RCB are on a four-game losing streak, while Capitals are on par with Mumbai Indians at the top with six points
S Sudarshanan12-Mar-2023RCB look to get off the markRoyal Challengers Bangalore cannot go lower in position in the points table. Delhi Capitals are soaring and are one of the teams to beat. As the second half of the Women’s Premier League starts, Royal Challengers would look to start afresh.The last time the two teams met was the start of a special opening partnership for Capitals between Shafali Verma and Meg Lanning. Capitals opted to play Laura Harris in their previous game against Gujarat Giants in place of Alice Capsey but the ten-wicket win denied her a chance to bat. A plethora of bowling options in the XI – with even Minnu Mani chipping in against Giants – allows for a cushion of comfort.On the other hand, Royal Challengers’ powerplay run-rate of 8.91 in the WPL is only behind Capitals’ 9.79. But their middle and lower middle order have failed to build on the starts and that has meant they have fallen short on most occasions. Sophie Devine has slowly found her touch at the top of the order and along with Ellyse Perry has been among the top-scorers in the competition.Players to watchLaura Harris is one of the cleanest strikers of the ball in T20s. Her strike rate of 157.01 across 83 innings in the Women’s Big Bash League is the best among those who batted in at least ten innings in the competition. Capitals’ lower middle order is bolstered by her presence in the XI.Smriti Mandhana has had a horrid run so far. In each of the four innings, she has been dismissed by spinners – three of them against offspin. It will be the first time she will return to DY Patil Stadium, where her 79-run knock helped India tie the second T20I against Australia and then win it via a Super Over. Will that help her turn her form around?6:07
Kappital performance by Delhi in WPL
Playing XIsDelhi Capitals (possible): 1 Meg Lanning (capt), 2 Shafali Verma, 3 Jemimah Rodrigues, 4 Marizanne Kapp, 5 Laura Harris, 6 Jess Jonassen, 7 Minnu Mani, 8 Taniya Bhatia (wk), 9 Shikha Pandey, 10 Radha Yadav, 11 Tara NorrisRoyal Challengers Bangalore (possible): 1 Smriti Mandhaa (capt), 2 Sophie Devine, 3 Ellyse Perry, 4 Heather Knight, 5 Erin Burns/Dane van Niekerk, 6 Richa Ghosh (wk), 7 Kanika Ahuja, 8 Shreyanka Patil, 9 Renuka Singh, 10 Komal Zanzad, 11 Sahana PawarStats and trivia Capitals have hit the most sixes in the WPL – 22 – and Royal Challengers are second with 13. Marizanne Kapp’s 5 for 15 are the best figures in the WPL so far. Heather Knight is the leading wicket-taker for Royal Challengers with four.Quotes”To see her do so well was great. She’s been a little bit down throughout the tournament. I don’t think she has bowled badly but it’s the nature of the game. She works very hard and is very hard on herself.” “Losing four games in a row in a brand new competition is really tough. The best part about playing team sport is you can go back and support one another and know one another’s feelings.”
South Africa were in trouble at 87 for 4 before Klaasen partnered with Miller and Jansen to make light work of the target
Firdose Moonda21-Mar-2023
Heinrich Klaasen smashed the fourth-fastest century by a South Africa batter in ODIs•AFP/Getty Images
South Africa 264 for 6 (Klaasen 119*, Joseph 3-50) beat West Indies 260 for 9 (King 72, Fortuin 2-46) by four wickets Heinrich Klaasen’s second ODI century led South Africa to a series-levelling victory over West Indies in a non-Super League contest. Chasing 261 on a fairly flat surface in Potchefstroom, South Africa were in some trouble on 87 for 4 before Klaasen shared in a half-century stand with David Miller and a 103-run partnership with Marco Jansen, and notched up the fourth-fastest century by a South African to make light work of the target.The result denied West Indies the opportunity to win their third away bilateral series since 2011, and their first against a team ranked in the top eight. They have also never won a bilateral ODI series in South Africa and last claimed a fifty-over trophy here 30 years ago, when they were successful in a triangular series which also involved Pakistan.On reflection, West Indies will look at the performance of their middle order, who squandered a strong start – they were 110 for 1 – and lost 6 for 96 between overs 19 and 40. They did not bat out their overs but gave the attack something to defend with 50 runs off the last 50 balls faced. Their bowlers started well against a South African line-up missing Quinton de Kock (rested) and Temba Bavuma (injured) but Klaasen’s clean-hitting turned it into a no-contest as South Africa won with more than 20 overs to spare.Klaasen was called on after a vicious opening spell by Alzarri Joseph and the departure of stand-in captain Aiden Markram, with a job to do. Joseph sent down a fiery short-ball barrage to remove makeshift opener Ryan Rickelton who fended him to Kyle Mayers at first slip, and No. 3 Rassie van der Dussen who was rushed into the pull shot. Markram saw out the powerplay but then edged a Mayers’ legcutter to Shai Hope to bring Klaasen into play in the 11th over. Nine balls later, West Indies’ successfully reviewed an Akeal Hosein lbw appeal against Tony de Zorzi, that ball-tracking showed was going to hit middle-stump. South Africa were in trouble at 87 for 4.The tension was broken when Klaasen hung back in his crease to dispatch Hosein’s for two fours in the over, something that would become a feature of his innings. He pulled Joseph for back-to-back-to-back fours to end the threat West Indies’ spearhead posed and then launched Odean Smith over deep mid-wicket for the first of his five sixes. David Miller was largely spectator but sent fuller balls from Hosein and Smith for six before handing Hosein a simple return catch.Heinrich Klaasen and Marco Jansen added 103 runs off 62 balls for the sixth wicket to revive South Africa’s chase•AFP/Getty Images
With a slightly shorter batting line-up than usual, South Africa could have unraveled but Marco Jansen, on his home ground, proved up to the task. He scored six runs off the first nine balls he faced before he brought out the reverse sweep against legspinner Yannic Cariah and did it twice in three balls. Jansen took a liking to Cariah and scored 14 runs off his next over, including a six over mid-wicket.By the halfway mark of their innings, South Africa needed just 55 more runs and were scoring at more than eight runs to the over. Klaasen was in the eighties and it took only one Jason Holder over to move him to 99. He reached his hundred with a single off Joseph, off the 54th ball he faced. Jansen was on his way to a first ODI fifty but in his eagerness to get there, guided a Joseph ball to Shamarh Brooks at backward point to leave Wayne Parnell to finish off.Earlier, West Indies’ innings started well when Mayers took advantage of width from Lungi Ngidi and West Indies racked up 39 runs off the first seven overs. But Mayers was already dismissed after he miscued a pull off Jansen, with Ngidi, at mid-on, back-pedalling to take a diving catch.Brandon King continued batting positively and reached his fourth ODI half-century with a slash off 60 balls. King and Shamarh Brooks’ second-wicket stand was starting to show promise when Brooks called for a run but King did not respond and Brook slipped on his way back to his crease. He was run-out for 18, and the partnership ended on 71. It turned out to be the highest in the West Indian innings.Ngidi was brought back after the run-out and King seemed happy to see him. He creamed a half-volley through the covers to enter the 70s but Ngidi had the last laugh. In his next over, King was on his toes trying to play a short ball but chipped it onto his stumps.Nicholas Pooran punished short balls from Coetzee and Ngidi and slog-swept Fortuin over long-on to take West Indies to 148 for 3 at the halfway stage, with 300 in their sights. They finished well short after Markram brought himself on to hold an end and produced the most economical performance of his career. His 10 overs cost just 30 runs and he claimed the wicket of Jason Holder, who was beaten by turn and stumped. By then, Hope had attempted to whip Bjorn Fortuin over short mid-wicket but only found David Miller, Rovman Powell was beaten in flight and stumped, Nicholas Pooran had been bounced out and Carirah was strangled down the leg-side. Smith’s run-a-ball 17 provided some late fireworks but West Indies would have felt they were below-par, and later realised how far off the pace they were.
Heather Knight hopes Dukes ball will aid England’s quest for 20 wickets
Valkerie Baynes21-Jun-2023
Heather Knight addresses the media•PA Images/Getty
She brings an element of the unknown to the opposition, but it was Lauren Filer’s abilities as an impact bowler that have earned her an international debut for England in the Women’s Ashes Test.With nearly 15,000 people set to attend over the course of the five-day contest against Australia at Trent Bridge, this is some stage for Filer, who beat another young but more experienced quick in Issy Wong for a place in the side. But Heather Knight, England’s captain, expressed plenty of faith in Filer on match eve.”It’s hugely exciting for her,” Knight said. “We’ve gone for her because we think she’s a real impact bowler. I guess she’s a bit of an unknown but she bowls wicket-taking deliveries and for me she’s, if not the quickest, one of the quickest in the country. She gets bounce, and she’s got skills, moves the ball both ways, and ultimately we need a team that’s going to take 20 wickets and we feel like she gives us that. She can bang the ball in as well, there’s not too many people queueing up to face her in the nets. I’m really excited for her to see how she goes.”Related
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Ladies who Switch: England unveil Women's Ashes Test squad
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Lauren Filer to make England debut in Women's Ashes Test
Alyssa Healy nervous but excited for 'most hyped Women's Ashes'
Filer has taken eight wickets for Western Storm from four matches in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy so far this year at an average of 28. 62 and she took five wickets from as many matches in the Charlotte Edwards Cup at 24.80. Last season she claimed 11 wickets at 22.63 in the RHFT and one wicket in two Charlotte Edwards Cup appearances.On the flipside of the career spectrum, Danni Wyatt will make her Test debut after 245 white-ball games for her country. Wyatt adds firepower to an England top seven all capable of scoring quick runs.”I think probably at one point Danni probably felt like she was never going to get a Test cap,” Knight said. “We picked her because we want her to play exactly how she does in the middle order in ODI cricket. She’s one of the best players, and the best attackers, of spin in the world game for me and she makes it very tricky to set fields, she scores in quite unusual areas. That’s exactly how I want her to play, how she does in white-ball cricket, have a little bit of a counter-punch and use her experience there as well.”Knight hadn’t spoken to men’s counterpart Ben Stokes since his side lost their opening Ashes Test to Australia by two-wickets in a last-evening thriller at Edgbaston on Tuesday. But she has picked the brains of seam spearhead and Nottinghamshire native Stuart Broad in the build-up to this game.”I’ve spoken to Stuart about the conditions, he’s played a lot of cricket here and this is my first ever game at Trent Bridge,” Knight said. “Lots of really useful stuff on how to bowl on this pitch, how the pitch changes over the course of the cricket that he’s played here.”Danni Wyatt prepares to make her Test debut after 245 appearances for England•ECB via Getty Images
The pitch was showing patches of green grass 24 hours out from the toss, which had given Knight more to think about ahead of the clash which carries four points for a win to kick off the multi-format series. The last time these sides met in a Test, 18 months ago over four days at Canberra’s Manuka Oval in the middle of the series, it ended in a nail-biting draw.”It’s probably a little bit patchier than I expected and probably the groundsman wanted it,” she said. “Actually we asked for a pitch with just good carry. The Canberra wicket was awesome for women’s Test-match cricket, a bit of pace, the bowlers could get a bit out of it but you could also score runs if the bowler missed. So we wanted a similar wicket to that, but generally it’s a pretty good wicket to bat on and I look forward to getting out there.”In terms of the pitch, you want a nick to carry because sometimes we’ve played on softer, duller pitches where actually it’s really hard to score runs if you bowl straight but also really hard to take wickets and that’s not really the pitches, we don’t have as much pace in the women’s game that’s conducive to get a result. The Dukes ball is a really great addition. The bowlers have certainly enjoyed bowling with it and you can get a little bit out of it for a lot longer. Probably the biggest challenge in Women’s Tests has been taking 20 wickets and I think the Dukes will help that.”All of England Women’s recognised batters have scored runs in the lead-up to this match, most notably opener Tammy Beaumont, who retired on 201 not out off 238 balls against Australia A in a three-day warm-up on a lifeless Derby pitch last week, where Knight, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Sophia Dunkley and Amy Jones all reached the 70s and 80s.”The tempo that we went at and the pace we scored at was brilliant without being overly risky and aggressive, that was awesome,” Knight said. “We want to go on and make real match-defining innings, not just get a hundred if you can get a real big one. That puts the team in a great position. I’m really happy with the group and hopefully we can go out and replicate some of that in the next five days.”
His unbeaten 42-ball 87 made light work of Pakistan’s 178 as New Zealand won by seven wickets
Danyal Rasool21-Apr-2024
Mark Chapman hammered an unbeaten 87 off 42 balls•Associated Press
It doesn’t seem to matter who turns up for New Zealand, the series they play in Pakistan invariably turn out to be competitive. After a below-par performance in the second T20I, a Mark Chapman-inspired New Zealand side brushed past Pakistan in the third to level the series 1-1. Chapman finished with an unbeaten 87 off just 42 balls as he made light work of the 178 Pakistan had put up, with New Zealand getting there with ten balls and seven wickets to spare.Chapman picks up from where he left last AprilChapman was New Zealand’s most impressive performer when a similarly under-strength side visited in April 2023, and had little trouble picking up from where he had left off.Related
Pakistan slowdown: Babar on the defensive, but Shadab wants more 'impactful innings'
New Zealand had begun brightly with the big-hitting Tim Seifert and Tim Robinson, but lost both in the space of seven balls to Abbas Afridi and Naseem Shah, respectively. At that point, with inexperience to follow and a battery of impressive bowling options for Babar Azam, the chase felt in severe danger of being going off course.But Chapman demonstrated that his ability extended beyond power hitting, as he set about taking apart the dangerous duo of Shadab Khan and Abrar Ahmed. He understood the target wasn’t huge enough to require reckless slogging and manipulated the field to pick boundaries in three successive overs the two bowled. There was a slice of fortune when Naseem fluffed a fairly simple chance off a miscued sweep, and it resulted in the batter going back into his shell for a stray Iftikhar Ahmed over.The reprieve ended up costing Pakistan dearly. Iftikhar was shown no such respect when he came back on, smashed for a huge six back over his head and, as Chapman steered New Zealand towards Pakistan’s total with chanceless inevitability, the flair in his game began to shine through, too. For he wouldn’t just get New Zealand to their target, but land a psychological blow by decimating their two prized fast bowlers.ESPNcricinfo Ltd
Shaheen Shah Afridi was the first to bear the brunt, as two boundaries and a six in the 15th over brought the asking rate below nine. Babar brought his ace Naseem back in immediately, but a worse fate awaited him. A carved six, a carved four, a straight six, and a pulled four. That’s how his first four balls went in a 23-run over, plunging the required rate to under a run a ball.It’s perhaps obligatory to say at this point that Dean Foxcroft was an able understudy, but in truth, this was a one-man chase. Just two boundaries came off Foxcroft’s bat in a 117-run partnership, and while Foxcroft struggled to keep his strike rate over 100, Chapman finished at more than double that. Pakistan will rightly reflect on the quality of their death bowling, but the fact that all it took was a solo effort to hunt down what they managed raises the question about the adequacy of that first-innings total.New Zealand bowlers stymie Pakistan’s progressPakistan were put in to bat on a pitch Babar said was the typical batting-friendly strip Rawalpindi is known for, in stark contrast to Saturday’s surface. But the approach Pakistan took to setting a target was muddled at best. Saim Ayub got the side off to his trademark flyer, but in Zak Foulkes, Ish Sodhi and Will O’Rourke, New Zealand kept finding bowlers to sneak in tight overs and stymie Pakistan’s momentum.That was especially true once Ayub fell, and Babar and Mohammad Rizwan came together two balls after the powerplay ended. Overs six to 11 saw New Zealand allow just 36 runs as the momentum Pakistan had built faded, with Rizwan, in particular, unable to find the gaps he so cannily does in the powerplay. He would go off shortly after with a hamstring injury, while captain Michael Bracewell coaxed a false shot from Babar to send him on his way.Shadab Khan scored a quick 20-ball 41 to lift Pakistan•Associated Press
Shadab provides impetus to the inningsPakistan meandered for another couple of overs, and it was Shadab Khan’s introduction that injected purpose into the innings. By now, the run rate had slipped to 8.07, but a couple of boundaries off his first four balls set the wheels in motion for an innings where he flew to 41 off 20. Alongside Irfan Khan, Pakistan began to blast their way back towards a competitive total. Perhaps cruelly for New Zealand, it was Bracewell, whose overs had reined Pakistan in so, who took the greatest hit during that whirlwind partnership as the pair smashed his final over for 19 runs.Once more, though, New Zealand found a way to have the final say, with Jacob Duffy and Foulkes managing a pair of tight final overs that kept Pakistan below 180. Pakistan might have felt it was enough against an enfeebled New Zealand side, but as is often the case in T20 cricket, there are few hiding places for below-par totals.
A “brilliant” forward is now edging closer to a move to Ibrox this summer, with Rangers receiving a boost in the race for his signature, according to a report.
Gers planning for summer overhaul
It is set to be a summer of change at Ibrox, with interim manager Barry Ferguson set to make way for a new permanent boss, despite some promising signs during the 47-year-old’s spell in the dugout, with a 3-2 win away at bitter rivals Celtic undoubtedly the highlight.
Marco Rose is one of the latest names to be linked with a move to Ibrox, with the German coach recently being sacked by RB Leipzig, while there have also been suggestions that Strasbourg boss Liam Rosenior could be the man for the job.
Alongside the manager, a number of players could also be on their way out this summer, with striker Cyriel Dessers now all but certain to leave, while fellow forward Hamza Igamane could also be on his way out, alongside Nicolas Raskin.
Rangers can sign £11m+ star for half price with 49ers aware of transfer
They have until the end of May.
ByCharlie Smith Mar 27, 2025
Not only could there be a change in staff and players, but there is also set to be a shake-up in the boardroom, with the 49ers aiming to complete a takeover, and Football Insider have revealed they are set to have completed the deal by June.
The report also states the 49ers takeover could boost Rangers in their pursuit of Vaclav Cerny, who they are looking to tie down on a permanent basis, following an impressive spell on loan from Wolfsburg this season.
Rangers' VaclavCerny
The Gers have the option to sign Cerny for £5.5m this summer, which expires at the end of May, with a number of clubs from across Europe ready to launch moves.
However, the Light Blues should have £25m to spend in the upcoming window, given the impending 49ers takeover, which means there should be more than enough money to get a deal done.
Rangers’ upcoming fixtures
Date
Hibernian (h)
April 5th
Athletic Bilbao (h)
April 10th
Aberdeen (a)
April 13th
Athletic Bilbao (a)
April 17th
"Brilliant" Cerny becoming Rangers cult-hero
It has largely been a season to forget for Rangers, although they still have an outside chance of winning the Europa League, but the Czech forward has been one of their shining lights, scoring 11 goals in the Scottish Premiership.
The 27-year-old was lauded as “brilliant” for his performance against Fenerbahce last month, while also making headlines for his antics at Parkhead, being described as a “cult-hero” by reporter Matthew Lindsay.
It has been a solid debut campaign for Cerny at Ibrox, despite Rangers’ struggles in the Scottish Premiership, so it is promising news that a deal is now edging closer.
It should also serve the Gers well to have some continuity in what is set to be a summer of change, with the takeover expected to go through, and a number of players being linked with moves elsewhere.
After defeat against Aston Villa highlighted Nottingham Forest’s lack of firepower without Chris Wood, the Champions League hopefuls have now reportedly made contact over a deal to sign an impressive Manchester United target.
Nottingham Forest's search for a striker goes on
It may come as a surprise that those at the City Ground have set their sights on an attacking reinforcement, but as good as Wood is there is no denying that he won’t be at the peak of his powers for much longer. At 33 years old, the New Zealand international has shocked the Premier League by scoring as many as 18 goals to help his side edge closer and closer to Champions League qualification.
Premier League Golden Boot race
Goals
Mohamed Salah
27
Erling Haaland
21
Alexander Isak
20
Chris Wood
18
Bryan Mbuemo
16
Without their star striker, Nuno Espirito Santo’s side were always likely to struggle, but that won’t take away from the disappointment of defeat at Villa Park on Saturday evening.
Speaking about the defeat, Espirito Santo told reporters: “We didn’t start well, Aston Villa controlled our chances. The second half was different, we had the chances but we couldn’t score. The first half was not good, we were not organised.
“We tried to find solutions. The boys showed a better game. It was one of the matches that we created the most in but didn’t take anything from the game. When you lose, you don’t recover so well. The miles come to your mind. It’s always easy when you are in a good moment. Now it is not so good and it requires a bit of patience.”
Meanwhile, when asked for an update on the likes of Wood and Taiwo Awoniyi, the Forest boss said: “I don’t know [when they will be back]. It is going to be day-to-day. He [Taiwo Awoniyi] felt something in his hamstring.”
In the final stretch towards Champions League qualification, Forest will now be desperate to get over the line and turn their attention towards summer reinforcements.
Nottingham Forest make contact to sign Mateta
One striker who would instantly solve Espirito Santo’s pending striker problem is an option who has been in excellent form this season. According to Rudy Galetti for TeamTalk, Nottingham Forest have now made contact over a potential deal to sign Jean-Philippe Mateta, who Crystal Palace value at around £40m ahead of this summer.
Jean-Philippe Mateta for Crystal Palace.
The Frenchman has also attracted the interest of Manchester United and did nothing to harm his chances of earning a big move in the coming months this weekend, scoring a stunning goal against rivals Brighton & Hove Albion. Dubbed “amazing” by Oliver Glasner earlier in the campaign, Mateta looks unlikely to slow down anytime soon.
Scoring his 16th goal of the season in all competitions, Mateta has almost gone stride for stride with Wood for goals throughout the current campaign and could now emerge as an ideal candidate to replace the Forest star this summer.
The upcoming summer transfer window will be an interesting one for Celtic as they will hope to avoid losing any more of their top players ahead of next season.
Last year, Premier League side Brighton & Hove Albion swooped in to sign Matt O’Riley from the Scottish giants for a reported fee of more than £25m.
That came after the Danish magician had scored 18 goals and provided 13 assists in the Scottish Premiership during the 2023/24 campaign for Brendan Rodgers.
The Hoops now have a number of valuable assets who could be targets for other clubs in the upcoming summer transfer window, thanks to their performances this season.
Celtic's top five most valuable players
According to Transfermarkt, 27-year-old central defender Cameron Carter-Vickers, who has been linked with Bayer Leverkusen, is currently the most valuable player in the squad with a valuation of £11.9m.
Daizen Maeda
Celtic’s top two scorers – Daizen Maeda (31) and Nicolas Kuhn (18) – also make the top five list. Maeda is worth £9.4m, and the German forward is the joint-second most valuable in the squad at £10.2m.
Celtic’s five most valuable players
Player
Age
Market value
Cameron Carter-Vickers
27
£11.9m
Arne Engels
21
£10.2m
Nicolas Kuhn
25
£10.2m
Reo Hatate
27
£9.4m
Daizen Maeda
27
£9.4m
Valuations via Transfermarkt
Arne Engels, who joined the club from Augsburg last summer and has scored ten goals in all competitions, also makes the top five list alongside those three and Reo Hatate.
Whilst Celtic will be happy to have so many highly-valued assets at Parkhead, the Hoops once lost a player for £0 who is now worth more than all of them in the form of Aaron Hickey.
Aaron Hickey's current market value
The Scottish defender joined the club’s academy at the age of 12 and spent four years in the set-up before joining Hearts at the age of 16, as he revealed to Brentford’s official website.
Market Movers
Football FanCast’s Market Movers series explores the changing landscape of the modern transfer market. How much is your club’s star player or biggest flop worth today?
Hickey confirmed that it was his decision to move on from Celtic, rejecting their offer of a new contract, because of his lack of game time in the academy, which meant that the Hoops ended up losing him for nothing.
The versatile full-back then went on to make his senior breakthrough at Hearts before spending two years in Italy with Bologna, between 2020 and 2022, before his big-money move to the Premier League with Brentford ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.
Aaron Hickey
Brentford reportedly paid a fee of £14m for the Scottish defender and he has only played 35 matches in the Premier League to date, missing 76 games with hamstring and ankle injuries.
At the time of writing, despite his lack of football in recent seasons, Hickey is currently valued at a whopping £15.4m by Transfermarkt – even more than the fee the Bees paid for him.
The 22-year-old talent was even tipped to become even better than Kieran Tierney, who is due to rejoin Celtic this summer, and Andy Robertson by Barry Ferguson, who is currently the manager of Rangers, two years ago, as shown in the clip above.
Hickey, who was described as “amazing” by former manager Steven Naismith, has been unable to fulfill that potential so far, due to his hamstring and ankle injuries, but his significant market value points to the quality he has already shown in his short career to date.
Celtic must rue losing "exciting" gem who's now playing like a £100m star
Celtic lost the talented young attacker for a fee of just £230k and now he’s being compared to a £100m talent.
ByDan Emery Apr 15, 2025
Despite those injury problems, Celtic may regret losing him for nothing as the young dynamo has gone on to become worth even more than all of Rodgers’ current stars, including Engels, Kuhn, and Maeda.
Well, last night’s Premier League game just about summed up Tottenham Hotspur’s season.
Ange Postecoglou’s side came into the match against Nottingham Forest likely still ecstatic off the back of their Europa League quarter-final triumph away to Eintracht Frankfurt, but instead of building on that momentum, they fell back into old habits.
It took all of five minutes for the visitors to go one-nil up courtesy of a long-range effort from Elliot Anderson that rebounded off Rodrigo Bentancur.
Then, just 15 minutes later, Chris Wood doubled the Tricky Trees’ lead with a well-taken header helped by some terrible goalkeeping from Guglielmo Vicario.
While it wasn’t the worst performance of the Lilywhites’ season, there were still plenty of starters who left a lot to be desired, including Richarlison.
Richarlison's game vs Forest
Now, before the pitchforks come out, it’s only fair to commend Richarlison on the goal he scored in the 87th minute – a lovely header from a pinpoint Pedro Porro cross.
However, if we are being honest, that was pretty much the only good thing he did in the entire game, and had he been on song, he could and probably should have got, at the very least, a couple more.
In fact, aside from a few missed chances, he was practically anonymous for the majority of the game and offered very little in the way of build-up play or support for his teammates.
Performance in Numbers
Want data and stats? Football FanCast’s Performance in Numbers series provides you with the latest match analysis from across Europe.
It was a display in stark contrast to what we saw from Dominic Solanke on Thursday night.
It might sound harsh, but London World’s Toby Bryant shares this opinion, as he gave the Brazilian a 6/10 match rating at full-time and wrote that he ‘needs to be available to receive the ball so much more.’
Richarlison’s game in numbers
Minutes
95′
Expected Goals
1.48
Goals
1
Expected Assists
0.00
Assists
0
Touches
21
Key Passes
0
Big Chances Missed
3
Passing Accuracy
3/6 (50%)
Dribbles (Successful)
4 (0)
Duels (Won)
9 (0)
Crosses
0
Fouls
2
Lost Possession
10
All Stats via Sofascore
His statistics don’t make for pleasant reading either, as in 95 minutes of action, he scored just a single goal from an expected goals figure of 1.48, didn’t even register 0.01 expected assists, missed three big chances and failed in 100% of his dribbles.
Player ratings via Sofascore
In short, it wasn’t a great night for the former Everton star, although he did at least get on the scoresheet, which cannot be said about another of the starters who put in a terribly disappointing display.
The Spurs star worse than Richarlison
Unfortunately, you could name quite a few players here, from Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero to Bentancur and Pape Matar Sarr.
Still, when it comes down to it, Dejan Kulusevski was potentially the most disappointing of the lot.
Like Richarlison, the Swedish international was mostly a passenger last night, but unlike the Brazilian, he wasn’t able to pop up with a goal, as his effort in the second half was cleared off the line.
Moreover, apart from that one effort, it’s hard to think of a single positive thing the former Juventus star did, which is made all the worse by the fact the North Londoners had 70% of the possession.
Again, this is an opinion shared by Bryant, who awarded the midfielder just a 5/10 match rating at full-time, writing that he was ‘generally sluggish,’ which is not what you want to hear about someone considered to be one of your very best players. Truth be told, it was perhaps one of his poorest nights of the campaign.
Kulusevski’s game in numbers
Minutes
67′
Goals
0
Assists
0
Touches
38
Key Passes
1
Big Chances Missed
1
Dribbles (Successful)
2 (1)
Duels (Won)
11 (3)
Crosses
0
Long Balls
0
All Stats via Sofascore
Unsurprisingly, his statistics from the night back up this assessment, as in 67 minutes of action, he amassed a combined expected goal and assists figure of just 0.10 to rubberstamp how mediocre a night it was for one of their star men.
Furthermore, his touch count of only 38 meant he had 15 fewer than Van de Ven and six fewer than Romero, a stat that’s made worse by the fact the defensive duo left the field at the interval.
Ultimately, Richarlison and Kulusevski looked like players who were still getting back to full fitness, but with a must-win game coming up next Thursday, they need to get there quickly, especially the Swede.
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Rangers and the 49ers Enterprises’ “dream” manager target is now the “favourite” for the Ibrox job, according to a new update.
Rangers manager rumours as Ferguson vows to make club “better”
Barry Ferguson has been the man tasked with leading the Gers on an interim basis until the end of the season after Philippe Clement was dismissed back in February.
He has had some impressive wins away at Fenerbahce and Celtic, however, there have also been some disappointing Ibrox defeats in the Scottish Premiership to Motherwell and Hibernian.
Asked in recent weeks about taking the Rangers job on a permanent basis, Ferguson said he would “make my club a better club” if given the opportunity by the 49ers Enterprises.
“I enjoyed my role at Rangers before, and if that’s not going to be managing, then hopefully I’ll just go back to that and enjoy what I was doing. If I get the job, I will make my club a better club. If I don’t get the job I will still support the club.
“I know what this club needs. I want what’s best for Rangers Football Club. I got an opportunity I never thought I would get, and I’ve enjoyed every single second of it. Some of the results I’ve not enjoyed, they have hurt me. I enjoy the challenge of it, because it is a big challenge.
“I always will back myself. I might not be everybody’s cup of tea, but I know I can do the job alongside the staff that I’ve brought in, but we just need to wait and see.”
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However, the 49ers have a number of manager targets in mind, with Steven Gerrard, Marco Rose and Sean Dyche all heavily linked with moves to Glasgow.
Now, an update has emerged on one of the aforementioned trio regarding the Rangers job.
Steven Gerrard “favourite” to be next Rangers manger
According to Football Insider reporter Pete O’Rourke, Gerrard is now in pole position and the leading contender to take over at Rangers. The former Gers boss is “favourite” ahead of the likes of Rose to arrive in Glasgow this summer, with the 49ers making Gerrard their top target.
Nathan Patterson, Steven Gerrard
In fact, it was reported back in February that Gerrard was Rangers and the 49ers’ “dream appointment”, and the 44-year-old has been out of work since January after leaving Al-Ettifaq.
Should Gerrard return to Rangers, it will be a decision which former right-back Alan Hutton can get on board with. When recently asked if Gerrard coming back to Rangers would excite him, Hutton said: “Yeah, yeah, I think it does. “I mean, does a manager coming back for the second time, does it always work?
“Possibly not, but I think he knows the club, what it’s all about, what the fans are like, the expectation, he knows everything. He’s won the league there, and that’s the be-all and end-all, so he knows how to get it done.”
Gerrard’s first stint at Rangers
Games
192
Wins
124
Draws
41
Losses
27
Players used
65
Titles
1
A video of Gerrard declaring his love for Rangers has also gone viral recently, and by the looks of things, a return to Ibrox ahead of the 2025/26 season is well and truly on the cards.
Leeds United will be playing Premier League football next season and will be aiming to buck the recent trend of newly-promoted teams going straight back down.
All three of the promoted sides from the Championship have been relegated in each of the last two seasons, including Southampton, Leicester City, and Ipswich Town this term.
The Whites know that they need to recruit well for Daniel Farke to build a squad that is capable of competing in the Premier League week-in-week-out in the 2025/26 campaign.
Leeds won the Championship title with a 2-1 win over Plymouth Argyle on the final day earlier this month, hitting a century of points in the process, but that achievement does not mean that they already have a squad that is ready for the top-flight.
There is, obviously, a gap in quality between the Premier League and the Championship, and Whites star Dan James is, perhaps, the best example of that, given the difference in his output in the top-flight and the second tier.
Why Dan James may not be ready to star in the Premier League
The Wales international was named the club’s 2024/25 Player of the Year recently after another impressive season from the right-sided attacker under Farke.
James racked up 12 goals and nine assists in 36 appearances in the Championship to help the Whites on their way to 100 points and the league title, which shows that he provided a consistent threat as both a scorer and a creator of goals on the right flank.
The 27-year-old speedster also caught the eye with his contributions at the top end of the pitch in the 2023/24 campaign, with a return of 13 goals, 13 ‘big chances’ created, and seven assists in 43 appearances in the second tier.
This means that James has scored 25 goals and provided 16 assists in the Championship since the start of last season, which is a fantastic haul and proves that he has been a star for Farke in the final third.
Dan James (Premier League)
21/22 (Leeds)
22/23 (Fulham)
Appearances
34
24
Goals
4
2
Big chances created
5
3
Key passes per game
0.8
0.4
Assists
4
1
Dribbles completed per game
0.6
0.3
Stats via Sofascore
However, as you can see in the table above, the Welsh attacker’s last two seasons in the Premier League suggest that he may not be able to replicate that kind of form for the Whites next term.
James failed to provide consistent quality at the top end of the pitch for Fulham and Leeds in those two campaigns, and it remains to be seen whether or not he will be able to show a better version of himself in the top-flight this time around.
This is why the former Manchester United forward may not be a star for Leeds next season, despite his form this year, and that is why a fresh report on the club’s interest in a new winger is good news for Farke.
Leeds eyeing deal for Bundesliga forward
According to Foot Mercato, Leeds United are one of a number of clubs interested in a deal to sign Borussia Monchengladbach winger Franck Honorat in the upcoming summer transfer window.
The report claims that OGC Nice and Freiburg are also keen on the 28-year-old attacker, who moved to the Bundesliga from Stade Brest in the summer of 2023.
Transfer Focus
This means that there could be plenty of competition to land his services ahead of the 2025/26 campaign, as Farke lines up a raid on his former club, having managed Gladbach between 2022 and 2023.
The German boss moved on from the club before Honorat arrived in the summer of 2023, though, so there will not be any advantage for Leeds from that perspective.
Foot Mercato does not reveal how much money it would take for Gladbach to consider selling the experienced forward, but the Whites should press ahead with a move for the star because he could be an even better option than Dan James in the Premier League next season.
Why Franck Honorat could be a better option than Dan James
As aforementioned, the current Leeds star has failed to prove that he has the quality to perform consistently in the top-flight of English football in his previous seasons at that level.
James is an undoubted talent in the Championship but his output in the Premier League in the past is a concern ahead of the 2025/26 campaign, as he may not have what it takes to fire the Whites to safety with goals and assists on a regular basis.
Honorat, however, has already proven that he can deliver impressive performances in two of Europe’s top five leagues, as shown by his form for Stade Brest in Ligue 1 and for Gladbach in the Bundesliga.
During his time in France, the 28-year-old attacker produced 25 goals and 16 assists in 103 Ligue 1 matches for Stade Brest, with at least six goals and five assists in all three of his league seasons there.
His form in Ligue 1 led to a move to Gladbach on a permanent deal in the summer of 2023, and the French star has proven himself in the Bundesliga in the last two seasons.
Franck Honorat (Bundesliga)
23/24
24/25
Appearances
32
17
Goals
3
4
Big chances created
19
12
Key passes per game
2.8
2.5
Assists
9
7
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, the Leeds target has created a staggering 31 ‘big chances’ in 49 appearances in the Bundesliga for his current club, whilst James created eight ‘big chances’ in 58 games in his last two seasons in the Premier League.
Honorat, who was described as “fast” by Gladbach sporting director Roland Virkus, has proven himself to be an exceptional creative force on the wing for both Gladbach and Stade Brest in Europe over the past five seasons, which suggests that he has the quality to make the step over to the Premier League.
The 28-year-old star has already proven that he has the ability to deliver consistent quality in the final third in France and Germany, whilst James is yet to prove himself in any major leagues, and that is why he could be even better than the Welsh forward for Farke next season.
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Honorat could improve the club’s chances of avoiding instant relegation to the Championship because his statistics suggest that he is more likely to be a difference-maker who can win vital points for Leeds with goals and assists than Dan James is.