It’s crunch time for West Ham United on Thursday evening, as David Moyes’ side take on Eintracht Frankfurt in what is set to be an enthralling, Europa League, semi-final, second-leg clash.
The Hammers head into the game on a run of four matches without a win in all competitions – having lost their last three both in Europe and domestically – although all hope is not lost with the current aggregate scoreline at just 2-1 in favour of the Bundesliga side.
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The London Stadium outfit weren’t at their best in that defeat on home soil, although that one-goal deficit ensures it is all still to play for, with history seemingly on their side as they overcame the same opponents at the last four stage of the European Cup Winners’ Cup back in 1976.
Ahead of this pivotal encounter, here’s how the Football FanCast think that Moyes will line his side up…
With the former Manchester United boss announcing a clean bill of health in his pre-match press conference, the only changes to be made are likely to be tactical ones, with the Scotsman having shuffled his pack in the weekend defeat to Arsenal. As such, we are predicting that the 59-year-old will make four alterations from the side that lost at home to the Gunners.
One of those tweaks will see Alphonse Areola return in goal having featured in nine of the ten games in the competition, while ahead of him Craig Dawson returns to the backline after his brief suspension on Sunday, lining up alongside Vladimir Coufal, Kurt Zouma and Aaron Cresswell.
The latter will return to his usual left-back berth, meaning that £38k-per-week dud Ryan Fredericks will drop out – the full-back having been dubbed a “shocker” by journalist Thomas Clark earlier this season.
In midfield, the club’s “man mountain” Tomas Soucek, as he has been described by pundit Micah Richards, replaces club captain Mark Noble alongside talisman Declan Rice, while ahead of them should be the attacking trio of Pablo Fornals, Manuel Lanzini and Jarrod Bowen.
Leading the line will almost certainly be Michail Antonio – with Said Benrahma making way – although as his manager admitted, the Jamaica international is in desperate need of a goal, having scored just twice in all competitions since New Year’s Day.
In other news, Forget Rice: Moyes now set for West Ham disaster on “remarkable” £125k-p/w giant
The Australia coach said that Lynn would have to force out one of Warner, Smith, Finch or Maxwell
Daniel Brettig23-Oct-2019Australia’s coach Justin Langer has said that Chris Lynn is “crystal clear” on the fact he must dislodge one of Aaron Finch, David Warner, Steven Smith or Glenn Maxwell through his own performances this summer in order to return to the national squad a year out from the first T20 World Cup to be hosted down under.Lynn was vocal expressing his disappointment at not receiving a phone call from the selection chairman Trevor Hohns to let him know he was not a part of the squad for the matches against Sri Lanka and Pakistan that commence the international season. However Langer, who has held an elevated role in T20 selection since July last year, stated that on a performance basis Lynn was in a battle to surpass other established members of Australia’s T20 top four, now bolstered by the returns of Warner and Smith.ALSO READ: ‘A phone call wouldn’t hurt’ – Lynn takes on Australia selectors”Chris wasn’t in the last T20 squad, he and I are crystal clear and it’s not for public [consumption] and he knows that,” Langer told SEN Radio. “He and I are crystal clear why he wasn’t in the World Cup squad and therefore the T20s leading up to that and he’s got another really good opportunity [for the PM’s XI and in the Big Bash].”We know how dynamic he is, we know he has an unbelievable Big Bash record and I can’t wait to see how he goes this Big Bash. But we were specific, when you’ve got openers like Dave Warner and Aaron Finch, we’ve got Steve Smith come back in and you’ve got Glenn Maxwell, it’s really competitive and it should be in Australian cricket.”It’s so competitive and he’s going to have to force one of those guys out and to do that you’ve got to perform. Not just domestically but also internationally, performance is crucial and I’m looking forward to seeing if he and other guys can force their way into the side.”Numbers back up Langer’s argument. In 18 T20Is, Lynn averages just 19.40 at a strike rate of 131.67, while his performances since Langer became coach have been almost entirely underwhelming. In eight T20 innings for Australia against the UAE, Pakistan, South Africa and India, Lynn cobbled a mere 113 runs at 14.13, while also making just 59 runs at 19.66 in three ODI innings against South Africa at home.While Lynn performed better in last season’s BBL and IPL, it would be hard to justify his inclusion at the expense of one of Warner or Smith after their returns from bans, or the T20 captain Finch and the combustible Maxwell. All members of that quartet possess significantly better T20 batting averages than Lynn, while only Smith (122.44) has an inferior strike rate. Lynn’s well documented shoulder problems, reducing his capacity to throw or even dive in the field, have also lost him points in the eyes of the selectors.As for the fact that Lynn has, after missing World Cup selection this year, abandoned playing any matches for Queensland to play more overseas T20 tournaments, Langer said that though the world was changing it was still more difficult on balance to win selection from outside the Australian domestic system. Chris Green and Dan Christian are two other T20 specialists vying for inclusion in Australia’s T20 plans from outside the traditional avenues.”It makes it more difficult there’s no doubt about that,” Langer said. “Traditionally, Australian selectors have always picked from straight out of the Australian domestic system, but having said that we don’t live in a traditional world anymore. I’m seeing guys, whether it’s players or coaches, have opportunities whether it’s in the new Hundred league or T20 competitions around the world.”We’re very aware where a lot of our guys are playing. There’s a young guy, Chris Green, he’s doing terrific things around the world, offspin bowling, his numbers are outstanding. His name came up in the selection meeting, Dan Christian’s name keeps coming up, the way he finishes a game he’s a senior pro now.”We keep an eye on it, all the cricket going on around the place, traditionally you wouldn’t select outside our system but we don’t live in a traditional world anymore, do we.”
Celtic right-back Alistair Johnston revealed he was “getting close” to a return as he provided a positive update on his recovery from a hamstring tear.
The influential Canada international suffered his injury in the first half of the goalless first leg of the Champions League play-off against Kairat Almaty on August 20.
Johnston was initially told he would be out for 12 weeks, which would have meant mid-November, but he has been progressing well and could be back sooner than that.
“It’s been a couple of months since I’ve been out there but the recovery’s been good,” the 27-year-old said in a club interview.
“I haven’t had any real setbacks, which has been nice. I’ve been doing tons of work behind the scenes with our medical staff and I’m feeling really good.
“It’s been difficult watching all the matches from the side. As a player, that’s probably the hardest thing to do, not being able to affect the game and not really feeling like you’re completely a part of the group.
“But that’s just fuelled that fire to get back as quickly as possible, so we’re getting close now. We’re not going to put a timeline on it, but I’m feeling really good and I’ve been keeping well.
“We’ve checked off all the boxes that we need to check and we’re definitely ticking towards getting back out there. I’m just looking forward to getting back out there and being with the team again.”
Johnston heaps praise on Colby Donovan
In Johnston’s absence, Anthony Ralston and Colby Donovan have shared the right-back berth. Johnston has been impressed with the way 19-year-old Donovan has performed in his six outings – three as a starter – since his debut at home to Livingston in August.
“Colby’s been great,” said the Canadian. “From what I’ve heard talking to the gaffer and knowing Colby, I think the biggest thing that’s stuck out to everyone is his personality. I don’t think that was ever in question.
“Now that I’ve been in this changing room for the past couple of years and been out, played at Celtic Park, I know what it takes and what a Celtic player looks like at this point and he looks like one in terms of the personality, the confidence that he has on the ball.
“That’s something you need, especially as a young kid, to go into those kind of environments like he did in Belgrade and be able to handle the moment, not look overwhelmed. It’s been really impressive. He’s been really just like a duck to water.
“He’s done so good so far at taking it all on board and I think he’s going to be a great player. We’re really lucky to have him here at Celtic.”
Somerset right-hander will play in the first half of the BBL before AB de Villiers arrives to join the Heat in January
Alex Malcolm09-Oct-2019Brisbane Heat have continued their recruiting bonanza for this summer’s BBL signing England young gun Tom Banton.The explosive right-hander, who has been recently called up to England’s T20I squad for the tour of New Zealand, becomes the fourth overseas signing for the Heat behind AB de Villiers and Afghanistan spin duo Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Zahir Khan.Under BBL rules only two overseas players can play in any team at one time but additional replacements are allowed to be named.Brisbane Heat will split their four overseas players across two halves of the tournament. With de Villiers set to stay in South Africa for Christmas, Banton is likely to play the first eight games before he is likely to be needed for England’s white-ball tour of South Africa in February. Zahir Khan will also play the first half of the tournament with Banton before de Villiers and Mujeeb Ur Rahman replace the pair for the second half.If the Heat make it that far, de Villiers and Mujeeb will also play in the finals.Banton, 20, was the second leading run-scorer in this season’s T20 Blast in England, tallying 549 runs at a staggering strike-rate of 161.47. He made four half-centuries and a blistering 51-ball century against Kent.He has experience playing club cricket in Australia in Perth and has played alongside Heat batsman Matt Renshaw for Somerset.Banton’s recruitment is another coup for Heat general manager Andrew McShea and new coach Darren Lehmann. The latter spent part of the winter in the UK and said Banton’s form was irresistible.”He was the talk of English cricket during their season,” Lehmann said. “Outside the Ashes, Tom was the player that a lot of people were really excited to be watching, and with good reason.”He’s a lovely striker of the ball and has that wide and varied range of shots you need to make the most of the early overs in the Power Play or to accelerate the scoring through the middle and back half of an innings.”The prospect of pairing him alongside some of our young batsmen like Max Bryant, his mate Matt Renshaw, and Sam Heazlett is pretty enticing, that’s for sure. But we know Tom will also benefit from playing and being around the likes of Chris Lynn, Joe Burns, Ben Cutting, and Marnus Labuschagne as he takes steps to expand his skills and experience in Australian conditions.”He’s joining us for the first half of the tournament but we’re hopeful he will have some time to catch-up with AB de Villiers at some point as that would be a great opportunity as part of his experience with the Heat.”Banton was thrilled with the opportunity to play in the BBL.”If you had asked me at the start of the summer would I imagine it going like this, I would have probably had a laugh and suggested you weren’t serious,” Banton said. “I was blown away when it was announced last week that AB was coming to join the Heat so what was already going to be a huge experience just got bigger.”I’m really looking forward to coming to Brisbane and seeing what Queensland has to offer after previously playing club cricket in Perth when I was younger. I’ve watched a fair bit of the BBL at home and it is a quality competition with so many outstanding players. I can’t wait, to be honest.”The news comes just a day after the Melbourne Stars announced they had signed South Africa fast bowler Dale Steyn for a six-game stint at the start of the tournament.
Matt Turner admitted that the USMNT could have done "some things" better during their Copa America victory against Bolivia.
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USA beat Bolivia 2-0Pulisic and Balogun were on targetTurner believes there is room for improvementWHAT HAPPENED?
Christian Pulisic ignited the Dallas crowd with a stunning opener just three minutes into the match, setting the tone for a dominant performance, while Folarin Balogun added a second goal, securing a comfortable win for the U.S. team. Turner had little to do as their opponents ended with a meagre expected goal tally of 0.18 to USA's 2.40.
AdvertisementGettyWHAT TURNER SAID
Despite the convincing win and a dominant display, Turner acknowledged that the USMNT could have performed better in certain aspects of the game.
“Obviously, we wish we did some things better, but that’s what tournaments are about,” Turner told reporters. “You want to improve and get better throughout the tournament and keep growing as a team and a bond and a culture.
“So as much as we could have done things a little bit differently, at the end of the day we got a clean sheet, we scored two goals and we won. Going into this next match we know we might have to be a little bit better if we want to win that game as well.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Nonetheless, Turner was quick to emphasize the importance of taking victories as they come, especially in high-stakes tournaments like Copa America and urged the fans to "not lose sight" of the long-term goal of the group this summer.
“I think you take wins when you get wins, no matter the context," he said. "I think the result, especially in tournament play, is the end-all-be-all and I implore people to not lose sight of that. I think any time you can win a game in a worldwide competition and a big-time tournament, it’s good for the program, it’s good for us.”
Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR THE USMNT?
The USMNT will be back in action against Panama on Thursday followed by a titanic clash against Luis Suarez's Uruguay next Monday.
Sunderland are now reportedly part of a seven-club battle to sign a huge young talent this summer, with six other English clubs also in the mix to snap him up.
Sunderland agree move for Xhaka
The Black Cats are edging closer to their return to the Premier League, with their opening clash at home to West Ham now less than three weeks away, arriving on August 16th.
Regis Le Bris is still eyeing important summer transfer business for Sunderland, with more quality required within his squad, and Granit Xhaka is now on the verge of joining from Bayer Leverkusen, according to Sky Sports reporter Keith Downie. The Swiss will join on a three-year deal, arriving for an initial fee of £13m, with a total of £4.3m in add-ons for the former Arsenal midfielder.
Meanwhile, the Black Cats are also thought to be pushing to sign Galatasaray forward Nicolo Zaniolo, with the Italian earning some Premier League experience on loan at Aston Villa in the past.
New attacking signings appear to be the order of the day for Sunderland after Xhaka is signed, and now a young player with a potentially big future ahead of him has been linked with a switch to the Stadium of Light.
Sunderland make contact with England international
According to a fresh claim from Football Insider, Sunderland have “enquired” about the availability of young Metz striker Idrissa Gueye, who is valued at £17m by his current club.
The Black Cats are far from the only club in the race to bring in the 18-year-old, however, with Liverpool, West Ham, Crystal Palace, Brighton, Southampton and Ipswich Town all mentioned as potential suitors.
Sunderland's Stadium of Light.
Gueye is described as “one of the hottest properties in Europe” in the report, so Sunderland beating the other six clubs to his signature, among others dotted around Europe, would be a real statement of intent by the Premier League newcomers.
The Metz ace has already scored five goals in 20 appearances for the French outfit at senior level, not to mention already winning one cap for Senegal at international level at a tender age.
Gueye wouldn’t necessarily arrive at Sunderland as a more polished attacking player like Zaniolo, but he would be seen as a footballer with a high ceiling who could grow into something special over time.
Sunderland make £13m bid to sign "goal machine" and want deal done ASAP
The Black Cats have included a buy-back clause.
ByCharlie Smith Jul 28, 2025
Admittedly, £17m is a lot to pay for a player who is still only 18 years of age, but if the Black Cats see him as someone who can become a superstar at the Stadium of Light eventually, he could be worth every penny.
Justin Langer concedes batsmen haven’t produced as tourists head for Derby with questions aplenty
Daniel Brettig in Leeds26-Aug-2019After the grief, comes the post-mortem. Australia’s contrivance to lose the Headingley Test and an Ashes-sealing series lead was the source of enormous pain for the tourists, not least the coach Justin Langer. He had watched, as impassively as he could, from the sidelines as months if not years of carefully laid plans were torn up by a combination of Ben Stokes and Australian folly.”We’re all feeling it. My gosh,” Langer said. “You have no idea how much that hurts, losing today. You have no idea. So we’re feeling it but leaders – whether you’re the captain, coach or senior player – you have to get up. You’ve got to – we’ll be disappointed for a day or night. We probably won’t talk much for a day or a night or so. Then when we get back into it tomorrow, we’ll review it like we do every game. We’ll review it together and make sure we get it better next time.”So in the minutes, hours and days to come before the fourth Test of the series at Old Trafford, Langer will look not only at the collective loss of composure that allowed Stokes to take control, but also the performances or lack thereof that allowed England to be chasing 359 in the first place. Chief among these is the fact that Australia’s batting returns in this series have not been those worthy of a team securing a 2-0 Ashes series lead.ALSO READ: Farrell: Do you remember how it started?Only Steven Smith and his substitute Marnus Labuschagne are scoring their runs at an average of better than 40. Only Travis Head, barely, has joined them in averaging better than 30. David Warner, Headingley first innings aside, has struggled mightily; Usman Khawaja has fared little better; Matthew Wade made near enough to all his runs in one dig, the second-innings century at Edgbaston; Tim Paine’s captaincy is facing pressure on the basis of his decision-making at the end of the Headingley Test, compounding questions already writ large across his batting.”There’s actually going to be some big questions,” Langer said. “One thing I do know is we’re not batting well enough at the moment. I said at the start of the series that the team that bats best will win the Ashes. We’re certainly not at our best with our batting at the moment. We’ve got some real questions to ask for the practice game then the fourth Test match.”I think there’s a number of guys who will be looking to play well. Not just Uzzy. Uzzy’s played a lot of cricket, he averages over 40 in Test Match cricket. He got a Test hundred seven innings ago I reckon. We know he’s a very good player and he, like the rest of them, will be working hard to be ready for the fourth Test.”We can’t fit them all in. That’s one issue we’ve got. We’ve also got to work out after a long summer, we’re going to have to rest some players. Just to give them a mental freshen-up more than anything. The other thing, we’ve got two back-to-back Test matches to win or lose the Ashes. And we’ve talked from day one that we’re going to have to give guys chance to freshen up – they’ve been here for Australia A or the World Cup. And sometimes the mental break is as important as anything.”
It’s 1-1 in this series, we have been so close – one more wicket and we are 2-0 up and feeling pretty good about ourselves. But that’s sport. We’ll pick ourselves upJustin Langer
The major permutation will be how to make room for Smith’s return from concussion while retaining Labuschagne. A possible solution will be to move Khawaja up to open with Warner, placing Labuschagne at No. 3 and Smith at No. 4 ahead of Head and Wade. But that would force the dropping of Marcus Harris after only one match, since he himself was recalled at the expense of Cameron Bancroft, who had demonstrated more than enough technical flaws for England to exploit in the first two Tests.At the same time, Langer and the rest of the support staff need to lend a supportive ear to players who will be having nightmares about Leeds for a long time to come. “It was an unbelievable game of cricket,” Langer said. “Everyone remembers the ’81 Botham game. I hate to say it, but for the game of cricket, that was an unbelievable game. Ben Stokes, that was extraordinary. We are obviously very, very disappointed up in the change rooms. But we have to shake ourselves up and get ready for the next one.”We had our chances, we had three or four. He played like a man with nothing to lose, and you’ll never see a better innings than that. At lunch we knew it was game on. I thought the first hour today was as good Test match bowling as you will ever see. Then when the new ball came, which probably surprised a few people, we maybe tried a little bit too hard, bowled a little bit too short. Then we pulled it back after lunch, and they had lost 5-30 at one point. But we just couldn’t finish it off, and we’ll have to get better at that.”There is, at least, some consolation in the fact that the bowling unit is functioning well, the Stokes episode apart. Josh Hazlewood might easily have taken the match award for an Australian victory, with nine wickets across a succession of high-quality spells. Pat Cummins’ fitness is holding up, so too James Pattinson’s, while Peter Siddle and Mitchell Starc wait in the wings. For the marathon of a five-Test series, Australia should have the cattle to go the distance, provided they do not let their minds cloud over into negativity.”We’ve been on the right side of a lot of wins too. We haven’t been on the right side of winning overseas for a while now,” Langer said. “That’s why games like this are so important for us. What can we take from it – we fought so hard. We bowled them out for 67. It was brilliant. We bowled fantastically well yesterday – as good a Test match bowling as you’ll ever see. We’ll win a lot more games than we lose if we bat well – and with the bowling depth we got. Unfortunately it didn’t happen today.”We’ve got 10 days, we’ve got a game in Derbyshire to play, we have plenty to play for. It’s 1-1 in this series, we have been so close, I mean one more wicket and we are 2-0 up and feeling pretty good about ourselves. But that’s sport. We’ll pick ourselves up.”
Roberto Martinez has bizarrely claimed that Cristiano Ronaldo's assist against Turkey should be "shown in every academy in world football".
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Ronaldo gives unselfish assist to FernandesMartinez full of praises for the assist Says the moment should be shown in football academies getty imagesWHAT HAPPENED?
Ronaldo hasn't had the best of Euros so far as he has failed to live up to the billing for Portugal while the team has performed consistently around him. However, when the five-time Ballon d'Or winner had the chance to open his Euro 2024 goalscoring account after racing through one-on-one with Turkey goalkeeper Altay Bayindir, he decided to set up Bruno Fernandes for the easiest goal of his life. Portugal boss Martinez has heaped praise on Ronaldo for his unselfish act, and also claimed that the rare moment should be shown around the world to upcoming footballers.
AdvertisementGetty WHAT MARTINEZ SAID
Speaking to the media, Martinez said: "From Cristiano, we saw something spectacular.
"To have him, an out-and-out goal scorer, pass the ball for the assist. It was a pure moment of Portuguese football that should be shown in every academy in world football.
"It showed that the team is the most important thing, that it means more than scoring any goal."
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Ronaldo holds the record for the most shots taken (9) in the current edition of the Euros so far. However, the former Manchester United and Real Madrid striker has failed to score and he will wait for his moment as he looks to lead Portugal to their second European Championship victory.
WHAT NEXT FOR RONALDO?
The five-time Champions League winner could once again be a starter for Martinez's side when they take on Georgia on June 26, having already booked their spot in the round of 16.
And breathe. It’s finally happened. Manchester United have reached a breakthrough with Brentford for the transfer of Bryan Mbeumo, who will join Old Trafford in a deal worth up to £71m.
Of course, the Cameroon winger hasn’t signed yet, with his medical slated for this weekend. But this is a significant step forward, ending the interminable negotiating with Premier League rivals Brentford for their star man.
United have bagged Matheus Cunha from Wolverhampton Wanderers for £62.5m; Ruben Amorim is redefining his frontline, but more is needed to spark a much-needed resurgence after finishing 15th in the top flight and losing the Europa League final to Tottenham Hotspur.
In any case, the Red Devils have stepped in the right direction, but more is certainly needed.
The latest Man Utd transfer news
United have secured their offensive flanks, but they still need to sign a striker, with Rasmus Hojlund flattering to deceive last season, scoring just four times in the Premier League.
However, with Christian Eriksen having left at the end of his contract, United also need to improve their midfield, and while a wealth of names, such as Atalanta’s Ederson, have been bandied about, Amorim appears to have centred on a talent who could make a lasting impact.
As per Calcio Mercato Javier Guerra has reached a verbal agreement with Man United as he leans toward an exit from Valencia.
The clubs are still negotiating the details, but this is a promising update indeed.
Valencia midfielder Javi Guerra.
Further outfits from Spain and England have made enquiries, while AC Milan failed with a move in June. The 22-year-old is valued at £26m, but could be a shrewd long-term investment.
What Javier Guerra would bring to Man Utd
Guerra is, thus far, a one-club man, having graduated from Valencia’s Mestalla reserve side to complete 89 senior appearances for the first team, scoring eight goals and providing four assists.
Regarded by talent scout Jacek Kulig to be a deep-lying playmaker with a tactical style akin to Xabi Alonso, Guerra would instil composure, ball-playing intelligence and clear vision to Amorim’s set-up, making it easier to put emphasis on transitional play and ferry the ball forward to the likes of Bruno Fernandes.
Valencia's JaviGuerrain action with Atletico Madrid's Samuel Lino
He would, in this way, prove a seamless replacement for Eriksen, all the while packaging the United system with his own brand, having actually been hailed as a “phenomenal young talent” by journalist Zach Lowy.
Indeed, Guerra ranked among the top 15% of midfielders across Europe’s top five leagues last term for shots taken, the top 17% for successful take-ons and the top 18% for ball recoveries per 90, as per FBref.
The Spaniard’s blooming roundedness even suggests that he could be the next version of his legendary countryman Rodri, only this time playing on Manchester’s red side.
To claim that Guerra would emulate his fellow Spaniard Rodri from the off in the Premier League would be a fool’s game, to be sure. Pep Guardiola’s Ballon d’Or winner joined Man City from Atletico Madrid in a club-record deal worth £63m back in July 2019, when he was 23 years old.
Rodri was further in his development than Guerra at that stage, but the similarities are there, even if the Valencia star is more of a pass-focused player than he is, with the City sensation encapsulating every facet of the midfield game to a preternatural level.
Rodri Pep Guardiola Manchester CityRodri Pep Guardiola Manchester City
The 29-year-old has won the whole gamut with Pep Guardiola at Man City, and he won the 2024 European Championship with his nation too.
If United can forge their own version of the modern great in Guerra, Amorim’s vision truly could have lift-off in the coming months and years.
It would be redundant to contrast and compare Guerra with the current iteration of Rodri, who is both vastly superior and missed the majority of the 2024/25 campaign through injury.
So, instead, let’s have a look at Guerra’s La Liga statistics from the recent term against Rodri’s from his final year in his homeland. Though the latter maintained a higher level, there’s plenty of promise to be taken from the collation.
Matches (starts)
36 (31)
34 (32)
Goals
3
3
Assists
3
1
Touches*
49.8
69.8
Pass completion
80%
91%
Big chances created
6
2
Key passes*
0.6
0.5
Dribbles*
0.8
0.6
Ball recoveries*
5.9
9.2
Tackles + interceptions*
2.0
4.2
Duels won*
3.5
7.1
As you can see, Rodri was by far the more combative and commanding midfield general, with his energy and tenacity seen through his rate of defensive contributions and ball recoveries.
But Guerra has put in a terrific campaign on his own merits.
It’s also worth noting that Guerra has been competing in an imperilled Valencia side, who looked doomed and headed for the second tier across the opening half of the season before a resurgence after a wintry 7-1 defeat to Barcelona in January sparked new fluency and focus.
The victory that followed that hammering, by the by, was crafted by Guerra, who scored and assisted in a 2-1 win over Celta Vigo.
Certainly, Guerra is showing himself at a younger age to have a bit more creative flair about him than Rodri, who marshalled so confidently an organised Atletico Madrid side.
To set the expectation that he would reach Rodri’s lofty level would be the instant undoing of this talented young midfielder. But can Amorim not fashion his own version, one not expected to reach his compatriots’ level, but instead offer his technical qualities to Man United and improve them?
Manchester United manager RubenAmorim
Signing a rising star with a point to prove is exactly the kind of move Amorim needs to make, and it’s one which might establish foundations for a much-needed revival.
He's more important than Mbeumo: Man Utd to make bid for £30m "machine"
Manchester United’s dealings in the transfer window have shown no signs of slowing down in recent days.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s elite mentality has been highlighted again, with the Portuguese telling team-mates not to “do Instagram and TikTok” at Juventus.
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Moved to Italy in 2018Expects nothing but the bestDrags others along with himWHAT HAPPENED?
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner made his way to Turin in 2018 when bringing a record-breaking spell at Real Madrid to a close. He would go on to land two Serie A titles with the Bianconeri, while also helping them to Coppa Italia glory in 2021.
AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE
Ronaldo has always demanded the best of himself and those around him, with that mindset on full display across three years with Juve. He made it clear to younger colleagues, including Euro 2020 winner Federico Chiesa, that there should be no distractions when working on your game.
WHAT KHEDIRA SAID
Former team-mate Sami Khedira, who played alongside Ronaldo at Real and Juve, has told of what makes the all-time great special: “Cristiano, when he came to Juventus, of course he had his ego. Federico Chiesa was like a fantastic young player. He had his phone in his hand and was walking into the gym – Cristiano looked at him like 'what are you doing and where are you going?'. Going to the gym with your phone – listen you don't need your phone, go in the gym and work. Don't do Instagram and don't do any TikTok. Focus on your work. The young players were like, wow. But even the quality of training when he came to Juventus, it was like a different level. Every single shot on target was like I needed to score. Let's not play about money but play about a bottle of wine or a dinner. He was a competitive guy but also really friendly, nice and humble, in my point of view.”
GettyWHAT NEXT FOR RONALDO?
Ronaldo hit 101 goals for Juventus through 134 appearances and continues to maintain remarkable individual standards while breaking more records in 2024. He is now 39 years of age, but found the target on 50 occasions for Al-Nassr last season and is now on European Championship duty with Portugal – at his 11th major international tournament.