Glasgow Rangers head into this weekend's Old Firm clash with a chance to gain a psychological boost in the Premiership title chase.

The Gers are currently second in the league table, a point behind Celtic, although they have a game in hand against Dundee next week.

It has been a remarkable turnaround by the club since Philippe Clement took over in October, as prior to that, Michael Beale was on the verge of a crisis.

Three defeats in the opening seven Premiership matches threatened to derail a title challenge before Halloween, yet the Belgian has saved the day and has the Light Blues on the cusp of a stunning treble.

Beale did do some decent business in the transfer window. He signed Jack Butland, who has been in wonderful form throughout the season, registering 23 clean sheets across 48 matches, while Abdallah Sima and Dujon Sterling have also been impressive.

The Englishman also managed to secure a transfer fee of nearly £5m for Glen Kamara, who joined Leeds United, while striker Antonio Colak also departed the Gers after just one season in Glasgow.

Kamara has since shone for Leeds in the Championship this term, yet Colak has failed to replicate his form in front of goal that he displayed at Rangers during 2022/23, struggling for Parma this term.

How much Rangers sold Antonio Colak for

Despite being one of the Gers most consistent goal threats under Giovanni van Bronckhorst, Colak found himself out of the team on a regular basis when Beale took over.

An injury suffered prior to the enforced hiatus due to the World Cup ruled the striker out for five games, and he struggled to assert himself in the starting XI upon his return.

Although the likes of Alfredo Morelos and Ryan Kent left the club following the expiration of their contracts at the end of last season, Colak clearly found himself frozen out of Beale’s future plans.

Metric

Premiership

Champions League

Goals

14

0

Assists

1

0

Shots on target per game

1.2

0.2

Big chances missed

10

2

Total duels won per game

1.6

1.5

Serie B side Parma came in for the Croatian striker during the summer transfer window and a bid of £2.5m was accepted by the Light Blues, as Beale needed some funds in order to complete a few transfer deals of his own before the start of the season.

Considering they had only paid £1.8m to secure his services a year prior, it was a solid piece of transfer business by the club, ensuring they made a profit on the player.

Antonio Colak’s statistics for Rangers

Colak had clearly made an impression on the Rangers' hierarchy as early as 2021, scoring twice against the Gers in a Champions League qualifier when playing for Malmö, which sent the Ibrox side packing.

Although not the nimblest of centre-forwards, Colak certainly knew where the goal was and enjoyed a decent start to life in Glasgow after being dubbed “experienced” by the Dutchman.

Not only did he score three goals in the Champions League qualifiers – including the winner against PSV Eindhoven – he also found his feet in the Premiership fairly quickly.

In his opening 14 league matches for the club, Colak scored 11 times while chipping in with two assists, proving to be a player Van Bronckhorst could rely on domestically.

In the Champions League, however, Colak struggled against the likes of Liverpool, Napoli and Ajax, scoring zero goals while completing just 4.5 passes per game, winning 26% of his total duels per game along with taking just 0.2 shots on target each match, indicating that performing against the elite proved to be a step too far.

Overall, the 30-year-old found the back of the net on 18 occasions during his sole season in Scotland – ranking him as their joint top scorer alongside James Tavernier – which, on the surface, sounds like a fairly respectable campaign.

With opportunities looking slim under Beale, he moved to Italy, yet has failed to hit the ground running for Parma.

Antonio Colak’s season in numbers for Parma

Although Colak scored three goals during his first eight Serie B games for the club, he has been goalless since the start of October, starting just twice since, as it looks like he has fallen down the pecking order.

Not only has he missed two big chances in the Italian second tier, but the former Malmö frontman has averaged just 11 touches, 4.3 passes, won 1.2 total duels and managed only 0.4 shots on target per game across his 18 appearances for Parma.

Hardly the form that was anticipated for a £2.5m signing, and it is clear the Gers have struck gold by selling him for this amount last year.

Even Rabbi Matondo, who was expected to also depart Ibrox in 2023, has scored more than Colak this season, taking full advantage of the chances he has been given in the starting XI, finally showcasing his full potential.

Rabbi Matondo's stats in 2023/24

While Colak shone for the Gers in his maiden season, Matondo struggled, failing to score in 28 matches in all competitions.

The Welsh winger enjoyed a solid pre-season as he looked to fight for his place in the side before his Ibrox career finally took off following a wonderful goal against PSV.

Since then, he has added another four goals while registering the same number of assists, despite missing 17 games through injury this term.

His impact, especially from the bench, has been solid during the 2023/24 season, and he certainly has a decent future at the club under Clement, which looked ominous during pre-season.

He may not be a regular starter for the Gers, but Matondo has proved that fighting for his place instead of leaving at the first sign of trouble can allow him to develop and showcase his talents.

Not many would have predicted the former Manchester City starlet would have scored more goals than Colak this season, indicating that the club hit the jackpot by selling the Croatian striker in 2023.

Rangers had a nightmare on "monster" Jack upgrade under Beale

Rangers sold a player last summer who is thriving this season

ByRoss Kilvington Apr 5, 2024

سجل الدولي البرازيلي فينيسيوس جونيور، لاعب فريق كرة القدم الأول بنادي ريال مدريد الإسباني، هدف التعادل للملكي في مواجهة ميلان خلال المواجهة الجارية بينهما على ملعب سانتياجو بيرنابيو.

ميلان كان متقدما في النتيجة عند الدقيقة 12 عن طريق الألماني ماليك ثياو، قبل أن يسيطر ريال مدريد ويتمكن من التعديل من ركلة جزاء.

طالع أيضًا.. فيديو | ماليك ثياو يسجل هدف ميلان الأول أمام ريال مدريد في دوري أبطال أوروبا

ريال مدريد حصل على ركلة الجزاء في الدقيقة 22 بعد تدخل من إيمرسون على فينيسيوس جونيور داخل المنطقة ليمنح الحكم الملكي ركلة الجزاء.

اعترض بعض اللاعبين في ميلان، ولكن الحكم لم يتراجع عن قراره وأشهر البطاقة الصفراء في وجه ألفارو موراتا، قبل أن يسجل فينيسيوس في منتصف المرمى بهدوء عند الدقيقة 23.

هذا هو الهدف الرابع لـ فينيسيوس جونيور هذا الموسم في بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا، خلال 4 مباريات خاضها مع النادي الملكي. هدف فينيسيوس جونيور في مرمى ميلان

Tottenham Hotspur now think a "special" member of Ange Postecoglou's squad will miss the rest of this season following an injury.

Spurs suffer injuries throughout Postecoglou's debut campaign

There is a very serious case to be made that Spurs would be higher up the table, if it wasn't for the plague of absences they've had to cope with throughout 2023/2024.

"Grafts and grafts" – Young Tottenham star getting rave reviews in training

He’s been putting in extra hours.

ByEmilio Galantini Mar 26, 2024

Son Heung-min, Pape Matar Sarr and Yves Bissouma travelled for the Asia Cup and AFCON respectively in mid-season, while Postecoglou has been forced to cope without a plethora of other players due to injury at various points.

Micky van de Ven, James Maddison, Manor Solomon, Ivan Perisic, Cristian Romero, Richarlison, Brennan Johnson, Giovani Lo Celso, Ashley Phillips, Ryan Sessegnon and Rodrigo Bentancur have all spent at least a month on the sidelines during Postecoglou's first season in charge, which is pretty ridiculous.

In light of van de Ven's latest injury, which arguably played a part in Tottenham's 3-0 slump away to Fulham, Spurs' head coach has admitted that they will look to sign another centre-back this summer.

Luton Town (home)

March 30th

West Ham (away)

April 2nd

Nottingham Forest (home)

April 8th

Newcastle United (away)

April 13th

Arsenal (home)

April 28th

“If you’re saying, ‘Is it an area we can strengthen?’, yes it’s an area we will probably look at”, Postecoglou said.

“With all these things, it’s about trying to strengthen the group as much as anything else. If you think about when I first arrived, we had maybe six or seven centre-backs at the club. So it’s not just numbers. It’s more about the ability of those players to play the football we want and to fit in to what we’re trying to build here.

“I think it is an area of the park we will look to strengthen, but I think we’ll look to strengthen all areas of the park come the end of the season. That is planning that’s already underway, and other people are in charge of it at the moment.”

Left-back Sessegnon is already missing the rest of Tottenham's season after another hamstring injury, and now Spurs think the same can be said of 2023 summer signing Solomon.

Tottenham expect Solomon to miss rest of the season after knee surgery

The Isreali international injured his meniscus all the way back in October, which required surgery, but a fresh setback in his recovery prompted minor knee surgery last week.

While he could return to training before the end of 23/24, journalist Wayne Veysey writes for Football Insider that Tottenham do not expect Solomon to play again this season, which comes as a hammer blow for the winger who has had few chances to showcase his quality.

Indeed, Solomon could've been a real asset if it wasn't for his bad luck with fitness issues.

“Manor is a special player; he was excellent at Fulham,” said Avram Grant to Ynet. “I spoke with him, and he’s thrilled to be at Tottenham; he has improved his killer instinct. What sets him apart is his amazing one-on-one ability; he’s among the best."

Atlanta United have announced the addition of the attacking midfielder, who joins after the sale of Thiago Almada

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Atlanta United sign Alexey MiranchukJoins MLS club from Serie AWon Europa League in 2024WHAT HAPPENED?

After making more than 370 appearances across Europe with the likes of Lokomotiv Moscow, Torino FC – and most recently, Atalanta in Serie A – Russia international Alexey Miranchuk has signed as a designated player with MLS side Atlanta United.

Recently claiming the UEFA Europa League title with the Serie A club, he brings a wealth of experience for the Five Stripes, and much-needed experience after the departure of Argentine star Thiago Almada earlier this summer.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Miranchuk signed a deal through 2027 with a club-option for 2028, with GiveMeSport reporting that the fee is in the range of $13M – one of the highest in league history.

In 2023-24, Miranchuk made 42 appearances for Atalanta, where he recorded four goals and notched 12 assists across all competitions.

He has 46 senior caps with his national team, where he's scored seven goals since his international debut in 2014.

WHAT ATLANTA SAID

“We’re excited to sign a player of Alexey’s quality at this point in his career from a top league in Europe,” Atlanta vice president and technical director Carlos Bocanegra said. “He’s an attacking player who is an excellent chance creator capable of scoring goals. Over the last four years, he has been a consistent player in Serie A and has made more than 40 combined appearances in UEFA Champions League and Europa League, while helping Atalanta win the Europa League title in 2023-24. We’re pleased to add a player with his experience and winning mentality to our group and we look forward to welcoming him to Atlanta.”

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR MIRANCHUK?

The attacking midfielder will officially join after the completion of paperwork, pending the receipt of his International Transfer Certificate (ITC) and P-1 Visa.

He is not listed on the Five Stripes Leagues Cup roster, meaning there is an expectation that will not debut until their return to league-play come the end of August.

Liverpool ace Fabio Carvalho has explained the "identity" that Arne Slot wants to implement at Liverpool.

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• Slot replaced Klopp at start of summer
• Overseeing pre-season preparations
• Carvalho explains key difference

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Slot has been overseeing Liverpool's pre-season preparations after replacing Klopp and Carvalho has explained how the Dutchman wants the Reds to change. Carvalho scored in the latest pre-season friendly as the Reds beat Arsenal 2-1.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Carvalho will be looking to make a real impression under Slot, having played for both RB Leipzig and Hull City on loan last season. He has made 21 appearances for the Reds, scoring three times, and believes Slot's approach will rely more heavily on the midfield than Klopp's.

• WHAT CARVALHO SAID

  Carvalho told Liverpool's website about the differences in playing style: "I’d probably say playing more through the midfield. Players like Curtis, Harvey and Szobo as well – we’ve got the players to do so. Playing through them and getting me, Mo and the players higher up like Jots on the ball as well. Being able to play through the thirds is what we want to do and what the manager wants to be our identity."

  He added on the instructions he's received from Slot: "He wants me to obviously do the defensive stuff first. He knows what qualities I have. It’s good to have someone that’s always onto me, making sure I’m on it, and that’s what I’ve got from the gaffer."

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Liverpool play Manchester United in another friendly on Sunday evening. They then face Sevilla before opening their Premier League season against newly-promoted Ipswich Town.

Zimbabwe’s debutant opening batsman Kevin Kasuza has passed an initial test for concussion after being struck on the side of his helmet while fielding at short leg during Sri Lanka’s innings in the ongoing Harare Test. He will continue to be monitored overnight for concussion.Typically, a player is assessed before the start of the next day’s play as well, as was the case recently when New Zealand’s Henry Nicholls was struck on the head by Jofra Archer and passed initial assessments.A statement from Zimbabwe Cricket’s official handle said Kasuza had sustained a soft tissue injury to the skull, but a concussion test was negative and that a CT scan had ruled out internal injury. The incident occured in the 44th over when Kusal Mendis played a firm pull shot against Sean Williams. As Mendis was shaping up for the shot, Kasuza took the widely-used evasive position of tucking the head downwards and between the legs. However, Kasuza wasn’t particularly low in his squat and the ball struck the back of the right side of his helmet before ricocheting towards the fine leg boundary.Kasuza was on his feet for a few seconds and only took his helmet off after the batsmen had completed two runs. It was at this point that he appeared to get dizzy, and was assisted by wicketkeeper Regis Chakabva to stay on his feet before gently going down to the ground. Shortly after, he walked off with the team doctor, pausing occasionally to regain his balance. He then went off for scans and took no further part on the day. Timycen Maruma replaced him in the field.The recently introduced concussion substitution protocols dictate that the team’s medical representative – usually the physio – must run standardised tests and submit a report to the match referee. Should Kasuza fail that test on the morning of the fourth day, the match referee will assess if the substitute named by Zimbabwe is a like-for-like swap. Zimbabwe have allrounders Maruma and Brian Mudzinganyama as batting options on the bench. Should either of them be called upon as substitutes, they will only be allowed to play as batsmen.

MatériaMais Notícias

O início do Brasileiro é amargo para o Grêmio. Com três derrotas na competição, o Tricolor está na lanterna da competição e preocupa o torcedor.

Favorito ao título, o Tricolor vive situação parecida a qual passou de maneira breve na temporada 2007, quando ficou com a lanterna do Brasileirão.

Na ocasião, o time comandado por Mano Menezes foi superado pelo Paraná na estreia do torneio e ficou na última posição. Porém, a reação veio na rodada seguinte ao vencer Fluminense e dar um salto na tabela.

Santos

Agora, o time de Tiago Nunes tem a chance de sair da última colocação na próxima quinta-feira, quando encara o Santos, na Arena.

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Speaking from experience, the former pacer said Hardik Pandya needed to give himself adequate time to recover

Annesha Ghosh in Mumbai03-Feb-20202:51

Post injury, it’s not about coming back – it’s how you come back: Zaheer Khan

Hardik Pandya’s recovery from injury has already been a protracted process, and led to him being recently ruled out of India’s upcoming Test series in New Zealand. Hardik had undergone back surgery in October 2019, and hasn’t played any cricket since September 2019. His existing back problems had recurred during the T20I against South Africa in September, following which he opted for surgery. Hardik was optimistic about returning for the New Zealand tour but the BCCI said he needed more time in rehab, and former India fast bowler Zaheer Khan has urged the allrounder to not be impatient and rush into a comeback.Zaheer, who is also the director of cricket operations for Mumbai Indians – the franchise Hardik represents in the IPL – was speaking from experience, having battled various injuries himself which experts reckoned cost him 100 Test wickets.The former fast bowler said Hardik should focus on giving adequate time for his body to recover from the back surgery and “come back 120 percent”, and not get anxious about returning.”For Hardik it’s important he should take his time to come back 120 percent,” Zaheer said at a Mumbai Indians Junior grassroots event in Mumbai on Monday. “I can say it by experience: when anyone goes through injuries, it’s not about coming back, it’s about how you come back.”Having missed the New Zealand tour, Hardik’s next opportunity to play for India could be the three-match home ODI series against South Africa in March, which will end about 10 days before the IPL begins. Zaheer wanted Hardik to look at the bigger picture and not immediate needs. “You have to be patient through that process and you have to listen to the team which is around you – the support staff, be it your doctor, your physio, your trainers. Those are the key people one should communicate with and control the controllables. I have always been advising everyone in the same fashion: you have to take your time; you cannot be impatient and rush your comeback. It’s about when you come back, you should be in for a long haul.”

“For Hardik it’s important he should take his time to come back 120 percent. I can say it by experience: when anyone goes through injuries, it’s not about coming back, it’s about how you come back.”ZAHEER KHAN

Zaheer, who retired in 2015 after realising his bowling shoulder “may not last the rigours of bowling nearly eighteen overs a day”, said Hardik needed to listen to his body first. “I will say this to anyone who is a sportsman and is going through an injury phase. It’s frustrating at times when you’re away from the game, but it’s very important to stay patient and do the right things and control things in your control. It’s about listening to your body, getting more than 100%, making sure you’ve ticked all the boxes, and then make a comeback.”Hardik’s last Test was the final match of the England tour in August-September 2018. Immediately after that his back issue had surfaced. In December 2018, he played his last first-class match (for Baroda against Mumbai) before heading to the Indian Test camp during the Australia series even though he did not feature in any of the matches. In December 2019, he told , that he hoped to be fit in time to come back for the New Zealand series, building-up to the T20 World Cup in October-November.”We thought this was the right time because even if I take four months I will be coming back before the New Zealand series, mid-way actually,” Hardik had said. “That was the plan that I play some international games, the IPL and then the World T20. The biggest concern was the World T20 which touch wood is now in place.”Zaheer Khan at a Mumbai Indians Junior grassroots programme at Cross Maidan•Annesha Ghosh/ESPNcricinfoZaheer, however, was optimistic that despite the absence of Hardik and senior pacer Ishant Sharma, who himself is recovering from a grade-three tear ankle tear suffered at a Ranji Trophy game last month, the Indian pace-attack was well-rounded – and well backed up by the “abundance of talent” on its bench – to deal with the rigours of Test cricket.”What was the result in the previous one [series]?” Zaheer asked, smiling. “I think it’s not about that; it’s about putting up a team there together. That’s the strength right now this Indian team has. The strength of any squad is seen with their bench strength as well.”We are in a position at the moment where the talent and pool of players we have is excellent, the roles are shared by different people. So, if you are telling me the team is affected right now, then I am with you (laughs), but I think it’s about keeping the processes going and the performances as a team going in the right direction. We are in a great space as a team at the moment with regard to that, just the abundance of talent available at your disposal.”

Leeds United have been handed a fresh update on the future of one of their stars this summer, courtesy of transfer guru Fabrizio Romano.

Leeds fighting for promotion

Daniel Farke's side are currently locked in a mammoth battle for Championship promotion, with Leeds sitting third and a point outside the automatic promotion spots.

One win in their last five games has left them an outside bet for automatic promotion, with a clash against in-form Southampton still to come in the final three games of the season and Leeds needing to bank on Leicester City or Ipswich Town dropping points between now and the end of the campaign.

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Should they end up missing out on promotion entirely, Farke and co could well have to change their summer plans, and it may have a major impact on their squad for next season.

Romano makes claim on Summerville's Leeds future

Now, Leeds could be set for a Raphinha repeat as several clubs circle around impressive winger Crysencio Summerville ahead of a potential move away from the club this summer.

The 22-year-old winger, valued at £45m at Elland Road, has been a key part of Leeds' promotion run this season, racking up 17 goals and grabbing eight assists in 40 Championship outings to help them to third in the table.

His performances have not gone unnoticed, with the Dutchman scooping the Championship Player of the Year award and being strongly linked with a move to Premier League giants Liverpool and Chelsea this summer among other clubs.

Any sale may have to be close to a record fee for Leeds, which currently sits at the £50m that they received from Barcelona for Raphinha in the summer of 2022.

Leeds United record sales

Player

Club joined

Year

Fee

Raphinha

Barcelona

2022

£50m

Kalvin Phillips

Manchester City

2022

£45m

Rio Ferdinand

Manchester United

2002

£40m

Tyler Adams

Bournemouth

2023

£23m

Luis Sinisterra

Bournemouth

2024

£20m

Now, transfer guru Romano has provided the latest on the situation, speaking to GiveMeSport. The journalist was not optimistic for the Championship side, revealing that he felt Leeds may be fighting a losing battle given the ability Summerville has shown at Elland Road this season, though he feels sure Leeds and the 49ers Enterprises will do their best to keep him.

Should Leeds fail to secure promotion, it feels certain that the Dutchman would leave the Elland Road outfit, though he may opt to stay for another season of first-team football if they were to find themselves in the top flight once more.

Before the international break, Tottenham Hotspur were handed a reality check by Fulham, suffering a rather frustrating 3-0 defeat at Craven Cottage.

However, the Lilywhites' Champions League dream got back underway this weekend after a fantastic performance against Luton Town.

Although the 2-1 scoreline doesn’t reflect a dominant performance, Ange Postecoglou will be pleased with the way his side bounced back from an early deficit to claim the vital three points.

The Australian will also be thrilled with the way one player particularly seized their opportunity to shine after being subbed on at half-time.

Brennan Johnson’s 23/24 campaign

After moving from Nottingham Forest to Spurs in the summer for a large fee of £47.5m, the pressure to succeed was almost instant for Brennan Johnson.

However, the boss has managed his minutes extremely well, playing the Welsh attacker in 26 matches, with 18 of those being starts.

Despite only being at the club for a short period, Johnson is already proving to be a smart signing, with his four goals and seven assists being a respectable output.

That said, the number 22 has been particularly impactful over the last month, picking up two assists against Crystal Palace and scoring the second goal against Aston Villa, but his performance against Luton Town yesterday may have been his best in a Spurs shirt.

Spurs must ruthlessly drop 4/10 star who was saved by Son & Johnson

Postecoglou’s side returned to winning ways after the international break after yet another turnaround.

ByAngus Sinclair Mar 30, 2024 Brennan Johnson is now undroppable after Luton Display

Yesterday, Tottenham went into the break with a one-goal deficit after a rather frustrating first half against the Hatters, and at half-time, Johnson was called upon by Postecoglou. The Wales international certainly didn’t let his boss down, putting in a performance that surely made him undroppable from now until the end of the season.

To put into context just how game-changing the former Forest ace was, the Evening Standard handed him a 9/10 rating, stating that “he immediately made an impact”.

The ace, who’s been playing on both flanks this season, played a huge part in both goals that eventually gave Tottenham the win, firstly putting in a lovely whipped cross that Issa Kabore slammed into his own net just five minutes after his entrance.

Assists

1

xG

0.77

Shots

2

Successful dribbles

1/1

Key passes

3

Ground duels won

3/3

Johnson continued to be Spurs’ biggest threat for the remainder of the tie, completing three key passes and adding intensity to the attacking play via his unstoppable dribbling.

The 22-year-old also won all of his ground duels and could have had a goal to his name had the ball not been cleared off the line. Luckily, he was on hand to set up the winning goal in the 86th minute, showing tremendous vision and composure to lay the ball off to Son Heung-min, who converted from near the penalty spot.

Johnson’s substitution certainly changed the game completely, and he will have surely worked his way into Postecoglou’s best starting lineup, with that right-wing role set to be his instead of Dejan Kulusevski's going forward.