All posts by n8rngtd.top

Buoyed by limited-overs record, Misbah quietly confident of Pakistan's chances in South Africa

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

In white-ball cricket, Pakistan have held their own and could enjoy the conditions on offer

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Mar-2021In the shadow of their Test record – 0-6 since 2010 and 1-10 since the turn of the century – Pakistan’s competitive white-ball performances in South Africa can often go by unnoticed. Under Misbah-ul-Haq’s captaincy, they were the first subcontinent side to win a bilateral ODI series in the country in 2013-14, and either side of that lost two five-match series only in the deciding game.Since 2010, Pakistan have a 6-7 win-loss ODI record in South Africa and have won three of six T20Is. As they have often come after the main, disheartening course of a Test series, though, those performances have felt consolatory in nature.Related

  • Misbah: Beating South Africa 'was like a breath of fresh air'

  • Misbah-ul-Haq: Batting line-up looks 'settled' in the lead-up to T20 World Cup

  • South Africa's Temba Bavuma era begins with sights on 2023 World Cup

But as on that 2013-14 tour, white-ball cricket is the only game in town, and so Pakistan have arrived no doubt with less baggage than on previous visits. Not having to quarantine the way they did on their last tour, to New Zealand, will help lighten the mood as well: at Centurion’s Irene Country Club, where the team is staying in their biosecure bubble, they were able to enjoy some fishing, led by keen angler and batting coach Younis Khan.Misbah is here as coach now, having experienced both the lows of Test losses and highs of white-ball wins in the country. He’s not just hoping to win both the ODI and T20I series, but also to kickstart Pakistan’s ODI Super League and push deep with their preparation for the T20 World Cup.”I think especially with white-ball cricket, the pitches are very good, they’re true pitches, with good bounce and pace and for batters,” he said on Monday. “In white-ball cricket, it is easier to adjust to these conditions and you get good value for shots. Obviously Pakistan has also always had the luxury of good fast bowlers. That is the reason Pakistan has done well here.”In 2013-14, when we were here, we had Junaid [Khan], [Mohammad] Irfan, then we had youngsters like Bilawal Bhatti and a couple of others. That is the reason why Pakistan like playing here. No doubt South Africa are very good, they know their conditions well. But I think these conditions help Pakistan as a whole, the batsmen especially. And obviously, there’s something psychological as well, when a team has done well here before, it helps moving forward as well to perform.”Pakistan start with the first ODI on Friday in Centurion, and all seven games will be played there or at the Wanderers in Johannesburg. Their record at those two grounds isn’t great – they’ve lost eight out of 12 white-ball games there since the start of 2005 – but Misbah feels the true nature of surfaces there will help his batsmen. ‘If I look back when I used to play, these two wickets at Centurion and Wanderers, I really enjoyed batting on them, the bounce and the pace is very true,’ he said.”As a batsman you enjoy that, you get full value for your shots. Previously, in this team, some of the players have played here and performed – Imam [ul-Haq], Babar [Azam], Fakhar [Zaman] was here. These players love that pace and bounce, now [Mohammad] Rizwan is in form, a very good backfoot player. Those previous series and experiences definitely count, they play a role in your confidence as a player and team. When I was playing, suddenly, you just went to a ground where you’ve performed and your confidence level was always different.”Pakistan have already had a couple of days of training, a bonus given how difficult it had been when they toured New Zealand and had to be in strict isolation with no training for 14 days. South Africa had their own issues this season with the mid-tour cancellation of England’s series earlier, and then Australia pulling out of a visit because of concerns over the pandemic in the country. Misbah was confident, however, of no mishaps this time.”Both the boards are working very hard especially to keep this series going,” he said. “Players and all coaching staff are keen to just play and move forward. Obviously some measures been taken keeping in view previous series but we are hopeful that if we just look after protocols, especially the players while practising, and take responsibility, I’m pretty sure series will go on. Already we’ve been to England and New Zealand, completed series there and obviously we’d like to do the same here. We’ll do our best to complete this series.”

Newcastle star who looks like "the stuff of nightmares" is on borrowed time

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Newcastle United’s season has been a tale of mixed fortunes.

There had been questions over their attack in the opening weeks, with the team struggling to find fluency in front of goal.

They entered Sunday’s home fixture with one of the lowest expected goals tallies in the Premier League, a worrying sign for a side competing on multiple fronts this campaign.

Yet there have been positive signs of improvement. A 4-0 win against Belgian champions Union Saint-Gilloise in midweek and a 2-0 victory over Nottingham Forest at the weekend offered encouragement.

Across those two games, Newcastle scored six and conceded none, showcasing both attacking progress and defensive resilience.

Their defensive record, in particular, has been outstanding.

The clean sheet against Forest was their sixth of the season, built on the formidable partnership of Malick Thiaw and Sven Botman.

Botman, finally free from the injuries that plagued him over the last 18 months, looks back to his dominant best.

With such a strong foundation at the back, Eddie Howe’s side have not had to rely on prolific attacking displays to keep pace in the league and Europe.

But injuries have caused problems. Both starting full-backs, Tino Livramento and Lewis Hall, are set for extended layoffs, and that has forced Howe into reshuffling his defence.

Dan Burn, a natural centre-back, has been deputising at left-back, and while his height and physicality bring certain advantages, the role exposes his weaknesses.

How Newcastle defeated Nottingham Forest

Newcastle’s 2-0 win over Nottingham Forest was convincing in the scoreline, but the performance showed areas that still need work.

Offensively, Howe’s men created plenty. They registered an xG of 3.28 – their highest in a single Premier League game this season – and fashioned six big chances, firing 18 shots.

Newcastle Vs. Forest

Possession

51%

Big Chances

6

Shots

18

Corners

8

Passes

464

Source: Sofascore

Bruno Guimarães was exceptional, dictating the game and earning a 9.4 match rating, via Sofascore.

His curling strike in the 58th minute opened the scoring while he then won a penalty after being fouled. Man of the moment, new mega-money striker, Nick Woltemade confidently dispatched the resulting spot kick to seal all three points.

Defensively, Newcastle looked solid throughout. Forest mustered only five shots, four on target, but none that truly tested Nick Pope.

The only real scare came from former Magpies Chris Wood in the second half, though it was ruled offside.

For a side that has kept six clean sheets already, this was another example of their defensive discipline shining through.

Yet it wasn’t all perfect. While the centre-backs were imperious and Guimarães orchestrated midfield, the flanks were less convincing.

Anthony Gordon and Anthony Elanga both struggled to stamp their authority in wide areas, and Burn’s positioning at left-back behind Gordon became a notable concern.

Dan Burn's struggles against Nottingham Forest

Dan Burn has been described by one content creator as “the stuff of nightmares” at left-back.

Against Forest, that description rang true again.

Despite Newcastle controlling much of the game, Burn’s vulnerability in one-on-one situations was visible and will surely be noted by future opponents.

Statistically, Burn’s outing summed up the dilemma.

He registered a 6.9 match rating according to Sofascore, produced one assist, and made two clearances, one interception, and one tackle. But he was also dribbled past twice, highlighting his discomfort against quicker, more agile opponents.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

While his aerial dominance and strength are assets, at full-back, he is often exposed for pace and movement in behind.

This isn’t an isolated issue. In midweek, Union Saint-Gilloise repeatedly targeted Burn’s side in the Champions League, recognising it as a potential weakness.

More dangerous Premier League opponents than Forest are likely to do the same.

Newcastle’s next fixture away at Brighton could prove especially difficult, with Yankuba Minteh expected to test Burn’s defensive ability down the wing.

Burn’s situation is complicated by his England call-up, where he will likely feature as a centre-back.

While that suits his natural game, it denies him the opportunity to gain more rhythm at left-back, a role Newcastle increasingly need him to adapt to.

The positional adjustment could even influence the way Howe sets his team up, as Burn’s lack of mobility on the flank can alter Newcastle’s pressing and transition play.

The debate is already growing among fans about whether Newcastle should look into the free-agent market for a temporary left-back solution until Hall returns.

Burn has been a dependable servant and remains a strong squad option, but in this role, he is certainly on borrowed time in the starting lineup.

As Howe looks ahead to a congested autumn schedule, managing this weakness could be as important as Newcastle’s improving attacking play.

While the defence remains one of the most reliable in the league, the left-back situation is one clear that rivals will aim to exploit.

90-touch Newcastle ace is now as undroppable as Bruno Guimaraes & Woltemade

Newcastle United secured a vital 2-0 win against Nottingham Forest this afternoon.

By
Ethan Lamb

Oct 5, 2025

100% duels lost: Rodgers must drop Celtic flop who was worse than Engels

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Celtic dropped down to second in the Scottish Premiership table on Saturday afternoon as they were held to a drab 0-0 draw by Hibernian at Parkhead.

The Hoops have dropped points in two of their six matches in the top-flight so far this season, and they now sit two points behind Hearts in the table.

Brendan Rodgers made a few changes to the starting line-up to freshen things up after the 1-1 draw with Red Star Belgrade in the Europa League on Thursday night, but the players coming in did not push their case forward to keep a starting berth. Arne Engels was one of those players who did not take their chance.

Why Arne Engels should be dropped by Celtic

The Belgium international was brought into the central midfield mix to replace Benjamin Nygren, who dropped to the bench, but produced an underwhelming performance in the middle of the park.

Engels, who was signed for £11m from Augsburg last summer, was substituted in the 68th minute of the match after failing to register a shot on target or a ‘big chance’ created, per Sofascore.

The 22-year-old flop lost possession of the ball 18 times and only created two chances, neither of which were ‘big chances’, before Rodgers decided to haul him off for the last 20 minutes.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Engels should, therefore, be dropped from the starting line-up after he failed to take his chance to impress. However, the Belgian was not the only underperformer for the Hoops, as Kelechi Iheanacho was even worse than him.

Why Celtic should drop Kelechi Iheanacho

The Nigeria international was brought into the starting line-up to replace Daizen Maeda in the number nine position after he came off the bench to score in the draw with Red Star Belgrade.

As you can see in the clip above, the former Sevilla striker did brilliantly to take the ball under control and find the top corner between two defenders to put the Hoops ahead in that match.

Unfortunately, the left-footed attacker was unable to follow that up with an impressive performance from the start against Hibernian, as he wasted several chances to find the back of the net.

Vs Hibernian

Kelechi Iheanacho

Minutes

67

Shots

4

Shots on target

1

Big chances missed

2

Passes completed

9/10

Key passes

1

Big chances created

0

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Iheanacho spurned the two big chances that he had, one of which was a tap in that he struck the crossbar with from close range.

The worst part of his performance was that the one chance that he did take, finding the back of the net with a nice finish, was offside because he mistimed his run across the front post.

Along with his poor play in front of goal, Iheanacho also lost 100% of his duels (1/1), per Sofascore, which shows that he did not compete with and make it hard for the Hibs defenders.

This is why he was even worse than Engels, who won more duels (two), created more chances (two), and missed fewer ‘big chances’ (one) than the striker, per Sofascore.

"Phenomenal" Celtic star looks like the biggest loser from Tounekti's rise

This Celtic star may end up being the biggest loser from Sebastian Tounekti’s form.

By
Dan Emery

Sep 23, 2025

Both of Iheanacho’s goals for Celtic so far have come as a substitute. This, perhaps, suggests that coming off the bench to make an impact should be his role for now, which is why he must be ditched from the starting XI against Braga.

Paul van Meekeren: 'In the future, Netherlands can win four or five World Cup games without it being surprising'

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

The Netherlands fast bowler on the win over South Africa, his viral three-year-old tweet, and why Roelof van der Merwe compared him to his dog

Interview by Nagraj Gollapudi25-Oct-20233:29

Paul van Meekeren: “We keep talking about what we can do better”

Immediately after Netherlands caused one of the biggest upsets in ODI World Cup history by successfully defending a modest target of 245 against South Africa under lights in Dharamsala, Dutch fast bowler Paul van Meekeren was trending. An old tweet from him, from November 2020, went viral. Van Meekeren was sustaining himself as a food delivery driver in Bristol at the time, when that year’s T20 World Cup was scheduled to be played, though it cancelled in the aftermath of the Covid pandemic.Three years on, van Meekeren is at his first ODI World Cup, leading the Dutch bowling attack admirably. In this conversation on Tuesday, he talks about his pride at being part of cricket history, and his journey so far.When we spoke in September, you said: “Hopefully we can upset a few teams, like we did in the [2022] T20 World Cup, and just cause a bit of chaos in the landscape.” You have done that with the win against South Africa. You must be proud and happy?
I’m very happy. This is one upset. I said probably a couple [of upsets] to really change the landscape of the tournament, but yeah, it was a great first step in achieving that on a personal note. From a team point of view, we’ve really targeted that semi-final. After four games we were a little bit further away from that than we probably would have wanted to be – especially the Pakistan game, where we didn’t [make the most of] our opportunities. Sri Lanka was a big opportunity for us, but we just didn’t bowl and bat well enough in the first 20 overs in both innings.Related

  • The South Africa connection running through Team Netherlands

  • Netherlands captain Scott Edwards: 'Our best is well and truly good enough'

  • Men in orange: how Netherlands grew a big-team mentality

  • Edwards, van der Merwe help Netherlands script famous win against South Africa

  • The Dutch Bulldog is older, wiser, and providing the energy Netherlands thrive on

It doesn’t mean we played bad cricket, but at this level you can’t play okay or average cricket to win games – we just need to play good cricket. The South Africa game wasn’t the perfect game for us, which we might have needed five or ten years ago to beat one of these teams. [But] we had a good day. We had a poor first half of the first innings, but it was brilliantly finished off by Scotty [Edwards], Roelof [van der Merwe] and Dutty [Aryan Dutt]. And then we were on it with the ball from the first moment. Hopefully we can get better starts in the last five games, and we can actually really start competing for another three wins.Did you ever think it would be South Africa that you would beat first?
No and yes. No, because especially after the way they played their first two games, they seemed to be firing on all cylinders. And yes, because I believed that their batting line-up, even though it’s super-strong and powerful with [Marco] Jansen coming in at seven, there was an opportunity for us if we can take three, four quick wickets early. That’s what happened. Jansen had shown that he can bat against England, but we had a clear plan. He is dangerous when he is batting in the last ten overs, and not when there’s another 20 or more overs to go.So it was not a complete surprise.

Can you talk about the emotion of what such wins mean to an Associate player? Immediately after the South Africa upset, you were trending on social media because people brought up your tweet from 2020 about having to work as an Uber Eats driver. From there to playing a big hand in a World Cup win – did you need to pinch yourself?
No, I wouldn’t say so. The Uber Eats stuff was fun and it’s what was needed at that time, but it’s not that I’m new to international cricket. It would have been nice to have a few more upsets behind my name. But we did it last year too [at the T20 World Cup]. We know what we’re capable of.After the South Africa game there was some footage of me jumping around and celebrating with the crowd. We were super excited. And when we got back to the hotel, we had a few drinks with some friends and family, but after that the South Africa game was behind us and we were fully focused on [the next match against] Sri Lanka.That shows where we are as a national team now. In the past it would’ve been: okay, we won the game, we did what we had to do at this World Cup, and we would write and talk about the game for a long time. But this time we set our sights on Sri Lanka. Unfortunately, we didn’t have the game we wanted. But that’s not because of the previous game and that we were still tired or excited from that win.Van Meekeren on Roelof van der Merwe: “He keeps throwing that body around and fighting for every run. And that’s very motivating. He drags everyone with him”•Associated PressAs for working briefly for Uber Eats, it was just making sure I could pay my bills and just being patient and waiting for cricket to start. I loved my experience in Covid, not just Uber Eats but some of the other stuff that I did, work-wise. Like setting up a Dutch players’ association – that’s very valuable to me. It was a period in my life where I had the opportunity to do other things than cricket and work on my personal development. That made me a better cricketer today.In the South Africa match, you played a leading hand, first by cleaning up Aiden Markram, who had cracked the fastest century in World Cup history against Sri Lanka. What was the bowling plan there?
It was just hitting a hard length, top of the stumps, almost like Test-match lengths. We knew there was enough in the wicket and if we just keep hitting the right spot for long enough, it might do something different. And on that occasion the ball skidded on a bit more, but it was just asking question after question.In the innings break we felt that cross-seam was more valuable than seam-up. Bas de Leede got one from [Kagiso] Rabada – the ball nipped back quite a lot. For the first time in my career, I bowled every ball pretty much cross-seam and then let the pitch do the rest. Yeah, it was a good ball.Then you broke Marco Jansen’s stumps, which effectively ended South Africa’s chances of chasing down the target.
The plan was quite simple: with his long arms and legs, you don’t just want to pitch it up. Again, I hit the same [hard] length that skidded on nicely. He stayed very much left side of the ball, so the stumps were exposed.

“Most of the guys in the Dutch team have the ambition to play in the IPL and the other big leagues. You just can’t afford to bowl a half-okay delivery. Every delivery has to be on the mark, otherwise it just goes the distance. It just shows the quality of cricket you have to play to have a chance of making franchise cricket”

Of the six World Cup wickets you have bagged so far, which have you enjoyed most?
Daryl Mitchell [against New Zealand]. He had started to attack the short boundary. He played a few shots before that, too, which signalled they were really trying to start getting into that end phase and accelerating. And that slower ball just came out perfectly and did him all ends up. That was the most satisfying wicket. And we managed to then pick up Glenn Phillips and [Mark] Chapman… we picked up their finishers quite cheaply. They got away the last few overs, which was disappointing, though.You bowl mainly in the middle overs where teams have been scoring the bulk of their runs. You have picked up four wickets with an economy so far of 5.16 with an average of 30.75 (143 balls, 123 runs) in that phase. How have you gone about adapting to the pitches in India?
Just trying to be as consistent as you can for as long as you can. The big challenge tomorrow in Delhi [against Australia] is, the wickets seem to be quite flat. But as long as you put the ball in the right place, there has been some assistance in the wickets. I’ve been more used to bowling towards the last two overs of the first powerplay and then through the middle and the end. Pretty much every game we’ve actually been quite lucky that we haven’t had to go to death bowling yet. I am sure there’s going to be a couple of games where the batters will be on top and we’ll need to show our death-bowling skills. At the moment we are sticking to the hard length, stump-to-stump line, top of the stumps, as long as we can until we are forced to change.Against Sri Lanka, New Zealand, we bowled too many easy boundary balls. If we can just tidy that up, then teams are forced to take more risks – that’s what we saw against South Africa and that’s why we won the game.In a chat with ESPNcricinfo recently, Roelof van der Merwe compared you to his dog in terms of attitude. “Who is chilled and just wants to lie around all day? I’ll go with Paul van Meekeren,” he said. Did you read that?
I saw it. I sent a screenshot to him and I was like, “Haha, well done.” I know his shih-poo, Bella, very well. I was there when they picked Bella from the previous owner, who had the litter. So me and Bella go way back! What he clearly didn’t tell you is that Bella is a bit of a Duracell battery and when she’s not chilling and sleeping, she’s running around like a madman. In a way it was actually a very nice compliment, even though he tried to take the piss out of me a little bit. Me and Bella have spent many nights on the sofa chilling while I was babysitting his kids.Van Meekeren gets Marco Jansen: “I hit the length that skidded on nicely. He stayed very much left side of the ball, so the stumps were exposed”•ICC/Getty ImagesRoelof is the kind of character who inspires people, isn’t he?
I’ve been playing cricket with him since 2015 – for the Dutch team and at Somerset for three and a half years. When he is doing anything competitive, not just cricket, he just doesn’t like losing. We have had it twice now this World Cup, where we had a man too far out of the [30-yard] circle – it’s probably not the best time to have a camera aimed at him because he doesn’t like those simple mistakes that could have been avoided.I remember there was season at Somerset where I was bowling a few no-balls. So every no-ball I bowled, not just in a game but even at practice, I had to pay him one pound. He was watching me like a hawk at training [to ensure] I kept my foot behind the line. And even if he does it himself, he’s just as hard as on himself as he is on others.I don’t know, 55 or however old he is [38], he keeps throwing that body around and keeps fighting for every run. And that’s very motivating. He drags everyone with him. If you look at the team, everybody throws themselves around in the field and we’ve complemented each other enough in our fielding this tournament so far.World Cups can be life-turning events. What have you learned on this trip, both as a bowler and as a person?
?
It’s tough. Most of the guys in the Dutch team have the ambition to play in the IPL and PSL and the other big T20 franchise leagues. You just can’t afford to bowl a half-okay delivery. Every delivery has to be on the mark, otherwise it just goes the distance. It just shows the quality of cricket you have to play and the level of cricket you have to play at to have a chance of making franchise cricket, which is the new ecosystem in cricket. That’s my main takeaway.

“Every team around the world in any sport strives to be better than the previous teams that represented their country. Looking back at the team I played for ten years ago and now, it is completely day and night, culture-wise and performance-wise”

You are one of the original Netherlands born-and-bred players in the side, alongside Bas de Leede and Aryan Dutt, who are also having a good tournament. Do you think this will cause an uptick in youngsters in Netherlands looking to play cricket?
There will definitely be a bit of a buzz around boys, and hopefully also girls, who see what we are doing as a team and want to be part of that success and hopefully that motivation can spark a generation that will outperform our team like we are outperforming the teams from the past. Every team around the world in any sport strives to be better than the previous teams that represented their country. Looking back at the team I played for ten years ago and now, it is completely day and night, culture-wise and performance-wise. There’s no reason why guys in five to ten years’ time can’t come to a tournament like this World Cup and just win four or five games without being looked at as a surprise.“We are not here to just have fun. We are here to win games of cricket and give ourselves best chance to make the next stage.” That’s what Scott Edwards said after the win against South Africa. You now play Australia, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, England and India. What do you need to do to cause more chaos?
We have made sure we have both feet on the ground. We keep talking about what we can do better. We are training with the same intensity. We are doing the same recovery stuff we did from day one. It’s just about being consistent in whatever you do. If it’s bowling, batting, sleeping, eating, stretching – it is all part of putting that performance on the field. We are not thinking, “Okay, now we can eat more junk food because we won a game.” No, we still make sure we keep getting the right nutrition in. We still have to make sure we get the amount of hours of sleep in, keep doing the homework.We will do the same thing for the quick turnaround against Australia, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, and then the same against England and exactly the same against India. And then we’ve just got to control what we are doing and if we control what we can do and we do it well, then we can easily win another two-three games.

Thomas Muller for president?! Bayern Munich chief backs club legend to step into lead role after MLS adventure ends

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Bayern Munich president Herbert Hainer has backed club legend Thomas Muller to potentially succeed him as president once his playing career in MLS concludes. Hainer revealed he personally advised Muller on a move to the United States to gain experience, emphasising that "all doors remain open" for the forward at the Allianz Arena.

  • Hainer's advice to Muller on MLS move and future leadership

    Hainer has confirmed a surprising conversation with Muller, where he advised the veteran forward to move to Major League Soccer to prepare for a potential future leadership role at Bayern. Speaking to , Hainer revealed: "After his departure was confirmed, Thomas Muller came to my office. I advised him in a personal conversation that if he later wanted a job in sports, he should move to MLS." 

    This advice underscores a strategic vision for Muller's post-playing career, aiming to broaden his experience before a potential return to the Bavarian club. Hainer also explicitly stated that a path back to Bayern in an operational capacity remains open for Muller. "He can work operationally for us. He can become a brand ambassador. He could even succeed me one day," Hainer affirmed, highlighting the immense value Bayern places on their legendary player.

    This sentiment echoes previous comments from supervisory board member Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, who last month also endorsed Muller's move to North America and expressed a desire for former players to take on leadership roles at Bayern.

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    'Muller hype' in Vancouver Whitecaps

    Since joining Vancouver Whitecaps on a free transfer in August 2025, the ex-Germany star has created a "veritable Muller hype" in MLS. The German forward has been in exceptional form, quickly becoming a key player for the Canadian side. In just seven MLS appearances, he has netted seven goals and provided three assists. His overall record for the Whitecaps across all competitions stands at an impressive nine goals and four assists in 13 games.

    Muller, however, remains grounded despite his success. He told "I didn't come here to become Vancouver's superstar. I feel a responsibility to give something back to the club. We want the stadium to be full and to draw attention to the sport in the city." He also light-heartedly confirmed his communication skills are adapting to his new environment, joking, "Don't worry, Radio Muller broadcasts here too."

    His immediate focus is on the MLS Conference semi-finals, where Vancouver Whitecaps are set to face LAFC. Muller, accustomed to European knockout formats, admitted some unfamiliarity with the MLS structure: "I thought playoffs were like basketball or ice hockey. If I could choose, I'd prefer a home and away game." The first round of the MLS playoffs is contested as a best-of-three series before reverting to single-elimination matches.

    Muller's contract runs until December 31, but includes an option for another year. He is due to return to Germany for a visit next month, maintaining close ties with his former club through a "golf chat group" with many ex-Bayern colleagues.

  • Kompany earns praise from Bayern chief

    President Hainer was also effusive in his praise for current Bayern coach Vincent Kompany, calling him a "stroke of luck" for the club. Kompany's leadership style has evidently resonated with the club hierarchy and players. "He's someone who never puts himself in the spotlight, but rather the team. The players repay him for that," Hainer stated. He also believes Kompany is capable of ushering in a new era of success at the club, saying: "I also believe Kompany is capable of ushering in an era at the record champions."

    Kompany has guided Bayern to an undefeated start this season, a stark contrast to recent managerial changes at the club. Hainer commented on the timing of Julian Nagelsmann's potential return, suggesting it would have been "far too early" for the former Bayern coach, who is now gaining experience with the national team. "He will become a very good coach, I'm convinced of that. He's gaining that experience now with the national team."

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    What next for Bayern?

    For Bayern Munich, the immediate future involves continuing their strong domestic and European campaign under Kompany. The club's leadership, including Hainer, appears to be laying the groundwork for Muller's potential return in a non-playing capacity, signalling a clear desire to integrate club legends into their long-term structure. 

    Top of the Bundesliga and Champions League tables, they will look to bounce back from the weekend's 2-2 draw with Union Berlin by beating Freiburg in their first game after the international break. Days later, they will take on European contenders Arsenal in London.

Finn Allen after his 29-ball 71: 'From the beginning, I felt I was in the zone'

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Explosive NZ batsman offers a peek into the way his mind works after he helped beat Bangladesh in Auckland

Mohammad Isam01-Apr-2021In explaining how he got off the mark with a reverse sweep in two successive T20Is, Finn Allen provided a glimpse into his mindset. He used the word fearless up front. It can come across as a word that is overused but this 21-year old really does bat like that. For proof, check out his 29-ball 71 in a rain-reduced game that helped New Zealand to a 65-run win in Auckland.His ten fours and three sixes was a reflection of how he batted during this season’s Super Smash. Allen scored 512 runs at 193.93 strike-rate in 11 games. It is the third-highest strike-rate among batsmen with 500-plus runs in a T20 tournament. Big-hitting luminaries Andre Russell and Alex Hales are the other two, but neither were playing their first T20 tournament like Allen.When asked why he played a reverse sweep to get off the mark in the second T20I in Napier, especially after his golden duck on debut, Allen said that he backs himself to pull it off despite the risks involved.”It was just about being fearless, continuing to be like that from the Super Smash,” he said. “The fear of not getting out and wanting to take it to the opposition. I felt like it is a shot that I worked on a lot against left-arm spin this summer.”I thought that it is a shot I play a lot so why not pull it out [against Nasum Ahmed]? It doesn’t matter the situation. I could have easily thought I haven’t scored a run yet, just get one under the belt. But I felt like it was the best option for me. Talking to Guptill at the other end, he said back yourself and back your skills. I went for it.”Allen did the same at Eden Park on Thursday. After Martin Guptill hogged most of the strike in the first two overs, Allen reverse swept Ahmed over point for four. He cultivated the shot originally as a means to counter Mitchell Santner in the Super Smash but is now finding a lot more uses for it.”I just felt it was a good option,” Allen said. “The whole field was up and I knew roughly what he was trying to bowl. I felt like it was a good match-up for me. I was lucky that it came off. We just went from there.”I found out a lot of guys got out trying to hit Mitch Santner down the ground. I wanted to hit the reverse sweep but over the top, which is a potential boundary option for me. I think I spent two or three days batting left-handed against the spinners in the nets. Luckily it came off and just kept going from there.”Once he had struck that first four, he struck two more off the next couple of deliveries and added a straight six to take 19 off the Ahmed over. New Zealand were away with both Guptill and Allen going after literally every delivery.Allen’s best shot was perhaps the square-cut six over point off Rubel Hossain, that leapt high into the Eden Park stands.”From the beginning I felt I was in the zone. I was focused on my partner and the bowler. I didn’t hear anything else. (In the end), I had a moment to appreciate the guys who hung around in the rain to watch us. It was pretty cool,” he said.But the T20I series against Bangladesh weren’t all bed of roses for Allen. It taught him that in international cricket, you can’t always rely on plan A.”With all the games I play, I want to have the same brand. I want to approach it in the same aggressive way. But I think this series has made me realise I need to have more options. Get in similar positions and look to be dominant, but have more than one option for a particular delivery,” he said.Also helping Allen perform the way he liked was a dressing room full of people offering him their unstinting support. “I definitely didn’t think it would be so easy to integrate into an international side. I think it just shows how good the group is. The coaching staff made it easy for me to fit in and feel comfortable. It helped my confidence to go out there and play the way I did. It is a similar way Wellington brought me in here,” he said.

Alex Rodriguez Defends Aaron Boone, Crushes Yankees' Roster Construction

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Aaron Boone's status as Yankees manager will once again be intensely dissected as the pinstripes were bounced from the postseason on Wednesday night by the Blue Jays. Cam Schlittler was unable to replicate his historic October debut and Toronto put the finishing touches on a gentleman's sweep to earn a spot in the ALCS.

Boone was classy in defeat but some fans are beginning to wonder—or continue to wonder—if he's the right guy for the job. As just a quick reminder, the Yankees made the World Series last year but in the case of Boone it's both "what have you done for me lately" and "what have you done for me before that."

Which isn't a defense of the manager, just an observation that few coaching jobs in sports demand success like that of Yankees skipper. Although those who are frustrated by Boone returning year after year might argue that.

Fox's postgame dug into the inevitable conversation after the Blue Jays' 5-2 victory and Alex Rodriguez was quick to offer some perspective.

"Honestly, from the entire organization, [Aaron Boone] is the guy I would circle that is the least to blame," the former Yankees great said.

"He's got a lot of talent but for me personally one of the worst construction of a roster I've ever seen," he continued. "You have three left-handed catchers. You have five DHs. You have a first baseman in and out. It's just a very difficult hand for Boone and honestly they were exposed against a much better Jays team."

Rodriguez makes some solid points. It would be hard for anyone who watched these four games between the AL East rivals to claim that the Yankees were better and fumbled the bag. But that evidence isn't going to make anyone feel better or do much to convince those who want to move on from Boone to stay the course.

Going to be a long winter. And a long season next year if Boone does stays because they're only one thing he can do to quiet the doubters.

IPL auction set to take place on December 16 in Abu Dhabi

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

This will be the third successive year when the IPL auction is being held overseas

Nagraj Gollapudi13-Nov-2025The 2026 IPL auction will take place on December 16 in Abu Dhabi. This will be the third successive year when the IPL auction is being held overseas. The 2024 auction in Dubai was the first time it was held overseas. The two-day mega auction for the 2025 season was held in Jeddah in November 2024.Like all mini auctions, the 2026 edition, too, will be a day-long exercise. Franchises have to first sort the list of players they want to release and retain from their 2025 squads, by 3pm IST on November 15. After that they will be sent a registered pool of players to shortlist. That long list will then be pruned for IPL to finalise the auction pool.The trading window, which opened after the 2025 season, will continue until a week before the auction and then resume to go on until a month prior to the IPL start date in 2026. The 10 franchises cannot trade a player who will be bought at the 2026 auction.So far there have been four confirmed trades among five teams. That includes the most high-profile player swap in IPL history which involved five-time champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) getting Indian wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson from Rajasthan Royals, who have traded in the allrounder pair of Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran.On Thursday, Mumbai Indians, also five-time champions, procured India allrounder Shardul Thakur and Sherfane Rutherford in all-cash deals from Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) for INR 2 crore and Gujarat Titans (GT) for INR 2.60 crore, respectively. In a separate trade, LSG got Arjun Tendulkar at his base price of INR 30 lakh from MI.The tentative window for IPL 2026 is March 15 to May 31.

AC Milan schedule another Robert Lewandowski meeting with Zlatan Ibrahimovic eager to bring Barcelona striker to Serie A

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

AC Milan have stepped up their pursuit of Robert Lewandowski, scheduling a new round of talks with his agent Pini Zahavi as the Barcelona striker weighs his future as his contract nears its end. With Zlatan Ibrahimovic pushing internally to bring the 37-year-old to San Siro and Milan rebuilding under Max Allegri, the Rossoneri sense an opening, but salary demands remain a major hurdle.

  • Milan accelerate pursuit as Lewandowski weighs future

    According to , Milan are preparing a fresh approach for Lewandowski, with a new meeting scheduled between sporting director Igli Tare and the striker’s agent Pini Zahavi in the coming weeks. The Rossoneri have made the 37-year-old a priority target for June, convinced that his arrival could transform the club’s rebuild under Allegri. Lewandowski’s contract with Barca runs until June 2026, but uncertainty around his long-term role coupled with the club’s plan to sign a new No.9 next summer has placed his future firmly in play.

    Milan rejected the idea of approaching him last year due to salary constraints, but with Champions League qualification now a central objective, the Rossoneri believe the timing may be right to formalise negotiations. The San Siro hierarchy have already tested the waters with Lewandowski’s entourage. This next meeting is expected to focus on possible salary parameters, with the Pole currently earning €20 million (£17m/$22m) net at Barcelona, almost triple the wages of Milan’s highest earner, Rafael Leao.

    With Barcelona evaluating replacements and Lewandowski keeping all options open, the situation is edging into a crucial phase, one that could reshape the summer transfer market.

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    Ibrahimovic’s influence and Barcelona’s search for a new No.9

    This renewed push from the Rossoneri comes with the backing of their former striker Ibrahimovic, now a senior advisor at RedBird and one of the most influential voices behind Milan’s sporting strategy. He views Lewandowski as the type of elite striker who can immediately elevate the squad, much like his own transformative return to the club in 2020.

    On the Barcelona side, their search for a new striker highlights how the club is preparing for life after Lewandowski. Reports indicate that Harry Kane sits at the top of their shortlist, with the England captain scoring 108 goals in 113 games for Bayern Munich since 2023. Other names include Julian Alvarez, long admired by Barca, and even a dream move for Erling Haaland, described internally as Joan Laporta’s “obsession”. Financial realities, however, mean the Catalan giants are also analysing cheaper alternatives such as Etta Eyong, underlining the scale of the transition being planned.

    Lewandowski’s reduced role this season, a result of injuries and the emergence of Ferran Torres has only added to uncertainty. Despite this, he remains Barca’s leading scorer with seven goals in nine La Liga matches, second only to Mbappe in the Spanish scoring charts.

  • Lewandowski speaks out and Milan’s project takes shape

    The ex-Bayern striker has been open about his indecision regarding the next step in his career. While on duty with Poland, he made it clear that he does not intend to rush any decision: “I still don’t know the answer. That’s why I’m not in a hurry, I’m at peace with myself. Even if, for example, the club contacted me now, I still wouldn’t answer that question. Because I also have to feel what’s best for me. Now I’m calm, I’m not in a hurry and, at the moment, I don’t expect anything else.”

    His stance aligns with Milan’s long-term approach under Allegri and Tare, who are intent on recruiting experienced leaders to stabilise the squad. Zahavi’s strong relationship with Milan further strengthens their position. For Milan, landing Lewandowski would represent both a sporting coup and a symbolic statement that their project is entering a new era.

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    The next meeting could shape the summer market

    The Rossoneri's upcoming talks with Zahavi will be pivotal. If the two sides can find common ground on salary structure, potentially through bonuses or multi-year guarantees, negotiations could accelerate rapidly ahead of June. Barcelona, meanwhile, are expected to continue planning for a major reshuffle in the forward department, with the Lewandowski decision acting as the first domino.

    As interest from multiple European clubs quietly grows, all eyes now turn to Milan’s next meeting. The battle for Lewandowski is only just beginning and the outcome could define one of the summer’s biggest transfer sagas.

Celtic sold flop for just £500k, now he's outscoring Idah & Iheanacho

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Celtic remain top of the Scottish Premiership table, albeit only just.

On Sunday, the Hoops required a very controversial penalty to beat Kilmarnock 2-1 at Rugby Park; Kelechi Ịheanachọ marking his debut by converting a 96th-minute spot-kick in Ayrshire.

This means Brendan Rodgers’ side remain above Hearts by virtue of goal difference, albeit they’ve scored just eight goals in five Premiership fixtures so far, which has to be a concern ahead of their Europa League opener against Crvena zvezda at Stadion Rajko Mitić in Belgrade next Wednesday.

The departures of Kyōgo Furuhashi and Nicolas Kühn this year explain why the Celts are finding goals hard to come by, so would they actually have been better off keeping hold of a forgotten flop sold for just £500,000 by Ronny Deila?

Celtic's messy striker situation

Having not replaced the aforementioned Kyōgo, who was sold in January, it then came as a massive surprise when, on deadline day, Celtic sold Adam Idah to Swansea City for £7m.

Supporters assumed the club must have a replacement lined up but, well, that just wasn’t the case, seeing multiple low-ball bids rejected by Anderlecht for Kasper Dolberg, who never had any intention of moving to Glasgow, instead re-joining Ajax.

The window closed and Rodgers’ squad featured no senior centre-forward so, in a state of panic, the Celts signed Ịheanachọ, the Nigerian international having become a free agent after his contract had been terminated by Sevilla, showing how far from desperate the Spanish side were to have him around.

Well, considering Ịheanachọ scored zero La Liga goals for los Nervionenses, it is easy to understand why.

So, while the 28-year-old did convert that penalty at Kilmarnock, the jury very much remains out on whether or not he’ll be a success at Parkhead, so would a forgotten ex-Celtic flop actually have been a better option, still banging the goals in at 35?

Forgotten former Celtic striker still prolific

Back in August 2013, another classic late-summer signing, Celtic bought a 23-year-old by the name of Teemu Pukki from Schalke for a reported fee of £3m.

The Finnish international did score during his first two Premiership appearances, on target against Hearts and St Johnstone, but didn’t make much of an impression after that, netting just nine times in 38 outings for the club, loaned out to Brøndby a year later, before joining the Danish club permanently for around £500k, to no outrage or fuss whatsoever.

Well, since he was last seen in Glasgow, Pukki has scored 210 club goals, as well as becoming Finland’s all-time record goalscorer, smashing Jari Litmanen’s record, firing the Eagle-owls to their first-ever major tournament by netting ten times during Euro 2020 qualifying.

He is most well-known for his five seasons at Norwich City, scoring 29 and then 26 times as the Canaries won two separate EFL Championship titles, also bagging a respectable 11 Premier League goals in both 2019/20 and 20221/22.

During his peak at Carrow Road, teammate Marco Stiepermann labelled him a “special” player, adding that he “is much colder in the 18-yard box than Robert Lewandowski”, who the German had previously played alongside at Borussia Dortmund.

After leaving Norfolk, Pukki joined Major League Soccer side Minnesota United, scoring 14 times in 43 outings for the Loons, helping them reach last year’s MLS Western Conference semi-finals, most notably bagging four during a 5-2 victory over LA Galaxy in October 2023.

Since 2009, only ten players have scored 4+ goals in a single MLS match.

Not satisfied with his output in 2024 though, Minnesota allowed him to leave earlier this year, with Pukki thereby returning to his homeland in January, re-joining HJK Helsinki, a move that has certainly revitalised his career.

Pukki has bagged 18 goals in 2025, and counting, netting ten times in the Veikkausliiga, also on target when HJK were dumped out of Conference League qualifying by Bulgarian side Arda Kardzhali on penalties.

The table below fully documents Pukki’s scoring exploits since joining Celtic.

Pukki scoring stats

Season

Club

Goals

2013/14

Celtic

9

2014/15

Brøndby

11

2015/16

Brøndby

13

2016/17

Brøndby

29

2017/18

Brøndby

19

2018/19

Norwich

30

2019/20

Norwich

11

2020/21

Norwich

26

2021/22

Norwich

11

2022/23

Norwich

10

2023*

Minnesota

10

2024*

Minnesota

4

2025*

HJK

18

*MLS & Veikkausliiga are summer leagues.

All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt

As the table documents, aside from his miserable year in Saint Paul throughout 2024, Pukki has been prolific everywhere he has been since his one-year stint at Parkhead.

His 18 goal haul in 2025 is more than Idah’s tally of 12, while you have to go back to January 2023 to find Ịheanachọ’s 18th goal ago, having not bagged eight in a single campaign since 2020/21.

Thus, Pukki’s short-lived Celtic career proves that players should never be written off and may simply find themselves in the wrong environment at the wrong time.

Worth more than Tounekti: Celtic are brewing the new Reo Hatate at Parkhead

Celtic have a brilliant midfield star who could be the club’s next Reo Hatate in the middle of the park.

By
Dan Emery

Sep 16, 2025

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