Inter head coach Cristian Chivu has urged the fans to stop "throwing stones" at goalkeeper Yann Sommer after his disastrous performance did little to prevent his side from losing to Juventus over the weekend. Chivu remains confident in the Swiss international's experience and abilities, adding that Sommer will retain his place in the starting lineup against Ajax in the Champions League opener.

Inter experience heartbreaking Derby d'Italia defeat

Inter's below-par start to life under new head coach Chivu continued over the weekend, as last season's Serie A runners-up succumbed to a 4-3 defeat at the Allianz Stadium against Juventus. Igor Tudor's men were trailing 3-2 as the clock went past the 80th-minute mark. However, a Khephren Thuram strike in the 82nd minute and a stoppage time winner from youngster Vasilije Adzic helped Juve stage a sensational come-from-behind victory in the Derby d'Italia.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesThe Nerazzurri struggling in Serie A

The loss against Juventus further compounded Inter's misery. The Nerazzurri are currently languishing in 11th position on the Serie A table, despite scoring nine goals in their opening three league games. After beginning the season with an emphatic 5-0 win over Torino, they slumped to a shock 2-1 loss to Udinese at the San Siro. The defence has been far too penetrative as they have shipped six goals, with Sommer especially becoming the target of the fans' fury following his disastrous display in the defeat to Juve. 

Sommer receives backing from head coach

Speaking to reporters ahead of the Ajax clash in the Champions League, Chivu said: "It’s not fair to put him out in the open and throw stones at him from all sides. He’s important to us, he showed that last year, and from a human perspective, I don’t feel comfortable doing something like that. I respect [Josep] Martinez, and sooner or later he will get his chance, but I won’t change Sommer just because the fans ask for it. I don’t want to go against the grain. A player with his experience needs support. It’s only right that he stays in goal."

AFPAjax clash the perfect springboard for a turnaround in fortunes

Inter commence their Champions League campaign against Ajax on Wednesday. A win could go a long way in lifting the spirits of an Inter side seemingly struggling to avoid defeats. However, defender Denzel Dumfries remains confident of his team's chances. "We've often talked about it among ourselves," the Dutchman said. "We played a good game against Juve, but then things went the way they did. It's true, we've recognized this moment and we have a lot to learn. When you play in the Champions League, you play to win. We have a strong team."

The Australia captain’s words follow the allrounder’s match-winning display for Melbourne Stars against Sydney Thunder

Daniel Brettig09-Jan-2020Glenn Maxwell picked a typically opportune time to rattle the Melbourne Stars to a Big Bash League victory at the MCG, leaving his erstwhile Melbourne Renegades rival and now the Australia ODI captain Aaron Finch to explain why the allrounder wasn’t joining him on the plane to India.After a World Cup campaign that fell short of expectations, and a battle with mental-health issues that forced an extended break from the game in the first half of the season, Maxwell is a T20 concern only for the time being, meaning he is with the Stars for the duration of the BBL and will next play for Australia in their next bracket of T20Is ahead of the World Cup on home soil later this year.However, the fact that the next 50-overs World Cup is to be held in India in 2023, a part of the world that Maxwell knows intimately through his many IPL and international campaigns, means that Finch, the national coach Justin Langer and his senior assistant Andrew McDonald will be looking again in the 31-year-old’s direction before the time comes to name the Cup squad.”People look at [that innings] and they see the results and see all the sixes and all the big hitting, but the way he approached it last night was very clinical,” Finch said of Maxwell. “The way that he gave himself a bit of a chance early and then dominated late. Once he’s in, you can’t bowl to him anywhere. He’s got an answer to everything.”It’s never closed, but when you’re picking a side there has to be a spot there. It just comes down to being in the right place at the right time and having the right match-up. You can only pick so many top-three batters. Guys that have been a part of the squad, Shaun Marsh for example, was disappointed as well after playing some great cricket for the last couple of years, but anyone who misses out is disappointed.”For the time being, the selectors have chosen to take a closer look instead at this summer’s breakout Test batsman Marnus Labuschagne, who with his energy, part-time spin bowling and strong footwork against spin looks a useful addition to the white-ball squad, if not quite so explosive as Maxwell can be. Finch said Labuschagne’s burgeoning friendship with Steven Smith should ensure that by the time the team sets up for the first ODI against India he will be well and truly across the team’s plans.”We know that he’s not going to be overawed by the occasion,” Finch said. “He’s come back into Test cricket after missing out at the start of the Ashes and he’s been unbelievable, so hopefully he can continue that. The form that he showed in the one-day games was outstanding domestically.”He’s averaging up around 40 there batting at three, batting at four for Queensland on what’s been traditionally a little bit tougher batting conditions over the last couple of years in domestic cricket. Playing on some slower wickets that spin quite a bit, to be able to come in and do that role really well for Queensland is obviously what’s got him a place in the side, as well as his current form. I don’t see why it wouldn’t translate.”Marnus Labuschagne bowls in the nets•Getty ImagesAustralia’s tour of India for three ODIs in the middle of January will see the BBL take centre-stage, while the players and broadcasters alike get used to being elsewhere during what is usually peak cricket time in the school holidays. Fox Sports has already made its displeasure known at the scheduling of a BBL match directly opposite one of Australia’s matches in India, and for Finch the scenario is not one he has previously contemplated.”It’s something we didn’t expect to come up even a few months ago,” he said. “But obviously there was a few games’ shortfall with India in the last couple of years, so it doesn’t make a difference to us to be honest, if you’re playing one-day cricket anywhere it’s exciting. Would’ve been nice to play a few more internationals at home during this period but it’s just not possible.”Instead, Smith, David Warner, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood will be turning out in India, and Finch said that for the bowlers there will be the opportunity to reconnect with white-ball cricket after five Tests, while the batsmen need to make the most of their starts in conditions that ease markedly once the first 20 or so balls have been negotiated.”It’s a place where once you get in – it can be a really tough place to start your innings, the ball can swing early, can spin early. So once you get in it can be a beautiful place to bat, the outfields are obviously rapid, so you make the most of that. Any top-order player, once you get to 20 or 30, you really want to go on and cash in. That’ll be the task for our top four.”[The pace bowlers] were all keen to get on this tour and play as much as they could and keep developing their skills. Especially someone like Josh, who’s been out of the side for quite a while now through injury and workload management at different times. I think the fact they’re all so keen to get over there and do well is really exciting.”

West Ham United, with Mohammed Kudus on international duty with Ghana at AFCON and Jarrod Bowen sidelined through injury, have suddenly been left short on attacking options this month. Despite their need for attacking reinforcements, however, reports suggest that the Hammers could suffer a transfer blow at the hands of Premier League rivals Manchester United.

West Ham transfer news

Even if Kudus and Bowen were available, it would come as no shock if West Ham focused on offensive players in the January transfer market. Barring the aforementioned duo, David Moyes has just Danny Ings and Michail Antonio to choose from when it comes to leading the line. And Ings' record doesn't exactly make for pretty reading, leading to links over a West Ham exit this month amid reported interest from Wolverhampton Wanderers. Meanwhile, Antonio's recent injury history has made for a frustrating watch, with the forward out with a knee issue since November.

The London club were perhaps hoping to solve their attacking problem with the arrival of a Bundesliga star. According to earlier reports, West Ham were in ongoing talks to sign Serhou Guirassy from Stuttgart and were stepping things up. Now, however, they could lose out to a Premier League rival. As per Pete O'Rourke of Football Insider, Manchester United could hijack West Ham's deal to sign Guirassy amid plans to make their move for the forward currently at AFCON.

Guirassy, of course, has a £15m release clause, which has seen the likes of AC Milan, United and West Ham all swarm in an attempt to land his signature. With such competition, it seems increasingly likely that Moyes will miss out on the Stuttgart star and face a battle to find the attacking depth that his side so desperately needs this month.

West Ham need to win race for "machine" Guirassy

If West Ham want to secure a permanent place in the Premier League's top six, then welcoming a striker capable of hitting 15-plus goals is crucial. A move to sign Guirassy would be ticking that box too, and it could allow Bowen to move out wide to form a deadly front three of Kudus, Bowen and the Bundesliga star. Guirassy's stats paint the picture of a player at the top of his game, with 19 goals in 16 games placing him among Germany's best in the current campaign. Opta Franz's post on X earlier this season summed up the forward's electric form:

It could speak volumes about just how far West Ham have come if they managed to beat Manchester United and AC Milan to Guirassy's signature either this month or during the summer transfer window. But as things stand, it looks likely that the Red Devils could hijack the Hammers' move in what may deal Moyes a frustrating blow courtesy of his former club.

The ECB has announced the first recipients of England pace-bowling development contracts. Saqib Mahmood (Lancashire), Craig Overton (Somerset) and Olly Stone (Warwickshire) will continue to be employed by their counties, but the ECB will make significant contributions to their employment costs and, in return, take greater control over their playing programme throughout the year.The contracts will also see ECB staff work with the young bowlers in an attempt to minimise injuries and maximise their potential. The contracts run until September 30 2020.The identity of the first recipients is no real surprise. All three have played for England; two of them in Tests. Stone, the quickest of the trio, impressed on Test debut against Ireland and might well have played in the Ashes had a recurrence of the stress fracture that forced him home from the Caribbean tour at the start of 2019 not intervened. He is seen as exactly the sort of fast bowler who can help England win in Australia in 2021-22.While Overton lacks the pace of the others, successive England management set-ups have been impressed with his competitive character and durability. The hope is that, with specialist training and perhaps a reduced workload, they may be able to coax a few more mph out of him.Saqib, at this stage, looks more of a white-ball prospect; he has played just 16 first-class games and not taken a five-wicket haul. But he bowls at a brisk pace, can swing the ball both conventionally and reverse and, aged 22, would appear to have considerable potential for further development. While he proved expensive in his first T20I games in New Zealand last year, conceding 11.50 runs an over, he would appear to have the range of skills to be a good death bowler and could break into England’s squad for the T20 World Cup at the end of the year. He was the leading wicket-taker in the 2019 Royal London One-Day Cup.There were a few notable omissions from the contract list, though. Jamie Overton might be said to have a higher ceiling (he is certainly quicker) than his twin brother, but has struggled with injuries. Henry Brookes, at Warwickshire, is considered by some as the best young fast-bowling talent in the country and also has a history of stress fractures. George Garton, the left-arm swing bowler, wasn’t a million miles from playing in the previous Ashes series in Australia, either, but appears not to have developed as hoped. All might have benefited from similar attention.”Having a strong supply line of high-quality seam bowlers is an essential ingredient for sustained England team success in both white-ball and red-ball cricket,” Ashley Giles, the managing director of England men’s cricket, said. “We are very grateful to the first-class counties for agreeing to this, in particular, Lancashire, Somerset and Warwickshire. We are committed to working very closely with them to best develop players for the long-term benefit of English cricket and to ensure they are at their very best to perform at optimum levels throughout the domestic campaign.”The new contracts are the first manifestation of the broadcast deal for the period 2020-24. Such an idea has been floated for several years but only the money offered by the deal – £1.1 billion over five years – has enable it to become a reality. The first tranche of money is paid at the start of February.So hard up has the ECB been in recent months that England players on white-ball contracts have had their salaries paid by the counties for the last four months, although that money is now set to be repaid.

The left-arm spinner made his first-class debut before any of his India team-mates in the Ranchi Test, but the wait has been worth it for the man from Jharkhand

Karthik Krishnaswamy in Ranchi21-Oct-20191:24

‘Watched cricket for too long on TV, wanted to be on it’ – Nadeem

The ball is dangled up, above the batsman’s eyeline. He leaves his crease, almost involuntarily, to try and reach it. He ends up getting nowhere near it.The ball does two devious things. It drifts in first, and that causes the batsman to open up, again almost involuntarily. Then it spins far more than the batsman expects, and he’s left groping for it as it rips past his outside edge.T Bavuma st Saha b Nadeem 32.It’s a classic left-arm spinner’s dismissal, and it’s quite a way to get your first wicket in Test cricket. For Shahbaz Nadeem, it also happened to be his 425th in first-class cricket.

Watch cricket on ESPN+

India v South Africa is available in the US on Hotstar and ESPN+. Subscribe to ESPN+ and tune in to the Ranchi Test.

Nadeem has been playing first-class cricket since December 2004. Every other member of this India XI made their first-class debut after him. It’s quite a story: he began playing for Jharkhand at 15, and was nearly twice as old when he made his Test debut.He has learned plenty in the intervening years. He began as a purveyor of flat and quickish left-arm spin, and gradually evolved into the kind of bowler he’s now become.”When I began, I was really young, and our team was mostly built around fast bowling,” he said at the end of the third day’s play. “We didn’t really have spinners. Basically, we would mostly play on green wickets, and when I used to bowl fast on green wickets the ball used to skid onto the bat quickly.”So I realised that if I have to play on green wickets, I’ll have to start flighting the ball, and I’ll have to change my bowling so that I can get whatever little purchase I can off the pitch, which I won’t get with a flatter trajectory. The changes began there, after 2-3 years, and I began learning flight variations in order to get wickets even on those pitches. You can say that it helped me to not get helpful wickets at that early stage.”It was an interesting exercise to watch Nadeem bowl in tandem with Ravindra Jadeja, who is among the quickest spinners in world cricket.It isn’t that Jadeja doesn’t vary his pace or trajectory. There was an over, for instance, where he bowled two flighted deliveries wide of off stump that Temba Bavuma drove towards the two fielders in the covers. Jadeja followed this with a quicker, flatter one on a similar length that gave Bavuma no time to get forward to. It ripped off the pitch with extra bounce and beat the outside edge by a big margin.Nadeem’s variations are a little subtler, and there is a bit of Rangana Herath about him, in the sense that he looks to create different angles by varying his release points and wrist positions, while still trying to get most of his deliveries to end up within the line of the stumps.That wicket-to-wicket line kept the right-hand batsmen on a tight leash: in the first innings, they faced 42 balls from him but only managed two scoring shots. Before he was stumped off that hypnotically flighted ball, Bavuma had faced seven balls from Nadem and scored no runs.There is obvious quality in Nadeem’s bowling, but he’s still only fourth-choice among India’s Test spinners, behind Jadeja, R Ashwin and Kuldeep Yadav, whose troublesome shoulder paved the way for his inclusion here in Ranchi. Nadeem is realistic about where he stands, but he knows he’ll be in and around the squad if he maintains his levels of performance.”This was the motivation, the chance I got here,” Nadeem said. “The motivation came from knowing that I might get a chance if something happened to someone. Whichever spinners we have, they’re all doing well. As a cricketer, you have to realise that the slot you’re fighting for, it has to be empty in the first place. If it isn’t empty, you just wait for your chance.”The wait has lasted many years, some of which have brought bucketloads of first-class wickets. There were 51 Ranji Trophy wickets in the 2015-16 season, and 56 the season after that. To many watching from outside, it can seem like a difficult wait, but first-class cricketers enjoy first-class cricket for its own sake too. Even when he’s away playing for, say, India A, Nadeem says Jharkhand, his first-class team, always remains on his mind.”We enjoy [playing first-class cricket] a lot,” Nadeem said. “Playing for Jharkhand is a motivation too, because whoever my team-mates are at Jharkhand, I’ve known them for a long time, some of them for close to 15 years. I’ve played with some of them since childhood, at junior level, so it’s always fun when I play for Jharkhand, and it’s a different sort of feeling.”Wherever I might be playing, if there’s a Jharkhand match, my heart says I need to go play that match too, because apart from the match, there’s friendships and laughter as well.”If he keeps bowling the way he did on Monday, Nadeem might have to make room in his life for an entirely new set of friendships.

Tottenham legend Glenn Hoddle has explained why he's wanted a "real talent" at Spurs for years, and has tipped the player for a Euro 2024 trip.

Spurs chasing top-four Premier League finish

While manager Ange Postecoglou's hopes of winning Spurs their first piece of major silverware since 2008 ended with a 1-0 FA Cup defeat to Man City recently, there is still every chance the Lilywhites can seal a top-four finish and qualify for next season's Champions League.

Spurs may already have a bigger talent than Bergvall in Maddison regen

Ange Postecoglou is starting to build a team of real potential.

ByAngus Sinclair Feb 2, 2024

It's been quite a promising start to life for Postecoglou after his arrival from Celtic last summer, with the Australian's intense, high-pressing football quickly winning over many of Tottenham's loyal fan base.

Spurs also appear to be operating more efficiently off the field, as the appointments of technical director Johan Lange and Chief Football Officer Scott Munn continue to work wonders in regard to their transfer policy.

Timo Werner

Arrival (loan)

Lucas Bergvall

Arrival (buy-to-loan-back)

Radu Dragusin

Arrival (permanent)

Sergio Reguilon

Exit (loan)

Japhet Tanganga

Exit (loan)

Ivan Perisic

Exit (loan)

Eric Dier

Exit (loan)

Ashley Phillips

Exit (loan)

Djed Spence

Exit (loan)

Alejo Veliz

Exit (loan)

The north Londoners were widely rumoured to have beaten European heavyweights Bayern Munich and Barcelona in races for defender Radu Dragusin and Swedish sensation Lucas Bergvall respectively, which perhaps sums up their growing stature as a club in general.

Tottenham are on the up, and Postecoglou's feel-good factor has played a huge role.

Another key component of their success has been Spurs' data-driven recruitment model, with 2023 summer signing James Maddison coming in to become one of their star players.

The former Leicester City man has also returned from an injury lay-off and boosts Postecoglou's top-four charge, with Hoddle tipping him for a spot in Gareth Southgate's England squad at Euro 2024.

Hoddle reveals he's wanted Maddison at Spurs "for years"

Speaking to TNT Sports, Hoddle says he's wanted Maddison at Spurs "for years" and believes the "real talent" will have a big role to play at Tottenham.

“100% he’s good enough, yeah," said Hoddle on Maddison's England chances.

“I’ve said for years that he should have come to Tottenham, two or three seasons ago. If we could have got him with the players we had, with someone like Harry Kane, it would have been sensational.

“And I just think at the moment he’s one of the best No. 10 creative players around. Him and [Phil] Foden are outstanding.

“He’s such a talented lad. He doesn’t quite feel for me as comfortable in an England shirt yet. It doesn’t feel really as if the manager has put his arm around him, saying 'you’re my man'.

“He keeps having to prove himself, [and we] might not see the best of him in that case. But here at Tottenham, and what he did at Leicester, he’s a must, he’s a real talent.”

Leeds United extended their winning run in the Championship to eight matches as they Plymouth Argyle 2-0 at Home Park on Saturday afternoon.

The Whites are currently sat in second place in the division – in the automatic promotion places – but have played a game more than Southampton in third.

Leicester City

1

33

78

Leeds United

2

33

69

Southampton

3

32

67

Ipswich Town

4

32

66

West Bromwich Albion

5

32

52

Coventry City

6

33

51

Current Championship top six (18/02/2024)

The race for automatic promotion back to the Premier League is hotting up and Daniel Farke's side are positioned well at this moment in time.

Leeds are looking to return to the top-flight at the first time of asking and the German head coach, who was brought in last summer to lead the charge, is on course to achieve the club's goal.

He has been blessed with some star performers throughout the season. Crysencio Summerville has grabbed the headlines with his attacking output at the top end of the pitch but the real hero of the campaign for Farke has been versatile enforcer Ethan Ampadu.

Crysencio Summerville's Championship dominance

The 22-year-old winger has been in phenomenal form for the Whites with his outstanding contributions as both a scorer and a creator of goals on the flank.

He produced four goals and two assists in 28 Premier League appearances during the 2022/23 campaign as Leeds were relegated down to the Championship.

The drop to the second tier has allowed the Dutch sensation to flourish as Summerville is currently on a return of 15 goals and eight assists in 30 league matches this term.

His finishing has been extraordinary as he has scored those 15 goals from an xG of 11.62, which means that the talented whiz has more than made the most of the chances that have been created for him throughout the season.

Whereas, Summerville only has eight assists from an xA of 9.33. He has created 16 'big chances' for his teammates but they have not been clinical enough with the opportunities that the young maestro has provided them with.

The former Feyenoord prospect has also got supporters off their seats with his exciting and direct play on the wing as he has completed 2.3 dribbles per match, which highlights his desire to run and get past opposition defenders on a regular basis.

He currently ranks within the top 1% of attacking midfielders and wingers in the Championship this season for shot-creating actions (6.65) per 90, and the top 2% for Expected Assisted Goals (0.37) per 90.

Summerville has been one of the best forwards in the division, as illustrated by his outstanding rank among his positional peers as a creator to go along with his 15 goals, and has been key to Leeds' assault on the top two.

He had a quiet match against Plymouth on Saturday, with zero goals and zero key passes, whilst Ampadu produced yet another fantastic display at the heart of the defence alongside Joe Rodon.

Ethan Ampadu's performance against Plymouth in numbers

The Wales international lined up at the back for Leeds and helped to keep the likes of Alfie Devine and Morgan Whittaker from causing too many problems, as the hosts only managed one shot on target all match.

Ampadu's strong performance played a pivotal role in his side keeping a clean sheet at Home Park, which provided the attacking players with the opportunity to go and win the match with their play at the top end of the pitch.

Minutes played

90

Sofascore rating

7.4

Clearances

Four

Blocks

One

Duels contested

Six

Duels won

Five

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the former Chelsea prospect was a dominant force at centre-back for Leeds as he won five of his duels, which means that Plymouth's players found it incredibly difficult to get the better of him in physical contests.

Ampadu was also composed and reliable in possession when passing the ball out from the back as he completed 91% of his attempted passes (74/81) throughout the game.

This was far from a one-off performance from the Welsh enforcer as he has been consistently impressive as both a defensive midfielder and a centre-back this season.

Ethan Ampadu's star role for Leeds

The £7m signing from Chelsea started the campaign in midfield alongside Glen Kamara and caught the eye with his defensive prowess in the middle of the park.

He currently ranks within the top 19% of midfielders for interceptions (1.43) and blocks (1.55) per 90 respectively, and the top 6% for clearances (2.21) per 90 in the Championship this season.

No midfielder within the Leeds squad has averaged more tackles (1.8) or interceptions (1.4) per match than Ampadu so far this term, which illustrates his importance to the side out of possession.

In 33 Championship appearances, the Welsh star has made 59 tackles, 46 interceptions, and a staggering 221 ball recoveries. He has also won an eye-catching 125 duels with a success rate of 57%.

Ampadu's defensive quality has been particularly eye-catching since Farke moved him to centre-back in reaction to Pascal Struijk's injury issue. He has started in the heart of the defence in eight of the club's last nine matches in all competitions, which has resulted in eight wins, seven clean sheets, and one goal conceded.

The 23-year-old tank has been a monster at the back alongside his international teammate Rodon, as they have only allowed one goal to be scored past them in seven league appearances as a centre-back pairing.

His passing quality in that position has also been impressive, as Ampadu currently ranks within the top 13% of central defenders in the division for progressive passes (4.58) per 90.

This shows that the Leeds gem is a forward-thinking player who wants to progress the play for his team by breaking lines and finding teammates in dangerous positions, which is backed up by his rank within the top 4% of centre-backs for shot-creating actions (2.03) per 90.

The Welsh colossus has been Farke's real hero of the campaign as he has provided quality in possession, with his progressive and reliable passing, and out of possession, with his dominant and aggressive defending.

He has also offered outstanding versatility with superb performances as both a midfielder and a centre-back, along with his leadership qualities as the head coach has handed him the armband in the absence of Liam Cooper and Struijk.

Therefore, Ampadu has been the true star of the season over Summerville due to the complete nature of his performances and the platform that his play has provided the Dutch winger, and his fellow attackers, to go and work his magic in the final third.

da betway： Sir Jim Ratcliffe has reportedly made a decision over the future of a £300,000-a-week Manchester United player – one who has been hailed as "world-class".

Sir Jim Ratcliffe's influence growing

da bet sport： It's fair to say that Ratcliffe is a hugely popular figure at Old Trafford right now, with his 25% stake in the club approved last week, not to mention making an instant impact with key decisions.

One of those is trying to bring in Dan Ashworth from Newcastle United, making him United's new sporting director in the process, whereas exciting plans to 'regenerate' an area neighbouring MediaCity and Old Trafford have also been announced.

New signings are also being looked at, with the Red Devils being linked with plenty of players of late, including Juventus centre-back Gleison Bremer, who could look to move away this summer. Journalist Fabrizio Romano has also claimed that United are interested in signing exciting Benfica midfielder Joao Neves, scouting him a number of times, with Bayern Munich youngster Mathys Tel emerging as a target in recent days, too.

There will also be speculation over the futures of certain current players at Old Trafford, and a big update has now emerged regarding one such figure.

'Big' update on Marcus Rashford's Man Utd future

According to a new 'big' update from Football Insider, Ratcliffe wants Marcus Rashford to stay at Manchester United, despite being seen as a possible replacement for Kylian Mbappe at Paris Saint-Germain.

"New Man United minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his INEOS outfit are keen to keep Marcus Rashford at the club amid links with Paris Saint-Gerrmain, sources have told Football Insider. Widespread speculation linking the 26-year-old to the French champions has cropped up again with Kylian Mbappe set to exit the club in the off-season.

"It is believed INEOS are keen to keep him at United as their new regime gets into full swing. A well-placed source has told Football Insider that last season’s heroics from Rashford are fresh in the memories of club chiefs – who 'know what he can do' at his best."

Rashford is having a below-par season to date, with his body language often leaving a lot to be desired, and a tally of five goals in 24 appearances in the Premier League is a disappointing return. The £300,000-a-week ace is still a top player on his day, however, and at 26, there could still be plenty more to come from him.

Marcus Rashford's Man Utd stats

Total

Appearances

389

Goals

128

Assists

74

Luke Shaw has described him as "world-class" in the past, such is the level he is capable of playing at, and whether off-field issues are to blame for his slump, or even problems with Erik ten Hag, remains to be seen.

Related Sir Jim Ratcliffe ready to make Man Utd bid for defensive "monster"

His club are now believed to be panicking.

Posts ByHenry Jackson Feb 20, 2024

The fact that Ratcliffe wants him to stay is a good thing, though, and it would be a shock if he didn't come out the other side of his current dip.

Aston Villa slumped to a 2-1 defeat to Manchester United in the Premier League over the weekend, and it now means the club have lost three of their previous four matches.

While Unai Emery’s men are still occupying fifth place in the table, the Old Trafford side are just five points behind and things can change quickly.

They need to dust themselves off and prepare for the clash against Fulham this weekend. A win could restore their confidence, but another top-flight defeat could see Emery’s men unravel.

#1 Liverpool

24

32

54

#2 Man City

23

21

52

#3 Arsenal

24

31

54

#4 Tottenham

24

15

47

#5 Aston Villa

24

14

46

Several players failed to produce their best against the Red Devils and Matty Cash was arguably one of the worst performers for the club.

Matty Cash’s game against Man Utd in numbers

Cash may have provided a reliable attacking outlet against United, creating a big chance, delivering two accurate crosses and making two key passes during the clash, but defensively, he was all over the place.

The English-born Poland international committed three fouls and was dribbled past twice, as Marcus Rashford clearly enjoyed playing against the 26-year-old, giving him a torrid time during the match.

With the scores tied at 1-1 and Villa looking like they had snatched a point, the right-back was beaten to the ball all too easily for Scott McTominay’s headed winner, and he could have done so much better with the goal.

To compound his misery, Cash lost possession a total of 17 times throughout the 90 minutes, won just three of his 12 contested duels and was even awarded a dismal match rating of 4/10 by Birmingham World for his performance.

Will Matty Cash be dropped?

According to Birmingham World, ‘Rashford ran rings around him’ and he was also ‘sloppy in the first half’. As a result, this display may well give Emery a slight selection headache ahead of future matches.

Cash has been the undisputed first choice on the right side of the defence this season, and he does not really have any challengers for the role after injury occurred in the camp.

Ezri Konsa has played there on 13 occasions this term, yet he will be out for the next three to four weeks having suffered an injury against Sheffield United recently.

The only other first-team player who could replace Cash is Calum Chambers, yet he has played a grand total of just 178 minutes across three matches, with none of them coming domestically.

This clearly suggests that despite enduring a dismal display against Erik ten Hag’s side yesterday, Cash will likely still be in the starting XI when they play Fulham this weekend.

Emery has built a solid starting XI at Villa since taking charge in 2022, but he must improve his squad depth across a number of key areas during the summer transfer window, otherwise if injuries set in, he will be forced to play people out of position.

The Spaniard has a lot to think about, but another poor performance by Cash against the Cottagers this coming weekend could see the former Nottingham Forest defender dropped from the starting XI and forced to regain his managers' trust.

Despite sitting pretty in second spot in League One currently, Derby County's woes up top are still yet to be sorted out.

Paul Warne had to start Nathaniel Mendez-Laing up top in his side's narrow 1-0 win over Stevenage at the weekend, the more naturally suited winger slotting into the side as a makeshift striker owing to growing injury issues in the centre-forward ranks at Pride Park.

On top of 18-goal star James Collins being sidelined through injury, the Rams are also without the likes of Martyn Waghorn and Conor Washington with Warne reportedly pushing for a deal to be struck with free-agent striker Dwight Gayle to add more numbers to the depleted position for Derby.

Yet, if the Rams had just been more proactive in the transfer window, they could well have landed this exciting Gayle alternative with the player in question standing out now for one of Derby's fierce promotion rivals.

When Derby wanted to sign Callum Lang

Derby were once in the race to sign former Wigan Athletic attacker Callum Lang last month, with Portsmouth unfortunately coming up trumps as the winners for Lang's signature over Warne's side.

Unable to sign both Lee Gregory and Michael Smith as well, it was a subdued window in truth for the promotion seekers especially when it came to bolstering their centre-forward spots.

Derby County's teenage sensation could be their answer to Michael Smith

Derby County could look towards their youth to uncover their very own Michael Smith.

ByKelan Sarson Feb 5, 2024

Able to play down the wing and as a second striker too, Lang's signature would really have strengthened the Rams and helped plug gaps in a number of problem areas with injuries piling up.

Whereas, as much as Gayle has been a prolific EFL sharpshooter over his extensive career, there's no guarantee he will set the world alight at Pride Park if signed after a barren time at his last employers in Stoke City.

On the contrary, the former Wigan man has hit the ground running almost immediately at Fratton Park to help Pompey push away from Derby in second place.

Lang's numbers with Portsmouth so far

Lang might well not boast the same reputation Gayle has for being an out-and-out goal-getter, but the 25-year-old has become an instant fan's favourite on the South Coast for his assuredness in front of goal all the same.

Three of Lang's five goals this campaign in League One have come from donning a Pompey strip, the £5.4k per week attacker bagging those strikes over a mini five-game purple patch recently.

One of those strikes came in this weekend's emphatic 4-1 win over Reading, with the former Latics forward also winning four duels along the way to help his side cruise to victory.

In stark contrast, Gayle managed to net just three goals for Stoke over a pitiful total of 50 games to showcase the 34-year-old's lack of a clinical edge as his career inevitably begins to peter out.

The ex-Newcastle man's ruthlessness in front of goal could be uncovered again making the drop down to the third tier however, but Derby will still be left rueing their decision to not go after Lang with more purpose.

The 25-year-old's current heroics for Pompey could see John Mousinho's strong South Coasters leave Derby in the dust when it comes to the hunt for the third-tier title, with the Rams potentially running out of steam amidst even more potential injuries owing to Gayle's own injury proneness, missing as many as 156 days in 2019/20.

Warne will just want to put any failure to land Lang to one side for the time being however, eager to get Gayle in through the door now to at least have another striker option he can call upon in the short term.