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Birmingham City suffered a shock defeat to Port Vale in the League Cup on Tuesday night. The Valiants are currently sitting 41 places below Birmingham in the league pyramid, and post-match, Chris Davies tried to explain the result, via the club’s official channels.

“I think overall, we just didn’t find our normal rhythm to our game that we are so used to seeing – especially at home. Ultimately, we’ve gone behind to a set-piece, which can happen, but we just couldn’t find enough of our normal fluidity to create pressure and chances.”

The Birmingham boss thought that his side’s lack of attacking threat was a bigger concern than the goal they conceded: “Our connections, our passes, we weren’t as quick onto the ball as we normally are. A little bit of our intensity wasn’t there; they broke away a few times and got up the pitch. We just couldn’t find those chances.”

The Blues only managed an xG of 0.33 and didn’t register a shot on goal despite having 70% possession. Following the defeat, Birmingham have entered the race for an attacking talent who may help them avoid a repeat of their League Cup embarrassment in the Championship.

Birmingham turn to Celtic for new forward

Birmingham City are the latest club to enter the race for Yang Hyunjun as they “approach” Celtic to discuss a permanent deal, via Sky Sports’ Anthony Joseph. The 23-year-old currently has three years left on their contract.

The Scottish champions have received a number of inquiries about the South Korean so far this window from clubs including Legia Warsaw, Gent and Norwich City, and when Norwich came in for the winger, it was reported that he indicated to Celtic his desire to explore a move away from the club

Warsaw inquired about Yang in early July, and they have since signed Sparta Prague winger Ermal Krasniqi on loan. Sky Sports have also reported that Gent are out of the race for Yang. Like Warsaw, Norwich have also signed an alternate winger since their Celtic inquiry with Senegal’s Papa Amadou Diallo.

This indicates that Birmingham’s rivals for Yang may be out of the race, allowing them a free run at the forward.

Suitors moved away from Yang, but that shouldn't dissuade Birmingham

While the Huddersfield game has illustrated Birmingham’s need to sign another attacker, the fact that numerous teams have inquired about Yang and gone in a different direction may raise concerns for some Birmingham fans.

Sky Sports went into detail about Gent’s decision not to sign Yang, saying: “The Belgian club’s head of recruitment and director of football both wanted to sign the South Korea international. However, it’s understood the manager, Ivan Leko, ultimately blocked the move as he wanted a left-footer with a better goals and assists record.”

Last season, Yang got 11 goal involvements in 34 appearances, which, while a decent return, isn’t an exceptional feat. What makes Yang’s record more impressive is that in the league, his 23 appearances lasted an average of 42 minutes, which indicates that when given the chance to play, he makes the most of it.

Despite his limited opportunities, Yang’s work ethic has been praised by Celtic’s Arne Engels, who, when asked about him, described Yang as “unbelievable”.

This indicates that Yang has the positive attitude and work ethic that will help in Birmingham’s promotion push, and his goal involvement will likely increase when he is given more opportunities to play.

Australia are hopeful Ellyse Perry will be fit to bat on day two of the women’s Ashes Test at the MCG after she suffered a corked hip while fielding on the opening day.Perry landed heavily on her left hip after diving to flick a ball back on the rope during the afternoon session. She left the field shortly after and did not return for the last two hours of England’s first innings.Australia batted for 22 overs under lights after bowling England out for 170 and lost debutant opener Georgia Voll but Perry did not walk out at No.3 despite being eligible to bat because her injury was external.Annabel Sutherland instead joined Phoebe Litchfield with the Australian team confirming that Perry would not bat on the first night and would instead be assessed ahead of day two with hopes she will be fine to bat when required.Meanwhile, Nat Sciver-Brunt said the mood was “positive” in the England camp after yet another capitulation with the bat. Sciver-Brunt played a lone hand, top-scoring with 51 as England were bowled out for 170 having been sent into bat. It could have been a lot worse had Australia not missed six chances in the field.Sciver-Brunt’s body language gave hints of exasperation, but she was measured with her words after Australia had cruised to 56 for 1 at stumps.”Positive,” Sciver-Brunt said. “Obviously, we would have liked a few more runs but I think with the ball, we did what we wanted to do. We didn’t go chasing anything. We had great energy throughout and tried to build consistent areas and let the ball and the wicket do the talking. So, yeah, I thought we did that. We did that really well.”Alana King however continues to torment England. Australia’s legspinner claimed 4 for 45 on the opening day, including Sciver-Brunt, although she could have had her twice and picked up at least two more as four chances went begging off King’s bowling alone.King now has 18 wickets for the entire multiformat series at 11.33, including Sciver-Brunt three times.Sciver-Brunt was the only England batter to pass 30•AFP/Getty Images

“She’s bowled pretty consistent areas, and obviously got quite a bit of turn actually throughout the series,” Sciver-Brunt said. “And I think the fact that when it does turn, it’s not always the same amount every time. Some might skid, some might turn and bounce. So yeah, that makes it quite tricky when the stumps are always kept in play.”Despite being bowled by King playing back to her for the second time in the series, Sciver-Brunt said England’s plans hadn’t changed too much throughout the series.”I think playing her off the back foot as much as possible, and just, I guess reacting to the ball,” Sciver-Brunt said. “She does toss the odd one up as well, so being confident to use our feet as well. But yeah, she bowled pretty well today.”King was thrilled to take four wickets after bowling 23 overs unchanged from the Shane Warne stand end at the MCG. She hoped her hero was watching from on high.”Bowling from the Shane Warne stand end is something that is the first time I’ve ever done playing, obviously, here since the stand has been named after him,” King said. “So pretty nostalgic. He’s obviously taking plenty of poles at the MCG for fun, so yeah, all I can say is hopefully he’s smiling down and having a couple of beers and enjoying a few ripping past the outside edge.”It’s pretty cool. Loved playing at the MCG. I’ve played a few games here. It’s home for me. Loved playing Test cricket here and to bowl a whole session was pretty cool. Can’t get much better than that.”

The cogs are whirring away down Anfield Road, and Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes must be pretty pleased with Liverpool’s progress in the transfer market.

But they have more work still to do. In spite of signing Hugo Ekitike for £79m, Liverpool are mooted to remain in the market for Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak, who has informed his club that he wishes to explore a move away this summer.

And though the Sweden international has many admirers, it is the Reds who lead the race.

They couldn’t, could they? Unfortunately for those not of a Liverpool persuasion, they could. FSG have run the club expertly in recent years, managing the finances with a deft touch to be in a position for big-money moves across the summer.

And while the Premier League champions have already broken their transfer record by signing through the addition of Florian Wirtz, the £100m figure potentially stretching to a British-record £116m, they are primed to break it once more here.

However, a few outgoings may be needed.

The players who might be leaving Liverpool

With Trent Alexander-Arnold having already left Liverpool for Real Madrid, there’s a chance that Ibrahima Konate might follow. The French defender has entered the final year of his contract, and negotiations over a renewal have yielded little fruit thus far.

From an attacking standpoint, the signing of Ekitike and the potential arrival of Isak would surely see Darwin Nunez leave. The 25-year-old has fallen down the pecking order in Arne Slot’s system and is being chased by Saudi Arabian suitors.

Liverpool seem happy to let him leave, but are less inclined to accept Bayern Munich’s advances for Luis Diaz, having rejected a £58.5m offer. The Bundesliga champions are expected to return for the versatile forward, who was so important for Slot’s title-winning side.

While Newcastle’s Anthony Gordon has been touted as a possible replacement for the Colombian, he’s been priced at £100m.

And when a cheaper and exciting alternative is available, the track to head down becomes clear.

Liverpool lining up Diaz replacement

According to Fabrizio Romano, Lyon’s Malick Fofana is one of the names on FSG’s list as they consider replacements for Diaz, who may indeed have played his last competitive game for the Reds.

The 20-year-old has put his name on the map over the past 18 months in France, and is also courted by Bayern, though their curiosity will fade away in the case they do sign Diaz.

Fofana might be young, but his talent is clear. Lyon recognise this, and as such have priced him at €60m (£51m).

Why Liverpool want Malick Fofana

Hailed for his “explosive” athleticism by analyst Ben Mattinson, Fofana has established himself over the past few years, leaving his Belgian homeland in January 2024 when joining Lyon from Genk for a €22m (£19m).

That figure made an interesting comment from the off regarding Fofana’s skill set, and having now featured 62 times for the Ligue 1 side, scoring 15 goals and supplying eight assists, he’s shaping into quite the interesting winger.

While Isak would be replacing Diaz at centre-forward, the 28-year-old is typically a winger, and someone like Fofana would be a more direct heir.

And given that he might end up costing around half of what has been demanded for the Prem-proven Gordon, FSG may well opt to sign the lesser-known talent, especially since the likes of Wirtz and Cody Gakpo already reside in the Liverpool ranks.

Matches (starts)

29 (16)

34 (28)

Goals

5

6

Assists

4

5

Shots (on target)*

1.1 (0.5)

1.7 (0.6)

Big chances missed

4

10

Pass completion

84%

81%

Big chances created

6

6

Key passes*

0.9

1.5

Dribbles*

0.8

1.1

Tackles*

1.1

0.9

Duels won*

2.9

4.4

Sure, Gordon rode the crest of a wave after the 2023/24 season, awarded Newcastle’s Player of the Year, having notched 22 goal involvements in the Premier League, but that year was followed by a regression in output and confidence.

His creativity and tenacious style were still clear, but Fofana is showing himself to have the making of a clinical winger beyond the goalscoring level of Gordon.

Does Gordon’s progress warrant the £100m fee? He’s a fine player, to be sure, with a Merseyside connection besides, but there’s little sense in forking out such a sum when there’s a player like Fofana waiting for his breakout move.

While Gordon has forged a slick partnership with Isak over the past few years, Fofana is considered by data-driven site FBref to be a statistically similar player to the England international, so he has the athletic, snappy style to thrive alongside the Swede.

It’s chalked down that the Belgian ranked among the top 10% of positional peers last term for non-penalty goals scored and the top 2% for progressive carries per 90.

Isak’s quality is such that he could elevate the level of any winger worth their salt, but Gordon is indeed tactically aligned with the number nine to a higher degree.

By signing Fofana as Diaz’s replacement this summer, Slot could capture that synergy and use it to Liverpool’s gain, fashioning another angle out of his burgeoning superpower.

Gakpo 2.0: Liverpool now eyeing "one of the best young talents in football"

Liverpool still have a few more transfer targets in their sights this summer.

ByAngus Sinclair Jul 24, 2025

انتهت مباراة بيراميدز وطلائع الجيش، التي جمعتهما اليوم السبت، بفوز الفريق السماوي برباعية نظيفة، ضمن منافسات الجولة التاسعة من مسابقة الدوري المصري 2025-2026.

طالع.. فيديو | محمد الشيبي يسجل هدفين لـ بيراميدز أمام طلائع الجيش

وواصل بيراميدز نتائجه الإيجابية في الدوري، حيث رفع رصيده إلى 14 نقطة في المركز الثالث من جدول ترتيب مسابقة الدوري المصري.

ومن المقرر أن يخوض بيراميدز مباراته المقبلة ضمن منافسات بطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا، حيث سيلتقي مع الجيش الرواندي.

وتأتي مباراة بيراميدز أمام الجيش الرواندي، ضمن منافسات ذهاب دور الـ64 من بطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا. موعد مباراة بيراميدز القادمة بعد الفوز على طلائع الجيش

تقام مباراة بيراميدز والجيش الرواندي يوم 1 أكتوبر المقبل في تمام الساعة الثالثة عصرًا بتوقيت القاهرة والسعودية.

There is some uncertainty around the conditions that the second Test between India and Bangladesh will be played in with representatives from both teams admitting that they didn’t know which pitch will be used.”To be honest, I don’t know which surface we are going to play on yet,” India batting coach Abhishek Nayar said on Thursday afternoon, which followed similar thoughts expressed by Bangladesh head coach Chandika Hathurusinghe on Wednesday.”Yes I had a look at [the pitch],” Hathurusinghe had said, “But the groundsman has prepared two pitches. We don’t know on which we will play on. Tomorrow we will find out.”During Wednesday’s training session, India captain Rohit Sharma and coach Gautam Gambhir had a look at the two pitches that have been prepared for this Test match. They seemed to spend a little more time looking at the drier of the two black-soil surfaces.Related

• Green Park's C stand deemed 'unsafe' for India-Bangladesh Test

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• Domestic grind prepares Akash well for the deep end

• Weather and pitch in focus as India, Bangladesh ponder three spinners

Indications are it might start as a good batting surface before taking slow and low turn from the third day onwards. But the weather in the week of the Test match might complicate matters. It’s overcast and there are thunder storms expected on the first three days of the game, which may slow down the natural wear and tear that helps subcontinental pitches become spin-friendly. There was some rain after India’s training session ended on Thursday as well and the groundstaff were quick to get the square covered.India, as a result, are waiting until the morning of the Test to finalise their XI, specifically whether they need an extra spinner instead of the extra seamer they used on Chennai’s red-soil surface.”Both the pitches look pretty good,” Nayar said. “Kanpur is always known to have good pitches. I am not sure about the bounce yet. I think, with the conditions and the forecast, it is going to be interesting as to how when we turn up to go in the morning, the conditions are. I think a lot will depend on that because as you know in Test wicket, conditions can be a huge factor in how the pitch plays. So it is too early for us to judge and decide or have any sort of thought process on the pitch or the conditions. But we are hoping we come in tomorrow to a sunny day and not an overcast Kanpur.”India lead the series 1-0 and if they go in with a spinner over a seamer, their choice will be between local boy Kuldeep Yadav, who had an outstanding series against England at the start of the year, and Axar Patel, whose ability to relentlessly attack the stumps can come in quite handy if there is low bounce. Axar joined R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja in the last Test that India played in Kanpur, against New Zealand in 2021, which went into the fifth day with the visitors holding onto their last wicket and drawing the game.

Tottenham Hotspur appear to have lost out in the race for a highly-rated forward, as La Liga champions Barcelona agree terms to seal his signature before Thomas Frank’s side had the chance.

Related Tottenham preparing bid for £30m colossus wanted by Napoli, Milan and Inter

Spurs could scupper Antonio Conte in the race for his signature.

Posts 1 ByEmilio Galantini Jun 21, 2025

Spurs are expected to back their new manager to the hilt this summer, especially after they qualified for the Champions League with their historic Europa League final win in Bilbao.

Tottenham’s best-performing regulars in the Premier League – 2024/2025

Average match rating

Son Heung-min

7.00

James Maddison

6.98

Pedro Porro

6.95

Dominic Solanke

6.84

Dejan Kulusevski

6.83

via WhoScored

The Lilywhites are set for a significant financial windfall, which Sky Sports reporter Michael Bridge described as “huge” in terms of their recruitment drive. Chairman Daniel Levy and technical director Johan Lange no longer have to operate under a sell-to-buy policy, with Spurs already agreeing a permanent deal for Mathys Tel as they continue to scour the market for new wingers.

With Son Heung-min’s future uncertain, amid links to Saudi Arabia, the likes of West Ham United star Mohammed Kudus, Man City outcast Jack Grealish, Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo, Southampton sensation Tyler Dibling and Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo have all been linked within the past fortnight.

Tottenham face competition from Man United for Mbeumo, who’ve now submitted a fresh £60 million bid for the Cameroonian, while Bournemouth are expected to demand around £70 million for Semenyo (The Athletic).

Levy and Lange will need to either dig deep into the Tottenham coffers or get very creative in their pursuit of a high-profile winger, as all of their reported targets are likely to cost a premium.

The north Londoners did have their eyes on a bargain option, though, in the form of FC Copenhagen starlet Roony Bardghji.

Bardghji, dubbed the ‘Swedish Messi’ by some, burst on to the scene with a heroic performance against Man United in the Champions League nearly two years ago.

He bagged a stunning late winner against them at the end of an unlikely 4-3 group stage victory over the Red Devils in November 2023, with Bardghji set to leave Copenhagen on the cheap this summer as his contract expires in late December.

The 19-year-old, after coming back from a serious injury, is now on the verge of joining Barcelona – but Spurs did try their hand.

Barcelona hijack Tottenham talks for Roony Bardghji

Tottenham held talks with Bardghji and his representatives in a bid to tempt the winger to London, according to journalist Graeme Bailey and TBR Football, but Barça are now seemingly set to “win the race” for his signature.

That is according to TBR again in another update this week, with Bailey reporting that while Tottenham hoped to inspire a ‘Lucas Bergvall-type’ transfer by opening talks with Bardghji, Hansi Flick’s side have hijacked their move by closing in on a deal for the top talent.

This is echoed by reliable media sources like Fabrizio Romano, who believe that Bardghji’s move to the Camp Nou is merely a matter of time with terms agreed.

Levy has now missed out on a potential bargain forward who could’ve joined for the meagre price of just £1.7 million, not to mention a player who’s been likened to Liverpool legend Mohamed Salah.

“He has very similar characteristics to Mohamed Salah,” said Scandinavian journalist Nicklas Degn.

“When Copenhagen have to come up with something brilliant or unlock a team, it is Roony they look to. He has this unique talent.”

Manchester City’s spending spree is only just getting started.

On Monday, the Sky Blues unveiled Rayan Aït-Nouri as their first summer signing, arriving for a reported £31m from Wolverhampton Wanderers, with the Algerian international left-back eligible to debut in the Citizens’ Club World Cup opener against Wydad Casablanca in Philadelphia next Wednesday.

Meantime, widespread reports suggest that Tijjani Reijnders will arrive from AC Milan for £46.3m, with more signings on the way too, so could a high-profile Man City stalwart be on his way out, possibly to a Premier League rival, to make way for these new recruits?

What Rayan Cherki will bring to Manchester City

David Ornstein of The Athletic reported last week that Manchester City had ‘reached an agreement’ with Olympique Lyonnais over the signing of Rayan Cherki, agreeing to pay around £34m.

Rob Dawson and Julien Laurens of ESPN claimed that Man City were hoping to finalise the deal in time for Cherki to feature during the Club World Cup group stages, with that move having now been confirmed by the club ahead of the deadline.

In terms of what City’s latest arrival will bring to the Etihad, Stuart James and Tom Williams of the Athletic believe that the 21-year-old possesses a mesmeric ‘capacity to enthral’, labelling him ‘precociously talented’ and citing former Lyon manager Fabio Grosso, who asserted that “god has given him incredible qualities”.

Those traits were notably on show during Lyon’s gripping Europa League quarter-final tie with Manchester United earlier this year, with the youngster scoring a last-gasp equaliser in the first leg, prior to also netting a stunning, driven effort from range in the reverse fixture at Old Trafford.

Described as a “future Ballon d’Or winner” by The Athletic’s Alex Barker, the fleet-footed genius looks destined to be a star under Guardiola’s watch over the coming years.

And so, with such a high-quality midfield talent on his way to the Etihad, could a current Man City star be forced out?

The Man City star destined to depart

As noted by Mark Critchley and Ben Burrows of The Athletic, Jack Grealish has been left out of Manchester City’s squad for this summer’s Club World Cup, thereby not set to travel to the United States, suggesting he is highly likely to leave the club this summer.

Back in December, Richard Jolly of the Independent outlined how, during his four years at the club, Grealish had gone from ‘one of the most exciting attacking players in world football’ to now a player ‘who is neither exciting nor attacking’.

The table below highlights the England international’s decrease in importance.

Appearances

39

50

36

32

Starts

31

41

26

16

Matches an unused sub

11

5

12

15

Minutes

2,730

3,487

2,114

1,521

Goals

6

5

3

3

Assists

4

11

3

5

England caps

11

9

4

3

As the table notes, Grealish was an integral player for Man City during his first two seasons, but the last two he has been nothing more than a peripheral figure.

David O’Brien believes he was “exceptional” during his early years at Man City, but Alex Brotherton of BBC Sport notes that now ‘is the right time to move on’ as he seeks to save his career.

The fact he was an unused substitute in the FA Cup Final, a match they lost 1-0 to Manchester City, is widely considered to be the final nail in the coffin – as too is the arrival of another playmaker in Cherki.

For instance, Cherki racked up 32 goals and assists in all competitions in 2024/25 at Lyon, including 19 goals and assists in league action. Grealish – as noted in the table – was only able to record eight goals and assists, only two of which came in the Premier League. A move away now appears an inevitability.

Indeed, reports in Spain suggest that Newcastle United ‘have set their sights’ on signing him, looking to lodge a bid that would comprise an initial loan deal with an obligation to buy of around £67m.

Ben Jacobs of Talk Sport also claims that both Tottenham and Everton ‘hold a genuine’ interest in signing Grealish too, with Gillian Kasirye of Total Football Analysis documenting how his ‘exceptional ball-carrying ability’ would make him perfect for Spurs.

Thus, Grealish’s Man City exit is likely to be one of the stories of the summer but, regardless of where he ends up, he has surely played his last game in sky blue, with Cherki a readymade, exciting replacement.

Man City now lining up surprise move to sign £35,000-p/w Chelsea goalkeeper

Man City have set their sights on signing a goalkeeper who is way down the pecking order at Stamford Bridge.

ByBrett Worthington Jun 9, 2025

Manchester City legend Kevin De Bruyne has been linked with a move to Liverpool and now journalist Fabrizio Romano has dropped a new update regarding the situation.

De Bruyne to become Liverpool's next Milner move?

Reds supporters are expecting this to be one of the busiest summer transfer windows in years at Anfield, following a fairly lengthy spell of quiet periods in the market.

Arne Slot is set to significantly add to his squad, with some current players moving on, and a shock move for De Bruyne has been mentioned, as Liverpool look to defend their Premier League title in 2025/26.

It has been claimed that the Reds have made an offer for the world-renowned Belgian, who has confirmed that he will leave City at the end of the season, having won six league titles at the Etihad.

Liverpool of course benefitted from a similar situation back in 2015, when James Milner was deemed surplus to requirements at the Etihad only to go on to win several major honours at Anfield.

Napoli are also interested in signing De Bruyne ahead of next season, with a move to the MLS also far from out of the question, but the idea of him in a Liverpool shirt could be a mouthwatering prospect for some supporters, especially as he grew up supporting the Reds.

Romano drops De Bruyne to Liverpool update

According to Romano on X on Thursday, claims of negotiations already happening are wide of the mark and Liverpool “are not in talks” to complete the signing of De Bruyne. TalkSPORT‘s Alex Crook has echoed that opinion on social media, saying: “Would be an interesting story but told De Bruyne to LFC is not on the agenda.”

In truth, Liverpool signing De Bruyne would be a big surprise, mainly because he is now in the autumn of his career and not quite the force he used to be.

The Belgium international is now 33 years of age and has lost some of his pace and all-round influence, while injuries have crept into his game more, limiting him to only 17 starts in the Premier League this season.

For that reason, it would make little sense in Liverpool bringing him in on huge wages, especially considering Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah have only recently penned new deals.

It would be against the Reds’ general approach with transfers during the Jurgen Klopp and Slot era, with Thiago standing out as arguably the only ageing player who has come in as a key man. Instead, they prefer to sign individuals in their early to mid 20s, developing them into world-class footballers over time.

Slot has struck gold on Liverpool star worth far more than Kerkez & Huijsen

Liverpool’s title-winning defence is set to undergo a transformation this summer.

1

By
Angus Sinclair

May 8, 2025

If De Bruyne did suddenly make a shock switch to Anfield, it would at least be entertaining to see him producing sprinklings of magic at Anfield, but it would be wiser to focus on signing a younger attacking midfielder instead, such as Morgan Rogers or Xavi Simons.

With Europa League action looming, there is still time left for Rangers to save their season, with the Old Firm side hoping to emulate – and better – their European heroics in 2022 by reaching the competition’s showpiece in May.

In essence, the upcoming tie against Athletic Bilbao represents all that is left to play for at Ibrox for the remainder of the campaign, with the Light Blues having tumbled out of title contention in the Premiership.

Frustratingly for interim boss Barry Ferguson, his side have failed to build on the recent dramatic derby triumph, with Saturday seeing the Glasgow giants slip to a fifth successive defeat on home soil Hibernian.

That 2-0 loss – which was followed by a shock 1-0 defeat for Celtic away at bottom side St Johnstone – has only served to epitomise what has been a miserable domestic campaign at Ibrox, with the gap now at 13 points between the division’s top two.

Such woes have perhaps not been helped by the uncertainty surrounding the permanent manager role and the impending 49ers takeover, with it set to represent a real summer of change for the Gers in all departments.

Indeed, Saturday’s setback showcased once again why the playing squad is also in need of major surgery…

Rangers' worst performers vs Hibs

First and foremost, it proved to be another frustrating day for the polarising Cyriel Dessers in attack, with the experienced striker looking back to his former self with a profligate display against the Edinburgh side.

The Nigerian striker – who notably scored in the first-leg win over Fenerbahce – had scored four across his last four league games heading into the weekend clash, although went on to squander two big chances as the hosts failed to make the breakthrough.

The £27k-per-week striker notably saw his effort denied from the angle after being teed up by skipper, James Tavernier, before then lashing over the bar following a clever, threaded pass from Hamza Igamane.

Minutes played

88

Touches

24

Shots on target

1

Shots off target

2

Big chances missed

2

Pass accuracy

85%

Key passes

0

Ground duels won

3/6

Aerial duels won

0

Possession lost

5x

Offsides

3

Stats via Sofascore

Aside from that moment of quality, meanwhile, it proved to be a ‘completely anonymous performance’ from young Igamane – as per The Scotsman’s Mark Atkinson, with the Old Firm hero notably squandering possession on 20 occasions from just 54 touches, as per Sofascore.

Elsewhere, it was also a grim outing for the members of Ferguson’s backline, with promising full-back, Jefte, having looked off the boil down the left, having failed to complete any of his five attempted crosses, while also losing the ball 18 times in a desperate bid to create for his side.

The Brazilian – and his defensive colleagues – were almost comically undone for the game’s clincher as Martin Boyle was afforded acres of space to run into, with the Australian star duly converting through the legs of Jack Butland, epitomising what was another rough afternoon for the Gers’ number one.

The Rangers star who now needs to be sold

With Dessers failing to fire at one end, Ferguson and co weren’t helped by the woes of the Englishman at the other end, with Butland failing to keep out Dylan Levitt’s deflected strike as the Easter Road side surged into the lead.

First Impressions

What did pundits and fans alike think about their new star signing when they arrived? Football FanCast’s ‘First Impressions’ series has everything you need.

In isolation, that mistake from the £25k-per-week stopper could be accepted, although the ex-Crystal Palace man has now produced a string of gaffes that have proved costly for his side in recent months.

The 32-year-old had initially looked like a real coup following his free transfer arrival back in the summer of 2023, having ended that debut season as something of a shining light for the Gers, after keeping 18 clean sheets and conceding just 32 goals in the league.

Such inspired form even led to calls for Butland to be selected in England’s Euro 2024 squad, with Rangers icon Graeme Souness among those tipping the experienced ‘keeper to be on the plane to Germany:

Unfortunately for Butland, that call never came, with it now looking increasingly unlikely that international recognition will come his way any time soon, with Saturday’s mistake just the latest in a catalogue of errors in 2025.

Journalist Josh Bunting notably stated back in late December, following the 2-2 draw with Motherwell, that Butland was in a “real rut of form”, having begun to look “so shaky with each passing game”.

Indeed, the one-time Manchester United loanee proceeded to punch the ball into his own net against his former side in the 2-1 loss at Old Trafford, while more recently, he could only spill the ball straight into the path of Dundee striker, Simon Murray, in that 4-3 thriller.

Of course, Butland did enjoy the highs of his penalty shoot-out heroics against Fenerbahce, although considering his status among the club’s highest earner – and the fact that he was signed on a free – the 49ers regime may deem it wise to try and cash in on the 2023 arrival this summer in order to secure a profit.

Yes, perhaps he is merely a victim of the wider issues that are currently impacting Rangers, although at a time when no one should be safe from the axe, Butland may find himself nudged toward the exit door.

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Leeds United supporters are arguably blessed at this moment in time as the West Yorkshire giants regularly flirt with promotion up to the Premier League.

Not too long ago, the Whites were seen as mid-table fodder in the Championship, with a number of poor finishes in the competitive division regularly dampening the mood at Elland Road before Marcelo Bielsa graced the famed dugout.

Daniel Farke will hope he can follow in Bielsa’s footsteps by guiding his side to a triumphant title success in the second tier, with the German already having to make some cutthroat calls to try and steer his team to said glory by ditching Illan Meslier.

What the future holds for Illan Meslier at Elland Road

It’s fair to say Meslier finds himself on extremely thin ice at Leeds at this moment in time, with stand-in goalkeeper Karl Darlow the chosen man now in between the sticks away from the wobbly Frenchman.

Before that, Meslier had started every Championship game available to him this season, but errors seeping into his game at an alarming rate means the former Newcastle United ‘keeper is now Farke’s surprise number one.

Coincidentally, the aforementioned Bielsa was the first boss at the Elland Road helm to hand Meslier senior chances, with the ex-Lorient shot-stopper up to 214 appearances and 72 clean sheets for the promotion chasers before falling out of favour.

Now, it seems Meslier will be heading for the exit door, with rampant reports suggesting that Southampton goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale is on the summer shopping list.

Frustratingly, if Leeds could reverse time, they’d potentially opt to have a different stopper back over splashing excessive wads of cash on new personnel.

Former Leeds goalkeeper is now better than Meslier

Of course, if Darlow continues to perform competently, he too will be in the running to be Leeds’ first-choice ‘keeper for the foreseeable.

Yet, if Farke had a figure like Kasper Schmeichel at his disposal right now, it would be a no-brainer as to who would pull on the Whites’ number one jersey, with the Danish veteran going on to have a distinguished career after leaving Leeds behind all the way back in 2011.

Simon Grayson was the boss in the Whites hot-seat when a far younger and rawer Schmeichel departed the building, with the Scandinavian stopper only going on to make 40 appearances for his ex-employers all across the 2010/11 campaign.

He wasn’t helped by the poor environment he found himself in, considering the West Yorkshire titans finished outside the playoff spots in seventh during his one and only full season, with Schmeichel only able to collect a low ten clean sheets along the way.

Games played

603

Clubs played for

4

Goals conceded

710

Clean sheets

192

Premier League title wins

1

Looking at the table above, however, the Copenhagen-born ‘keeper has never let this swift exit from Elland Road impact him, with Schmeichel going on to assert himself as a Premier League regular at Leicester City where he even lifted a dramatic top-flight title.

Picking up a bumper 192 clean sheets since walking out of the Whites too, the “outstanding” 38-year-old – as he was once lauded by his ex-Foxes boss in Brendan Rodgers – is continuing to age like a fine wine with current side Celtic, who are funnily enough managed by the aforementioned Rodgers.

A regular in the Champions League this season, if his wealth of experience wasn’t enough to prove his credentials above Meslier, the Bhoys’ number one also has a gleaming record of 22 clean sheets this campaign from 40 appearances.

Of course, playing for Leeds in the Championship is a far trickier situation than playing your part in Celtic’s dominance over Scotland, but the Whites must still rue letting Schmeichel leave so prematurely, especially with their recent ‘keeper woes.

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