Daniel Farke will be looking towards the upcoming January transfer window as a way to bolster his defensive options, with his Leeds United side plagued by injuries at this moment in time along the back four – Sam Byram, Junior Firpo and Stuart Dallas all sidelined through injury.

It has led to Djed Spence having to fill in playing an unfamiliar left-back role recently and visibly showing signs of struggling, as was seen in Leeds' unsatisfactory draw with Coventry City yesterday.

6/10 Leeds lightweight who won just 3 duels flopped alongside Piroe

Leeds United weren’t at the races at all against Coventry yesterday, with this particular player way off the pace.

ByKelan Sarson Dec 17, 2023

The popular German boss has even had to bump teenage starlet Archie Gray all the way up to the first team fold to make up the numbers, starting him at right-back in Leeds' last eight Championship matches despite Gray only being baby-faced still at 17 years of age.

Leeds could well target a Premier League youngster to help out in the short-term. Therefore, swooping in to sign Liverpool full-back Conor Bradley on a loan deal this January, who could end up being a major upgrade on another defender in the Whites ranks in a waning Luke Ayling, could be a shrewd move.

Leeds transfer latest

Recent report from TEAMTalk suggested that the Whites are just one of many interested parties trying to land Bradley, however, with Burnley interested from the Premier League alongside fellow second-tier outfits Middlesbrough and West Brom sniffing around.

Bradley's impressive performances out on loan at Bolton Wanderers in League One last season would have alerted these clubs from higher up the pyramid to his services, whilst the 20-year-old is highly thought of at Anfield also.

Jurgen Klopp even started Bradley in the Europa League last week versus Royale Union Saint-Gilloise, the 20-year-old ace was not at his best but he would still put it down as a worthwhile run-out for his ongoing development.

The young Reds defender's progression would come on leaps and bounds making the switch to Elland Road arguably, the Whites in dire need of another figure down the flanks which could signal the end of Luke Ayling completely as a reserve option.

How Conor Bradley compares to Luke Ayling

At 32 years of age, Ayling's best performances in a Leeds shirt are probably behind him.

Only starting eight games this campaign, the loyal Whites servant – who has amassed 267 appearances in total for the West Yorkshire titans – has been unremarkable on the pitch this season.

Whereas, Bradley would be champing at the bit to come in and excel hoping to similarly endear himself to a new fanbase like he managed with the Bolton fans with electric display after electric display.

Bradley was an aggressive ball of energy in a Bolton shirt, picking up 12 yellow cards but also helping himself to five goals and four assists as an expansive full-back.

Even in his prime during the 2019-20 Championship season, Ayling was never able to beat this tally and instead equalled it as an experienced second-tier man – notching up four goals and five assists, never managing to surpass that total in a campaign since.

Moreover, playing in League One, Bradley would create seven big chances under Ian Evatt's guidance to further prove his usefulness going forward and has time on his side to just get better.

Meanwhile, Ayling has created four 'big chances' in his last 43 league games for Leeds since the start of the 2022/23 campaign, which suggests that the Reds youngster would be a big upgrade on him from a creative perspective.

Football pundit Ian Dowie labelled Bradley as "quality" off the back of watching him thrive with the Trotters, waxing lyrical about the Reds youngster when speaking on ViaPlay Sports UK in March.

The 20-year-old dynamo is also in and around the Northern Ireland international team despite still being in the infancy of his fledgling career – winning 10 ground duels against San Marino recently in a standout display during one of his nation's Euro qualification matches.

Bradley's obvious pedigree could have Gray worrying about his cemented starting spot under Farke subsequently, who could look to rest the 17-year-old from time to time so as not to overwork him if Bradley was signed.

It feels like a no-brainer from a Leeds perspective to sign the £4.4k per week Bradley – as per Salary Sport – in this upcoming transfer window, giving Leeds another dynamic figure in their team to help the promotion hopefuls hopefully pick up more season-defining wins.

Despite spending Christmas Day atop the Premier League tree, it has been a pitiful couple of weeks for Arsenal, in which they have lost three games on the bounce.

While there are often multiple reasons a team goes through a poor patch, with the Gunners, it is painfully obvious what is letting them down: their attack.

Mikel Arteta's front line have been misfiring for much of the season, but the performances against West Ham United and Liverpool at the Emirates were perhaps the worst games the attack have had in quite some time.

All confirmed Premier League done deals: January transfer window 2024

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ByLuke Randall Feb 1, 2024

The good news for Arteta and the Arsenal faithful is that the latest player touted for a move to N5 has been scoring for fun this season: Bournemouth's Dominic Solanke.

Arsenal transfer news – Dominic Solanke

According to the Daily Star, Arsenal are still on the lookout for a new striker this January, and while Brentford's Ivan Toney remains a player they are keen on, Bournemouth's Solanke is another number nine that they would like to bring to north London.

Unfortunately for the Gunners, this won't be a cheap deal to complete, with the Mirror reporting that any move for the former Liverpool striker will cost at least £50m, which would represent a serious investment for a winter signing.

That said, for a striker who has 12 goals and one assist in 19 Premier League appearances this season, he could prove to be worth every penny for a title-chasing Gunners side.

Moreover, club legend Thierry Henry seems to be a fan of the Englishman, telling Amazon Prime (via the Metro): "I guess it was a bit too much when he was younger. But what he is doing right now is brilliant."

Arsenal could sign £60m “pace monster” to rival Saka

Arsenal could sign a £60m Premier League star to provide competition for places in attack.

ByMatt Dawson Jan 8, 2024 Why Dominic Solanke could unlock Arsenal's attack

Now, last season proved that Arsenal's attack is not to be taken lightly; from Gabriel Martinelli to Eddie Nketiah, practically every attacker at the club played their part in running Manchester City close for the title, but it just wasn't enough. Indeed, their top four scorers, Martinelli included alongside Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Jesus and Martin Odegaard all netted double figures in 2022/23.

Unfortunately, the attack hasn't been able to produce the same output this season, and the need for a clinical number nine has been painfully obvious, which is precisely where Solanke could come in.

The 26-year-old has already reached double figures for the season and looks set to breach the 20 goals a season mark, which is only made all the more impressive considering he is doing it for a Cherries side that many had tipped for relegation just a couple of months ago.

In comparison, Jesus has scored just three league goals, Martinelli has scored twice, Saka has found the back of the net six times, and Nketiah has scored five goals.

So the "predatory" number nine, as described by Soccer Saturday pundit Kris Boyd, has the Arsenal attackers beaten when it comes to pure goalscoring, but how do his underlying numbers stack up to the Gunners' recognised strikers?

Well, given his performances this season, it shouldn't come as a surprise to see that the "complete" Solanke, as described by his manager Andoni Iraola, comes out on top in most striker-related metrics.

Goals

0.64

0.29

0.46

Non-Penalty Expected Goals + Assists

0.60

0.60

0.43

Shots on Target

1.12

1.35

0.93

Goals per Shot on Target

0.52

0.21

0.50

Aerial Duels Won

2.13

0.96

1.57

The Cherries ace has a better non-penalty expected goals and assists figure than Nketiah, and while Jesus has more shots on target per 90, Solanke has a far better conversion ratio than the Brazilian. Likewise, his propensity to win aerial duels would add an extra layer to Arsenal's attack.

Ultimately, while it would cost the club a significant amount of money if Arteta is serious about ending Arsenal's two-decade title drought, he should be pushing for this transfer.

Rangers once again proved their transfer prowess by signing young Wolverhampton Wanderers forward Fabio Silva in Philippe Clement's first reinforcement since arriving at Ibrox a few months ago.

With the Gers in control of the Scottish Premiership title race as things stand due to their games in hand, the 21-year-old may not have needed much convincing over the move, which hands him the chance to realise his potential after a period in the Midlands to forget.

Rangers may not stop with Silva in the January transfer window, however. Instead, he may just be the first of an extended list of reinforcements for Clement and on that list could be a solution to the new manager's left-back problem.

Rangers transfer news

Rangers are certainly not waiting around ahead of 2024, with their focus clearly on solving any remaining issues in the squad that Clement inherited from Michael Beale, before turning them into title challengers once more. After securing the loan deal for Silva, Rangers Chief Executive James Bisgrove told the club's official website:

“After speaking at length with Philippe, the Chairman and our Football board ahead of this transfer window, we are all aligned in the areas we are looking to strengthen heading into 2024. It is hugely positive to have been able to add to the squad so early, especially with a player of Fabio’s calibre, and we are delighted to welcome him to Rangers.”

Now, the Scottish giants could turn to solving their left-back problem, with Borna Barisic out of contract in the summer and Ridvan Yilmaz failing to make the position his own. According to The Daily Record, Rangers have scouted PSV Eindhoven left-back Fedrik Oppegard ahead of a potential move. Philadelphia Union's Kai Wagner joins the 21-year-old on the list of left-sided defenders to have been scouted, handing those at Ibrox a potential decision to make in the coming weeks or months.

Oppegard desperately needs an opportunity to impress

Still only 21 years of age, Oppegard has found himself at somewhat of a crossroads after struggling to make an impact at PSV, before heading out on loan to Go Ahead Eagles. Oppegard's injury history doesn't make for pretty reading, either, handing Rangers plenty to think about.

Given his age, the Norwegian could yet become the solution for Clement's left-back problem if finally handed a consistent opportunity in senior football. The Gers have handed Silva a similar opportunity and could keep the trend of landing young players going by signing Oppegard.

Oppegard's Injury History

Games/Days Missed

21/22 – Bruise

21

21/22 – Appendectomy

5

22/23 – Unknown Injury

9

22/23 – Knee Injury

86 days

23/24 – Surgery

13

Missing a total of 48 games in under three seasons is hardly a positive sign for such a young player and Rangers should be well aware of his lengthy spells on the sidelines ahead of a potential move. The left-back could eventually realise his potential with a fresh environment, but those at Ibrox must weigh up the risk of securing his signature, especially given that they may need to replace Barisic as early as next summer.

Leeds United moved to ten points behind Ipswich Town on Tuesday night as they were beaten 1-0 by Sunderland at the Stadium of Light.

The Whites failed to pick up any points on Wearside, whilst the Tractor Boys beat Watford 2-1, and the gap between themselves and the top two will be ten points if Leicester City win their match on Wednesday.

Daniel Farke's side have won nine of their last 12 Championship games but the incredible form of the two teams above them has left them miles away from the automatic promotion places.

They are aiming to return to the Premier League at the first time of asking and will need a degree of luck, in terms of the results of the current top two, alongside a strong run of form for the rest of the campaign.

The January transfer window is fast approaching and Farke may look to work with Nick Hammond to bolster his playing squad to provide a boost ahead of the second half of the season.

Leeds transfer news – Trai Hume

TEAMtalk reported earlier this month that the Whites are one of a number of teams eyeing up impressive Sunderland full-back Trai Hume.

Premier League side Burnley are also said to be looking at the talented young defender, whilst Championship outfit Leicester are also in the mix to land his signature.

The report stated that the Black Cats could be tempted to cash in on him in January if they can make a significant profit on the £200k they paid Linfield to sign him last year.

All three of the interested parties are said to be looking closely at the Northern Ireland international as they ponder a swoop to sign him at the start of 2024.

However, he put pen to paper on a new contract with Sunderland over the summer and is contracted through to the summer of 2027, with the option to extend it by a further 12 months.

It, therefore, remains to be seen how much the Black Cats would demand for his services, along with how much Leeds would be willing to pay in January.

The Whites have been hit with a host of full-back injuries this season. Sam Byram is set to miss three weeks with a hamstring blow that was suffered against Blackburn Rovers, whilst Jamie Shackleton has a glute issue and Junior Firpo is 'close' to a return to first-team training.

On-loan Tottenham Hotspur right-back Djed Spence also missed eight weeks with a knee injury that was sustained back in September and made his first start of the season, at left-back, against Sunderland.

Farke must now push for Hammond and the club to seal a deal for Hume as he could be an excellent addition to their full-back ranks, as he illustrated with a phenomenal display against Crysencio Summerville on Tuesday night.

Hume's performance against Leeds in numbers

The 21-year-old starlet lined up on the right of his side's back five at the Stadium of Light and dominated the Dutch winger with a sublime defensive performance.

Hume recorded a game-high Sofascore rating of 7.8 as he showcased his fantastic quality as a defender with numerous key interventions to prevent Anthony Patterson from being troubled.

The former Linfield star made three clearances, two blocks, four interceptions, four tackles, and made one clearance off the line to stop Joel Piroe from scoring.

Leeds' Dutch forward worked space for a shot in the box and saw his goalbound effort hooked away on the line by the hard-working full-back, who positioned himself perfectly to clear the danger.

Hume's exceptional defending meant that Summerville ended the match without a goal or a single 'big chance' created in his 90 minutes out on the left wing.

Crysencio Summerville's season in numbers

This was an impressive achievement for the Northern Irish gem as the Leeds forward had produced nine goals and ten 'big chances' created in 15 league starts ahead of the match – a goal or a 'big chance' created every 0.83 starts on average.

The 22-year-old whiz has provided 2.9 key passes and completed 2.6 dribbles per game respectively – the most within the squad in both statistics – and this illustrates how exciting he has been at the top end of the pitch.

Farke's electric forward has been a consistent threat in the final third with his ability to score goals and create chances at an exceptional rate.

However, Hume was able to stop him from being a match-winner for Leeds at the Stadium of Light with his impressive blocks, tackles, and interceptions on the night, which led to him being described as "outstanding" by journalist Josh Bunting.

Trai Hume's season in numbers

That display was not a flash in the pan as the 5 foot 11 EFL titan has consistently produced fantastic defensive performances for Sunderland this season.

The Whites target has started all 21 of his club's matches in the Championship and has caught the eye with an incredible 5.1 tackles and interceptions per game.

Meanwhile, no Leeds player has managed more than 3.5 per match and no full-back at the club has produced more than 3.3 per outing.

Hume, who has averaged six ball recoveries per clash, has also scored one goal and created four 'big chances' from a right-back position, whilst makeshift right-back Archie Gray has zero goals and two 'big chances' created for Leeds in 20 appearances.

He also ranks within the top 24% of Championship full-backs this season for progressive passes (4.83) per 90, which shows that the Whites target offers quality in possession to go along with his sublime defensive work.

In fact, Hume ranks within the top 18% or higher of his positional peers for tackles (3.52), interceptions (1.74), blocks (1.59), and aerial duels won (2.46) per 90 this term.

The Sunderland star has proven himself to be a terrific performer at this level and this means that Leeds would be signing a player who has the quality to hit the ground running in the Championship.

Therefore, Farke must swoop to bring the Northern Ireland international to Elland Road as he could be an outstanding defensive option who is capable of locking up and dominating the opposition's star players each week.

MCC 265 and 265 for 4 (Sibley 128) drew with Surrey 520 (Pope 251) Surrey’s bid for victory in the Champion County fixture in Dubai was thwarted by rain, as the final day was curtailed after just 19 overs.MCC had resumed on 221 for 1, a deficit of 34, and had inched into a one-run lead when Tom Westley became the first victim of the day, bowled by Scott Borthwick’s legspin for 28.Dom Sibley, who had resumed on 102, moved along to 128 when he too was bowled, this time by Rikki Clarke, who trapped Tom Abell for a first-ball duck one delivery later.That, however, was the end of Surrey’s surge, as the match was called off with MCC leading by 10.Surrey’s next fixture is against Durham MCCU on April 4, before they launch their County Championship defence against the 2017 champions, Essex, at The Oval on April 11.

New Zealand captain didn’t come out to field in Bangladesh’s second innings

Mohammad Isam in Wellington11-Mar-2019

Kane Williamson was taken for scans on his injured shoulder, and didn’t come out to field in the Bangladesh second innings in the ongoing second Test in Wellington. The New Zealand captain picked up the injury during the third day’s play when he fell awkwardly trying to stop a ball at gully.While batting during the first session on the fourth day of the rain-hit Test, Williamson had struggled with his left shoulder and the physio to come out a couple of times to check on him.Though in discomfort – he took his hand off the bat upon making contact with the ball a couple of times too – he scored 74, lasting nearly three hours at the crease. He added 172 runs for the third wicket with Ross Taylor as New Zealand put up 432 for 6 declared in response to Bangladesh’s first-innings score of 211.With Williamson off the field, New Zealand were led by Tim Southee, while Peter Bocock fielded in his place.The third Test in Christchurch begins on March 16.

أعلن إبراهيم حسن، مدير منتخب مصر، استدعاء لاعب جديد للانضمام إلي صفوف الفراعنة، خلال المعسكر الحالي، استعدادًا لخوض مواجهة بوتسوانا.

منتخب مصر يستعد لمواجهة بوتسوانا، يوم الثلاثاء المقبل، في إطار منافسات الجولة الثانية من مباريات المجموعة الثالثة لـ تصفيات كأس أمم إفريقيا 2025.

وكان الاتحاد المصري لكرة القدم، أعلن منذ قليل عن استبعاد الثنائي مصطفى محمد وعمر مرموش بسبب الإصابة.

طالع | استبعاد مصطفى محمد وعمر مرموش من معسكر منتخب مصر

وقرر الجهاز الفني استدعاء أحمد عيد، الظهير الأيمن لفريق نادي المصري لصفوف معسكر منتخب مصر استعدادا لمباراة بتسوانا.

ومن المقرر أن يسافر منتخب مصر إلي بوتسوانا يوم الأحد المقبل لخوض المواجهة في تصفيات كأس أمم إفريقيا.

يذكر أن منتخب مصر حقق الفوز على الرأس الأخضر، بثلاثة أهداف دون رد، في مباراة الجولة الأولى لـ تصفيات كأس أمم إفريقيا، التي أقيمت أمس الجمعة.

ويتواجد منتخب مصر في المجموعة الثالثة لـ تصفيات كأس أمم إفريقيا، بجانب منتخبات بوتسوانا والرأس الأخضر وموريتانيا.

Ollie Palmer says his “ultimate goal” would be to retire at Wrexham, but the experienced striker is not ruling out a move to MLS.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Striker joined Red Dragons in 2022
• Hoping to earn a contract extension
• Open to stateside switch if needs be

• Getty
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  The 32-year-old frontman answered a transfer call from Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney in January 2022 when he stepped out of League One with AFC Wimbledon to join a then-National League project in North Wales. Palmer has taken in over 100 appearances for the Red Dragons since then and scored 41 goals.

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• WHAT PALMER SAID

  Palmer is tied to a contract until 2025 and would relish the opportunity to sign an extension. He is, however, aware that he may be put in a position where an American dream could be chased. Palmer has told the : “I will speak the truth, complete facts, because that’s how I always answer my questions. I’d love to play for Wrexham until the end of my career, that would be my ultimate goal. But the honest reality is that it’s growing at such a fast pace and the aim is to get into the Premier League, and there is no time to be sentimental. So my aim is to be there for as long as possible and to deliver the club success. I’ll do that for as long as I’m wanted to. Failing that, because everything does come to an end, I’d love to play in America.”

• Getty Images
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Palmer has been spending time in the States enjoying a promotion party in Las Vegas and attending the Met Gala in New York. When it was put to him that he could end up in the Big Apple, rather than follow Manchester United legend David Beckham to Miami alongside Lionel Messi and Co, Palmer added: “He’s [Beckham] bringing much better players over than me, that’s for sure! If I get let go from Wrexham, I’ll see you at the Red Bulls!”

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• WHAT NEXT FOR WREXHAM?

  Phil Parkinson has Palmer in his plans for now, alongside fellow forwards such as Paul Mullin and Steven Fletcher. There has been talk of Wrexham making a move for ex-England international Jamie Vardy, which may require somebody to move on, but Palmer is hoping to make his mark back in the third tier before mulling over any new challenge.

Fifties from Reeza Hendricks and Rassie van der Dussen helped the hosts set a target that proved to be beyond Sri Lanka’s reach

The Report by Andrew Fidel Fernando22-Mar-2019
Reeza Hendricks and Rassie van der Dussen produced a scintillating second-wicket century stand, upon which was founded yet another comfortable South Africa win. The hosts took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match T20I series with this 16-run victory in Pretoria, but don’t let that margin fool you. Sri Lanka never seemed to have the measure of their target of 181.Sri Lanka’s No. 8 batsman Isuru Udana produced another magnificent show of lower-order hitting, walloping six sixes and eight fours in his unbeaten 48-ball 84. But even when he arrived at the crease, the required run rate was almost 12 an over. He managed to get Sri Lanka only within sight of the target, without ever really threatening it. Nevertheless, Udana has perhaps batted his way into a World Cup berth, having been good with the bat right throughout these South Africa limited-overs series.But it was really the 116-run stand between Hendricks and van der Dussen that was the centrepiece of South Africa’s victory. The partnership began with a boundary – van der Dussen crashing the last ball of the second over through the covers. Despite a quiet Powerplay, the stand blossomed between overs seven and 14 – South Africa travelling at over ten an over through that period. Thisara Perera, in particular, came in for punishment – van der Dussen clobbering a six over midwicket in his first over, before repeating the treatment twice in his second – an over that went for 19 runs in all.While van der Dussen was clearing the rope, though, Hendricks was lacing wayward balls through the infield, prospering through the covers in particular, where he hit four of his nine boundaries, but also through backward point and midwicket, where he hit the other five. Several of those boundaries came off genuinely good balls – Hendricks using his wrists to manufacture powerful strokes.Hendricks brought up his half-century off the 38th delivery he faced, cutting a Kamindu Mendis slow left-arm delivery powerfully behind point for four. Van der Dussen got to the milestone next over, off the 34th ball, and just when it started looking like the pair were setting South Africa up for a truly gargantuan score, Lasith Malinga injected himself into the attack, and had Hendricks hole out to mid-off, with a slower ball. He was out for 65 off 49 balls.Van der Dussen hit one more four, swatting Udana through midwicket on the 16th over, bowled by Udana. But he was himself out not long after when he ran at Akila Dananjaya, yorked himself and was bowled.The death overs for South Africa were largely handled by Duminy. David Miller was present at the other end, but struggled against Sri Lanka’s slower balls, and wound up only with a run-a-ball nine. Duminy, meanwhile, was industrious right throughout his innings, socking Udana over cover for four off the eighth delivery he faced, before hitting one more four and two sixes in his 17-ball 33 not out.In response, Sri Lanka were more or less pathetic in the first 14 overs, surrendering seven wickets and allowing the required run rate to climb over 14 an over. Avishka Fernando and Kusal Mendis both departed in the first over of the chase – Dale Steyn rushing Avishka with his pace before grazing Kusal’s off stump with an outswinger.At one stage, Chris Morris was even on a hat-trick, having had Niroshan Dickwella caught at mid-on before nicking Kamindu Mendis off the first ball. But Morris wasn’t the only South Africa bowler who was threatening the Sri Lanka batsmen. Dwaine Pretorius took 1 for 22, while Tabraiz Shamsi claimed 2 for 16 from his four overs. Opening bowlers Steyn and Morris had wreaked the most damage though, taking a combined five wickets.Udana’s outstanding lower-order hitting helped narrow the gap, but Sri Lanka’s top order was once again been unable to resist the South Africa bowlers – even those from a depleted attack. The next-best score after Udana’s was Thisara’s 22 as no batsman appeared capable of attacking for a significant length of time.

MatériaMais Notícias

A história do Mirassol na temporada de 2020 é uma daquelas daria um filme de cinema. A crise gerada pela pandemia do novo coronavírus afetou a todos os clubes, e, com o Leão, não foi diferente. Durante a paralisação do Paulistão, o time até então comandado por Ricardo Catalá chegou a perder 18 jogadores.

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Mesmo com tantos desfalques, a equipe fez uma campanha surpreendente, bateu o São Paulo por 3 a 2 e terminou a competição na terceira colocação do Estadual. Contudo, Ricardo Catalá deixou o Mirassol para assumir o Guarani.

A missão de comandar o Leão na Série D coube, então, a Eduardo Baptista, que chegou ao clube do interior de São Paulo pouco mais de duas semanas antes do começo da competição. Para a estreia, no dia 20 de setembro, o elenco contava com três remanescentes do Paulistão e 12 reforços. Além disso, seis jogadores foram promovidos das categorias de base, o que deixou o time com uma média de apenas 22 anos de idade.

– Realmente foi uma conquista única, é um campeonato muito difícil, talvez o mais difícil que eu tenha disputado por vários aspectos. Quando chegamos aqui (no Mirassol), tínhamos 15 dias (para preparar o elenco para a estreia na Série D). Aquele time do Mirassol que tinha ficado em terceiro lugar do Campeonato Paulista praticamente se desfez. – disse Eduardo Baptista em entrevista ao LANCE!.

– A gente sabia que tinha um grupo muito forte e que tínhamos que montar um time competitivo. Então, essa foi a primeira ideia de planejar e de organizar a equipe, e de jogar uma fase muito difícil, muito difícil mesmo. Mas o encaixe se deu muito rapidamente, facilitou bastante o entendimento dos meninos, conseguimos bons resultados e aí conforme foi se desenhando uma classificação para próxima fase, nós já começamos a monitorar alguns jogadores mais experientes que poderiam nos ajudar.

Eduardo Baptista revelou que, na primeira conversa com a diretoria, a ideia era montar um time competitivo para a próxima edição do Campeonato Paulista. No entanto, ele destacou a importância do Campeonato Brasileiro não só pela briga pelo acesso, como também para dar amadurecimento aos atletas e aproveitá-los no Paulistão.

– Nós não tínhamos nem uma base pronta ainda, mas nós aceleramos o trabalho e a busca por atletas e por jogadores que pudessem vir a nos ajudar. Aí, quando as coisas começaram a se desenhar, a equipe ganhou um corpo. O acesso era o grande objetivo, mas sempre falei pros atletas “quando a gente briga por um acesso, você tem que mirar o título porque se você errar o título, o acesso está mais fácil”.

Eduardo: ‘Quando nós passamos pelo Caxias, nos enchemos de confiança’

Um dos jogos mais difíceis do Mirassol foi na segunda fase, primeira fase mata-mata da Série D, contra o Caxias, que foi vice-campeão gaúcho em 2020. No jogo de ida, vitória do time gaúcho por 1 a 0, na volta vitória do time do interior do São Paulo pelo mesmo placar. Nos pênaltis, por 3 a 0, o Mirassol garantiu a classificação para fase oitavas de final, contra o Brasiliense.

– Foi neste jogo que as coisas sinalizaram bem para gente. O momento que nós vimos que o acesso ficou muito próximo foi no segundo tempo do primeiro jogo contra o Caxias. Estávamos perdendo de 1 a 0, mas tínhamos todo o domínio da partida, e tivemos um zagueiro expulso. Aí jogamos praticamente 45 minutos com um jogador a menos.

– Quando nós passamos pelo Caxias, nos enchemos de confiança. Se a gente ainda tinha alguma dúvida, elas se esgotaram. Continuamos trabalhando, vieram adversários difíceis também, mas vimos que tínhamos eliminado um grande rival que estava preparado para acesso. Aí a equipe ganhou muita força e confiança. Talvez, se o Caxias passasse do Mirassol, estariam no nosso lugar hoje (teriam sido campeões) sem sobra de dúvidas.

MELHOR DEFESA E ATAQUE DO GRUPO 7

A primeira fase da Série D de 2020 foi elaborada com 64 times divididos em oito grupos – portanto, foram oito grupos cada qual com oito times. O Mirassol se classificou para a próxima fase com a melhor marca de gols feitos e de gols sofridos do grupo 7. Em 14 rodadas disputadas foram 31 gols pró e nove gols contra.

– Quando a gente fala em defesa, às vezes, muita gente culpa zagueiro, volante, mas a defesa começa lá no centroavante. Lógico que cada um tem peso de responsabilidade em marcação, a responsabilidade do 9, lógico que não é a mesma do 3 e do 4, dos zagueiros, mas todos tem uma responsabilidade. Esse comprometimento foi muito importante.

DE OLHO NA SÉRIE C
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O início da Série C de 2021 está agendado para o dia 30 maio. Sobre o planejamento para o campeonato, Baptista revelou que o planejamento é buscar o acesso. A ideia, segundo ele, é montar uma equipe competitiva.

– A gente sabe bem que se você consegue uma pontuação alta, se você consegue chegar bem no Paulistão, a tendência de você perder essa equipe é muito grande. Haja vista que equipes de Série A e B monitoram o Campeonato Paulista. Acontece o que aconteceu no ano passado com o próprio Mirassol.

– Temos o planejamento de fazer um Paulistão forte, estamos tentando montar um time com todos com contrato até o final de 2021, para que a gente possa se perder alguém, ter uma base para iniciar a Série C. A nossa grande dificuldade no início da Série D foi não ter tido uma base. Nós montamos um time durante a competição. A ideia é que chegue na Série C, ao fim do Paulista, que você tenha, na pior das hipóteses, um esqueleto, um início para você começar a disputa e brigar pelo acesso.

*estagiário sob a supervisão de Aigor Ojêda