Category Uncategorized

da heads bet： Glasgow Rangers face two important matches in the space of just four days as they take on Real Betis in the Europa League before facing Aberdeen in the League Cup final on Sunday.

da realbet： While many of the supporters may prioritise a trophy win rather than worrying about what European competition the club will be in after Christmas, the reality is, the Gers should be winning both games if they want a successful season.

Philippe Clement stands on the cusp of glory and winning a trophy just a couple of months after taking over would make for an excellent start.

His thoughts may then turn to the January transfer window after this week is done and dusted and there is a new name linked with a potential move to Scotland – Mason Holgate.

Rangers transfer news – Mason Holgate

During the summer transfer window, the onus was on Michael Beale to sign a centre-back or two in order to strengthen his backline.

Once deadline day was over, only Leon Balogun had joined and, while he had enjoyed a two-year spell at the club between 2020 and 2022, the move could have been seen as a step backwards given that he departed on a free transfer last year.

The Nigerian has been impressive when called upon, but he – at 35 – is not a long-term option and this could suggest Clement will delve into the transfer market next month.

According to Football Insider, the Light Blues are in the race to sign Everton defender Mason Holgate in the next few weeks as his loan spell at Southampton has turned sour.

Watford and Middlesbrough are the other two teams who are showing interest in the 27-year-old – who is earning a weekly wage of £70k-per-week – and Clement could face some competition.

The Toffees are looking to recall the centre-back from his loan spell on the south coast as he has featured in just five matches so far during the 2023/24 campaign.

It appears as though the Merseyside club want to bring him back to Goodison Park before finding a club where he could play on a more regular basis.

Clement currently has Connor Goldson, Balogun, John Souttar, Ben Davies, and Leon King to call on as options in the heart of the defence and a move for Holgate certainly is not warranted at this moment in time.

Judging by his lack of playing time and poor showings, Clement could repeat the club's Davies howler by signing the Englishman.

Ben Davies’ statistics at Rangers

The defender was signed by Giovanni van Bronckhorst for a fee of £4m in the summer of 2022 and, despite not featuring for Liverpool, he had extensive experience in the Championship.

Davies had played over 150 times in the second tier and with Calvin Bassey departing the club for Ajax along with a long-term injury to Filip Helander, the 28-year-old ace was seen as an ideal partner for Goldson at the heart of the defence as a left-footed enforcer.

His maiden season in Scotland did not exactly go to plan, and he was clearly out of his depth in the Champions League, ranking in a lowly 14th spot for tackles per game in the squad (one), along with finishing the campaign ranked sixth for possession lost per game (10.3) and his displays domestically were not considerably better.

The Englishman made a woeful mistake against Celtic during an eventual 3-2 defeat back in April which practically ended any ambitions the club had of winning the title, failing to clear the ball in his own box.

This led to criticism from former professional Kenny Miller, who said: “It’s a wonderful finish. Again he’s alert, alive, ruthless when the chance drops.

“But it’s so poor from Ben Davies. He should be heading that out.”

Davies has started just ten matches in all competitions during the current campaign and he was close to sealing a loan move to Stoke City during the summer before it was eventually rejected.

Judgement may be out under Clement, but the Belgian may be looking to bring his own players in.

Holgate, however, is certainly not the answer and funds should be directed elsewhere if they are looking to bolster their defence.

Mason Holgate’s career statistics

Holgate joined the Toffees from Barnsley in 2015 as a talented youngster, and it looked as though the club had signed a player who could eventually become a first-team regular.

He became a regular part of the senior squad during the 2017/18 season and, despite a brief loan spell at West Bromwich Albion, he played 25 Premier League matches in the 2019/20, 2020/21 and 2021/22 campaigns.

Domestic statistics this season

Ben Davies

Mason Holgate

Accurate passes per game

74.3

36.8

Starts

Four

Four

Total duels won per game

6.8

3.8

Possession lost per game

12.8

5.6

Interceptions per game

0.8

1.2

He particularly enjoyed working under Carlo Ancelotti and the Italian lavished praise on the defender when he signed a new contract under his leadership, saying: “He has the quality to be at the top as a defender. He is fast, strong physically and good with his head.

“He is a complete defender. He is really young and wants to improve. He has made no mistakes in the games [under Ancelotti], nothing serious.”

Holgate made just eight league appearances last term, however, and ranked 12th for accurate passes per game in the squad (16.5), while also winning just 47% of his aerial duels and losing possession ten times per game.

The defender has started only four times for Southampton during the 2023/24 season and Clement would be best to avoid a player who has been lacking in gametime and would not add anything extra to the defence, based on his statistics.

Related Rangers interested in "immense" defender with the same agent as Sterling

The Teddy Bears are looking to secure the services of a new centre-back on loan in January.

Posts ByChloe Chadwick Dec 12, 2023

Although Davies joined from Liverpool, he made his reputation in the second tier, but it did not do him much good when he arrived at Rangers, constantly delivering underwhelming performances and failing to shine on the big stage.

Holgate’s massive wages could also be a stumbling block for the Gers and this money would be better directed to someone who is slightly younger and shows far greater promise moving forward.

There is no doubt the club needed some reinforcements across all areas of the squad, especially due to their horrendous luck with injures since the start of the season, but a move for Holgate must be swerved as it could be a repeat of the Davies howler as an expensive flop from England.

Clement will have his own targets in mind and there is little doubt the 49-year-old will be working tirelessly behind the scenes to improve his first team squad in the next couple of weeks.

da doce： Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou has suggested that an exciting youngster at Spurs could soon get an opportunity amid the club's current injury crisis.

Spurs issues mounting for Ange

da wazamba： Postecoglou's Friday press conference revealed that another defender has been put on the treatment table, with young summer signing Ashley Phillips now expected to be out for around a month.

The Englishman joins compatriot James Maddison, Micky van de Ven, Cristian Romero, Yves Bissouma, Richarlison, Ryan Sessegnon, Manor Solomon and Ivan Perisic on the Spurs injury and suspension list with all the aforementioned set to miss Spurs' clash with Aston Villa today.

It will be very intriguing to see just what Postecoglou does with the Tottenham starting eleven, as the Australian will want to greatly improve on their last game, a dramatic 2-1 defeat to Wolves at Molineux.

This could even be an opportunity for youngsters to force their way into the team and make a real impression, with a lot of noise surrounding talented teenager Jamie Donley right now.

Related Spurs could look at signing 6 ft 3 defender called "superior" to van de Ven

The Lilywhites’ transfer plans are beginning to take shape for January.

Posts ByEmilio Galantini Nov 23, 2023 Donley impresses at Tottenham

The 18-year-old is making waves for Spurs' Under-21s, scoring a brilliant four goals and assisting eight others in as many Premier League 2 appearances so far this season.

As reported by football.london journalist Alasdair Gold, Donley is a player of real ability, with the reporter even branding him the "most confident player at Tottenham" right now.

"You’ve got a player who is probably the most confident player at Tottenham Hotspur right now Jamie Donley," he said on the Gold and Guest podcast.

“He’s just won the Premier League 2 Player of the Month award as well, everything he’s doing is coming off. He’s got a great vision, he’s got a great ability to thread a ball through, he can cross a ball in, he takes set pieces as well at times and when he’s a striker and he’s through on goal, he’s scoring the goals.”

Donley, alongside Alfie Dorrington, was actually subject to public praise from the Spurs boss not so long ago. It appears the former is now up for a shoutout again by Postecoglou, who also hinted he may be in line for first-team minutes soon.

Postecoglou hints at Donley opportunity

The Australian, speaking in his Friday press conference, heaped praise on Donley's application and suggested he could get a Spurs chance soon.

"We’ve been tracking all the young guys and Jamie and Alfie Dorrington have been training with us pretty regularly over the recent period," said Postecoglou (via football.london).

"Obviously all the injuries but also prior to that they were coming in fairly regularly so I think that’s the first step for all these young guys.

"Get to the first-team environment and then see how they get on with training and how they develop from there and adjust to everything we do and the way we do it. We’re down on numbers so guys like him will get more of an opportunity to make an impact as I said at training and if he continues to do that then the opportunity will come for him."

It's no real secret that Arsenal are chasing a new striker at present, with it yet to be seen whether Mikel Arteta and co will act decisively this month, or patiently wait until the summer in order to get their man.

Either way, the addition of a leading number nine has become a necessity in 2024 for the Gunners, with both Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah having failed to convince as the starting option through the middle this season – the pair scoring just eight league goals between them.

Having also allowed Folarin Balogun – who has eight goals and assists in just 14 Ligue 1 outings this term – to depart for Monaco on a permanent deal over the summer, the north Londoners will have to look elsewhere in order to find a prolific solution to ease their goalscoring woes.

With the transfer rumour mill currently churning, the name on everybody's lips is Brentford talisman, Ivan Toney, albeit with reports indicating that the Bees are likely to demand around £100m for the 27-year-old, despite the fact that he is yet to feature this season.

While many supporters will be hoping that the Emirates outfit are able to stump up the required cash to get that deal done regardless – with rivals Chelsea also sniffing around – it would be wise to also consider possible alternatives to the Englishman.

That hunt for other options has seemingly led the Gunners toward the Serie A market, with Arteta appearing to have taken notice of one sparkling young talent who is arguably "one of the most interesting strikers in Italy" – as hailed by talent scout Jacek Kulig.

Latest on Arsenal's striker search

As per a report from the Telegraph's Sam Dean earlier this week, the Premier League side are believed to be "admirers" of Bologna sensation, Joshua Zirkzee and are currently keeping a "close eye" on the 22-year-old marksman.

Said to be valued at around half that of Toney – with a £50m price tag noted – the former Bayern Munich man is still "unlikely" to be making a move to England this month, though he would certainly represent a far more affordable option than the Brentford man.

The Gunners may also want to act quickly amid claims that Manchester United are also keeping tabs on the Dutchman amid their search to find a competitor to Rasmus Hojlund, with suitors circling for the in-form talent.

While splashing out £50m on a player who scored just two league goals last season could look like a significant gamble, Zirkzee's heroics this term are certainly a cause for excitement.

Joshua Zirkzee's style of play

It is fair to say that Zirkzee's previous stint at a truly elite club didn't exactly go to plan, having begun his professional career on the books at Bayern, only to then make just 17 first-team appearances for the Bundesliga giants, scoring only four goals.

As history will tell us, that lack of success at the Allianz Arena should not dissuade the Gunners from making a move, with Thierry Henry, for instance, having been happily moved on by Juventus prior to exploding at Highbury, while Dennis Bergkamp was also shipped off by Inter Milan after just two years at San Siro, only to then enjoy a glittering decade in north London.

While it may be a bold comparison to make, it is the latter whom Zirkzee may be looking to emulate, with the former Netherlands U21 international – who would also be moving from Italy to England – having shown shades of Bergkamp in recent times.

That was evident back in August as the £50m-rated hotshot produced a "stunning Bergkamp-like turn" in Bologna's Coppa Italia win over Cesena – in the words of writer Stephen Kasiewicz – expertly sending the opposition defender for the proverbial hot dog, before duly prodding home.

Such a moment of genius, as Kasiewicz hinted at, was akin to his compatriot's delightful turn and finish for the Gunners against Newcastle United back in 2002, suggesting that Zirkzee could be the next Dutch star to dazzle for the north Londoners.

In a similar vein the now-retired icon – who Paul Merson described as the "greatest Arsenal player of all time" – the emerging superstar has that silky quality to his game to also get involved in the build-up, having been hailed as a "creator" and "one of the most complete" strikers by data analyst, Ben Mattinson.

Of course, Arsenal may be looking for an out-and-out finisher rather than a Bergkamp-esque second striker, yet – as Mattinson has suggested – the former Anderlecht ace could "reach new heights" at the Emirates with regard to his "goal output", if supported by the likes Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and Martin Odegaard.

Zirkzee's season by numbers

On the face of it, the £19k-per-week gem's goal return this season has not been overly eye-catching, having scored eight goals and contributed four assists in all competitions, including bagging seven goals and two assists in 19 Serie A outings.

19 games (18 starts)

7 goals

2 assists

8 'big chances' created

1.3 key passes per game

1 'big chance' missed

4 left foot goals

3 right foot goals

7.14 avg. match rating

Stats via Sofascore

As mentioned previously, however, that return in the league, in particular, is far beyond the record of both Jesus and Nketiah, with the current Arsenal duo contributing just two assists between them in the Premier League.

Equally, Zirkzee has prior experience with regard to enjoying a particularly clinical campaign in front of goal, having scored 18 times – and chipped in with 13 assists – across all fronts while on loan in Belgium back in 2021/22.

Arsenal can revive Saka by sealing move for £22m "warrior" to replace White

The 23-year-old could challenge White for his place.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Jan 13, 2024

Again, the desire for those at the Emirates will be to add a 20-goal-a-season striker to improve upon their current options, yet as Mattinson noted, being blessed with the service of the likes of Odegaard and Saka should allow Zirkzee to thrive in an Arsenal shirt and vastly improve upon his previous goal returns.

That may not be a risk that Arteta is willing to take, yet with the club having seen one Dutch star thrive after making the move to the Premier League from Serie A, what's stopping history from repeating itself in 2024?

Manchester United went into Anfield as heavy underdogs, hoping to avoid the embarrassment of last season that was the catalyst behind the side's decline, eventually limping over the line and finishing third in the previous campaign.

However, Erik ten Hag managed to guide his side to an important point in the Premier League, keeping a clean sheet in the process to become the first team to shut Liverpool out at their own ground in all competitions this season.

United battled hard to earn a goalless draw and will certainly be the happier of the two sides, with several players putting a shift in, particularly at the back and in midfield.

Kobbie Mainoo's performance in numbers

Manchester United were injury-riddled when travelling to Merseyside, with 11 first-team players absent through injury and suspension, including club captain Bruno Fernandes.

In recent weeks, ten Hag has opted to use Scott McTominay in a midfield two with Sofyan Amrabat, but with Fernandes unavailable, the Dutchman threw McTominay in as the number '10'. As a result, ten Hag made the gutsy decision to throw 18-year-old Kobbie Mainoo in alongside Amrabat. to see if he'd sink or swim.

Mainoo became the youngest player in Man United's history to start against Liverpool at Anfield and looked unfazed throughout.

Speaking after the game, ten Hag admitted that "when you are good enough, you are old enough. He proved that". Furthermore, football agent Liam Canning described the academy product as a "special talent", claiming his performance was "spectacular".

Despite the visitors having merely 31% of the ball throughout the match, the youngster had 30 touches in total, ending the game with an 89% passing accuracy. Additionally, Mainoo made three passes into the final third and won 50% of his tackles and 67% of his ground duels before being replaced with eight minutes of normal time remaining.

It was an outstanding performance from the midfielder with a bright future, but there was one player at the back who was even better than Mainoo.

Raphael Varane's performance in numbers

Manchester United were under the cosh for long periods of the game as Liverpool peppered 34 shots at the visiting team's goal, including 15 from outside the penalty area. However, partnering the experienced Jonny Evans at the back, Raphael Varane put in a superb shift to shut the hosts out.

The World Cup winner, who has reportedly been placed up for sale by ten Hag ahead of the winter transfer window, made 15 clearances, two blocks, three interceptions, and two ball recoveries throughout the match.

In addition, the 30-year-old was monstrous in the air, winning 100% of his duels (4/4) as Liverpool bombarded balls into the box in the hopes of forcing a winning goal, according to FotMob.

Passing Accuracy %

79

Passes To Final 1/3

3

Aerial Duels Won %

100

Duels Won %

100

Clearances

15

Interceptions

3

Blocks

2

Defensive Actions

20

Ball Recoveries

2

Stats via FotMob

This was just Varane's second start for the Red Devils since the end of October and the Frenchman certainly didn't let his team down, showing great composure at the back against one of the most potent forward lines in England's top-flight.

After the game, respected Man United journalist Andy Mitten even claimed that Varane and Evans as a partnership were better than The Beatles' infamous Liverpudlian duo John Lennon and Paul McCartney.

Varane was one of the main reasons why United managed to pick up a point against their great rivals and has certainly made himself undroppable ahead of the side's visit to West Ham United on Saturday, with Samuel Luckhurst of the Manchester Evening News handing him an 8/10 match rating.

Up and down the English Football League, younger managers are taking their chance to show what they’re made of.

Kieran McKenna is just 37 and has Ipswich Town flying high in the Championship, whilst the team that beat them to the League One title last season, Plymouth Argyle, are also led by someone under 40 in the form of Steven Schumacher.

In the Premier League, Mikel Arteta, currently the fourth-youngest boss in the English top flight, threatened to usurp former colleague Pep Guardiola in the table last season. On the flip side, the Manchester City boss features among the older bosses in the country's top four divisions.

Football FanCast takes you through the 15 oldest permanent managers in the Football League right now.

15 Pep Guardiola – Manchester City (52)

The Premier League is where we start, with a sizeable amount of the older managers being in charge of top-flight clubs.

Pep Guardiola features on a lot of lists, but being on one for the oldest managers may come as something of a surprise.

His trophy cabinet as a player and manager is made even more remarkable by the fact he's been in the managerial game at the top level for 15 years. With Barcelona alone, he won nine La Liga titles and three Champions Leagues when combining his exploits on and off of the field.

This dominance of the sport has continued into his time in Manchester and he finally got over the line in Europe’s elite competition last season, beating Simone Inzaghi’s Inter in the final.

14 Erik ten Hag – Manchester United (53)

Remaining in the same city, Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag is in his second season at Old Trafford.

United are definitely struggling on all fronts currently, although the external noise and negativity seems to be louder than that within the organisation.

Ten Hag led the Red Devils to EFL Cup success in 2022/23, making light work of Nottingham Forest at the semi-final stage before beating Newcastle United under the Wembley arch, while he nearly made it a cup double only for United to lose to neighbours City in the FA Cup.

Prior to taking over in Manchester, Ten Hag impressed in his home country at the helm of Ajax, winning three Eredivisie titles and leading them to the Champions League semi-finals in 2019.

13 Mark Robins – Coventry City (53)

Mark Robins first managed Coventry City in 2012 before quickly being snapped up by Huddersfield Town.

A decade later, the former Manchester United man is in his seventh full season at the helm of the Sky Blues in his second stint with the club.

He quickly endeared himself further to the Coventry faithful upon his return by winning the EFL Trophy in 2016/17, and was then the man to guide them up the football pyramid.

Robins led them to victory in the League Two play-offs in 2018 which saw them reach League One, and a couple of years later won the title in the third tier.

In spite of the stadium issues that Coventry have endured, they remain a very capable Championship team that only just missed out on promotion to the Premier League on penalty kicks at Wembley last year, losing to Luton Town.

12 Phil Parkinson – Wrexham (55)

Phil Parkinson has one of the most exciting jobs in the EFL currently as manager of Wrexham.

He took over in Wales in 2021 having left his previous role with Sunderland the year prior and was the man to drive Wrexham into League Two last term.

Parkinson’s team won the National League title last season ahead of Notts County thanks to a remarkable tally of 111 points. It was one of the highest-quality title races that English football has ever seen, certainly at that level.

Parkinson also previously managed the likes of Colchester United, Bradford City and Bolton Wanderers.

11 Jurgen Klopp – Liverpool (56)

Returning to the Premier League now with Liverpool’s boss Jurgen Klopp, who is now in his mid-50s.

The Reds missed out on Champions League qualification for the first time since the German boss first campaign at Anfield, with many onlookers questioning his ability to continue on Merseyside as a result.

Looking across his wider tenure, he has title wins in the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League to show for it.

In Germany, he is a club legend at Mainz having played over 300 times for them and getting the club promoted to the Bundesliga as manager. With Borussia Dortmund, he got to a Champions League final and was able to overcome the juggernaut that is Bayern Munich twice in the battle for the league title, with this success putting him firmly in the shop window for the Liverpool job.

10 Paul Simpson – Carlisle United (57)

Simpson saw out his playing days as player-manager of Carlisle United, where some of his first steps in the dugout saw him achieve remarkable success.

He led the Spireites out of the Conference and won the League Two title in his initial spell, before returning to the club 16 years later to take them out of the fourth tier once again, gaining promotion into League One via the play-offs last summer.

They may be struggling this term thus far, but the Cumbrian club remain all the better for having crossed paths with Simpson.

9 Nigel Clough – Mansfield Town (57)

The Clough name is infamous in English football due to the brilliance of Brian during his time in charge of Nottingham Forest.

Nigel has continued his father's legacy in the world of management, while playing over 300 times for Forest as a player himself.

The 57-year-old’s first job came with Burton Albion, before leaving for Derby County. A spell at Sheffield United followed, where he led them to the semi-finals of the FA Cup in 2014.

He returned to the Pirelli in 2015 before they parting ways again in 2020. Clough wasn’t out of work for long as he moved on to Mansfield Town, where he is currently doing a very good job in 2023/24 as they push for promotion out of League Two.

8 Ange Postecoglou – Tottenham Hotspur (58)

Ange Postecoglou has had a very positive impact on and off of the field in the Premier League since joining Tottenham Hotspur in the summer.

Spurs fans are particularly content with the man they now have in charge, and his journey in this sport is an interesting one.

He previously managed a number of Australian teams as well as the national team at youth and senior level.

After his tenure with Australia ended in 2017, he moved on to Japan before arriving at Celtic, where he won two SPFL titles in as many seasons.

7 Nigel Adkins – Tranmere Rovers (58)

Nigel Adkins is perhaps best known in the EFL landscape for his time in charge of Southampton and Hull City.

He also had a brief stint with Reading in the Premier League, but that didn’t go particularly well for either party as he led them back into the Championship, and lasted little over 18 months.

In 2021, he was with Charlton Athletic for a short period of time and now finds himself at Prenton Park with Tranmere Rovers.

Adkins joined the club as technical director but became manager in September of this year following the sacking of Ian Dawes.

6 Tony Mowbray – Sunderland (59)

Tony Mowbray played for three teams in his career, all of whom he has gone on to manage.

The trio in question are Middlesbrough, Celtic and Ipswich Town – with most games both as a player and as a manager coming for Boro.

He never played for Sunderland, but that hasn’t prevented him from excelling whilst at the helm of the Black Cats.

Last year, his Sunderland team lost in the Championship play-off semi-finals to eventual winners Luton Town, and will be looking to go one step further this time around.

What a 60th birthday present that would be!

Thomas Frank was pleased with Brentford's performance against Chelsea as he claimed his side "battered" the Blues in the second half.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Frank responds to Brentford fans' jeering
• Claimed they 'battered' Chelsea
• Brentford and Chelsea played out a 2-2 draw

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Brentford held Chelsea to an exciting 2-2 draw on Saturday in a Premier League clash at Gtech Community Stadium. Nicolas Jackson opened the scoring for the Blues but the Bees responded strongly in the second thanks to goals from Mads Roerslev and Yoane Wissa. Axel Disasi then netted the equaliser to secure a point for the visitors.

  Frank was left impressed by his team's performance, especially in the second half as he claimed that they "battered" giants Chelsea and could have sealed all three points from the game.

Advertisement

• WHAT THOMAS FRANK SAID

  Speaking to reporters after the match, Frank said, "I would have loved three points. It was a relatively even game in terms of chances. I’m very pleased with the response from the players. I asked about a bounce-back mentality. Especially after a bad performance against West Ham. That was not us. It’s very rare we don’t put a performance in.

  "Today I must say, impressive. When we got promoted, Chelsea won the Champions League (on the same day). They have done quite well in terms of renewing their squad. We played a game where we had seven of our key players out and it was a strong side they put out. The way I think the way we battered them second half was fantastic and extremely impressive. I’m a very proud head coach today because I think the players have been fantastic this week."

• Getty Images
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Despite an impressive result against a team like Chelsea, Frank and his men were jeered by a section of the home fans which left the manager perplexed as he said, "You know what, I thought I heard that as well. Is that true? I would like to personally speak to the ones who boo. Is that support? We are talking about Brentford against Chelsea, one of the biggest clubs in the world, 1-0 down. I know I can’t swear but what the…"

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty Images
  

  WHAT NEXT?

  The Bees will be next seen in action against Arsenal on March 9 in the Premier League while two days later, Mauricio Pochettino's side take on Newcastle United.

San Francisco Giants outfielder Heliot Ramos made Oracle Park history during Sunday's game against the San Diego Padres after he unleashed a solo home run that reached the water in the famous McCovey Cove.

It was a monumental home run in that no right-handed batter had ever previously hit a home run directly into the water outside the stadium, a feat typically reserved for left-handed sluggers.

For all the countless times Barry Bonds and other great left-handed hitters have deposited home runs into the cove, no batter from the right side had ever hit an opposite field blast that splashed down in the water.

Until Sunday.

Ramos's home run couldn't have come at a better time, either. He tied the ball game at 2–2 in the bottom of the ninth inning with his solo blast, and now stands alone in Oracle Park lore, having achieved a home run previously thought to be impossible.

The stadium first opened in 2000 and it only took 24 years for a right-handed hitter to send one out of the ballpark and into the water.

da fazobetai： Wolverhampton Wanderers are beginning to motor in the transfer market and could be about to sink a large chunk of their budget into a star with proven Premier League credentials, according to a report.

Wolverhampton Wanderers begin to build for the new season

da betano casino： Contrary to expectations, Wolves and Nelson Semedo have yet to come to a decision on his future and former Old Gold star Dave Edwards is still holding out hope the experienced star will put pen to paper on a new contract.

He explained: “I wrote in my columns at the end of the season that I was convinced he would leave Molineux. I was gutted about that, but I knew Wolves had done everything in terms of a contract offer to try and keep him.

“It is a lucrative offer that must be very appealing for the wing-back. It is just a bit of a strange situation because you usually think the fans would be a bit more angry.”

Ultimately, Vitor Pereira can only influence things fully in his control, and it appears the Wolves boss is doing everything in his power to ensure new talent arrives with pre-season underway.

Making their presence felt on the market, Wolves have put forward an approach for Atalanta striker El Bilal Toure after his return from Stuttgart, even if seven other clubs are also circling for his signature.

Related Wolves ready to step up interest and make move for "elegant" £12m colossus

The Old Gold are racing their Premier League rivals to the signature of a defender.

Posts ByDominic Lund Jul 3, 2025

Continuing that theme, Flamengo forward Wallace Yan could also end up at Molineux, though it remains to be seen if the Old Gold will commit to his £34 million release clause.

Putting that to one side, Pereira now reportedly has his eyes on a midfielder who has already shown he has the mettle to handle the cut and thrust of the Premier League.

Wolves eyeing surprise move for Conor Gallagher

According to reports in Spain, Wolves are in the mix to sign Atletico Madrid midfielder Conor Gallagher and would be willing to pay close to £43 million to bring the England international back to British shores.

Everton are also believed to be attentive to his situation and Diego Simeone could look to offload the former Chelsea man providing an agreement were to bring significant financial strength to the Wanda Metropolitano.

Conor Gallagher’s impressive 2024/25 campaign for Atletico Madrid

Appearances

50

Goals

4

Assists

6

Dubbed “priceless” by former boss Mauricio Pochettino after scoring a double against Crystal Palace in 2023, he also won 110 duels and 32 tackles in La Liga last term.

Famed for his high oxygen levels in the engine room, Gallagher could be pushed further down the pecking order under Simeone due to the arrivals of Alez Baena and Johnny Cardoso in the Spanish capital.

Wolves would have to put forward a convincing proposal to get him on board, though Pereira’s role in their recent resurgence could be enticing for the 25-year-old as he veers towards the prime of his career.

da premier bet： Erik ten Hag dragged Manchester United from a sixth-place finish when he took the reins back in 2022 to third in the Premier League, two finals and even managed to end the club's six-year trophy drought by winning the EFL Cup in February.

da dobrowin： One of the keys to United's success last term under the Dutchman was a well-balanced midfield, primarily consisting of Casemiro, Christian Eriksen and Bruno Fernandes, although Fred and Scott McTominay played their part as well.

However, due to unforeseen injury issues this season, Ten Hag has struggled to find the right balance in the middle of the park and now the Red Devils' Brazilian general has been ruled out of action for several weeks with a hamstring problem.

Nonetheless, Ten Hag has a glaringly obvious, yet risky solution staring him in the face.

Why Man Utd's midfield are struggling

In the opening two games of the 2023/24 campaign against Wolves and Tottenham Hotspur, the Dutch coach opted to deploy summer signing Mason Mount and club captain Fernandes in front of Casemiro in the midfield but both teams carved United open a worrying amount. The English giants lost possession of the ball 88 times in the middle third across these two fixtures, according to Opta.

Regardless, Ten Hag refused to admit that the midfield was the issue after the 2-0 defeat to Spurs back in August. Instead, the former Ajax boss felt as though the frontline's pressing and the lack of stability at the back were the primary culprits. Still, the club secured the loan services of midfielder Sofyan Amrabat until the end of the season but the arrival of the Moroccan hasn't fixed the team's issues, with club legend Paul Scholes even calling Eriksen a "much better footballer" than Amrabat.

Win or lose, the midfield balance has come under the microscope in almost every game this season. Against Manchester City in the derby over a week ago, the manager decided to take Amrabat off at half-time after his booking in the first half. City ran United ragged after the interval. Pundit Gary Neville criticised this decision, claiming that "Amrabat coming off emptied the midfield".

Ten Hag has tried almost every combination possible in midfield, but there may still be one more trick up the Dutch tactician's sleeve, a return for Kobbie Mainoo.

Kobbie Mainoo's stats at Man Utd

Stockport-born Mainoo made his Premier League debut for Manchester United last season in the Premier League at home to Leicester City and was even handed his first-ever start for the club in a 3-0 win over Charlton Athletic in the EFL Cup back in January. However, it was a pre-season game at the MetLife in New Jersey where Mainoo really stood out from the crowd.

Partnering with Casemiro in a double-pivot until half-time, the teenage sensation bossed the midfield against the likes of Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard and Kai Havertz, assisting the opening goal of the game, and ending the match with a 7/10 rating, as per Sofascore.

After the game, club legend and former skipper Bryan Robson called Mainoo a "top player" and insisted that Ten Hag "must trust him" this season. Meanwhile, Fernandes heaped praise on Mainoo, claiming he is "good on the ball, strong, he can defend and attack". In a 45-minute performance against the Gunners, the young midfielder held a 96% passing accuracy, made one key pass and one interception, and won 100% of his defensive duels.

In Mainoo's one and only competitive start for the Red Devils, at home to Charlton in the League Cup last term, the youngster boasted an 82% passing accuracy over the course of his hour on the field. What's more impressive is that the academy product registered five passes into the final third in that game while creating one chance, according to FotMob. Piling on the praise, Anthony Elanga, Mainoo's former teammate at Old Trafford, recently labelled the 18-year-old as "unreal".

Unfortunately, Mainoo picked up a nasty ankle injury in a game against Real Madrid in pre-season which has kept him out of the team for several months. However, Mainoo is back in training and even made it onto the bench during United's dismal derby defeat to Man City recently.

With Ten Hag running out of options, perhaps Mainoo could be the perfect answer to the manager's woes in the middle of the park.

Think you can get away from them down under? Not a chance

Sidharth Monga16-Feb-2012January 29
Back to Sydney. Back to pleasant weather. Spells of rain interspersed with cool breeze. Sydneysiders don’t quite like it. They want the sun. Thankfully Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal not playing Australian Open final under sun. Gruelling, gnawing even, five-setter. Don’t really want to watch a match comprised primarily of 30-shot rallies, but watch, not for tennis but for fear of missing dramatic end. Means struggle to justify end. Finally final finishes at 1.37am. India train early in the morning, half an hour outside city.January 30
Heat reaches Sydney too. Back in Sydney trains. Off to Stadium Australia in Homebush, originally built for the Olympics, now presumably challenging the MCG and the SCG for final of World Cup 2015. Capacity close to 90,000. Decent-sized playing field. Helping it get ready for its international debut is famous Adelaide curator Les Burdett. Also prepared the pitch for the 1987 World Cup final. Was invited by the Indian board, who had presumed India and Pakistan would play the final and a neutral curator would be required.Tells story of when West Indies came to play in Adelaide in 2000-01. Brian Lara asked him, as players do curators, how the pitch was. Burdett said there were about 180 runs in it for him. Lara laughed. Then scored 182. “After the game he was waiting for me with a case of beer.”January 31
Almost miss Irfan Pathan waiting for a train at Olympic Park train station. Tell him it is difficult to recognise him in civils. Says that’s the beauty of being in Australia. Can live like a normal person. Do normal things. Sit in train. Walk in city. Can’t do that in India. No chance. Is also fighting jetlag and wants to stay away from bed. Ask him why alone. Points to companion. The iPod.February 1
Another taste of India. Sydney runs free and dedicated trains to Olympic Park for those going to watch the first Twenty20 international. There’s about 60,000 of them, a record for cricket played in New South Wales. On train, people sitting everywhere. On handrests, on steps, on floor. India keep losing. Play two specialist spinners along with an army of part-timer spinners, knowing very well it is going to rain. Matthew Wade serves notice to Brad Haddin with 72 on debut. Last train back to city at 1.40am.February 2
Melbourne. Feels familiar. Trams. Walks. Know streets well now. Glorious evening by the Yarra. Sun stays till 8.30pm. On Bourke Street, lady tries selling copy of the .”Why would you try to sell me that?””Why not?” she says. “Oh, where are you from?””India.””To me, you look central American.”Realise it’s time to trim beard.February 3
How do they play these Twenty20s? Loud music, not between overs, between deliveries. Crazy fireworks. Torches go off as players walk out.Like the use of “Come On, Aussie Come On”. Remember Ian Chappell talk about how the hairs on the back of his neck stood up when he heard a jam-packed SCG sing along to it back in 1978, the first time World Series Cricket managed to make an appearance at a traditional cricket venue, and also the first big crowd for the WSC. That’s when they knew Australia had accepted the “rebels”. “Lillee’s pounding down like a machine/ Pascoe’s making divots in the green/ Marshy’s taking wickets/ Hooksey’s clearing pickets…”Back at the MCG, India have their first win of the tour, a Twenty20. Some of their best fielding of recent times. During the match a man runs onto the field of play, thankfully with clothes on. That’s a fine of A$7300, thank you very much. Security guard of Indian origin complains fireworks not as big as in Sydney, when Australia won.February 4
Paul Kelly continues to provide soundtrack for the tour. “Leaps And Bounds” in Melbourne. “I’m high on the hill/ Looking over the bridge/ To the MCG/ And way up on high/ The clock on the silo/ Says 11 degrees.” Silo visible from MCG footbridge. Mystery behind clock saying 11 degrees: it used to tell temperature and time alternatively. Doesn’t work now. It’s not 11 degrees either.February 5
Try to book hotel in Perth. No vacancies within a radius of 13km of the WACA ground. Feel triangular series has made a good comeback. Not tonight, though, as India insipidly lose rain-affected series opener to Australia at the G. Got to respect conditions and play fewer spinners.Watch from overflow press area, which is actually coaches’ box for footy games. Rod Marsh, Andy Bichel and John Inverarity sit and watch from next box. During rain break, big screen becomes nostalgic and shows old highlights. Lillee bowling Viv Richards with the last ball of the Boxing Day at the G in 1981 one of them. Apparently the full house kept chanting “Lillee, Lillee” for half an hour after the game finished. Next day Lillee became the most successful Test bowler of all time. Watch Marsh watch those pictures. Can’t hear what the three are saying, but he looks wistful. They do keep sending over food.February 6
In Perth, realise hotels are sold out not because of cricket fans but the many mining conferences and recruitment interviews. Everything more expensive in Wild West than rest of Australia. Jetlagged and homeless until finding, out of sheer luck, a hotel that has just had a cancellation.February 7
Legend of Manneken Pis. Two-year-old Duke Godfrey III of Leuven. When the real duke died, others wanted to conquer. Loyal soldiers still went to war. Took the two-year-old to the battlefield too, hanging in a basket from a tree. With the war almost lost, the Duke suddenly got up and urinated on enemy troops, inspiring the beleaguered soldiers to fight on and win. Learn of it at a Belgian pub in Perth.Realise that India are playing Sri Lanka once again. Takes the piss out of the triangular. Masters of attrition when they come up against each other. Bring worst out of each other.February 8
Ian Chappell, Ravi Shastri and Wasim Akram in press box as India and Sri Lanka play an expectedly low-quality match. Shastri has us in splits with his stories of facing West Indies quicks. Remembers in proper detail how people would try to get injured, manufacture injuries, fall ill, just to avoid them. Hilarious stories all, but names can’t be published here for obvious reasons.Chappell remembers asking Tiger Pataudi where he worked.”I am a prince, Ian,” said Tiger.”No, but what do you do you do for a living?” Chappell asked, not realising what being a prince meant.”I told you, I am a prince, Ian.””But 9 to 5, where do you go, what do you do?””I am a f***ing prince.”The Manneken Pis statue in Brussels•AFPChappell asked no more.February 9
Walk through beautiful Queen’s Gardens to get to WACA ground. Swans – big black ones – in the pond inside. Quiet, idyllic place other than that. Ian Healy says when he used to walk back through there after a day’s play, it made him contemplate retirement. That kind of place.February 10
Angelo Mathews nearly pulls off a miracle with 18 required off the last over. Story of his life so far. Obvious talent. Earmarked for great things, including captaincy. Missed maiden century a few times before finally bringing it up in controversial circumstances. Missed World Cup final. Hopefully won’t end up as nearly man.February 11
Adelaide. Time for a beard trim. Find self in Joseph’s hair salon on Bank Street. Last year Michael Holding and David Lloyd came in for a shave. Joseph didn’t recognise them. “I didn’t know who they were.” In all humility, in his smooth voice, Holding told Joseph, “I played 60 Tests for West Indies.”February 12
Tarndanya Womma. That’s Adelaide Oval in one of the aboriginal languages. Tarndanya is a combination of “tarndna” and “kanya”, which mean red kangaroo and rock respectively. “Womma” means plain, and hence Oval. MS Dhoni finds own language to help India win a close match, their first win over Australia in the triangular. Bats slow, teases, teases, delays final assault before launching Clint McKay for a huge straight six with 13 required off final over.February 13
Adelaide casino. A city in itself. Super-excited at converting $10 into $155. Watch a man convert 20 into 940 on the same table. No reaction from him. Tell him now might be a good time to leave. Says, “This is nothing.” The kind of place Dhoni the ODI batsman should inhabit. Looking at the method in his batting, though, maybe not.Lose $55 and quietly walk away with remaining 100.February 14
Dhoni at it again. Runs out Gambhir during simple chase, watches other wickets fall, but lofts Lasith Malinga’s final delivery over extra cover to secure a tie, the first between India and Sri Lanka. True to form, the two teams keep pulling each other down. Match full of crazy run-outs, missed run-outs, spilled sitters, missed opportunities with bat. These teams must love each other.