Tag Futebol

Mario Balotelli has not had the best of starts possible to his career at Liverpool. Across the seven games he has been featured in in the league the Italian has failed to score, causing frustrating fans, pundits and even his own manager.

These lacklustre displays, along with his shirt swapping incident in the Champions League, has led to some asking for the 24-year-old to be removed removed from Merseyside altogether and replaced with someone else.

Here are FIVE possible players that could replace Balotelli…

[ffc-gallery]

CLICK ON ‘SUPER MARIO’ TO REVEAL THE FIVE

[/ffc-gallery]

[ad_pod ]

[ad_pod id=’ricco’ align=’center’]

1. Gonzalo Higuain

Gonzalo Higuain has been tipped as one player that could replace Balotelli at Liverpool. The Argentine has scored three goals and provided two assists from eight appearances in Serie A this season for his club Napoli. These three goals have only come in Napoli’s last game in the league against Verona, so you could say he’s having a just as bad season as Balotelli. Many rumours have linked the 26 year old with a move to Merseyside but these have been dismissed by his brother, Columbus Crew’s Federico Higuain.

2. Wilfried Bony

Wilfried Bony was linked with a move to Liverpool last summer, and with the form of Balotelli, he is already being linked again. So far this season in the Premier League for Swansea he has scored four goals and provided one assist from nine appearances – all four of his goals have come in his last five appearances. The Ivorian still has two years left on his contract at the Welsh side, so Liverpool would have to part with more than his transfer market value of just over £14m to acquire him.

3. Divock Origi

Divock Origi was purchased by Liverpool over the summer from Lille for £10m, but he was immediately loaned back to France for the 2014/15 season. His loan could be terminated early if Balotelli continues his goal drought, however the French club have played down such a possibility. The Belgian has scored three goals and provided one assist from nine appearances in Ligue 1 this season. His shots per game may be a tad concerning though as he has an average of 1.6.

4. Saido Berahino

The Englishman has been fantastic at West Brom so far, and has been one of this season’s breakthrough stars. From nine Premier League appearances he has scored seven goals, six of them coming from his last six appearances. The 21 year old is also being watched by many other clubs, so the Baggies will be asking for a high transfer fee for his services.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

5. Jay Rodriguez

Jay Rodriguez is yet to make an appearance for high flyers Southampton this season due to a cruciate ligament rupture in his knee, which he picked up in April against Manchester City. The Englishman isn’t expected to return to action until the end of November.

Due to how well Southampton are currently playing, there may not be a place for the 25 year old in the starting XI when he returns, meaning a possible exit from The Saints could be on the horizon. Before he got injured last season, he scored 15 goals from 33 league games, five of those goals coming from his last five matches.

With Antonio Conte opting to send versatile Tottenham midfielder Giovani Lo Celso on loan to Villarreal in January, and the La Liga side having an option to buy the 25-year-old this summer, it would very much appear as if the Argentina international’s time in north London could be coming to an end.

It is true that the £19.8m-rated midfielder never quite lived up to expectations following his £55m move to Spurs in 2019 – earning seasonal SofaScore match ratings of 6.77, 6.78 and 6.72 in 2019/20, 2020/21 and 2021/22 respectively. However, considering just how impressive he has been so far in Spain, perhaps the club’s decision to include an option for Villarreal to buy the Argentine could be one that Conte comes to regret.

Indeed, over his four La Liga outings in the current campaign, the £100k-per-week dynamo has been in remarkable form Unai Emery’s side. He has created one big chance for his team-mates, in addition to averaging 0.5 interceptions, 1.3 tackles and 29.3 passes and winning five duels (at a success rate of 71%) per game.

These returns have seen the 25-year-old average a highly impressive average SofaScore match rating of 7.22, not only ranking him as Villarreal’s third-best performer in the top flight of Spanish football but also the 11th-best player in the entire division.

Furthermore, according to FBRef, over the past year, the player who Jose Mourinho dubbed “phenomenal” also ranks in the 96th percentile of midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues for passes attempted, the 95th percentile for progressive passes, the 93rd percentile for pressures, the 97th percentile for tackles and the 90th percentile for interceptions.

As such, should Lo Celso demonstrate this level of form consistently for Spurs, he could undoubtedly become a hugely important player for Conte.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

However, as a result of the option-to-buy clause that Villarreal hold for the midfielder, the Italian looks rather unlikely to have the chance to reassess the status of the Argentine within his squad – something which could cost Spurs big time come the summer.

In other news: Conte can axe Paratici’s “terrible” £62k-p/w Spurs dud with 19-year-old dubbed “one of the best”

Kerala, led by fifties from Jalaj Saxena and Rohan Prem, finished the second day only five runs behind Haryana‘s 208 in Lahli. Kerala, who stand a good chance of progressing to the knockouts, have seven wickets in hand.Haryana managed to add only one run to their overnight total of 207 for 9. The visitors’ batsmen then batted out 85 overs in the day to all but wipe Haryana’s total. Saxena and Prem added 172 for the second wicket, before the former was bowled by legspinner Amit Mishra on 91. Prem, however, remained unbeaten on 79 at stumps, with Basil Thampi for company.Table-toppers Gujarat finished the day with a 313-run lead after their bowlers took three early wickets against Jharkhand in Ranchi. Early in the day, Rujul Bhatt helped Gujarat go past 400, with an unbeaten 145.Gujarat were at 295 for 5 early in the day, after overnight batsman Manpreet Juneja was out for 67, but Bhatt then batted well with the tail. The last five batsman added only 28 runs, but Bhatt took charge in his 224-ball innings that had 22 fours and three sixes. Ashish Kumar (4-118) cleaned up the lower order.Jharkhand’s innings started poorly, with Chintan Gaja taking two early wickets. But opener Nazim Siddiqui’s unbeaten 52, together with Ishank Jaggi (27*), who has three centuries so far this season, took the hosts closer to 100 at stumps. Like Kerala, Gujarat must win if they are to qualify into the play-offs in their own terms.Saurashtra, the team that’s chasing Gujarat and Kerala, were also, fascinatingly, on course posting 534 in their first innings against Rajasthan in Jaipur. After overnight centurion Avi Barot was out for 130, Sheldon Jackson made 94 following which their lower-order batsmen Jaydev Unadkat (88, who is leading the side, and Dharmendrasinh Jadeja (79*) chipped in with fifties to make Rajasthan’s bowlers toil for almost 144 overs. Jadeja then returned to take two Rajasthan wickets, as the hosts finished the day on 60 for 2.Barot could add only two runs to his overnight total, when he was dismissed for 130 in the opening hour. Prerak Mankad and Chirag Jani were soon to go as well, as Saurashtra were at 313 for 6. But then Jackson and Unadkat added 71 for the seventh wicket, after which the former was out six runs short of his century. Unadkat carried on, putting on another 98 for the eighth wicket as Saurashtra score swelled. The two lower-order batsmen together smashed 17 fours and two sixes.Rajasthan started their innings well, with openers Amitkumar Gautam (26) and Chetan Bist (30*) adding 60 for the first wicket, but Jadeja’s double-wicket 28th over – the day’s last – pegged the hosts’ progress as they finished the day on 60 for 2, still trailing by 474.

Luke Ronchi, who was squeezed out of Western Australia’s squad, has the responsibility of leading the Chairman’s XI © Getty Images

Australia’s selectors have cast an eye to the future with their Chairman’s XI for Sri Lanka’s first warm-up match in Adelaide starting on Saturday. The side for the three-day match is made up of those who were not picked for the round of state games and has focussed on youth.Ronchi, the aggressive wicketkeeper-batsman, missed out on Western Australia’s Pura Cup team to face Victoria due to Adam Gilchrist’s return, but he has the chance to shine as captain of the XI. Ronchi’s team-mate Aaron Heal, the left-arm slow bowler, will also play after making way for Brad Hogg while Mick Lewis, the veteran of the group at 33, will be back in Adelaide following a successful domestic trip with Victoria’s one-day side last week.Doug Bollinger has been included after being pushed out by Brett Lee and Stuart Clark at New South Wales, who are hosting Queensland from Friday. He was overlooked by the Blues despite taking eight wickets in the Pura Cup win over Western Australia.South Australia have four representatives in Cullen Bailey, Australia’s back-up legspinner who missed the state’s trip to Hobart, Paul Rofe, Tom Plant and Callum Ferguson. The match was hastily arranged following a request from the Sri Lankan management, which felt one warm-up was not enough ahead of the two-Test series in Brisbane from November 8.Chairman’s XI Lloyd Mash, Greg Moller, Phillip Hughes, Luke Ronchi (capt, wk), Callum Ferguson, Tom Plant, Cullen Bailey, Doug Bollinger, Aaron Heal, Mick Lewis, Paul Rofe.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

‘The partnership between Kallis and Prince that consumed 38.1 overs could yet be the defining act of the match’ © Getty Images

One side chipped away at history, another kept fighting with their backs to the wall and the series-deciding Test entered an engrossing phase on the third day at Newlands. Countering a distinctly sub-continental type wearing wicket, caught in a web of spin and swing, facing a daunting first-innings score South Africa refused to surrender and kept India’s lead down to 41.India were the dominant side for most of the day, what with the ball ripping across at unplayable angles and the fielders prowling close by. But two tenacious partnerships – one that ate up valuable time, the other that added crucial runs – thwarted them. Jacques Kallis, with good support from an unflappable Ashwell Prince, waded through the uncertainty before Mark Boucher led a lower-order charge that propelled them close to India’s score.It was day when revival followed trouble, when dismissals followed rescue acts. Graeme Smith and Hashim Amla glided through the early stages before falling in quick succession; Kallis and Prince pitched their tents for a little more than two-and-a-half hours until being undone by spin; Shaun Pollock and Boucher cobbled together a plucky stand of 69 prior to India breaking through. The pitch deteriorated through the day, the faster bowlers summoned swing, both conventional and reverse, the ball spun all day long – Sachin Tendulkar got it to dip, turn, soar, crackle and do everything other than sing Bollywood numbers – but South Africa simply didn’t relent.Barring the first ten overs, when Smith continued his aggressive methods from yesterday, South Africa weren’t allowed to express themselves freely. Anil Kumble might not have been as devastating as he would have expected to be, toiling for 42.3 overs, but his persistence produced four wickets. Smith, six short of what would have been a cracking century, was undone by a sensational reflex catch from Virender Sehwag, Prince played on after being beaten by a faster legbreak, and the tail didn’t have much of a chance against scything flippers.The support cast were equally vital: Tendulkar produced a mesmerising spell of legspin that had the batsmen in all sorts of tangles, Sehwag taunted them with breaking it from the off, while Sreesanth removed Hashim Amla to snap up his 18th wicket in the series, equaling Javagal Srinath and Anil Kumble for the best performance by an Indian bowler in this country. But everytime India produced an opening, South Africa found batsmen to stem the leakage.

‘Anil Kumble might not have been as devastating as he would have expected to be but his persistence produced four wickets’ © AFP

The partnership between Kallis and Prince that consumed 38.1 overs could yet be the defining act of the match. Neither was in complete control, yet both showed the gumption to hang in there. Kallis was lucky when on 6 – Wasim Jaffer missed a direct hit – and he was forced to grind his way against Munaf Patel, getting it to reverse from wide of the crease, and Kumble. Prince was his customary doughty self, decisive with his footwork and appeared more at sea against the faster bowlers angling it across.Tendulkar, called on to bowl as late as the 87th over, produced the breakthrough, striking in his fourth over when Kallis risked a slog-sweep across the turn. Prince fell to Kumble in the very next over, Gibbs was soon undone by Sehwag and South Africa found themselves at a perilous 281 for 6. That’s when Pollock and Boucher reversed the trend with a 69-run union, unsettling the bowlers with their attacking intent.All three Indian fast bowlers appeared to have run out of steam at the end of the day – Munaf appeared to be struggling with his fitness and couldn’t summon much speed – and the batsmen were quick to cash in. The new ball was taken as late as the 116th over and the bowlers ended up spraying it around, giving away important runs. Zaheer and Munaf were gifted with a wicket apiece, with both batsmen trying to glide the ball to third man and edging, and India managed to eke out a slender lead in the end. It left the game superbly poised, with the series wide open for the final two days.Short cuts

Highlight of the day: When Jacques Kallis thumped a Sachin Tendulkardelivery in the direction of deep midwicket, Indian hearts would have beenright up the oesophagus. The ball headed unerringly towards Munaf Patel,perhaps the worst fielder in international cricket. Along with jubilationas he held on to the chance, there would have been more than one sigh ofrelief.Lowlight of the day: India’s ground fielding was just abysmal, with SwanLake dives and shoddy collection adding plenty of runs to South Africa’stotal. Munaf, with his unathletic awkward gait and his excuse for thethrow wasn’t the lone offender, with Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly alsohaving moments that they would rather wish away.Shot of the day: Graeme Smith looked on course for a rollicking centuryuntil Anil Kumble had his say, but before that, he unleashed two spankingon-drives when Zaheer Khan overpitched. It was hard to choose between thetwo strokes, both of which scorched the turf on the way to the rope.Ball of the day: Along with Kallis, Ashwell Prince was the man bestequipped to bat time and keep India at bay. But the game changed whenDravid brought Kumble on from the Wynberg end. The last ball of the secondover pitched in the footmarks and spun in to take the inside edge on tothe stumps. Suddenly 260 for 3 had become 260 for 5, and India were rightback on top.Catch of the day: He may not cut the most svelte figure on the field, butVirender Sehwag has a knack of picking up stunning catches, and he showedthat today with a sprightly leap to his right at silly mid-on to snaffleSmith.Message of the day: A little fellow just behind the fence after the day’splay had ended gave Smith his opinion with a confidence that only aneight-year-old would possess. While waiting patiently for his miniaturebat to be autographed, he piped up: “I liked the way you batted today,Graeme.” Smith looked up, took stock, laughed and carried on signing.Off the park: Allan Donald devastated more than a few touring sides duringhis time as South Africa’s premier fast bowler, and the pitch prepared forthis game took his breath away. “I’ve never seen anything like it in SouthAfrica,” he said, shaking his head ruefully as the groundstaff swept awayhuge puffs of dust during the tea interval.

Vikram Solanki is looking to improve upon his ODI average of 27 © Getty Images

Vikram Solanki, the England opener, says he is looking forward to facing Shoaib Akhtar when the five-match one-day leg of England’s tour to Pakistan gets underway on Saturday.Solanki, one-day crickets’s first Supersub , and Shoaib were team-mates at Worcestershire this past season, and Solanki had the opportunity to witness the fast bowler up close: “Shoaib is a very interesting character – quite a unique type of guy,” Solanki told BBC Sport. “Changing from 90 miles an hour to slower deliveries was quite impressive. He has exceptional talent.”Shoaib’s short appearance for Worcestershire was marred by controversy after John Elliott, the club chairman, criticised his attitude, stating: “It’s all about team spirit and getting the dressing-room right and when you’ve got a bloke like Shoaib in there, it can cause mayhem.” Solanki referred to Elliot’s comments as “unfortunate”, adding that “Shoaib has obviously worked very hard on his fitness and bowled exceptionally well in the Tests.”Shoaib was a revelation in the three-Test series against England, bagging 17 wickets, many of which came at crucial moments. His batting was also a marked improvement over past displays, a fact praised by the media and the Pakistan team management.Solanki, who wasn’t part of England’s squad for the Test series in Pakistan, believed he had a good chance of adding to his 41 one-day appearances. “I am just pleased to be here – it’s fantastic to be part of the squad,” he said. “Obviously, I’d like to play a full part and make best use of the opportunity.” His last appearance in English colours was an unbeaten 53 from the No. 8 spot against Australia at The Oval during the 2005 summer.

Inzamam is in a late race to prove his fitness for the VB Series© AFP

Inzamam-ul-Haq will take a late decision on whether to make himself available for the VB Series against Australia and West Indies. Inzamam missed the last two Tests against Australia because of back problems, but has responded well to treatment.”I will decide then but I am trying my level best to be fit,” he told the BBC website. “The muscular injury was hurting deep when I was bending to take stance or while I was running. Now the pain has eased out but I have to make the right calculation about my comeback because I can’t afford to blow away my chances of touring India in March.”Inzamam has come under fierce criticism from former Pakistan players for his side’s 3-0 defeat to Australia. He scored only one run in his two innings at Perth last month, and Imran Khan, who was the captain when Inzamam first entered international cricket, condemned his attitude.”I have the highest regard for him but I wish Imran had seen the medical reports,” Inzamam said, responding to the criticism. “We are more disappointed and sad than our supporters because we are not as bad as the results reflect. We improved gradually but we played against the best team in the world in their backyard.”But Inzamam reckoned that some pride could be won back in the VB Series: “The players have been working extremely hard as they know this may be their last chance to win back the confidence and trust of their supporters. If we are a good and talented team, we have to perform well in this tournament.”

Chaminda Vaas is set to make his Frizzell Championship debut against Derbyshire at The Rose bowl on Tuesday. The Sri Lankan left arm bowler has impressed in the three National League matches he has played in, but has hist first taste of the 4 day game to come.Nic Pothas faces a late fitness test, and a decision will be made on this on Tuesday morning. Iain Brunnschweiler will stand bye. Jimmy Adams who suffered concussion in the last Championship match at The Rose Bowl is awaiting a specialist clearance before a decision is made.Hampshire chose from 14: Derek Kenway, Jimmy Adams, Simon Katich, John Crawley (captain), John Francis, Nic Pothas or Iain Brunnschweiler, James Hamblin, Dimitri Mascarenhas, Shaun Udal, Chaminda Vaas, Chris Tremlett, Alan Mullally, James Bruce

*Shafiq Khan props up HaryanaLargely thanks to Shafiq Khan’s gritty innings of 95, Haryana reacheda total of 275/8 by the close of play on the first day of their RanjiTrophy league match against Services at Faridabad.Winning the toss, Haryana’s captain Parender Sharma opted to bat.Three wickets fell for 59 before opener Chetan Sharma (73) and Shafiqstabilised the innings. Sharma departed with the score on 124, butShafiq put up solid stands with Ajay Ratra and S Vidyut, fallingfinally with the score on 270.At stumps, Haryana were 275/8, with Sumit Narwal and Amit Mishraunbeaten on three and one respectively.For Services, Sudhakar Ghag picked up four wickets for 72 runs,bowling a marathon 35 overs in the day. Hari Prasad took 3-101.*Punjab struggle on Day OneA fighting knock of 94 from captain Reetinder Singh Sodhinotwithstanding, Punjab found itself struggling at the close of playat 269/9 against Jammu and Kashmir in their Ranji Trophy league tieagainst Jammu.The home side, with their wider knowledge of the conditions, opted tobowl first; they struck immediately with the wicket of Manish Sharmawith the score on six. Yuvraj Singh fell soon, but the onlysignificant partnership of the innings then developed between RavneetRicket and Sodhi.Ricky fell for 68, with the score on 165. Wickets then fell at regularintervals, with Ashwani Gupta (3-72) and Jagtar Singh (2-74) cleaningup the middle-order.At stumps, Gagandeep Singh was unbeaten on 28 and Sanjay Dhull on one.Only one wicket remains to fall in Punjab’s first innings, and theywill have to bowl well to avoid losing face to a less-endowed opponent.*Delhi bowl out Himachal on Day OneWith Amit Bhandari and Arun Singh picking up three wickets apiece,Himachal Pradesh were bowled out for 167 on Day One of their RanjiTrophy league match against Delhi at Bilaspur.Winning the toss, Delhi captain Mithun Manhas put his opponents in tobat. His bowlers backed him up beautifully; three wickets fell for 26and five for 39. At 89/7, Himachal were in real danger of being bowledout for less than 100, but Shakti Singh batted (43) well with hisfellow tailenders to take the score to 167.Delhi lost Akash Chopra at 29, but Gautam Gambhir and RS Sharma tooktheir side to the close of play without further mishap. Gambhir wasunbeaten on 32, while Sharma was on 24. For Himachal, Sandeep Sharmawas the lone wicket-taker.

Sky Sports News journalist Michael Bridge expects Rangers duo Ryan Kent and Joe Aribo to be the subject of interest ahead of the summer transfer window. 

The lowdown

Both players have already been linked with moves to English Premier League clubs in recent months.

The Daily Mail have claimed that former Rangers boss Steven Gerrard is keen on a reunion with Kent at Aston Villa, while a report from Football Insider in the autumn claimed that Crystal Palace were eyeing up Aribo.

The Gers have already sanctioned one lucrative sale to a top-flight club south of the border in 2022, agreeing to let Nathan Patterson join Everton for £16m.

The latest

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Bridge said that Rangers could well receive approaches for the duo, feeling ‘sure’ that the form of Aribo in particular won’t have gone unnoticed.

The journalist claimed: “I do expect Kent, and I do expect Aribo to get interest, I really do. I know you’ve touched on Aribo before with Palace, and I’m sure clubs will look at him. He’s a really, really, really good player.”

The verdict

From Rangers’ point of view, there’s potentially a business decision to be made here.

At the end of this season, both Kent and Aribo will be into the final 12 months of their contracts. If neither of them has penned a new deal by January, then they will be able to negotiate pre-contract terms with clubs outside Scotland.

That could see the club lose two of their most valuable assets – they both rank in Transfermarkt’s top three in terms of market values for Rangers-owned players – for nothing.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Their first choice may be to keep both Aribo and Kent at the club, but if that isn’t realistic, cashing in on them when they can maximise income from their sales could be a smart move.

In other news, read this injury expert’s claim on Aaron Ramsey