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Manchester United’s rather underwhelming 1-0 win over Luton Town on the weekend in the Premier League basically summed up their fortunes this season – failing to hit their stride while securing a narrow win over a club sitting near the bottom of the table.

The same thing happened against Burnley, Sheffield United, Fulham and Brentford across the space of the previous couple of months and Erik ten Hag will likely spend the international break figuring out how to bring the best out of his players.

His summer signings have failed to really hit the ground running. Mason Mount failed to even start against Luton, and he cost the club a fee that could rise to £60m – a staggering sum for a player who had just a year left on his contract at Chelsea.

Andre Onana is another one who has yet to showcase his true talent, as the ‘keeper has conceded 11 goals in just four Champions League games and he will need to improve once the break is over.

Rasmus Hojlund arrived at United to much hype and while he has netted five goals on the continent, the youngster has failed to score in the Premier League this term, and it's clear that Ten Hag needs to shake things up in their next league tie.

His latest display against Luton left much to be desired and the longer a wait goes on, the more pressure will be placed on his shoulders.

Rasmus Hojlund’s game vs Luton in numbers

While the Old Trafford side scrapped a narrow 1-0 win, the goal came from an unlikely hero in Victor Lindelof, yet the margin of victory could have been much greater had Hojlund not missed two glaring chances, including one sitter.

The 20-year-old also completed just five passes against the Hatters, took 18 touches (fewer than Onana) and failed with his only dribble attempt in a performance which lacked any sort of impetus.

Although it will take him a while to adapt to the rigours of English football, his physicality was exposed as he failed to win any of the three duels he attempted, and it led to him being substituted in the 79th minute.

He will be hoping for a few goals during Denmark’s two fixtures during the international break in order to build up his confidence, especially as United face a trip to Everton in a couple of weeks.

Rasmus Hojlund’s season in numbers

The Dane cost United £72m in the summer transfer window and following a season which saw him score 16 goals across all competitions for two clubs, it appeared as though Ten Hag had secured a player who could be the future of his attack.

While he didn’t make his debut until the start of September due to a back injury, as documented previously, he has failed to score in nine league matches.

His form in the Champions League, however, has been outstanding. In just four games for United in the competition, Hojlund has scored five goals, including an effort against Bayern Munich and braces against Galatasaray and FC Copenhagen.

His display against the Danish side in October led Liam Canning to describe him as “seriously good” and his five goals mean he sits alongside Alvaro Morata at the top of the scoring charts after the first four matches.

These European performances haven’t translated into league goals, however, and it is time Ten Hag perhaps takes a different approach ahead of the tie against Everton at the end of the month.

The players who could replace Rasmus Hojlund

The obvious answer is Marcus Rashford, yet he is also experiencing a bleak period at the moment. Last term, the Englishman scored 30 goals across all competitions and while the majority of these were from the left wing, he netted 11 in 19 matches while playing in a more central role.

This season has seen Rashford score just one goal however, and that came when he was operating on the left wing, indicating that it may also be a risk deploying him in a more advanced role to replace Hojlund.

The 26-year-old has missed six big chances in the league while creating four big chances, suggesting that even though he is struggling in front of goal, he is still creating chances for his teammates and, hopefully, the tide will turn for the forward.

Rashford vs Martial vs Hojlund – 2023/24 Premier League
	Marcus Rashford	Anthony Martial	Rasmus Hojlund
Goals	1	0	0
Assists	1	0	0
Shots on target per game	0.7	0.2	0.6
Successful dribbles per game	2.3	0.1	0.9
Big chances missed	6	0	8

Another name who could fill in for Hojlund up front is Anthony Martial. The Frenchman has made only two Premier League starts and like the former Atalanta frontman, is scoreless in the competition.

The 27-year-old has only averaged 26 minutes per game in the league and hasn’t had a fair crack at the whip, but he did grab an assist against Bayern Munich along with creating one big chance and making one key pass in a ten-minute cameo, giving a glimpse of his talents.

His only goal of the campaign came against Crystal Palace in the EFL Cup back in September and while he may not be in the best of form, perhaps unleashing him from the first whistle as opposed to bringing him on with just 10–15 minutes left could ignite a spark in the former AS Monaco starlet.

With January fast approaching and the transfer window opening up once again, Ten Hag may delve back into the market to bolster his faltering attacking options, as quite frankly, they have let the Dutchman down so far this term.

While Hojlund could potentially sit out the next league clash in place of either Rashford or Martial, the stark realisation is the club need a genuine world-class and proven striker to lead the line.

Whether a player in that type of mould arrives in January or next summer remains to be seen, but in the meantime, the three aforementioned forwards really need to improve, and fast, otherwise the Old Trafford side will fail to even secure a European spot for next season.

Hojlund has the potential to be world-class over the next couple of years, but he has yet to showcase his abilities in the English topflight and it's time the £85k-per-week starlet was dropped to the bench.

Andreas Pereira has named the biggest flop he played with at Manchester United and also revealed he never felt loved by the Red Devils.

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Pereira spent over a decade at Manchester UnitedNames biggest flop he played with at Old TraffordReveals why he decided to leave Red DevilsWHAT HAPPENED?

Brazil international Pereira spent 11 years at Manchester United playing alongside a host of big names but never managed to cement himself a position in the starting lineup at Old Trafford. The midfielder ended up going out on loan to Granada, Valencia, Lazio and Flamengo before eventually securing a permanent transfer to Fulham in 2022, where he has gone on to play regularly.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Pereira has now spoken about his time at Manchester United and explained how he feels it can be difficult for even the best players to adapt to life with the Red Devils. The Brazilian offered up Angel Di Maria as an example of a top star who had failed to impress at Old Trafford, and admitted he never felt loved at the club.

WHAT PEREIRA SAID

He told Rio Ferdinand's YouTube channel : "For me, Angel Di Maria. From the first session, he was unbelievable. He arrived from the Champions League final, being the best player, after the first session everyone said we would win the league. This guy was amazing. The Leicester goal… When he did the dink and the heart (celebration) after… Then you know what happened. It was crazy. He didn’t adapt. Then the thing happened with this family. I was thinking, ‘How can this kind of player not play at United?’ – so the pressure is there."

Pereira then went on to talk about his decision to leave United and move to Flamengo on loan before sealing a permanent transfer to Fulham: "I said let’s go to Flamengo. Everyone at United said I was crazy, that I would stay in Brazil and I would never come back to Europe. [But] I wanted to play in Brazil," he added. "I wanted to feel loved. I didn’t feel the love I thought I should get. I wanted to feel the love, from my own people, be close to my family and enjoy my football."

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Di Maria is far from the only big name to flop at Old Trafford in recent years. The Red Devils have invested heavily in big names but current stars such as Antony and Jadon Sancho have failed to impress at Old Trafford and have been tipped for exits in the summer transfer window.

MatériaMais Notícias

Após vencer o Goiás e descansar em um dia de folga na última terça-feira, o elenco do Corinthians se reapresentou no CT Joaquim Grava, na manhã desta quarta, para dar início à preparação para a partida do próximo domingo, às 16h, no Estádio Nilton Santos, diante do Botafogo, pela 27ª rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro. A novidade do dia foi a presença de Cantillo em campo.

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>Retrospectiva-2020: Sem brilho, com naming rights… O ano do Corinthians

Os jogadores que atuaram por mais de 45 minutos no último jogo realizaram trabalho regenerativo. Já os demais atletas foram a campo e, sob a supervisão do técnico Vagner Mancini, fizeram um treino coletivo em campo reduzido.

O meio-campista Cantillo calçou as chuteiras e fez uma atividade no gramado com a equipe de fisioterapia, dando sequência na recuperação de uma lesão no músculo adutor da coxa direita. Não está descartada a presença do colombiano em campo no próximo domingo, mas no momento ele é dúvida e não há a intenção de acelerar o processo e ele pode voltar apenas em 2021.

Desfalque certo para Vagner Mancini é Bruno Méndez, que levou o terceiro amarelo diante do Goiás e cumprirá suspensão diante do Botafogo. Oportunidade para Jemerson fazer sua estreia pelo clube, ou de Marllon retomar a titularidade. Outro que está fora é Jonathan Cafú, que testou positivo para Covid-19 e está em quarentena. Seu retorno será somente em 2021.

O goleiro Cássio, que sofreu uma concussão no jogo diante do Goiás, recebeu alta e já está em casa. Ele seguirá em repouso sob os cuidados da equipe médica do clube. O camisa 12 é dúvida para viajar ao Rio de Janeiro.

Na manhã desta quinta-feira, véspera de Natal, o elenco volta a treinar no CT Joaquim Grava de olho na partida diante do Botafogo. Atualmente, o Timão está na 9ª posição na tabela do Brasileirão com 36 pontos, cinco atrás do G6.

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A volcanic century by Matthew Wade in an opening stand of 170 with Ben McDermott set Tasmania on the path to a match-winning total against Victoria in the domestic limited-overs match in Townsville.Wade’s 117 from 74 balls featured six sixes and included particularly severe punishment of the sometime international paceman Chris Tremain. His partnership with McDermott, who made a relatively sedate 56 in a supporting role, occupied a mere 22.5 overs, but ensured a mighty Tasmanian total even if Victoria’s bowlers recovered.This they did, restricting the rest of the Tigers’ batting line-up to 8 for 151 from the remaining 27.1 overs of the innings, notwithstanding swift cameos from George Bailey and Simon Milenko, but the final tally was still steep. The youthful Victorian pair of Will Sutherland and Tom O’Connell both bowled serviceably for their captain Peter Handscomb.The Victorian chase began promisingly via an opening stand of 72 between Marcus Harris and Seb Gotch, but neither batsman would be able to go on to the score managed earlier by Wade. Tasmania were duly able to make regular breakthroughs as the required run rate steadily climbed, largely through the bustling seam of Tom Rogers.Handscomb, Glenn Maxwell and Nic Maddinson all made starts, but were confounded by Rogers and also the left-arm spin of the former Victorian Clive Rose, who in taking 4-42 delivered the best figures of his domestic 50-over career.

Rangers have been boosted by a key injury update regarding an "excellent" Ibrox favourite, acting as a big positive for manager Philippe Clement.

Rangers injury news

The Gers enjoyed a memorable Scottish Premiership victory on Sunday afternoon, coming from 1-0 down at home to Hearts to win 2-1, having scored twice in stoppage time, thanks to a James Tavernier penalty and a Danilo strike sending Ibrox wild in the process. It was a win that means Clement's side have narrowed the gap on rivals Celtic to five points at the top of the table, following their 0-0 draw away to Hibernian over the weekend, giving the fresh hope that they can secure title glory this season.

Rangers aren't without injury problems at the moment, however, with the likes of Tom Lawrence, Nicolas Raskin picking up knocks recently, and Jose Cifuentes and Kieran Dowell only recently returning from respective problems. In order for the Gers to keep improving with Clement in charge, they will need as many key players as possible, and an encouraging update has emerged regarding one of those individuals.

Tom Lawrence injury update

According to an update from Rangers Review reporter Christopher Jack, Tom Lawrence is set to return for full training for Rangers after recovering from injury, giving Clement an undoubted boost:

This is great news for Rangers, considering how well Lawrence has done for the club since arriving from Derby County last year, adding quality in the middle of the park. Lawrence's stats show the impact he has made in the short time that he has been available, with three goals and assists coming his way in 13 appearances to date. David McCallam has lauded the 29-year-old in the past, talking up the influence that he has had and saying of him:

"Tom was excellent around the group, sharing his experience, and we spoke before the game about that. That’s what some of these games are going to be about, when we get the odd occasion where a player, or two, drops down from the first-team squad to get important minutes."

Philippe Clement

2023

Michael Beale

2023

Giovanni van Bronckhorst

2021-2022

Steven Gerrard

2018-2021

Pedro Caixinha

2017

Mark Warburton

2015-2017

Ally McCoist

2011-2014

Walter Smith

2007-2011

Paul Le Guen

2006-2007

Alex McLeish

2001-2006

Having Lawrence back in the fold will suddenly give Clement another midfield option to choose from, having not been fit since September, and his experience and all-round quality should provide competition for the likes of John Lundstram and Raskin, once the latter returns from his own injury that he suffered against Hearts, being stretchered off the pitch.

Squad depth is essential in any title race, allowing the manager to rotate effectively and keep his squad fresh until the business end of the season, and Lawrence is someone who could play a big role between now and the end of the campaign, assuming he can rid himself of his injury problems and stay fit.

أعلن اتحاد الكرة المصري عن تلقيه طلبًا من نادي بيراميدز للاستعانة بلاعبه إبراهيم عادل في مباراة النادي المقبلة أمام الأهلي ضمن منافسات الدوري المصري.

ومن المقرر أن يلتقي بيراميدز مع الأهلي في اللقاء الذي يجمع بينهما مساء يوم الجمعة المقبل، ضمن منافسات الجولة 13 من المسابقة المحلية.

طالع.. خاص | موقف إبراهيم عادل النهائي من ترك معسكر منتخب مصر والعودة لـ بيراميدز

وأوضح اتحاد الكرة أنه بمراجعة الجهاز الفني والطبي لمنتخب مصر الأولمبي أفادوا بإصابة اللاعب وتفضيلهم الابقاء عليه مع المنتخب لمتابعة حالته الصحية والفنية.

وأشار الاتحاد إلى أنه فى سبيل ذلك تم التنسيق مع الجهاز الطبي للنادي للاطمئنان على لاعبه.

وبذلك يستمر اللاعب مع باقي زملاءه بالمعسكر استعدادا للسفر لمدينة بوردو الفرنسية لتأدية المباريات الودية مع العراق وأوكرانيا استعدادا لانطلاق أولمبياد باريس.

Newcastle United have endured a stop-start introduction to the 2023/24 Premier League term but will now be hoping that their much-anticipated return to the Champions League can kickstart their seasonal exploits under Eddie Howe's stewardship.

Having dazzled en route to a top-four finish last term, the Magpies ended years of suffering under the influence of their new, affluent owners, and now look poised to cement a spot competing both for and within European football with regularity.

The Toon have lost three of their opening five league fixtures of the campaign but did pick up a much-needed victory last time out, defeating Brentford 1-0 at St. James' Park. However, at the San Siro against AC Milan, Howe's side will need to produce a first-class performance to emerge victorious.

A player well-known in those parts, Sandro Tonali, could well hold the keys to victory.

Will Sandro Tonali start vs AC Milan?

Newcastle enjoyed a lucrative summer of spending this year, bringing in prolific winger Harvey Barnes from Leicester City and signing talented youngsters Lewis Hall and Tino Livramento to bolster the full-back ranks, but it is £55m midfielder Tonali who will be at the centre of a tantalising affair in Milan.

The Italy international actually joined the Toon from Milan in July, and while he netted a debut goal just minutes into the season opener against Aston Villa – a 5-1 demolition that revealed Newcastle at their fluid best – he has not quite found his feet on English shores yet.

Indeed, after admitting that he found his move from his homeland to Newcastle challenging initially, he is now relishing life in England's North East, and will hope to produce a starring performance against his former club to really announce himself for the Magpies on the European stage.

How does Tonali's game rank across Europe?

A silky and elegant midfielder, Tonali is an adept ball player and a first-rate playmaker, capable of utilising his talents to slot the ball through the lines and effectively contribute to build-up play, praised as "incredibly gifted" by former Italy boss Roberto Mancini.

As per FBref, he ranks among the top 10% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for assists and the top 24% for progressive carries per 90, illustrating his creativity and knack for surging forward into promising openings.

The £120k-per-week gem was among those told to "wake up" by talkSPORT pundit Gabby Agbonlahor after a slow start to the campaign, but, in fairness, he has acclimatised to a new club in a new land and Newcastle have arguably endured the toughest start of any team in the Premier League, facing Villa, Manchester City, Liverpool, Brighton & Hove Albion and Brentford already.

His innate ability to unlock defences could be crucial to bypassing a Milan backline already shown to be susceptible to incisive attacks this term, having just lost 5-1 in the Derby di Milano last weekend.

During that match, Inter's Henrikh Mkhitaryan – who is listed as a comparable player to Tonali on FBref – recorded a sensational Sofascore rating of 9.4, scoring two goals, creating two key passes and winning seven of his eight duels.

Tonali did not start for Newcastle against Thomas Frank's Bees on Saturday evening after picking up a slight muscular injury on international duty, but is fit and firing and will be expected to feature, potentially helping the club to begin their European voyage with a bang.

£63m club-record signing and star striker Alexander Isak was also relegated to the bench last time out, remaining an unused substitute, and has not scored since bagging a brace on the opening day of the term, but he will hope to start once again and it's entirely possible that Howe started Wilson in his stead in preparation for tonight's pivotal encounter.

Dubbed "the leader" by talent scout Jacek Kulig, the 5 foot 11 Tonali also knows the San Siro and the lion's share of its AC Milan players like the back of his hand; he knows their idiosyncracies on the pitch, just as well as their faults, and he could prove to be the difference-maker on a night of great importance for Newcastle.

The 23-year-old will have a point to prove after being shipped on this summer, and Howe will surely deploy him alongside the lethal Isak from the start in enemy territory.

Such a move could well give Newcastle the optimum chance of gleaning three points upon their two-decade-long wait for a taste of Champions League action.

Cameron Bancroft, the player to actually tamper with the ball during the Cape Town Test, has been banned for nine months, as the fall-out of the scandal rumbles on

Daniel Brettig in Johannesburg28-Mar-2018Steven Smith and David Warner, formerly captain and vice-captain of Australia, have been banned from playing international and domestic cricket for 12 months by Cricket Australia for their roles in the pre-meditated plan to tamper with the ball during the Cape Town Test. Warner is banned from captaincy for life, and Smith for 12 months after the completion of his ban. Cameron Bancroft, the player caught tampering with the ball, was banned from playing for nine months and from captaincy for 12 months after the completion of his ban.CA has said that the plan was devised by Warner, the foreign object used was sandpaper, and that Bancroft and Smith lied publicly in their post-match press conference in referring to it as adhesive tape. The full charge sheet confirms a raft of misdeeds by the trio, under which they have been charged with conduct contrary to the spirit of the game, conduct unbecoming, conduct harmful to the interests of cricket, and conduct bringing the game into disrepute. The basis for these charges includes the following:Warner developed the plan to alter the condition of the ball, instructed Bancroft in how to do it including making a demonstration of technique with sandpaper, and the misled the umpires by helping to conceal the plan.Smith had prior knowledge of the plan and did not stop it, directed the plan’s concealment on the field once it became apparent that the team had been caught out on the big screen, and then made “misleading” public comments about the “nature, extent and participants” in the plan.Bancroft had knowledge of the plan, took instruction as to its carrying out and then did so, before seeking to conceal the evidence and then to mislead the umpires as to what had taken place, and then joined Smith in making misleading public comments about what he had done.All three players were told of their bans in person by the CA chief executive James Sutherland at the team hotel in Johannesburg on Wednesday morning. Smith left the team hotel to fly home soon afterwards. All players will have the right to challenge the verdicts and also the duration of their penalties via a CA code of behaviour hearing with an independent commissioner, who can also choose whether the hearing is public or private. Players at the hearing are permitted to call as many witnesses as they like and also to have legal representation.Warner, who has been singled out as the architect of the plan and given the harshest penalty of the three, is expected to challenge the verdict and take the matter to a code of conduct hearing. It is not known what Smith and Bancroft intend to do – all three players have seven days to consider the charges and their intent to accept or challenge. All three players have been replaced in the squad ahead of the fourth Test against South Africa in Johannesburg.”The sanctions we have announced are significant for the individuals involved. That is why the process has had to be thorough to ensure that all relevant issues have been examined,” Sutherland said. “I am satisfied that the sanctions in this case properly reflect a balance between the need to protect the integrity and reputation of the game, and the need to maintain the possibility of redemption for the individuals involved, all of whom have learned difficult lessons through these events.”The CA chairman David Peever said that the Board had chosen to take a path that still allowed the players to eventually rebuild their careers. “The CA Board understands and shares the anger of fans and the broader Australian community about these events,” he said. “They go to the integrity and reputation of Australian cricket and Australian sport and the penalties must reflect that. These are significant penalties for professional players and the Board does not impose them lightly. It is hoped that following a period of suspension, the players will be able to return to playing the game they love and eventually rebuild their careers.”While banned from international and first-class cricket, Smith, Warner and Bancroft are all permitted to play club cricket for the period of their bans “to maintain links with the cricket community”, and at the same time will be required to commit to 100 hours of voluntary service in community cricket.The ball-tampering incident took place during the afternoon session on day three at Newlands and was picked up on by TV cameras. A small, yellow object was seen in Bancroft’s hands after he had worked on the ball, which he later claimed to be adhesive tape with soil particles on it. He was also captured taking the object from his pocket and placing it down his trousers.The footage showed Bancroft rubbing the rough side of the ball, the opposite side to which he would usually be trying to shine on his trousers. He put the object down his pants after being spoken to by the substitute Peter Handscomb, who had come on to the field after speaking to Australia coach Darren Lehmann over a walkie talkie. Lehmann seemed to speak to Handscomb after footage of Bancroft working on the ball was shown on the TV screens at the ground.The on-field umpires Nigel Llong and Richard Illingworth were then seen speaking with Bancroft, though they did not choose to change the ball or penalise the Australians five runs – the statutory on-field penalty for illegally changing the condition of the ball. When Bancroft spoke to the umpires, he was shown holding a bigger, black cloth rather than the small yellow object he had earlier seemed to place down his trousers.Smith and Bancroft owned up to the offence at the press conference after play on the third day. Smith and Warner were stood down as Australia’s captain and vice-captain during the Newlands Test, and both players took the field on the fourth day under wicketkeeper Tim Paine’s leadership.The ICC had already suspended Smith – who was fined 100% of his match fee and given four demerit points – from the fourth Test against South Africa, while Bancroft was given three demerit points and fined 75% of his match fee. There was no ICC sanction against Warner.Smith and Warner had already stepped down from their positions as captains of the IPL franchises Rajasthan Royals and Sunrisers Hyderabad, and have subsequently been banned from playing in the tournament.

Wolverhampton Wanderers returned to action on Saturday afternoon, as the Old Gold hosted Liverpool in their fifth Premier League fixture of the 2023/24 campaign.

Gary O’Neil’s side were hoping to build on their last result against Merseyside opposition, as the Midlands club secured their first win of the season against Everton late on in their third clash.

Last time out, Wolves had been defeated 3-2 by Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park, with goals from Hwang Hee-Chan and Matheus Cunha not enough to take a result back to Molineux.

Hwang once again found the net against Liverpool, although they were undone by some late goals, eventually succumbing 3-1.

What is the latest Wolves team news?

Against Palace, O’Neil’s side dominated the possession with 57% of the ball, however once again fell short in the final third, with the hosts taking centre stage in providing the goal threat.

As per Sofascore, the Eagles registered 2.11 expected goals (xG) to Wolves’ 1.18, registering a mammoth 11 shots on targets to the visitors four during the 90 minutes played.

Cunha opened his scoring tally for the 2023/24 campaign, joined by super-sub Hwang, who has been a reliable source of threat for the Midlands side, meaning his start on Saturday against Liverpool was well deserved.

Deadline day arrival Tommy Doyle was forced to wait for his first start against the Anfield side after a minor knee injury, although did make his debut from the bench in that encounter.

It surely won't be too long before we see him earning regular minutes, but one player who must be kept on the bench at the expense of that is Pablo Sarabia.

Should Pablo Sarabia be starting?

Sarabia went from hero to zero in the week of the showdown at Selhurst, as he put in a stellar performance in the Carabao Cup where he was dubbed the “architect” by journalist Nathan Judah, only to then go missing against the Eagles.

The winger received an 8.2 Sofascore match rating against Blackpool in the cup, followed by a below-par 6.6 rating against Palace, where he was branded as “anonymous” by journalist Alex Richards for his display.

Despite Wolves’ control in possession, Sarabia made 33 touches in the 60 minutes he played, losing possession ten times and failing to provide the danger sufficient enough to wound Roy Hodgson’s side.

On the hour mark, O’Neil pulled the £90k-per-week Spaniard off to be replaced by Hwang, who displayed exactly what the 31-year-old was missing to his game on the day by scoring and completing 100% of his attempted dribbles.

The manager was clearly keen to replicate that when they took on Liverpool, as Sarabia was benched with Hwang coming into the starting XI.

That was hardly a surprise after the loss at Selhurst, with the aforementioned Richards also commenting on Sarabia’s “problems” in adapting to the “speed and physicality” of the Premier League, providing another weak element of his game.

With four losses in their opening five games, Wolves will be hoping to finally kick on. The likes of Hwang and Co will certainly help them do that. Including Sarabia, however, will not. After a vibrant display from the South Korean, it is time the Spaniard stays among the subs.

West Ham United have tried and failed on a number of occasions to find a star number nine to lead the line and consistently fire in goals at Premier League level over the years.

In January 2017, The Guardian pointed out that David Sullivan and David Gold had brought in 32 strikers during their seven-year stint as owners of the club, at that point, and they had managed a combined 128 goals in 643 matches in all competitions.

How much did West Ham sign Haller for?

The Hammers splashed the cash in an attempt to end their striker curse in the summer of 2019 as Haller was brought in from Eintracht Frankfurt for a club-record £45m but they ended up having a mare with the Ivory Coast international.

West Ham's five most-expensive number nine signings (excluding Haller):

Player

Fee paid

Gianluca Scamacca

£24m

Marko Arnautovic

£19.1m

Javier Hernandez

£15.3m

Andy Carroll

£15m

Enner Valencia

£12.9m

Fees via Transfermarkt.

Manuel Pellegrini and the club must have been confident that the French-born centre-forward had the requisite quality to be a huge success at the London Stadium as they were willing to spend a record transfer fee to secure his services from the German club.

Why did West Ham sign Haller?

The Premier League side snapped him up after he enjoyed two impressive seasons with Frankfurt in front of goal after his move to the club from FC Utrecht in 2017.

He produced 13 goals and seven assists in 36 matches in all competitions throughout his debut campaign, which included nine goals and four assists in 31 Bundesliga matches.

Haller followed that up with 20 goals and 12 assists in 41 games for Frankfurt during the 2018/19 season, which included 15 goals and nine assists in 29 outings in the German top-flight.

The 6 foot 3 finisher only missed 13 'big chances' in total – to go along with his 24 goals – across the two Bundesliga terms as he rarely spurned good opportunities in front of goal.

His form in Germany came after a prolific spell in the Netherlands with FC Utrecht. The excellent marksman racked up an eye-catching 51 goals and 16 assists in 98 matches for the Dutch side – more than one strike every other game.

Interestingly, Haller came close to sealing a move to another Premier League club in January 2016 as Norwich City reportedly agreed a £6.5m deal with Utrecht for the young number nine.

However, the player decided against a switch to Norfolk despite traveling over for a medical and ended up staying in Holland before his transfer to Frankfurt 18 months later.

How many goals did Haller score for West Ham?

Haller's exceptional form for Frankfurt and Utrecht convinced Pellegrini and West Ham to make him the most expensive signing in the club's history but he was unable to live up to the hype.

The towering forward scored 14 goals in 54 matches for the Hammers in all competitions as he failed to offer a consistent goal threat that befitted his price tag and his performances in Germany and the Netherlands.

He scored seven goals and assisted one in 32 Premier League games during his debut campaign in England during the 2019/20 season. In that time, Haller only completed 66% of his attempted passes and lost 52% of his duels, as per Sofascore, as he struggled to be a reliable outlet at the top end of the pitch.

The Ivorian finisher followed that up with three goals and zero assists across 16 appearances in the English top-flight throughout the 2020/21 term. He averaged a pass success rate of just 64% and lost 56% of his physical contests in those matches, as per Sofascore.

No outfield player with at least one Premier League start for West Ham completed a lower percentage of their passes than Haller did throughout the first-half of the 2020/21 campaign.

This shows that the former Frankfurt star struggled badly in general play as he gave the ball away far too frequently whilst not making up for it by being a prolific scorer in the final third.

How much did West Ham sell Haller for?

West Ham eventually decided to part ways with the £45m addition in January of 2021, after 18 months at the club, for a reported fee of £20m as Ajax swooped in to secure his services.

This means that the Pellegrini signing's value plummeted by a staggering £25m in less than two years at the London Stadium as his less-than-impressive Premier League performers did not allow them to recoup anywhere near the club-record fee that they spent to sign him in the summer of 2019.

Therefore, the former Hammers boss and the club had a huge mare with their swoop to sign the 6 foot 3 titan from Frankfurt as he ended up being a big flop with his lack of goals and decreasing value.

Where is Haller now?

Haller has, however, revived his career since moving away from England. The giant striker became an instant star at Ajax as he produced 11 goals and five assists in his first 19 Eredivisie appearances for the Dutch giants.

His impressive form continued throughout his spell with the club as the French-born ace ended his time there with 47 goals and 16 assists in 66 outings in all competitions.

That led to a reported €34.5m (£29.6m) transfer to German side Borussia Dortmund in 2022 and the ex-West Ham flop has amassed 11 strikes and five assists in 26 games for them in all competitions to date.

These statistics show that the 29-year-old marksman, who was once described as a "handful" by former Aston Villa head coach Dean Smith, has the quality to be a lethal and consistent goalscorer at the top level.

He has proven himself at four different clubs in Germany and the Netherlands but was not able to showcase the best of his abilities in England, whether that was down to the team around him or a struggle to adapt to life in English football.

Either way, West Ham had a mare with the £45m club-record signing as they made a staggering £25m loss on him within the space of 18 months and did not get much back in the way of goals on the pitch.