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No estádio da Fonte Nova, em Salvador, em partida realizada pela 34ª rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro da Série A, Bahia e Cuiabá ficaram no empate pelo placar de 0 a 0, em jogo que teve dois gols anulados do Dourado na primeira etapa e uma bola no travessão para o Bahia nos acréscimos do segundo tempo. Com o resultado, o Tricolor de Aço permanece na zona de rebaixamento ocupando a 17ª colocação e com 37 pontos. Já o Dourado para o 11º lugar, com 43 pontos.

RelacionadasFutebol NacionalCuiabá visita o Bahia em busca de confirmar permanência na Série AFutebol Nacional20/11/2021BahiaGuto Ferreira admite jogo ruim do BahiaBahia19/11/2021BahiaElenco do Bahia reforça união após jogo polêmico no MaracanãBahia16/11/2021

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CALENDÁRIO
O próximo jogo do Bahia pelo Campeonato Brasileiro da Série A será contra o Grêmio, na Fonte Nova, em Salvador, dia 26 de novembro. Já o Cuiabá enfrenta o Palmeiras, na Arena Pantanal, dia 30 de novembro

O jogo
TIMES TENTAM, MAS SEM LEVAR PERIGO
A partida começou na Arena Fonte Nova com os dois times buscando o gol, mas sem levar muito perigo. Os chutes de longa distância viraram uma arma para ambas as equipes, só que os dois goleiros não precisaram trabalhar.

CUIABÁ CRESCE NO JOGO E ASSUSTA
Com o Bahia passando mais tempo com a posse de bola, o Cuiabá apostava no contra-ataque para assustar os donos da casa. Aos 17 e 18 minutos do primeiro, o Dourado teve duas oportunidades para marcar, mas as finalizações do meia Max não entraram.

CUIABÁ MARCA DUAS VEZES, MAS OS GOLS SÃO ANULADOS
O Bahia continuava mais tempo com a bola, mas sem saber o que fazer com ela. Ao contrário do Cuiabá, que era muito agudo com a bola nos pés e chegou a fazer dois gols na etapa inicial. Porém, os gols de Rafael Gava e Jenison acabaram sendo anulados. O primeiro por impedimento e o segundo por uma suposta falta do ataque.

SEGUNDO TEMPO
BAHIA COMEÇA PRESSIONANDO NA ETAPA FINAL
Ao contrário do primeiro tempo, o Bahia voltou diferente para etapa complementar. O Tricolor de Aço foi para cima e buscando criar oportunidades para marcar, haja vista que o clube baiano está na zona de rebaixamento e precisa de qualquer maneira somar pontos.

ROSSI E RODRIGUINHO ENTRAM; BAHIA VAI PARA CIMA DO CUIABÁ
Com as entradas de Rossi e Rodriguinho, o Bahia cresceu na partida e começou, na base do abafa, tentar na base dos cruzamentos e de qualquer maneira para fazer o gol. Mas as finalizações de Matheus Bahia, Rossi e Rodriguinho quando não pararam em Walter, acabaram indo para fora.

CUIABÁ SE SEGURA NA DEFESA; BAHIA ACERTA A TRAVE, MAS NÃO CONSEGUE O GOL
No fim do jogo, o Dourado tentou administrar o jogo segurando a bola no ataque. Mas viram nos acréscimos o Bahia partir para o tudo ou nada e passaram até um certo sufoco no fim da partida, com direito a bola no travessão de Rodallega e tudo mais. Mas o Cuiabá conseguiu suportar a pressão e garantir o empate.

BAHIA 0 x 0 CUIABÁ – CAMPEONATO BRASILEIRO DA SÉRIE A – 34ª RODADA
Estádio: Arena Fonte Nova, em Salvador (BA)
Data/horário: 21 de novembro de 2021, às 19h (de Brasília)
Árbitro: Raphael Claus (SP)
Assistentes: Marcelo Carvalho Van Gasse (SP) e Neuza Ines Back (SP)
VAR: Jose Claudio Rocha Filho (SP)
Cartões amarelos: Juninho Capixaba (BAH), (CUI)
Cartões vermelhos:
GOLS: –
Público pagante: 19.790 pessoas
Público total: 19.947 pessoas
Renda: R$ 413.759,50

BAHIA (Técnico: Guto Ferreira)
Danilo Fernandes; Nino Paraíba, Conti, Luiz Otávio (Gustavo Henrique, aos 36’/2ºT) e Matheus Bahia; Patrick, Mugni (Ronaldo, aos 36’/2ºT) e Daniel (Rodriguinho, aos 25’/2ºT); Raí Nascimento (Rossi, aos 11’/2ºT), Juninho Capixaba e Rodallega.

CUIABÁ (Técnico: Jorginho)
Walter; João Lucas, Paulão, Alan Empereur e Uendel; Camilo, Pepê (Anderson Conceição, aos 49’/2ºT) e Rafael Gava (Uillian Correia, aos 28’/2ºT); Felipe Marques (Lucas Hernández, aos 21’/2ºT), Max (Jonathan Cafu, aos 28’/2ºT) e Jenison (Elton, aos 21’/2ºT).

Contrasting centuries from Sam Evans, his third in as many matches, and Marcus Harris saw Leicestershire build the foundations for a big first-innings score before Surrey fought back on an absorbing first day of the LV County Championship match at the UptonSteel County Ground.Evans, 23, backed up three-figure scores against Surrey at The Oval and Gloucestershire at Bristol by reaching a hundred for the first time on his home ground as he and Harris compiled a stand of 195 for the second wicket.Harris, coming in early after Hassan Azad was caught behind off Reece Topley for just 5, played a series of glorious shots, particularly through the offside, hitting 15 boundaries in going to his hundred.Sam Evans scored his third ton from as many matches•Getty Images

Evans also hit 15 fours in going to his century, but both were dismissed by Amar Virdi. Evans’s dismissal, caught off the inside edge at short leg, was the 23-year-old off-spinner’s 100th first-class wicket as the visitors picked up five wickets in the final session to leave the match nicely balanced before a shower saw play end three overs early.Azad’s dismissal set the scene for an impressive partnership from Evans and Harris, and while the former may have been less assertive in terms of taking the attack to the Surrey bowlers, his application and ability to work the occasional loose ball to the boundary ensured his contribution was no less valuable.Having taken 17 balls to get off the mark, however, Harris unfurled some sumptuous shots, looking every inch the Australia international, and it was a surprise when shortly after reaching his hundred, he was leg before to a delivery from Virdi that went on with the arm.Virdi then brought up a century of his own by dismissing Evans before Leicestershire skipper Colin Ackermann, who had looked in really good form, went leg before to a Topley delivery that stayed very low.The in-form Lewis Hill was caught down the leg-side, and Virdi returned to bowl night-watchman Ed Barnes to ensure the day finished with fortunes even.

أثنى رمضان السيد لاعب فريق الكرة بـ الأهلي الأسبق على قدرات أشرف بن شرقي صفقة القلعة الحمراء المحتملة، موضحًا أبرز السمات الفنية للاعب وقدرته على مساعدة النادي.

وكان بطولات قد كشف عن وصول أشرف بن شرقي إلى القاهرة صباح اليوم الأربعاء، تمهيدًا للانضمام للأهلي بعد فسخ العقد بينه وبين نادي الريان القطري.

طالع.. خاص | أشرف بن شرقي يجتاز الكشف الطبي في الأهلي والإعلان الرسمي خلال ساعات

وقال رمضان السيد في تصريحات تلفزيونية عبر قناة etc: “صفقات الأهلي الجديدة مهمة جدًا، وأشرف بن شرقي كان يصنع الفارق في كل مباراة مع الزمالك، وهو لاعب متمكن يصنع ويخترق ويُسجل، صفقة رائعة”.

وأكمل: “كل الصفقات جيدة، وجراديشار مهاجم رائع متحرك وسريع، ويتصرف بشكل جيد في الانفرادات، وسيفيد الأهلي، ومصطفى العش أيضًا مساك جيد، والعش، أنا سعيد بكل الصفقات”.

وتابع: “أحمد عبد القادر لاعب رائع، لكن أشرف بن شرقي يصنع الفارق في كل مباراة يلعبها، ودائمًا يُسجل، ويُجيد في المراوغات”.

وأضاف: “أشرف بن شرقي سيكون إضافة قوية، وفي آخر الموسم سنتأكد أنه صفقة قوية جدًا، لأنه كان يُقدم مستوى عالياً مع الزمالك”.

وبسؤاله هل الأهلي يحتاج لصفقات أخرى؟، أجاب: “لا (كفاية كده هنلاعبهم فين)”.

Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim doesn't want to "confuse" his players with new tactics but wants to develop an "identity" at the club.

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Amorim new Manchester United bossDoesn't want to confuse players with tacticsAvoid repetition of the same words & topicsFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Amorim replaced the sacked Erik ten Hag as United's manager earlier this month and now he is preparing to lead the struggling Premier League giants. Ahead of his first match in charge, the 39-year-old has spoken about creating an "identity" in his new team – something they lacked under Ten Hag – but he doesn't want to overwhelm the players with too much information on how he wants them to play.

AdvertisementGetty/GOALWHAT RUBEN AMORIM SAID

When asked what team can fans expect from Amorim's United, he told the club's website: "It’s hard to say. It's hard to say. I want to say beautiful things to you, but I'm really honest. But what I can say is that I think you will see an idea. You could like it or not, I don't know, but you will see an idea. You will see a positioning. You will see something. Something that we want to reach that kind of level. You will feel that. But we have to know that it's like two trainings before the first match. This is the best league in the world. But if I have to say something to you, you will see an idea. This I can guarantee."

On his key priorities, he added: "We know that we need time, but we have to win time. To win time is to win games. But the most important thing for me is identity. So since day one we will start with our identity. Of course we are going to prepare the games, but we will focus a lot in our game model. How to play, how to press, these small things, small details. You cannot go 100% on every detail because it will be confusing for the players. So if I have to say one thing, my main goal, my first goal, is identity."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Amorim is set for the biggest challenge of his fairly short managerial career – turning United's fortunes around. They sit 13th in the Premier League, are struggling for goals, and are a long way off the division's top teams. The Portuguese will be under big pressure to hit the ground running, too.

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GettyWHAT NEXT?

Many United players are currently away on international duty, so they will have very little time to adapt to Amorim's new tactics. But those that aren't involved for their respective countries will get much-needed practice ahead of facing Ipswich Town on November 24.

The pandemic has meant there’s no defending champion, with teams pruned from ten to six

Peter Della Penna07-Feb-2021

After a four-month break since the end of the CPL, the first West Indies regional tournament of 2021 kicks off on Sunday when the Super50 Cup begins in Antigua. The lingering impact of Covid-19 means a stripped back version of the event. But in some ways, that means the competition may actually be more intense than in recent years. Here are five things to keep an eye on during the three-week tournament.Ten teams have been reduced to six Beginning with the 2013-14 tournament, it became customary for guest teams outside the Caribbean to be invited to participate. Over the next seven editions, numerous Associate sides were invited including Ireland, USA and Canada, as well as English County sides during the northern hemisphere winter such as Kent and Hampshire. The presence of developmental sides from around the Caribbean – Combined Campuses and Colleges, West Indies U-19 and West Indies Emerging – had also formed part of the draws in recent years.Watch cricket on ESPN+

The Super50 Cup is available in the US on ESPN+. Subscribe to ESPN+ and tune in to the tournament.

But the difficulty of border crossing restrictions for overseas guests during the pandemic nixed any possibility of USA or Canada returning this year. Budgetary constraints also contributed to the disappearance of any CCC side for the first time since 2007. As a result, instead of the teams split into two groups playing a double round-robin format, this year’s event will be a single round-robin league stage before a pair of semi-finals and the final.A different champion will be crownedLast year’s winners were the West Indies Emerging Team, a group comprised mainly of current and recent West Indies U-19 players who hadn’t yet forced their way into their regional senior representative sides. The leading scorer in that champion unit was Joshua Da Silva, whose 310 runs helped spur them to an initial shock upset of Trinidad & Tobago in Group B before a further upset of Barbados in the semis, and set the stage for a 205-run demolition of Leeward Islands in the final. It also helped Da Silva build a case for inclusion into the West Indies side, making his first touring squad to England in the summer of 2020.West Indies Emerging Team took over the mantle from the CCC squad, who claimed their first ever title in the 2018-19 tournament. The absence of both West Indies Emerging and CCC opens the door for one of the traditional representative squads to take back control of the regional limited overs cup.Traditional sides closer to full strengthIn recent years, many teams have been stripped of their best local talent due to conflicts with overseas West Indies tours or the T20 franchise carousel. The intensity of life in bio-bubbles and risks of travelling abroad in the Covid-19 era mean many players are preferring to stay close to home. A consequence is their availability for the Super50 Cup for the first time in years.Among the biggest beneficiaries are Barbados and Trinidad & Tobago. Jason Holder comes back to captain his home island, having not played in the Super50 Cup since February 2018, and is joined by Shamarh Brooks and Roston Chase. An uncharacteristically understrength Trinidad & Tobago team from last year was highlighted by the captain and vice-captain spin duo of Imran Khan and Yannick Ottley. This year’s version looks much closer to the juggernaut of yesteryear with the return of Kieron Pollard as captain as well as Nicholas Pooran, Denesh Ramdin, Lendl Simmons, Evin Lewis, Sunil Narine, Khary Pierre and Ravi Rampaul. Even though many of these names have been playing in the UAE T10 League, T&T’s first match isn’t until February 11, giving them a few days to return in time.Covid-19 positive tests impacting squad selectionA reminder of the threat of Covid-19 to the players involved came during the West Indies ODI tour in Bangladesh last month when legspinner Hayden Walsh Jr had to go into quarantine before the first match after returning a positive test. Though he has since recovered and has been named in the Leeward Islands squad, others have subsequently been ruled out.The Hope brothers, Kyle and Shai, both produced positive tests prior to entering the tournament bio-bubble in Antigua, and were both ruled out of the Barbados squad as a result. They have been replaced by Tevyn Walcott and Zachary McCaskie. Guyana also had a player ruled out due to Covid in batsman Trevon Griffith, who has been swapped out for Kemol Savory.No Associate teams doesn’t mean no Associate playersNitish Kumar, the former Canada captain, raised the antennae of talent evaluators in the region courtesy of a match-winning century in a win over then defending champions CCC in last year’s event. Kumar previously appeared in the Super50 for a combined ICC Americas squad, where his performances got him drafted by St Lucia Zouks in the 2016 CPL.Despite Canada’s absence in this year’s event, Kumar was invited to take part in squad trials for Leeward Islands. Not only did he make the cut for their 15-man squad, but it would not be surprising to see him play a prominent role in the middle order. Kumar is also a top-notch fielder and is classified by some coaches as a genuine allrounder thanks to his handy offspin that has claimed 29 List A wickets.

Attention can start to turn towards the start of the 2024/25 campaign for Glasgow Rangers after the Scottish Premiership fixtures were released.

The Light Blues travel away from Ibrox to take on Hearts on the opening day of the season on the third of August and that means that the club have just over a month to get any business they want done before the first match.

Of course, Nils Koppen and Philippe Clement would still have almost a month left after that before the summer transfer window slams shut, but they may want as many signings in as possible before the first game to help them settle into the squad and the tactics.

Jefte, Oscar Cortes, Liam Kelly, Connor Barron, and Clinton Nsiala have already been snapped up to bolster the Belgian manager's squad after the Gers only won one trophy – the League Cup – during the 2023/24 campaign.

Rangers are now in the market for experience after landing a number of talented young players – with Cortes, Barron, Nsiala, and Jefte all being 21 or younger.

Rangers expected to sign experienced star

According to RangersReview journalist Jonny McFarlane, Koppen is expected to seal a deal to sign Norwich City central midfielder Kenny McLean this summer.

Speaking on the outlet's YouTube channel on Monday, the reporter claimed that a move for the Scotland international is "in the post" and that a transfer is moving along "nicely".

He added that the 32-year-old maestro is a player "we'll expect to see" at Ibrox for the 2024/25 campaign, with the Light Blues seemingly closing in on a swoop for the Canaries ace.

This comes after Football Insider had reported that the two clubs entered into preliminary negotiations at the end of last month to reach an agreement for the ex-Aberdeen man.

That report also stated that the Scottish midfielder is expected to cost a fee within the region of £1m, which comes one year after the Yellows reportedly rejected an offer of £4m from Leeds United.

Interestingly, Football Insider added that Rangers could offer McLean the captaincy of the club immediately if James Tavernier moves on to Saudi Arabia before the end of the window.

The left-footed ace is not the Norwich club captain but donned the armband for the majority of last season in the absence of Grant Hanley under David Wagner.

If Koppen and Clement do, as seemingly expected, sign the Canaries star then he could form an exciting pairing with Mohammed Diomande in the middle of the park.

Mohammed Diomande's attacking potential

The impressive youngster spent the second half of last season on loan from FC Nordsjælland, where he had been managed by McLean's new boss Johannes Hoff Thorup, and caught the eye with his displays in midfield before signing a permanent deal.

In the first half of the campaign, Diomande had produced zero goals, three assists, and 1.1 key passes per game across 13 appearances in the Superliga for the Danish side.

The 22-year-old dynamo then arrived at Ibrox and elevated his attacking game to another level with his fantastic performances in the Premiership.

As you can see in the table above, the left-footed ace added a goal threat to his arsenal and provided 0.4 more key passes per game than he did in the Superliga.

However, his work out of possession let him down slightly as opposition players were able to dominate him in physical duels in the air, and he only won slightly more than 50% of his battles on the ground.

The Ivory Coast international, therefore, is not a monster when it comes to winning duels and battling against Premiership midfielders, which suggests that Rangers should look to pair him with a midfielder who can offer more of a physical presence next to him.

Why Rangers should sign Kenny McLean

This is why McLean could be a fantastic addition to Clement's squad to bolster the manager's options in the middle of the park as he has the physicality and energy to be the perfect foil for him.

The £25k-per-week Norwich star was described as a "monster" at winning the ball back by the aforementioned McFarlane and that is backed up by his statistics last season.

His performances in the English Championship proved that he has the energy, defensive awareness, and tenacity to consistently break opposition attacks from a midfield position.

As you can see in the table above, McLean provided far more for his team out of possession than Diomande did for Rangers, including in physical duels.

This suggests that the Scottish battler would be the perfect partner for the Ivorian star as his sublime defensive work could allow the 22-year-old to push further forward to weave his magic at the top end of the pitch.

The Norwich ace is not limited to just being good off the ball, however, as he ranked within the top 19% of Championship midfielders for progressive passes (6.41) per 90, which shows that the Gers target is a forward-thinking midfielder who constantly looks to find his teammates in advanced positions.

McLean could also be a fantastic signing due to his experience, particularly in the league, as he made over 250 appearances in the Premiership earlier in his career and has racked up over 200 outings for the Yellows since 2018.

This suggests that he would be able to make an immediate impact on the pitch for the Light Blues as he has been there and done it in the Scottish top-flight and in England over the course of a number of years.

He's wanted: Rangers must sell £5.6k-p/w man who scored fewer than Silva

The Light Blues must cash in on the underperforming winger this summer.

By
Dan Emery

Jul 1, 2024

Therefore, the 32-year-old ace could be a fantastic option for the club to bring in as an experienced and defensively impressive partner for Diomande.

Having failed to earn promotion to the Premier League, Leeds United are reportedly set to pay the price with European giants lining up to sign one of Daniel Farke's best players.

Leeds transfer news

A second consecutive season in the Championship was always going to act as a major blow at Elland Road, but the Yorkshire club have not been helped by their need to sell players this summer in order to comply with profit and sustainability rules in the Championship. This has already seen the Championship's Player of the Season Crysencio Summerville linked with a move away and others could soon follow.

The Dutchman enjoyed an outstanding campaign last time out and is undoubtedly Premier League-ready. With reported interest from Liverpool and Newcastle United, Summerville may yet have the opportunity to complete his top-flight return by using an alternative route to the Wembley option that Leeds failed to take hold of.

The winger's exit would be a major blow, but he's reportedly not the only one potentially heading for the Elland Road exit door this summer. According to Graeme Bailey for HITC, RB Leipzig want to sign Archie Gray in a deal that could eventually rise to £50m this summer, but are joined in their interest by Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, Manchester City and other European giants.

Farke could land Rutter partner in Leeds move for "ridiculous" star

The Whites are reportedly interested in signing the exciting winger this summer.

ByDan Emery Jun 29, 2024

Of course, the advantage that Leipzig have is that Red Bull have just bought a minority stake in Leeds, meaning that they could now use their links to deal their new acquisition an instant blow in quite the twist. Gray became the youngest player in Leeds' history to appear at Wembley in the play-off final in the latest achievement on his path seemingly destined for greatness.

This claim emerged before news broke of Brentford reportedly agreeing terms with Gray, with the Bees now firmly in the driving seat with regard to his immediate future. Of course, this is still a blow to Leeds, not least as they are only set to receive £35m as opposed to £50m, while should his move to west London fall through, there will be a number of clubs in the queue to grab a player clearly available for sale.

"Crucial" Gray is destined for the top

At just 18 years old, Gray slotted into Farke's side out of position at right-back and barely missed a beat. a midfielder by trade, the Leeds academy graduate has more than earned the interest of Leipzig, Bayern and other top European sides this summer and Leeds could be left with no choice but to sanction a deal to comply with PSR rules.

In an ideal world, they'll keep hold of their star prospect, but if he does move on to such clubs, there may well be a sense of pride hidden somewhere beneath initial disappointment that one of their very own is onto great things.

Farke, of course, would be among those sharing that mixed feeling, having praised Gray in abundance last season. He told Leeds Live: "For Archie, it's definitely not a bad choice at times. We don't play him there just to develop him, it's more we've got the feeling for this game, we need a player there who is capable to handle the pace and the speed and the mobility of the opponent's wingers.

"Also to play a bit more like an inverted full-back, a bit more like a traditional midfield player, Archie would have been the right choice. Thank God he repaid my trust and played some really good games there. He was fantastic in the last home game, solid last away game and he was crucial, especially in the second half."

أعرب وسام أبو لاعب الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بالنادي الأهلي، عن سعادته بعد تسجيله ثلاثة أهداف في مباراة اليوم أمام شباب بلوزداد الجزائري، التي جمعت بينهما ببطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا.

والتقى الأهلي مع شباب بلوزداد، على استاد القاهرة الدولي، في إطار مواجهات الجولة الثالثة من دور المجموعات لبطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا، وفاز بنتيجة 6-1.

وقال وسام أبو علي في تصريحات عبر قناة “الأهلي”: “الحمد لله على كل الأهداف التي سُجلت، وأهم شيء المكسب، وتكون بداية لفترة جيدة للفريق كله”.

طالع أيضاً.. كولر يلوم جماهير الأهلي: نريد الاحترام المتبادل.. ولاعب الفريق يعاني من “السباب”

وأضاف: “الشوط الأول ضغطنا على الفريق المنافس، لكن سجلوا هدفًا نتيجة أخطاء منا، لكن ربنا أكرمنا وتعادلنا في توقيت جيد، وقلنا لا بد أن نستمر على ذلك، والحمد لله الكرة مرات تدخل ومرات لا، والحمد لله اليوم دخلت”.

ما هو شعورك بعد أول هاتريك مع الأهلي؟ أجاب: “هذا ثاني هاتريك مع الأهلي، هذا الهاتريك هو الأول لي في إفريقيا، وصادف يوم عيد زواج والدي ووالدتي أتموا 29 سنة، أول شيء سأفعله سأتصل بهما فيديو للاحتفال، لكن أيضًا الفريق كله يساعدني (لما بيجي فاول بيسيبوا لي الكرة) ويضعوني في مواقف جيدة، أنا سعيد أنني مهاجم وأسجل أهدافًا لكني سعيد للفريق كله”.

وأكمل: “الفريق هو من يساعدني على تسجيل الأهداف، وكان لا بد أن يوقعوا جميعًا على كرة مباراة اليوم، التي سأحتفظ بها وستكون ذكرى لي بعد أن أعتزل كرة القدم، ويكون عندي ذكريات أرويها لأبنائي”.

وأتم: “الفترة القادمة تتطلب منا التركيز والتدريب بشكل جيد ونجمع بعض والقادم أفضل إن شاء الله”.

Ex-Arsenal defender Rob Holding remains out in the cold at Crystal Palace having made only one appearance for them since his move last summer.

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• Holding joined Palace in 2023 on deadline day
• Has yet to make his Premier League debut
• Is currently training with the Under-21 side

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Holding's move from Arsenal to Palace was seen as a fresh start for the defender, but just over a year later, his situation at the club has taken a dramatic turn, leaving his future in limbo. The first sign of Holding’s troubles became apparent when Palace celebrated a club anniversary with a joint photo of their men’s and women’s squads. Noticeably absent from the image was the 29-year-old, raising questions about his role at the club. It soon emerged that Holding had been effectively exiled from the first-team setup, training instead with the under-21 squad.

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  WHAT OLIVER GLASNER SAID

  The rift between Holding and Palace manager Oliver Glasner appears to be the root of the defender’s exile. When asked about Holding’s absence from the first team, Glasner offered a vague explanation, stating, "Rob is training individually at the moment. We will talk together – he knows the reason. But it is something that stays between Rob and me. Nothing public."

  However, according to the , the disagreement stemmed from a post-match running session following Palace’s 2-0 home defeat to West Ham on August 24. Holding was an unused substitute during that game, and it seems tensions flared in the aftermath, leading to his demotion to the U21s.

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Since his move to Palace, Holding has played only once for the club, featuring in an EFL Cup match against Manchester United last season. To date, he has not featured in any Premier League games, despite Palace’s early-season struggles and plummet to the relegation zone.

  Despite the turmoil, Holding has remained professional. The report adds that the player is accepting of his situation and determined to keep training hard with the U21s. He recently played the full 90 minutes in their 3-1 victory over Gillingham in the EFL Trophy, showing his commitment to maintaining fitness and form.

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  Even if Holding were to reconcile with Glasner, his path back to the first team looks challenging. Crystal Palace bolstered their defensive options during the summer transfer window, signing three centre-backs: Maxence Lacroix from Wolfsburg for £18 million, Chadi Riad from Real Betis for up to £14m, and Trevoh Chalobah on loan from Chelsea. Additionally, the club managed to retain Marc Guehi, who is valued at £70m and remains a cornerstone of the Palace defence. The Eagles’ defensive lineup also includes established names such as Chris Richards, Jefferson Lerma, Joel Ward, and Nathaniel Clyne, which further complicates the situation for Holding.

Against a fine attack, in demanding conditions, Crawley didn’t just eke out a score, he thrived

George Dobell21-Aug-2020It was probably fitting, on the day Colin Graves made a valedictory visit to the Test squad, that a man from one of the smaller counties should announce himself to the cricketing world.For, earlier this week, Graves gave an interview with The Telegraph in which he suggested there were too many first-class counties. He “just didn’t see the point” in some of them, he said, with those at the “bottom end of our red ball game… producing nothing”. A reduction from 18 to 12 was his suggested solution.Never mind that, just before play, he had made a presentation to Stuart Broad – who started his career at Leicestershire, who were bottom of Division Two in 2019 – to commemorate his 500th Test wicket. And never mind that a glance at last year’s Division Two table would have told Graves that the bottom division included Lancashire, the club where James Anderson developed, Middlesex, the club where Eoin Morgan developed, Worcestershire, where Moeen Ali plays, and Northants, where Olly Stone, Ben Duckett and David Willey have all developed in recent years. And certainly never mind that Graves’ defined duty, as chair of the ECB, was to safeguard the future of those same 18 counties he was now undermining.But maybe, as Graves saw Zak Crawley – a man who has developed through the Kent system from U11 level – register a maiden Test century of the highest class, he will have reflected that the smaller counties – usually defined as those that do not host Tests or were not allocated hosts of The Hundred – can contribute rather well to the national cause.Or maybe reflection isn’t Graves’ thing. For if it was he might have realised that his plea for a nomination as ICC chair on the basis that he would help the less affluent nations was in stark contrast to his behaviour as chair of the ECB. Ultimately, it’s deeds not words that count and Graves has hardly proved the defender of the poor.But for English cricket, Graves now belongs to the past. And Crawley is the future.ALSO READ: Crawley’s maiden Test ton puts England in the driving seatIt would be hard to overstate the quality of this innings. England have seen some contributions from top-three batsmen in recent times, not least Rory Burns’ resilient century against Australia at Edgbaston and Dom Sibley’s century against South Africa in Cape Town.But this was a different league. Against a fine attack, in demanding conditions, Crawley didn’t just eke out a score. He thrived. Despite the fact that, at one stage, England were 127 for 4 and Chris Woakes and Dom Bess were padded up, he batted with a freedom and fluency that has probably not been seen at any other time this summer.At one stage, he had scored 119 out of the 213 runs scored by England. It was the first century by an England No. 3 since Jonny Bairstow’s, against Sri Lanka, in November 2018 and the first in England since Joe Root’s, against Pakistan, in 2016. Crawley also becomes just the 17th England man aged 22 or younger to register a Test century. There are no guarantees, of course, but it would be a major surprise if this is not the first of many. It felt like the coming of age of a major talent.There’s a lot to like about Crawley. For a start, he has all the shots. And when you can hook the fast bowlers, drive off both feet, sweep both sides of the wicket, and come down the pitch to seamers and spinners alike, it can prove desperately hard to contain. When Trevor Bayliss, the former England coach, saw him play for the Lions last year, he immediately remarked on the power with which he hit the ball. “That’s how the top players hit it,” he said. He was keen to select him towards the end of the Ashes.But there’s a lot more than natural talent at play here. There is applied knowledge and thinking and experience. So, against Shaheen Afridi for example, Crawley took a middle-and-leg guard with a slightly open stance. This allowed him to account for the inswing and avoid being trapped behind his front leg. But against Mohammad Abbas he took a middle-stump guard and often came down the pitch to disrupt the bowler’s length and negate his movement.This determination to learn and improve has been the feature of his Test career to date. He was taken on the New Zealand tour largely to gain experience: a selection based on potential, not achievement; this was only his fourth first-class century, after all. But he played in Hamilton because Jos Buttler suffered a back injury and he played in Cape Town because Burns suffered a ligament injury. He made a new career-best score in each of his first five Tests and, by demonstrating an ability to learn and improve, endeared himself to the team management.Zak Crawley raised his maiden Test hundred•Getty ImagesEven before that, though, Crawley had shown a hunger that marked him out as different to so many of his peers. When he struggled against spin after his early county experiences, he paid for himself to go to India and spend time on a spin camp. And, eager to test himself in the competitive world of Grade cricket, he has made repeated trips to Australia and formed a lasting relationship with the celebrated batting coach, ‘Noddy’ Holder.More than that, he moved to a flat bordering the Kent ground in Canterbury so he could spend extra time in the nets. Locals say the sight of him, setting up the bowling machine and working on his game, is common. And so impressive was his fitness in New Zealand, he left senior members of the squad for dead when they did laps of the ground.His long-term mentor, however, is Rob Key. Key was, until today, the most recent Kent player to make a 150+ score in a Test for England, but will have celebrated this century as warmly as anyone. He’s thrown countless balls in the nets, had endless conversations and provided consolation on the tough days and congratulations on the good.”He has a lot of really good attributes,” Key told ESPNcricinfo. “He’s humble, but he’s tough. And while he works incredibly hard, he loves the game so much he never thinks about it as anything other than fun. He’s a student of the game and he learns very quickly. It’s all there, really.”Paul Downton, Kent’ director of cricket, agreed. “He’s going to have a 10-year international career,” Downton said. “He’s going to be a major player for England.”His mind-set is very unusual for a young man. The dedication he brings to his game and his relentless appetite for scoring runs is different to most. And it’s certainly different to most young players.”Both Downton and Key agree his game – particularly strong on the back foot and containing a strong hook – should be well-suited to Australian pitches. And while Asia might prove more of a challenge, that work ethic should stand him in good stead. This innings will have cemented his place in the side for the foreseeable.His partnership with Buttler – who has scarcely played better in Test cricket than this – has earned England a strong position in this game and in this series. But maybe, in the longer term, this game will be remembered most for the emergence of a high-quality player. Suddenly, England’s top six is looking a bit more solid. Suddenly, there’s no pressure on Joe Root to move back to No. 3.Those smaller counties keep delivering. Only a fool would talk of dismantling them.