It’s been a tough start to the season for Wolverhampton Wanderers this year.

Vítor Pereira’s men were able to pick up two points against Tottenham Hotspur and Brighton & Hove Albion before the international break, but those are the only points they’ve picked up all season.

Unsurprisingly, then, the Old Gold find themselves rooted to the bottom of the Premier League table and in desperate need of some of the magic Matheus Cunha was able to muster up at points last year.

Fortunately, while the Brazilian ace is long gone, there is another international in the side who has the ability to become another Cunha-type player for the manager.

Comparing Wolves' best Premier League forwards

Even though the club have faced their fair share of relegation battles in the Premier League, Wolves have also had more than their fair share of unreal attackers play for them.

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Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

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For example, while he probably isn’t in the top three, former striker Kevin Doyle certainly deserves an honourable mention here, as in 93 top-flight appearances for the club, he scored 18 goals and provided 13 assists.

With that said, someone who is more than an honourable mention is the late great Diogo Jota.

The Porto-born star joined the club initially on loan from Atlético Madrid in 2017 and then on a permanent deal a year later, and in 131 appearances racked up an incredible tally of 44 goals and 19 assists, in what was the club’s most successful period for a long time.

Likewise, while his goalscoring form did fade towards the end of his time at the club, when Raul Jimenez was in his prime, there were few strikers in the league more dangerous than him.

For example, in the 19/20 campaign, the Mexican international racked up an astonishing tally of 27 goals and ten assists in 55 games.

When he finally left the club, he did so with a record of 57 goals and 23 assists in 166 games.

Finally, while his departure might have left a sour taste in the mouths of some, and he certainly didn’t have the longevity of other players at the club, it’s impossible to deny that, at his best, Cunha was a force of nature at Molineux.

Last season saw him pull off some miraculous bits of skill and amass a relegation-avoiding haul of 23 goal involvements in 36 games.

He is someone Pereira could really do with this season, although there is another player in the squad who could end up being the next best thing.

Wolves next Cunha-type player

While the results have been far from ideal, there is still a good deal of talent in this Wolves squad, although, when it comes to someone who could be the new ‘Cunha-type’ player, only one name comes to mind: Jørgen Strand Larsen.

Now, it should be said that, as things stand, the Norwegian international is not at the level the Brazilian was last season.

Moreover, there are some key differences between their games and how they approach matches.

However, that doesn’t mean the former Celta de Vigo ace cannot replicate elements of the former Old Gold star for Pereira – notably his ability to dig the team out of trouble with some individual brilliance.

The primary argument for why he could end up doing this is simply the fact that he’s now got a track record of being a reliable goalscorer in the top five leagues.

For example, in his final season in Spain, the Halden-born dynamo racked up a brilliant tally of 13 goals and three assists in 37 La Liga appearances, totalling 2888 minutes.

That comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 2.31 games, or every 180.5 minutes, which isn’t too shabby at all.

Strand Larsen in the PL in 24/25

Appearances

35

Minutes

2603′

Goals

14

Assists

4

Goal Involvements per Match

0.51

Minutes per Goal Involvement

144.61′

All Stats via Transfermarkt

Yet, despite last season being his first year in what many would consider to be an even tougher league, the free-scoring forward did even better, putting the ball in the back of the net 14 times and providing four assists in 35 appearances, totalling 2603 minutes.

In other words, the “phenomenal” centre-forward, as dubbed by Pereira, averaged a goal involvement every 1.94 games, or every 144.61 minutes in the Premier League last year.

Therefore, while he might not have all the tricks and silky skills of a Cunha, it feels like, so long as he remains fit, Strand Larsen could play a similar role for Wolves and his manager this season.

Related "Sensational" £25m maestro who's wanted by top clubs now key target for Wolves

The Old Gold have joined the race for a new central midfielder.

Posts ByDominic Lund Oct 16, 2025

Tottenham Hotspur manager Thomas Frank compared Xavi Simons to Liverpool's Florian Wirtz as the playmakers continue to struggle for form since swapping the Bundesliga for the Premier League in the summer. Simons left RB Leipzig to complete his move to Spurs, while Wirtz joined the Reds from former German champions Bayer Leverkusen as the Merseyside broke the British transfer record at that time.

Simons and Wirtz struggling form

Several star players arrived in the Premier League from the Bundesliga during the last transfer window, including star playmakers Simons and Wirtz. Simons was a target for Chelsea initially in the summer but the Blues drifted from the transfer race after they signed Manchester United outcast Alejandro Garnacho. Simons eventually ended up joining Spurs as the North London club was desperately looking for a creative midfielder after missing out on key targets Morgan Gibbs-White and Eberechi Eze.

Wirtz has endured a testing start to life in England, with the huge price tag of £116 million ($156m) hanging around his neck bringing with it added pressure. The expectation is that a player of his undoubted talent will come good in time. The Germany international is, however, aware of the need to deliver the end product in order to silence any doubters and prove his worth. He will be hoping to savour collective success during his debut campaign on Merseyside, as major silverware is chased down, but also needs to post some eye-catching statistics as an individual.    

AdvertisementAFPSimons compared to Wirtz

Spurs boss Frank addressed the slow start of his star signing Simons in the Premier League as the German coach compared the Dutchman to Liverpool's Florian Wirtz.

Speaking to reporters, the Tottenham head coach said: "Very good comparison with Wirtz, also a very good player, just like Xavi, coming into a new country, new club, new city, just need to settle and it is part of it. We are all getting judged every game, but we also need to see the bigger perspective. I always look for glimpses, and Xavi, I asked him to be more arriving in the box, and when I looked back at the game, he did. Was there a bi,g eye-catching moment? No, but there were glimpses, so it’s going a little bit in the right direction."   

Goals and assists target set for Wirtz

Former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy has set a target of goals and assists for Wirtz for the 2025-26 campaign that would justify his massive price tag.

Speaking in association with online casino BetWright, Murphy told GOAL: "It’s a difficult one because I think if Liverpool win the Champions League or win the league, his numbers become less relevant and the microscope on them becomes less because there has been collective success. If he is going to play the majority of the season as a 10 then you have got to be looking at, ideally, double figures for assists and goals – that would be a success. I think he has been a tad unfortunate in some ways, although you have to accept that he hasn’t started as well as we anticipated. I think he has been a bit unlucky because he has made a lot of chances that haven’t been converted. Sometimes if some of those go your way – [Mohamed] Salah missed a sitter against Everton, [Jeremie] Frimpong missed a sitter, a couple at Galatasaray, the beautiful flick at Chelsea that Salah mis-hit on his right foot. All of a sudden the narrative changes a little bit if a few of those go in, or it’s not as intense. I have seen so much to like about him, you can see his class and intelligence and his vision. I think he has been a little bit surprised by the physicality of the league and how intense and difficult that is, every game. In the Bundesliga you probably had more games where they were in control of the ball and not being up against so much intensity. You think of the Newcastle away game, for example, the power of Arsenal – every game you play in the Premier League is physically difficult. That’s probably the area where he has adapted the most."   

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Getty Images SportSimons in search of maiden Spurs goal

Simons has had only one goal contribution since moving to England in the summer, with his only assist coming in his league debut for the club against West Ham last month. The Netherlands international will now aim to register his first goal for Spurs as they take on AS Monaco in the Champions League on Wednesday.       

Washington Freedom cruised to victory in their modest chase with quick knocks from Rachin Ravindra and Glenn Maxwell

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Jun-2025

Seattle Orcas had no answers to fast bowler Ian Holland’s variations as they slumped to 145 for 9, which Washington Freedom chased down with 39 balls to spare. Holland finished with career-best T20 figures of 4 for 19 to restrict Orcas after a flying start, before Rachin Ravindra set up the chase at the top and Glenn Maxwell finished things off with an unbeaten 38 off 20.Orcas were in a strong position of 66 for 1 at the end of the powerplay as MLC debutant David Warner and his opening partner Kyle Mayers peppered boundaries. Warner stood outside the crease to bash the ball around while Mayers went 6, 4 and 4 off consecutive deliveries against Glenn Phillips in the fifth over to power Orcas past 50.Warner, however, holed out in the next over for 31 off 17. Mitchell Owen then removed Mayers on the first ball after the powerplay for 27 that brought out Orcas captain Henrich Klaasen for his first game since announcing international retirement.But it all went downhill for Orcas once Holland came on in the tenth over. A flurry of slower deliveries ended the over with Klaasen’s wicket as he ended up holing out to deep backward square leg for 17.Aaron Jones took on Holland in his third over, starting with back-to-back boundaries before three more slower deliveries fetched Holland two wickets, of Jones and Harmeet Singh. In his last over, another slower legcutter removed Cameron Gannon and Orcas were reeling at 120 for 7. Sikandar Raza’s 26-ball stay couldn’t get him more than 15 runs as Jack Edwards and Saurabh Netravalkar bowled frugal spells in the death.Freedom were hardly bothered in the modest chase. Ravindra started with his serene drives on off and down the ground while Owen muscled the ball around in his 11-ball stay for 25. Ravindra kept the sixes coming as he and Andries Gous propelled them to 90 for 1 in the powerplay, which ended with three sixes off Gannon.Gous was foxed by Waqar Salamkheil for 16 as soon as the field spread out and Ravindra was trapped lbw by Obed McCoy for 44 off 18 next over with the help of a review. Maxwell, who went through a drought of runs in the IPL – 48 runs in just six innings before getting injured – turned his form around by smashing Salamkheil for 6, 4 and 4 off consecutive deliveries in the ninth over which eased Freedom’s nerves again.Freedom lost two more wickets before Maxwell struck more boundaries and Mukhtar Ahmed sealed victory with a four in the 14th over.

U.S. international Cameron Carter-Vickers will miss three to five months after sustaining an Achilles injury, Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers said on Friday. The injury is believed to have occurred Thursday in a Europa League match against Sturm Graz. The injury could jeopardize Carter-Vickers' changes of making the USMNT World Cup roster.

• AFP
  

  'We wanted to take off Cameron'

  Carter-Vickers complained about having pain in the match, Rodgers said, but the manager ran out of substitutions and elected to keep the defender on the pitch while Celtic was clinging to a one-goal lead. 

  "We wanted to take off Cameron, but we could only make one substitution in the second half. Ideally, we would have taken him off," Rodgers said after the match.

  On Friday, he told Sky Sports he expects Carter-Vickers to miss significant time. 

  "He looks like he's done his Achilles, which could be anywhere between three and five months," he said. "We just await confirmation of that, but it's not great news."

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  World Cup chances take a hit

  Carter-Vickers was competing with FC Cincinnati's Miles Robinson and Toulouse's Mark McKenzie for the U.S. third centerback spot. With the 27-year-old now expected to miss significant time, it could impact his chances of making Pochettino's squad for next year's World Cup. 

  Carter-Vicker has 18 USMNT caps and was included on the 2022 World Cup roster in Qatar. While he was on the October roster, he hasn't played under Pochettino with the USMNT.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Next up, Trusty?

  Another U.S. international defender, Auston Trusty, also plays for Celtic and is expected to return to the Scottish giants in the near future. Carter-Vickers' injury will likely mean more defensive responsibility for the former MLS star. Trusty has recently discussed wanting to get another shot with the USMNT after not being called up in months. 

  "I will do anything possible to be on that team and be a player of that magnitude and be the guy for the U.S.," Trusty told GOAL. "I know I can do it. I've shown it. And it's just about getting opportunities. When I get the opportunity, I thrive in it. When I get the opportunity, it's game over." 

  Trusty has four appearances with the national team.

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• Looking ahead

  Carter-Vickers' injury comes at a difficult time for Celtic, who have a potentially season-defining match ahead against surprise league leaders Hearts on Sunday. The Edinborough side leads the Bhoys by five points, and Rodgers needs three points to keep the team in the title race – which also has Champions League implications as well. 

Despite slipping to a late defeat on the road at Crystal Palace on Saturday, Liverpool remain at the summit of the Premier League for the time being.

Arne Slot and Co had five straight league wins to thank for their table-topping position, but the concerning nature of their defeat at the hands of Oliver Glasner’s Palace will make those with connections to the Anfield giants worry about more crushing losses to come.

It’s too soon to be furiously pounding the panic button, but there will still be an uneasiness in the air surrounding Mohamed Salah’s poor performances of late, as the ageing winger now inevitably faces the winding down of his esteemed playing days.

Salah's poor performances in numbers

Staggeringly, if you remove his opening day strike against AFC Bournemouth from the equation, Salah only has a last-minute penalty against Burnley to shout about for his goalscoring efforts this season.

He does also have two assists next to his name, but it was a worryingly sub-par showing from the usually enigmatic Egyptian against the tough to break down Eagles, with Tyrick Mitchell managing to make the “world-class” ace – as he was once dubbed by Jurgen Klopp – look ordinary.

Salah was arguably lucky to last the full 90 minutes, with the lacklustre number 11 managing to complete none of his dribble attempts to try and catch out a resolute Palace defence, while also squandering two big chances to try and keep the Reds’ 100% record intact.

It does feel rather far-fetched that Salah will be dropped, though, even with these off-days popping up, but Slot will have one eye on the future now, surely, with the left-footed ace coming in at 33 years of age.

Thankfully, Liverpool do have some shiny starlets in the youth set-up who will be desperate to make more considerable strides in the first team picture soon, with one rising attacker maybe even aiming to become the next Salah in time.

Liverpool's up and coming Salah heir

When the day comes that Salah leaves Anfield behind, it will be an extremely tough task to try and instantly replace the Egyptian’s unmistakable star quality.

Despite visible chinks in his armour now appearing, Salah does boast an unbelievable 248 goals and 116 assists for the Reds, with two Premier League triumphs and a Champions League trophy lifted off the back of his blistering heroics.

Still, everybody has their day in the sun before they have to walk away, and with Liverpool already beginning to put the pieces together for a new-look attack with Alexander Isak, Hugo Ekitike, and Florian Wirtz in through the door this summer, there could soon be a queue of candidates wanting to take over from the modern day icon as Liverpool’s electric spark down the flanks.

Rio Ngumoha might well fancy his chances at being a long-term successor to Salah’s throne, having already lit up the Premier League this season with a Salah-like moment of quality when breaking Newcastle United hearts with a last-gasp winner at St. James’ Park.

In the right place at the right time to smash home that decisive strike, the tricky 17-year-old also managed to complete one successful dribble, despite only being present on the Tyneside turf for eight minutes.

Having also scored and assisted for fun in pre-season for Slot’s men – with two goals and two assists registered against the likes of Athletic Bilbao and AC Milan – it does feel like only a matter of time before Nguhoma enters into the Dutchman’s first team plans and remains there.

The future is immensely bright for this talented teen, with his former youth coach in Saul Isaksson-Hurst even going as far as to say he could one day make the Ballon d’Or shortlist like Salah.

Nguhoma’s current moment in the spotlight at Anfield could have well been Chelsea’s own success story in an alternate reality, with the teenage sensation lining up nine times for the Chelsea U18s before moving to Merseyside.

Liverpool U18s

10

0 + 3

Chelsea U18s

9

1 + 1

Liverpool U21s

9

2 + 0

Liverpool first team

3

1 + 0

Liverpool youth league

6

0 + 1

Of course, Salah was also once let go of prematurely by the Blues, before turning into a world beater donning Liverpool red.

With a Salah-like directness present in his game, also making him “one of the best young wingers in Europe” according to Secret Scout, there is an unbelievable level of hype already surrounding the 17-year-old’s name.

It will be up to the England U19 international and those around him to ensure he is brave enough to ride these choppy upcoming waves, but a homegrown Salah potentially being in the works is an absurd thought.

Slot has found the new Nunez in Liverpool star who's "struggling" big time

Liverpool have problems to fix after suffering their first league defeat of the season at Crystal Palace.

ByAngus Sinclair Sep 28, 2025

Pakistan’s T20I captain feels they played the same way in the last two series – against New Zealand and Bangladesh – for contrasting results

Danyal Rasool02-Jun-2025A lot has changed between Pakistan’s last T20I series and this one. That took place in New Zealand in the wake of a disastrous home Champions Trophy campaign, while this one, against Bangladesh, happened at home on the other side of PSL 2025. Pakistan have a new coaching staff, and produced a markedly different result – a 3-0 rout of Bangladesh as opposed to a 4-1 reverse in New Zealand.What satisfies Salman Agha, though, is that Pakistan’s style of play, he feels, did not change. Their commitment to reduce the role anchors play in a batting innings continued, and a number of young players called up for that New Zealand series played starring roles in this one. The ephemeral nature of any game style or philosophy in Pakistan – often dictated by one or two bad results – means this stylistic continuation across these two series is notable in itself.For Salman, the man at the helm for both tours, it is also non-negotiable. “As long as I’m captain this is how we’ll play,” he said after Pakistan’s seven-wicket win in the third T20I. “I think this is the way to play cricket going forward; that’s how the world is playing. You need to put the bowlers and batters under pressure. In New Zealand, this is what we tried to follow, but conditions didn’t allow it. But the boys who went there learned a way to be fearless without being careless. That is something we’ve balanced perfectly this series.”Related

Pakistan, Afghanistan, UAE gear up for Asia Cup rehearsal

Pakistan white-ball coach Hesson: Want players who are multi-skilled, not milestone obsessed

Haris stars with 107* as Pakistan complete whitewash

Bright starts, familiar flaws – Takeaways from Bangladesh's Lahore malfunction

That balance is notoriously difficult to define, let alone achieve; Shane Warne’s famous exhortation to “tee off (not recklessly)” perhaps crystallises the extent to which the final outcome dictates how this approach is ultimately viewed. For Pakistan, it is perhaps the performances of Mohammad Haris across these games which appear to suggest they ended up on the right side of that balance. After a pair of early wickets in the first games, Haris began slowly, scoring seven runs in his first eight balls before adopting that fearless approach Salman mentioned; he would smash 24 in his next nine, and Pakistan ended up scoring over 200.In the next two games, with no such pressure at the outset, Haris would target the bowlers from the get-go, culminating in that memorable unbeaten 46-ball 107 to seal the whitewash. For a player often criticised for rash strokeplay and an inability to build an innings that lasts longer than a handful of deliveries, this series showcased the potential of Pakistan’s new approach applied properly.”Haris gets accused of not using his brain during T20 innings,” Salman said. “In this series, when we were 5 for 2 [in the first game], he took calculated risks, and the same today. I think Haris, Saim [Ayub] and Hasan [Nawaz] are players I’d like to turn into matchwinners in my captaincy. These players can perform wonders for Pakistan cricket.”While Salman promised “the door is not closed for anybody” in his T20 set-up, the message of who is being moved on from is fairly unmistakeable. Pakistan have long tried – and ultimately failed – to shut the door on Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam’s days, as Pakistan’s primary T20 openers feted for their consistency but slated for their conservatism. Even in the recent past, their place at the top was justified due to an absence of players who could construct innings if they fell too early. These three games might not have been against an elite T20 side, but early wickets did not sound alarm bells for Pakistan’s innings as they have in the past, with Salman keen to take encouragement from it.”I’m very happy with this team and the environment we’re creating,” he said. “I think the team has begun to move in [the right] direction. If conditions change, we’ll respect it. Modern-day cricket doesn’t mean disrespecting conditions. For me, modern cricket is beating par by about 10-15 runs – both with bat and ball – so you make it easier for the bowlers or the batters. Whatever the conditions, we’ll follow what we feel the par score is and then try to beat it.Salman Agha said that Pakistan’s batting order, apart from the top three, is flexible•PCB”Openers’ positions don’t change. Haris is a player at No. 3 for us because he’s a keeper and we like to give him a little rest after that. Hasan is a middle-order hitter, and my number with him is interchangeable. The top three are set, and the rest is situation dependent. I was going to play at No. 4, but we saw we hadn’t lost more than one wicket after 10 overs. And we’ve seen how dangerous Hasan is against spin in the PSL and this series. So we keep the batting order flexible and expect players to be ready to come in.”Salman is well aware of how quickly positions of power within Pakistan cricket can be undermined, but for now, he speaks with the authority and stature of a Pakistan captain who has the breathing space to look beyond just the next game or series. With Mike Hesson, his coach at Islamabad United in the PSL, now Pakistan’s white-ball coach, there is a sense the team and the management are on the same page, with the board having given them license to pursue a fresh start however they choose.”I’m very happy. The young boys performed,” Salman said. “The result doesn’t matter for me, what matters is how we play cricket. We need to play cricket the way we played these games, and to entertain people. If we put the opposition under pressure, we’ll win more games than not.”There’s a year to go for the T20 World Cup, so you can’t say it’ll be the same players. But I think the core will be the same because I’d like to give these boys as much of a chance as possible. We’d like to have a playing XI for the World Cup ready with players who have experience of playing in this team. This is a young side with 25-30 matches to go. But the core is the same.”

MatériaMais Notícias

A passagem do técnico Bruno Lage pelo Botafogo chegou ao fim na noite de terça-feira (3). Pressionado por maus resultados e pelo desgaste perante líderes do elenco alvinegro, o português foi desligado do cargo após cerca de três meses no cargo.

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Lage encerrou uma trajetória iniciada com prestígio diante de Textor e até uma camisa 7 de presente. Porém, que acabou marcada por momentos peculiares à frente do líder do Campeonato Brasileiro.

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‘RODÍZIO’ DO ELENCO

Como o Botafogo disputava simultaneamente o Campeonato Brasileiro e a Copa Sul-Americana, Lage decidiu “rodar” o elenco. A equipe principal era lançada na competição nacional, enquanto um time misto disputava o título continental. Sua definição deu margem para Gatito Fernández voltar a ser titular da meta alvinegra depois de cerca de um ano. Atletas como Philipe Sampaio, Danilo Barbosa e jovens como JP Galvão, Hugo, Luís Henrique e Janderson receberam chances.

O Glorioso superou Patronato, da Argentina, com um empate em 1 a 1 em sua estreia no comando. Depois, levou a melhor no mata-mata com o Guaraní, vencendo por 2 a 1 no Niltão e arrancando um suado 0 a 0 no Defensores del Chaco, no Paraguai. Porém, deu adeus à Sul-Americana perdendo para o Defensa Y Justicia nas quartas de final. O treinador frisava que não tinha “11 titulares, mas 22 titulares”.

GRANDES MOMENTOS, MAS…

Em seu início de trabalho, o Botafogo engatou dez jogos sem perder. Porém, trouxe as primeiras oscilações. Carregado por sua torcida, a equipe fazia grandes exibições como as vitórias sobre o Coritiba, Internacional. Só que a força defensiva começava a vacilar, sofrendo alguns gols como mandante.

Além disso, a equipe perdeu força com a saída de Gustavo Sauer e não encontra afirmação pelo lado esquerdo de ataque. Outro marco foi o começo de uma sequência de empates, traço da “era Bruno Lage”.

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POUCA CRIATIVIDADE

Boa parte dos empates aconteceu no Brasileirão, em especial em jogos nos quais o Botafogo atuou como visitante. Nestas partidas, a equipe esbarrou na falta de criatividade.

Suas jogadas passaram a sobrecarregar Eduardo. Invariavelmente, a bola tinha de passar pelos pés do camisa 33 para ter alguma jogada ofensiva. Aos poucos, o jogador se tornou presa fácil. Defensivamente, porém, o Botafogo vinha atuando bem e garantia pontos graças a atuações fortes de Lucas Perri, Adryelson e Cuesta, especialmente.

‘ENTREGA’ DE CARGO

Em 2 de setembro, Bruno Lage causou surpresa após a derrota do Botafogo para o Flamengo por 2 a 1. Na entrevista coletiva, o treinador fez um breve pronunciamento e colocou seu cargo à disposição.

– Eu tenho contrato com o Botafogo até dezembro, é muito dinheiro de salários, tenho prêmios que já estão praticamente garantidos por ir à Libertadores. Tem o prêmio de campeão, mas não tenho nenhum problema de abdicar disso, porque não sou guloso pelo dinheiro. O que não posso permitir é que a pressão que está sendo exercida sobre mim seja exercida sobe meus jogadores. É isso que eu tenho para dizer. Meu lugar está à disposição de quem manda, sem qualquer outra coisa para dizer. Boa noite, obrigado – afirmou e foi embora.

Após horas, a cúpula alvinegra contornou o impasse e manteve o treinador. Lage, em entrevista ao “ge”, disse que frase foi uma “estratégia”.

POUCOS CHUTES E JOGADORES NO SACRIFÍCIO

Após a parada da Data Fifa, o técnico viu o poderio ofensivo decair sensivelmente. Na derrota para o Atlético-MG, por 1 a 0, nenhuma finalização foi em direção ao gol.

Diante do Corinthians, a expulsão de Marçal levou o treinador a alçar Tchê Tchê a curinga. O camisa 6 atuou tanto como meia, sua posição de ofício, quanto foi articulador, ponta, lateral-esquerdo e lateral-direito. Na partida contra o Goiás, Tchê Tchê foi lateral-direito, e Gabriel Pires atuou no meio ao lado de Marlon Freitas. Mesmo assim, a decisão de promover variações para surpreender adversários não foi suficiente para tornar o Alvinegro incisivo e quebrar o jejum.

Outros jogadores também atuaram de maneira improvisada, mas não tornaram a equipe ofensiva. As dificuldades de articulação nos jogos mais recentes também sobrecarregaram o setor ofensivo. Frequentemente, Tiquinho Soares voltou para engatar jogadas.

‘ACREDITEM COMO NÓS!’

O Alvinegro veio deixando escapar pontos. Mas, mesmo assim, Lage não perdeu a fé e fez um apelo após a derrota para o Corinthians.

– Puxem para cima agora, é do que eles (jogadores) precisam. O torcedor do Botafogo é apaixonado, de um clube grande, mas na primeira rodada estavam lá 10 mil. Agora estão 50, 60 mil a empurrar esse time. Foram eles (jogadores) que puxaram para cima. Agora eles precisam desse carinho. E não que “olha, vamos entregar o ouro, vamos perder”.Não, c…! Acreditem como nós, porque eles acreditam. Estavam com dez jogadores a correr, p…. Deram a vida pelo capitão, que teve que sair aos 25 minutos. Agora é o momento de estarmos todos juntos. Se tiverem que bater, batam em cima do treinador, sem problema nenhum – e destacou:

– Da mesma maneira que eu estou assertivo aqui, vocês entendam que é a forma que eu estou. As pessoas dizem: “Olha, como ele é parado na área técnica”. Sou parado porque estou me controlando. É assim que eu trabalho todos os dias com meus jogadores, passando energia positiva. Passem também, torcedores. Se tiverem que apontar o dedo, apontem para mim, sem problema nenhum. É no Bruno, é no Bruno, é no Bruno. Deem carinho máximo para eles, não exponham mais pressão ou mais ansiedade, deem liberdade total para eles jogarem o jogo- completou.

O objetivo foi manter mobilização, especialmente para evitar que a equipe perca mais pontos.

‘CASO TIQUINHO SOARES’ DEGRINGOLA TRAJETÓRIA DE LAGE NO BOTAFOGO

A semana desenhava um cenário de reação do Botafogo. O treino aberto para a torcida levou apoio maciço dos botafoguenses. Na segunda-feira à noite, cerca de 34 mil botafoguenses foram ao jogo com o Goiás no Niltão.

No entanto, a escalação logo assustou a torcida. O anúncio de Tchê Tchê na lateral e um meio com Marlon Freitas, Gabriel Pires e Eduardo chamaram atenção. Mas a escolha de Diego Costa no lugar de Tiquinho Soares rendeu uma forte vaia. O gol do Goiás acentuou a impaciência dos botafoguenses, que pediram o camisa 9 em campo. Tiquinho entrou e igualou o marcador. O empate em 1 a 1 desceu mal para os torcedores, que não pouparam Bruno Lage dos gritos de “burro, burro!”. Foram 17 pontos perdidos pelo Botafogo com Lage.

O dia seguinte, porém, trouxe detalhes que desenharam uma verdadeira falta de sintonia do treinador com o elenco. A insatisfação se alastrou por departamento de futebol e chegou a lideranças da equipe, que se queixaram para John Textor. Foi o fim do período de Bruno Lage no Botafogo.

After a concerning drop-off in form in September saw Chelsea lose in quick succession to Bayern Munich, Manchester United, and Brighton and Hove Albion, Enzo Maresca’s men started October off with a much-needed bang when getting the better of Liverpool 2-1 in stoppage time.

Of course, the international break then stopped them in their tracks, but the Italian will hope the winning streak can be kept up with a trip to Nottingham Forest in the Premier League up next, which is then swiftly followed by a Champions League home tie versus Ajax.

Maresca’s hero last time out against Arne Slot’s Reds was breakout sensation Estevao, who scored his first-ever top-flight goal when breaking Merseyside hearts in the 2-1 success.

The Brazilian really is the flavour of the month when it comes to Chelsea’s whole host of exciting prospects.

However, while the ex-Palmeiras wonderkid looks surely set for more first-team minutes, other youngsters in West London might be fearful that they won’t be handed the same chances moving forward in the shadow of the South American.

The Chelsea youngsters hoping to follow in Estevao's footsteps

Estevao must have sensed that he’d finally announced himself to his adoring Stamford Bridge masses when he calmly tucked away that goal at the death last time out, having been branded as “world-class” by scout Jacek Kulig before he even set foot on English soil.

While the 18-year-old continues to live up to his hype, there are several young players wondering what they must do to get game time.

One of those is Marc Guiu who has had a rather strange season to date, initially loaned out to Sunderland but recalled when Liam Delap got injured and Nicolas Jackson headed to Bayern Munich.

However, he will now be worried he’s becoming a forgotten figure at Cobham, with the Spaniard only being handed 29 minutes of Premier League action so far in 2025/26, despite powering home a lethal six strikes last campaign in the Conference League.

Likewise, summer signing Jorrel Hato will also be worried that his thunder has been stolen as a promising purchase for the future by the electric number 41, with the Dutch defender costing a bumper £38.5m to land from Ajax.

Even though he was purchased for a considerable amount, he is yet to become a regular under Maresca, with Hato unfortunately being on the receiving end of a 3-1 defeat to the Seagulls when handed just his second league start of the campaign.

Another up-and-coming talent that has slipped out of memory with Estevao’s emergence on the scene is loanee Facundo Buonanotte, who has just a 45-minute run-out to shout about in the Premier League himself.

The attacker signed on loan in the summer and was initially excluded from Chelsea’s Champions League squad, such was his value in the team.

He may well feel as though he’s already on borrowed time at the Bridge, but he’s not the only one.

Chelsea's next Hudson-Odoi is on borrowed time

Away from Estevao bursting onto the senior scene, Maresca also possesses the likes of new signings Alejandro Garnacho and Jamie Gittens down the left wing, meaning there is very little wiggle room for any more left wingers to impress.

This could mean Tyrique George has to walk away from Stamford Bridge in the near future.

Once described as a “young Hudson-Odoi” by data analyst Ben Mattinson, he was close to joining Fulham in the summer and he should have sensed then that his time in Chelsea colours was up.

Since then, it’s been a challenge for the youngster to gain many minutes.

Even with ten goal contributions next to his name in the senior fold, and an emphatic strike for England U21s also coming his way during the break, reports suggest that George is surplus to requirements in West London, due to the various mega-money options Maresca has on the 19-year-old’s trusty left flank.

After all, with Estevao’s reputation as a “future Ballon d’Or winner” already well-known, as he was wildly branded by analyst Ben Mattinson, it’s unlikely that George – no matter how promising he is in his own right – would be able to upset the apple cart and demand more minutes at his favoured teammate’s expense.

U18s

39

14 + 10

Senior

31

4 + 6

U21s

28

7 + 9

Youth League

2

0

It would be a sad severing of the ties when you consider George has been situated at Cobham since starring for the U18s but four goals in just 31 senior outings tells a story of a player struggling to reach his potential with so few games under his belt.

That said, it might well be a necessary move away to make for the London-born teenager, with Chelsea perhaps looking back on this shunning of one of their own as a foolish decision to make down the line, even with the spellbinding Estevao on their side.

Chelsea may sell Disasi to make room for "monstrous" £80m star who Maresca loves

The Blues have set their sights on a new centre-back, which means Axel Disasi could be axed.

ByDominic Lund Oct 13, 2025

علق فيرمين لوبيز لاعب خط وسط برشلونة على خروج فريقه متعادلاً ضد كلوب بروج، بثلاث اهداف لكل فريق، في الجولة الرابعة بمرحلة الدوري لمسابقة دوري أبطال أوروبا.

وكان فيرمين لوبيز قد صنع هدف فيران توريس الأول في شباك كلوب بروج، في الدقيقة التاسعة من أحداث الشوط الأول.

واعترف فيرمين لوبيز في تصريحات نشرتها صحيفة “سبورت” الإسبانية، بأن الفريق قد تخاذل في لحظات حاسمة من المباراة: “من الصعب تفسير ما حدث”.

اقرأ أيضاً.. موعد مباراة برشلونة القادمة بعد التعادل أمام كلوب بروج في دوري أبطال أوروبا

وأضاف لاعب برشلونة :”لم نكن جيدين، خلقوا ثلاث فرص سانحة للتسجيل، سجلوا ثلاث أهداف، حققوا نتيجة التعادل وأضعنا الفرصة على أنفسنا”.

وحول تعامل برشلونة مع التحولات رد فيرمين لوبيز :”لم نعرف كيف نوقف هجماتهم المرتدة وهذا أضر بنا في المباراة”.

وأوضح لوبيز أن هناك مجالاً كبيراً لتحسن برشلونة وشدد على ضرورة مراجعة ما حدث ضد كلوب بروج وتصحيحه سريعاً: “سننظر في الأمر ونحلله”.

وختم: “هذه الأمور واردة، علينا أن نحلل ما حدث ونتحسن وهذا كل ما في الأمر، من البديهي أننا برشلونة وعلينا الفوز في كل مباراة وخاصة في دوري أبطال أوروبا، حيث يعتمد الأمر كله على التفاصيل، علينا انتقاد أنفسنا والسعي للفوز في المباراة القادمة ويجب أن نتحمل مسؤولياتنا”.

South Africa can dare to dream. With Aiden Markram and Temba Bavuma playing the most significant innings of their careers, the latter while carrying a hamstring injury, they closed within 69 runs of claiming the World Test Championship title, which would be the finest hour for a cricket nation steeped in history but short on silverware.The second-wicket pair combined to add 143 in 38 overs of wonderfully controlled batting, a partnership that will go down in South Africa folklore barring extraordinary events on the fourth morning, with Markram reaching his eighth Test century from 156 deliveries in the closing moments of the day. They repelled everything Australia threw at them on a pitch that, with the sun out for most of the day, was at its friendliest for batting in the Test. The way Australia’s last-wicket pair of Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood had earlier been able to add 59 in 22 overs had foretold what was to come.Related

• 'Just stay calm…' South Africa fight fatalism as greatest prize draws near

• South Africa had to make 'big call' on whether Bavuma should retire hurt

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Still, Australia felt favourites when they set about defending 282. Despite the early loss of Ryan Rickelton, edging a very full delivery from Starc which was confirmed by the third umpire, there was a notable urgency to South Africa’s batting. In the first innings, it took until the 20th over to reach 30 (three wickets were gone by then), whereas this time they were 47 for 1 after ten.Starc struck again to have Wiaan Mulder caught low at cover, but then came a vital moment when Bavuma, on 2, edged to Steven Smith at first slip. Smith was stood so close – he was wearing a helmet as the carry off the surface continued to die – and the chance burst through his hands, leaving him with a compound dislocation of his right little finger. The agony was clear on his face as he immediately left the field. By the end of the day, it was likely shared by his team-mates.Shortly before tea, Bavuma joined the injury list when he picked up a hamstring injury but he defied the pain, mixing hobbling between the wickets with some crisp strokeplay. It was going to take much more than a tweaked muscle to stop Bavuma. There was, however, a question to be asked as to whether Australia could have squeezed an injured batter hard in the field. The closest Bavuma came to a mistake was when he top-edged Nathan Lyon towards deep square-leg on 43 but Sam Konstas, on as a substitute, couldn’t quite make enough ground with a full-length dive that left him with a mouthful of grass.Aiden Markram brought up his eighth Test century•ICC/Getty Images

Meanwhile, Markram was all but faultless. He kept the scoreboard ticking – Australia sent down just three maidens in 56 overs – alongside a selection of handsome boundaries, none better than the back-cut off Starc which bisected deep third and deep point with precision and left the bowler waving his arms in frustration. He would then move to 97 with the sweetest of straight drives against Hazlewood. As the close neared, and it appeared he may have to wait for the morning, his crowning moment arrived with a whip through the leg side.Pat Cummins went through all the options at his disposal, but nothing could conjure the moment to create an opening. Lyon caused some problems out of the rough and came very close on a few occasions while Travis Head’s first delivery ragged sharply at Markram. They will need a miracle on Saturday.It was South Africa’s surge with the ball on the second day that had kept them in the game after conceding a lead of 74, but Alex Carey had pushed the advantage over 200. When Lyon was lbw to Kagiso Rabada in the third over of the day – his ninth wicket of the match – it appeared Australia’s innings would end swiftly, but the last-wicket pair had other ideas.3:26

Hayden: Starc showed courage with the bat

It was not the first time Starc and Hazlewood had combined in such a fashion, surviving 18 overs together against India in Perth last year, while Hazlewood has also previously shown his stickability when helping Cameron Green add 116 against New Zealand in Wellington earlier in 2024.There was rarely anything expansive about the partnership but for large stages the duo were untroubled which was a hint at the changing batting conditions. Starc shielded Hazlewood on occasions, particularly against Rabada and Marco Jansen, but Hazlewood produced one of shots of partnership when he ramped Jansen over the slips.Starc has always had batting pedigree and at times has underdelivered for his talent in Test cricket. This half-century, coming off 131 balls, was his first since Old Trafford in 2019 and it ended as the second-most deliveries he had faced behind the career-best 99 (a Test high score he shares with wife Alyssa Healy).At times South Africa seemed strangely flat but so, too, did the pitch for the first time in the game. In the end it was the sixth bowler used in the session, Markram, who ended the resistance when Hazlewood drove off the back foot to cover. And so the final question was posed: was 282 chaseable? The answer, historically so for South Africa, would appear to be in the affirmative.