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Glasgow Rangers saw their Premiership title ambitions take a damaging hit on Wednesday evening at Dens Park.

The 0-0 draw against Dundee was the third attempt of the game finally being played following two prior postponements, but the Light Blues lacked any sort of intensity or hunger to make up for their woeful defeat to Ross County last weekend.

Philippe Clement’s men have come unstuck at the worst possible time as they now trail Celtic by three points after failing to win their game in hand against Dundee.

League duty takes a back seat for the Light Blues as a Scottish Cup semi-final against Hearts awaits on Sunday. Lose that, however, and the campaign will be all but over.

There must be some sweeping changes ahead of the clash against Hearts, especially with some of the performances by the senior players in midweek, who let both the club and the manager down when it mattered most.

James Tavernier and John Lundstram were poor, yet it was Connor Goldson who endured yet another dismal performance at the heart of the defence.

Connor Goldson’s game in numbers vs Dundee

The centre-back had featured in the previous two games which saw the Gers concede six goals and fail to win against both Celtic and Ross County, with his influence continuing to deteriorate.

Leon Balogun was ill for the clash against the Dens Park side, so Goldson was once again chosen in the starting XI by Clement. While a clean sheet was kept for the first time in the top flight since a 5-0 win over Hearts at the end of February, Goldson’s lack of intensity or desire was worrying.

Connor Goldson's stats vs Dundee
Accurate passes	53/69
Total duels (won)	15 (13)
Possession lost	16
Touches	77
Long balls (accurate)	11 (6)
Via Sofascore

The Englishman may have won 13 of his 15 total contested duels during the match, but his distribution was poor yet again.

Not only did he complete just six of his 11 long ball attempts, but throughout the game, Goldson completed just 53 of his 69 passes – a success rate of just 77% – as he looked sloppy on the ball.

Indeed, the defender managed to lose possession 16 times and considering he took 77 touches in the 90 minutes, this works out as him losing the ball once every 4.8 touches, further evidence of another poor showing.

Journalist Lewis Anderson from Glasgow World gave him a rating of 5/10 for his display while stating that he looked ‘a tad shaky early on under pressure’ before claiming that Goldson ‘just doesn’t seem to be the player he was a few seasons ago at the moment’ – and it is hard to argue with any of that.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t just the 31-year-old who underperformed in Dundee on Wednesday evening, and it looks like Clement has a major job on his hands during the summer transfer window.

Thankfully, a few players are out of contract at the end of the season, which will see the club save around £90k-per-week on wages should all six depart Ibrox.

Kemar Roofe is one of the six and after his woeful showing against Dundee, he shouldn’t be near the starting XI again between now and the end of the campaign.

Kemar Roofe's performance against Dundee

The striker has endured his fair share of injury issues at Rangers, not just this season, but across his entire four-year stint, which has limited his impact.

Prior to the Dundee match, Roofe had played just 22 times for the first team in 2023/24, with only eight of them starts, scoring twice in the process.

The 31-year-old has missed 25 matches due to recurring injuries, yet he is taking home a staggering £26k-per-week for his efforts.

Deployed from the first whistle in midweek, Roofe completed just eight passes, lost possession eight times and managed just one shot, which was off target.

He did succeed with 100% of his dribble attempts and ground duels, but in terms of trying to make things happen in the final third, he lacked any sort of urgency.

Hooked after 56 minutes, the centre-forward was given a dismal 2/10 rating by Glasgow World, with Anderson stating that he was ‘dreadful’ having managed just one touch in the opposition box during his spell on the pitch.

Any hopes of a late burst of inspiration to steer the Gers to another league title have certainly been dashed after his latest display, and he will be a free agent in a matter of weeks.

Kemar Roofe’s Rangers statistics

His four-season spell in Glasgow has seen the player make just 100 appearances, missing a grand total of 96 games through a succession of injury issues.

Roofe has scored 38 goals and grabbed seven assists since arriving at Ibrox in the summer of 2020, managing to impress when it mattered most.

Who could forget his extra-time winner against Braga during the Europa League quarter-final clash in 2022? Or his stunning goal from the halfway line against Standard Liege in the midst of a monsoon during his first season.

Even last term, when suffering from countless knocks, he still netted an extra-time winner to knock Aberdeen out of the League Cup and secure a final spot for the Gers.

These moments have been fleeting, however, with his impact in his final couple of seasons being hampered by a body that has just accumulated too much scar tissue.

On his day, Roofe was arguably the finest centre-forward Rangers could call upon. He was smart, could drop deep and play out wide if required, whilst also having the knack for scoring incredible goals.

With his contract expiring this summer, it is time for both Roofe and Rangers to part ways and, if he can get himself fit, there is no doubt he will find himself another club sooner rather than later.

Off the back of his showing against Dundee, however, Clement must avoid unleashing him again during the remaining matches, as he was non-existent at Dens Park.

It would be a shame if this is how things ended, but the Belgian coach must be ruthless if he wants to drag the Light Blues back into a title battle.

Clement must now ditch 5/10 man who may have cost Rangers the title

Rangers dropped more points in the Premiership title race

By
Ross Kilvington

Apr 18, 2024

Issue “should be addressed properly” says England fast bowler after posting abusive direct messages he had received

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Mar-2020Jofra Archer has spoken out against racist abuse and called for action against its perpetrators after posting screenshots of direct messages he had received, on his Instagram story.”I [have] given a lot of thought about reacting to this and I hope that no-one else has to deal with stuff like this on a regular basis,” Archer wrote on his story. “It isn’t ever acceptable and should be addressed properly in my opinion.”I will never understand how people feel so freely to say these things to another human being. It baffles me.”WATCH HERE: The Jofra Archer Story – Episode 1: Where it all beganArcher has regularly spoken out against racial abuse that he has received during his England career to date.He was abused at the end of England’s defeat against New Zealand at Mount Maunganui in November, and was later contacted on Instagram by the perpetrator.New Zealand Cricket announced in January that a 28-year-old man had been banned from attending cricket in the countries for two years and issued with a verbal warning following a police investigation.Last week, Archer tweeted a link to a YouTube video which accused him of pulling “race card nonsense” regarding the abuse he suffered in New Zealand. “This is the most rubbish I’ve ever seen on the internet and it makes me sick to my stomach,” he said in the tweet.

في ظل غياب قائدي منتخب مصر محمد الشناوي وحمدي فتحي عن مواجهة بوتسوانا في الجولة الأخيرة من تصفيات كأس أمم إفريقيا، تثار التساؤلات حول هوية قائد الفراعنة في هذه المباراة.

ويغيب الثنائي حمدي فتحي ومحمد الشناوي، عن مباراة بوتسوانا القادمة في ختام تصفيات كأس أمم إفريقيا، بعد حصولهما على بطاقتين صفراويتين.

وتقام مباراة مصر وبوتسوانا يوم 19 نوفمبر المقبل، في تمام الخامسة مساءً، بتوقيت القاهرة، السادسة بتوقيت السعودية.

وكان منتخب مصر قد خطف بطاقة التأهل الرسمية إلى نهائيات كأس أمم إفريقيا المقبلة والتي تقام بالمغرب خلال عام 2025، بعد الجولة الرابعة من التصفيات.

ويتواجد منتخب مصر في المجموعة الرابعة من تصفيات كأس أمم إفريقيا، بجوار منتخبات الرأس الأخضر وموريتانيا وبوتسوانا.

طالع أيضًا | محمد بركات: لاعب منتخب مصر جيد جدًا.. وظهور وجوه المنتخب الأولمبي أسعدني ترتيب قادة منتخب مصر أمام بوتسوانا في تصفيات أمم إفريقيا

القائد الأول: محمود حسن تريزيجيه (أول مباراة دولية له كانت بتاريخ 15 نوفمبر 2014 أمام السنغال في تصفيات كأس أمم إفريقيا).

القائد الثاني: مصطفى فتحي (أول مباراة دولية له كانت بتاريخ 14 يونيو 2015 أمام تنزانيا في تصفيات كأس أمم إفريقيا).

القائد الثالث: محمد عواد، (أول مباراة دولية له كانت بتاريخ 27 مارس 2018 أمام اليونان “مباراة دولية ودية”).

القائد الرابع: طاهر محمد طاهر، (أول مباراة دولية له كانت بتاريخ 16 نوفمبر 2018 أمام تونس في تصفيات كأس أمم إفريقيا).

القائد الخامس: مصطفى محمد، (أول مباراة دولية له كانت بتاريخ 23 مارس 2019 أمام النيجر في تصفيات كأس أمم إفريقيا).

Chelsea have been a rather big mess during the 2023/24 season. That’s putting it politely too.

This was meant to be the campaign where the Todd Boehly era roared into life under new manager Mauricio Pochettino, but it’s followed the trend of his stewardship to date. Spend money and don’t get very far.

It was recently revealed that no other Premier League side spent more on agent fees than the Blues over a yearly period ending in February 2024, and where’s that got them? Not very far.

They are ninth in the table and with two games in hand could still secure European football next term.

That should be the goal at the very least for this Chelsea team but is it enough to keep Pochettino in the job? Arguably not.

Potential Pochettino replacements for Chelsea

It would not be a huge surprise if we saw the Argentine remain in the dugout for the beginning of next season but with a managerial merry-go-round set to commence, Chelsea should get involved.

Jurgen Klopp is on the move, Thomas Tuchel is leaving Bayern Munich, Ruben Amorim will likely take his leave from Sporting and Barcelona boss Xavi will also depart the Camp Nou.

He’s already been linked with the Chelsea vacancy with reports at the end of March suggesting they were interested in the Spaniard.

Would he be a good hire? Well, given he’s a disciple of Pep Guardiola, there is an easy case to make there.

Xavi’s managerial philosophy

The great midfielder was one of the best players to grace the modern game but that doesn’t mean he’ll make a good manager. Or does it?

Well, after a slump of sorts for Barcelona pre-Xavi, the Spaniard has revived the great Catalan club.

They won La Liga last season and are now just 90 minutes away from a place in the Champions League semi-finals after defeating PSG in their quarter-final first leg.

Chelsea could only dream of that but it goes to show that in the midst of somewhat of a crisis, Xavi can dig you out of a hole.

Described as “the best manager in the world” by Joan Laporta, the president at Barcelona, it’s easy to see why that label has been attached to him.

Aged 44, the Barca great is now making a name for himself as a coach and would be a superb candidate to replace Pochettino.

He is very similar to Guardiola in his coaching philosophy, employing the strategy that if you have the ball, you can’t concede a goal. Wise words.

Speaking about how he sees the game, Xavi once said: “It’s clear to me that my team has to have the ball,” the former midfielder told The Coach’s Voice. “I suffer when I don’t have it.

“What interests me as a coach? To play as much as possible in the opponents’ half. If they press us high, the most important thing is to break the midfield line, go into the opposition’s half, and attack.”

In a further interview, he commented: “My concept is very similar [to Pep]. Guardiola also wants to be dominant, he wants to have the ball, strong possession, lots of attacking movements… It’s ultimately about being proactive within the game.”

Proactive is certainly something Chelsea haven’t been under Pochettino to date so there’s one problem potentially solved.

Vitally, there is a clear pattern to the way Xavi likes his teams to play and he doesn’t stray from it very often.

Unsurprisingly, no team in La Liga has had more of the ball than Barcelona this season. Only one team – Real Madrid – has a better average pass success rate in the entire division.

Barcelona vs Chelsea: 2023/24 League Seasons

Stat

Xavi's Barca

Poch's Chelsea

Goals scored

61

55

Goals conceded

34

51

xG

67.44

63.17

xGA

32.83

48.37

Average possession

65%

59.2%

Data via WhoScored.

His team also rank the highest in Spain’s top flight for expected goals (xG), suggesting Xavi knows how to get his team to create chances. They’re also third for expected goals against in La Liga, a tally that also ranks them as the 14th-best side in Europe’s top five leagues, even ahead of Manchester City.

So, the Guardiola method is clear to see and it’s a proven remedy for success. The great Spanish coach has already deployed it in England and Mikel Arteta has taken influence too, notably taking his Arsenal team close to the title.

Xavi's fellow Spaniard once said of his own style: "I want dominance. I don’t want the opposition to breathe.”

As a result, this potential appointment could be just what the doctor ordered at Chelsea.

Wrexham defender Max Cleworth is stunned by the fact he will play in sold-out matches in his team's North American pre-season tour this summer.

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Wrexham to play in North American tourWelsh side have big fanbase in USACleworth amazed games are selling outWHAT HAPPENED?

The Welsh side will come up against Bournemouth and Chelsea in California over the next week before they travel north to Canada to face Vancouver Whitecaps in the hometown of co-owner Ryan Reynolds as they prepare for their first season back in League One.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The Red Dragons have enjoyed immense popularity in the United States since Hollywood actors Reynolds and Rob McElhenney completed their takeover of the club and started the successful documentary series Welcome to Wrexham. The size of their American fanbase has resulted in great interest in their pre-season friendlies and Cleworth is still getting used to the attention.

WHAT CLEWORTH SAID

"You almost have to pinch yourself. It is mental that we can go across the world to America and be part of selling out stadiums," Cleworth said to . "Last year was unbelievable to see the support over there and playing some really competitive matches. I am sure there will be even more fans this year after the success of the last two seasons of the documentary. It is going to be another unbelievable experience and we are all extremely grateful being given the opportunity to do it. I am really looking forward to it and hopefully we can put on some good performances. The focus is on getting fit but getting to play against two Premier League teams is going to be another good experience and will stand us in good stead for the new season."

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GettyWHAT NEXT?

After their matches in the United States and Canada, Wrexham will return to Wales to continue their preparations for the new season. After earning a second consecutive promotion, they will begin their League One campaign with a match against Wycombe on August 10.

The offspinner believes ‘the characteristics of an SCG pitch is part of our cricket history’

Andrew McGlashan16-Oct-20195:18

What’s the fuss about Drop-In pitches?

Nathan Lyon has implored the SCG not to turn to drop-in pitches following the latest clash between sporting codes which has seen New South Wales’ Sheffield Shield match against Tasmania shifted away from the iconic ground.The game will now be played at Drummoyne Oval – with next week’s Marsh Cup match also moved to North Sydney Oval – after the decision was taken that the wicket block would be at risk from significant damage if it was used this week.The problem has been blamed on the Sydney Roosters’ training session in early October before the NRL Grand Final. It has resurfaced the debate about the usage of the ground with cricket under pressure from the winter sports.Next month’s T20I between Australia and Pakistan will now be the first cricket of the season at the ground followed by New South Wales’ Sheffield Shield match against Western Australia in mid November.Lyon, who has played just three Sheffield Shield matches at the SCG through his career, hopes the ground does not go the way of the MCG, which has had problems with its pitches in recent years, and Adelaide by using drop-in surfaces.”I really hope it doesn’t go to drop-in. I really think the characteristics of an SCG pitch is part of our cricket history here,” Lyon said ahead of his first appearance of the season. “It’s called the Sydney Cricket Ground so I personally believe we should keep the wickets the same, I don’t really want drop-ins.”Though the latest problems have stemmed from rugby league, the SCG is home to the Sydney Swans Australia Rules Football team. Earlier this year their coach, John Longmire, said drop-in surfaces should be discussed.”With a wicket base on the ground, it’s something we’ve always been mindful of, obviously we’d support a drop in wicket if that was part of the discussion,” he said in April. “It’s certainly very important to discuss it, it’s a 12 months a year venue.””It gets highlighted now because there’s more traffic here, and every weekend there’s a game where that hasn’t been the case in the past. Ideally, the winter codes would appreciate having just the same turf all over the ground. We understand we’ve got compromises. They play a lot of cricket here.”In July, the SCG Trust – which runs the ground – formed a committee to consider drop-in pitches. Cricket NSW is strongly opposed to any move that way. “The move to a drop-in wicket with lifeless uniformity will create the risk of boring cricket,” their submission to the committee said.

Bayern Munich goalkeeper Manuel Neuer has suggested he is open to moving to MLS when the time comes for him to leave the German giants.

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Neuer in last year of Bayern dealGoalkeeper open to MLS transferSays he won't go to Saudi ArabiaWHAT HAPPENED?

The 38-year-old has entered the last year of his contract with the Bundesliga side and was asked if he will opt for a spell abroad in the final phase of his career. The Bayern captain has said he would like to experience life in another county, but dismissed the notion of making the switch to the Middle East.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT NEUER SAID

"I always wanted to play at the highest level. I have thought about this option over the course of my career; I have always had enquiries and offers," he said to Die Welt. "But I knew that Bayern was the best place for me because of the environment and the squad. There has never been a club where I have had more fun. Although you should never say never: I would not move to Saudi Arabia or Qatar. If anything, MLS would have been an option. I spoke to Bastian Schweinsteiger, who played there, about it. But you have to think it through carefully. Also because you play a lot on artificial turf there, which is not ideal for a goalkeeper."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Neuer joined Bayern from Schalke in 2011 and has made over 500 appearances in all competitions for the club. The 123-time Germany international is currently starring for the national team at Euro 2024, having started all four of his team's games so far.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR NEUER?

After his involvement at Euro 2024, Neuer will take a break before joining up with the rest of the Bayern squad for pre-season. It's likely that the 2024-25 campaign will be the goalkeeper's last with the Bavarians, and it will be interesting to see what he chooses to do after that, with MLS clearly a possibility.

Manchester United have already looked a couple of Brighton players during Erik ten Hag's reign, only to lose out to their Premier League rivals in the end. The Red Devils held a long-standing interest in Moises Caicedo, but he wound up joining Chelsea for the most expensive fee in the competition's history.

United were also keen to sign his midfield partner Alexis Mac Allister, but the Argentine ultimately chose to join arch-rivals Liverpool instead, forcing Ten Hag to explore alternative targets.

Another Seagulls star who has plenty of admirers at Old Trafford is wide player Kaoru Mitoma, and the race to sign him is very much on. United are one of the sides in contention, but they face plenty of competition for the deal.

Osman deal could free up Mitoma

According to reports in Spain, Brighton will consider offers for Man Utd target Mitoma after signing Ibrahim Osman from Nordsjaelland for £16m ahead of the summer. Osman's arrival apparently "opens up the possibility" of Mitoma moving on in the off-season, a "boost" for suitors like United, Manchester City and Chelsea.

Brighton are expected to demand €60m (about £51m) to part with Mitoma, a fee that may be beyond another interested party in Barcelona. The Blaugrana had hoped to use Ansu Fati, who's currently on loan at the Amex Stadium, as a bargaining chip, but Osman is already there to fill the void.

Mitoma would be amazing signing for Man Utd

Mitoma joined Brighton from Japanese club Kawasaki Frontale in 2021 and spent the following season on loan at Union SG in Belgium before Roberto De Zerbi unleashed him upon the Premier League last term. He would score ten goals and notch eight assists in 41 games all competitions, and he'll be aiming for similar numbers by the end of the current campaign (with three goals and six assists on the board already).

Man Utd made a mistake by selling £15m Sancho & Antony upgrade

The Red Devils cashed in on the young dynamo, who has impressed in the Premier League this season.

ByDan Emery Feb 12, 2024

Named Japan's player of the year for the past two years, Mitoma is one of the most effective dribblers in European football right now. As you can see in the table below, he ranks fifth in the big five leagues for carries into the penalty area this season (57), despite missing the last five games because of injury and his participation in the Asian Cup.

Rank

Player

Club

Carries

1

Jeremy Doku

Man City

84

2

Dejan Kulusevski

Spurs

66

3

Gabriel Martinelli

Arsenal

60

=3

Rodrygo

Real Madrid

60

5

Kaoru Mitoma

Brighton

57

"I have no words left for Mitoma," De Zerbi said in the autumn. "He's really underrated but trust me, he's so so underrated. The world of football hasn't understood the value of Mitoma. He can be an incredible player for any manager, not just for me. He's insane."

£51m would represent a huge bargain for a player with this level of ability, and, given that Mitoma is already proven in English football, it would also be the perfect deal to launch the Jim Ratcliffe era at Old Trafford.

Lionel Messi turned down an enormous Saudi offer in favour of joining Inter Miami after leaving Paris Saint-Germain in 2023.

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• Messi in Middle East before Miami move
• Gargantuan offer made to Argentine star
• Messi rejected move for family reasons

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Messi was targeted by the Saudi Pro League after Paris Saint-Germain confirmed the Argentina international was set to leave the club when his contract expired in 2023. Former club Barcelona were also linked with a move for Messi before he finally opted for a new challenge in Major League Soccer with Inter Miami.

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• Getty/GOAL
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Saudi Pro League clubs have managed to snap up a host of huge names in recent years including superstars such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar and Karim Benzema. Messi was also wanted in the Middle East with Al-Ittihad president Anmar Al Haili revealing just how much money his club were willing to offer the Argentine to move to Saudi Arabia.

• WHAT HAS BEEN SAID

  Al Haili told : "We actually contacted Messi at the end of his contract in Paris. We presented him with an offer of €1.4 billion, but the player refused because his family wanted America. It is surprising that the player was able to refuse such a huge offer for the sake of his family. He managed to convince his family, but he did not hesitate to refuse. We respect this, because family is more important than money."

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• Getty Images
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR MESSI

  Messi has gone on to thrive in MLS, winning the Leagues Cup and helping fire Miami to the top of the current Eastern Conference standings. The Argentina star has also admitted recently he expects Inter Miami to be his last club before he finally opts to hang up his boots. Meanwhile, Saudi teams continue to target top stars, with players such as Mohamed Salah, Kevin De Bruyne and Virgil van Dijk emerging as new targets for big-spending clubs.

تحدث المهاجم الفلسطيني عمر فرج الوافد الجديد لصفوف فريق الكرة الأول بنادي الزمالك، عن مباراة الأهلي في كأس السوبر الإفريقي 2024.

مباراة الأهلي والزمالك من المقرر إقامتها على ملعب استاد المملكة أرينا في كأس السوبر الإفريقي مساء الجمعة المقبل.

إمام عاشور: أشعر أنني من ناشئي الأهلي.. ونسعى لتعويض خسارة السوبر الإفريقي الماضي

وأكد فرج في تصريحات للمركز الإعلامي بنادي الزمالك، جاهزية الفارس الأبيض للأهلي، لحسم كأس السوبر الإفريقي.

وقال فرج: “الأجواء في المملكة العربية السعودية رائعة ومميزة من ملاعب وكل شيء خاص بلقاء السوبر”.

وأضاف: “نستعد بكل قوة لمواجهة الأهلي، وهدفنا تحقيق الفوز والتتويج باللقب الأفريقي”.

وواصل: “التركيز سلاحنا أمام الأهلي، وإن شاء الله نحقق الهدف المطلوب ونحصد اللقب”.

واختتم قائلاً: “ننتظر دعم ومؤازرة جماهير الزمالك، ونعدهم بتقديم أفضل أداء لتحقيق الفوز وإسعادهم”.

وكان الزمالك قد أتم تعاقده مع عمر فرج خلال فترة الانتقالات الصيفية قادمًا من صفوف فريق أيك السويدي لمدة 4 مواسم.