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Marks out of ten for New Zealand following their 0-1 loss to South Africa

Firdose Moonda28-Mar-2012Kane Williamson was New Zealand’s only centurion in the series•Associated Press8
Kane Williamson
The 21-year old Williamson was the most promising player to emerge out of the series for New Zealand. In the future, this may be remembered as his coming of age, as he stood up to an attack that is regarded as one of the best in the world at the moment. Williamson was New Zealand’s youngest batsmen but proved their most mature, and was the only one to score a century. After looking out of his depth in his first three innings, he showed he belonged with an important half-century at Seddon Park before an impressive hundred at the Basin Reserve. Both times, he batted with the tail, taking the strike if needed, wearing the blows, surviving the chances and refusing to be rattled. Graeme Smith praised his technique and mental strength and even slipped in a suggestion that Williamson’s hundred may come to be spoken of in the same way Jacques Kallis’ first century in Melbourne is.7.5
Mark Gillespie
For a man who was told two years ago that he would have to give up Test cricket, finishing as New Zealand’s leading wicket-taker in the series is an effort to be proud of. He bowled through pain to take 11 wickets, including two five-wicket hauls. Aggression was the main ingredient of his success but he also made use of swing and subtle movement. Inconsistency affected him almost as much as it did New Zealand’s other bowlers and he veered sharply between ultra-effective and ineffective. He provided entertainment with the bat and in the post-match press conferences, and looks ready for a longer second stint as an international cricketer.7
Doug Bracewell
New Zealand’s season was bookended by Bracewell’s heroics, with the ball in Hobart, against Australia, and with bat in Wellington, against South Africa. His match-saving partnership with Williamson in Wellington may be remembered more than any of the nine wickets he took in the series. Bracewell was New Zealand’s second highest wicket-taker and played important supporting roles to Gillespie and Chris Martin. His best showing came when he assisted Martin in engineering South Africa’s collapse in the first innings of the Dunedin Test, with a crafty exhibition of pace and movement.Chris Martin
Although he did not quite find the mojo he had against South Africa in the past, Martin was still successful and always looked threatening. His three wickets in two overs in Dunedin started New Zealand’s series with hope and he was able to live up to expectations throughout the series. He was the most consistent bowler, moved the ball across the left-handers and found swing. He also played an important mentoring role to the rest of the quicks, most of whom were inexperienced.Kruger van Wyk
The South African-born wicketkeeper took his chances, literally and figuratively, to give New Zealand an interesting selection dilemma for the wicketkeeping position. He was tidy and energetic behind the stumps and waited patiently for his first catch, which only came in the second match. A diving effort saw him open his account with the dismissal of Graeme Smith. He made a few keeping errors but his contributions with the bat could extend his run in the Test side, even when BJ Watling returns to full fitness. Coming in at No.7, van Wyk was not expected to be the fourth highest run-scorer for New Zealand. His innings were gutsy, feisty and showed his ability to deal with pressure. His partnership with Williamson in the Wellington Test was crucial to New Zealand batting out a draw.6.5
Brendon McCullum
McCullum was New Zealand’s second highest run-scorer and was one of the few pillars of strength in the line-up. He was moved down to No. 3 and coped with it by employing an aggressive approach for most of his time at the crease. It paid off, to a point. McCullum’s inability to control his aggression, particularly the pull shot, caused him to make what he called “dumb mistakes.” He gave away his wicket away twice after scoring half-centuries and, as one of New Zealand’s senior batsmen, would have been disappointed to end the series without a big score.Ross Taylor
Taylor tried to lead from the front with the bat but did not always succeed. He was part of two partnerships with McCullum, in Dunedin and Hamilton, that could have put New Zealand in dominant positions. In playing unnecessarily rash strokes, Taylor made the same mistakes as the rest of the batsmen. As a captain, he tried to protect New Zealand’s weak batting by opting to bowl first on the two occasions he won the toss. His decision backfired In Wellington as the bowlers struggled in the wind. He will be left wondering whether New Zealand’s first innings in Wellington would have turned out differently if a Morne Morkel short ball had not broken his forearm.Rob Nicol had a torrid time in the two Tests he played•Getty Images5.5
Martin Guptill
He had the toughest job of all New Zealand’s batsmen – facing the new ball – and he negotiated it without disgracing himself. Guptill showed staying power and a good temperament. He put up a determined fight in most of his innings but was guilty of giving his wicket away after getting starts. On the back of a streak of half-centuries in the limited-overs games, more was expected from him. Guptill ended strongly, with an innings of 59 in the first innings of the third Test.Damien Flynn
Three consecutive hundreds in the Plunket Shield, albeit in the middle order, saw Flynn replace Rob Nicol at the top of the New Zealand line-up for the third Test. He did his selection justice with a patient 45 in more than two and a half hours at the crease, despite being talked up as being a player who had worked on his attacking game since he last played for New Zealand in 2009. He assessed the situation well at the Basin Reserve, saw off a vicious attack and displayed a range of shots that can only bode well for the future. Like most of New Zealand’s batsmen, he succumbed to the nagging consistency of Vernon Philander and departed after a start.Daniel Vettori
The player that caused the most debate in the New Zealand squad, Vettori faced constant questions over his role in the side. Two issues nagged him: that he was batting too high, at No. 6 for the first two Tests, and that he had lost his ability to create magic with the ball. Neither was entirely his fault. Vettori was forced to bat higher because of the decision to field just five specialist batsmen. The result was that when he walked to the crease it was usually with New Zealand in the middle of a collapse, and he was tasked with trying to rescue them. On surfaces that did not facilitate turn, he could not have been expected to do much more with the ball. He was a workhorse, bowling the most number of overs for New Zealand and tying up an end.4.5
Trent Boult
General sentiment in New Zealand was that Boult was unlucky to be dropped after only playing the Dunedin Test. He performed adequately in that match with the biggest criticism being that he was expensive in the first innings and pacy without being penetrative enough for a strike bowler. His late blitz with the bat at the end of the first innings gave New Zealand the advantage of a lead.4
Dean Brownlie
With just one match in the series, after recovering from a broken finger, Brownlie did not present much to judge him on. He made two starts but did not push on. He is known as a player with a bit of fight in him, and glimpses of it came through in New Zealand’s second innings in Wellington.3
Tim Southee
Southee’s axing after one match caused a stir in New Zealand. He was rightly sent back to the Plunket Shield to work on his action, which he was rushing through, causing him to lose his lines. He went wicketless in Dunedin and leaked runs.2
Rob Nicol
Nicol was given a chance to transfer his aggression from the one-day game to the Test arena but found himself in the deep end. Nicol’s technique came into question as he struggled to read lines and lengths and was too often cramped up by South Africa’s quicks. He drew some sympathy for his effort in the second innings in Dunedin, when he survived being hit a number of times before tamely offering a catch to cover. He did not survive until the third Test and was dropped after four woeful innings, in which he collected just 28 runs.Brent Arnel
As the leading wicket-taker in the Plunket Shield who was eligible for national selection (South African-born Neil Wagner had the most number of scalps but will only qualify in April), Arnel’s comeback was highly anticipated. It turned out to be equally disappointing. He was the weakest link of New Zealand’s attack in Hamilton, particularly in the first innings, when they were on top of South Africa for a substantial period. He went wicketless and was expensive, failing to apply any pressure or find any consistency.Edited by Devashish Fuloria

The former Kolkata and Australia coach lays out his vision for Twenty20, but don’t expect the inside story on KKR’s disastrous second season

Jayaditya Gupta22-Aug-2009Sometime in early May, West Indies captain Chris Gayle set off a storm when he said he “wouldn’t be so sad” if Test cricket eventually gave way to Twenty20. Two months later he, and the entire West Indies team, walked the talk, pulling out of a Test series against Bangladesh and putting their international careers at risk.The decision could be taken only because of the insurance provided by Twenty20, which has evolved in its brief lifespan into perhaps the most democratic version of a game long underpinned – and pinned back – by tradition. That notion of democracy works at three levels: the format itself, where anything can happen in 20 overs of cricket; the way Twenty20 is actually played out, through transnational leagues a world away from the traditional inter-national element of cricket’s contests; and the overall effect of both these elements, which combine to make the player more powerful than ever by simply offering him more choices.It’s a scenario predicted by John Buchanan, arguably the game’s most innovative coach, whose radical thinking polarised opinion even within his own Australian team. Buchanan’s appointment at Kolkata Knight Riders raised fascinating possibilities, given that his boss was the hands-on megastar Shah Rukh Khan and his captain the mercurial Sourav Ganguly. The relationship could have gone either way, but two tumultuous seasons later Buchanan was gone, given the thumbs down by SRK after the crowd bayed for blood and the gladiators shrugged their shoulders in bemusement.Unfortunately – and this is the book’s biggest failure – there’s nothing here of the 2009 season, where KKR finished last amid a string of controversies; the book stops a few days before the second term was to begin. That’s a shame, because it denies us an explanation of some of the disasters, including the inflated fee paid for Mashrafe Mortaza after what seemed to be a Bollywood battle between SRK and Preity Zinta, the “batting strategy” tactic relentlessly pursued through a losing streak, and of course the multiple captaincy theory that saw Ganguly axed in favour of a clearly overawed Brendon McCullum.Buchanan’s spectacular failure at KKR was all the more surprising given his reputation as a sharply analytical, inquisitive person who challenges both his players and his sport. Or perhaps it’s because of that, for despite his championing of the IPL, he is deeply concerned about its inherent problem: It is too powerful. That, he says, makes it hidebound, an irony given how truly radical it is as a concept. Having captured the market, is it open to change and evolution, he wonders. He faults the franchise owners, largely far-thinking entrepreneurs who seem to have got cold feet when it comes to continuing the cricket revolution or even in forming a lobby to push for their agenda.

Despite his championing of the IPL, Buchanan is deeply concerned about its inherent problem: It is too powerful. That, he says, makes it hidebound, an irony given how truly radical it is as a concept

That doesn’t stop Buchanan from ideating on taking things forward. Twenty20, he thinks, is best suited to selling the game to new markets, and there’s no better way to do that than through the Olympics, beginning with (pun not intended) the 2020 Games. The process needs to be taken out of the dressing rooms and the traditional boardrooms and into the hands of big business. Other prescriptions include a Duckworth-Lewis formula specifically for Twenty20, the concept of “double-plays” (getting two wickets with one ball), advancing the coin toss, and restructuring stadiums to include baseball-type batting- and bowling pens.Then there are the nuggets, the insights of a keen observer into the game and its players. The Naga boy Hokaito, for example, who was desperate for a place on the team because of what it would mean to people back home. And Buchanan’s take on Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman, who he writes are unfit for Twenty20 at this stage of their careers; bold words, but who’d really argue with them? He seems fascinated with Ganguly and was both right and wrong in this observation on their relationship: “If push came to shove there would only be one winner, but I doubt it will come to that.”It did, of course; Buchanan’s biggest failure was to underestimate what Ganguly meant to KKR – and thereby to its owners. Push came to shove and Buchanan left – but one gets the feeling the loss is as much the IPL’s. The game is changing rapidly, but can those in charge change along with it? This coach could have helped ensure they don’t miss the bus.The Future of Cricket: the rise of Twenty20
John Buchanan
Orient Paperbacks, 191pp, Rs 295

Manchester United's marquee signing had plenty of good moments alongside the club's biggest star in a 2-1 win over West Ham to kickstart the Premier League Summer Series.

• Man Utd defeat West Ham
• Fernandes nets both goals
• New signing Cunha shows flashes

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  Bruno Fernandes was in top form as he helped Manchester United edge West Ham in a 2-1 win in the Premier League Summer Series match held at MetLife Stadium.

  Man Utd started the match hot, with Rasmus Hojlund hitting the post just seconds into the game. That turned out to be a warning shot, one that led to something real just five minutes in. On what appeared to be a routine sequence, Alphonse Areola fumbled the ball straight into the path of Ayden Heaven, who was taken down in the ensuing scramble to earn the Red Devils a penalty. Fernandes stepped up and buried it, giving his team a 1-0 lead before the game really got going.

  Throughout the rest of the first half, West Ham had their moments to dictate play, with Man Utd generally comfortable keeping their shape. The Red Devils, though, had the best look of the half, with Amad Diallo's goal called back after the winger was a step or two offside before receiving the through ball.

  Fernandes had another early look after the break, but put his shot straight at Areola, but it was the Portuguese star who then made the goalkeeper pay after another mistake. After playing a pass straight to Kobbie Mainoo, Areola could only watch as Fernandes curled home from range to double the Man Utd advantage in the 52nd minute.

  West Ham pulled one back in the 63rd minute through Jarrod Bowen, giving them something to push for as the game wore on. Shortly after, though, Man Utd fully changed up the team, with Ruben Amorim making 10 changes by bringing in veterans like Casemiro, Mason Mount, and Harry Maguire alongside youngsters Chido Obi, Diego Leon, Jack Fletcher, and Tyler Fredricson. The pace of the game slowed down from there, though, as the team survived a few late chances from West Ham to hold onto the victory.

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  THE MVP

  No doubt about this one. As per usual, Fernandes ran the show, ultimately making the difference with some real moments of quality.

  Yes, the first goal was a penalty and, of course, the second goal came seconds after a goalkeeper mistake, but there were plenty of moments scattered in between where Fernandes did what he does. If the Man Utd attack was making things happen, it was generally the Portuguese star at the centre of it, as he so often has been since he arrived at Old Trafford.

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  NEW FACES

  When constructing a squad, one of the first things you have to do is make sure that your big pieces fit together. If Saturday was any evidence, Matheus Cunha fits alongside Fernandes just fine.

  Throughout the match, the two showed plenty of signs of chemistry, routinely linking up in the centre of the field. It didn't take long for them to find that connection, either, with Cunha firing a shot on target just 18 minutes in following a Fernandes dummy. It seems that the two are already on the same wavelength, which is a huge positive for Amorim as he looks to build his attack around him.

  Furthermore, Cunha showed his willingness and ability to press, frequently pushing forward to try and win the ball back. It wasn't a headline-making game by any stretch, and there will surely be better performances from Cunha, but there was one big takeaway from Saturday: that Man Utd's new man can make things happen alongside their talisman.

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  While many of Man Utd's younger stars came on in the second half, 18-year-old defender Heaven was one of two teenagers in the starting XI alongside Leny Yoro. He surely had an eventful evening, too, playing his part in two of the three goals on the day.

  Heaven was, admittedly, a bit fortunate on the first, as he was able to pounce on the loose ball before being hacked down to draw the penalty. That was one side of things. The other was a hairier moment in the second half, when he was undone by one of the league's better wingers, Bowen. The West Ham star, of course, has the ability to beat most defenders, but Heaven showed him a bit too much space on his left foot, allowing him to pull a goal back.

  Generally, though, it wasn't a bad day for Heaven, who showed that he can play at this level while also learning a lesson about how he'll need to raise his game if he wants to reach it himself. The defender made six appearances in all competitions during the second half of last season after making the move from Arsenal during the winter transfer window.

Why is batting against R Ashwin such a challenge? There are few people better qualified to answer that question than Joe Root, an accomplished player of spin. He’s faced 693 balls from Ashwin in Test cricket and, despite scoring 418 runs at an average of 59, he admits he’s not always comfortable against the offspinner. Root’s been dismissed seven times – twice in the ongoing series – by Ashwin, who is gearing up to play his 100th Test against England in Dharamsala.”I’d say with Ashwin, (it) is making sure that you don’t play the previous ball,” Root said on the Sky Cricket vodcast hosted by former England captains Michael Atherton and Nasser Hussain, when he was asked about the difference between facing Ashwin and Australia’s Nathan Lyon. “He’s (Ashwin) very good at trying to drag you across the crease, get your head one side of it, try and beat both edges quite frequently.”With Lyon, it’s all about overspin, especially in the first half of the Test match. (He) is (trying) to get really over the top of the ball, get bounce or bowling between your knee-roll and hip, and, try and bring short leg and leg slip in the game as much as he can. And then just slowly get slower with his pace and drift wider into those footholds that Mitchell Starc has so kindly done for him for such a long period of time.”Ashwin is, probably, slightly more trying to find ways of getting you out, rather than trying to weigh you down like Lyon will over long periods of time.”Related

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• Stats – Who has the best numbers after 100 Test caps?

• Cheteshwar Pujara on R Ashwin: brilliant, relentless, always learning

Root was both witness and victim of Ashwin’s innovative ways in the second innings of the fourth Test in Ranchi, on a pitch that had variable bounce but little turn. On the third day, Ashwin volunteered to bowl with the new ball and dismissed Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope off successive deliveries in the fifth over of England’s second innings.Root was his third and most crucial wicket. Bowling wide of the crease from around the wicket, Ashwin drifted the ball across the right-hander, drawing Root forward and across with his drift, nearly making him stumble, before spinning the ball back past the inside edge to hit the pad. Given not out on the field, and overturned after DRS showed three reds on review.After taking his first five-wicket haul of the series in Ranchi, Ashwin said he had to “rewire” his bowling to adjust to the lack of bounce and turn, relying on side-spin with the new ball and on over-spin later on.In a tribute to Ashwin in the lead-up to his 100th Test, his team-mate Cheteshwar Pujara wrote that Ashwin tests batters by pitching on an “in-between length”. Root agreed.”It is the way it (ball) gathers pace off the wicket because of his seam position and how cleverly he can move it around,” Root said. “Obviously it is the shiny side that has that extra bit of skid. So you have got to make sure that your footwork’s sharp and you are in position that little bit quicker. You are not lazy with your feet because that’s when he comes really into his own, is when you are still on the move and the ball’s in that sort of danger area that you want to avoid playing it from. If you have got a nice firm seam and then skidding it on, you have got both edges in play for long periods of time and the fact that he can get really tight in and drift the ball away from straight, can bring slip in as well as those fielders tight in on the leg side too.”Root said Ashwin posed a unique challenge because of his singular skillset. “Clearly anyone that can take that many wickets regardless of how many of them are in home conditions, to be able to be that skillful, and to offer a very different skillset to a lot of offspinners as well. He uses the crease very differently to how your traditional offspinner might. He bowls over-spin, side-spin, can get really tight into the stumps, can use the crease (and) get wider, has got carrom balls and lots of different tricks. So you have just got to be really wary of all the different threats that he poses and make sure you have got really good skills to combat that and try and get on top of him.”When asked by Hussain whether he could pick Ashwin’s seam position, Root reckoned he could, even if it was half in jest. “Yeah, I’d like to say so. I’d like to think so, but he’s probably going to get me out twice in the game now this week! You are trying to look for as many cues as you can to give yourself the best chance as early as possible. You have to look to try and play off the wicket as well, but you want to be in a position where, if you can smother the ball or you can give yourself as much time as possible to get right back and see what it does off the surface, then you are going to give yourself the best chance to succeed.”

أعلن آرني سلوت، المدير الفني لنادي ليفربول، عن التشكيل الذي سوف يخوض به فريقه مواجهة أتلتيك بلباو اليوم الإثنين، في إطار لقاء ودي استعدادي للموسم الجديد، والذي سوف يحتضنه ملعب أنفيلد.

ويواجه ليفربول بلباو في تمام الساعة 7 مساء بتوقيت القاهرة، ومن ثم سوف يلعب الفريقان مباراة ودية أخرى على ملعب أنفيلد كذلك في تمام الساعة العاشرة مساء بتوقيت القاهرة.

أقرأ أيضًا .. مباراة ليفربول وأتلتيك بلباو تحسم مستقبل مهاجم الفريق

ليفربول سوف يستهل مشواره في بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز في موسم 2025-2026 بلقاء بورنموث يوم 15 أغسطس الجاري.

وعلى الجانب الآخر يلعب ليفربول مع كريستال بالاس يوم الأحد المقبل الموافق 10 أغسطس، ضمن منافسات بطولة كأس الدرع الخيرية على ملعب ويمبلي.

ولم يتواجد النجم المصري محمد صلاح في تشكيلة ليفربول الأساسية للقاء بلباو، حيث من المرجح أن يكون ابن ال33 عامًا في تشكيلة المباراة الثانية. تشكيل ليفربول في مواجهة أتلتيك بلباو وديًا  

حراسة المرمى: فريدي وودمان.

خط الدفاع: كورتيس جونز، لوكا ستيفانسون، آندي روبرتسون، كوستاس تسيميكاس.

خط الوسط: أليكسيس ماك أليستر، هارفي إليوت

خط الوسط الهجومي: بن دوك، ريو نجوهوما، تري نيوني.

خط الهجوم: داروين نونيز.

The Reds to take on Athletic Club in our first of two games this evening 🔴

You can watch the fixtures LIVE on All Red Video ⚽️ — Liverpool FC (@LFC) August 4, 2025

MatériaMais Notícias

Mesmo tendo participado do treinamento desta quarta-feira (7), pela manhã, a dupla Fagner e Renato Augusto não tem presença confirmada no clássico contra o São Paulo, neste domingo (11), pelo Campeonato Brasileiro.

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+Manto do Corinthians: veja os modelos finalistas para quarta camisa do Timão em 2023

A situação física de ambos é animadora, mas eles serão avaliados tanto pelo departamento médico, quanto pela comissão técnica nos próximos treinamentos.

E o motivo dessa cautela tem a ver com o jogo de volta da semifinal da Copa do Brasil, contra o Fluminense, que acontecerá na próxima quinta-feira (15).

Há certo receio de que colocar Fagner e Renato no Majestoso comprometa os atletas fisicamente para o confronto decisivo da semana que vem. E essa preocupação é ainda maior por conta do histórico de ambos na temporada.

+ Confira a tabela do Brasileirão e simule o Majestoso e outros jogos

Os dois jogadores já ‘ficaram de molho’ e desfalcaram o Corinthians durante um tempo na temporada.

No caso de Fagner tem sido mais recorrente. E, ainda que a lesão que afastou o afastou por mais tempo dos gramados neste ano tenha sido no tornozelo, ele já sofreu com incômodos na coxa direita mais de uma vez: em fevereiro, quando ele voltou rapidamente, cinco dias depois, e, mais recentemente, em julho, quando o atleta ficou 17 dias afastado.

Bruno Mazziotti, fisioterapeuta contratado pelo Corinthians para ser consultor do departamento de saúde e performance, explicou a situação do camisa 23.

-O Fagner evoluiu bem, ele apresentou uma zona de contratura depois do jogo contra o Bragantino. Foi para o jogo pela necessidade, já que tínhamos o Rafa em recuperação. Ele não reagiu tão positivamente contra o Internacional. A gente vem trabalhando com o Fagner, ele vem apresentando ótima resposta dentro do contexto do último jogo. Esperamos evoluir com ele para as próximas fases e aguardar as evoluções – disse Mazziotti à Corinthians TV.

Em relação a Renato Augusto, o problema desta vez é resultado de um trauma na panturrilha, mas em membro diferente do que tirou o camisa 8 de campo por um mês e 12 dias.

-A gente tem a decisão do benefício e o risco que o atleta corre. Se tem mais risco do que benefício, a gente retira o atleta e trabalha com o atleta de forma individual, foi o que aconteceu com o Renato, para que ele não ficasse mais tempo fora dos treinos e partidas. Ele também evoluiu bem nessa semana, temos a possibilidade de começar a integrar o Renato a partir dessa semana para um trabalho com o grupo e a gente vai ver o próximo passo de evolução. Aprogressão está sendo satisfatória – detalhou Mazziotti.

Caso sejam preservados no Majestoso deste fim de semana, a tendência é que a dupla fique, pelo menos, no banco de reservas, e seja presença garantida contra o Flu, desde o começo do jogo.

Celtic are believed to be interested in signing a “superb” former player to replace Cameron Carter-Vickers this summer, with Brendan Rodgers playing a big role.

Celtic linked with summer signings

The Hoops may be edging towards yet another Scottish Premiership title this season, as well as having a chance of winning a domestic treble, but that doesn’t mean new signings aren’t needed to take them up a gear moving forward.

En Avant Guincamp midfielder Kalidou Sidibe has been linked with a move to Celtic in the summer transfer window, being seen as a replacement for Jeffrey Schlupp, should he not seal a permanent move from Crystal Palace at the end of the season. In fact, they have reportedly tabled a £1.6m bid for his services.

Nantes winger Herba Guirassy is another player who has been mentioned as an option for the Hoops this summer, with the 18-year-old considered a long-term acquisition. He has scored twice in Ligue 1 this season, however, showing that he can already make an impact in a top league.

In terms of potential exits at Celtic in the coming months, there is reportedly concern that Carter-Vickers could decide to move on and enjoy a fresh challenge. The centre-back has been an influential figure since arriving from Tottenham, so Rodgers will be desperate to keep hold of him.

Celtic and Rodgers eyeing move to sign former star

According to a new update from The Celtic Star, Celtic are eyeing a move for Brentford centre-back and former Hoops ace Kristoffer Ajer, seeing him as a potential successor to Carter-Vickers, should he move on this summer.

In fact, Rodgers is said to have “been in the ear” of the 26-year-old more than once to bring him back to Parkhead, viewing him as a strong option to bolster his defence.

While losing Carter-Vickers would clearly be a blow for Celtic, Ajer could be an outstanding alternative to him, having proven himself in the Premier League with Brentford.

The Norwegian spent five years with the Hoops between 2016 and 2021, winning three Scottish Premierships, Scottish Cups and Scottish League Cups apiece, and football talent scout Jacek Kulig once described him as “superb”.

Signing Ajer from a good Premier League team would also feel like a real coup for Celtic, considering he has started 15 matches in the competition this season, averaging 2.4 clearances and 1.6 aerial duel wins per game.

Their best signing since Edouard: Celtic struck gold on £1.4m "superstar"

Odsonne Édouard certainly proved to be a great value for money Celtic signing, but does a current player eclipse even French Eddy in that regard?

Mar 21, 2025

At 26, he is still in the peak years of his career, too, and given his experience, his second stint with the Hoops could prove to be even more productive.

As an injury-hit Arsenal toiled away to relegation strugglers Leicester City last month, manager Mikel Arteta looked to his bench in need of inspiration. Up stepped Mikel Merino.

Deployed in an unorthodox centre-forward role for the first time in his senior career, the £31.6m summer signing remarkably bagged a quick-fire brace to seal the win in the closing stages.

With the Gunners devoid of attacking options amid injuries to the likes of Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz, Arteta had successfully rolled the dice, producing a tactical tweak that potentially looked like being a defining one in the title race.

Unfortunately for those in north London, that Merino moment has not provided a springboard for success, with it looking as if the Premier League crown is on its way to Merseyside, barring a shock late collapse in Liverpool.

That said, the continued centre-forward experiment has yielded results of late for the Gunners, with it potentially time to consider replicating that whacky decision with another change of position.

Mikel Merino's record at centre-forward

With Arteta having been without Havertz and Jesus against the Foxes, with Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka also out of action at the time, Merino was viewed as a worthy trial through the middle, after replacing Leandro Trossard late on.

To his credit, the Spaniard delivered, showcasing shades of Olivier Giroud to clinch three points for his side, having since added a further goal and assist against PSV Eindhoven, as well as the winner in the triumph over Chelsea last time out.

That latest effort in the cagey affair with the Blues came courtesy of a delightful, flicked header at the near post, with Arteta praising the way his compatriot is “winning matches” for his side, amid his “incredible” attitude.

As per Transfermarkt, the 28-year-old now boats four goals and an assist in just seven outings in that central role, a record that any natural striker would likely be more than happy with.

Indeed, any centre-forward would be delighted to have finished in the manner that Merino did against the west Londoners on Sunday, with the strikerless visitors potentially ruing their own lack of options through the middle, amid the loss of Nicolas Jackson and Marc Guiu to injury.

Arsenal vs Chelsea – striker comparison
Stat	Merino	Pedro Neto
Minutes played	90	90
Touches	22	35
Goals	1	0
Assists	0	0
Key passes	0	0
Pass accuracy	91%	83%
Successful dribbles	0/0	0/2
Total duels won	5/15	1/7
Possession lost	5x	11x
Stats via Sofascore

As Arteta indicated, the one-time Newcastle United man showed his “value” in that tense tussle, leading the line effectively after winning five duels and recording a solid 91% pass accuracy, while getting on the scoresheet despite registering just 22 touches.

The elegant left-footer may not prove the man to take Arsenal to the title, but he has been a more than adequate stopgap. Perhaps, Arteta should consider repeating the experiment with Riccardo Calafiori.

Arteta could now repeat Arsenal's Merino experiment

What has been so impressive regarding Merino’s impact is that he hasn’t exactly been aided by those around him, excluding the tie with PSV, with Leandro Trossard looking particularly off the boil against Enzo Maresca’s side.

The Belgian winger failed to register a single key pass nor successfully complete a single dribble during his 90-minute outing, having simply offered little in the way of a threat down the left flank.

With just four goals and five assists to his name in the league this season, Trossard has hardly ripped it up, in truth, and with the aforementioned Martinelli only just making his return from injury, an alternative solution could be considered in that left-wing berth.

It could be argued that having already thrust Kieran Tierney into that attacking role of late, Arteta could repeat the trick with Calafiori, with teenage sensation Myles Lewis-Skelly having seemingly locked down the left-back berth.

Calafiori has largely operated as a centre-back or a left-back to date, although he has previously lined up as a left winger, a point outlined by Italian journalist Daniele Vierri upon the 22-year-old’s arrival last summer:

Beautifully described as “like a wild horse on the loose” by the Telegraph’s Sam Dean, the Italy international has already showcased the threat he can pose in the final third, having popped up in an advanced position to score away in the 7-1 rout of PSV.

The former Bologna man’s potentially untapped attacking potential was also on show amid his pin-point strikes against both Manchester City and Wolverhampton Wanderers earlier in the campaign, illustrating what an outlet he could be as a more permanent part of the front line.

Much like in the case of Merino, this bold new role should certainly not be a long-term solution – not with Athletic Bilbao’s Nico Williams again a reported summer target – yet if Arteta is looking for a short-term fit, he could do worse than trial Calafiori further forward.

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Smash and grab. Robbery. Whatever you want to call it. The result will show a 1-0 win for Liverpool and that’s all that matters, with Paris Saint-Germain’s first-leg dominance counting for little in the end.

Let’s face it, this was not vintage Arne Slot football, but with grit, fight – and a fair bit of fortune – the Merseysiders got the job done at the Parc des Princes, with this Champions League tussle now finely poised ahead of next week’s return tie at Anfield.

Such an outcome had looked unlikely for much of the encounter in the French capital, in truth, with the Ligue 1 leaders boasting 71% possession and totalling 27 shots in all, albeit while fashioning just three ‘big chances’.

Up against the heroic Alisson in the visiting goal – and with Ibrahima Konate escaping an early red card for a barge on Bradley Barcola – the Parisien giants simply couldn’t find a way through, having been ultimately punished at the death as substitute Harvey Elliott pounced to hand Slot’s side the advantage in the tie.

It was perhaps apt that on a night in which the likes of Mohamed Salah toiled, it was two men on the fringes who combined to put the Reds ahead, with Elliott meeting Darwin Nunez’s pass before calmly slotting past a sprawling Gigi Donnarumma.

That last-gasp strike certainly helped to spare a fair few blushes it must be said, as did the titanic display of the aforementioned Alisson in between the sticks…

Alisson's game in numbers vs PSG

It would have been easy to assume that the Brazilian was nearing the end of his time as Liverpool’s first-choice stopper, with injuries having handed able deputy Caoimhin Kelleher a far more prominent role in recent seasons, while the club also stepped up the succession plan with the astute signing of Giorgi Mamardashvili last summer.

90 minutes played

9 saves

1 punch

2.26 goals prevented

4 saves inside the box

44 touches

57% pass accuracy

10/22 long balls completed

4 clearances

9.4 match rating

On the evidence of Wednesday night’s showing, however, Alisson is going nowhere fast, having showcased a timely reminder of his undoubted quality after producing a string of standout saves in Paris.

The former Roma man notably denied Ousmane Dembele and the lively Barcola on the hour mark, before also keeping out Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s fizzing free-kick just after the break.

Among nine total saves for the 32-year-old was also another world-class stop to prevent Desire Doue from opening the scoring late on, with Liverpool’s number one having been a one-man wall at times up against the rampant hosts.

As such, while Elliott may have been the matchwinner it was Alisson who deservedly stole the headlines, with such an eye-catching performance having helped to cover up the woes of those ahead of him.

The Liverpool duo who could be on borrowed time

If Alisson proved to be the major positive for Liverpool on the night, then Slot won’t have to look far to find the key negatives, with the visitors’ attacking unit looking particularly blunt across the 90 minutes.

Performance in Numbers

Those woes – which saw the Reds record just two shots in total – were epitomised by the performances of both Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz, with neither man looking up to the task in the forward line.

In the case of Jota, the Portuguese marksman was hooked just after the hour mark having been restricted to just 30 touches in total, having also lost the ball on 11 occasions and won just three of his 12 total duels.

Branded with a 5/10 match rating by Liverpool World’s Will Rooney, the former Wolverhampton Wanderers man maintained his lengthy goal drought which stretches back to mid-January, having now netted just eight times in 26 games in 2024/25 to date.

Meanwhile, it was a similar story for Diaz on the left flank, with the Colombian speedster also handed a 5/10 rating by Rooney after looking rather off the boil prior to his late withdrawal, a fact encapsulated by his return of just 28 touches.

The former Porto winger also failed to register a single key pass and also lost 50% of his total duels, with Reds supporters likely to be eagerly awaiting the return of Cody Gakpo from his recent injury absence.

As broadcaster Nubaid Haroon noted, both Diaz and Jota looked to be “hiding” in the final third, with it coming to the stage in which Slot may wish to consider whether the pair can be selected alongside each other again.

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Babar Azam has moved past Steven Smith and only behind Marnus Labuschagne in the rankings for Test batters following scores of 78 and 54 in the third and final Test against England, which Pakistan lost to concede the series 3-0 at home.Far away from Karachi, in Brisbane, Travis Head scored 92 in 96 balls in the first Australia innings in a Test where 34 wickets fell well within two days, and that got him into the top five for the first time in his career. He is currently joint-fourth with Joe Root, who scored a duck in his only innings in the Test in Karachi. In the Brisbane Test, Smith hit 36 and 6, and Labuschagne 11 and 5 not out; so far ahead of the pack was Labuschagne that Babar, despite his rise, is still 61 rating points behind Labuschagne.

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At the end of England’s phenomenal performance in Pakistan, many of their other batters made big gains: Ben Stokes was up two spots to No. 23, Ollie Pope one spot to No. 28, and Harry Brook, named the Player of the Series, went up 11 positions to enter the top 50 for the first time at joint-44th place.The third Test series in progress over the last week was between Bangladesh and India, where India won the first Test in Chattogram by 188 runs.Cheteshwar Pujara scored 90 and 102 not out there, and Shubman Gill scored 20 and 110. As a result, Pujara went up 19 places to No. 19, and Gill ten places to joint-54th. Shreyas Iyer’s 86 in his only innings helped him move up 11 places to No. 26.Kagiso Rabada was the only bowler to gain significantly in the top ten for bowlers, his eight wickets – twin four-fors – in the Brisbane Test lifting him four spots to No. 3. Outside the top ten, Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav moved up ten places to No. 18 and 19 places to No. 49 respectively after leading India’s bowling charge in Chattogram.Also in Chattogram, Shakib Al Hasan played an aggressive innings of 84 in Bangladesh’s second innings, and that helped him move past Stokes to No. 3 on the table for Test allrounders.