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To describe Manchester United's season as a disappointment so far this year would be quite an understatement.

From finishing third, challenging the top two in moments and winning the League Cup last season to falling apart in the Champions League, looking abysmal in the Premier League and going out in the League Cup at the first opportunity- things haven't gone to plan this year.

Now, there are obviously a multitude of reasons for this total loss of form – more than we can go into – but one of the biggest reasons is simply their inability to put the ball in the back.

So far this season, Erik ten Hag's men have scored just 16 Premier League goals, which is more than just five sides in the league, and one man who is particularly guilty of this failing is Marcus Rashford.

However, could transfer target Khvicha Kvaratskhelia be the man to help bring back the Englishman's goalscoring form?

Manchester United News – Khvicha Kvaratskhelia

According to a report from 90min last month, Manchester United are one of several Premier League clubs interested in signing Napoli's and Georgia star Khvicha Kvaratskhelia in 2024.

The publication revealed that United, Chelsea, Newcastle United and Manchester City all sent scouts to watch Georgia play Spain last month, and while some other players of interest were taking part, the Serie A winner was the centre of attention.

The 22-year-old is currently contracted to the club until 2027 but is said to be negotiating a 12-month extension to his deal as the Neapolitan side look to ward off the European giants that have begun circling above.

When speaking about the dynamic winger's future earlier this year, club president Aurelio De Laurentiis seemed to downplay any potential departure, saying: "Do you want to stop it? He already signed for five years last summer."

However, the Napoli president has made a name for himself for being, shall we say, eccentric, and so everything he says should be taken with a pinch of salt.

Should the Red Devils opt to sign Kvaratskhelia, they can expect to pay a transfer fee in the region of €100m, or about £87m, and while that is undeniably expensive, he could prove to be worth every penny should he unlock the attacking threat of Rashford as well.

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia could create space for Marcus Rashford

When it comes to United's attackers this season, none of them have covered themselves in glory. Alejandro Garnacho has found some form of late, scoring goals against Everton and Galatasaray, but overall, those entrusted to score the team's goals have not fulfilled their roles.

This problem is perhaps made all the more apparent by the fact that Scott McTominay is currently the club's joint-top scorer in the Premier League this season – that'll be a pub quiz question in years to come.

So, how does Kvaratskhelia compare to the competition at Old Trafford? Well, in essentially every attacking statistic that matters, the "Georgian Magician" is miles ahead.

He has scored as many goals as the rest have combined, registered three times as many assists, creates considerably more for his teammates and, most importantly, consistently and successfully takes on opposing defenders, creating space for his teammates to exploit.

Kvaratskhelia

4

3

7.7

1.25

5.18

3.08

Rashford

2

1

5.5

0.67

4.08

2.17

Martial

1

0

1.4

0.68

1.60

0.45

Garnacho

1

0

2.0

0.79

3.98

1.90

Antony

0

0

2.0

0.52

3.64

1.21

Hojlund

0

0

2.8

0.53

1.99

1.07

With his 3.08 successful take-ons per 90, he is taking on the opposing fullback more than twice as much as Antony, almost three times more than Rasmus Hojlund and six times more than Anthony Martial.

Were the "unstoppable" winger – as he was dubbed by scout Jacek Kulig – to take the starting spot on the left flank and Rashford keep his place on the right – where he has been starting in recent weeks – the space opened up by the 22-year-old dynamo could be easily and frequently exploited by Rashford, giving him the platform to rediscover his electrifying form of last year where he found the net 30 times.

This ability to create mayhem with his direct dribbling was noted by Jürgen Klopp last season before Liverpool played – and lost – against Napoli in the Champions League:

“When he has the advantage of the first movement then he is already gone. You have to try to be there in the moment when the ball arrives, but if you cannot do that then you need to be protected because he has speed, he is cheeky, he goes inside, he can go outside, that makes it always really difficult. A good player.”

It will be an expensive deal to complete, but should United have the opportunity to sign Kvaratskhelia, they should take it – for their own sake and Rashford's.

Nine overseas players have opted for the maximum base price of 2 crore, with none of the Indians choosing that category

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Dec-2018The IPL franchises have finalised a list of 346 players who will be part of the pool for the auction on December 18 in Jaipur. Originally 1003 players had submitted their names for the auction, but the list was pruned down after the eight franchises submitted their shortlists of players.There are 226 Indian players in the list, but none of them have set the maximum base price of INR 2 crore. Nine overseas players though, slotted themselves in at INR 2 crore. Among Indians, Jaydev Unadkat’s base price of INR 1.5 crore was the highest.The nine players who have set their base price at INR 2 crore are: Brendon McCullum, Chris Woakes, Lasith Malinga, Shaun Marsh, Sam Curran, Colin Ingram, Corey Anderson, Angelo Mathews and D’Arcy Short.Among other prominent players who will figure in this auction, Yuvraj Singh, Wriddhiman Saha, Mohammed Shami and Axar Patel have set their base prices at INR 1 crore, while Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel, Jonny Bairstow and Alex Hales are in the INR 1.5 crore bracket.Ishant Sharma will invite bids from INR 75 lakh onwards.A maximum of only 70 players can be bought by the eight franchises, with only 20 slots available for overseas players.The auction will have a set of internationally capped players going under the hammer first, filtered by specialist categories, followed by uncapped players. Among Indian uncapped players, those likely to attract attention could be Tamil Nadu mystery spinner Varun Chakravathi, and Mumbai allrounder Shivam Dube.The IPL also added 20 additional players to the pool that franchises had requested for. These include Aaron Hardie, the Perth fast bowler who claimed Virat Kohli’s wicket in India’s warm-up match against Cricket Australia XI before their ongoing Test series against Australia. Also part of this list is Alex Carey, who kept wicket for Australia in their three-T20I series against India that preceded the Tests, and Ajay Rohera, the 21-year old Madhya Pradesh batsman who set a world record with the highest score on first-class debut, when he made 267 not out against Hyderabad in the Ranji Trophy last week.An uncapped England player to keep an eye on is the Worcestershire seamer Pat Brown, only 20 but a rising star of the shortest format after his side’s remarkable victory in this year’s Vitality Blast. He finished his breakthrough season with 31 wickets, the second-best haul in the competition’s history, and showed huge composure on Finals Day with a nerveless diet of knuckle balls and quicker deliveries.Other Englishmen of note include Laurie Evans, who on Tuesday signed a contract extension with Sussex after amassing 614 runs in this year’s Blast – the most by any player – and Somerset’s Jamie Overton, who bowls quicker than his twin Craig who debuted for England in last year’s Ashes, and who was in contention for England selection this winter after a successful return from injury.

Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag will be in the market for new arrivals come January and the Dutchman is now reportedly eyeing up separate swoops for two players, according to a new development.

Man Utd's lack of consistency…

Across the board, United have endured an inconsistent campaign that has them languishing in seventh position in the Premier League standings, with 24 points from their 14 matches played in the English top-flight under Ten Hag's stewardship.

Eight wins and six losses paint a fairly accurate reflection of the Red Devils' endeavours this term, with a common theme of being able to defeat sides of slightly lesser quality than themselves alongside struggling to overcome sides that sit above them in the table.

In the Champions League, one win, a draw, and three losses from five matches have left Ten Hag's side in grave danger of exiting the competition at the group stage. Although they sit only one point behind Copenhagen and Galatasaray in Group A, Manchester United will likely need both sides to draw on matchday six in synchronicity with a winning result of their own against Bayern Munich at Old Trafford.

Despite spurts of promise at times during this campaign, it is clear that their side is unbecoming of the global reputation that the club possesses and much will need to change involving the playing squad and behind the scenes before the Red Devils can hold themselves in the same esteem as the likes of Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool on the field.

Conducting surgery to their playing roster will be crucial to ensure a top-four finish is still in sight at Old Trafford and new reports suggest that Ten Hag is eyeing a double swoop to improve his side.

Jean-Clair Todibo and Antonio Silva eyed…

According to Sky Sports Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg, Nice defender Jean-Clair Todibo "remains a candidate" for a winter move to Manchester United. On the same token, Benfica star Antonio Silva is also being eyed by the Red Devils, with a summer swoop mooted for the Portugal international, as per the following on social media platform X.

Of course, Lisandro Martinez has been suffering from a recurrence of a metatarsal injury this term and has left his manager bereft of options in central defence. Raphael Varane has lost his place in the side, leading to Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof becoming Ten Hag's favoured partnership in recent times, though Luke Shaw has also deputised when called upon.

Todibo, who has previously been labelled "high-quality" by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has made 12 appearances for Ligue 1 outfit Nice this term across all competitions, registering one assist in the process. (Todibo statistics – Transfermarkt)

On the other hand, by honing in on Silva's main attributes, you can see that he is an extremely efficient ball-playing defender. In Liga Portugal, he has managed to rack up a pass success rate of 93.8% in 2023/24 while also showing his dominant side, winning around two aerial duels per match in the Portuguese top-flight (Silva statistics – WhoScored).

Man Utd could make "unstoppable" £87m signing to help Rashford fire again

Man United could turn to Serie A “magician” to help Rashford rediscover his scoring form.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Dec 4, 2023

It isn't out of the realm of possibility that we could see the pair one day link up at Old Trafford; nevertheless, both are likely to demand significant fees, so we will need to wait and see on that front.

PSG star Jackie Groenen has tried to explain Lyon's dominant record against her team as the two meet in the UEFA Women's Champions League semi-finals.

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Lyon & PSG meet in all-French UWCL semi-finalPSG so often second-best in FranceMidfield star Groenen tries to explain Lyon dominanceWHAT HAPPENED?

Lyon are the team to beat in France, winning 16 of the last 17 league titles, and that has often been the case in Europe, too, with no club bettering their record of eight UWCL trophies. PSG have tried to chase OL down over the years but have largely come up short, with just one league title and three French cups to their name.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Most of the time, it is Lyon that the Parisians are battling for those trophies and, more often that not, they come up short in those meetings. Indeed, Lyon have lost just nine of their 62 clashes with PSG and only one of their last 10 encounters.

WHAT GROENEN SAID

As the two French rivals prepare to go head-to-head in the UWCL semi-finals this weekend, with the winner to face Barcelona or Chelsea in May's final, PSG star Groenen has reflected on what makes it so tough to beat Lyon.

"They have a lot of quality. That's the first point," she said. "That's honestly why it makes it hard to play them because they have a lot of different styles that they play, with different styles of players. They've got a lot of different qualities, which makes it less obvious how to defend the different styles of attacking, and they're just physically very strong as well.

"I think that's something that we had to work on. They're a big team, they're a good team, but we're trying to get there too. I think there's been such a progression that I'm very curious about the game. I'm very excited because I think we can [beat them]. At the moment, I think we can and that's something everyone feels. But you know how it is with rivalries, it's never easy."

Asked how much of the game is about mentality too, where Lyon have an edge given their dominance, Groenen said: "It's obviously a huge part because if you have the experience of winning, it's something that counts as well on the pitch. I think that's something that we've been working on this year and I think that's also something that you could see in the last game [a 1-1 draw in February], so we try to work from there. I think with the qualities we have now, we will be able to beat anyone if we manage to play our own game."

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DID YOU KNOW?

PSG secured a huge win over Lyon in the quarter-finals of this competition back in 2021, a result that some thought could be the end of OL's reign in Europe as clubs like Barcelona and Chelsea rose to the fore. However, Lyon were back a year later to win an eighth UWCL title, while PSG have not reached a final since their second back in 2017.

With Manchester United currently enduring what has been a rather dismal first few months of the campaign, supporters will likely already be looking ahead to the upcoming January transfer window in the hope of some fresh blood being brought in to bolster the ranks.

The Red Devils were notably particularly active during the winter window earlier this year after snapping up the likes of Marcel Sabitzer, Jack Butland and Wout Weghorst on short-term deals, albeit with the latter man, in particular, failing to fire amid a limp six-month stay at Old Trafford.

The Dutchman – who scored just twice for the club in total in 31 outings – had been brought in to plug the gap following Cristiano Ronaldo's departure, with a striking addition seemingly again required this time around, as Anthony Martial has just six months left to run on his existing contract.

Player

Goals

Scott McTominay

6

Bruno Fernandes

5

Rasmus Hojlund

5

Casemiro

4

Alejandro Garnacho

3

Marcus Rashford

2

Anthony Martial

2

Stats via BBC Sport

Amid that need for a genuine rival to young Rasmus Hojlund, recent reports have indicated that Stuttgart's Serhou Guirassy is of interest to United, even though the 27-year-old could well represent just another Weghorst as far as Erik ten Hag is concerned.

Man Utd transfer news – Serhou Guirassy

As reported by The Guardian's Ed Aarons last week, Ten Hag and co are believed to be interested in signing the Guinea striker and have even made contact with agents regarding a possible swoop in the New Year.

As per the piece, the former Ajax boss is chasing a suitable alternative to Hojlund with the Dane failing to score in the Premier League so far this season, while there is a potential for the club to try and 'find a buyer' for the floundering Martial.

Any deal for Guirassy is likely to be an attractive prospect due to his minimal release clause of just €17m (£15m), albeit with the Red Devils set to face competition from top-flight rivals Newcastle United, who also have the in-form marksman on their winter shortlist.

The stats to show why Man Utd shouldn't sign Serhou Guirassy

On the face of it, the 6 foot 2 brute looks like the perfect, bargain option to help ease United's attacking woes.

Available for as little as £15m, the former Stade Rennais man is among the top forwards in Europe at present with regard to his goalscoring form in 2023/24, having already netted 16 Bundesliga goals this season.

To put that into perspective, that figure is only bettered by former United target Harry Kane (18) in the German top-flight, while in the Premier League, Erling Haaland leads the way with 'just' 14 league goals.

Ruling out signing Guirassy may look rather foolish when the player is currently in such esteemed company, although as data analyst Ben Griffis has suggested, such a hot streak is a result of "xG over-performance" in front of goal.

According to Griffis, the forward's 'over-performance' is seemingly "very unsustainable", while he is also usually "wildly inconsistent" – hardly the words those at the Theatre of Dreams would like to hear.

While the one-time Lille man did net 11 goals in just 22 league games last season for Stuttgart, prior to that he had very much been a middling striker, never scoring more than ten league goals across his entire career in a single campaign.

Equally, as Ten Hag learned with Weghorst, success in the Bundesliga is not always a good judge of a player's talents, with the towering Dutchman, for instance, previously scoring 70 goals in just 144 games for Wolfsburg, prior to his woes at both United and Burnley – for whom he also scored just twice.

Having been stung by the frankly desperate signing of the current Hoffenheim man, the Red Devils must think again before repeating that mistake with regard to Guirassy, with it likely better to wait until the summer in order to land a target with a proven track record over a sustained period.

England batsmen collapse again as West Indies triumph

The Report by Valkerie Baynes26-Jan-2019West Indies 289 (Hetmyer 81*, Anderson 5-46) and 415 for 6 dec (Holder 202*, Dowrich 116*) beat England 77 (Roach 5-17) and 246 (Burns 84, Chase 8-60) by 381 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsA rampaging Roston Chase tore through England’s batting line-up to hand West Indies a comprehensive 381-run victory inside four days in the first Test in Barbados, putting them 1-0 in the three-match series.Chase finished with career-best Test figures of 8 for 60 off 21.4 overs to almost single-handedly bowl England out for 246 in their second innings but, in truth there were many more architects of the West Indies’ victory.Kemar Roach’s devastating haul of 5 for 17 in England’s first innings, when the tourists were bowled out for just 77; West Indies captain Jason Holder’s unbeaten second-innings 202 and team-mate Shane Dowrich’s 116 not out, which put the target out of reach; and some dire shot selection by England batsmen in their second innings combined with Chase’s impressive haul to deliver a memorable victory for the home side.While on the subject of selection, questions are sure to be asked at the management team meeting ahead of the second Test, starting in Antigua on Thursday. The obvious one: was leaving Stuart Broad out on a pitch where the pacemen initially ran riot such a good idea? And, how will England respond to an underwhelming batting performance throughout this Test?Regardless of England’s woes, the day belonged to Chase and West Indies, who will long remember this triumph.The tourists were always going to face a huge battle over two days to hold out for a draw when they resumed on 56 without loss, but opener Rory Burns provided a period of positivity with a controlled 84 off 133 deliveries before he was bowled by Chase with a ball that slid inside his defensive push to hit off stump.The same could not be said of fellow opener Keaton Jennings, who managed just 14 runs off 84 balls. He was one of several England batsmen to fall to an ill-conceived shot when he was tempted by Alzarri Joseph to slash at a ball that was well outside off stump only to find a thick outside edge flying to Holder, who pulled down the overhead catch at second slip.England skipper Joe Root did not look comfortable early on and he won a huge reprieve when, on just 1, he gloved a Shannon Gabriel delivery to slip but the bowler was called for a no-ball after overstepping the crease by a considerable distance. Gabriel made amends when he had Jonny Bairstow caught behind by Shai Hope, the stand-in keeper, for 30, which brought Ben Stokes to the crease.Stokes also struggled to settle but, when Chase pinned Root back with a delivery that drifted in and the England captain promptly spooned the simplest of catches to Darren Bravo at slip, he took the cue to step up. Stokes drove Chase over long-on to the boundary and, three balls later, smacked him for six over long-off.Stokes and Jos Buttler looked like they might steady the ship for a while but notions of their rearguard partnership of 169 against India in the third Test at Trent Bridge last summer evaporated when Chase trapped Stokes lbw for 34.Moeen Ali’s dismissal was similar to Root’s – a simple catch to Holder at second slip off Chase to send the batsman off for a pair. From there, what was left of England simply crumbled under the relentless pressure of West Indies.A case in point was debutant John Campbell’s spectacular diving catch at short midwicket – off none other than Chase – to dismiss Buttler. Campbell launched himself to his left and was completely airbourne as he flew, snaring a one-hander that brought up Chase’s five-for in the finest fashion.Shimron Hetmyer took a similarly eye-catching grab at short leg but for different reasons, copping a Ben Foakes sweep off Chase in the midriff but managing to rescue the ball in his hands to claim another cheap England wicket.Summing up England’s pain, Adil Rashid managed to pick out Kraigg Brathwaite, standing just inside the boundary rope (actually on the line where it had previously sat) and juggling the ball as he stepped out and back in to claim another West-Indies-can-do-no-wrong-like dismissal.To truly seal Chase’s moment, and career-best figures, Hope – standing in for regular wicketkeeper Dowrich, who did not take to the field all day because of back soreness – completed a neat stumping of Sam Curran to complete an emphatic victory for West Indies.

Millie Bright admits to becoming a “mother” figure in a “chaotic” campaign at Chelsea featuring an Emma Hayes revelation, injury and trophy bids.

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Talismanic coach leaving for the StatesSilverware still up for grabsCaptain aiming to end season on a highWHAT HAPPENED?

The England international is, at 30 years of age, one of the more experienced figures in the Blues camp. She is also club captain, meaning that leadership has to be provided to those around her on and off the field. Bright has never been one to shy away from that kind of responsibility.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT BRIGHT SAID

She has told of stepping up in a season that has delivered personal fitness setbacks, quests for WSL and Champions League glory and the news of talismanic coach Hayes preparing to leave for the United States: “I feel like I've been a bit of a mother this season. I'm a people person and I take care of the ones around me, whether that's staff or players. I've felt an extra need to do that this year. This season has been one of the most chaotic. We've had players injured, new signings coming in and the announcement of Emma leaving. It feels like there's been so much crammed into one season. We've had a lot to take care of so I'm so proud of the girls' mentality, their professionalism and the way they've handled those situations. It's been a difficult season, for sure.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Chelsea have slipped from the WSL summit, but hold a 1-0 lead over Barcelona in their Champions League semi-final clash heading into the second leg of that tie at Stamford Bridge on Saturday – with over 34,000 tickets sold for that fixture. Bright added on European ambition: “We are definitely the underdogs in this draw and that's fine – we know our place and our role. But as Emma always says, any team can be beaten. It's how you set yourselves up to do that. I know everyone said [the first leg] was an absolute masterclass by Emma. It was a credit to the players to buy into that game plan – and it worked, we got the result. We will give everything and it's extra motivation knowing that this is Emma's last season. We need every single fan there. We need the stadium packed and absolutely rocking. The fans make an incredible impact on the game. We felt it when we went to Barcelona.”

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT?

Hayes is set to take charge of the USWNT when the 2023-24 campaign comes to a close. Her first piece of business there will be the Olympic Games in Paris, with the proven winner hoping to embrace that challenge with a first Champions League crown added to her distinguished CV.

The American is arguably in the best form of his life – which is quite the achievement given how things are falling apart around him at San Siro

Christian Pulisic presently finds himself in a rather peculiar position. He's playing arguably the best football of his career at AC Milan – and yet his future at San Siro is shrouded in uncertainty. As former United States international Alexi Lalas said recently, "It would be ironic if the best season he's had results ends with him having to go elsewhere."

It still seems unlikely, of course, but nothing can be ruled out right now – because Milan are a mess. The Rossoneri will finish the season in second place in Serie A but, domestically, they've been humiliated by city rivals Inter, and humbled in continental competition by Roma.

Consequently, Stefano Pioli is set to be sacked as coach, the fans are furious with the club's owners, while stars such as Rafael Leao, Theo Hernandez and Mike Maignan could be sold this summer. And the thing is, nobody is in the least bit surprised. Indeed, there was always the fear that by leaving Chelsea for Milan last summer, Pulisic was simply swapping one crisis club for another – and so it's proved…

GettyThe Leao dilemma

Not for the first time this season, Pulisic was Milan's best player in Saturday's 3-3 draw with Genoa, a lovely assist for Olivier Giroud the highlight of a dynamic display. He was a "constant" threat, as the acknowledged in its match ratings: "[He] always made the right moves. The problem is the others…"

It was a fair point. So many of Milan's most important players have underwhelmed this season. Maignan hasn't dropped any clangers but just hasn't been his usual magical self, while Fikayo Tomori's form has dipped since the surprise Scudetto success of 2022.

And then there's Leao. The Portuguese remains Milan's talisman, and statistically speaking, he's had a more productive campaign than Pulisic. But Leao is a level or two above the American, meaning the bar is set so much higher for him.

So, a subdued showing against Genoa, which came after dismal displays against Inter and Juventus, resulted in Leao not only being rightly withdrawn by Pioli, but also being booed as he left the field. The winger responded by heading straight down the tunnel rather than taking his seat on the bench.

Consequently, there is a very real chance that Milan may decide to cash in on their most valuable asset. "He's no longer able to be Leao," the pointed out. "Now it's decision time: does he feel able to start over here in Milan or would it also be better for him to change team?"

It's quite the dilemma for the club's America owners, Redbird Capital Partners, whose management has come under increasing scrutiny over the past two years.

AdvertisementGetty 'Winning project starts from the club'

Before the Genoa game, the Curva Sud unveiled a banner which read "Communication strategy. Institutional presence. Targeted signings. Cohesion, ambition, ability. A winning project starts from the club."

When the game kicked off, there was a sustained round of applause from the ultras and then… nothing. No singing of songs, no waving of flags, no signs of support at all. Worse still, with 10 minutes remaining in a game that was still in the balance, they just left, labelling their protest 'The sound of silence' – and it was deafening.

"You have to respect the fans," Pioli said afterwards. "They have their reasons." There are a lot of them, too, but it all basically boils down to a perceived lack of clarity, communication and ambition – as perhaps best illustrated by the calamitous coaching situation.

(C)Getty ImagesLopetegui backlash

While RedBird owner Gerry Cardinale rarely speaks to the press, Milan president Paolo Scaroni, CEO Giorgio Furlani and technical director Geoffrey Moncada have been repeatedly asked about Pioli's position, but not one has confirmed what everyone else knows: that the Scudetto-winning coach will be sacked at the end of the season.

This, in spite of the fact, that Milan were ready to hire Julen Lopetegui as Pioli's successor just last week, only for a bitter fan backlash to prompt a stunning 11th-hour U-turn. As far as Cardinale & Co. were concerned, the Spaniard ticked all the boxes. He had plenty of experience of continental competition (even winning the Europa League with Sevilla) and working with young players (at under-age level with Spain).

However, the fans were seriously underwhelmed by the prospect of hiring a man who had lasted just 10 league games in charge of Real Madrid – and been out of work since leaving Wolves at the end of the 2022-23 Premier League season.

Less than 48 hours after news of his imminent arrival at San Siro broke, '#Nopetegui' was trending on X, while 10,000 Milan supporters had signed a petition calling on the club's owners to call off the deal.

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Getty'Total chaos reigns'

It was a painfully embarrassing climbdown that not only made Milan's owners look weak, but also leaves them in a very awkward position. As the Curva Sud pointed out in a statement released before last week's walkout, "You can't think of having a winning project if you still don't know who the new coach will be in May… It becomes difficult to construct a team that is compatible with the needs of the new coach. Total chaos reigns within the club."

The ultras also made it clear that, two years into Cardinale's tenure, their patience has run out. While accepting that Milan don't have access to "rivers of money like other teams in other leagues", they argued that greater investment in the first-team squad was the only way for RedBird to prove that they care more about winning trophies than making money.

"Milan is not a product to speculate on and Milan is not a club that is content to merely participate," the Curva Sud warned. "Milan has a people behind it who by history and tradition are used to being in the elite of world football."

And it's worth remembering that club legend Paolo Maldini repeatedly made the very same argument before being ruthlessly axed by Milan last summer.

The BBL title looked sure to be heading to the green side of Melbourne but in an extraordinary chain events it unraveled before the Stars’ eyes and here’s how…

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Feb-201912.6 Stoinis b Boyce 39 (53 needed off 42 balls)
OUT, through him! Nice flight and dip on this from Boyce. Draws Stoinis in for a heave but gets it to land at a length and skid past the inside edge and hit leg stump. Lost his shape there13.3 Handscomb c Christian b Tremain 0 (52 needed off 39 balls)
OUT, oh hello. Handscomb with his contribution to the make-this-final-close cause. Runs down the pitch, seemingly to lift this over mid-off. But he’s swishing with all the grace of a cow tied to a revolving door, because this ball’s gotten big on him from a length. Slices and mid-off runs to the left to hold on16.6 Maddinson c Finch b Gurney 6 (38 needed off 18 balls)
OUT, and they get the wicket! Gurney goes around the wicket and bowls a slower ball that slants across from a length on middle and leg. He’s down early for the paddle/ramp, probably a good option, but he doesn’t account for the slower ball. Has to check the shot and he gets a top edge that lobs up harmlessly for finch at short fine17.1 Gotch c Harvey b Christian 2 (38 needed off 17 balls
OUT, he’s picked out deep midwicket! Oh dear, oh dear! That makes it 6 for 15 in 26 balls! Offcutte,r full on leg stump. Leans into it and makes good connection on what is an intentional chip. But the boundary is big there and you need to get the angles absolutely right. He doesn’t17.5 Bravo c White b Christian 3 (34 needed off 13 balls
OUT, White takes it at point! And he has no idea what sort of a celebration to pull out. Awkwardly lobs it up. Not sure anyone can comprehend this collapse right now. Bravo has managed to get a leading edge on a leg side full toss. That’s what pressure does. Could have tickled it fine, could have clubbed it over midwicket, but it’s a swish with the top hand coming off19.3 Christian to Bird, 1 run, full outside off, shuffles and slugs along the floor to long-on’s right. Crowd erupts. Mathematically, this is the title for Renegades19.6 Christian to Zampa, no run, inside edge onto toe and that is it for the Stars! Another loss in a final. Slower ball from Christian, swings across the line and can’t do more than get this pitch side

Chelsea got back to winning ways on Wednesday night as they secured a 2-1 victory over Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League.

The Blues took the lead through Mykhaylo Mudryk in the first half as the Ukraine international converted from close range but Michael Olise smartly equalised with a near post finish just before the break.

Mauricio Pochettino's side then sealed the win late on as a VAR review awarded them a penalty for a foul on Noni Madueke, who stepped up to convert the spot-kick.

Malo Gusto put in a fantastic display at right-back, and left-back later on in the game, but the manager's true hero on the night was central midfielder Moises Caicedo.

Malo Gusto's performance against Palace in numbers

Lee Dixon hailed his performance as "superb" during the Amazon Prime live coverage of the match and it was a fair analysis of the talented gem's showing.

The French dynamo, who started the clash on the right back of the back four, played a pivotal role in the opening goal with a fantastic turn on the half-way line before racing forward all the way to the left wing to slot a perfect pass to Mudryk to make it 1-0.

He made two key passes in total and completed 94% (91/97) of his attempted passes throughout his 90 minutes on the pitch, on the right and the left.

It was, however, a mixed bag from Gusto on the defensive side of the game. The full-back did make three tackles and three interceptions but was also dribbled past four times and lost eight of his 13 ground duels.

Whereas, Caicedo was impressive in and out of possession throughout the match for Chelsea as he showcased his quality in the middle of the park.

Caicedo's performance against Palace in numbers

The summer signing from Brighton & Hove Albion set his stall out early with a couple of crunching challenges and kept that tempo up all night.

He won an outstanding 11 of his 15 physical contests throughout the clash, which included nine of his 13 ground duels and both of his aerial contests.

The 22-year-old battler made five tackles and one interception in total and was only dribbled past once by an opposition player in midfield.

Appearances

16

Sofascore rating

6.98

Pass accuracy

92%

Duel success rate

54%

Ball recoveries per match

4.8

His defensive statistics show that the Ecuador international was imperious for Pochettino to ensure that he cut out promising Palace attacks at source to win back possession for Chelsea, which then allowed them to control the game.

Caicedo also remained reliable on the ball to go along with his superb defending. The young whiz completed 94% (79/84) of his attempted passes from 102 touches of the ball and found a teammate with all five of his long passes.

This shows that the former Seagulls star was composed in possession and rarely gave the ball away cheaply to the opposition, which allowed Chelsea to constantly probe and cause problems at the top end of the pitch.

Therefore, Caicedo was Pochettino's true hero on the night, over Gusto, as he used his skills on and off the ball to produce a complete display in midfield.