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The race for a spot in the semi-finals heats up with only one team effectively out of contention

The Preview by Siddhartha Talya11-May-2009Match factsMay 11, 2009
Start time 16.30 (14.30 GMT, 20.15 IST)Big PictureDeccan Chargers are boosted by the return of Andrew Symonds, but have problems up the order•Associated Press

The race for a spot in the semi-finals heats up with only one team effectively out of contention. Defeats for Deccan Chargers and Rajasthan Royals in their previous games did not push them below the top four, nor – unless Deccan lose by a mammoth margin – should a loss for either team today. But one of them will be left vulnerable at fourth place, and are likely to lose the spot tomorrow if the contest between Kings XI Punjab and Mumbai Indians (currently placed fifth and sixth respectively) yields an outright result. A win for Deccan will take them to No. 3, pushing down Rajasthan, who’ll be hoping to preserve their current standing, especially as they will have played at least a game more than the rest.Deccan were the dominant team in the competition’s early stages, but since their run of four consecutive wins they’ve experienced a serious slide with four defeats in their last five games. They emerged second-best in a thrilling encounter against Punjab in their previous match, letting it slip in the final stages after holding the cards for a good part of the game. Rajasthan were beaten convincingly by Chennai Super Kings, a blow to the three-match winning streak that ended a disappointing start to the tournament. Regaining the lost momentum remains the objective for both teams, who’ve experienced highly differing win-loss trajectories, as the league stage enters its last leg.Form guide (completed matches, most recent first)Deccan – LWLLL
Deccan were again let down by Herschelle Gibbs, taking his tally to just 22 runs in his last five innings. Adam Glichrist’s performances too have failed expectations, squandering promising starts and not being at his fluent best. His scores read 8, 39, 0, 25, 20 in his last five appearances.Rajasthan – LWWWL
Rajasthan failed to build on solid starts in their last game. Three of their top four notched up scores of above 25, but each fell while trying to accelerate. Their middle order, which had helped them recover during problems at the top in the earlier stages, struggled against Chennai with Yusuf Pathan, Lee Carseldine and Abhishek Raut making just 23 runs between them.Watch out forAndrew Symonds: A brutal 36-ball 60 marked an excellent debut for Symonds in the IPL’s second season, but his services as a part-time spinner lasted just one over where he smacked for 20. He revived his team from a weak position at 73 for 4, and his assuring presence in the middle order is a huge asset, especially given the inconsistency at the top.TeamsDeccan have a problem with their foreign recruits. Medium pacer Ryan Harris has gone wicketless in his three games, and conceded 8.45 runs an over. With Fidel Edwards gone, Deccan might be tempted to give Chaminda Vaas his first game of the competition. Their patience with Gibbs is being tested with five consecutive failures, and the likelihood of Scott Styris or Dwayne Smith receiving a call remains strong.Deccan (probable): 1 Adam Gilchrist (capt/wk), 2 T Suman, 3 Rohit Sharma, 4 Andrew Symonds, 5 Y Venugopal Rao, 6 Scott Styris/Dwayne Smith, 7 D Ravi Teja, 8 Pragyan Ojha, 9 Shoaib Ahmed, 10 RP Singh, 11 Chaminda Vaas.Amit Singh has been reported for a suspect action for the second time this season, but with the law allowing him to continue playing until proven of an illegal action, Rajasthan may just persist with him. If not, Munaf Patel is a possible replacement. Shane Harwood was taken for 25 in two overs against Chennai, and with local boy Tyron Henderson having played just one game, Rajasthan do have the option of giving him a go.Rajasthan (probable): 1 Graeme Smith, 2 Naman Ojha (wk), 3 Swapnil Asnodkar, 4 Ravindra Jadeja, 5 Yusuf Pathan, 6 Lee Carseldine, 7 Tyron Henderson/ Shane Harwood, 8 Abhishek Raut, 9 Shane Warne (capt), 10 Siddharth Trivedi, 11 Amit Singh/Munaf Patel.Stats and triviaNone of the Rajasthan batsmen feature in the top ten run-getters in this tournament. Yusuf Pathan, their highest run-scorer with 210 in nine games, is at No.15, but has the second-best strike rate among them of 147.88.Herschelle Gibbs has made 204 runs this IPL, but only 22 in his last five, including three ducks.The 95-run stand between Andrew Symonds and Venugopal Rao against Punjab is the highest for the fifth wicket this IPL.Head-to-headRajasthan enjoy a 3-0 advantage. Important contributions from Carseldine, Shane Warne, Abhishek Raut and Yusuf helped Rajasthan scale down a target of 142 against Deccan in Port Elizabeth. Last year, Smith and Yusuf helped Rajasthan overcome a brutal century from Symonds to chase 214 off the penultimate ball in Hyderabad. The second game in Jaipur was a mauling, as the same duo scripted an eight-wicket win.

With Mark Warburton having seen his Queen Park Rangers side suffer something of a setback in the Championship over the last eight days, with the Rs losing their first and second league fixtures of the season in back to back matches, the 59-year-old manager would have undoubtedly been hoping for a positive performance in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday evening to get his side back on track.

And, despite their opponents being Premier League side Everton, QPR duly delivered for their manager, boasting 61% possession in the fixture, completing 197 more passes than the Toffees and winning 13 more duels than Rafael Benitez’s side, with the scoreline reading 2-2 at 90 minutes.

Warburton’s men then demonstrated incredible composure and maturity in the subsequent penalty shootout, scoring all eight of their spot-kicks, meaning that Tom Davies’ miss sent the Rs through to the fourth round of the competition for the first time since 2008.

As such, rather predictably when considering the result, a number of the west London side highly impressed in the match, with Charlie Austin – who scored both of the Rs’ two goals in the clash – Christopher Willock, Yoann Barbet and Seny Dieng all turning in dominant displays against the Toffees.

However, it was 23-year-old attacking midfielder Ilias Chair who, from a statistical point of view, stole the show against Everton.

Three key passes

Over his 76 minutes on the pitch, Chair was arguably QPR’s most important player, with the Morocco international continually causing the Everton midfield and defence problems with both his creativity and attacking inclination.

Indeed, the £3.6m-rated man ended the fixture with one assist to his name – which came after a delightful piece of skill on the left-wing, before putting the ball square on Charlie Austin’s forehead between two Everton defenders – as well as making three key passes, completing both of his attempted crosses and hitting the target with 100% of his shots.

The player Warburton dubbed a “lively” talent also managed 53 touches of the ball, completed 86% of his passes and made one tackle during his spell on the pitch.

These returns saw the £7.1k-per-week midfielder earn a SofaScore match rating of 7.2 in the fixture, something which, considering the level of the opposition, only further highlights the progress Chair has made under Warburton in the last few seasons – with the 23-year-old clearly boasting the ability to play a major role in QPR’s push for a top-six finish in the Championship this season.

In other news: Blackstock 2.0: “Brilliant” £3.6m-rated QPR ace is key to Warburton’s promotion push

West Ham will not turn to free agents to solve one of their long-standing issues, according to a very reliable source…

What’s the word?

ExWHUemployee delivered a fresh verdict on whether Irons boss David Moyes would look to bring in a new striker for nothing in a bid to bolster his frontline.

Speaking on this week’s episode of ‘The West Ham Way’ podcast, he claimed:

“A couple of people have asked me whether we’re going to sign a forward on a free transfer.

“I don’t think we will because I think [Jarrod] Bowen today [vs Manchester United] whilst it wasn’t the most accomplished of performances, it wasn’t a bad performance so I think he can possibly step in if needed.

“Interestingly [Mipo] Odubeko was on the bench again [for loan club Huddersfield Town] –  [he] hasn’t started.”

A big risk

Clearly, if the reputable club insider is getting a lot of questions on the matter, it is something that the Hammers faithful are worrying about – and they have every right to be concerned.

Since the departure of club-record flop Sebastian Haller to Ajax last January, Moyes has been left with a lack of depth in the attacking department.

In fact, he has only been able to call upon Michail Antonio, 31, who has endured plenty of problems with injuries over the course of his east London career.

Over the last four full seasons, the Premier League’s leading talisman has failed to start more than 24 top-flight matches, and that is largely down to his time on the treatment table.

At the weekend, West Ham were reminded of what it’s like without him as he served a one-game suspension against Manchester United, which left winger Jarrod Bowen playing out of position.

Whilst any old free-agent isn’t necessarily the solution, it would be wise to have someone that is there just in case something horribly unfortunate happens because if it does, the Irons will be in the mud.

There are plenty of strikers that are still without a club, ranging from ex-Liverpool star Daniel Sturridge to former West Ham dud Andy Carroll. Even Carlos Tevez is currently unattached, as per Transfermarkt.

Those around the London Stadium better hope that Antonio gets to January unscathed otherwise there could be a serious problem that hinders the progress they have made in 2021/22.

AND in other news, £60k-p/w West Ham beast who made 97% of passes was Moyes’ one shining light vs United…

Tottenham Hotspur finally got back to winning ways in the Premier League after they defeated Aston Villa on Sunday afternoon.

Nuno Santo’s men had been thumped in each of their last three outings, the last of which being an embarrassing north London derby defeat to Arsenal a week ago but clearly, the Lilywhites put those ghosts in the past to deliver one of their most impressive performances of the 2021/22 campaign.

Heung-min Son was one major catalyst towards the three points as he provided an assist for both of their goals – the first time that Spurs had scored more than one goal in any league game this term.

Although he wasn’t the highest-rated player on SofaScore.

That acclaim went to Danish midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, who was graded an 8.0, in comparison to the South Korean’s 7.3.

The 26-year-old even opened the scoring for Spurs with a cool finish from the edge of the penalty box after he received the ball from Son just 27 minutes into the match.

But Hojbjerg’s contribution didn’t stop there as he was a constant thorn in Dean Smith’s side all afternoon.

Only one other player (Emerson, 86) recorded more touches than the £36m-rated powerhouse (84), proving he was an influential figure in the engine room, playing alongside Oliver Skipp and Tanguy Ndombele.

The 21-year-old gem’s involvement has allowed the Dane to have more of an influence in the final third, hence why he was in the right spot at the right time to get himself on the scoresheet.

He made 89% of his 66 passing attempts, which was the best of any Spurs starter, whilst he also managed six successful dribbles from six attempts (100%). It suggests that he played a key role in linking the midfield to the attack.

By comparison, more-attack minded players like Son (three) and Ndombele (one) managed far fewer.

Elsewhere, Hojbjerg still did his defensive duties a lot of justice – as per SofaScore, he managed two tackles, two clearances, one interception and even won nine of 12 duels (75%).

football.london’s Alasdair Gold described the 6 foot 1 midfielder as a “big presence”, whilst the Evening Standard’s Dan Kilpatrick claimed he was “tidy on the ball and shielded the back four well from the threat of John McGinn.”

On the above evidence, you could argue that Hojbjerg ran the show for Nuno and Spurs at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. He was different class and deserves just as many plaudits as Son.

AND in other news, Paratici could sign Spurs’ next Dembele in swoop for “extraordinary” £36m-rated beast…

Gujarat 394 (PA Patel 206, Panchal 59, TK Patel 48) beat Orissa 162 (Behera 49, Parmar 6-53) and 154 (Behera 50, Parmar 6-51, TK Patel 3-46) by an innings and 78 runs
Scorecard

Niranjan Behera fought hard yet again, but there was not much support from the others as Orissa crashed to an innings-and-78-run defeat in Bhubaneshwar. It was surprising that a game which meandered on the third and fourth, with Gujarat crawling at two runs an over, ended in a result. Orissa once again found it tough to handle Mohnish Parmar, who bettered his first-innings 6 for 53 with figures of 6 for 51 – his best match-haul in first-class games.Overnight on 382 for 8, Gujarat could add only 12 to their total, with Timil Patel missing out on a half-century by two runs. Orissa’s openers progressed slowly as they played out nearly 17 overs, but wickets started to fall regularly once Amit Singh struck. Only the top order managed to stick around for a substantial amount of time at the crease in an innings which lasted 58.4 overs. Timil backed up Parmar with three wickets in his 14.4 overs.Gujarat captain Parthiv Patel said he was pleasantly surprised with Parmar’s performance on what looked to be a slow wicket. “We were keeping our fingers crossed, for we expected the Orissa batsmen to put up a good fight,” he told the .
ScorecardDelhi’s hopes of making the quarter-finals were over on the third day, and what could have been a gripping final day’s play turned out to be a slow end to a disappointing season for the defending champions. Allrounder Rajat Bhatia scored his first hundred of the tournament, and Pradeep Sangwan his maiden first-class fifty, as Delhi reached 688 after resuming on 505 for 5. A win was clearly not on Delhi’s minds: they started the day with a lead of 210 and played out 53.5 overs till they were bowled out. For Rajasthan, Pankaj Singh took three wickets to add to his scalp of Virat Kohli on Saturday.Delhi struck two early blows in Rajasthan’s second innings, which ended at 55 for 3 in 19 overs as the match finished in a draw.Vijay Dahiya, the Delhi coach, said the batsmen had gained valuable batting practice even though they had missed out on a place in the last eight. “We knew that we had no chance of reaching the quarterfinals, so we didn’t see any point in declaring,” he told the . “Even an outright win wouldn’t have been enough to overtake Saurashtra as they were way behind on run-quotient.”Tamil Nadu 475 for 6 dec (Mukund 162, KD Karthik 113, Ashwin 103*) and 389 for 7 dec (AB Karthik 107, Kumar 90, Ganapathy 53*) drew with Railways 314 (Goud 97, Cheluvaraj 65, Mahesh 4-90)
ScorecardTamil Nadu, who had opted against the follow-on on the third day, used the fourth for some valuable batting practice ahead of the quarter-finals. Opener Arun Karthik scored a century, and Suresh Kumar and C Ganapathy made half-centuries as the match ended with them declaring their second innings at 389 for 7.Karthik, overnight on 27, went on to his second first-class hundred in only his fourth game, hitting 17 fours in a 133-ball107. Suresh Kumar missed a maiden first-class ton, scoring a career-best 90 off 120 balls, with 11 fours and two sixes. The lower order then took the opportunity to score quick runs. C Ganapathy’s unbeaten 50-ball 53 was his first half-century, and Yo Mahesh made an equally brisk 47 before he was out stumped. The two put on 101 for the seventh wicket, the only century stand in the innings. Tamil Nadu, who finished on top of Group B, will meet Bengal, the qualifiers from the Plate League, in the quarter-finals.
ScorecardMumbai maintained their supremacy, thrashing Punjab by nine wickets in their final match of the group stage. Ajinkya Rahane and Wasim Jaffer swiftly overhauled the target of 149 before the stroke of lunch on the final day. Rahane added an unbeaten 82, to go along with his first-innings 80, and combined well with his captain as the undefeated 130-run second-wicket partnership extinguished Punjab’s hopes. (Read the full report.)Quarter-final line-up (December 26-29)
Gujarat v Uttar Pradesh in Vadodara
Mumbai v Himachal Pradesh in Ahmedabad
Saurashtra v Karnataka in Mumbai
Tamil Nadu v Bengal in Bangalore

England’s major international venues could agree to host Test matches involving two non-English teams

Cricinfo staff21-Jan-2009
Overseas Tests could become a feature of the English summer, after proposals were raised at the ECB’s meeting in Leicester © Getty Images
England’s major international venues could agree to host Test matches involving two non-English teams, as the England & Wales Cricket Board meet in Leicester on Wednesday to consider the proposals raised at their Test Match Strategy Day at Stapleford Park earlier in the week.Monday’s summit meeting, which was attended by a host of former England captains and players, was called to address the future of Test cricket, which has come under increasing scrutiny following the huge growth in popularity of the Twenty20 format.At the top of the agenda was the need to strengthen the Future Tours Programme, which has been over-burdened by the sheer weight of matches now required to meet its demands, and undervalued by the proliferation of uncompetitive fixtures. One of the proposals raised was a greater emphasis on contests between the leading Test nations.”The input from all areas of cricket provided focus on the key opportunities and issues facing the game,” said David Collier, the ECB chief executive, who added that the board intended to work more closely with the ICC to give greater context to Test cricket through a World Test Championship.That proposal could give rise to the intriguing prospect of India playing Tests against Pakistan at Headingley, where Yorkshire’s large Asian community could be expected to turn out in droves. Meanwhile, the weaker nations such as Bangladesh and Zimbabwe could find themselves limited to home Tests only, which would provide them with the exposure necessary for development, but not at the expense of the revenue of the major boards.Giles Clarke, the ECB chairman, hinted at that outcome in Mohali last month, when he warned that Bangladesh might not be invited back for a full Test series after their next tour in 2010. “If we are going to have a proper strategy for Test cricket we want to have games like that we have just had in Chennai,” Clarke told reporters. “It showed everybody just what a Test can be. We have to make sure that the standard is there.”Under the staging arrangements being put in place for 2012-16, England’s nine Category A grounds are expected to be guaranteed only 11 days of international cricket over the course of five years, a prospect which jeopardises the ambitious expansion plans at many of the venues. Those grounds would doubtless welcome the prospect of more big matches being played on English soil, although one major stumbling block to such an arrangement would be the division of TV revenue.England’s current deal with Sky is worth £300 million over four years, which is a considerably larger income than any other board bar India. It is unlikely the ECB would be willing to agree to a revenue share, as proposed by Cricket Australia, if other nations wanted to stage matches on their turf.Another issue would be the willingness of other Test nations to voluntarily play their home matches overseas. According to the former England coach, David Lloyd, who was present at the meeting, Pakistan’s predicament was at the forefront of the discussions. The team did not play a single Test at home in 2008, and as Lloyd told Cricinfo, for Pakistan to agree to the idea would be tantamount to admitting that they could no longer host fixtures in their own country.Several other issues were raised at the meeting, including the suggestion that over-rates in Test matches should be improved by using points rewards or penalties within the World Test Championship, rather than the current system of fines and/or bans for transgressing captains. The ECB will also discuss the installation of improved drainage systems in all Test match venues, following the success of the system that is now in place at Lord’s.”I’m confident that there has never been such a gathering in the history of cricket in England and Wales,” claimed the ECB chairman, Giles Clarke. “I am extremely grateful for the support of all those who travelled from all corners of the country and the world to share their ideas on the state of Test cricket.”Everyone who attended shared the desire that Test cricket be preserved and reinforced as the pre-eminent form of this great game. It was an enthralling and informative session which allows the ECB board to consider key proposals which will allow us to deliver our promise of making England and Wales the home of Test cricket.”Six England captains were present at the meeting – Andrew Strauss, Michael Atherton, Alec Stewart, Nasser Hussain, Michael Vaughan and Mike Gatting – as well as numerous past and present Test players, from Dennis Amiss, Ashley Giles, Alastair Cook, Hugh Morris, Angus Fraser, Mike Selvey, Jonathan Agnew, David Lloyd and Geoff Miller.Also present were ICC General Cricket Manager, Dave Richardson, England’s assistant coach Andy Flower, the ICC World Twenty20 director Steve Elworthy, and the elite umpire, Simon Taufel, as well as the chairmen and representatives of the 18 first-class counties and MCC.

Josh Hazlewood will this week become the youngest fast bowler ever to play for New South Wales, having been chosen for his first-class debut against the touring New Zealanders

Cricinfo staff10-Nov-2008
Josh Hazlewood was Australia’s youngest player at the Under-19 World Cup this year © Getty Images
Josh Hazlewood will this week become the youngest fast bowler ever to play for New South Wales, having been chosen for his first-class debut against the touring New Zealanders. Hazlewood, 17, has been picked for the four-day match that starts in Sydney on Thursday and he is part of one of the most youthful squads New South Wales have ever chosen.A 200-centimetre right-arm bowler, Hazlewood is so highly rated by New South Wales that he already holds a full contract with the state. However, the Blues had decided against picking him until his year 12 demands were complete and they kept to their policy – just. Soon after finishing his final exam in geography on Friday, Hazlewood was told he would be bowling for his state within a week.”I was surprised and didn’t even know New South Wales were playing New Zealand,” Hazlewood told the . “I thought they were tied up with the domestic scene. I think it will be a good game to get started in. There won’t be as much pressure given it’s a tour game.”He has been likened to his childhood hero Glenn McGrath who, like Hazlewood, was raised in rural New South Wales. Hazlewood is from the small town of Bendemeer, a 40-minute drive from Tamworth. His selection gives the Blues a remarkably young line-up for the tour game – Steven Smith and Phillip Hughes are both 19 and another four players are aged 22 or under.David Gilbert, the chief executive of Cricket New South Wales, said the 12-man squad highlighted the state’s promising stocks. “New South Wales has a proud history of producing quality young players,” Gilbert said.”We are delighted that the game against New Zealand offers our youngsters the chance to compete against international opposition. We have been greatly impressed with the development of Josh Hazlewood and it will be exciting to see him make his first-class debut at the Sydney Cricket Ground this week.”New South Wales squad Phillip Hughes, Usman Khawaja, Peter Forrest, Steven Smith, Dominic Thornely (capt), Moises Henriques, Daniel Smith (wk), Grant Lambert, Beau Casson, Nathan Hauritz, Burt Cockley, Josh Hazlewood.

يخوض الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي الزمالك، تدريباته على ملعب عبد اللطيف أبو رجيلة، بمقر النادي استعدادا لمباراة المقاولون العرب المقبلة في الدوري الممتاز.

ويلتقي الزمالك مع نظيره المقاولون العرب في المباراة المقرر لها يوم 12 يوليو الجاري في الجولة الرابعة والعشرين من المسابقة المحلية. فيريرا يجتمع مع اللاعبين

عقد البرتغالي جوسفالدو فيريرا المدير الفني للفريق، جلسة مع اللاعبين قبل انطلاق مران اليوم الجمعة.

وطالب فيريرا اللاعبين بالتركيز في الفترة الحالية لمواصلة مسيرة الانتصارات، والحفاظ على صدارة الدوري، مشددا على أنه لا يوجد مجال للتفريط في أي نقطة خلال الفترة المقبلة.

وشرح جوسفالدو فيريرا العديد من الأمور الفنية في حضور جهازه المعاون، لتنفيذها خلال مران اليوم استعدادا للفترة المقبلة. تدريبات بدنية

خصص الجهاز الفني للفريق فقرة تدريبات بدنية للاعبين خلال مران اليوم الجمعة.

وتولى جميع أفراد الجهاز الفني الإشراف على هذه الفقرة، والتي تضمنت تدريبات بدنية متنوعة بالإضافة إلى تدريبات خفيفة بالكرة. سيف جعفر يشارك

وشارك سيف جعفر في التدريبات البدنية والفنية مستخدما جبيره في يده اليمنى، بعد الإصابة التي تعرض لها في مباراة سيراميكا كليوباترا الأخيرة في الدوري بكسر في المشطية الرابعة للذراع .

ولم يشارك سيف جعفر في التقسيمة الفنية، بعدما فضل الجهاز الطبي للفريق بقيادة الدكتور محمد أسامة عدم مشاركته في التقسيمات خوفا من أي التحامات. مشاركة ثلاثي الفريق

وفي نفس الوقت شارك الثلاثي حازم إمام وحمزة المثلوثي وأحمد فتوح بصورة طبيعية في التدريبات الجماعية لليوم الثاني على التوالي. تدريبات تأهيلية لـ أوباما وطارق حامد

أدى الثنائي يوسف إبراهيم “أوباما” وطارق حامد لاعبا الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي الزمالك تدريبات تأهيلية.

طالع أيضًا.. أمير مرتضى: عرضنا على طارق حامد التجديد فقال “سيبوني يومين افكر”

وأدى الثنائي تدريبات بدنية خاصة تحت إشراف الدكتور عمرو المطراوي أخصائي التأهيل ولم يشارك اللاعبان في التدريبات الجماعية.

West Brom forward Kenneth Zohore will feature in Valerien Ismael’s plans for the first-team this season, despite rumours that he could depart the club this summer.

What’s the story?

Zohore has been with West Brom since 2019, and has made 21 appearances in total for the Baggies, although he spent last year’s campaign on loan with Championship side Millwall in search of regular minutes.

It has been reported by Yorkshire Live that Zohore wass attracting interest from the likes of Sheffield Wednesday in the previous transfer windows, with his future at The Hawthorns remaining ‘up in the air’ at this moment in time.

Speaking in a recent interview (quotes sourced from Birmingham Live), West Brom boss Ismael has revealed that Zohore does feature in his plans for the 2021/22 season, as the Baggies look to win promotion back into the Premier League at the first time of asking.

“Ken I have to say, over the last two weeks, has raised his intensity for sure. At the beginning, we had some concerns about whether he can play at that intensity and buy in, but the last two weeks and the game against Birmingham show that we are on the right way with him.

“Strikers of that type you will need in the Championship, he can help us. He can score goals. He has the quality and he is part of the process.

“It’s up to him now to put the performances in on the pitch. My job, with the staff, is to make sure that he has the clarity in his head to know exactly what he has to do. I hope he can confirm what we have seen over the last two weeks.”

‘Powerful’

West Brom are well-equipped in their attacking options in the 2021/22 season, with Ismael having the likes of Karlan Grant and Callum Robinson available to him, as well as Zohore.

With The Express and Star reporting that they’re keeping an eye on both Daryl Dike and Manchester City youngster Liam Delap this summer as well, it is somewhat surprising that Zohore’s immediate future appears to be at the Hawthorns.

The former Cardiff City man has shown that he can perform to a good standard in the Championship, having played an important role in the Bluebirds’ promotion-winning campaign in the 2017/18 season.

Zohore netted nine goals in 39 appearances for Cardiff in that promotion-winning season, but hasn’t had much of an opportunity to impress in the Premier League.

The forward had an average Whoscored rating of 7.00 in the 2017/18 season for Cardiff, and could potentially be a good option to have for Valerien Ismael this term in the Championship.

Speaking in an interview with West Brom News, former West Brom forward Kevin Phillips labelled Zohore as a ‘big, powerful guy’, and predicted that he would want a move elsewhere back in the summer of 2020.

“He’s a big, powerful guy. I think the player himself will want to move on because he knows he won’t play next season. He’ll just want to go and play football. I’m sure of that.”

However, it looks like he’s now going to face a tough battle for his future at West Brom, especially if the Baggies are to add further depth to their squad in the near future.

Ismael choosing to keep the big forward around is a surprising decision, fans will be hoping that it turns out to be the right call.

And in other news, West Brom journalist says he’s expecting a battle for star forward’s signature…

MatériaMais Notícias

Com pouco tempo para treinamentos e lutando contra o relaxamento considerado natural três dias após a conquista do Campeonato Paulista, o técnico Fábio Carille deixou a partida contra a Universidad de Chile satisfeito com a vitória por 2 a 1 que classificou a equipe à segunda fase da Copa Sul-Americana na noite desta quarta-feira, em Santiago. Segundo o treinador alvinegro, a capacidade de assimilação de informações por parte dos jogadores a partir de vídeos e conversas merece elogios e foi responsável pela vaga.

-Tudo o que foi planejado aconteceu no jogo. Não tivemos tempo para treinar no campo depois da decisão de domingo. Foi à base de vídeos, conversas, e a compreensão dos atletas foi muito boa. Foi um dos melhores jogos. Desde o começo de trabalho deixei claro o interesse dos atletas em querer saber a ideia de jogo, o que precisam fazer. Fico muito feliz, jogadores cumprindo função com e sem bola. É um resultado grandioso – disse o treinador, que lembrou de uma pauta recorrente da época do sorteio dos confrontos da competição:

-Quando foram sorteados os adversários colocaram o Corinthians como quem pegava o mais forte. Conseguimos passar e estamos nos fortalecendo.

Com gols de Jadson e Rodriguinho nos dois confrontos, de ida e volta, e placar agregado de 4 a 1 para cima da equipe chilena, o Corinthians agora aguarda pelo dia 2 de junho, quando seu adversário na segunda fase da Sul-Americana será sorteado. É a última fase antes das oitavas de final do torneio continental, mas o foco do Corinthians agora é o Campeonato Brasileiro. A estreia já é sábado, e Carille prefere não fazer previsões sobre o estágio a se atingir.

-É um privilégio começar minha carreira num clube assim e com esse elenco. Continuamos nossa trajetória e não sei onde podemos chegar. A partir de agora começa a preparação para o jogo da Chapecoense, depois Vitória, e assim vamos caminhando. Nós vamos brigar jogo a jogo, cada jogo é uma história, não sei onde vamos chegar. Sei que vamos guerrear com bastante concentração. Vamos longe, só não sei onde – confia o treinador.

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CorinthiansFabio CarilleSul-Americana