Wrexham roared back into Championship form as Josh Windass marked his comeback with a blistering brace in a 3-2 victory over a limp Norwich City. The win eased the heat on Phil Parkinson, whose rocky start to life in the second tier had sparked murmurs of discontent. Norwich, however, remain in meltdown. Four home games, four defeats, the Canaries are spiraling.
Getty Images SportWrexham get the job done
Parkinson rang the changes after last weekend’s 3-1 loss to QPR. Out went Conor Coady, James McClean, Matty James and Ryan Hardie. In came debutants Dominic Hyam and Issa Kabore, Ben Sheaf for his first full start, and the returning Windass, thrust back into the XI and given the captain’s armband for good measure. The tactical tweak was obvious. Lewis O’Brien and Windass pushed high, buzzing around Kieffer Moore as Parkinson looked to overwhelm Norwich with energy and width. From the first whistle, Wrexham’s intent was there.
Norwich were toothless for much of the half, but when their moment came in the 39th minute, they punished Wrexham ruthlessly. David Jurasek slid a neat ball through for Jack Stacey, who darted clear and coolly tucked past Arthur Okonkwo. Against the run of play, the hosts led 1-0.
Whatever Parkinson said at the interval could have peeled paint off the walls. Wrexham came out after the restart like a team possessed, and Norwich had no answers. Barely two minutes in, Windass was on the scoresheet. A sweeping diagonal ball released Kabore, whose low cross found the skipper lurking. One swing of the boot and it was 1-1. Minutes later, Windass almost turned provider, sliding O’Brien through, only for Vladan Kovacevic to save smartly.
By the 54th minute, Wrexham had flipped the game on its head. Ben Sheaf worked the ball out wide to Kabore, whose delivery was precise. Ryan Longman pounced, firing into the net to make it 2-1. Norwich were reeling, their defence all over the shop, and Wrexham smelt blood. Just before the hour, the killer blow arrived. Tylor Cleworth’s cross evaded everyone in the middle, but not Windass. The captain shaped, curled, and delivered a beauty into the far corner to make it 3-1. In a devastating 15-minute spell, the Red Dragons had torched the Canaries. Although the hosts pulled one back deep inside stoppage time, it was too little too late to salvage a point at home for Norwich.
Back from injury and wearing the armband, Windass was sensational. His brace, plus a hand in every key attacking moment, made him the undisputed MVP. After frustration on the sidelines, the forward looked reborn, driving Wrexham forward with pace and precision.
The big losers: Norwich's dismal backline
If Windass was the hero, Norwich’s three centre-backs were the villains. Josh Cordoba, Harry Darling and Jakov Medic were statuesque as Windass ghosted through for his opener. The lack of awareness, the failure to track runs, and the absence of bite left them hopelessly exposed. Liam Manning's men looked brittle, nervous, and rudderless every time the ball came into their box.
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Where next for Wrexham?
With league pressure eased, attention now shifts to cup duty. Wrexham welcome Reading to the Racecourse Ground on Tuesday night for an EFL Cup third-round tie. Victory there could spark genuine momentum heading into the next Championship fixtures.
Newcastle United look to have beaten Tottenham to the signing of a talented young gem, having reportedly reached an agreement with him.
The latest on Newcastle's attacking situation
Alexander Isak’s Magpies future has continued to dominate the headlines in recent days, with Liverpool seeing a £110m offer for the Swede rejected on Friday.
Newcastle will now be bracing themselves for a second bid for Isak’s signature from the Premier League champions, but they are unlikely to budge until a replacement is sorted, rather than risking getting themselves into a mess.
That could potentially be RB Leipzig marksman Benjamin Sesko, with one report even claiming that the Magpies have beaten Manchester United to his signature.
RB Leipzig's BenjaminSeskocelebrates their second goal scored by Lukas Klostermann
Brentford attacker Yoane Wissa is another strong target, while Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins and Chelsea’s Nicolas Jackson have also been mentioned as options.
At the other end of the pitch, Chelsea centre-back Axel Disasi has been linked with a move to St James’ Park, with a new defender hugely important for Eddie Howe this summer.
Newcastle reach agreement with young English ace
According to NUFC Blog, Newcastle have reached an agreement with West Brom teenager Muawiya Gjhanem, pipping Tottenham and others to his signature in the process. The Magpies have actually beaten several ‘big six’ clubs.
The midfielder will “soon arrive on Tyneside” to complete the transfer, with the Magpies continuing to “bolster their academy ranks” with top young English talent.
Not a lot is understandably known about Ghanem, given his age and vast lack of experience, but signing top emerging talent has to be seen as a priority for Newcastle, allowing them to build into the future.
The 15-year-old predominantly operates as a No.8 in midfield, and he could learn so much from afar if he was at the same club as the likes of Bruno Guimaraes and Sandro Tonali.
The report states that Ghanem has “been invited to England’s talent ID camps, showing he is very much on the Young Lions’ radar”, and it looks like the only way is up for him currently.
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The fact that Newcastle have seemingly pipped a number of big clubs to the Englishman’s signature speaks volumes about the strides they have made as a club in recent years, with young stars seeing them as an exciting place to move to.
New Zealand 340 and 207 for 8 (Ravindra 91*, Jayasuriya 3-66, Ramesh Mendis 3-83) need another 68 runs to beat Sri Lanka 305 and 309 (Karunaratne 83, Chandimal 61, Ajaz 6-90)Rachin Ravindra led New Zealand’s charge as they scored 194 runs in the final two sessions of day four in pursuit of their target of 275, but a fast-deteriorating Galle surface and relentless pressure from Sri Lanka’s spinners meant they have only two wickets in hand to notch the remaining 68 runs.At stumps, Ravindra was unbeaten on 91, but he was fast running out of company; Ajaz Patel just about managed to survive through to stumps. New Zealand will, no doubt, fancy their chances of completing this chase, but it will not be easy when the nature of the surface is taken into account.This was a day, therefore, that belonged to the spinners, starting with Ajaz’s five wickets in the morning session – he finished with 6 for 90 – and ending with Prabath Jayasuriya and Ramesh Mendis grabbing three apiece. In all, 14 wickets fell in the day, 13 of them to spin.Related
Ajaz 'grateful' for 'world class' Ravindra keeping New Zealand in the contest
But on a day when the pendulum got a solid workout, it was Sri Lanka who found themselves in the ascendancy at the close. That was largely down to a final session in which they grabbed four wickets.However, it had not exactly started that way, as New Zealand came out following the tea interval with renewed intent. Sri Lanka started the session with the pace of Lahiru Kumara from one end, but that was a short-lived ploy after Ravindra and Tom Blundell plundered his shortish lengths for 14 in an over. That ushered in a period of quick runs with Ramesh targeted for a pair of boundaries two overs later.Ramesh Mendis dismissed Mitchell Santner and Tim Southee in quick succession•AFP/Getty Images
Before long, Ravindra and Blundell had added 56. At that point, New Zealand needed only 123 more with six wickets in hand. But on this surface, one was never truly in and so it proved when Blundell opted for a reverse sweep only to be bowled around his legs.Glenn Phillips was the new man in. Given his blistering 49 not out amid a lower-order collapse in the first innings, his wicket was always bound to be crucial. As it turned out, Phillips didn’t bother the scorers all that much, edging to second slip for 4 while attempting a forward defence.Mitchell Santner batted time in order to support Ravindra’s solo offensive at the other end, but he ran out of patience and drove a tossed-up delivery straight into the hands of short cover.Into the tail proper, Sri Lanka needed little time to dismiss Tim Southee, who struggled to come to terms with the spin being extracted outside his off stump by Ramesh. After several close calls, one hit him on the back leg in front of middle and leg. The appeal was huge, but the umpire did not move. But Ramesh was able to convince his skipper to go upstairs, and New Zealand lost their eighth.The game had undergone a similar up-and-down trajectory earlier in the day as well. Play had begun with Sri Lanka losing six wickets for 72 runs as their second innings was wrapped up inside the morning session. Ajaz took five of those in a little over an hour and Will O’Rourke, who bowled a slightly off-colour spell with the second new ball, ended with 3 for 49.Sri Lanka, though, would finish the session with the wicket of Devon Conway, who chopped a sharp in-seamer from Asitha Fernando. But the post-lunch session once again began with the visitors fighting back.Ajaz Patel holds up the ball after his six-for•AFP/Getty Images
While Jayasuriya and Ramesh were consistent with their line and length, Tom Latham and Kane Williamson were keen to sweep and use their feet to ensure the spinners didn’t have it all their own way.Williamson, in particular, was busy throughout, at times sliding deep into the crease and other times stepping out to get to the pitch of the ball. A lofted six over extra cover, with the spin, against Jayasuriya was a session highlight. Just before that, he had hit a sumptuous cover drive.But Jayasuriya had the last laugh, dragging one shorter having seen Williamson step out one time too many, and turning it past a panicked forward defence as Kusal Mendis whipped off the bails. Such was the turn, it left Williamson briefly confused and gesticulating in frustration at the pitch as he walked off.That ended a threatening 45-run stand between two players who had caused considerable damage in the first innings.Before the session was over, Sri Lanka also had the wickets of Latham and the dangerous Daryl Mitchell in the bag, the former done in by Dhananjaya de Silva’s an arm ball and the latter by one that spun back prodigiously from Mendis.But then New Zealand, led by Ravindra and Blundell, fought back once more before the spinners hurt them once again.
It’s only a month away now until Premier League action finally returns to the Stadium of Light.
Sunderland fans have been waiting for this moment to arrive all summer, and with the amount of whirlwind business that has taken place off the pitch this off-season, with high-profile additions galore, it must be hard for the Black Cats faithful not to feel excited at the moment, yet impatient in equal measure.
The latest jaw-dropping arrival was Simon Adingra from Brighton and Hove Albion, with the Premier League-ready attacker joining up with Regis Le Bris’ camp for £18m.
More cash will surely be splashed between now and the opening match of the campaign versus West Ham United, as Le Bris and Co. begin to hunt down some new defensive bodies to strengthen even more.
Sunderland manager RegisLeBris
Sunderland firming up interest in £24m star
In particular, the Black Cats will be looking to add some reinforcements in the heart of defence based on recurring rumours.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
The likes of Duje Caleta-Car, Joe Gomez, and Charlie Cresswell have all been tipped to join the Stadium of Light ranks this summer in this department, with reports even going as far as to suggest that Cresswell could be purchased for around the £18m mark.
However, there is a fresh target has now emerged in this area of the pitch in the form of Bologna titan Jhon Lucumi, with Italian journalist Gianluca Di Marzio suggesting that the newly promoted side is showing an interest in the imposing Colombian.
That has been followed up by a report from transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, with the respected insider revealing that the Black Cats are ready to make an official bid, having been in contact over the last 24 hours or so.
Jhon Lucumi for Bologna.
With a reported release clause coming into play at around the £24m region, it will be intriguing to see what Sunderland are willing to fork out to snap up the 6-foot-2 defender shortly, with Lucumi arguably an even bigger talent than the up-and-coming Cresswell.
Why Lucumi is an even bigger talent than Cresswell
Whilst the former Leeds United man is the talk of the town at the moment after a breakout Toulouse campaign and an imperious Euros tournament, he is still a relatively inexperienced figure in the grand scheme of things.
Indeed, when adding up the 22-year-old’s career appearances to date, 39 of his 101 overall clashes have come about in the U21 ranks at Elland Road, with just one meaningful senior season under his belt in a top division in Ligue 1, which came about just last campaign.
Games played
32
31
Goals scored
0
3
Assists
1
1
Touches*
73.2
63.3
Accurate passes*
57.9 (92%)
41.2 (83%)
Ball recoveries*
5.5
3.3
Total duels won*
3.9
4.9
Clean sheets
10
9
On the flip side, the Bologna number 26 has been a mainstay in Serie A for some time now – with a high 94 Italian top-flight contests next to his name – and as can be seen glancing at the table above, his powers haven’t waned whatsoever as a dominant and assured presence in the backline of Vincenzo Italiano’s side.
If anything, he actually managed to trump Cresswell in many different areas of their respective defensive games last season, with Lucumi having been noted for his “ice-cold composure” by analyst Ben Mattinson.
Indeed, he averaged more accurate passes per league clash than the Preston-born centre-back, on top of tirelessly registering more ball recoveries as an energetic body at the back.
Further hailed as being “ridiculously impressive” by Mattinson, it does feel as if Lucumi would be better placed to go in and make an impact on the Sunderland side immediately than Cresswell, considering he also excelled in the Champions League last campaign when battling against the likes of Aston Villa with 4.6 total duels won on average in Europe’s elite competition.
Cresswell will undoubtedly find himself back in the English game at some stage, having been rashly discarded by Leeds.
Bologna's Jhon Lucumi.
But, in the here and now, Sunderland should attempt to push the boat out more to land the Colombian, as more and more cash is thrown around to help boost the Black Cats’ survival chances.
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The legspinner picked up 4 for 28 before Taylor anchored the chase with an unbeaten 28 off 26 balls
Madushka Balasuriya26-Jun-2024Stafanie Taylor scored an unbeaten 28 off 26 balls after Afy Fletcher’s four-for had kept Sri Lanka under check, as West Indies secured a six-wicket win in a rain-affected game in Hambantota to level the three-match T20I series 1-1. This was also West Indies’ first win of the tour.Chasing a DLS-adjusted target of 99 in 15 overs, Taylor and captain Hayley Matthews provided the visitors with an ideal start of 44 runs in 6.5 overs, and in the process ensured West Indies were always ahead of the DLS-par score.After Matthews fell to a Sachini Nisansala arm ball, Taylor then ensured she was around to anchor the chase.In an 18-ball 24-run second-wicket partnership with Shemaine Campbelle, she took a backseat choosing to give strike to her more aggressive partner, who contributed 16 off 13. The subsequent dismissals of Campbelle, Qiana Joseph and Chedean Nation came about as a result of West Indies’ positive approach, but the required rate was always below run a ball.Aaliyah Alleyne then finished off any lingering hopes Sri Lanka might have harboured with a trio of boundaries off Kavisha Dilhari in the penultimate over of the innings.At no point though had West Indies let the game get out of hand. While Vishmi Gunaratne and Chamari Athapaththu were going strong in their 44-run opening partnership, that had still come at a touch under run a ball. And once Fletcher spun one past Athapaththu to disturb her stumps, none of the other batters could up the scoring rate on a sluggish surface.Gunaratne hung around for a laboured 24 off 35, but was trapped lbw in the 14th over by a Fletcher googly. Earlier, the legspinner, who had utilised the strong cross breeze to good effect, snuck one under Imesha Dulani’s attempted sweep and then had Harshitha Samarawickrama top-edging on the way to figures of 4 for 23.Dilhari had briefly shown some promise of a late counterattack scoring 14 not out off just six balls that included two boundaries when rain brought the first innings to an abrupt end after 15.2 overs.
A whopping 102 days on from Philippe Clement’s sacking at Ibrox in February, Rangers finally have their man.
On Thursday morning, Russell Martin was unveiled as the 20th permanent manager in Rangers’ 153-year history, and he has a big job on his hands.
Southampton manager Russell Martin.
His first competitive fixture in charge of the Gers, coming up on 22/23 July, will be a big one, as his new team face a Champions League qualifier, ten days before the start of the new Premiership campaign.
The identity of their opponents will be confirmed on 18 June.
So, with plenty of work to do before then, we look at a dream line-up Martin could field when he takes charge at Ibrox for the very first time next month.
1 GK: Liam Kelly
One of the first major decisions Martin will have to make straight away is picking a number one goalkeeper.
After arriving in 2023, Jack Butland was the undisputed first-choice for so long, starting 100 of 109 matches across all competitions, that is until a string of errors saw him dropped by Barry Ferguson back in April.
Thus, Liam Kelly came in for the Europa League quarter-final against Athletic Club, memorably saving Álex Berenguer’s late penalty in front of the Broomloan Road Stand, preserving a goalless draw on the night.
Thus, Kelly concluded the campaign as the number one, doing very little to suggest he was not worthy of that jersey, meaning the gloves are currently his to lose, even if Butland will certainly fight for his place.
2 RB: James Tavernier
James Tavernier is a bona fide Rangers legend, having made 513 appearances since arriving from Wigan Athletic a decade ago; only ten men have featured on more occasions for the club than the current captain.
Now 33 years old, his position did come under some scrutiny last season, hence why interim boss Ferguson trialled him as both a wing-back and a right-sided centre-back in a three.
Nevertheless, in Martin’s system that prioritises possession, Tavernier will be able to operate high-and-wide, providing him with a platform to get back to his best.
3 CB: Harry Darling – new signing
Rangers surely need to bolster their centre-back options this summer, so could they sign a player the new boss knows rather well?
Robin Pröpper did not impress much after arriving a year ago, while Leon Balogun cannot be relied upon week in week out, as he’s now 36 years old, so could Harry Darling be the new central defender the Light Blues are looking for?
The 25-year-old played for Martin at Milton Keynes, before he also signed him after joining Swansea City, which is where Darling has been ever since, making 112 appearances to date for the Welsh EFL Championship outfit.
Reports have suggested that Martin would like Rangers to make a move for Darling this summer, who is out of contract in South Wales, thereby available for free, so could the prospect of reuniting with his former boss once more convince him to choose a move to Govan?
4 CB: John Souttar
John Souttar
Alongside, John Souttar was indisputably Rangers’ best defender last season, with Scotland captain Andy Robertson describing his performances as “unbelievable” and “different class”, adding that he “showed his quality”, following the Dark Blues’ 2-1 victory over Poland in Warsaw in November.
The 28-year-old, who has endured such horrendous luck with injury throughout his career, suffering two anterior cruciate ligament injuries, managed to start 38 games in all competitions last season, racking up over 3,400 minutes, the most in a single campaign of his entire professional career.
Thus, Souttar was a reliable figure, both in terms of performance and availability, so should be a central pillar for Martin.
5 LB: Rıdvan Yılmaz
Ridvan Yilmaz
Left-backs Rıdvan Yılmaz and Jefté appeared to have some sort of timeshare agreement last season, but most would agree which of the pair impressed more.
The Türkiye international did have to deal with various injury issues throughout the campaign, but did impress when available, with then-manager Ferguson stating “he’s become a big player”, adding “he’s one player I can rely on”.
Still only 24 years old, Yılmaz has the potential to get even better too, so he can be trusted to start on the left side.
6 CM: Metinho – new signing
According to widespread reports, including by the Daily Record, Rangers are interested in signing midfielder Metinho, claiming that the 22-year-old is valued at £5m by his parent club Troyes, who are owned by the City Football Group.
The defensive midfielder spent the second half of last season on loan at Basel, helping the RotBlau win the Swiss Super League and Coupe de Suisse double, starting as they beat FC Biel-Bienne in the final of the latter in Bern last Sunday.
He has previously been nicknamed ‘the Brazilian Paul Pogba’ due to their stylistic similarities, while Jacek Kulig of Football Talent Scout believes he is “very talented”, suggesting Metinho would be worth spending £5m on.
7 CM: Nicolas Raskin
Rangers’ Player of the Season, and rightly so, was Nicolas Raskin, so keeping hold of the Belgian international this summer will be vitally important.
Former manager Philippe Clement stated recently that his compatriot “would fit perfectly in the Premier League”, with Pete O’Rourke of Football Insider having previously documented Leeds United’s interest, following their promotion.
Nevertheless, if the Gers harbour any hopes of negotiating Champions League qualifying, and ultimately wrestling the title away from Celtic, they simply cannot afford sell the Belgian.
8 CM: Mohamed Diomandé
Mohammed Diomande
Another Rangers midfielder earning admiring glances from south of the border is Mohamed Diomandé, with TEAMtalk claiming that Everton are one of six Premier League outfits chasing the Côte d’Ivoire international’s signature.
The 23-year-old racked up 54 appearances across all competitions last season, scoring six times, including in the League Cup Final against Celtic, as well as during the 4-1 Europa League demolition of Nice by the French Riviera.
Ivory Coast manager Emerse Faé praised Diomandé’s “great season”, with the midfielder having become a regular for les Éléphants during the last year, so he is one Martin will want to build around.
9 RW: Largie Ramazani – new signing
In search of greater attacking firepower, could Rangers’ new owners use their connections to get this deal over the line?
49ers Enterprises have now completed their takeover of Rangers, and they also own Leeds United, with Paraag Marathe the Chairman at Elland Road.
Thus, according to reports, they are planning to use this connection to make a move for Largie Ramazani, who is expected to leave Leeds this summer, having seen only 963 minutes of action during his debut campaign in West Yorkshire, starting a mere 17 EFL Championship fixtures.
Before that however, the winger had impressed at Almería, with Karim Bouaicha of Breaking the Lines describing him as a breakout star in La Liga, adding that he possesses the quality to perform at a “high level” in one of Europe’s best leagues, hence why Leeds paid a reported £10m to sign him in the first place, but could Rangers secure a cut-price deal?
10 ST: Jamie Vardy – new signing
In potentially one of the blockbuster signings of the summer, could Jamie Vardy be heading north of Hadrian’s Wall?
Now 38 years old, the striker has left Leicester City, having scored exactly 200 goals in 500 appearances for the Foxes, very aesthetically pleasing numbers for fans of symmetry, with whom he won the Premier League title and the FA Cup.
Now, reports, via the Daily Mail, claim that Rangers are one of the clubs in contention to sign Vardy and, despite his age, he’d surely score a bucket load of goals in Scotland.
Glasgow Rangers are still on the hunt for a permanent first-team manager. With each day passing, the Ibrox faithful will become more anxious about who it might be.
Pre-season will likely start in late June, which doesn’t give the board much time to find the right candidate for the job.
The takeover by the 49ers Enterprises is showing plenty of progress, but will it be completed by the time preparation begins for the 2025/26 campaign?
That much remains to be seen. There have already been a few names linked with a move to Rangers. José Mourinho was reportedly keen on a move to Glasgow, according to TEAMtalk last month, but his massive wages, plus the fact that a compensation fee would have to be paid to Fenerbahçe, surely rule him out.
Elsewhere, former RB Leipzig and Borussia Dortmund manager Marco Rose is another potential candidate, especially due to his connections with the Red Bull football group.
Again, his wage demands might prove to be out of reach, although things may change once the 49ers complete their takeover deal. One man who may or may not be returning to the club is Steven Gerrard.
Nathan Patterson, Steven Gerrard
Latest on Steven Gerrard's potential return to Rangers
The Englishman, who led the Light Blues to their last Premiership title in 2021, has been one of the favourites to become the next permanent manager.
On the surface, the move makes perfect sense. He is out of a job, knows what makes Rangers tick and most importantly, knows how to get the better of Celtic domestically.
There are differing claims over whether Gerrard is in the running to make an incredible return to Ibrox, however, with Chris Jack of the Rangers Review outlining: “It is understood that the appointment will be a manager with no previous involvement with Rangers. The new era will be a new beginning.”
That said, journalist Mike McGrath has suggested that Gerrard’s name is among the lengthy list of candidates being considered. In any case, with Athletic Club being knocked out of the Europa League at the semi-final stage, the Gers will now enter the Champions League at the second qualifying stage.
Steven Gerrard’s stats in charge of Rangers
Season
Games
Wins
Points per game
2021/22
22
12
1.86
2020/21
56
44
2.52
2019/20
54
36
2.17
2018/19
60
32
1.9
Via Transfermarkt
Those ties begin towards the end of July, indicating how urgent it is to bring a new manager in as soon as possible.
Could Danny Rohl be an ideal fit for the role?
Rangers could turn to Danny Rohl as their new manager
German manager Rohl could be the man that the 49ers are targeting as the new head coach, if recent whispers are to be believed.
It was reported by talkSPORT that the manager has left Sheffield Wednesday just days after the end of the 2024/25 Championship season.
Sheffield Wednesday manager DannyRohl
It was believed that he had a release clause of £5m in his contract with the Owls – a figure which surely would have ruled out a move by Rangers – but now it appears as though he is without a club.
Regarding his future, Rohl has always seen himself aiming higher than the English Championship, saying: “I’ve always said that I’m very grateful to Sheffield for the opportunity I’ve been given there. And I’m someone who always wants to develop the club further.
“And to do that, you have to weigh up how far that’s still possible or whether the maximum has perhaps already been reached under the current conditions.”
If Rohl is indeed a free agent ready to be snapped up, then the 49ers could do no worse than take a look at the 35-year-old.
Why Danny Rohl could be more exciting than Steven Gerrard
Gerrard’s spell at Ibrox will live long in the memory of the supporters, especially after ending a barren decade-long wait for a league title. There were difficult times, too, however. The first couple of seasons saw the Gers struggle, especially after Christmas.
After winning the Premiership crown, Gerrard wasn’t backed sufficiently and thus failed to kick on from that moment, allowing Celtic to return to the summit of Scottish football.
It wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows under the former Liverpool captain, and his exit still rankles with a few of the fans, that’s for sure.
Sheffield Wednesday managerDannyRohllooks dejected after the match
In Rohl, what exactly would the Ibrox side be getting? He doesn’t have much experience managing at the highest level. Indeed, his only senior role was the Sheffield Wednesday job, where he took charge for 89 matches across all competitions, winning 34 games.
He tends to utilise a 4-2-3-1 formation, which would work out well with the players he could inherit at Rangers, no doubt about that.
Although his lack of managerial experience will be held against him, Rohl has won plenty as an assistant. Between August 2019 and June 2021, he was second in command to Hansi Flick at Bayern Munich.
Of course, the Bavarian side won the treble during the 2019/20 campaign and Rohl played a key role in this success as arguably the brains behind the trophy-laden season.
He followed Flick to the German national team, spending time as an assistant between August 2021 and September 2023. Germany failed to get out of the group stages at the 2022 World Cup, however.
Dubbed as “unbelievable” and the “best head coach” he played under by Josh Windass, it is clear Rohl has plenty to offer as a manager.
Under difficult circumstances at the Owls, he avoided relegation in 2023/24 and led them to 12th in the most recent season, missing out on a playoff spot by just ten points.
He might not be perfect, but the fact that he offers something fresh could be exactly what the 49ers group are after, instead of going over old ground with regard to Gerrard.
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By moving in a different direction, the Light Blues will look towards entering a new era this summer as they look to finally end years of hurt by challenging Celtic for the domestic title.
Will Rohl be in the dugout come July? Only time will tell.
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Manchester City could make a £51m bid for an “insane” midfielder this summer, with Pep Guardiola personally identifying him as a target, according to a report.
City stepping up midfielder pursuit
Given the drop-off in performance levels this season, Guardiola was already due to oversee a major rebuild this summer, and the need to bring in a new midfielder has now been exacerbated by the fact Kevin De Bruyne has announced his decision to leave at the end of the campaign.
Following the news, Man City have stepped up their pursuit of a replacement for the 33-year-old, with Lyon’s Rayan Cherki recently emerging as a potential target, alongside FC Barcelona’s Dani Olmo, who Guardiola is believed to be a big fan of.
Not only does Guardiola need to bring in an attacking midfielder, but the manager may also be tasked with bringing in a new option in a slightly deeper role, given that Ilkay Gundogan is arguably in the twilight years of his career at 34-years-old.
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According to a report from Calcio Mercato, the Manchester City boss has now set his sights on AC Milan’s Tijjani Reijnders, as he sets out to revamp his midfield this summer.
The Sky Blues could make a huge offer of around €50m – €60m (£43m – £51m) for Reijnders, despite the fact he has recently renewed his contract with the Italian side until the summer of 2030.
Real Madrid have also expressed an interest in the midfielder, having been impressed by his performances this season, but Guardiola’s side remain the most interested party, although they are yet to make a formal approach.
"Insane" Reijnders could be fantastic signing for City
The Dutchman has been one of AC Milan’s most consistent performers in the Serie A this season, averaging a 7.04 WhoScoered match rating, the second-highest figure in the squad, having particularly impressed from an attacking point of view.
The Milan star has nine goals and four assists to his name in 30 Serie A outings, and he places in the top 3% for non-penalty goals per 90 over the past year, while also ranking highly across some other key metrics, when compared to other midfielders in the major 5 leagues.
Statistic
Average per 90
Non-penalty goals
0.29 (97th percentile)
Shot-creating actions
3.52 (86th percentile)
Progressive carries
3.32 (98th percentile)
Successful take-ons
1.11 (88th percentile)
Football scout Ben Mattinson is also particularly fond of the Netherlands international, having lauded him for his “insane” performances earlier in the campaign, and at 26-years-old, the central midfielder could be entering his prime years.
Gundogan has been a fantastic servant to City, while Mateo Kovacic was an important player during last season’s Premier League title triumph, but Guardiola clearly feels he needs to refresh his options in midfield, and Reijnders could be a fantastic signing.
The Namibia opener is hoping the team’s success will inspire people to pick up the game outside the capital city
Firdose Moonda28-May-2024In the 35km stretch between Namibia’s coastal cities of Walvis Bay and Swakopmund, there are endless sand dunes (including the world’s seventh largest, creatively named Dune 7) and about 100,000 people. Only one of them, Michael van Lingen, is an international cricketer, and these days he is instantly recognisable in the area.”I stay at Long Beach and I see a lot of youngsters that have never played cricket and never even heard of cricket – and they’re now interested in the game. When I’m there, I train in my Namibian kit and that’s how I try and inspire the guys,” says van Lingen, a top-order batter.”Cricket Namibia have got guys going into rural areas. They get the children involved and they get the parents involved. Because cricket is not an older sport like rugby in Namibia, people don’t know cricket. Lots of the parents are a bit sceptical and ask: ‘What is this sport? What’s this bat and ball?’ And then they realise it’s a great sport. It’s grown so much in the last two or three years.”Where the 26-year-old van Lingen lives is important because although Namibia itself is huge – at more than 800,000 square kilometres – its population of just over 2.5 million people is tiny. Almost anything of significance that happens in the country takes place in the capital, Windhoek (400km east of Walvis Bay), including most elite sport, and it’s rare to find someone who still lives in what could be called the wilderness involved in something as high-profile as cricket has become.Just his presence could help grow the game that he had to learn through television, and later in South Africa.Related
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“The skill and everything I’ve learned was through TV because the facilities [in Namibia] weren’t great. We had only one field and a cement pitch and the coaches were minimal.”I would look at guys like Jacques Kallis and Ricky Ponting and all the top players,” he says. “I used to like Michael Bevan even though he was a bit before my time. He was one of my favourite cricketers because he’s left-handed and was a finisher and I also used to be a finisher when I was young, so I would try to replicate what I saw him do.”When he was in his second year of high school, van Lingen and his family moved to South Africa’s Western Cape, where he attended one of the country’s best-known sporting schools: Paarl Boys, whose alumni include England international Dawid Malan.”I went to the school for squash, actually,” van Lingen says. “But then cricket started to take over.”At the outset van Lingen was a middle-order batter who only bowled in the nets. “I actually started off bowling left-arm wristspin and it came out well, but obviously that’s quite a hard skill if you haven’t been doing it for years. I sort of put that in my back pocket and I guess I could bring it out again, but I can’t promise it will be any good.”Instead, he made his name as a seamer and was picked in Namibia’s squad for the 2016 Under-19 World Cup. “We lacked bowlers at that time, so I thought I would make sure it was something I did.”A view of the Atlantic Ocean from Long Beach•Michael van LingenAt the tournament, van Lingen took 4 for 24 against South Africa, dismissing future internationals Kyle Verreynne and Tony de Zorzi, and finished as Namibia’s second-highest wicket-taker. Less than two months later he made his first-class debut, but went wicketless. After that, he did not play any cricket for the next five years.”My studies took over and then it was Covid, but I also had injuries,” he says. “The reason I stopped bowling in the first place was because I had a stress fracture in my lower back. I was out for a year, and then when I started playing again, two weeks in, I tore my hamstring. I just decided to step away from cricket.”He finished his studies at the University of Pretoria and moved back to Namibia to help with the family business. “I just started playing for fun and before I could wipe my eyes out, I made my [international] debut.”In that first T20I, against PNG in Dubai in October 2021 , he didn’t bat and bowled only one over – of orthodox left-arm spin.”My mechanics were awful and I was very injury-prone, so I sort of stepped away from bowling because there would always be some niggle that held me back. I decided to start focusing on my batting instead.”Van Lingen on Namibia’s chances in the 2024 T20 World Cup: “We think that if we play good cricket on the day, we can take any of the four teams [in Namibia’s group] out”•Giuseppe Cacace/AFP/Getty ImagesIn his fourth match, against Scotland at the 2021 T20 World Cup, van Lingen opened the batting and scored 18 off 24 balls.”We only had one or two guys that wanted to open the batting, and because I played squash, I’ve got a good eye and good reflexes, so I said, I’ll give it a go, I don’t think I’ll be too bad at it.”He wasn’t. In his first ODI, a month after his T20I debut, van Lingen scored 51 off 48 balls from No. 3 as Namibia beat Oman by 40 runs in Windhoek.Since then, he has scored four ODI hundreds and two T20I half-centuries, but he hasn’t quite nailed the kind of power game the 20-over format demands. Van Lingen thinks he knows why. “I’m a bit more technical, I focus on timing the ball and I wouldn’t say I’m a big six-hitter, especially in the beginning.”I don’t really like to compare myself to guys like Travis Head and all those players. I just try to focus on my own game and make sure that I nail my skill as a solid opening batter. One of my goals for this World Cup is to lay a strong foundation in the powerplay for the team.”In the Namibian set-up, van Lingen feels that a slightly more circumspect approach works. “We’ve got a very strong finishing team. JJ [Smit], David Wiese and Gerhard [Erasmus, the captain] can come in later if we’ve set that strong foundation in the powerplay and just finish it. They can take games away from teams.”Namibia beat Sri Lanka by 55 runs in the 2022 T20 World Cup•Daniel Pockett/ICC/Getty ImagesIn the 2024 T20 World Cup, Namibia are slotted in Group B, along with Oman – whom they beat 3-2 in a T20I series in April – Scotland, England and Australia, and it’s the big guys that they are gunning for.”We want to be playing against England and Australia and the likes of South Africa and New Zealand. We’re very excited and very, very positive,” van Lingen says. “We think that if we play good cricket on the day, we can take any of the four teams out. We’re very optimistic in making it through the group.”That’s fighting talk from a side who have never played England or Australia in T20Is, and have only ever beaten three Full Members in the format – Zimbabwe, Ireland and Sri Lanka. No member of the current side has played in the Caribbean before either, save for Wiese, who has featured in the CPL.Their win over Ireland came during a dream run at the 2021 T20 World Cup, where they progressed from the first round to the Super 12s. Van Lingen was part of that squad and remembers it as life-changing.”There’s not much of a better feeling. I I never thought I would be able to feel so much joy and see so much passion and love for the sport and for the country.”For me, the biggest thing about qualifying for the Super 12s was the inspiration that the youngsters had. That was huge. After that World Cup, I think cricket increased tenfold in Namibia. People suddenly started asking questions and wanted to get involved. Before that, people didn’t even know Namibia played cricket, especially people at the coast.”Now they do and it’s a big deal because Cricket Namibia is trying to grow the game outside of the capital ahead of the 2027 ODI World Cup, which the country will co-host with South Africa and Zimbabwe.Namibia still have to qualify for that tournament, but van Lingen is confident they have the inspiration and plan to get there. “There’s still a lot of time, so there’s still a lot of upskilling that we can do. And we want to get there. We’ve seen the stadium [in Windhoek] getting built and the other preparations and it’s such an exciting time for the whole country to be hosting the event.”By then, if all goes well, there may also be more national cricketers living at Long Beach.
The Tamil Nadu and Gujarat Titans batter has 243 runs in three innings so far in the Vijay Hazare Trophy
Daya Sagar and Rajan Raj16-Nov-2022Tuesday was an unforgettable day in the life of Tamil Nadu opening batter Sai Sudharsan. Not only did the 21-year-old score his maiden List-A century in his team’s 14-run win over Chhattisgarh in Alur in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, but his IPL franchise Gujarat Titans also opted to retain him for the 2023 season.Sudharsan’s innings had an added significance because his mother, Usha Bharadwaj, was also in attendance, having made the 500-kilometre trip from Chennai to watch her son play. She has watched Sudharsan in all three Vijay Hazare Trophy games this season, with the left-hander serving up scores of 121 off 109, 73 off 75 and 49 off 38.Related
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Usha was herself a volleyball player in her youth. She has become a fitness trainer since and guides her son too about his fitness routine.”More than being emotional, I am quite happy today,” Usha says. “The way he [Sudharsan] has been working hard, this century was just a matter of time. He would have got there in the previous match itself but he got run out. He may have got a three-figure score today, but our conversations will be completely normal. We speak to him more on days when he fails to perform.””I am very happy because I have been looking forward to scoring a century for a long time,” Sudharsan says of his knock. “To do it with my mother and brother in attendance just makes it more special.”Sudharsan’s entire family has strong sporting connections. His father R Bharadwaj was a sprinter and represented India at the 100m event at the 1993 SAF Games in Dhaka. His elder brother Sai Ram played football and cricket at competitive levels, and was also present at the Alur ground to watch his sibling bat on Tuesday.The last one and a half year has been surreal for Sudharsan. On his Tamil Nadu Premier League debut in July 2021, he smashed 87 off 43 balls. He scored five half-centuries in eight innings and finished the season with 358 runs, second on the run-getters list, ahead of more experienced batters like Shahrukh Khan, Vijay Shankar, N Jagadeesan, Baba Aparajith and Baba Indrajith.Sai Sudharsan scored 145 runs in five innings in IPL 2022•BCCIThis performance brought the attention of IPL teams upon him, and he also got his first taste of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and the Vijay Hazare Trophy for Tamil Nadu. New franchise Titans picked him at the auction, and he scored 145 runs at an average of 36.25 and a strike rate of 127.19 in his debut season. He didn’t have a great Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (170 runs in six matches at a strike rate of 121.42) but in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, has accumulated 243 runs in three innings so far, at an average of 81.00 and a strike rate of 109.45.Sudharsan’s parents have had a big role in his success. Being sportspersons themselves, they emphasised the importance of “discipline in sports” from his early years.”He was about eight when he first showed an interest in sport,” Usha says. “My husband was an athlete too and we were keen that he should also be associated with some sport. We didn’t know then that cricket would be his sport of choice. But we supported him wholeheartedly once we realised it would be cricket.”My husband and I make sure we take care of his physical and mental fitness. In the past couple of years, there wouldn’t have been too many days when he hasn’t devoted some time to meditation and yoga. He goes to bed only after preparing a list of things to do the following day. This would be details of meditation, yoga, sprints, on-field training and net practice. He also maintains notes of what he has done well and what he could improve upon.”Sudharsan concurs. “I maintain a note of my daily targets and also what I want to improve upon,” he says. “I will also analyse this century, because while I did put up a score, there were areas that I could have improved upon.”Apart from this, I also write other observations about myself. I do some different kinds of sprints, and also run longer distances for 15-16 minutes every day. My parents guide me through this. My father has represented India and knows what it takes from a fitness standpoint.”Sudharsan understands that his cricketing journey has just begun, and he still has a long way to go. That’s why any questions about his IPL future or the prospect of a Ranji Trophy debut this season are met with a simple statement that all he wants to do for now is to help his team win the Vijay Hazare Trophy.