All posts by h716a5.icu

Leeds United's academy set-up at Thorp Arch has nurtured and developed a host of impressive players who have gone on to catch the eye in Yorkshire and elsewhere.

The likes of Kalvin Phillips, Jack Clarke, Leif Davis, and Lewis Cook, out of the players still playing, all came through the youth set-up to forge excellent careers for themselves.

Leeds have produced many fantastic players from their academy over the years and one star they struck gold with was the late and great Gary Speed.

Gary Speed's career with Leeds in numbers

The Welsh dynamo came up through the youth set-up in Yorkshire and eventually made his breakthrough in the first-team during the 1990/91 campaign.

His first season as a regular in the senior squad was the following year, however, as the versatile midfielder racked up seven goals and one assist in 38 First Division matches.

Speed then played a crucial role in the club winning the top-flight title in the 1991/92 campaign, as he scored seven goals in 41 appearances that term.

1992/93

39

7

2

1993/94

36

10

5

1994/95

39

3

5

1995/96

29

2

0

As you can see in the table above, the Wales international was a regular fixture in the Leeds team over the next four seasons as the First Division became the Premier League from the start of the 1992/93 campaign.

In fact, Speed was named as one of the XI players in the first PFA Team of the Year for the inaugural Premier League season, which shows how highly he was rated by his professional peers.

By the end of the 1995/96 campaign, the special midfielder had amassed 42 goals and 13 assists in 249 appearances for the Whites in all competitions, having come up through the academy set up.

How much Leeds sold Gary Speed for

Per Totally Money, Everton swooped in to sign the impressive star in the summer of 1996 for a fee of £4.38m to bolster their midfield options.

Adjusting for the inflation of transfer fees in football over the subsequent years, per Totally Money's index, that fee of £4.38m would be worth roughly £41m+ (£41.6m) in today's (2024) money.

This shows that Leeds struck gold with Speed as they brought through a special gem who almost hit 250 appearances for the club's first-team, won a top-flight title, earned a place in the PFA Team of the Year, and then raked in a huge profit for the Whites.

The Welsh wizard scored 16 goals in 59 matches for the Toffees before being sold to Newcastle United, per Totally Money, for a fee of £7.4m (£42.8m in 2024 money) at the start of 1998.

Speed enjoyed a sensational career with the Magpies – scoring 39 goals and registering 21 assists in 285 games in all competitions – before seeing out his career with Bolton Wanderers and Sheffield United before his retirement.

Leeds messed up by signing flop who cost more than Rutter in 2024 money

The Whites then sold him for just £250k after an underwhelming time in Yorkshire.

ByDan Emery May 8, 2024

Overall, Leeds and their supporters should look back on Speed's time at the club as a huge success and cherish the fantastic memories he gave them with his sublime performances in midfield, which helped the Whites to rake in millions for his signature after years of superb service.

Neymar has delivered a “work in silence” response to claims that his long-awaited return to action at Al-Hilal could be delayed until 2025.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Brazilian sidelined since October 2023Made only five appearances for Saudi employersWorking on fitness after knee problemWHAT HAPPENED?

The Brazil international has been stuck on the sidelines since damaging knee ligaments during a World Cup qualifying appearance for his country in October 2023. Neymar has taken in a long road to recovery since then, but is still not back on the field.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The 32-year-old playmaker has been restricted to just five games and one goal for Al-Hilal since heading to the Saudi Pro League from French giants Paris Saint-Germain. Little return has been seen on the lucrative contract handed to the South American superstar.

DID YOU KNOW?

There had been suggestions that Neymar was closing in on full fitness, with summer transfer talk quickly played down. Counter reports are now claiming that the Samba star may not be ready to resume his career until into the new year.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

WHAT NEYMAR SAID

Neymar has responded to those with a post on Instagram that sees him pumping iron in the gym. He has accompanied a series of photos showing him working with an individual trainer with the captain: “Work in silence. Don’t give up.”

Head coach hails persistence of pace attack as late wickets put West Indies on top

Matt Roller11-Jul-2020West Indies head coach Phil Simmons hailed his bowling attack’s persistence and patience after five late wickets put his team into the driving seat against England.When Zak Crawley and Ben Stokes combined for a fluent partnership of 98, the bulk of which were made after the tea interval, it had looked as though the game was drifting away from West Indies, who had managed only three wickets in the day. But after Jason Holder removed Stokes for the second time in the match, Alzarri Joseph and Shannon Gabriel took two wickets apiece in quick spells which seemed to vindicate Holder’s emphasis on discipline and patience throughout the match.”It showed the persistence of the bowlers,” Simmons said. “We’d been fighting all day and Stokes and Zak started to take the bowling apart. But the persistence of Jason [was rewarded] and then Alzarri’s spell was a huge spell too.ALSO READ: Late burst from WI seamers hits England hopes”I’m extremely pleased with the way the bowlers bowled today – both when two batters [Rory Burns and Dom Sibley] batted before lunch and more so when Stokes and Crawley were trying to take it away from us.”The patience we exhibited has been something that we’ve been asking for for a while, and today it showed up. We bore the fruit of that in the evening session. You can’t really say much more – they stuck to their tasks.”In particular, the flurry of wickets before the close seemed to reward Holder’s sparing use of his two strike bowlers earlier in the day.While it would have been tempting to throw Gabriel and Joseph the ball and ask them to target England’s top three with bouncers, Holder instead split the bulk of the workload between the relentless Kemar Roach, himself, and offspinner Roston Chase, choking England’s scoring on a slow pitch.That meant that Joseph had bowled only 11 of the day’s 80 overs when he returned to bowl with the second new ball still offering movement, and the rewards were immediate: his was the fastest spell of the innings, and accounted for both Crawley – caught and bowled in his follow-through – and Buttler, who was bowled through the gate.Gabriel, too, was fresh upon his return after only 12 overs in the day, and twice beat Dom Bess in the off-stump channel in the first over of his spell before knocking out his off pole in his second. Four balls later, he got one to lift from a length which Ollie Pope only managed to chop on, leaving England eight wickets down with a slender lead of 165.Shannon Gabriel successfully appeals for the wicket of Dom Sibley•Getty ImagesSimmons said that there had not been a specific plan to leave some energy in the tank moving into the final hour, but hailed Holder’s management of his bowlers throughout the match so far.”It’s just how the captain sees it when he’s out there,” Simmons said. “That’s just the way he rotated his bowlers today, and it worked well for us in the end.”When [Alzarri] is bowling like he bowled this evening here, he’s always going to be a threat to any batting line-up we play against. That’s the thought we are trying to get in his head: that this is the type of spell we want from him and need from him.”Part of Test cricket is about patience, especially when you have wickets like this to play on, and it’s something that we’ve been working on hard – not getting bored at doing the simple things and the basic things for a while to put people under pressure. I’m glad to see it’s working, and guys are thinking about what we’ve been working on.”Simmons gave further praise to Gabriel, who has now taken seven wickets in his first first-class appearance since last September following a long ankle lay-off.”It shows his desire to play for West Indies, coming back from ankle surgery and doing all the hard work he’s done. Even during lockdown in Trinidad, he was finding ways to train to get himself fit for this series. You can only compliment him.”I’m sure that Jason is happy to have him, Roach is happy to have him as an opening partner, and Alzarri is coming up with them. It’s great to see the combination and how they’re working together. That’s the important thing, how they bowl together and it’s showing and it’s improving.”As for the fourth innings, Simmons suggested that the benefit of late wickets was that it meant there would be little in the way of scoring pressure on his batsmen.”We’ve got to get the two wickets, and whatever is put in front of us, we have a day to bat. The confidence from the way we batted and the attitude towards batting in the first innings is going to be a huge plus for us when we bat in the second innings.”Whether we’re chasing 170 or 190, it’s going to be the same attitude that we need to chase it. I have confidence in that.”

Following a difficult season during the 2023/24 campaign, Manchester United are set for yet another rebuild this summer under the new INEOS regime. That could well start from the manager, with talk of Erik ten Hag leaving the club still floating around. However, there is set to be a big shake-up of the squad.

As per Mark Ogden of ESPN, the Red Devils’ budget this summer will be a “net spend of £100 million”. With that in mind, United’s transfer business must be sensible in order to not overspend as they have been guilty of doing in the past.

Raphael Varane has already announced he will leave the club at the end of the season, with the likes of Anthony Martial, Christian Eriksen and Casemiro all potential outgoings from the Premier League side once the transfer window opens in a month.

In terms of incomings, Michael Olise has been named as one of the Red Devil’s biggest targets this summer. According to Fabrizio Romano, the Crystal Palace winger has a release clause worth around £60m, which United could well activate.

Due to injury issues for both Tyrell Malacia and Luke Shaw this season, left-back could also be a priority position in which United look to buy players. With several potential targets being named, there is one man who could be a front-runner to move to Old Trafford in the summer.

Man Utd looking to sign Premier League defender

The man whom United are reportedly targeting at left-back this summer is Chelsea’s Marc Cucurella. The Red Devils have had previous interest in the former Brighton and Hove Albion man, which they have reignited this summer.

According to TEAMtalk, United are looking into the constraints of a deal for the Spaniard and while 'there are no active talks ongoing at the moment', his situation is 'one to keep an eye on in the coming months'.

Ten Hag’s side are not thought to be the only Premier League club interested in signing Cucurella. The report explains there are 'multiple clubs including Aston Villa' who are thought to be interested in securing the 25-year-old’s signature.

Whilst there is yet to be a quoted price for Cucurella this summer, a good way to see what he could cost is using the valuation tool from CIES Football Observatory. According to that source, the Spaniard is valued at £25.8m, which is more than both Shaw and Malacia, who are worth £12.9m and £8.6m respectively.

How Cucurella fits in at Man Utd

Cucurella’s time at Stamford Bridge has been a mixed bag so far. He joined for a fee of around £60m from Brighton in 2022 but has been in and out of the team under four different managers, never really locking down a starting spot. He is also Chelsea's seventh-highest earner according to Caplogy, earning £175k-per-week.

The 25-year-old has made 58 appearances for the Blues so far but has only managed four assists, as well as a single goal which came in the FA Cup against Leicester City this season, a campaign where he has made 25 appearances under Mauricio Pochettino.

One of Cucurella’s toughest games in a Chelsea shirt so far came against Manchester United this season at Stamford Bridge. The Spaniard came directly up against Antony, who completed six out of the seven dribbles he attempted that day, as per Statman Dave. As the football statistician explained, Antony “had Cucurella on toast” that evening.

With that being said, Cucurella’s numbers are not too dissimilar to Diogo Dalot’s stats, as per FBref's similar players model, whom many might consider United’s player of the season – dubbed the club's "most consistent player" by Patrice Evra.

According to FBref, per 90 minutes Cucurella averages 1.86 tackles won compared to Dalot’s 1.43 tackles won, and 1.12 interceptions compared to Dalot’s 1.05.

However, on the ball, Dalot’s stats do stack up slightly better compared to the Spaniard’s numbers. Per 90 minutes, the Portugal international averages 1.22 final third carries and 3.06 final third passes, compared to Cucurella’s 0.80 final third carries and 2.55 final third passes.

Stat (per 90)

Cucurella

Dalot

Tackles won

1.86

1.43

Interceptions

1.12

1.05

Final third carries

0.80

1.22

Final third passes

2.55

3.06

Another selling point of Cucurella is the fact that he has not solely played at left-back. Under Pochettino this season, he has played both left-back and right-back, although he has also slotted in a left centre-back in a back three during his time at Chelsea.

For the right price, this could certainly be a smart deal for United to complete. However, if Chelsea want to recoup much of the £60m fee that they spent on Cucurella, perhaps the Red Devils are better looking elsewhere, given the minimal amount of money they have to spend this summer.

Ratcliffe plotting £52m Man Utd swoop for "young Saliba" to replace Varane

The Man United target has been described as a “young Saliba”.

ByTom Lever May 17, 2024

The Arne Slot era is not yet underway at Anfield but Liverpool are already preparing to make some impactful moves in the transfer market this summer.

Jurgen Klopp’s shocking news that he would step down at the end of the 2023/24 campaign rocked the boat but FSG’s judicious planning has seen Michael Edwards reinstated as CEO of Football Operations and Richard Hughes welcomed from Bournemouth as Liverpool’s new sporting director.

Transfer strategy has gone somewhat awry in recent years and fans will now hope to see some excellent additions made to bind the forthcoming chapter and ensure that the facets come together, so that the Redsl keep fighting at the top.

Liverpool leading race for talented target

According to Tuttosport newspaper – via Football Italia – Liverpool are the frontrunners to sign Federico Chiesa from Juventus, though face competition from Antonio Conte’s Napoli for the versatile forward.

Newcastle United have also been credited with an interest in recent weeks, believed to be willing to pay in excess of £50m to land the Italy international.

Chiesa – who can play across the frontline – is out of contract in 12 months and given the Old Lady’s financial concerns, cashing in might be the best course of action. Liverpool would love to take advantage of such a situation.

Federico Chiesa's season in numbers

Chiesa, aged 25, has been blighted by damaging injuries over the past several years but after returning to form at the end of the 2022/23 season, he has enjoyed a comparatively unaffected year, missing four matches through December and January but ending with a Coppa Italia trophy and ten goals and three assists from 29 starting appearances.

Typically playing off the shadow of the centre-forward, Chiesa is mobile and multi-faceted, usually lingering closer to the left side of the pitch before weaving inward to wreak havoc, indeed creating 12 big chances in Serie A and averaging 1.6 key passes and 1.1 dribbles per outing, as per Sofascore.

The 26-year-old’s ability to find success from a plethora of angles, merging an innate eye for goal with sharp playmaking qualities and true positional flexibility, suggests that he has all that is needed to succeed at Liverpool, potentially boasting the perfect skill set for Darwin Nunez.

Imagine Federico Chiesa & Darwin Nunez

Retired Italian footballer Alessandro Pierini once said of Chiesa: “He’s world-class. He has all the ability and desire of a great player.”

And, truly, the Italy international’s biggest detractor is his own body, with injuries limiting him to just 17 Serie A starts across the 2021/22 and 2022/23 league seasons, but he’s now demonstrated something of an athletic resurgence and could make a real difference for Liverpool under Slot.

Nunez is Liverpool’s club-record signing at £85m – including potential add-ons – and while he has proven himself influential and electric, his errant shooting has left plenty to be desired.

Matches played

29

36

Matches started

19

22

Goals

9

11

Assists

3

8

Big chances missed

20

27

Pass completion

67%

72%

Big chances created

11

11

Key passes per game

1.0

0.9

Dribbles per game

0.6 (49%)

0.4 (43%)

Duels won per game

2.8 (38%)

2.4 (38%)

As you can see, the Uruguayan has been more effective with his creativity in his second Premier League campaign but has still failed to bring it all together, missing an almighty catalogue of chances.

But with Chiesa playing off him, that might just change. As per FBref, the £153k-per-week Juve star ranks among the top 1% of forwards across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for shot-creating actions, the top 14% for progressive passes, the top 3% for progressive carries and the top 16% for successful take-ons per 90.

His natural aptitude in progression has found a new focal point in creating chances with frightening regularity – a product of the positions he is finding himself in – and so Nunez would have a partner, playing off him, who could serve him chances on a silver platter. If that won’t work – what will?

Azzurri legend Giorgio Chiellini has said in the past that Chiesa is “unstoppable” when at his best, and while there might be concerns over signing an injury-prone attacker, Liverpool have a superabundance of options to ensure that the Italian is managed carefully.

With such a dynamic and creative approach, he might just be the perfect player to charge Nunez and ensure that Liverpool maintain that fright factor despite waving goodbye to an icon in Klopp.

Slot could land big Jones upgrade in Liverpool swoop for £51m star

The Reds have been linked with an interest in the talented attacking midfielder.

ByDan Emery May 28, 2024

Brenden Aaronson continued his strong start to the Championship season with another goal contribution on Saturday.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Aaronson provides assistLeeds win 2-0USMNT star in fantastic form to start the seasonGetty Images SportWHAT HAPPENED?

U.S. international Brenden Aaronson's season of redemption continued for Leeds as the midfielder provided a late assist to secure the team's win over Cardiff.

Aaronson's big moment came in the game's final moments as he helped Leeds lock up the three points. With his side up 1-0 thanks to a 30th minute Largie Ramazani goal, Aaronson played a perfect through-ball into the path of Joel Piroe in the 87th minute.

Piroe made no mistake with the finish, earning Aaronson the assist and Leeds the win thanks to a 2-0 scoreline.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Aaronson's return to Leeds this summer was met with some frustration from the club's fans, but the American has immediately won back their support with a series of strong performances. He was recognized as Leeds Player of the Month in August after scoring twice during the month, proving that he had a part to play for the club this season.

His assist on Sunday was his first of the season, too, as the ex-Philadelphia Union star continues to create goals for a team looking to push back towards the Premier League.

GettyDID YOU KNOW?

With the three goal contributions, Aaronson has already nearly equaled his tallies from each of the last two seasons. The 23-year-old had one goal and three assists in 36 Premier League appearances for Leeds in the 2022-23 season. He had two goals and two assists on loan with Union Berlin last season in the Bundesliga.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

GettyWHAT NEXT FOR LEEDS?

With the win, Leeds have now collected 11 points from their first six games of the Championship season, putting them in sixth place. Up next is a clash with Aaronson's USMNT teammate, Haji Wright and Coventry on Sept. 28.

Thirty players, including captains de Kock and van Niekerk, are worried this may be the last chance to save SA cricket

Firdose Moonda01-Sep-2020South Africa’s players, including national-team captains Quinton de Kock and Dane van Niekerk, have cautioned that the “financial viability of the game is under major threat”, and demanded that Cricket South Africa focus on effecting positive change before “irreparable damage” is caused.A total of 30 cricketers, both men and women, were named in a statement sent out by the South African Cricketers’ Association (SACA) on Tuesday. In it, they express the worry that “this may be the last chance we have to change direction and save the game” in the wake of CSA, beset by a plethora of problems, postponing their annual general meeting.Signatories to the SACA statement

Aiden Markram, Andile Phehlukwayo, Anrich Nortje, Ayabonga Khaka, Beuran Hendricks, Chloe Tryon, Dané van Niekerk, David Miller, Dean Elgar, Dwaine Pretorius, Faf du Plessis, Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj, Laura Wolvaardt, Lizelle Lee, Lungi Ngidi, Marizanne Kapp, Masabatha Klaas, Mignon du Preez, Nadine de Klerk, Quinton de Kock, Rassie van der Dussen, Reeza Hendricks, Shabnim Ismail, Sinalo Jafta, Sune Luus, Tabraiz Shamzi, Temba Bavuma, Trisha Chetty, Tumi Sekhukhune

Not only has cricket come to a standstill in the country because of Covid-19, CSA is without both a permanent CEO and an elected president, has an incomplete board, and is facing financial crisis and allegations of racism. Former CEO Thabang Moroe was fired last week for “acts of serious misconduct” after a suspension of more than nine months, while Chris Nenzani resigned two weeks ago, with his tenure on the brink of expiration. Through all that, CSA is expected to report a profit for the 2020 financial year – during which time England visited – though the three T20Is against India, planned for August and now taken out of CSA’s budget, will mean losses in 2021.At the same time, CSA is attempting to address allegations of exclusion by considering reparations for those who felt discriminated against in the past. The current crop of 30 players have recognised these myriad issues have shaken the game to its core and they fear that not all decisions are being taken with cricket at the core. They have demanded that the administrators concentrate on cleaning house.ALSO READ: CSA will apply affirmative action while hiring consultants”Issues such as suspensions, dismissals, resignations, forensic audits, confidential leaks, litigation and financial mismanagement have dominated the cricket headlines. This is happening at a time when we are having challenging conversations about transformation, and in an environment where the financial viability of the game is under major threat,” the statement read. “Politics and self-interest appear to trump cricket imperatives and good governance. Decisions must be made that are in the best interests of cricket, failing which the game we love may be irreparably damaged in this country.”While the statement does not mention what action, if any, the players will take should their demands not be met, it offers a “sincere plea” to “save the game”, which they believe should start with a close scrutiny of the current structures. “The Proteas teams must be strong, the domestic structure must be strong, and the transformation pipeline must be strong – we demand that this be the focus of the CSA Board and Operational Team.”

The midfielder has accomplished so much already, but there's still upside that has yet to be unlocked

It's hard to fathom considering how much the world has seen from him already, but Yunus Musah is just 21 years old. At an age where Musah should just be breaking into senior soccer, he already has several seasons at the top, top level under his belt. Let's not forget, he started all four of the USMNT's games during the 2022 World Cup.

Despite all he's already accomplished, Musah is still a developing player and, as he continues that development, there is still one question hanging over all: what kind of player is he going to be?

Right now, Musah feels like a player stuck between positions. He can dribble through just about everyone, but he doesn't yet provide the goals or assists required from a No. 8. He's strong and quick, but he doesn't yet have the defensive instincts of a No. 6. Because of that, Musah is very much a complementary player at this stage of his career, one who can help a midfield, but can't take it over.

The hope has been that his move to Milan would see him develop one way or another. He'd either become a marauding box-to-box monster who could dribble his way into multiple goals a season. Either that or he'd become a game-altering No. 6, one that can receive the ball in pressure and then put that very same pressure on any opposition players in his path.

Realistically, though, those sides of his game haven't emerged. He's still very much the same midfielder as he was at the World Cup in 2022. So, as he marches on in the early days of his career, the question remains: where exactly is Musah heading?

GettyThe move to Milan

After years of being stuck out on the wing at Valencia, Musah's move to Milan felt like a gift. The young American would be taking a major leap up the ladder to one of the world's biggest clubs. He'd also be heading to Italy, a country he'd have no problem adapting to after spending part of his childhood there.

His first season was largely productive. He appeared in 40 matches in all competitions, including nine in Europe. Musah got a taste of those big moments, stepping into major Champions League matches for a club that, despite falling on harder times over the last decade, always has sky-high expectations.

This season, under new coach Paulo Fonseca, the minutes have been harder to come by. Musah has featured in five games so far this season, but just one was a start. Making matters worse: in those five appearances, he's totaled just 147 minutes of playing time. In Tuesday's match against Leverkusen, a 1-0 loss for Milan, Musah didn't make it off the bench.

With Milan often playing a double pivot in midfield, Musah hasn't quite been able to lock down a role. There's an argument to be made that he isn't best equipped to play in a two-man setup, which is something we've seen with the USMNT.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportLessons from the USMNT

Since his commitment to the USMNT, Musah has been the perfect piece. The MMA midfield fit together seamlessly. Musah was an ideal complement to Tyler Adams and Weston McKennie. Adams did the destroying, McKennie marauded and Musah got the U.S. out of difficult situations with his ability to receive and progress the ball.

Without Adams and McKennie in the most recent camp, though, Musah was asked to do more and, at this point, he can't quite lead the midfield on his own.

Against Canada, the Milan midfielder was played next to Johnny Cardoso, who had a rough game to put it lightly. Musah was generally OK, but the USMNT, as a whole, was swarmed by Jesse Marsch's team. Against New Zealand, though, Musah struggled. His passing was great, as he completed 59 of his 61 passes, but he was totally outclassed on the defensive side. He won just one of his seven duels before being yanked at halftime.

You can't judge a player off of two games, particularly two friendlies. However, while Musah has the potential to be a star, the last few weeks have proved that the 21-year-old midfielder isn't quite there yet. He may be a piece, one that can make a difference in winning, but he has yet to prove that he can truly dominate a game regardless of who is next to him.

Getty Images SportFit as a No. 8

There may not be a smoother player than Musah in the USMNT player pool. He glides with the ball at his feet. Regardless of where he receives it and how many players are around him, Musah always seems to advance the ball up the field.

Over the last year, Musah is in the 96th percentile of the Big Five leagues when it comes to progressive carries. He's in the 91st percentile in successful take-ons. When Musah recieves the ball, he advances it safely.

However, once gets the ball from Point A to B by dribbling, he struggles to really do anything with it. He had just two assists last season, although he did add a spectacular one to start this campaign. In terms of goals, he's yet to score for Milan, while he's in the 20th percentile for passes attempted and 37th percentile in progressive passes.

"I have to say it’s a bit frustrating not having scored yet," Musah told SportMediaSet in a recent interview. "I’m working to increase the chances of it happening in a match."

What do those stats show? They paint the picture of a midfielder that can get forward, but doesn't particularly do anything productive. He can beat a defender, but he can't create a goal. Moving the ball up the field is helpful, especially in a three-man midfield, but, players also have to be able to actually do something with it.

That just isn't in Musah's game just yet and, if he wants to be an elite No. 8, he needs to find ways to really impact games with an occasional goal or assist.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

GettyFit as a No. 6

The stats paint a clear picture of what Musah needs to improve at on the attacking end. The defensive numbers are even more glaring.

He's in the 20th percentile in tackling, 41st percentile in aerials won and, worst of all, seventh percentile in interceptions. Those numbers paint a clear picture of a player that doesn't quite yet have the defensive instincts required, particularly in a double pivot.

Musah is not yet a natural defensive midfielder and, with Adams out, that fact is even more glaring with the USMNT. It's also why Fonseca tends to rely on Tijjani Reijnders and Youssouf Fofana, who bring much more steel to the Milan midfield.

Given the numbers above, you can see why Musah hasn't quite earned the trust of his new club coach, but that leads us to the important question: how does he earn it?

A year ago today, it seemed that Casemiro would become an integral part of Manchester United’s near future.

However, fast forward to the present, and the Brazilian looks increasingly likely to leave Old Trafford, with a move to Saudi Arabia on the cards.

His performances as of late simply haven’t been good enough, with football creator Liam Canning even calling him a “joke.”

With that in mind, it’s quite clear that Sir Jim Ratcliffe must look for an upgrade on the former Real Madrid ace, and he may have just found the perfect player for the job.

Man Utd searching for Casemiro upgrade

According to a report from GIVEMESPORT, Man Utd are keen on signing Morten Hjulmand this summer.

It’s reported that the Dane is a “priority target” for the Red Devils as they look to bolster their midfield.

Having only signed for Sporting last season, Hjulmand’s contract doesn’t expire until 2028, meaning that the club sees him as part of their future.

However, “a big fee” will be required if United do wish to go ahead with a move for the player who’s been on their radar for a while.

Why Hjulmand could be incredible alongside Mainoo

Kobbie Mainoo was simply unbelievable last season in each of his 35 appearances during his breakthrough campaign.

Canning described the youngster as a “generational talent,” and it’s difficult to disagree, based on the influence he’s had on Erik ten Hag’s side. He's even earned himself a call-up for England's provisional squad for the Euros. Not bad work for a player who's only been playing senior football a matter of months.

The 19-year-old is the future of the Red Devils, the type of profile that Ratcliffe will look to build around, and Hjulmand could just be the perfect partner for the Englishman.

Just like Mainoo, the 24-year-old has been a key player for his side despite only coming into the fold last summer, making 49 appearances across all competitions.

Touches

56.4

72.9

49

Passes completed

40.3

46.5

31.1

Pass accuracy

87%

83%

87%

Possession lost

8.1

12

8.1

Tackles

2

3.3

2

Balls recovered

5.1

5.3

4

Duels won

3.9

5.8

5

Dribbled past

0.6

2.2

1

As you can see, Hjulmand is much closer to Casemiro than Mainoo in terms of his profile, sitting slightly deeper and protecting the backline.

This is where his first strength comes into the equation, as in the eyes of journalist Zach Lowy, he is a "monster" defensively, notably in regards to his ability to recover possession.

Casemiro also thrives during similar tasks, but the difference between the two is that Hjulmand is far less reckless, and “he's not too aggressive to the point that makes him rash or pulls him out of position,” as per analyst Ben Mattinson.

Unfortunately, this is one of Casemiro’s biggest downfalls, and he no longer has the athleticism to track back with ease, as shown in the fact that he's dribbled past 2.2 times per game.

The United number 18’s defensive statistics are superior to Hjulmand’s, but that’s to be expected when the latter plays in a side with much more possession, as well as his more disciplined approach.

The security of Hjulmand and Mainoo would help United’s defence be far more secure, while the introduction of the former Lecce player would also bring the best out of the English ace because of his technical ability.

Unlike the 32-year-old, Sporting’s maestro is far less wasteful with the ball, which would enable the Red Devils to have more control of the ball, in turn allowing Mainoo to work his magic more frequently.

Overall, the signing of Hjulmand has the potential to transform United’s midfield, and if Ratcliffe can sell Casemiro as well, he'd be making an incredibly smart decision.

Man Utd submit bid for “special” star who’s like Scholes & Keane

The Man United target has a £102m release clause.

ByTom Lever Jun 4, 2024

The RCB captain had scored just 18 from the first three matches, but came to the fore with a match-winning fifty on Saturday

Saurabh Somani03-Oct-20202:12

Manjrekar: Kohli and RCB paced the chase perfectly

It has been an almost unprecedented start to IPL 2020 for the Royal Challengers Bangalore, who have three wins from their first four matches and are among the top two on the points table. In some ways, it was an unfamiliar start to the tournament for captain Virat Kohli too, who had scored a total of 18 runs in the first three games, and taken up 29 balls doing so.While the Royal Challengers continued their good form with an eight-wicket win against the Rajasthan Royals on Saturday, Kohli broke out of his rut to make the highest score in the match, hitting 72 not out off 53.A smiling Kohli later said that he had told Jos Buttler, the Royals wicketkeeper, during his innings that he both loved and hated the game, because of the contrasting fortunes it made you experience as a player.”It’s a funny game you know. It’s an amazing game,” Kohli said at the post-match presentation to Ian Bishop when asked about his form. “I was telling Jos when I was batting in there, ‘I love this game and I hate it too’.”It’s something that you need to understand as a player. When you play so much of cricket, you do feel like at times you’re not in control of what you want to do. But more than that, you feel disappointed when the team’s not doing well. But when the team’s doing well, you feel like ‘Okay I’ve got some more space to figure out how I want to go about applying my kind of batting for the benefit of the team.'”Head coach Simon Katich said that while the support staff had never been worried about Kohli’s form, his batting in the Super Over against the Mumbai Indians could have marked the turnaround. AB de Villiers and Kohli faced up to a hostile Jasprit Bumrah over then, and Kohli hit the winning runs for Royal Challengers off the last ball.”The way we’ve seen it, we don’t look at Virat being out of form at all,” Katich said after the game. “We see him batting in the nets, and we thought he looked magnificent in the first game. Unfortunately he holed out in that one [he was out for 14 off 13 against the Sunrisers Hyderabad] and then he missed out a couple of times. That can happen in T20s.”I think what helped was he got us over the line in that Super Over. Great shot to finish the game there against Mumbai and he’s carried on from there. What we see in the nets from training to training is someone that’s super professional. He’s looked like he’s timing the ball beautifully and he works so hard at his game it was only a matter of time before he got runs in the middle. It was great to see him get out there today, control that chase – which we know he does so well – and hopefully now that will kickstart the rest of his IPL.”While happy with how well his team had started, Kohli cautioned against relaxing, pointing out that it was very easy to fall behind in a tournament like the IPL.”This tournament, we understand that it can get away from you very quickly,” he said. “In the past we’ve experienced that. When you start losing initially, the games start going past very quickly and suddenly you realise that you’re seven or eight games into the tournament and you have no points. And when you start well it’s important to continue that momentum. So yes, we will look to do that. Simply follow the process that we have in place and keep backing ourselves to go out there and execute the plans that we have.”Virat Kohli pulls with power•BCCI’This guy’s got serious talent’ – Kohli on Devdutt PadikkalKohli’s knock against the Royals came in partnership with opener Devdutt Padikkal, who has hit three fifties in his first four IPL games. Padikkal made 63 off 45, and allowed Kohli the time to settle in. Kohli has worked closely with Padikkal since the team came to the UAE, with the Royal Challengers having paired up a youngster with an experienced hand and Kohli taking Padikkal under his wing.”I saw him play and I told Simon [Katich]… I was like, ‘This guy’s got some serious talent’. Because he’s got reach and he’s got a great eye, great balance. His head’s very still,” Kohli said. “And a left-hander… it’s very difficult for the bowlers to continue bowling the same lines and lengths when a leftie is in. And the way he bats, it’s very, very clean shots. You don’t feel like he’s taking a risk as such. That kind of feeling you hardly get with batsmen that come at this level, when they haven’t played so much.”I just kept talking to him about building innings. If he can bat long for the team, it’s going to benefit us more often than not. He’s a smart guy, he understands the game well and he responds to feedback very well.”