Tag Futebol

Jadon Sancho has been branded a "weak little boy" by a former Manchester United star after "trying to drag Marcus Rashford into his mess".

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Sancho left Man Utd for Chelsea in 2024
• Was sidelined by Erik ten Hag
• Commented 'Freedom' on Rashford's Instagram post

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Sancho commented "Freedom" on Rashford's Instagram post after the latter's Aston Villa loan debut against Tottenham on Sunday, which has been interpreted as a dig at Manchester United. Paul Parker, who played for United between 1991-96, believes the Chelsea winger is trying to get Rashford involved in his spat with their parent club.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Sancho was sidelined by then-United boss Erik ten Hag after he was accused of not training properly in September 2023, leaving for Borussia Dortmund on loan last January before signing for Chelsea on loan with an obligation to buy in the summer. Rashford followed him out of the door on a temporary basis to Aston Villa in January 2025, prompting the Sancho post that has irritated Parker.

• WHAT PARKER SAID

  Parker told mybettingsites.co.uk: "Jadon Sancho reminds me of a weak little boy who is using someone else to air his grievances. He doesn’t have the strength, power, or presence to do it on his own, so he’s trying to drag Rashford into his mess. I hope Rashford is smart enough to stay out of it. Even his PR team should know better than to let him get involved in this nonsense. He [Sancho] should be focused on improving his game instead of alienating himself further. Sancho is absolutely weak. He needs to take a long, hard look at himself."

• AFP
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR SANCHO AND RASHFORD?

  Sancho and Rashford are competing with each other for Champions League qualification this season, with Chelsea sitting fourth and Aston Villa eighth in the Premier League. Rashford is the likelier of the two to return to Old Trafford, with his Villa deal not including any option to make the move permanent.

Tom Banton makes 45 in 9.2-over stand of 100 in turbo-charged chase

ECB Reporters Network03-Jun-2022Will Smeed gave another reminder of his precocious talent with a scintillating 94 not out from just 41 balls as Somerset returned to winning ways in the Vitality Blast with a nine-wicket trouncing of Glamorgan at Taunton.The visitors posted 173 for seven after losing the toss, former Somerset player Eddie Byrom top-scoring with 37 off 26 balls and Devonian all-rounder Ben Green claiming career-best fugures of five for 29.In reply, Somerset openers Smeed and Tom Banton (45) put together a superb stand of exactly 100, from 9.2 overs, paving the way for a comprehensive win with 5.5 overs to spare.Twenty-year-old Smeed blasted 8 sixes and 6 fours in a memorable exhibition. The result left Somerset riding high, with four wins from their opening five group matches, while for Glamorgan it was a third defeat in five games.David Lloyd and Sam Northeast gave Glamorgan the platform for a decent total after the match start had been delayed half an hour by a wet outfield.No overs were lost and the opening pair were soon enjoying a true batting surface, taking the total to 49 in the final over of the initial powerplay before Lloyd was caught at short third-man for 31, made off 20 balls.The wicket-taker was Craig Overton, back with Somerset having been omitted by England for the First Test against New Zealand. He went on to bowl three overs and finished with one for 17.Lewis Gregory claimed the key wicket of Marnus Labuschagne, caught third ball off a mistimed pull shot for only a single to make it 50 for two.Somerset then applied pressure in the middle overs through Gregory, Green and the left-arm spin of Roelof van der Merwe. Northeast was unable to accelerate and had made 19 off 25 balls when caught at long-off.The same Green over, the 11th of the innings had accounted for Kiran Carlson, pouched at mid-wicket for 28, having just struck Green for six over long-on.Northeast’s departure left Glamorgan 87 for four. Byrom and Chris Cooke added 37 before the latter was caught at mid-off to give his third wicket.The other two came in the penultimate over of the innings courtesy of perfect yorkers which bowled first Byrom, whose return to Taunton had yielded 2 sixes and 4 fours, and then James Weighell, whose stumps were scattered first ball.Glamorgan’s total appeared below par, particularly when Smeed and Banton launched a savage assault that put 61 runs on the board by the end of the six-over powerplay.Smeed hit sixes over mid-wicket off Michael Hogan, Weighell and Michael Neser, plus a cracker over cover off Dan Douthwaite, while Banton, short of runs in the opening group games, collected maximums off Douthwaite and Weighell.Smeed brought up the century stand and his own fifty off 27 balls in the tenth over, which saw Banton caught and bowled by left-arm spinner Prem Sisodiya, having faced 30 deliveries and hit 3 sixes and 3 fours.There was no way back for Glamorgan. Smeed smashed experienced seamer Hogan for 4,4,6,4, in the 11th over before the in-form Rilee Rossouw joined in, clearing the ropes off successive deliveries from Sisodiya.Smeed then hit sixes off successive balls from Labuschagne and was well supported by Rossouw (30 not out) as Somerset quickly atoned for their first group defeat by Sussex Sharks.

With the trend of teams saving their wickets for the end overs, the battle between New Zealand’s bowlers and West Indies’ big hitters may well shape the Wellington quarter-final

Andrew McGlashan in Wellington19-Mar-20152:35

Richard Hadlee: I’m astounded because if you look at the last 10 overs of teams batting, particularly batting first, 110, 120, 130 runs are being conceded

New Zealand’s new-ball attack against West Indies’ flimsy top order; whether Brendon McCullum is removed early; the ability to counter the dual threat of Daniel Vettori’s economy and strike-rate. Numerous aspects could decide the Wellington quarter-final, but if West Indies are able to lay a platform the contest between their hefty strikers in the middle order and New Zealand’s death-bowling tactics shapes as vital.McCullum only knows one way to play. In the field it is an all-out search for wickets. Whereas every other captain juggles his bowlers with the closing overs firmly in mind, McCullum’s main aim is to make them irrelevant. When it works, as it did dramatically against England and Australia in recent weeks, it looks like genius.However, the flip side was evident against Bangladesh when, through a combination of a poor day for Mitchell McClenaghan and a desire to take wickets, Grant Elliott was required to bowl two of the final three overs. Bangladesh rattled off 104 from the last 10 overs, but New Zealand had just enough in the tank to overhaul them. If the death bowling is off against West Indies, the likes of Darren Sammy and Andre Russell could cause horrendous damage.”If we can get a good start, blunt the attack early, then we could be in for a good ball game,” Curtly Ambrose, West Indies’ bowling coach, said in a slightly more toned-down version of Sammy’s comments on Wednesday when he said New Zealand “didn’t have an answer” in the closing overs against Bangladesh.West Indies sweat on Gayle’s back

For the second day running Chris Gayle did not train with West Indies as he continued to receive treatment on his back following a cortisone injection on Wednesday.
A West Indies spokesman confirmed that it remains a day-to-day approach with Gayle ahead of the quarter-final on Saturday and it is not yet certain if he will train on the final practice day.
The nature of the back problem was highlighted in Napier when Gayle trained the day before the UAE contest, and was declared fit, only to ruled out on the morning of the game.
Despite Darren Sammy’s bombastic statement on Wednesday, when he said Gayle would not miss the quarter-final for anyone, it is looking increasingly like a cross-the-fingers job with and a very late decision on whether he will take the field.

McCullum, though, is unlikely to change his plans. In fact, as Sri Lanka showed in the first quarter-final by promoting Kusal Perera, switching tactics last-minute before a key game can do more harm than good. Adam Milne is set to return in place of McClenaghan and if all goes to script for McCullum he will not look beyond his five main bowlers, but should a sixth be required Elliott will again be the man under pressure.”I’ve done it for Wellington and throughout by career, you mix and match some overs where you can,” Elliott said. “With T20 you are under the pump all the time so you have to develop the skills to curb the runs as much as you can.”Whenever Baz [McCullum] calls on me I enjoy it. It complements my batting game. I certainly pay more attention in the field when I’m bowling. Generally if I am bowling we aren’t doing too well as a unit so if we continue the way we have gone then I shouldn’t need to bowl too many.”Death bowling has been under the microscope throughout this tournament. Teams have attempted to stack wickets in order to unleash from the 35th over onward, which is both the justification and danger of McCullum’s approach, and some heartache has been handed out to bowlers. The current era of one-day bowlers are having to combat batsmen with a wider array of strokes than ever before – AB de Villiers and Glenn Maxwell being two of the best examples of players who score 360 degrees – but there remains scepticism from previous generations about the extensive use of variations.”I’m astounded because if you look at the last 10 overs of teams batting, particularly batting first, 110, 120, 130 runs are being conceded,” Richard Hadlee said while sat alongside fellow knight Ambrose. “You look at the way bowlers are bowling and there just aren’t the yorkers. I know that with yorkers if you don’t get it right, they’ll go out of the park like anything else but there’s a tendency to bowl back of a length, to bowl the slow bouncer, other different changes of pace, to bowl full and wide as another way.”These are tactics and the way the modern game is but I’ve always thought that if you get the yorker right, it’s pretty difficult to hit that out of the park.”Ambrose, meanwhile, spoke with two hats on. As part of the West Indies backroom staff he will delight if New Zealand’s attack is under the pump on Saturday, but as part of the bowlers’ union he does not believe the game is an even contest anymore.His charges have certainly come in for some punishment in this tournament, most staggeringly when Jason Holder went from having figures of 5-2-9-1 against South Africa to 10-2-104-2 at the hands of de Villiers.”I think presently it’s grossly one-sided. Everything favours the batsman,” he said. “It’s too one-sided and the powers that may be need to look at it seriously and make it a little more even because at the moment it’s all about the batting. If you don’t have bowlers you have no cricket. Soon we may have to get some bowling machines.”Hadlee, though, was a touch sanguine about the challenge for the bowlers. “A lot of teams are in trouble early on. They’ve lost 1 for 10, 2 for 20 and clearly the two balls that are used, one at each end, is having a dramatic effect. We’re seeing some good contests early on but after teams rebuild and get to a competitive total so the balance to me is good at the moment.”

Fenerbahce boss Jose Mourinho has sounded a heartwarming message to his son Jose Jr on his 25th birthday, with a throwback photo of the pair posted.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Mourinho sends birthday wishes to sonJose Jr turns 25 years old this SundayFormer goalkeeper could become coach soonFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Mourinho has been enjoying life in Turkey – aside from the odd referee rant – with Fenerbahce as they currently sit second in the Super Lig standings behind Galatasaray. The Portuguese manager has been in Turkey without his family and will likely be unable to see Jose Jr for his 25th birthday, with the Super Lig side in action later on Sunday.

AdvertisementWHAT MOURINHO SAID

On Instagram, Mourinho shared a heartfelt message to his son with a photo of the two from the Portuguese coach's Real Madrid days. The message read: "Happy 25. My pride, my man but always my little kid."

THE GOSSIP

Jose Jr. followed his father's footsteps into the footballing world as he began his career as a goalkeeper on Fulham's books. He stayed with the Cottagers for three years but has now retired and is likely to head into the coaching scene soon. If Jose Sr.'s words are to be taken at face value, the birthday boy may become a 'better coach' than the two-time Champions League winner.

AFPWHAT NEXT FOR MOURINHO?

The Portuguese coach will be hoping to take home a win on his son's birthday when Fenerbahce take on Rizespor on Sunday, February 2 at Ulker Stadium.

Yuzvendra Chahal and R Ashwin exhibited their mastery at a pivotal moment in the game to ensure Rajasthan Royals successfully defended a strong total, set up by Jos Buttler’s 68-ball century. This meant a second straight win for Royals and a second straight setback for Mumbai Indians, known to be slow starters.This was one Mumbai would be particularly disappointed with because they were in control of the chase going into the last six overs, after Ishan Kishan and Tilak Varma hit half-centuries to leave them needing 65 off 36 with seven wickets in the shed. After that, though, they lost three wickets for two runs over the next seven balls against spin as the chase derailed.Kieron Pollard kept hopes alive by biffing a few blows at the close, but an excellent penultimate over from Prasidh Krishna that went for just ten – no boundary was conceded – left Mumbai needing 29 off the final over. Mumbai just found one more boundary as Pollard kept finding the fielders, before the match ended with Buttler fittingly taking a catch to remove him as Mumbai fell short by 23 runs.The Ashwin-Chahal strangle
It’s unlikely the two would have been given four overs between them in the last ten overs had this been a night game. The absence of dew meant Sanju Samson could play around with his spinners and hold them back, and he did so superbly by bowling Chahal with the long boundary to the leg side, forcing batters to hit him against the turn.First, Chahal had Tim David lbw with a slider that fizzed through the deck in the 16th over. Off the next ball, he had Daniel Sams with a fine cocktail of dip and drift. Sams heaved it to the leg side and was caught smartly by a back-pedalling Buttler from midwicket. Chahal nearly had a hat-trick; it wasn’t to be because M Ashwin was put down by wrong-footed Karun Nair at slip. But, by then, the pendulum had swung the Royals’ way.Only an over earlier, the 15th, R Ashwin had dismissed Tilak Varma for a 33-ball 61 a delivery after the 19-year-old had reverse-swept him for a six. Ashwin responded by slowing it down significantly and beating the batter in flight as the stumps were knocked back to elicit a roar and a send-off.1:40

Did Chahal make the big difference in the end?

The Kishan-Varma partnership
Mumbai lost Rohit Sharma and Anmolpreet Singh early, but Kishan and Varma ensured they kept up with the steep asking rate by playing sensibly, especially at the start of their stand. They showed the maturity in knowing they had the games to accelerate later, thereby giving them an opportunity to set up shop.From time to time, Varma picked the boundaries, and along the way also exhibited some languid stroke-making ability. The one off Navdeep Saini, which he punched on the up to clear long-off, was a stunner.At the other end, Kishan was at his industrious best. Running hard, using his feet to spin, bringing out calculated hits without being reckless, and in the process, raising a half-century before Varma got there. The pair went on to add 81 off just 54 balls to set Mumbai up before they unravelled quite uncharacteristically.Buttler fantastic, Buttler tactful
Much before the Royals spinners left their mark, Buttler provided a treat to the 15,000 fans who had turned up on a hot afternoon at the DY Patil Stadium. He was caught by a Jasprit Bumrah toe-crusher early on, but soon found his bearings when he launched into Basil Thampi for three sixes and two fours in the bowler’s only over, inside the powerplay.Where Bumrah and Tymal Mills hit hard lengths, Thampi went full and was clobbered, as Buttler cleared his front leg and made merry. This forced Rohit to dig deep into his bowling reserves early in the game, and having Pollard cover up the remainder of the overs through the innings.Buttler was impressive against spin, too. At one point, with deep point set for the reverse, he outfoxed Mumbai by backing away outside leg to loft M Ashwin repeatedly over cover. Then, when deep point was moved to sweeper cover, he brought out the reverse hits.Jasprit Bumrah was exceptional, returning 3 for 17•BCCI

He found some solid company in Samson, who got himself in quickly to make 30 before falling to Pollard. Shimron Hetmyer provided some late fireworks, laying into Pollard in his final over to disturb perfectly acceptable bowling figures until then: 3-0-20-1 ended up being 4-0-46-1.Bumrah’s comeback
A week after a nightmarish start to his season, where his figures read 3.2-0-43-0, Bumrah bounced back in style, as his second spell late in the innings prevented a late Royals surge. The three best overs for the Royals batters had totalled 73 runs. Bumrah’s four went for just 17, and brought the wickets of Yashasvi Jaiswal, Hetmyer and Buttler.Those of Hetmyer and Buttler in the death overs brought Mumbai right back in the game, as the Royals looked set to soar past 200, but finished with 194. At the break, Buttler said he wasn’t sure if it was a good score or not because of the short boundary on one side, but their spinners used the long boundaries to perfection to close out an impressive win.

The temporary change in wicketkeeping duties, even for a Test, could indicate how South Africa’s new-look batting will present itself, with at least three young players waiting to be tested

Firdose Moonda in Galle15-Jul-2014Amla on the impact of the ODI series win

South Africa’s ODI side made history when they won their first-ever one-day series in Sri Lanka and breaking through that barrier has had significant run-on effects. Although they have not won a Test match in Sri Lanka in 14 years since their seven-run victory in Kandy in 2000 and a Test series on the island in 21 years, Hashim Amla said they are confident they can turn that record around too.
“The one-dayers have given the team a lot of confidence and a lot of belief that we can win here even though Test cricket is a largely different game,” he said. “We take confidence from the ODI win. The wickets were pretty good to bat on and they it got slower as the day progressed. That’s no different to Test cricket.
“After a series like that you need a bit of down time. Although it was only three or four days, that was a good call from the management (to give the players a break). We had a training session yesterday and today to slowly get the boys back in.”

First there was the change of captain which automatically brought about a change in the opening batsman but now South Africa are faced with a third major difference to the team of old as their new Test era begins. AB de Villiers is unlikely to keep wicket in Galle after hurting his hamstring while batting on Saturday. Quinton de Kock will take his place behind the stumps and although the move may only be temporary, it is a sign of where the team’s future is headed.Although de Villiers was a prominent figure in South Africa’s pre-practice football game, Hashim Amla said he is “unlikely,” to appear behind the stumps in the first Test because his right hamstring has not fully recovered from the strain it suffered in the ODIs. The niggle will not rule de Villiers out of participating completely and he should still be able to bat in his regular position.As a result, South Africa seem to be planning their XI around the possibility of de Villiers batting only and de Kock keeping. “With Quinny playing, it changes the dynamic of the team,” Amla said. “We will probably have one spinner and then JP – luckily he played a pretty significant part in the one-day series as well. If need be, we will use Dean Elgar (to bowl) as well. He’s had a bit of a golden arm. But it would be great if we don’t need him.”South Africa were unlikely to go into the match with two specialist spinners in Imran Tahir and Dane Piedt so their bowling plan is as expected but the inclusion of de Kock impacts on their batting strategy. For now, it will likely keep last season’s first-class competition’s top run-scorer Stiaan van Zyl on the sidelines but in the long-term it could affect the top three.De Kock is an opening batsman by trade and has excelled in that role for the Lions. His first-class average sits at 47.15 and includes four centuries. He has not always kept wicket for the franchise and was not among the top run-scorers last season when international duty interrupted his domestic availability, which will probably keep him confined to the lower middle-order at the moment, but that could easily change.Effectively, de Kock’s inclusion has put both Alviro Petersen and Elgar on notice. Petersen has not scored a century since January 2013 – 18 months and 17 innings ago. That probably means the pressure is higher on him than Elgar who, if he opens, will only be doing it for the second time despite it being his regular position. A lean run for either of them could see de Kock move up and van Zyl slotted in lower down.It has also opened the door for de Villiers to move up the order if needed. To properly explain this, the de Villiers debate needs to be dusted off. One of the chief reasons de Villiers was not slotted into Jacques Kallis’ place higher-up was because it was considered a strain on him given that much was already expected of him at No.5 and he was keeping wicket.If the gloves are taken away and with de Villiers also not weighed down by the responsibility of leadership – he was one of the frontrunners for the captaincy as well – there would seem little reason not to make best use of him higher in the order. At the moment, Faf du Plessis is in the position and has done fairly well with two half-centuries against Australia so it would take a lean run or a rethink of tactics to displace him but neither are impossibilities.To put the wide-angled lens on it, de Kock’s probable presence in Wednesday’s XI, albeit forced, shows that South Africa are thinking of how their new-look team will present itself. They have a variety of combinations to consider and an impressive calibre of players to choose from. The trio of de Kock, Elgar and van Zyl have all proved their capabilities in the first-class set-up and all three of them could soon be playing alongside each other in the Test team.But in the immediate term, it means South Africa also have the excitement and the anxiety that comes with uncertainty. They are conducting experiments at the moment not operating as the well-oiled machine that rose to No.1 in August 2012 and stayed there for 20 months. At the same time, they are trying to regain that position and the only way they can do that over the next few months is by beating Sri Lanka in this series.Ordinarily, a task that tough would have weighed South Africa down but they appear genuinely buoyed by what is being asked of them. The infusion of youth, not just in age terms because both Elgar and van Zyl are 26 and not all that young anyway, but in terms of fresh mindset it is obvious in the current set-up. There are new ideas and the unburdening of de Villiers is only one of them that may be applied in the near future. Who knows what the others may be?Things stayed the same for so long in South African cricket that perhaps this time change is being embraced so tightly, South Africa don’t mind it coming in threes.

A number of clubs are believed to be interested in completing the signing of a “smashing” 21-year-old Sheffield Wednesday gem on loan as soon as possible, according to a new report.

Sheffield Wednesday struggling for form

The Owls have found life tough so far this season in the Championship, suffering a sobering run of form after thrashing Plymouth Argyle 4-0 on the opening weekend of the campaign, when there was huge positivity in the air.

Since that enjoyable afternoon at Hillsborough last month, Wednesday have only picked up one point from their last four league matches, with last Saturday’s 1-1 draw at home to Queens Park Rangers hugely frustrating for one key reason.

Just when it looked as though Danny Rohl’s side had picked up a precious victory in the Championship, thanks to Barry Bannan’s stoppage-time strike, the visitors equalised seconds from the end, following an almost comical goalmouth scramble inside the Owls’ penalty area that eventual saw the ball fired into the net.

The draw means that Wednesday are currently 20th in the Championship table, which given some of the positivity that existed surrounding Rohl back in the summer and after the Plymouth game, is a disappointing position to be in.

Sheffield Wednesday gem wanted on loan

According to a fresh claim from The Sheffield Star, Sheffield Wednesday youngster Sam Reed is wanted by a host of National League clubs, with players able to move to the division straight away, which isn’t the case with Premier League and EFL clubs.

The report states that a loan move could appeal to the Owls, in order to “aid his development elsewhere”, rather than struggling for playing time at senior level at Hillsborough, and he is a player who Rohl is a fan of after including him in first team training.

A loan switch for Reed does seem to make plenty of sense for Wednesday, in terms of allowing him more regular playing time, instead of featuring for the Owls at youth team level.

At 21, the left-back isn’t a kid anymore, and needs to kick on in his career, but he is a big talent, with Neil Thompson lauding him in the recent past, saying: “He’s done really well. He’s got a great attitude, and he’s a local lad. He’s been playing for a team in Leeds and he’s been smashing. He’s a great kid to have about, left-footer, and does what it says on the tin. I thought he was really steady today.”

Reed has only made one senior appearance for the Owls to date, coming in the FA Cup away to Coventry City last season, which highlights what a lack of experience he has so far.

Talks held: Sheffield Wednesday and Rohl hold discussions with free agents

Talks are believed to have been held.

ByHenry Jackson Sep 13, 2024

Granted, moving to a National League club for the rest of the 2024/25 season wouldn’t necessarily be giving him the same level of experience as he would at a League One or League Two side, but he could still mature in a physical sense and thrive by being a regular, before returning to Wednesday next summer as a more rounded footballer.

Harry Tector, the 22-year old batter, and Andy McBrine, fresh from breaking into the top 10 rankings for ODI bowlers, have been recalled to the Ireland squad for the T20 World Cup Qualifiers in Oman.Andy Balbirnie leads the 14-member contingent, many of whom were part of the 2-1 triumph over the West Indies in 50-overs cricket recently.”We were all pleased to see the resilience, grit, and fight by the squad on display in the West Indies – these are characteristics that have always been part of Irish cricket, and I know the team is looking to exemplify this in their on-field performances,” Andrew White, Chair of Ireland men selectors, said.Related

• Heinrich Malan appointed Ireland's new full-time head coach

• Australia begin men's T20 World Cup defence against NZ

“As we look ahead to the T20 World Cup Qualifier, we know it will be a series of tough, hard-fought games, but hopefully, we can carry the confidence and momentum of the recent series forward to the Qualifier and beyond.”The T20 World Cup Qualifiers will be contested between eight teams split into two groups of four each, with Ireland having UAE, Bahrain and Germany to face on February 18, 19 and 21, respectively. The top two teams from each group then progress to a semi-final, with the two semi-final winners then going on to qualify for the first round of the T20 World Cup, which again consists of two groups of four.The top two teams in each group go on to the Super 12s, where eight teams have already booked their slots. Ireland suffered two defeats out of three in round one of the 2021 T20 World Cup – which included a loss against Namibia – and hence failed to make it to the Super 12s.”I know that the players and coaches were as disappointed as the fans about the early exit from the T20 World Cup last year. But I also am aware how keen this group is to rectify the failings of the past,” White added.The Qualifiers for the 2022 tournament in Australia are set to start on February 15, and will run up to February 24, with Ireland leaving for Oman on February 4.Squad: Andy Balbirnie (capt), Mark Adair, Curtis Campher, Gareth Delany, George Dockrell, Shane Getkate, Josh Little, Andy McBrine, Barry McCarthy, Simi Singh, Paul Stirling, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker, Craig Young
Travelling Reserves: Neil Rock and Ben White

Glasgow Rangers lost one of their most experienced players at the end of last month as central defender Connor Goldson completed his exit from Ibrox.

The English titan is the latest player to secure a move away from the Gers during the summer transfer window, as part of Philippe Clement and Nils Koppen's overhaul of the squad.

At the end of May, Rangers allowed John Lundstram, Borna Barisic, Kemar Roofe, Ryan Jack, and Jon McLaughlin – all senior first-team operators – to depart as free agents at the end of their respective contracts.

Clement could now land a dream replacement for Roofe by swooping to sign a player the club are reportedly interested in this summer.

Rangers interest in Scottish star

According to Football Insider, Rangers are one of the clubs in the running to secure a deal to sign Bristol City centre-forward Tommy Conway.

The report claims that the Light Blues have registered an interest in the Scotland international, as they look to bolster their attacking options.

It states that English Championship side Middlesbrough, however, are currently leading the race to land his signature, which suggests that the Gers must move fast if they want to bring him to Ibrox.

Bristol Live recently reported that Boro have made an offer worth up to £5m for the Scottish dynamo, but it remains to be seen whether or not Rangers are prepared to match it.

Why Tommy Conway would be a dream replacement for Kemar Roofe

Roofe was a back-up striker for Rangers who proved himself to be far too unreliable even for that role, due to his fitness issues over the years.

In four years at Ibrox, the forward missed at least 12 games through injury each season and was absent for a staggering 70 matches across the 2021/22 and 2022/23 campaigns combined.

Meanwhile, Conway has only missed ten games through injury in his entire career to date, which suggests that he can be relied upon to be fit and available to provide competition week-in-week-out.

As you can see in the table above, the Bristol City star is also coming off the back of a strong season in the Championship with his current club.

The 21-year-old ace, who was dubbed a "gifted" talent by EFL boss Steve Evans, is regularly available to his team and could offer a greater threat in the final third in comparison to Roofe, based on their recent goal returns.

At the age of 21, he would also come in as a long-term signing as a player Clement could work with to improve over the years to come, whereas the Jamaica international was at the other end of his career and had little room for improvement.

Rangers have genuine interest in move for huge McCausland upgrade

The Light Blues are reportedly interested in a deal to sign the English forward.

By
Dan Emery

Jul 30, 2024

Therefore, Conway could be the dream replacement for Roofe by offering more reliability, more quality in the final third, and more potential to improve in the future, which is why the Gers should sign him.

Half-centuries from Marizanne Kapp and Fargana Hoque go in vain in their respective matches

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Mar-2022South Africa will head into the World Cup on the back of two losses in their warm-up games. After going down to India, they were handed a comprehensive six-wicket defeat to England in Lincoln on Wednesday.Heather Knight opted to bowl in a clash reduced to 35-overs-a-side, and South Africa let themselves down with the bat, slumping to 138 for 9 as Anya Shrubsole and Sophie Ecclestone picked five for 41 between them. In reply, England lost four wickets, but knocked off the runs in just 26.3 overs.Laura Wolvaardt, fresh off a 95-ball 83 against India, fell for a duck. Tazmin Brits, her opening partner, struggled to get going, making a 44-ball 13 as a follow-up to her duck against India.Shrubsole, Ecclestone, Katherine Brunt and Kate Cross were all among the wickets as the South African failed to get momentum at any stage. It was only a 65-run stand for the sixth wicket, between Marizanne Kapp and Chloe Tryon, that gave South Africa some respectability.The two got together at the fall of Brits’ wicket, and while they didn’t set the game alight, they chipped away. Tryon fell for 27, but Kapp carried on till she became the ninth batter out, for a 60-ball 52, with five fours.Stopping England short was always going to be a tall ask for South Africa, but Ayabonga Khaka gave them a great start with the ball, taking out Lauren Winfield-Hill and Heather Knight cheaply. But a 33-run stand between Tammy Beaumont, who scored 35, and Nat Sciver, who scored 33 before retiring hurt, put England in the box seat.By the time they were done, the target was just a few hits away, and Amy Jones, Danni Wyatt and Sophia Dunkley finished off the job.Fatima Sana gestures to the camera after returning a four-wicket haul•AFP/Getty Images

In an even contest, Pakistan edged Bangladesh with a seven-run (DLS) win in Lincoln, Fargana Hoque’s 95-ball 71 ending up being second-best to Fatima Sana’s 4 for 47 on the day.After keeping Pakistan to 199 for 7 in 42 overs, Bangladesh had a revised target of 202, and gave it a good tilt, mainly courtesy Hoque. Sana did the initial damage, reducing Bangladesh to 29 for 2, but Hoque and captain Nigar Sultana fought back with a 42-run stand.That, and the 49 runs Hoque and an enterprisingRumana Ahmed added for the fourth wicket, gave Bangladesh a good shot at overhauling the target, but there wasn’t much support for Hoque as Sana came back to pick up two more wickets, including that of Hoque, and Bangladesh were bowled out seven runs short with four balls remaining in the chase.Earlier, good hands in the middle order from Javeria Khan (44) and captain Bismah Maroof (32), and lower down from Aliya Riaz and Sana meant that Pakistan put up a total that was eventually enough for them.Before any of them came into the picture, though, it was the Fariha Trisna show, as the left-arm medium-pacer sent back the Pakistan top three of Nahida Khan, Sidra Ameen and Muneeba Ali with just 38 on the board by the tenth over.But the senior pros, Javeria and Maroof, took control after that with a 73-run stand in 15-and-a-half overs. Riaz and Sana then provided the innings with some muscle towards the end with a 66-run stand for the seventh wicket, the runs coming in good time, in 12 overs. That, in the end, made the different in a weather-affected game.