وجه مجلس إدارة نادي الزمالك، رسالة إلى هاني أبو ريدة رئيس مجلس إدارة الاتحاد المصري لكرة القدم، في الساعات الأولى من اليوم الأربعاء.

وكان الزمالك على موعد لخوض مباراة القمة أمام الأهلي، في منافسات بطولة الدورري المصري، مساء أمس الثلاثاء، لكن اللقاء لم يقام لعدم حضور النادي الأهلي إلى ملعب المباراة، اعتراضًا على تعيين طاقم مصري لإدارة المواجهة. 

وتقدم مجلس إدارة نادي الزمالك برئاسة حسين لبيب بالتهنئة إلى المهندس هاني أبو ريدة رئيس الاتحاد المصري لكرة القدم بمناسبة انتخابه رئيسًا لاتحاد شمال إفريقيا لكرة القدم.

طالع | هاني أبو ريدة رئيسًا لـ اتحاد شمال إفريقيا بالتزكية

وتم انتخاب هاني أبو ريدة، رئيسًا لاتحاد شمال إفريقيا، وذلك خلال اجتماع الجمعية العمومية لاتحاد شمال إفريقيا الذي عقد مساء الثلاثاء بالقاهرة بالتزامن مع اجتماعات اتحادات المناطق التابعة للاتحاد الإفريقي لكرة القدم “كاف”.

Manchester City are among the teams showing an interest in a rising star who will become a free agent at the end of this season, according to a new report. The Blues have come into this October international break in fine form, as they are unbeaten in all competitions, sitting just a point behind Premier League leaders Liverpool.

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It is a very important few months for the Blues, as they have their case against the 115 alleged breaches for failing to provide accurate financial information, while they also have to address the future of manager Pep Guardiola. The Spaniard is in the final year of his contract at the Etihad, and his future very much remains up in the air. However, it was reported earlier this week that City have optimism that they can persuade Guardiola to sign a new contract.

The club’s board have made it clear that they want to keep the 53-year-old beyond this season, and they are now willing to use a different approach to help him sign a new deal. City want to offer him a unique rolling one-year contract, which will put all the power in his hands. And while the board put plans in motion to keep perhaps the greatest manager of all time, they are also eyeing a new midfield signing for 2025.

Man City keeping tabs on £11,000-p/w midfielder

According to TBR Football, Manchester City have joined the race for Lille midfielder Angel Gomes. The 24-year-old, who is on a weekly wage of just 13,645 euros (£11k), has been with the French side since August 2020 after leaving Manchester United as a youngster, but with his contract expiring at the end of this season, it is expected he will leave for nothing come the summer.

Gomes has impressed in a Lille shirt this season, and that has earned him a place in the England squad. He’ll be looking to add to his two caps he collected in September during this international break. As well as City, Bayern Munich, RB Leipzig, and Inter Milan are also ready to join the race, with all the sides said to have made approaches to enquire about Gomes’ situation and to assess his feelings towards his next move.

The Blues re-signed İlkay Gundogan during the summer on a one-year deal, but they could already have their eye on his long-term replacement, as Gundogan and Gomes are very similar statistically, according to FBRef’s comparison tool. The pair have played in six league games each this season, with Gomes starting five and Gundogan starting four.

Stat

Angel Gomes

İlkay Gündoğan

Games

6

6

Started

5

4

Minutes

382

376

Goals

1

0

xG

1.3

0.9

xG per 90

0.30

0.21

Progressive carries

10

13

Progressive passes

28

25

Their expected goals are very similar, with both men very techincal midfielders who time late runs into the box on a regular basis. Gomes has made 10 progressive carries, while Gundogan has made 13, but the youngster has been slightly superior in moving the ball forward with his passing. They are at different stages of their careers, but it’s easy to see why City chiefs may see shades of their German superstar in Gomes.

Arsenal made it two wins from three in the Champions League this season, securing a 1-0 win over Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk at the Emirates last night.

Mikel Arteta’s side never really looked as though they got themselves out of second gear, and struggled to really secure the victory in a convincing manner.

The only goal came after Gabriel Martinelli’s superb effort cannoned off the base of the post onto the back of the helpless Dmytro Riznyk and into the back of the net.

The Gunners registered a total of 13 shots in North London, but were unable to add to their tally, having to settle for a hard-fought 1-0 victory.

As a result, Arteta’s side remain unbeaten in Europe so far this season, still yet to concede a goal after their first three outings, looking in a strong position to advance to the knockout stages.

However, the result could’ve been more convincing had numerous players taken the chances they had been presented with during the meeting.

Leandro Trossard’s stats against Shakhtar

After failing to make a huge impact in the weekend’s defeat to Bournemouth – notably giving the ball away for William Saliba’s sending off – forward Leandro Trossard was handed an opportunity last night to impress from the off.

However, the Belgian endured a night to forget, producing some poor figures during the defeat and looking a shadow of his former self – which saw him bag 17 goals in all competitions last campaign.

The 29-year-old featured for a total of 87 minutes last night, managing just 38 touches in the process, completing only 21 passes and losing possession seven times in an all-round wasteful display.

Despite his lack of impact throughout the encounter, he was handed a chance to get himself on the scoresheet, stepping up to take the penalty during the closing stages.

However, Trossard had his tame effort saved by Riznyk, looking caught in two minds whether to go down the middle or place the ball to the goalkeeper’s left.

It was an all-around disappointing night for the Gunners’ number 19, but he wasn’t alone in producing a below-par performance for Arteta’s side.

The man who was just as poor as Trossard

Despite being named as a substitute at the weekend, striker Gabriel Jesus was recalled to the starting lineup, and was even named as Arteta’s captain for the Champions League clash at the Emirates.

However, the Brazilian wouldn’t feature in his natural centre-forward role, but instead on the right-hand side of Arsenal’s attack, covering for the injured Bukayo Saka.

Whilst the recall could’ve handed Jesus that confidence boost he so desperately needed, he was unable to change his fortunes of late, once again failing to impress.

During his 68-minute display, the 27-year-old only completed one of his attempted crosses and lost possession 12 times as he often looked wasteful when in possession.

Minutes played

68

Touches

65

Passes completed

40/46 (87%)

Crosses completed

1/5

Shots taken

2

Big chances missed

1

Possession lost

12x

Fouls committed

2

Jesus’ wastefulness translated into his chances in front of goal, missing one big chance after firing his one-on-one opportunity straight at the legs of the opposition ‘keeper.

As a result, Football London’s Kaya Kaynak handed the Brazilian a 5/10 match rating, an indication of how poor he was during the European victory.

This Sunday, Arsenal host the in-form Liverpool at the Emirates, desperate to continue their winning record and give them the best chance of competing for the Premier League title this season.

However, Jesus must be nowhere near the starting lineup, with every Gunner praying that Saka will be fit enough to return for the huge clash.

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ByEmilio Galantini Oct 22, 2024

La Liga emerged victorious in a legal dispute over the commercial rights to the term “El Clasico” against Spanish giants Real Madrid and Barcelona.

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La Liga trumps Real & Barca in courtThe two teams wanted to trademark "El Clasico"Have the option to appeal the decision in courtFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The case revolved around whether Real Madrid and Barcelona could claim exclusive rights to the name of their historic rivalry, widely regarded as the biggest domestic fixture in world football. According to Madrid’s Audiencia Provincial court determined that La Liga’s prior registration of “ELCLÁSICO” in May 2023 with Spain’s Oficina Española de Patentes y Marcas (Oepm) gave the governing body sole commercial control over the term.

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This ruling is the latest episode in an ongoing power struggle between La Liga and its two most dominant clubs. Since Javier Tebas took over as La Liga president in 2013, conflicts over commercial rights have frequently emerged, particularly concerning revenue distribution and broadcasting regulations. One of Tebas’s key initiatives was the introduction of collective TV rights sales, replacing the previous system where clubs negotiated their own deals. While this change led to greater overall revenue for Spanish football, Madrid, in particular, has expressed frustration at losing the ability to sell their matches individually, which they believe would be more lucrative.

DID YOU KNOW?

Real Madrid have also distanced itself from some of La Liga’s newer broadcasting policies. For example, the club have refused to participate in voluntary media initiatives introduced since the 2023-24 season, such as allowing cameras into the dressing room before matches or conducting player interviews during halftime. This refusal has financial consequences, as Madrid reportedly forfeits around €13 million (£10.75 million) annually in withheld TV revenue as a result.

During the 2023-24 season, La Liga generated approximately €1.49 billion in TV revenue. Barcelona received the highest share at €162.49 million, while Madrid followed closely behind with €159.55 million, despite winning the league title.

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AFPWHAT NEXT?

As tensions between La Liga and its most influential clubs persist, this latest ruling represents another chapter in an ongoing battle for commercial and financial control in Spanish football. Despite the setback, Madrid and Barcelona still have the option to challenge the ruling through an appeal.

Ireland now face Namibia, and the winner will progress to the next round of the World Cup

Danyal Rasool20-Oct-20214:25

Borren: This is a once-in-a-generation team for Namibia

For the second game in a row, Sri Lanka survived an early scare to record a commanding win. This time, Ireland were at the receiving end, Andrew Balbirnie’s men thumped by 70 runs as Sri Lanka guaranteed safe passage to the Super 12s. A superb all-round performance by Wanindu Hasaranga, who smashed 71 off 40 balls and doubled with figures of 4-0-12-1, rescued his side from the perilous position of 8 for 3, first carrying them to 171 before helping skittle Ireland out for 101.For Sri Lanka, this was a comprehensive performance, if not quite as complete as Mickey Arthur and the coaching staff will have wished for. The problems with the top order persist, though Hasaranga’s knock – alongside a classy 47-ball 61 from Pathum Nissanka – will go some way towards alleviating concerns around the quality of Sri Lanka’s batting. Meanwhile, the Sri Lankan fielding wasn’t quite as clinical as a side at their level might demand, but against a lacklustre Ireland batting performance, it proved more than enough.Ireland began to bleed wickets right from the outset of the chase, and the big innings they required from someone like Paul Stirling never materialised. Stirling and Kevin O’Brien both fell cheaply, and any resistance of not came from a 53-run fourth wicket partnership between skipper Balbirnie and Curtis Campher. However, with the asking rate rising, all they managed to do was rebuild, and once the stand was broken, Sri Lanka zipped through the last seven wickets for 16 runs.Ireland will need to shake off the disappointment from a day that began so brightly for them, and turn their attention towards their final game this round, a knockout against the Namibia, with the victor joining Sri Lanka in the Super 12.Related

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Stats – The Sri Lanka recovery in numbers

Irish start
For all that happened after it, it’s easy to forget the perfect start Ireland enjoyed to this game. Sri Lanka’s top three struggled against Namibia, but what happened here against the Irish was a downright capitulation. Stirling opened the bowling, and right at the outset, had Kusal Perera hole out to George Dockrell at cover point, who took a splendid catch diving forward.That was followed by an over for the ages from Josh Little – six balls that would not have looked out of place on a green-top wicket with the red ball. Coming in over the wicket and shaping it back into the right-handers, he knocked back Dinesh Chandimal and Avishka Fernando’s off stump off successive deliveries, combining metronomic accuracy with seam movement and swing. It reduced Sri Lanka to three-down with less than 10 on the board, and at that stage, The Irish were buoyant. It would require a Herculean effort for Sri Lanka to wrest back control, and that’s what the fourth-wicket stand provided.The Sri Lanka players celebrate the wicket of Kevin O’Brien•AFP/Getty ImagesHasaranga, Nissanka flay Ireland
Hasaranga tends not to bat as high as No. 5, but with Sri Lanka having lost wickets in a heap and needing to get a move on, they needed to take a punt. That’s what Hasaranga represented when he walked out to bat, a low-value, high-impact wicket.He got Sri Lanka on their way with a classical back-foot drive through the offside, and all of a sudden, the momentum shifted. Nissanka and Hasaranga smacked Mark Adair for another three fours next over, before Hasaranga clobbered Simi Singh for four successive boundaries to round out the powerplay. They were all low-risk, high-class cricket shots, and got Sri Lanka back into a position of superiority.With the powerplay over, the two transitioned masterfully into the next passage of play. There were regular ones and twos punctuated with the odd boundary, and whenever Ireland’s fielding let them down, the batters were there to make them pay. Ireland’s frustrations began to increase as last game’s hero Campher went for plenty in his spell, unaware to summon the magic of that four-wicket spell against the Netherlands. But then again, in Hasaranga and Nissanka, they were up against an opposition in a different league to anything Netherlands had thrown up against them.By the time the partnership was broken, the duo had added 133 in 13.4 overs, the fourth wicket partnership accounting for nearly 80% of all runs scored.Sri Lankan spin suffocation
Well, this bit was predictable, wasn’t it? With runs on the board, Sri Lanka unleashed their myriad of spin-bowling options, this time Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana the most potent ones. The combination of flippers, wrong’uns, conventional offspin and round-arm balls with variable bounce kept the Irish batters guessing. With all thoughts focused firmly on survival, the asking rate only ever went up. Stirling tried to force the issue early on and paid for it with his wicket, Theekshana causing him to hole out to fine leg. Campher and Neil Rock also fell to his wile later in the innings. Hasaranga, meanwhile, beat Gareth Delany all ends up, as one that kept low clattered into the hapless batter’s middle stump.What was perhaps less predictable is the role the pace battery played in keeping the Irish at bay. Lahiru Kumara and Dushmantha Chameera were sensation in the early overs, the speed gun consistently showing they were clocking speeds in the high 140s. The yorkers were toe-crushing, the short balls menacing and the slower ones unpredictable. With Sri Lanka alternating between express pace and unorthodox spin, Ireland were being stifled out of the contest.

Australia wicketkeeper Matthew Wade is preparing to bat in the middle-to-lower order in the T20 World Cup despite not yet receiving any indications from the selectors or captain Aaron Finch as to what his role will be.Wade is currently on the second day of his six-day hotel quarantine in Abu Dhabi along with the large majority of the Australia squad that was not involved in the IPL.Related

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He hasn’t played any cricket since Australia’s disastrous tour of Bangladesh in early August where he captained the side in the absence of Finch. He batted at No.5 in the first two games but was moved to the top in the last three matches in order to simply give him time in the middle due to the difficult nature of the surfaces.Finch confirmed last week that he and Warner were set to open the batting at the World Cup despite Warner’s struggles in the IPL this year and Wade knows where he sits in the pecking order.”[I’m] preparing more to nail down a middle-order to lower-order role at the moment,” Wade said. “Obviously with Davey [Warner] coming back and Aaron didn’t play the last series so when I’ve opened the batting it’s been when one of those guys have been missing. It’s no secret that they’re the best two opening batters that Australia have ever had so those two are going to go up the top. Just reading the between the lines with the way that Mitch [Marsh] played last series he’ll probably slot in at the top of the order.”I suppose my role at the top of the order maybe if we want to go a little bit harder and if they want a left-hander, maybe I’ll go in then, but apart from that, I’ll see myself settle in probably in the middle-to-lower order.”I haven’t had extensive conversations with Finchy and JL [coach Justin Langer] and Bails [selector George Bailey] about this yet but I’ve been around long enough to know where I probably sit within the team and that’s why my training has been tailored towards getting used to that lower order.”I’ve known for a long period of time that they want me to be versatile in the position that I can play and that’s what I’ll do.”The role of Australia’s wicketkeeper has been a problematic one in the Finch-Warner opening era. Australia’s four best T20 wicketkeeping options in Wade, Josh Inglis, Alex Carey, and Josh Philippe have all had most of their success in domestic T20 cricket as openers.Wade doesn’t expect Australia to keep rotating between him and Josh Inglis at the T20 World Cup•Getty Images

Since Wade’s reintroduction into the T20I team in early 2020, he has batted outside of the top three just six times in 22 innings. In the 14 innings, he has opened he struck at 144.33 with two half-centuries against India. In all T20 cricket, he has opened 60 times in 149 matches striking at 149.48 with one century and 13 half-centuries. He has batted at every other spot in the order down to number 8 but does not strike at above 125 in any of those positions.The selection of Inglis in Australia’s World Cup squad, without having made his international debut, has added another dynamic given his good domestic record in the middle-order for the Perth Scorchers, particularly against spin. Albeit, Inglis has only batted 17 times in the middle order and 13 of those have been at No.3-4.But if Inglis played in front of Wade, Australia would have just one left-hander in their top seven. Wade does not believe the pair will be switched in and out of the role throughout the tournament depending on conditions or the opposition and he expects to be the first-choice wicketkeeper in the World Cup.”No I wouldn’t have thought that we’ll be swapped in and out from game to game,” Wade said. “They’ll make a decision at the start of the tournament and that player will play the tournament I would have thought. I played the last series and I’m confident that I’ll play this series. We’ll wait and see. But I don’t think it will be a horses for courses type thing.”Despite Wade’s modest statistical record in the middle-order, he is comfortable his experience in the role in ODI cricket for Australia and at various times across his career will hold him in good stead, particularly if the surfaces in the UAE throw up some challenges, as they did in the recent tour of Bangladesh.”We’re not sure if we’re reusing those [IPL] pitches or if they’ve got new pitches for us so the first week in our prep is going to be really judging what the conditions are going to be like and then obviously that dictates how we’ll go about at the end,” Wade said. “There’s plenty of ways to get it done at the back end. A lot of guys have power. I feel like I’ve got the power if I need to find boundaries but obviously, if conditions are going to be hard work, then it’s going to be, you know like a Mike Hussey type role. You’ve got to try and hit it over those box men [midwicket and cover] and run as hard as you can.”

Wolverhampton Wanderers’ transfer business in the summer certainly looked promising, as Gary O’Neil brought in eight players during the window in order to significantly bolster his team.

The fruits of his labour have yet to pay off, however. In the Premier League, the Old Gold currently occupy 19th place in the table, sitting on just two points after nine matches.

The 2-2 draw against Brighton and Hove Albion proved that the fighting spirit is there. Can O’Neil lead his side to a win over Crystal Palace this weekend?

Wolves’ summer transfer business 2024

It was clear the manager was building for the future throughout the transfer window. Seven of his eight signings were aged 24 or younger, with only Sam Johnstone (31) aged over 30.

While money was spent, it was clear that O’Neil would have to balance the books somehow, which meant selling a couple of his prized assets.

Daniel Podence joined Al-Shabab for a fee in the region of £5m, but it was Max Kilman who was perhaps the most controversial departure. The defender had been at Molineux since 2018 and was sold for a massive profit, although his move would leave the club weaker at the heart of the defence. £40m was raised from his sale, giving O’Neil flexibility in the market.

A few weeks later, this was eclipsed by Pedro Neto moving to Chelsea for £54m. Once again, the Midlands side have generated a significant profit on the winger, but has it been detrimental to their performances this season?

Wolves hit the jackpot by selling Pedro Neto

In the summer of 2019, Nuno Espírito Santo aimed to strengthen his first-team squad ahead of their second Premier League season following promotion.

This led the Old Gold to sign Neto for a reported fee of around £18m, with compatriot Bruno Jordao also arriving at the same time.

Jordao made just five appearances for the club in what was a fairly unsuccessful spell in the Midlands. Neto, on the other hand, didn’t take long to establish himself as a key member of the squad. Five goals in his first season were followed by another five during his second.

Injury problems hampered him throughout 2021/22 and 2022/23, making just 32 appearances throughout both campaigns, but it was his form last term which led Chelsea to sign him for £54m.

Goals

2

Assists

9

Big chances created

7

Key passes per game

1.9

Successful dribbles per game

1.9

Shots per game

1.8

Three goals and 11 assists helped Wolves consolidate their place in the top flight. Lauded as a “monster” by analyst Ben Mattinson in August 2023, Neto’s move to the Blues was simply too impressive for Wolves to turn down.

Indeed, they sold him for 200% more than what they shelled out to bring him to the club just five years previously, clearly indicating how wonderful a move it was.

Of course, they miss his attacking presence, but O’Neil now has a healthy bank balance in which to bring in replacements.

Wolves make first move in race for "strong" in-demand Kilman replacement

He’s started the season in superb form.

ByTom Cunningham Oct 26, 2024

This came in response to former player Roger Telemachus’ testimony that a group of senior white players had a big hand in selection at the 2007 World Cup

Firdose Moonda28-Oct-2021Cricket South Africa has not been able to find “any evidence” that a clique of players influenced selection in the past, and stands by the robustness of its current selection policy, which came into effect in 2014. That was the testimony of Eddie Khoza, CSA’s acting head of cricket pathways, who appeared at the Social Justice and Nation-Building (SJN) hearings on Thursday and responded on a variety of issues including controversies in team selection.Asked specifically about Roger Telemachus’ assertion that a group of senior white players known as the “big five” had a big hand in selection at the 2007 World Cup, Khoza, who was not working for CSA at that time, said it was difficult to corroborate some of Telemachus’ allegations.”I do respect Mr Telemachus, he is one of the players who played for the Proteas. But the issue of a clique that controlled selection may not be entirely true, because of the policies we have in place,” Khoza said. “From where I am sitting, we tried to verify the statements that he made. We couldn’t go to Goolam (Rajah, the former team manager who died of Covid-19 earlier this year). We cannot verify some of the assertions. I have to have the confidence that the policy was followed in terms of what needed to be done. If there was a clique, we don’t have any evidence of it.”Khoza conceded the ombudsman’s assistant Sandile July’s point that if there was a “big five”, the players in that clique would not have labelled themselves as such, and that because there was no formal complaint laid at the time does not mean that the experience of players of the likes of Telemachus is invalid. But, he said, things are different now. “Things have changed. We have certain mechanisms we have put in place to detect certain issues,” Khoza said. “Our relationship with SACA (the South African Cricketers’ Association) is also at a different level. If any player cannot even speak to the union themselves to say I have this issue with CSA, I will hear from SACA.”At the time of Roger Telemachus, you have to accept that certain things might not have been in place to bring some of these concerns to the fore. It’s very unfortunate. I want to make sure everybody that comes through cricket has a positive experience. It was saddening to me listening to some of these former players, who I regard as my heroes, to hear that they went through some of these issues.”CSA’s lawyer, Aslam Moosajee, who led Khoza through his testimony, acknowledged that “Roger Telemachus may have suffered from the fact that prior to 2014, there were no clear guidelines on who was ultimately responsible for selection”.Related

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The 2014 policy, which excludes the captain from having a vote in selection, came into place after Hussein Manack, a former selector who also appeared at the SJN, proposed that CSA formalise the process. Manack’s testimony focused largely on the non-selection of Khaya Zondo for an ODI in India back when AB de Villiers was captain – de Villiers was adamant that an out-of-form David Miller play ahead of Zondo. Khoza said not picking Zondo at the time was a “missed opportunity, especially with the challenges we are faced with trying to encourage black African batters to come to the fore. At the time, Zondo was performing. If we would have taken the opportunity then, how many aspirations of young cricketers would we have reached out to?”He clarified that a formal complaint was lodged in the Zondo instance and that CSA put in place a subcommittee to investigate. “They felt it was unfair but not on the basis of race,” Khoza said. “But we still missed an opportunity.”Khoza maintained that selection is a complex and subjective process, and that CSA is continually refining its process. “Selecting is a very contentious issue. It doesn’t matter which sport. When it comes to cricket, there’s different views because you are not only playing here at home but you are also playing away and the strength of the type of combinations you might find might differ,” he said. “It’s an issue that’s why we normally leave it to independent people to facilitate for us. We need to make sure they are assertive enough and the bridge between them and the players is brought closer so that there is a better understanding.”The hearings are expected to conclude tomorrow, with the end of CSA’s submission and a guest appearance by Michael Holding. Among those whose responses have not been heard are director of cricket Graeme Smith and former captain AB de Villiers. Both have submitted written affidavits, which have not yet been made public.

It’s been a while since Everton have boasted a top-class, always-reliable striker. Dominic Calvert-Lewin is a fantastic talent and excellent at leading the line, but fitness issues have pulled him away from a place among the finest that the Premier League has to offer.

Armando Broja has been signed on loan from Chelsea this summer with the option to make the move permanent next year, but he’s yet to feature as he recovers from injury and, aged 23 with eight Premier League goals, has plenty still to prove.

The recent past is littered with failed centre-forwards on the blue half of Merseyside, with the bid to sign Neal Maupay in 2022 among the blunders – especially as there was another talent who’s now thriving on English shores who would have been the better pick.

Neal Maupay's time at Everton

Everton signed Maupay from Brighton & Hove Albion for a £15m fee in 2022, with then manager Frank Lampard coloured impressed by the Frenchman’s aggression and consistency on the south coast, where he had played after impressing with Brentford while Thomas Frank’s side were still in the Championship.

Neal Maupay: Premier League Stats by Season
Season	Club	Apps	Goals	Assists
2023/24*	Brentford	29	6	3
2023/24*	Everton	2	0	0
2022/23	Everton	27	1	0
2021/22	Brighton	32	8	2
2020/21	Brighton	33	8	2
2019/20	Brighton	37	10	3
Stats via Transfermarkt

It didn’t go well. While Maupay maintained a degree of fluency in his attacking performances for the Seagulls, he flattered to deceive in Liverpool, even branded a “disaster” by journalist Paul Brown.

Calvert-Lewin languished in the deepest pits of his injury issues and Richarlison had been sold to Tottenham Hotspur in a deal worth £60m. It’s no surprise that Everton struggled that year, with their frontal recruit contributing toward only one goal. Disaster indeed.

And when considering that Everton missed out on Nicolas Jackson, thus turning to the AMEX, it becomes all the more clear that Moshiri and co made a big howler that could have staved off the problems that have engulfed the club over the past few campaigns.

Everton must regret not signing Nicolas Jackson

Jackson has been on fire for Chelsea this season, forming one of the finest partnerships that the Premier League has seen in a long while with the imperious Cole Palmer.

Across six appearances in 2024/25, the 23-year-old has scored four goals and added three assists across six appearances, leading pundits such as Peter Crouch to hail his “unbelievable” growth after the middling efforts of last season.

Chelsea signed Jackson from Villarreal last summer after paying the La Liga side above his £30m release clause. He scored 14 top-flight goals and showed plenty of promise, but was tugged back by profligacy, wasting 24 big chances in front of goal.

Jackson’s new-found clinical level makes a telling comment on his future on the European scene, with Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, as you will see below, believing that he could become one of the highest-valued superstars in the business.

Oh how Everton must rue the missed chance in 2022. Richarlison had alighted in the capital and the Toffees’ frontline was decidedly lacking. Scouts had provided Lampard and co with regular reports on Jackson and urged swift action from the powers that be.

Alas, Chelsea would get their man one year later, with Jackson’s brilliant purple patch toward the end of the 2022/23 season, scoring ten goals and placing two assists from his final 11 matches in the Spanish top flight, raising his stock and swivelling the English superpower’s head.

As for the Toffees, Maupay arrived instead. One can’t help but think that the recouped money from the Richarlison deal might have warranted an extra £15m expenditure to sign a top talent, instead of one who fell from the wagon as soon as he had stepped on. Alas.

Everton gem who left in 2023 is now "insane" and outscoring Dwight McNeil

He’s starting to show his worth…

By
Angus Sinclair

Oct 4, 2024

Maxwell took 1-24 in the win over South Africa after Ashton Agar was omitted but Marcus Stoinis believes Agar will be called upon in the tournament

ESPNcricinfo staff and AAP24-Oct-2021

Glenn Maxwell is pumped after striking in his first over•ICC via Getty

Marcus Stoinis believes every member of Australia’s squad will likely play at some stage of the T20 World Cup, after Ashton Agar’s shock axing for their tournament-opening win over South Africa.Agar, who is Australia’s top-ranked bowler in the format, was the unlucky omission that allowed selectors to unleash Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins in the same T20I attack for the first time. He has been a mainstay in Australia’s T20I side during recent years, featuring in 24 of the 30 matches since his recall in 2018, with the only games he has missed being through injury.Coach Justin Langer usually picks five specialist bowlers in his XI but there was only room for the three quicks and Adam Zampa in Abu Dhabi, where Stoinis stroked the winning runs in the final over of a stop-start chase of 119.Glenn Maxwell delivered four overs – the first time he had completed his allocation in a T20I since 2018 – including the second of the match that featured the dismissal of Temba Bavuma, as Australia did well to restrict South Africa to 118 for 9.”There’s an argument for everyone to be in the team,” Stoinis said. “There’s no easy answers and we’ll probably just see what happens as the tournament goes on. I think everyone’s going to get used in this tournament.”With these conditions, we’ve got to adapt as we go. He [Agar] has got such a good record, has been so good for us. So I wouldn’t be counting anything out.”Related

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Kane Richardson, Mitchell Swepson and Josh Inglis were the other members of Australia’s 15-man squad that didn’t make the cut in their tournament opener.Aaron Finch said after winning the toss they were on the wrong side of “brutally tough” calls. Finch, who didn’t ask Stoinis or Mitchell Marsh to deliver a single over, expanded on the logic of off-spinning allrounder Maxwell’s key role with the ball after the five-wicket victory.”We felt there were some really good match-ups in the powerplay,” Finch said. “He did a really good job.”Before the tournament, Maxwell had talked about how he had been working on his bowling to right-handers to make himself a more valuable option for Finch. “I suppose that’s the biggest thing I’ve been working really hard on, bowling from over the wicket and being able to attack right-handed batters and it feels like it’s going really well,” Maxwell said.Stoinis agreed and said Maxwell’s innovative approach to batting was part of what made him a “brilliant T20 bowler”.”One of the benefits of batting like he does, he understands the game and he understands what batters are trying to do,” Stoinis said. “He’s very smart. He’s obviously played so much.”I definitely think he’s someone we should be using in this World Cup. He did match up well to a few of their left-handers and the wickets suited it, but there’s no reason why he won’t be bowling.”