Sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley are coming under severe scrutiny as the Blues' chickens come home to roost

Chelsea's mid-season slump hadn't caused too much consternation among the fanbase; a dip in form was perhaps considered par for the course for a side that had largely overachieved in the first half of the campaign as the Blues pushed as high as second in the Premier League.

Ironically, despite dismal defeats to neighbours Fulham and struggling Ipswich, as well as frustrating draws with Crystal Palace and Bournemouth, it is the defeat to champions Manchester City that has been the catalyst for uproar. A performance lacking in energy and ambition against a wounded City side that was there for the taking after Chelsea took an early lead, the 3-1 reverse brutally exposed something much deeper as the deficiencies in the squad were laid bare.

The result leaves Chelsea down in sixth – exactly where Mauricio Pochettino had them when he departed in the summer – and sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley once again facing some uncomfortable questions from a fanbase that expects a far better return for a £1 billion ($1.24bn) investment.

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  Failed summer window

  There is no doubt that Chelsea are suffering the consequences of their most recent transfer business, continuing a negative trend under the Clearlake-Boehly ownership and their sporting directors to date.

  Although the unprecedented squad rebuild they have overseen over the past two years has been punctuated by unquestionable success stories, most notably signing Cole Palmer and bringing in a handsome profit from player sales, those are far outweighed by their failures in the transfer window.

  Things have become particularly messy since the summer; of the eight signings who were immediately integrated into the first team, three were angling for an exit by the time the mid-season transfer window rolled around having grown frustrated over a lack of game time under Enzo Maresca.

  Renato Veiga has already joined Juventus on loan, while Joao Felix – a £44.5 million ($58m) arrival who always seemed like an odd signing – is open to a move and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall – a £30m ($38) purchase who was supposedly a perfect fit for Maresca's system – has been told he is surplus to requirements.

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  Laughable transfer decisions

  If all of that wasn't alarming enough, there was also the shameful scramble to bring Trevoh Chalobah back to the club amid a defensive injury crisis – a Cobham graduate who was quite literally forced out of his boyhood club in the summer, put up for sale and made to train with the academy before Crystal Palace took him on loan. Chelsea came crawling back, of course, with Winstanley even calling the defender to convince him to return.

  In terms of outgoings, the highly-unpopular decision to let another academy graduate leave in Conor Gallagher has also backfired, as the now-Atletico Madrid midfielder would be an incredibly useful asset in their current predicament, with Romeo Lavia struggling to overcome his injury problems and Dewsbury-Hall clearly not considered good enough.

  Although it didn't attract as much attention, ditching goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic off the back of an impressive debut campaign and sending him on loan to sister club Strasbourg in favour of making Robert Sanchez No.1 now looks incredibly misguided, too.

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  Obvious problem areas

  Indeed, Sanchez is the embodiment of a wider problem; much of the ire directed at the Chelsea hierarchy stems from the belief that two very obvious problem positions in the squad haven't been addressed after more than two years under their stewardship.

  Although Edouard Mendy impressed for a while, the Blues haven't had a consistently world-class goalkeeper since Thibaut Courtois left for Real Madrid in 2018, and current incumbent Sanchez is arguably the worst option they've had over the past the six-and-a-half years. The situation is made all the more laughable by £72m ($91m) signing Kepa Arrizabalaga's impressive displays on loan at Bournemouth of late.

  At the other end of the pitch, Chelsea haven't had an elite goal-scorer for even longer – not since the days Diego Costa roamed the frontline and terrorised Premier League defences. There has been a succession of big-money failures in the years since, from Alvaro Morata to Timo Werner, and although cost-effective Nicolas Jackson shows signs of promise, the Blues still haven't found a reliably prolific hitman.

  It was as though their chickens came home to roost in the dismal defeat at Man City; at one end, Sanchez made his fifth error leading to a goal this season alone as Erling Haaland bagged the winner by lofting the ball over the stranded goalkeeper's head, while at the other, Jackson was largely anonymous as his goal-drought extended to seven games.

  Chelsea's sporting directors – hailed as two of the best in the business – should surely have the nous between them to realise that an elite goalkeeper and striker should have been transfer priorities numbers one and two for the club for some time. As Sanchez is showing, these are positions that can win and lose you games.

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  Defensive disorder

  The problem Chelsea have is that their issues now run deeper than two positions, with the defence becoming a real issue. There were the signs of a budding centre-back partnership between Levi Colwill and Wesley Fofana, but another potentially season-ending injury for the latter has laid bare some significant problems.

  Perennially unconvincing Benoit Badiashile is sidelined, too, and Axel Disasi is another recent signing who seems destined to depart in the near future. That makes Chalobah and Tosin Adarabioyo the most senior centre-backs at Maresca's disposal, highlighting a dire lack of obvious, experienced leaders at the back following Thiago Silva's summer exit.

  Colwill is the club's great homegrown hope in central defence and has captain potential, but he is still just 21 and prone to both lapses in concentration and rash rushes of blood to the head.

  The policy of targeting younger players across the board has left Chelsea with a group of six first-team centre-backs who are all flawed in different ways; unreliable, injury-prone or inexperienced. The newly-restored Chalobah might be a fan favourite, but he was eaten alive by Haaland at the Etihad. It's another area that wasn't properly addressed in the summer and now must be at the earliest opportunity.

Cristiano Ronaldo has been told by his former fitness coach of the sacrifice he must make in order to “contribute meaningfully” at 40 years of age.

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All-time great is still going strongNo plans to hang up boots any time soonMay have to accept more of an impact roleFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The Portuguese superstar has passed a landmark birthday, but he is showing no sign of slowing down and continues to delay any retirement plans. Ronaldo remains a prolific presence for Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr and a talismanic captain of his country.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The expectation is that CR7 will play on to the 2026 World Cup, with a contract extension being agreed in the Middle East. He may, however, have to accept more of an impact role – particularly at international level – if he is to continue competing at the highest possible level.

WHAT FORMER FITNESS COACH SAID

That is an opinion shared by Joao Aroso, who worked with Ronaldo at Sporting CP, and he has told : "At this stage of his career, it’s hard to make medium-term projections. It will depend a lot on how he’s feeling physically and mentally. Playing at another World Cup finals serves as a huge source of motivation for him – whether he’ll be decisive or not is another question. He can be decisive while playing fewer minutes, though, even without starting every single game.

"At his age, recovery takes longer and it’s tougher to maintain high-intensity performances for extended periods during games, as he once did. His ability to understand that he can contribute meaningfully, while playing less, could be important going forward."

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GettyDID YOU KNOW?

Ronaldo is not the type to take a back seat, with his relentless work ethic keeping him at the top of his game for over 20 years. Aroso added on that mentality, which continues to serve the all-time great well: "It’s his drive, his passion to want to keep playing. Physical abilities help, of course, but a lot of it comes down to the mental side – the joy he gets from that, the pleasure he finds in training, playing and breaking records. That’s what keeps the engine running."

اعترف لاعب فريق توتنهام السابق، جيمي أوهارا، أنه يشعر بحالة من الأسف تجاه النجم المصري محمد صلاح، لاعب فريق ليفربول، بسبب ما حدث في نهائي كأس رابطة الأندية الإنجليزية.

وخاض ليفربول مباراة نهائي كأس كاراباو ضد نيوكاسل يونايتد على ملعب “ويمبلي” يوم الأحد الماضي.

وخسر ليفربول بهدفين لهدف، في مباراة شارك بها النجم محمد صلاح وخاضها بأكملها، دون أن تكون له أي تسديدة طوال اللقاء، في إحصائية هي الأولى من نوعها للنجم صاحب الـ32 عامًا.

وقال جيمي أوهارا، في تصريحات نشرتها شبكة “ياهو سبورتس” العالمية: “أشعر بالأسف تجاه محمد صلاح، إنه يشبه هاري كين إلى حد ما”.

وأضاف: “محمد صلاح لاعب رائع بدون شك، ولكن إذا كنت تريد أن تُصنف كلاعب بطل لـ ليفربول، مثل ستيفن جيرارد وإيان راش، فعليك الأداء في النهائيات”.

اقرأ أيضًا.. جاري نيفيل: ما فعله محمد صلاح أمام نيوكاسل لم أشاهده من قبل

وواصل: “رغم فوز ليفربول بالألقاب، إلا أن الفريق اعتمد على الأداء الجماعي أكثر من الفردي”.

وأردف: “على المستوى الشخصي لم يقدم محمد صلاح أداءً جيدًا في المباراة النهائية، على عكس ما نراه كثيرًا منه في الدوري الإنجليزي، غاب عن نهائي كأس كاراباو، لقد خاض 8 نهائيات مع ليفربول ومنتخب مصر”.

واسترسل: “أظن أنه سجل هدفًا وصنع آخر، وكان الهدف من ضربة جزاء ضد توتنهام (نهائي دوري أبطال أوروبا 2019)، يجب أن يكون حاضرًا أكثر في المباريات الكبرى”.

Hails senior bowlers Trent Boult and Tim Southee for their adjustments in the UAE

Deivarayan Muthu09-Nov-2021

Both Trent Boult and Tim Southee didn’t get a game in the 2016 T20 World Cup in India, with New Zealand packing their attack with spin and preferring the hit-the-deck style of Mitchell McClenaghan. Five years later, both Boult and Southee have played crucial roles in New Zealand’s progress to the semi-finals from a group that included three Asian sides – Pakistan, India and Afghanistan.Related

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Boult is currently the joint second-highest wicket-taker in the competition with 11 wickets in five matches at an economy rate of 5.84. Southee has got four fewer wickets than Boult, but his economy of 5.70 is the best among seamers who have bowled at least 20 overs in the tournament. Williamson hailed their contributions to an attack that is without the injured Lockie Ferguson.”Yeah, they’ve been brilliant,” Williamson said. “They’ve been involved with the team in all formats over a long period of time and really experienced operators for us and experience in terms of playing in all different conditions and executing their skills beautifully and performing their roles to the highest standard. They’ve been doing a fantastic job for us, really leading our attack who have been performing well and adjusting well to the different surfaces we’ve been on and a real strength in our side.”In the 2016 T20 World Cup semi-final in Delhi, Jason Roy belted 78 off 40 balls to knock New Zealand out. He has now been ruled out of the rest of England’s ongoing campaign, as has been left-arm seamer Tymal Mills, but Williamson is still wary of England’s incredible depth in white-ball cricket.”They’re both big players for England,” Williamson said. “It’s a real shame that they have suffered injuries in this competition. But I think one of the strengths as well of the England side is their depth that they’ve managed to produce over a period of time. And having spent some time at the Birmingham Phoenix and being sort of a little bit involved in that 100-ball comp, you can tell that there’s a huge amount of talent throughout. They’re still very much a very strong side who have been playing some really good cricket.”Whenever there’s an injury, there’s someone else who comes in and you’re not to know who they are until the toss. But you try to prepare and plan as best you can and then when you go out there, you’re sort of competing in the moment. And that’s kind of all that matters then. But Jason’s a big player for England and has been playing really nicely and getting the team off to good starts along with Jos [Buttler]. But, as I mentioned, the depth on the England side is one of their strengths and we’ll try and plan accordingly to the best of our ability. But largely [we] want to focus on the sort of cricket we want to play as a group and keep developing on that as we’ve been doing throughout this tournament.”Williamson’s niggly elbow had prevented him from playing for Birmingham Phoenix at the inaugural Hundred, but he did spend some time there as the side’s mentor. Having watched Liam Livingstone’s brutal power-hitting from close quarters at the Phoenix, Williamson identified the batting allrounder as one of the threats but backed New Zealand to find a way.”Look, they’ve got match-winners throughout their team and that’s been a big, I suppose, movement of their white-ball side,” Williamson said. “Sort of power-packed and bat deep as well. I spent a little bit of time with Liam at the Birmingham Phoenix and he played superbly well throughout that 100-ball competition, so there are a number of threats and a number of match-winners. We also have a number of match-winners as well and at the end of the day it’s about committing to what you do as a team and we both do it a little bit differently.”

Aston Villa has had some amazing goalkeepers in the Premier League era, the likes of Brad Friedel, David James and Peter Schmeichel being the ones that spring to mind.

Friedel made 131 appearances for Villa, conceding 171 goals, and keeping 36 clean sheets. James made 84 appearances for Villa, conceding 83 goals, and keeping 27 clean sheets. Whilst Schmeichel only joined Villa at 38-years-old, making 36 appearances for the club, conceding 45 goals, keeping ten clean sheets, and even scoring a goal.

But perhaps the best of the lot, is their current goalkeeper, Emiliano Martínez, who was bought for just £17m from Arsenal, and is now considered the best “in the world” in his position, have been labelled this by Argentina teammate Lionel Messi.

Emiliano Martínez rise to the top

Since joining in 2020, the 32-year-old has made 168 appearances for Villa, conceding 204 goals, keeping 57 clean sheets, and totaling 14,960 minutes played.

In this time, Martinez has also made 47 appearances for his country, winning the Copa América twice, and the World Cup in 2022.

According to GIVEMESPORT last year, Martinez was valued at around £60m by Aston Villa, with Dean Jones stating he would consider leaving to “step up a level”. Since then, Villa have qualified for the Champions League, and the shot-stopper seems to be content at the club, competing on all fronts.

Martinez continues to impress, making ten appearances this season in all competitions so far, conceding just ten goals, and keeping three clean sheets in 900 minutes. The Argentine is now worth more than triple the cost he was bought for back in 2020, as he sits at the table with the world’s best goalkeepers.

Martinez compared to some of the world's best

Some top names also considered in this elite category, are Alisson Becker of Liverpool, Thibaut Courtois from Real Madrid, and Yann Sommer from Inter Milan. Of course, some other top names are David Raya, Ederson, Mike Maignan, Manuel Neuer and Marc-André ter Stegen.

Stats (per 90 mins)

Martinez

Alisson

Courtois

Sommer

Goals Against

1.00

0.38

0.73

1.00

Shots on Target Against

4.10

2.66

2.91

4.22

Saves

3.00

2.28

2.27

3.11

Save %

78.0%

85.7%

75.0%

78.9%

Clean Sheets

0.30

0.51

0.36

0.44

Crosses Stopped

1.50

0.25

0.80

0.33

Defensive Actions Outside Pen Area

0.90

1.65

0.40

0.44

Passes Attempted

35.7

38.4

45.5

37.8

Pass Completion %

78.4%

80.5%

86.2%

87.6%

When you compare the metrics of Martinez so far this season with other top tier names, you can see why he is viewed in this bracket of players. Villa face more shots than the likes of Liverpool and Real Madrid, with Martinez facing 4.10 shots per 90, Alisson facing 2.66, and Courtois facing 2.91.

Despite this, Martinez’s save metrics are still excellent, also only conceding 1.00 per 90 (same as Sommer), and stopping the most crosses with 1.50 stopped per 90, compared to the other names who all average below 0.80, with the second-best being Courtois for this metric.

Villa will want to hold onto their superstar keeper, despite his meteoric rise in value, and the performances he is putting in week in, week out, are bound to have Villa battling for the top four again this season.

MatériaMais Notícias

O dia da estreia de Paulo Sousa chegou. Nesta quarta-feira, o treinador estará à frente do Flamengo, que enfrenta o Boavista no estádio Raulino de Oliveira, às 19h15, em partida válida pela terceira rodada do Campeonato Carioca. Para o confronto, o Rubro-Negro terá mudanças importantes, as quais o LANCE! apresenta abaixo:

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> Veja imagens da chegada de Paulo Sousa, do Flamengo, ao Rio de Janeiro

Ainda não é assinante do Cariocão-2022? Acesse www.cariocaoplay.com.br, preencha o cadastro e ganhe 5% de desconto com o cupom especial do LANCE!: GE-JK-FF-ZSW

RETORNO ANTECIPADO

A principal novidade para o jogo contra o Verdão de Saquarema é a voltado elenco principal. Nas duas primeiras rodadas, o Flamengo mandou a campo um time formado por jogadores oriundos das categorias de base – alguns deles, inclusive, disputaram a Copinha. Tal equipe foi comandada por Fábio Matias, técnico do time sub-20.

Por outro lado, Paulo Sousa ainda não contará com dois titulares. Isso porque Arrascaeta (Uruguai) e Isla (Chile) estavam com as respectivas Seleções, nas Eliminatórias. Além deles, Ramon, que se destacou na última temporada, está em transição e também fica de fora. Já Everton Ribeiro e Gabigol, que estavam com a Seleção Brasileira, foram relacionados e estão à disposição (clique aqui e veja a lista completa).

GAROTADA COM MORAL

Mesmo antes da estreia do Campeonato Carioca, a base já era observada por Paulo Sousa. Nesse sentido, o zagueiro Cleiton, o meia Matheus França e o meia-atacante Lázaro foram nomes que complementaramas atividades do grupo principal com frequência.

Durante os dois jogos, principalmente diante da Portuguesa, outros atletas aproveitaram a oportunidade e saíram em alta. É o caso, por exemplo, do goleiro Matheus Cunha e do zagueiro Gabriel Noga, que, assim como os três citados acima, já tem um número fixo na camisa para 2022.

> Veja e simule a tabela do Cariocão

CHANCE DE NOVA FORMAÇÃO

Para enfrentar o Boavista, existe a chance de Paulo Sousa mandar a campo Flamengo com três zagueiros. Na última semana, durante algumas atividades táticas, o Mister treinou o Rubro-Negro no esquema 3-4-3. A resposta para a formação tática escolhida vira às 19h15 desta quarta-feira, mas a expectativa é de que o Fla seja protagonista e ambicioso dentro de campo, como o novo treinador já deixou claro em entrevista àRTP, de Portugal, no início do ano.

– Esta é minha exigência, é aquilo que gosto de ver e sentir sempre nas minhas equipes, com muito protagonismo, conseguindo encontrar os “timings” certos porque há uma cultura diferente, as intensidades, as velocidades de execução, as velocidades de deslocamento, o espaço são completamente diferentes, a própria temperatura…

– Existe sempre um processo de adaptação e as exigências vão ser máximas, vamos ver uma equipe com muita ambição e para ter muita ambição tem que ser protagonista em todos os momentos do jogo.Ou seja, uma equipe que, sem bola, tem que ser pressionante constantemente, mas que também tem que ser inteligente em termos táticos.

*Nota atualizada às 11h16 com a lista de relacionados.

Former Yorkshire player determined that change will be real and not ‘box-ticking’ or ‘tokenism’

Valkerie Baynes16-Nov-2021As a 15-year-old playing local club cricket, Azeem Rafiq was pinned down in a car and had red wine poured down his throat.Soon after arriving at Yorkshire County Cricket Club, he and other players from Asian backgrounds were subjected to racist treatment and offensive language such as being told to “sit over there near the toilets” and the repeated use of the slur “P**i”.In a powerful account of those experiences while giving evidence to the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) Select Committee hearing into Yorkshire’s racism scandal, Rafiq said he lost his career to racism.Amid fruitless attempts to raise concerns over his treatment through official channels, Rafiq has previously revealed that he could have lost his life.Related

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Now that the game has been forced to listen, Rafiq is determined that it continues to do so before making real and meaningful change rather than “box-ticking” and gestures which amount to little more than “tokenism”.”All I wanted to do was play cricket and play cricket for England and live my dream and live my family’s dream,” Rafiq told the hearing. “Do I believe I lost my career to racism? Yes I do.”Hopefully in five years time we’re going to see a big change and I can look back at it that I did something that is far bigger than any runs I got or any wickets I got. But it’s horrible, it hurts.”Rafiq’s appearance at the hearing followed the botched handling of an inquiry set up by Yorkshire into his allegations of institutional racism while he was a player at the club during two stints between 2008 and 2018. The investigation upheld seven of 43 allegations made by Rafiq but the club insisted that no disciplinary action against its employees, players or executives was warranted. Among its most controversial findings, the investigating panel dismissed Gary Ballance’s use of the term “P**i” towards Rafiq as “banter” between friends.As the crisis deepened, a number of major sponsors abandoned the club and Headingley was suspended from hosting major fixtures as some leading figures at Yorkshire resigned. Lord Kamlesh Patel, who took over as club chairman earlier this month, praised Rafiq’s courage as a whistleblower and announced the establishment of an independent hotline for victims of discrimination to come forward.Other clubs followed by issuing statements committing to zero tolerance on racism and inviting players past and present to raise any complaints. Other players have already come forward in the media, including two former players at Essex, where John Faragher resigned as chair last week following an allegation of racist language used at a board meeting in 2017.Rafiq told the hearing he had received messages from people connected with at least three other counties to talk about their experiences and he encouraged widespread use of hotlines similar to the one announced by Lord Patel to fully expose the problem within the sport.”There’s a quick rush to move forward,” Rafiq said. “I think before we move forward, the game needs to listen to a lot of people who have suffered a lot of abuse up and down the country.”I can’t even imagine as a parent, hearing me speak now, why I would ever want my kids to go anywhere near the game… this is where it’s for the ECB and the counties to show that they can actually use this as an opportunity for change.”Azeem Rafiq bowls for Yorkshire during T20 finals day in 2016•Getty ImagesRafiq was asked to address suggestions he had been a “heavy drinker” while at Yorkshire.”I’ve been clear from the outset, I wasn’t perfect,” he said. “There’s things I did I felt I had to do to fit in and try and achieve my dreams and I’m not proud of them, it’s something I deeply regret but it has no relation to racism.”I should have never, ever been treated the way I was treated. When I spoke I should have been listened to. Yorkshire County Cricket Club and the game as a whole really has a problem listening to the victim. There is no two sides to a story when it comes to racism.”Rafiq then detailed being forced to drink alcohol as a young, Muslim teenager while still playing club cricket.”The first instance of drinking, I actually got pinned down at my local cricket club and red wine got poured down my throat,” he said. “The player played for Yorkshire, played for Hampshire.”I didn’t touch alcohol until about 2012 and around that time I felt like I had to do that to fit in. I regret that massively, but it has no bearing on the things that I was called.”Rafiq had also accused Yorkshire of failing to provide support when his son was stillborn shortly before he left the club for the second time, in 2018. Asked on Tuesday why it had taken a couple of years for him to speak out, Rafiq almost broke down as he gave an emotional account of the toll his experiences had taken on him and his family.”When I left I had four or five months left on my contract,” Rafiq said. “I was encouraged to sign a confidentiality agreement and take a sum of money, which I refused, which at that time would have been a lot of money for me. I knew my wife was struggling, I knew I was struggling, there was no way mentally I could have even considered putting myself through this trauma. I left the country, I actually went to Pakistan and I never wanted to come back.”Until right at the end, I was in complete denial as to what was going on. It was only around the back end of 2017 when I lost my son that I went, you know what, hold on a minute, I’ve seen other players have family tragedies and get support beyond measure. I’ve just carried my son from the hospital to the graveyard and how I’m getting treated here is not right.”To me, it became very clear that even myself, I’d been looking the other way and there’s a real problem here, at not just Yorkshire, throughout the country and I’m going to be the one that speaks about this.”And Rafiq said that speaking out had continued to pose challenges for family life, including his wife.”We’ve got two young kids and they’ve not had a dad really because all I’ve been worried about is Yorkshire going out to discredit me and how I’m going to deal with it,” he said. “Dealing with lawyers, dealing with press. [It’s been] challenging but I just hope today provides some sort of closure and I can treat her for what she deserves.”

Eoin Morgan has insisted that he does not mind England’s T20 World Cup campaign being overshadowed if that ensures Azeem Rafiq’s allegations of institutional racism at Yorkshire are “met head on”, adding that bringing about “significant change” would be “bigger than… any of the trophies that we win”.Cricket has been on the front and back pages of British newspapers throughout the past week after government intervention into Azeem’s case against his former club, with England’s unbeaten record at the World Cup in the UAE going under the radar in comparison.Related

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• Azeem Rafiq racism report: Ten questions for Yorkshire

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Morgan said that his squad was “very serious” in its desire to bring about “meaningful change” and said that the ECB’s decision to strip Yorkshire of hosting rights for international fixtures showed “how seriously the ECB are taking how this has been handled”.”In matters of an extreme or serious nature like these are, they need to be met head on,” Morgan said. “For us as a team, that’s exactly what we want to see. The investigation’s ongoing and live at the moment so only time will tell what happens, but I think the actions by the board have demonstrated how seriously the ECB are taking how this has been handled. Yes, we want to see the sport in a great light but equally if there’s an issue as serious as this we want it dealt with as well.”First and foremost, probably more so for the last two to three years, our culture has been built around inclusivity and diversity. It’s actually been quite a strong part of our game. For that period of time we have been active about talking and actioning things that show meaningful change.”We are very serious about it. We firmly believe that there is no place in our sport for any type of discrimination, and I think the actions of the ECB board to Yorkshire have indicated how serious they are about dealing with issues like this.”England have taken a knee before games throughout their World Cup campaign and wore anti-discrimination t-shirts during a “moment of unity” at various points during their home summer. Morgan said that “continuing to give that strong message” was important and that England were “making good ground” towards meaningful change.”There is only so much we can do as a team,” he said. “I think having had a lot of chats with the team, being a part of the significant change [is something] that we feel will lead to something that will be bigger than any of our careers, or any of the trophies that we win. What we do at the moment to try and achieve that, it’s not perfect, but we are making good ground towards change that we want implemented.”Outside of that, we are actually limited to what we can achieve. Continuing to give that strong message, particularly in our moment of unity, and opportunities to speak to you guys [the media], and I suppose ultimately to be ourselves. In teams you have to be yourself. It should feel a little bit like being at home. Obviously it won’t feel like being at home, being around your family, but it should be relaxed, and give you that freedom to feel comfortable in your own skin.”We want to do things that make a difference, and I believe we’ve made strides forwards as a group in doing that in various parts of our game”•Getty Images

“From our point of view as a team, we can only do so much in role-modelling what we believe is right. Yes, we talk about it, but equally we want to do things that make a difference, and I believe we’ve made strides forwards as a group in doing that in various parts of our game. We have found things that are not only pushing things forward, or taking the cap forward, but also feel very authentic to individuals and where they have come from, the journeys they have been on.”Adil Rashid, England joint-highest wicket-taker at the World Cup to date, played with Azeem for a number of years and has been directly involved in the case, having been named in Yorkshire’s report as a victim of an alleged racist remark from Michael Vaughan, the former England captain. Morgan insisted that Rashid was “travelling okay” and that he was “not concerned at all” that it would affect his performances.”Adil is one of our players that, in the normal scheme of things, doesn’t require a lot of support,” he said. “Given what’s happened so close to home for him, I think it’s great that he does have a great support network around him. The team is here, his family are here, which is fantastic but there is no indication at the moment that anything out of the ordinary is happening.”Being away in a different country detaches you slightly from things as opposed to being at home but certainly he’s a guy that has been very close with Azeem Rafiq growing up at Yorkshire. But he’s travelling okay at the moment. I’m not concerned at all.”

West Ham United have spent a fortune on strikers over the past few years, and have had little to show for it. Since 2019, the Hammers have splashed a combined £117.5 million on Sebastien Haller, Gianluca Scamacca, Danny Ings, and Niclas Fullkrug. Between them, they’ve scored just 27 goals.

Haller scored 14 in 52 games before leaving for Ajax; Scamacca managed just eight in his only season at the London Stadium; while Ings, who remains at the club, has scored only five goals in 56 appearances.

Fullkrug, who West Ham spent £27.5 million in the summer, has yet to get off the mark for the Hammers, failing to score in his first four games before succumbing to injury. Fortunately for the Irons, amid their striker struggles, they’ve still been able to rely on record scorer Michail Antonio.

His return of just seven goals last season and only one in nine games this term, however, suggests the 34-year-old has run out of steam.

Hammers want Kolo Muani in January

With Fullkrug still out injured and both Ings and Antonio misfiring, West Ham are now turning their attention to out of favour Paris Saint-Germain striker Randal Kolo Muani. The 25-year-old, who joined the Ligue 1 giants in 2023 from Eintracht Frankfurt in a deal worth over £75 million, has been a bit-part player for PSG this term and has not featured in any of the club’s last three league games.

TBR Football claim PSG are now ready to let Kolo Muani leave the club on loan in January, and that the Hammers are among those keen to take him on. Arsenal, Manchester City, and Manchester United are also keeping tabs on the France international.

A separate report from L’Equipe’s Florian Plettenberg earlier this week claimed that a number of Premier League clubs, though it did not name which, have already contacted PSG about a loan move for Kolo Muani.

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ByEmilio Galantini Nov 6, 2024 Kolo Muani's goal record is impressive

Kolo Muani started his career in his home country with FC Nantes in 2018, for whom he made just shy of a century of appearances before moving to Frankfurt in 2022. In his one season in Germany, his 23 goals in all competitions forced PSG to come calling.

Since moving to the French capital, however, Kolo Muani has struggled. Last term, he scored just nine goals in 40 games, while this term he’s bagged just two in 10. He’s atoned for that with impressive form for France however – 25 appearances for Les Bleus have brought with them eight goals.

After scoring a brace in France’s 2-1 UEFA Nations League win against Belgium in October, France manager Didier Deschamps was full of praise for Kolo Muani.

“He is confident and has a very specific profile where in his runs with the ball there is presence,” said Deschamps of the PSG forward, while his former youth coach has praise his explosiveness and resilience, two traits which should serve him well in spearheading a Premier League attack.

Arsenal are believed to be silently working on a potential move to sign one big-name alternative to crucial winger Bukayo Saka, with the Englishman’s recent injury seemingly kicking their recruitment team into action.

Arsenal plan to sign Saka back-up after injury scare

Despite reports in the build-up to Arsenal’s 2-2 draw with Liverpool that Saka could be absent through injury – which he sustained during England’s 2-1 defeat to Greece at Wembley earlier this month – the £195,000-per-week forward was able to play a big part at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.

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Saka opened the scoring against Liverpool with a mazy run before blasting the ball into the roof of Caoimhin Kelleher’s net, and while the Gunners couldn’t quite sneak a victory against Arne Slot’s high-flying Merseysiders, the winger’s presence was absolutely crucial.

The 23-year-old’s hamstring problem had kept him out of Arsenal’s games against Bournemouth and Shakhtar Donestk in the build-up to their draw, but in a huge sigh of relief for Arteta, Saka returned to face Liverpool and is now fit to contribute in their chase for a first Premier League title in 21 years.

Arsenal’s next five Premier League games

Date

Newcastle United (away)

November 2

Chelsea (away

November 10

Nottingham Forest (home)

November 23

West Ham United (away)

November 30

Man United (home)

December 4

Saka scored 20 goals in all competitions last season, highlighting his undoubted importance for Arteta, and has begun this campaign in similar form with four goals and seven assists across appearances in the top flight, Carabao Cup and Europe.

While the Hale End academy graduate is fit and firing, his recent scare does bring attention to Arsenal’s need for quality alternatives. It is believed Arsenal are targeting a new winger off the back of Saka’s scare, with Brentford star Bryan Mbuemo among Edu Gaspar’s transfer targets for the role.

Arsenal view Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo as a potential Saka alternative as well, following the Ghanaian’s impressive start to 2024/2025.

Arsenal working on Leroy Sane move "in the background"

£320,000-per-week Bayern Munich winger Leroy Sane, who is out of contract next summer, has also been sporadically linked with a move to N5.

Speaking to Football Insider, ex-recruitment chief Mick Brown, who was most recently at West Ham, remains well-connected and says Arsenal have been working on a deal for Sane “in the background”.

“They’re certainly among the interested clubs,” he told FI.

“He’s fantastically effective, he’s got explosive pace and he’s still only 28, it’s a good age. I’ve often wondered why Man City let him leave, and why no clubs in England had tried to sign him before he went to Bayern. But now with his contract situation, I’d expect to see him move.

“Arsenal are very interested in him, from what I’ve been told. He can play on the left and provide cover for Saka which they desperately need. Now, they’re not the only club interested. We’ve spoken about Newcastle before and there are others.

“But they [Arsenal] are certainly keen and I think it’s one they’ve been working on in the background for a while. Not only would he add quality to their side, but he brings winning experience too which is always something clubs like Arsenal are looking to bring in.”