حقق حرس الحدود، الفوز على نظيره زد، بهدف نظيف، في اللقاء الذي جمع بين الفريقين اليوم السبت، ضمن منافسات بطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز.
واستضاف الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي زد، نظيره حرس الحدود على ملعب استاد القاهرة الدولي، في إطار منافسات الجولة التاسعة من بطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز.
طالع| فيديو | زد يفوز على الاتحاد السكندري ويقتحم المربع الذهبي في الدوري المصري
وجاء هدف حرس الحدود الوحيد، في شباك زد، عن طريق إبراهيم عبد الحكيم برأسية من ركلة ركنية نفذها أحمد الشيخ في الدقيقة 39.
وأشهر حكم المباراة بطاقة حمراء لمحمد أشرف روقا لاعب حرس الحدود في الدقيقة 89 من زمن الشوط الثاني.
وبهذه النتيجة، ارتفع رصيد فريق حرس الحدود إلى النقطة الحادية عشر في المركز التاسع، بجدول ترتيب الدوري المصري الممتاز.
وعلى الجانب الآخر، توقف رصيد زد عند النقطة الثانية عشر في المركز السابع، بجدول ترتيب الدوري المصري الممتاز. أهداف مباراة حرس الحدود وزد
Celtic kicked off their Scottish Premiership campaign with a 1-0 win over St Mirren at Parkhead, thanks to a late goal from substitute Luke McCowan.
The Scottish central midfielder came off the bench to score from the edge of the box, via a fortunate deflection, to secure all three points for the home side.
After the match, Brendan Rodgers revealed that he still wants more signings to come through the door before the summer transfer window slams shut at the start of September, particularly in the attacking department.
The Northern Irish boss said: “It’s just about improving. There’s areas that we want to improve in the forward line. That’s something that we hope we can do over these remaining weeks.”
Adam Idah started the win over St Mirren as Celtic’s number nine and failed to do enough to suggest that he is set for a prolific season as a regular starter for the Hoops.
The Scottish giants reportedly agreed a deal worth up to £9.5m to sign the striker on a permanent deal from Norwich City last summer, but he has yet to nail down a position in the XI.
Why Celtic need to sign another striker
Rodgers confirmed that the club are going to be dipping into the market to bolster their attacking options in the coming weeks, and a new number nine should be on the agenda for the Premiership champions.
Idah has, unfortunately, failed to prove that he has the quality or consistency to deliver as the main number nine for Celtic, based on his form over the past 12 months or so.
Since the start of last season, the Ireland international has scored 13 goals from 14.66 xG in the Premiership for the Hoops. This shows that he has not been clinical in front of goal and has wasted too many high-quality opportunities in the league.
The closest Idah came to finding the back of the net against St Mirren was in the clip above, when he brought down a cross from Liam Scales and rocketed a shot off the post from close range.
Vs St Mirren
Adam Idah
Shots
4
xG
1.09
Goals
0
xA
0.05
Assists
0
Duel success rate
42.9%
Pass accuracy
63.6%
Stats via FotMob
As you can see in the table above, the £9.5m signing failed to score from 1.09 xG worth of chances and four shots, whilst he also created almost nothing for his teammates.
The 24-year-old centre-forward was replaced by Johnny Kenny in the 78th minute, before Celtic broke the deadlock nine minutes later through McCowan.
Because of the lack of quality that Idah has provided, consistently, on the pitch, Rodgers should be looking to find an upgrade on him before the window slams shut.
Last month, TEAMtalk reported that the Hoops are eyeing up a potential swoop for Wycombe Wanderers centre-forward Richard Kone, who is valued at £7m by the English side, this summer.
Why Celtic should sign Richard Kone
The Premiership champions should push to win the race for the £7m-rated star before the end of the month because he could come in as a big upgrade on Idah.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
Kone is a young and hungry forward who could follow in Gary Hooper’s footsteps by making the move from the lower leagues in England to shine at Parkhead for the Hoops.
The biggest concern with Idah is that he does not finish chances efficiently, as evidenced by his aforementioned xG underperformance, but that may not be an issue for the Wycombe star if he makes the move to Glasgow in the coming weeks.
Richard Kone
Kone, who scored three goals in three games in pre-season for Wycombe, enjoyed a stunning 2024/25 campaign in the third tier of English football, and his form last term suggests that the potential is there for him to be a fantastic signing for Celtic.
The Ivorian marksman had only scored three goals in 17 matches in League One in the 2023/24 campaign for the Choir Boys, before he hit his stride in his second season at first-team level.
Kone, as shown in the post above, won the League One Player and Young Player of the Season awards at the end of the campaign, which speaks to how impressive he was at the top end of the pitch.
The Hoops target ended the season with a return of 18 goals and three assists in 43 appearances in League One for Wycombe, albeit it was not enough to help them earn promotion back to the Championship.
24/25 League One
Richard Kone
Percentile rank vs STs
xG
15.89
Top 7%
Goals
18
Top 7%
Shots on target
40
Top 8%
xA
3.33
Top 8%
Assists
3
Top 32%
Touches in the opposition box
243
Top 1%
Successful dribbles
44
Top 6%
Stats via FotMob
As you can see in the table above, the 22-year-old talent was ruthless in front of goal for his side, outperforming his xG by just over two goals in the league, and ranked highly as a creator and a dribbler for his side.
Former teammate Joe Jacobson described him as a “goal machine” and it is not hard to see why his teammates held him in such high regard, as he was lethal for Wycombe in League One last term.
Kone could arrive at Parkhead as a big upgrade on Idah as another towering, but mobile, centre-forward, but one who can finish chances with efficiency.
The £7m-rated star could make the most of the high-quality chances that Celtic are able to create for their number nine on a regular basis, whilst Idah has yet to prove that he can do that.
As bad as Idah: Rodgers must ruthlessly drop Celtic flop who lost 77% duels
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers must ruthlessly drop this midfielder who was just as bad as Adam Idah.
1 ByDan Emery Aug 3, 2025
Therefore, Rodgers should be pushing the club to strike a deal to bring Kone over to Glasgow as soon as possible, as he has the quality, as a scorer and a creator, to come in as an upgrade on his current number nine.
After scoring 152 from No. 3 against Delhi, the allrounder says he enjoys batting higher up the order
Daya Sagar19-Oct-2024
File photo: Washington Sundar scored 152 from No. 3•BCCI
Washington Sundar began his first-class career for Tamil Nadu as an opener – that was the position he batted at in all five matches in his first Ranji Trophy season in 2016-17. Since then, though, he has largely batted in the lower middle order, sometimes as low as No. 8. But after scoring 152 from No. 3 against Delhi in Delhi on Saturday, he said he still considers himself a top-order batter.”It was a decision by the management, and I am grateful for the opportunity,” Washington said of batting in the top order. “I knew it was going to be a good opportunity for me to bat at No. 3 and I am glad I was able to contribute.”I definitely consider myself a top-order batter. I’m very happy with the kind of opportunity I got, to bat at No. 3. For me, one thing is very important – I need to be able to do whatever the team demands. It is a team game. That is what I always think about. Hopefully, I can deliver such knocks consistently.”Related
Day 2 blog – Centuries for Washington, Shreyas
Shreyas Iyer after Ranji ton: No matter what people think, I have to listen to my body
By the time Washington came out to bat, N Jagadeesan and Sai Sudharsan had already put on 168. Washington and Sudharsan then added 232 for the second wicket.Washington was on 96 at stumps on the first day. When play resumed on Saturday, he did not take much time to complete his century. In the third over of the day, he steered Navdeep Saini between slip and gully for a four to bring up his second first-class hundred.After Sudharsan fell for 213, Washington and Pradosh Ranjan Paul added 92 for the fourth wicket. Tamil Nadu finally declared their innings on 674 for 6. In reply, Delhi were 43 for no loss at stumps.”Definitely yes,” Washington said when asked if he would like to continue batting in the top order. “I have been feeling very confident about my skills and how I have been batting in the last few years especially. I have just been trying to focus on what the team demands me to do, no matter what the situation is. But batting at the top of the order is a lot of fun.”Before this, Washington was with the Indian team for the three-match T20I series against Bangladesh.”It is exciting, isn’t it? You get to play all formats and get a number of opportunities,” he said.”It is a lot more exciting that way. Obviously, you have to do whatever you need to do to be able to switch formats, especially in white ball, but as elite cricketers, we are very grateful to be having these kinds of challenges. It is all about getting past these challenges. When we come out successful from these challenges, it is very exciting.”Obviously, Test cricket is the ultimate format. Everybody values it a lot. For me, red-ball cricket means a lot. Hopefully, I can play a lot of games and keep performing really well.”
Pela terceira vez nos últimos quatro jogos, o Palmeiras precisou correr atrás do resultado. Embora isso mostre uma virtude do time, acaba desgastando o elenco em meio a uma maratona de partidas. O empate em 2 a 2 com o Vasco, neste domingo, foi comemorado pela comissão técnica, mas ficou uma ponta de lamentação pela “energia extra” que foi gasta para conquistar esse ponto. Além disso, houve reclamação em relação à qualidade do gramado do estádio do Maracanã.
> Veja tabela e classificação do Brasileirão-2023 clicando aqui
Em entrevista coletiva após o duelo desta tarde, o auxiliar técnico de Abel Ferreira, João Martins, analisou a vantagem inicial do Vasco como mais mérito do adversário do que demérito palmeirense e valorizou o gol marcado ainda no primeiro tempo para poder buscar o empate no segundo. Algo que potencializou a força mental da equipe, mas exigiu um desgaste a mais que ainda será sentido.
+ Todos os jogos do Brasileirão você encontra no Prime Video. Assine já e acompanhe o seu time do coração!
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– Édiário esse trabalho de força mental para que eles façam o melhor até o momento de o árbitro apitar, infelizmente tivemos novamente de correr atrás do resultado, sabemos que gastamos uma energia extra para isso. Sai um pouquinho mais caro e pagaremos mais à frente. Por exemplo, sabemos que se tivéssemos controlado o jogo de quinta-feira, poderíamos ter poupado energia para hoje, não aconteceu hoje também e temos que estar preparados para quarta-feira, porque vai ter que ser no sacrifício, na entrega, mas os jogadores estão preparados para isso.
>VÍDEO: veja os melhores lances do empate entre Vasco e Palmeiras
O que também pode ter contribuído para esse desgaste foi o gramado do Maracanã. Apesar de ter elogiado o jogo e atmosfera do estádio, João Martins lamentou o estado do campo, o qual ele diz nem ter sido molhado antes de a bola rolar. O auxiliar de Abel pediu uma padronização no Brasil.
-Foi um excelente jogo, uma excelente atmosfera, pena o estado do gramado, às vezes é muito difícil dar um espetáculo melhor, mas os jogadores das duas equipes tentaram. É muito complicado ter um extra de qualidade, é muito difícil – declarou João antes de completar:
-Não só atrapalha, como atrapalha muito. Só quem está nisso todos os dias é que sabe que o gramado é essencial, é impossível ter qualidade de jogo sem um gramado em condições, tem que haver regras, não vou me meter nesse assunto, não é da minha competência. Nossa competência é exigir que pelo menos a água colocassem no campo, nem isso fizeram, porque sem a bola andar, é impossível jogar um jogo de futebol. Nós viemos de um lugar em que isso não acontece há 20 anos, onde o gramado é um pormenor essencial para o espetáculo e nós trabalhamos para dar um espetáculo. O futebol é um espetáculo, para ter um espetáculo é preciso ter bons intervenientes, boas condições para isso. Maracanã tem tudo, uma torcida fantástica, um estádio dos melhores do mundo, mas infelizmente o importante, que é onde se joga, o gramado é muito fraco.
>ATUAÇÕES: Palmeiras vai mal no primeiro tempo, mas melhora no segundo
Depois dessa sequência de desgastes, o Palmeiras agora foca suas atenções na Copa do Brasil, em jogo que acontece na próxima quarta-feira, contra o Tombense, às 20h, em Uberlândia. Depois de vencer a partida de ida, no Allianz Parque, por 4 a 2, o Verdão pode até empatar ou perder por até um gol de diferença, que conquistará a vaga para as oitavas de final da competição.
A late fast-bowling burst from the West Indies seamers left Bangladesh 410 behind with eight wickets in hand
Mohammad Isam23-Nov-2024
File photo: Greaves posted the highest first-class score of his career•Getty Images and Cricket Australia
Bangladesh 40 for 2 (Alzarri 1-2, Seales 1-15) trail West Indies 450 for 9 (Greaves 115, Louis 97, Athanaze 90, Roach 47, Hasan 3-87) by 410 runsA maiden Test century for Justin Greaves headlined a dominant day for West Indies against Bangladesh on day two of the Antigua Test. After his 115 helped West Indies post 450 for 9, West Indies bookended the day with two Bangladesh wickets, leaving the visitors 410 behind with eight wickets in hand.It was a fine recovery after slipping to 261 for 7 despite an overnight score of 250 for 5. Greaves shared a 140-run eighth wicket stand with Kemar Roach, who batted for more than four hours for 47, his highest Test score in his 15-year career.Greaves’ unbeaten 115 justified his Super50 form, where he struck three consecutive centuries earlier this month. He made a patient effort, striking just four boundaries in his 206-ball stay. It was the perfect follow-up to the nineties that Alick Athanaze and Mikyle Louis had scored on day one to lay the foundation.Bangladesh continued to give away strong positions with the ball, toiling for 144.1 overs, but unable to bowl out the home side. Hasan Mahmud took three wickets, all of them on the second day. Taskin Ahmed toiled hard and even found the edge of Greaves’ bat once but nobody appealed. The spinners, stand-in captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Taijul Islam, shared three wickets from their combined 73.1 overs.West Indies declared with Bangladesh needing to bat out a maximum time of an hour and 45 minutes. But there was no respite for them against the four-man West Indian pace attack. Zakir Hasan fell for 15 after he under-edged a Jayden Seales delivery onto his stumps. The left-hander struck three fours in his short stay, all off Seales, but was slightly unlucky with the ball shaving the leg-stump. Mahmudul Hasan Joy edged Alzarri Joseph for 5, shortly after he was dropped on the same score.It was a long way from the start of the day for the visitors, having started the day in the best possible way by taking two early wickets.Mahmud removed Joshua Da Silva with the fifth ball of the morning session, trapped lbw with a delivery that darted into his front pad. This was Mahmud’s first wicket in the game despite bowling well on the first day. It was also his 24th wicket this year, making him the highest wicket-taker in a calendar year among Bangladesh’s pace bowlers.File photo: Hasan Mahmud had helped Bangladesh start the morning well•BCCI
That number became 25 when Alzarri fell in Mahmud’s next over. Zakir took a superb two-handed catch at gully, reminiscent of how he opened the Pakistan tour with Abdullah Shafique’s catch at gully in August. If Bangladesh sensed they had their opening to bowl out West Indies for under 300 runs, that was blunted by Roach.He was the right type of foil for Greaves, who was willing to grind out the Bangladesh attack. Greaves handed the strike to Roach from time to time, as the pair didn’t allow any more wickets in the first session. There were only two boundaries in those 26 overs too, but that hardly bothered the home side who needed a recovery.Greaves started the second session with his third boundary when he pulled Taskin through midwicket. He, however, survived a caught-behind chance on 77 with neither Taskin nor wicketkeeper Jaker Ali (who was deputizing for Litton Das after the first session) hearing a faint nick. it was only a replay on the big screen that showed what Bangladesh missed out on.Shortly afterwards, a Roach single brought up the team’s maiden century partnership for the eighth wicket against Bangladesh. It was followed by a rain break of seven minutes, after which Roach slammed Mehidy over his head for his first boundary. Mahmud finally removed Roach with a fine angling delivery, clipping the top of his middle-stump. Their 140-run stand was West Indies’ third-highest for the eighth wicket.Greaves soon reached his century with his fourth boundary shot, driving Taijul through the covers. It was potentially his best shot of the innings and the landmark was only his second first-class ton.West Indies declared in the 145th over of their innings, after their tail-enders Seales and Shamar Joseph struck some meaty blows. That left enough time for the bowlers to have a crack, which they successfully did.
A week on from the start of the new Premier League season and Arsenal finally look ready for the challenge ahead.
It had been a slow pre-season for the Gunners but a 3-0 win over Bilbao has calmed the nerves, particularly after Viktor Gyokeres opened his account in the red and white.
A series of matches both on foreign soil and at the Emirates Stadium had left supporters feeling frustrated at a lack of change, but they got change on Saturday where the forward line certainly looked more potent.
Kai Havertz even got on the scoresheet, presenting Mikel Arteta with a dilemma over who to pick at centre forward next weekend when they face Manchester United at Old Trafford.
Before then, Arteta and Andrea Berta may hope to get another signing across the line.
Arsenal's transfer plans before September 1st
With Noni Madueke and Gyokeres signed, Arsenal have ticked off two of their biggest priorities this summer: sign some backup and competition for Bukayo Saka, and sign a new striker.
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However, there’s a lingering feeling that the Gunners need more in their forward line.
Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard went goalless through pre-season and question marks are being raised again about the quality of the options on the left-hand side of Arsenal’s attack.
As a result, Eberechi Eze’s name is once again doing the rounds and according to one report, a deal now looks closer than ever.
That’s according to Football Transfers who report this weekend that Eze is ‘closing in’ on a move to the Emirates.
Financial terms have already been agreed between Arsenal and Palace with Arteta’s side set to pay a total fee of £55m to Palace for the England star, with £30m set to come upfront. That’s lower than Eze’s reported £68m release clause.
Talks over the structure of the remainder of the instalments are ongoing but it’s not thought as though that will be a major sticking point.
Why Eze could be Arsenal's new Emile Smith Rowe
Let’s cast our minds back to the early years of Arteta’s reign in London. The years are 2021 and 2022 and it’s safe to say that it’s not entirely rose for the Spaniard.
However, Saka and Smith Rowe (you know how the song goes) came along and acted as the club’s saviours.
Arsenal midfielder Emile Smith Rowe.
The latter may have only scored four senior goals in 2020/21 but came alive in 2021/22, scoring ten times in 33 league outings for the club.
A product of Hale End, he was adored by Arsenal fans and his crafty, clever skills won hearts from all corners of the Emirates.
We all know how it ended for the England international with his injury woes ultimately seeing him join Fulham last summer, but he certainly has similar attributes to Eze.
Not only can both players feature from the left wing, but they’re also excellent attacking midfielders who are capable of scoring goals. In 2024/25, Eze netted 14 in all competitions, with eight goals coming from 34 Premier League appearances.
To really rubberstamp the similarities, we’ve compared how Eze performed last season with Smith Rowe’s best term at Arsenal.
Smith Rowe (21/22) vs Eze (24/25)
Stat (per 90 mins)
Smith Rowe
Eze
Goals
0.47
0.28
Assists
0.09
0.28
Shots
1.88
3.47
Key passes
1.41
2.01
Progressive passes
3.99
3.37
Shot-creating actions
3.15
4.69
Progressive carries
3.05
2.40
Successful take-ons
1.50
2.33
Carries into final 3rd
2.07
1.67
Stats via FBref.
As far as the numbers are concerned, there are some notable differences during their peak seasons so far in English football.
Smith Rowe looked like the more prolific goalscorer while Eze, who is a “magician” in the words of Micah Richards, was more creative.
Crystal Palace's EberechiEzecelebrates with the trophy after winning the FA Cup
Ultimately, though, they share the same sort of style. They like to carry possession, beat their marker and influence play from similar zones in the final third of the pitch.
Smith Rowe captivated Arsenal fans with his running style and ability to glide past players. Eze shares that trait and would no doubt become a quick fan favourite if he traded Selhurst Park for the Emirates.
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Arteta's next Rice: Arsenal hoping to sign "phenomenal" £104m talent
Arsenal may yet add another central midfielder to their ranks.
كشف الإعلامي أحمد شوبير آخر التطورات الخاصة بـ موقف لاعبي فريق الكرة بـ الأهلي المصابين، وعلى رأسهم أحمد سيد زيزو وحسين الشحات، موضحًا موعد عودة إمام عاشور بعد تعافيه من المرض.
ويستعد الأهلي لمواجهة كهرباء الإسماعيلية مساء السبت المقبل، في المواجهة التي تجمع بينهما ضمن لقاءات الجولة العاشرة بالدوري المصري.
وقال أحمد شوبير في تصريحات تلفزيونية عبر قناة “الأهلي”: “حسين الشحات شارك في المران الجماعي اليوم بعد غيابه أمس، أجرى آشعة وفحوصات بعد تعرضه لكدمة في الكتف، لكنها لن تعيقه عن المشاركة في المباراة القادمة”.
وأكمل: “طاهر محمد طاهر بطل وجدع ويموت نفسه مع الفريق، شارك اليوم في التدريبات بعد أن أثبتت الفحوصات سلامته عقب شكوته من تقلصات في العضلتين الأماميتين في مباراة القمة، لكنه بحالة جيدة وعاد للتمرين”.
طالع.. خاص | لاعب الأهلي يقترب من الانضمام لـ منتخب مصر
وأردف: “شارك محمد شكري الظهير الأيسر في التدريبات الجماعية وحالته جيدة، ومن الممكن أن يدخل قائمة الفريق في مباراة الإسماعيلي، وأفشة شارك وزيزو أيضًا، لكن المستمرين في الغياب هم جراديشار وكريم فؤاد وأشرف داري”.
وواصل: “إمام عاشور يستمر غيابه عن المشاركة في التدريبات منذ يوم 14 سبتمبر، تخطينا الأسبوعين ولن يعود قبل شهر بعد تعرضه لفيروس A وكل فترة يخضع لتحاليل، وما زالت التحاليل تؤكد ارتفاع في الأنزيمات، والطبيب يتابعه”.
وأتم: “وبعد أن تصل للمعدل الطبيعي سيعود إمام للتدريبات، وسيخضع لتحليل جديد الأسبوع المُقبل لحسم موقفه من العودة”.
There are around two weeks left to go before the end of the summer transfer window and Glasgow Rangers have not lost any of their major assets yet.
Brazilian left-back Jefte is reportedly closing in on a return to his home country to sign for Palmeiras for a reported fee of £6m, with the club set to bank a healthy profit on the £800k they paid Fluminense last year.
The crown jewels of Russell Martin’s side, however, have not yet been snapped up, as Hamza Igamane, Nicolas Raskin, and Mohamed Diomande are still Rangers players as it stands.
Premier League side Everton have been linked with Igamane, the Gers are braced for interest in Raskin still, and the Light Blues have fielded an offer from Besiktas for Diomande.
This shows that there is tangible interest in some of the club’s best talents, and that is why there is still some doubt over whether or not they will still be part of the squad at Ibrox when the summer transfer window officially slams shut at the start of next month.
If Bestikas, for example, come back in with another offer for Diomande, the Light Blues may have their resolve tested despite there not being much time left in the window.
Why losing Mohamed Diomande would be a blow for Rangers
Selling the Ivorian central midfielder before the end of the window would be a big blow to Martin and Rangers because he is a proven performer who has showcased his quality domestically and in Europe.
Diomande is a versatile midfield talent who can easily be deployed as a deep-lying midfielder, as a box-to-box workhorse, or further forward in a number ten role, due to his wide range of attributes in and out of possession.
In the Scottish Premiership, the left-footed star scored four goals, created 11 ‘big chances’, and delivered seven assists in 36 appearances, per Sofascore, which shows that he can make an impact at the top end of the pitch as both a scorer and a creator of goals.
He is not only effective in possession, though, as the 23-year-old talent caught the eye with his defensive contributions in midfield in the club’s Europa League campaign last season.
24/25 Europa League
Mohamed Diomande
Percentile rank vs midfielders
Tackles
12
Top 19%
Tackle success rate
63%
Top 45%
Duels won
53
Top 11%
Interceptions
11
Top 23%
Ball recoveries
47
Top 22%
Fouls committed
12
Top 18%
Stats via FotMob
As you can see in the table above, Diomande ranked highly among his positional peers in a host of defensive metrics, which shows that he was one of the more effective defensive midfielders in the competition.
This is why it would be a big blow to lose him before the end of the window, because of the quality he provides on and off the ball, but the Gers are reportedly looking at a star who could ease that blow.
Rangers racing to sign Premier League midfielder
According to Football Insider, Rangers are one of the teams racing to strike a deal with West Ham United for central midfielder Andrew Irving this summer.
The report claims that the Light Blues and their Premiership and Glasgow rivals Celtic are both fighting it out to sign the Scotland international to bolster their midfield options.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
It adds that Irving wants to play regular football and would jump at the opportunity to play European football, which both teams will have, after a season of mainly watching on from the sidelines or bench with the Hammers.
Football Insider reveals that Celtic and Rangers are both exploring the possibility of a swoop for the former Hearts man, and that West Ham will not stand in his way if a good offer comes their way.
Andy Irving entering the pitch for West Ham United.
It was reported earlier this month that a fee in the region of £3m could be enough to tempt the Premier League side into cashing in on the midfield maestro.
Why Rangers should sign Andy Irving
The Gers should be pushing to beat Celtic to the West Ham United outcast’s signature because he could come in as a Diomande clone for Martin, easing the blow of potentially losing the Ivorian star this summer.
Even if the former Nordsjaelland ace remains at Ibrox, signing Irving would leave the manager with two top-quality options in midfield to rotate between.
Like Diomande, the Scottish whiz is a versatile midfielder who has the qualities in and out of possession to suit playing in pretty much any role that Martin needs in the middle of the park.
Irving, who made ten substitute appearances, ranked within the top 8% of Premier League midfielders for passes made (60) and the top 16% for pass accuracy (90%) for West Ham last season, which speaks to his ability to play in a deep-lying controller role.
The 25-year-old’s form on loan at Klagenfurt in the Austrian Bundesliga in the 2023/24 campaign, meanwhile, shows that he can be a box-to-box presence in midfield, just like Diomande.
Stats
Irivng (23/24 Bundesliga)
Diomande (24/25 Premiership)
Appearances
28
36
Goals
9
4
Big chances created
7
11
Assists
4
7
Dribbles completed per game
1.1
0.9
Tackles + interceptions per game
2.7
1.8
Duels won per game
4.9
4.2
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, both players offer similar qualities in the middle of the park with their goal contributions, dribbling skills, and defensive work off the ball, which suggests that they make a similar impact on matches in midfield.
In fact, Rangers fan and analyst Kai Watson recently claimed that Irving “would provide everything that most fans have been expecting from Mo Diomande” and that he would suit Martin’s tactical system well.
The statistics from his time in the Austrian Bundesliga suggest that it is an accurate assessment from Watson, as Irving has the offensive and defensive qualities to be a Diomande clone at Ibrox.
This is why Irving could be a fantastic signing for Rangers because he could provide competition for the Ivorian midfielder if he remains at Ibrox, whilst also having the ability to be a brilliant replacement for him.
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تحدث حازم إمام، نجم الزمالك السابق، عن التعادل مع غزل المحلة اليوم السبت، ضمن منافسات الدوري المصري الممتاز.
وقال حازم إمام في تصريحات عبر قناة “أون سبورت”: “الزمالك ليس عنده شراسة هجومية، مشكلة الزمالك منذ بداية الموسم أنه يستحوذ بلا فاعلية، كل اللاعبين لا يعرفون كيف يُسجلون هدفًا أو يؤكدون الفوز”.
وتابع: “فيريرا دفع بـ معالي و(مش عارف لازمته)، لاعبو الزمالك يتفككون عندما يدخل مرماهم هدف، ليس لديهم ثقة في أنفسهم بأن يمكنهم العودة”.
طالع.. موعد مباراة الزمالك القادمة بعد التعادل مع غزل المحلة في الدوري
وأكمل: “أشعر أن اللاعبين يتوترون عندما يدخل مرماهم هدف، ويرتجفون ويلعبون كرة طويلة، هذا لا يصلح، يجب أن يكون التركيز 100% فالأخطاء متكررة”.
وواصل: “اللاعب لا بد أن يركز أكثر، وأن يستغل الفرصة ويتصرف بشكل جيد، لكن لا يصح أن تتقدم كل مباراة ثم يدخل مرماك هدف ولا تستطيع العودة”.
واستطرد: “الزمالك لأول مرة يصبر على مدرب طوال هذه الفترة، هو يحاول، لكن الظروف صعبة، بنتايج اليوم أخطأ بـ”غلطة هبلة” تسببت في الهدف”.
واستمر: “طبعًا الكرة صعبة على صبحي، لكن الحارس الكبير هو الذي ينقذك في مواقف مثل هذه، كان المفترض أن يخرج قبل أن تصل للمهاجم وهو لا يزال يستلمها، لكن صبحي كان يتراجع وترك اللاعب يتسلم الكرة”.
وأتم: “أخطاء صعبة وموضوع يثير الغضب بصراحة، وتحية لغزل المحلة على اللعب باستماتة”.
Nitish Kumar Reddy happy to have already proven his doubters wrong with the bat, but he wants to fill the allrounder’s role better for India
Alagappan Muthu29-Dec-20243:31
Reddy revels in ‘two-three years of hard work’ paying off
Finding ways to defy expectations is something that has brought Nitish Kumar Reddy joy on this tour. He was a relative unknown when he was picked, having played only 21 first-class matches with his best work coming in T20 cricket. Now he has a century at the MCG.”I haven’t given a thought like that, but I know some people doubted me,” the 21-year-old allrounder said at the end of day four. “Like such a youngster who played IPL, who came here, and he can’t perform in such a big series, and I know a lot of people talk about that. I just want to make them feel wrong about what they have said about me, and that’s what I’m doing, I want to make people know that I’m here to give my 100% for Indian team.”Reddy also looked back to the end of day three when, in front of more than 80,000 fans and his team watching from the dugout, he hit Scott Boland down the ground for four to bring up his hundred. He also expressed his thanks to the No. 11 batter Mohammed Siraj for helping him get there by getting through the last three balls of the previous over from Pat Cummins.Related
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“It was such a grateful moment for me, I’ve been watching Virat [Kohli] since childhood and making him as my idol, and grown up, now finally I played with him, he scored a hundred when I was in non-strike [in Perth], I felt so happy, and I scored a hundred when he appreciated me, he came to me and said that you really played well, you get the team back in the game, I felt so happy for that, I always dreamed about this moment, and finally when he talked with me that’s the best moment for me.”And yeah, I don’t know, the crowd went crazy after Siraj’s last ball defence, even my century was not that loud I guess, but I really loved the way Siraj came and approached three balls and I should thank him for making my 100.”Reddy’s strokeplay – particularly down the ground – has been eye-catching but he’s done other little things that have garnered attention as well, like how he tried to negate Australia’s most disciplined bowler by stepping out of his crease.”I would say Boland is a more consistent bowler, and I just want to change his line and length so that it will be easy for me when he is bowling,” Reddy said. “I don’t have to be on my crease, so I can move on a little bit forward and I can adjust to the bowler, that’s what I tried and it’s been working.”Mohammed Siraj did his little bit to help Nitish Kumar Reddy to his hundred•Associated Press
Having arrived in Australia with the India A side in early November, winning his first Test cap in Perth, and top-scoring for India in four innings, it’s been a brilliant start to Reddy’s batting career but he’s conscious that he’s not done enough with his second skill. Reddy has picked up three wickets from four Tests at an average of 49 and economy rate of 4.22.”My expectations [at the start of the tour] was to be a pure allrounder, and I know still I need to work a little bit more on my bowling, I’m still not happy with the way I’m bowling, and I hope that I come back strong in bowling, and I want to fulfil that allrounder slot in the coming days.”I can see my last three years, two years, how hard I have been working on my batting and bowling, obviously fitness is main for me as an allrounder, and I kept pushing myself. After my first IPL season, I realised what I have to improve on my batting, and when I got the off phase [time off], I have worked a lot on my batting and that’s what working now. As I mentioned, it’s not about the one month and two months, but I have done the work from the last two to three years to come here.”