcelona star Caroline Graham Hansen also getting artistic treatment in Catalunya and Oslo, respectively.
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THE BIGGER PICTURE
The quartet are part of Pepsi's star-studded roster of female ambassadors, which also includes Arsenal striker Stina Blackstenius, Chelsea winger Johanna Rytting Kaneryd and Real Madrid's Signe Bruun.
WHAT LAUREN JAMES SAID
"Joining the Pepsi family as a global ambassador and sharing the spotlight with so many incredible athletes is an absolute honour," James said. "Get excited for our campaign when it hits the screens."
Putellas added: "This is going to be a summer to remember, and to do it as a part of the Pepsi family is amazing. Our game is the fastest growing sport in the world and I can’t wait for fans to see what we have coming up."
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WHAT NEXT?
Pepsi recently renewed its partnership with UEFA women's football through 2030 and will soon unveil its latest campaign in the sport. The players themselves, meanwhile, will be focused on on-pitch success, with Williamson, Putellas and Graham Hansen to face off in May's Champions League final after both Arsenal and Barcelona qualified.
Bournemouth have got Everton’s number, with the Toffees losing their fourth match in succession against the South Coast side on Sunday, bowing out of the FA Cup in the fourth round.
This isn’t the be-all and end-all for David Moyes’ rejuvenated team, having clinched three successive wins in the Premier League to create ample breathing room at the bottom end of the table.
Everton manager David Moyes before Brighton match
Everton are battling injuries, stripped of bodywork but still producing coherent and determined performances that look a world away from the colourless football under Sean Dyche’s wing.
How Moyes is combating injuries at Everton
Everton’s deficiency on the fitness front is concerning, to be sure, but recent results in the Premier League do highlight the club’s strength in a new system.
The lead-up to Moyes’ appointment saw the Merseysiders fail to score across eight of ten Premier League matches, and they have bagged eight goals from four fixtures since.
This is all the more impressive when considering the forwards are dropping like flies, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Armando Broja, Youssef Chermiti and Dwight McNeil all sidelined.
Every cloud though, ay. With McNeil not expected to return just yet, new recruit Charly Alcaraz may be tasked with fighting from the opening whistle once again in the coming days – with Liverpool heading to Goodison for a crunch top-flight contest.
Moyes may have a star in the Argentine midfielder.
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Moyes could have Everton's new Tim Cahill waiting in the wings
It’s safe to say that Everton must be sick of the sight of Bournemouth, with their Saturday win at Goodison extending the Toffees’ record against the Cherries to eight defeats from ten fixtures in all competitions.
Carlos Alcaraz
However, Alcaraz’s debut was hailed by the likes of correspondent Paddy Boyland, who praised the dynamic ace for giving Everton “something different in midfield.”
His swashbuckling style is characterised by throttle-shaking movements and a desire to drive play into dangerous areas, where he or his teammates can find space to shoot.
Everton might have failed to address issues at centre-forward and on the right flank, but this signing adds impetus and depth to a side that has walked with strong footing over the past few weeks, no longer pressed within the thickness of the relegation zone.
And given that he was signed on loan with an obligatory £13m buy option at the end of the season, this might prove to be a shrewd deal indeed given that Juventus were keen on snapping up their former loanee for a £40m fee last year.
Replacing the less mobile Abdoulaye Doucoure for the final 25 minutes in the FA Cup, the 22-year-old hit the woodwork from a free-kick, took 23 touches, won his only contested ground duel and placed two key passes for teammates, as per Sofascore.
Typically playing off the striker’s back, Alcaraz’s style almost gives rise to memories of Tim Cahill, one of Everton’s finest Premier League stars and a linchpin throughout the bulk of Moyes’ first regime.
With 226 games and 56 highlight goals to his name in the English top flight, the retired Australian star was described as Everton’s “talisman” by Phil Neville, who continued to stress that the versatile player was “right up there” with the best of the best in the club’s storied modern history.
Everton – Record Premier League Scorers
Rank
Player
Apps
Goals
1.
Romelu Lukaku
141
68
2.
Duncan Ferguson
239
60
3.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin
235
57
4.
Tim Cahill
226
56
5.
Kevin Campbell
145
45
Stats via Transfermarkt
Competent as a box-to-box midfielder and dangerous as a makeshift striker, Alcaraz could certainly do worse than take a leaf from the Aussie star’s book, and given that Moyes has been behind the new Everton signing, it feels like he’s looking to repeat his own trick in dynamising the Everton attack.
Explosiveness has been in short supply on the blue half of Merseyside over recent years, and with Orel Mangala now sidelined until the end of the season, sorting this deal out felt significant.
Alcaraz, moreover, isn’t quite a player who excels in possession-based systems, instead powering forward and unleashing his will onto the pitch, be that through his ball striking or playmaking skills.
Tim Cahill in action for Everton
Alcaraz may not be an aerial monster in the same vein as Cahill, but he’s electric, powerful and creative with his attacking tools, ranking among the top 1% of positional peers over the past year for shots taken, the top 4% for shot-creating actions, the top 3% for progressive carries and the top 1% for successful take-ons per 90, as per FBref.
Talent scout Jacek Kulig hailed Alcaraz for being “one of the biggest talents in Argentina” following his breakout with Racing Club before he transferred to Southampton and looks set to explode now back in English football.
Still only 22, Alcaraz has crucial Premier League experience to his name with the Saints and indeed brings something different to Moyes’ midfield, thunderously purposeful and proving himself to be multi-dimensional against Bournemouth as he skidded back into deeper positions and looked composed as he turned play back toward Everton’s offensive third.
Toward the end of the dysfunctional Farhad Moshiri era, Everton repeatedly fanned the flames of their support base’s frustrations, but Moyes is back and has already begun to remind English football of why he’s such a revered figure at Goodison Park.
More work is needed on the transfer front, but in Alcaraz, a combative and energetic new midfield force has been welcomed to the fold.
Moyes might just have signed his future talisman, very much in the mould of Cahill.
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As they look to claw their way to Premier League safety, Leicester City have reportedly made their first enquiry over signing a towering central defender for Ruud van Nistelrooy.
Leicester transfer news
The Foxes have already dipped into the transfer market once this month to welcome Woyo Coulibaly from Serie A side Parma and will hope that the right-back plays a pivotal part in keeping Van Nistelrooy’s side afloat in the Premier League. After losing their last seven Premier League games, however, those at The King Power still desperately need further reinforcements.
The new arrival was quick to express his delight over completing the move, telling Leicester’s official website: “It’s an honour to be here. I feel very good, very welcomed and the training ground is very impressive. There’s been a lot of impressive players at the Club. It’s going to be a challenge in the Premier League but one that I’m very much looking forward to.”
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In need of those aforementioned further additions, meanwhile, the Foxes have reportedly already turned their attention towards another defender. According to Gazzetta, via Leicester City News, Leicester have now enquired about signing Strahinja Pavlovic from AC Milan this month.
The 6 foot 4 defender has struggled since completing a £15m move from RB Salzburg last summer and could now get the chance to turn things around courtesy of Leicester this month.
Serbian defender Strahinja Pavlovic
Van Nistelrooy could certainly do with another defensive addition, especially one with such physical presence and high level experience, but it remains to be seen whether Leicester’s enquiry will quickly turn into an official offer for his signature this month.
"Warrior" Pavlovic needs Milan exit
Whilst Leicester are yet to find out just how much Milan are demanding for their defender this month, there’s no doubt that he could at least do with a loan move away to rediscover his best form and the Foxes should take full advantage. Having made just seven starts in Serie A this season, the 23-year-old should look at Leicester as his chance to steal the headlines and help Van Nistelrooy’s side to shock survival.
At his best, Pavlovic is a defender who has been at the centre of praise from the likes of Jacek Kulig. Just last summer, the football talent scout dubbed the 6 foot 4 ace the “Serbian Warrior” following an excellent display against England.
If Leicester can now push on and secure Pavlovic’s signature, the task will be to get him back to that level and reap the rewards as a result this season.