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Pedro Soriano, do Sampaio Corrêa, está concorrendo ao prêmio de melhor executivo de futebol do Nordeste em 2021. O profissional chegou ao clube no começo do ano, foi promovido após a saída de Juliano Camargo e hoje já está entre os principais nomes do futebol nordestino.

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>Saiba até quando vão os contratos de fornecedoras com clubes do Brasil

Soriano, vale lembrar, começou a carreira de dirigente no Guarani em 2017. De lá para cá, ele colecionou títulos como o Paulista da A2 em 2018 pelo Bugre e o Maranhense de 2020 pela Bolívia Querida.Para o profissional, a indicação e o fato de estar entre os três melhores executivos do futebol do Nordeste já é um grande feito.

– Fiquei muito feliz com a indicação. Com certeza era uma coisa que não esperava, mas mostra que tem muita gente acompanhando nosso trabalho e aconteceu em um momento muito bacana. Mostra que temos que continuar trabalhando porque sempre tem alguém vendo, então é um passo importante para mim e para o Sampaio também – disse.

E a surpresa não fica por conta apenas da indicação. Pedro está há menos de um ano no cargo e compete com Thiago Paes, executivo do CRB, que está há 3 anos no clube e Lucas Drubscky, executivo do Bahia, que teve um bom início de Série A. Por conta disso, o feito é ainda maior.

– Passei recentemente a marca de 50 partidas representando o Sampaio Corrêa, venho me dedicando a cada dia, abrindo mão de muitas coisas que pra mim são importantes, vim pra cá e fui Campeão Maranhense, Quartas de Final da Copa do Nordeste e na Série B tivemos 7 rodadas no G4, o trabalho é árduo mas a recompensa com a indicação ao prêmio sem ter completado um ano ainda no Nordeste é sinal de que o trabalho vem sendo bem feito – ressaltou.

> Veja e simule a tabela da Série B

Pedro ainda destacou quais os principais pontos que o levaram a ser indicado. Para o executivo, as dificuldades do futebol maranhense, principalmente o lado financeiro, pode ter pesado no momento da escolha.

– O título estadual, uma campanha sólida na Copa do Nordeste e uma boa arrancada de Série B onde nunca desistimos do tão sonhado acesso tendo provavelmente a folha salarial mais baixa da competição são componentes que todos sabem ser grandes para competições desse nível, nossos atletas sabem disso tudo, mas vem pra cá selecionados a dedo e se dedicam ao máximo também para que possamos almejar sempre coisas boas nas competições.

A Confut é um evento que tem seu início na próxima quinta-feira (28) e vai até o dia 30 deste mês, sendo realizado na cidade de Maceió, Alagoas.

West Ham United have been undergoing a midfield rebuild in recent years. Having lost Declan Rice last season, the Hammers acquired Edson Alvarez to fill his boots, and James Ward-Prowse to add quality in the midfield.

This summer, the Hammers have managed to add Guido Rodriquez to the squad, and are still looking to add a technical midfielder to suit their possession-based brand of football. This could already spell the end for Ward-Prowse, who joined last season, as he could find himself further down the pecking order.

Ward-Prowse made 51 appearances for West Ham in all competitions last season, scoring seven goals, providing 12 assists, and totalling 4,112 minutes played.

West Ham transfer news

According to reports from Fabrizio Romano, West Ham have made initial contact to explore a deal for PSG midfielder, Carlos Soler. Direct talks will follow in the coming days with the players' camp, according to the report.

The Hammers will continue to work on outgoings as a priority, the report states, and this should also help towards getting the Soler deal over the line.

Soler made 28 appearances for PSG last season in all competitions, scoring two goals, providing four assists, and contributing to ten clean sheets in his 1,277 minutes played.

Why Soler could be West Ham's Gundogan

When being discussed on Sky Sports, Soler was described as a "neat and tidy" midfielder, who Julen Lopetegui would really like. His technical profile would suit the brand of football the new manager is trying to install at the club.

On FBref's "similar players" feature, the playmaker is likened to a Premier League great, İlkay Gündoğan – who is set to make a return to Manchester City – among midfielders in Europe's top five leagues.

The addition of Soler could provide that uplift of progression in midfield, extra composure on the ball during the build up, and as previously mentioned, help Lopetegui integrate his style of play.

Not only could he seek to replicate the attacking impetus of Gündoğan – who racked up 98 goals and assists during his first spell at City – but the PSG star could also offer a direct upgrade on Ward-Prowse for the Hammers.

Stats (per 90 mins)

Soler

Ward-Prowse

Gundogan

Goals

0.14

0.15

0.11

Assists

0.28

0.26

0.30

Shots Total

1.13

1.16

1.31

Progressive Carries

1.23

0.62

2.07

Progressive Passes

6.07

4.48

6.92

Key Passes

1.64

2.10

2.84

Passes Attempted

64.3

53.5

73.0

Pass Completion %

85.7%

83.6%

86.3%

Passes into Final Third

4.75

4.30

5.45

Tackles

1.23

1.25

0.87

Blocks

0.82

0.90

0.75

Interceptions

0.56

1.01

0.60

Soler averages 1.59 more progressive passes per 90 than Ward-Prowse, nearly double the amount of progressive carries per 90, and 0.45 more passes into the final third per 90. This extra progression is important for Lopetegui's system, allowing the likes of Lucas Paqueta to play higher up, alleviating him of deeper build-up responsibilities.

Against Aston Villa in their Premier League opener on Saturday, much of their progression in deep areas came from Paqueta dropping in to receive the ball, and playing through the lines. In an ideal world, he can receive the ball between the lines, closer to goal, where he can have an impact higher up the pitch.

It is also important for the midfielder to have composure on the ball, and a willingness to take the ball in traffic, which Soler shows with his higher passes attempted metric compared to Ward-Prowse, and higher pass completion numbers.

The main thing Ward-Prowse has over Soler is defensive action output, completing more tackles, blocks and interceptions than the Spaniard, but with Alvarez in midfield alongside him, and new defensive reinforcements such as Jean-Clair Todibo, Max Kilman, and Aaron Wan-Bissaka, those defensive actions could be replaced quite easily.

All in all, it points to a deal that could prove a masterstroke for Lopetegui, while also allowing the new boss to find his own Gündoğan-esque attacking asset.

Alongside Soler: Lopetegui keen on West Ham move for Bowen 2.0

He also impressed in the Championship

ByJoe Nuttall Aug 20, 2024

Everton fans who travelled from Australia to attend the final Merseyside derby at Goodison Park have been left heartbroken by the game's postponement.

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• Teenager spent savings on travel and ticket
• Game suspended due to Storm Darragh
• Invited to training with Toffees

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Per , 15-year-old Mackenzie Kinsella spent around £15,000 to travel from Australia to England to watch his beloved Toffees play in the final Merseyside derby at Goodison Park, only for Storm Darragh to intervene, with the game called off due to safety fears. He also watched the Toffees against Wolves but his derby dream has been dashed; elsewhere, Nathan Hamlin travelled 30 hours from down under, and has revealed to that he was attempting to tick off a "bucket list" item.

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  Since the news of the postponement, Everton captain Seamus Coleman has taken steps to ensure Kinsella can meet his heroes by inviting him to Toffees training. There has been no confirmation of when the game will be rearranged for, so it is unclear if either fan will be able to see the fixture eventually.

• WHAT MACKENZIE'S FAMILY SAID

  Mackenzie's mother said: "When we came back [after Easter], he said it was his dream to go to an Everton v Liverpool game at Goodison Park. He saved up the money, used all his savings and said two weeks ago: ‘I’d really like to go mum – will you let me go?’

  "I said I can’t stop you if you’ve got the money. We’re very proud of him."

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Everton play Arsenal on Saturday before a clash with Chelsea the following weekend. Both fans, sadly, are likely to be back in Australia by then.

After their first T20I win against Pakistan, the hosts now chase their first-ever bilateral series win in the format

Danyal Rasool24-Apr-2021Big pictureIt was about time the chickens would come home to roost on Pakistan’s middle order, but the manner of that reckoning was so grave even those predicting it were taken aback. A first-ever T20I loss to Zimbabwe, and the fourth-lowest total defended against a Full Member saw Pakistan bowled out for 99 in a chase of 119, losing their last seven wickets for just 21 runs. The confidence shot it gives Zimbabwe cannot be overstated as, against all odds, they go into the third and final T20I with a real chance of springing upon Pakistan a chastening series defeat.There is, of course, room for improvement for both sides, especially with the bat. Zimbabwe restricted Pakistan thanks to a combination of a near-flawless performance with the ball, in the field and the total capitulation of the visitors. While stand-in captain Brendan Taylor will want a repeat performance in that respect from his side, Pakistan are unlikely to be that listless two games in a row. To counter that, Zimbabwe could work on the way they paced their own innings with the bat, putting little pressure on Pakistan, almost content to canter along to a sub-120 total.With Craig Ervine ruled out of the series and Sean Williams nursing a hand issue in for the last game, Zimbabwe lost plenty of experience, so the return of the latter might not be a surprise. Taylor did mention after the match that his side might have to approach the powerplay with a touch more positivity, setting the tempo for the remainder of the innings. The pitches here in Harare appear to have plenty in them for bowlers, with both captains agreeing totals around 140-150 were challenging. With Zimbabwe having felt they left runs out there, they go into the decider on equal terms.Pakistan, meanwhile, appear to be on that precipice from which they could lurch either to brilliance or chaos, with no way of predicting which it will be. They were given a nudge towards the latter after the second T20I with Shoaib Malik taking to Twitter to lambast “unacquainted decision makers”. What should have been a series to try out new players and fine-tune certain aspects of their game for the T20 World Cup has instead thrown up a decider of extreme pressure, giving this series a higher profile than most would have accorded it a few days ago.Form guideZimbabwe WLLLL(last five completed T20Is, most recent first)
Pakistan LWWWLIn the spotlightWesley Madhevere was by far the brightest spark of Zimbabwe’s tour of Pakistan a few months ago, but he hasn’t quite lit up this series just yet, particularly with the bat. There have been glimpses of his ability in these two games, but justice to his talent is yet to be done. His dismissal in the previous game was especially disappointing when he attempted a low-percentage reverse sweep and gave away his wicket while Zimbabwe desperately needed him to bat deep. His contribution with the ball, though, has been surprisingly impactful, conceding just 27 runs in five overs and taking two wickets across the two games.Mohammad Hafeez was believed to be a panacea of sorts for the middle order; unlike the rest, he was in excellent form in the lead up to Pakistan’s tours of South Africa and Zimbabwe. He missed South Africa’s T20I series in Pakistan because he was playing the T10 League in the UAE, where he excelled, and went on to distinguish himself with his performances in the PSL. However, that form has not turned into output at the international level in a beleaguered middle order, further amplifying Pakistan’s woes. He had a phenomenally successful 2020, barging his way back into Pakistan’s T20 World Cup plans, but if this barren run continues, he could find himself frozen out in double-quick time.Team newsIf Williams returns, he will add experience to the batting line-up, but it’s unlikely Zimbabwe will wish to make too many changes to the side that helped them win the second T20I.Zimbabwe (probable): 1 Tinashe Kamunhukamwe, 2 Brendan Taylor (capt & wk), 3 Tadiwanashe Marumani, 4 Wesley Madhevere, 5 Regis Chakabva, 6 Ryan Burl, 7 Tarisai Musakanda, 8 Luke Jongwe, 9 Wellington Masakadza, 10 Blessing Muzarabani, 11 Richard NgaravaPakistan rested Shaheen Shah Afridi and Hasan Ali for the last two games, but with the series on the line, it would not be a surprise to see them make an appearance.Pakistan (probable): 1 Babar Azam (capt), 2 Mohammad Rizwan (wk), 3 Fakhar Zaman 4 Sharjeel Khan/Asif Ali 5 Danish Aziz 6 Mohammad Hafeez 7 Faheem Ashraf 8 Hasan Ali 9 Mohammad Hasnain/Haris Rauf 10 Shaheen Shah Afridi 11 Usman QadirPitch and conditionsThe weather is clear again, and with the boundaries as big as they are, a target around 150 should put the side batting first in a decent position. Both sides have fielded first upon winning the toss, but have ended up failing to chase down targets.Stats and trivia Zimbabwe have never won a bilateral T20I series (they did win a one-off T20I against West Indies in 2010). Williams is 64 away from 1000 runs in T20Is. Taylor is 86 short of the same milestone. For Zimbabwe, only Hamilton Masakadza (1662) has more T20I runs.

يواجه فريق الأهلي نظيره مودرن سبورت مساء غد الأحد ضمن منافسات بطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز “النيل” 2024-2025.

المباراة تقام على ملعب استاد السلام في تمام الساعة السابعة مساءً بتوقيت مصر ضمن منافسات الجولة الحادية عشر من عمر الدوري المصري الممتاز.

ويقام هذا اللقاء في ظل ظروف مثيرة للاهتمام لكلا الفريقين، حيث يسعى الأهلي لتعويض النقاط الضائعة في التعادلات المتكررة، بينما يحاول مودرن سبورت الخروج من قاع الترتيب وتحقيق مفاجأة جديدة أمام الأحمر.

يأتي الأهلي إلى هذه المباراة وهو في المركز الثاني بجدول الترتيب برصيد 20 نقطة، بعد أن حقق تعادله الخامس هذا الموسم أمام بيراميدز في المباراة الماضية.

مرتضى منصور يعلق على انتقال أشرف بن شرقي لـ الأهلي.. ويصرح: “لن ينتظر الزمالك طول العمر”

وعلى الرغم من أن الفريق لم يتلقَ أي هزيمة حتى الآن، إلا أن التعادلات المتتالية أثارت بعض التساؤلات حول قدرته على الحفاظ على وتيرة المنافسة على لقب الدوري، خلال الموسم الحالي، حيث حقق الأهلي 5 انتصارات فقط.

من ناحية أخرى، يقبع مودرن سبورت في المركز قبل الأخير بجدول الترتيب، وهو ما يجعله في موقف صعب يحتاج معه إلى تحقيق نقاط إيجابية لتفادي خطر الهبوط إلى دوري الدرجة الثانية.

وعلى الرغم من مركزه المتأخر، فإن الفريق يمتلك ذكرى جيدة مع الأهلي، حيث تمكن من تحقيق فوز مفاجئ في آخر مواجهة بين الفريقين، وهو ما يمنحه دفعة معنوية قبل اللقاء القادم.

تاريخ المواجهات بين الفريقين يشير إلى أن الأهلي فاز في 3 مباريات فقط من أصل 7، بينما انتهت 3 مباريات بالتعادل وفاز مودرن سبورت في مباراة واحدة فقط، وهي المباراة الأخيرة بينهما. 

من المتوقع أن يعتمد الأهلي على تشكيلته القوية التي تضم عددًا من النجوم الدوليين، مع التركيز على تحسين الأداء الهجومي الذي ظهر بشكل متذبذب في المباريات الأخيرة، كما سيكون التركيز على تجنب الأخطاء الدفاعية التي كلفته نقاطًا ثمينة في التعادلات السابقة.

في المقابل، سيحاول مودرن سبورت استغلال أي فرصة للهجوم المضاد، مع الاعتماد على التنظيم الدفاعي لصد هجمات الأهلي، حيث يدرك أن تحقيق أي نقطة في هذه المباراة سيكون إنجازًا كبيرًا يعزز من فرصه في البقاء في الدوري المصري.

He is likely to be out of action for a few months, with surgery scheduled on his left shoulder

Nagraj Gollapudi25-Mar-2021

Shreyas Iyer is set to miss out on the whole of IPL 2021•BCCI

In a setback to both the player and the Delhi Capitals, Shreyas Iyer is set to miss the entire IPL 2021. ESPNcricinfo understands that Iyer, who is the Capitals captain, will undergo surgery to his left shoulder, which he partially dislocated on Monday while fielding during first ODI of the England series.It is understood that Iyer is likely to be out of cricket for at least a few months, thus erasing any hopes the Capitals had of him returning during the second half of IPL 2021, which will be played in India between April 9 and May 30.On Thursday, the BCCI had only confirmed Iyer had been ruled out of the ongoing three-match ODI series against England without releasing any details on the injury, as well as the surgery. It also wished Iyer “speedy recovery” as response to a tweet by the Indian batsman, who said he would be “back soon.” Iyer picked the injury during the early part of the England’s chase in the first ODI. Posted at extra cover, Iyer fell awkwardly on his left shoulder while successfully intercepting a drive from Johnny Bairstow in the eighth over of the England innings. Immediately, Iyer was seen grimacing and rolling on the turf while holding his left shoulder. After brief medical attention, Iyer was rushed out for scans, which revealed he had “sublaxtion” (partially dislocated) in his shoulder.It was the third time since IPL 2020 that Iyer had hurt the left shoulder, having also hurt it during the ODI series in Australia.Indications that Iyer’s injury this time was serious, came via a tweet posted early on Thursday by Parth Jindal, the Capitals’ co-owner. Jindal said he was “devastated and gutted”, and wished Iyer “quick recovery” as India “needs you in the T20 World Cup.” Iyer had been appointed captain of the Delhi Daredevils, as they were called then, during IPL 2018. The team had won only one of their first six matches that year, which made Gautam Gambhir, then the captain, step down. Iyer, who was then 23 years old, was identified as his successor, three years after the franchise had bought him as an uncapped player.Iyer had pipped local boy Rishabh Pant to the leadership position. He soon built a close rapport with the Capitals’ head coach Ricky Ponting, as the team’s fortunes turned around with playoff qualifications in the last two seasons. In 2019, the Capitals lost in the Eliminator, and in IPL 2020, they reached the final, losing to Mumbai Indians. Iyer was the fourth-highest run-getter in IPL 2020.

Vinicius Junior is ahead of schedule in his recovery from his latest injury and is expected to return to action for Real Madrid soon.

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Vinicius Jr injury boost to Real MadridLikely to return next weekSuffered thigh strain last monthFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Vinicius Jr has missed Los Blancos' last three outings across all competitions after he was ruled out of action with a fresh muscular injury to his thigh last month. The Brazilian winger was expected to be sidelined for at least three weeks, but now report he is on course to return to action by next week.

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The report further claims that the 24-year-old was not expected to return before the final of the new Intercontinental Cup on December 18, though he is now hoping to return to pitch either against Atalanta on December 10 or against Rayo Vallecano on December 14. The news comes as a huge boost to Carlo Ancelotti's side, who have lost two out of their last three outings with defeats against Liverpool in the Champions League and Athletic Club in La Liga.

DID YOU KNOW?

In the 2024-25 campaign, the winger has appeared in 18 matches across all competitions for the Spanish champions, where he has scored 12 goals and provided eight assists. He narrowly and controversially missed out winning the Ballon d'Or to Rodri.

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR REAL MADRID?

Real Madrid, who are trailing league leaders and rivals Barcelona by four points, will aim to get back to winning ways this Saturday as they take on Girona in a crucial La Liga away fixture.

Leeds United still have around a month left to go in the summer transfer window to make further additions to their first-team options across the park.

Daniel Farke has already added three new signings to the group, with Joe Rodon, Alex Cairns, Jayden Bogle, and Joe Rothwell coming through the door.

The Whites failed to secure promotion back to the Premier League at the first time of asking, and are now set to embark on another attempt to fight their way out of the Championship.

They could improve their chances of finishing in the top two by signing a player who has already proven himself to be a fantastic player at that level.

Leeds interest in Championship star

According to HITC, Leeds would love to sign Norwich City attacking midfielder Gabriel Sara to bolster Farke's options in the middle of the park.

The report claims that the Whites are big fans of the former Sao Paulo ace, whose left foot was dubbed "magical" by analyst Ben Mattinson, and would be interested in bringing him to Elland Road this summer.

It adds, however, that their Championship rivals are set to demand a fee of at least £20m for their £19k-per-week star, who they bought for £6m in the summer of 2022.

HITC claims that the West Yorkshire side may not have the funds available to sanction a deal for the Brazilian unless they cash in on one or two of their own stars, namely Crysencio Summerville and Wilfried Gnonto.

Gabriel Sara would be a dream for Ethan Ampadu

Farke could land a dream signing for Ethan Ampadu by landing Sara this summer, as the Norwich whiz could brilliantly complement him in midfield.

Whilst the Wales international is a defensive enforcer who does not provide much in the way of quality at the top end of the pitch, the left-footed sensation has the ability to make a consistent impact in the final third.

In the 2023/24 Championship campaign, no central midfielder for Leeds managed more than one goal or more than three assists, which suggests that the team lacked a goal threat from that position.

Appearances

46

Appearances

46

Goals

13

Goals

0

Assists

12

Assists

1

Big chances created

16

Tackles + interceptions per game

2.9

Key passes per game

2.6

Ball recoveries per game

6.9

Dribbles completed per game

0.9

Ground duel success rate

57%

Duel success rate

54%

Aerial duel success rate

63%

As you can see in the table above, Sara racked up a staggering 25 direct goal contributions in 46 matches from a central midfield role for Norwich.

Meanwhile, Ampadu is a dominant defensive presence at the base of the midfield, whilst also being able to operate at centre-back, who who can win the majority of his physical duels and win possession back through tackles, interceptions, and recoveries.

Leeds could find new Raphinha in swoop for £14m "unsung hero"

The Whites have been linked with an interest in the forward this summer.

ByDan Emery Jul 31, 2024

Sara could, therefore, be a dream signing for the Welsh brute as he has the attacking quality to burst forward from midfield to make things happen in attack, whilst the ex-Chelsea man can sit back and sweep up out of possession.

Although still reeling from a mass exodus of top players this summer, West Bromwich Albion comfortable opening day win in the Championship, overcoming Marti Cifuentes' Queens Park Rangers on their own patch 3-1, was perhaps a tad surprising.

Josh Maja was the star of the show at Loftus Road, scoring a hat-trick after being gifted the starting spot up top by Carlos Corberan, and showed to the overjoyed West Brom masses in West London that losing Brandon Thomas-Asante doesn't have to be the end of the world.

Away from Maja, Tom Fellows also shone brightly against the Hoops, as the West Brom youth product aims to reach even higher heights than he managed last campaign when he broke into the first team and never looked back.

Fellows' time at West Brom

Fellows constantly terrorised the QPR defence last weekend to ensure West Brom comfortably picked up all three points ahead of their clash with Leeds yesterday.

It was Maja's second of the day that was all the 21-year-old's making, however, supplying the chance for his teammate to put away.

Moreover, the tenacious winger was brave and alert with five duels won in total, to give his side the energy they needed to push on to pick up the win.

His aim will just be to keep performing at this high level and strive to become an even more concrete part of Corberan's first-team plans going forward, having had his breakout moment in the spotlight last campaign.

Fellows would finish his promising 2023/24 season with five goals and four assists next to his name from 38 games in all competitions, having previously just starred at youth level for his boyhood employers, before finally going on to make the grade in the senior mix.

As a result, his transfer value for the West Midlands club has also risen, with his current price tag higher than that of Thomas-Asante's – according to Football Transfers – even with the former Baggies man recently winning himself a move to divisional rivals Coventry City.

Fellows' transfer value at West Brom

The standout Baggies prodigy is now worth in the region of £2.4m, with Thomas-Asante having been sold to the Sky Blues this summer for around £2m.

It's been quite the sharp rise for Fellows, who was once just a wide-eyed youngster shipped out on loan to League Two with Crawley Town, but there were signs he would eventually spark into life and become a top Championship performer in the fourth tier, with former Crawley coach Darren Byfield labelling him as "unbelievable" when the pair had previously worked together.

Fellows' transfer value over the years

Date

Value

2024

£2.4m

2023

£429k

2022

£429k

Sourced by Football Transfers

Only two years ago, before his rise to stardom in the first-team mix, Fellows was worth just £429k, and his value could soar way above £2.4m if he continues to be a star for West Brom this season, on the way to another promotion charge taking shape.

Whilst the youngster's value continues to go up and up, West Brom might have cashed in on Thomas-Asante at the perfect possible time, with his price-tag standing at a far higher £2.9m in March of this year, before tumbling down to a lesser £2.1m.

The Baggies will continue to look for their next main man up top to complement Fellows' creativity, with Maja undoubtedly benefiting at this point in time, in the wake of Thomas-Asante leaving.

Whoever is chosen to be Corberan's next leading man going forward will love playing alongside Fellows you imagine, who will want to be a key player for his boyhood club moving forward after dazzling against QPR, as promotion is eyed up as the main objective once more.

Related West Brom can finally replace Thomas-Asante in swoop for PL "handful"

West Bromwich Albion would welcome this new striker in through the door with open arms.

Posts ByKelan Sarson Aug 14, 2024

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The Chennai Super Kings’ opening-game defeat and the Kolkata Knight Riders’ first-match win both seem so long back already – since then, their fortunes have headed in opposite directions.A long batting line-up together with a combination of swing bowlers and spinners have made the Super Kings early contenders for a playoff spot even though they are only three matches old at the moment. MS Dhoni’s own batting form has been far from great, but the other batters seem to have more clarity in how to maximise their scoring, with everyone is chipping in across various periods in different games.Deepak Chahar made the ball talk one night, Ravindra Jadeja and Moeen Ali did the same another night, and Sam Curran has been consistently tight with the new ball. It’s still early days, but the Super Kings are looking like the classic yellow team that always found a way to cross the line. They have two wins in three now and are favourites to make it three wins in four. The only major worry is the form of Ruturaj Gaikwad, who has struggled in all three matches. Maybe it’s time for Robin Uthappa to have a go against his former IPL side.Related

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The Knight Riders, meanwhile, are just not getting enough from their batters. Shubman Gill has been breezy but hasn’t batted long enough. Barring the first game, it’s the same with Nitish Rana and Rahul Tripathi. Eoin Morgan is not pulling his weight as the experienced pro, Shakib Al Hasan is not scoring quickly enough, and Dinesh Karthik has struggled against spin. That has left too much for Andre Russell to do, and he has an average of 15.00 and a strike rate of 112.50 this season so far.Their bowling has been doing better than in the last season, taking more powerplay wickets and ending innings well (barring that one brilliant afternoon of batting from AB de Villiers). The jury is out: they need more from their batters if they are to avoid a hat-trick of defeats.It’s also going to be their first game in Mumbai in IPL 2021, so is there a case for Shakib to be dropped? Sunil Narine and Lockie Ferguson are frontrunners to grab that spot, depending on conditions. Harbhajan Singh, too, could be rested as the team moves away from Chennai. Either way, the Knight Riders will hope a new city brings in a change in fortunes.

In the news

Jason Behrendorff is not yet available for the Super Kings, as he continues to serve his quarantine. He was drafted into their squad after Josh Hazlewood had pulled out.Brendon McCullum revealed after the Knight Riders’ third game that Narine was supposed to start in their first game, but a niggle was the reason for Shakib getting the nod. There’s no formal update on the Narine situation.If fit, Sunil Narine might get back into the Knight Riders’ playing XI•BCCI

Likely XIs

Kolkata Knight Riders 1 Shubman Gill, 2 Nitish Rana, 3 Rahul Tripathi, 4 Eoin Morgan (capt), 5 Dinesh Karthik (wk), 6 Andre Russell, 7 Shakib Al Hasan/Sunil Narine/Lockie Ferguson, 8 Pat Cummins, 9 Harbhajan Singh/Shivam Mavi, 10 Varun Chakravarthy, 11 Prasidh KrishnaChennai Super Kings 1 Robin Uthappa/Ruturaj Gaikwad, 2 Faf du Plessis, 3 Moeen Ali, 4 Suresh Raina, 5 Ambati Rayudu, 6 Ravindra Jadeja, 7 Sam Curran, 8 MS Dhoni (capt & wk), 9 Dwayne Bravo, 10 Shardul Thakur, 11 Deepak Chahar

Strategy punt

• There’s a case for the Super Kings to open the bowling with Shardul Thakur – instead of the Chahar-Curran combination. Thakur has bowled to Gill in three T20 innings: in 16 balls, the bowler has dismissed the batter three times.
• Narine in the XI can work well for the Knight Riders. His weakness as a batter is facing short balls from express quick bowlers, and the Super Kings pacers are not the fastest. With the ball, Narine is very successful against the Super Kings batters too. In T20s, du Plessis’ strike rate against Narine is 62, Gaikwad’s is 80, Rayudu’s is 83, Dhoni’s is 45, and Jadeja’s is 102.

Stats that matter

• Russell has never hit an IPL six at the Wankhede Stadium and averages 8.20 there. That, however, is mainly because he has struggled against the usual home team at the venue, the Mumbai Indians.
• Since IPL 2020, Gaikwad has the lowest powerplay strike rate (84) of all batters (minimum fifty runs). Uthappa has the third-highest strike rate in the first six (142.5) in the same period, behind only Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes.
• Since IPL 2019, the Super Kings have won 70% of their games when they have taken two powerplay wickets. The win-rate boosts up to 80% when they take three or more. Also, they have never lost a game when Curran has taken a powerplay wicket.
• du Plessis is one run away from becoming the sixth South Africa international to reach 6000 T20 runs. AB de Villiers, David Miller, Colin Ingram, JP Duminy and Quinton de Kock are ahead of him.