A look at the factors that make him a challenge for batsmen

Aakash Chopra11-Jan-20192:25

Inside Jasprit Bumrah’s bag of tricks

Batsmen usually set the bowling machine about five miles an hour slower than the pace they like to face. The reason is that they have to make an allowance for not being able to watch the bowler running in, loading up in his action and releasing the ball. Since you don’t get time to prepare, you feel rushed.What is it that the eyes see and the mind processes that allows you to react appropriately? A batsman must start his trigger movement around the time the bowler takes off in his jump and must finish before the ball has been released. Syncing the trigger movement with the bowler’s action is one of the toughest things to master.Let’s dig deeper. The moment you see the ball being released from the bowler’s hand, you need to make a few decisions: play or leave, go forward or move back, play an attacking shot or a defensive one. Once the mind has processed this information, it must send signals to the body to react accordingly. Mind you, all this needs to be done in about a quarter of a second. Sounds complicated? It is, indeed, if you have not trained your mind to pick up cues that aren’t visible to a novice.ALSO READ: Bumrah a wise, autonomous freakMatthew Syed, a former international table tennis player, wrote about his experience playing tennis. Though the ball was served at him by a tennis player a lot slower than he would normally serve, Syed struggled to get his racket to it. Given the space involved is a lot larger in tennis than table tennis, you would assume that an international player would have the skills to move between the two similar sports relatively seamlessly. The reason why Syed could hit the faster ping-pong ball across a small table and struggled against a slower tennis ball on a larger court was the inability of his brain to see specific cues relating to tennis.That’s what happens to batsmen when they play a bowler with an unorthodox action. He feels a yard faster than he actually is, for the brain takes a fraction longer to make sense of the information it is processing.Jasprit Bumrah’s unorthodox action gave him a head-start that is not available to other bowlers with “regular” actions. One of the basics of bowling is that when the non-bowling hand is up, the bowling hand is somewhere close to the waist, and when the non-bowling arm starts its downward journey, the bowling arm moves upwards in order to release the ball. This does not happen in a conventional manner with Bumrah, for the non-bowling arm is neither bent nor does it go up like with more textbook bowlers. At one point in his action, both arms are stretched out and parallel to the ground – a sight batsmen are not used to seeing while preparing to play a fast bowler.But then years of training also enable batsmen to get used to a new action reasonably quickly, and if that’s the only difficulty the bowler is posing, he will be neutralised soon. Once the novelty of his unorthodox action fades away, it’s vital for such a bowler to produce something special on a regular basis to stay relevant. And that’s where Bumrah is successful. As batsmen were getting used his action, he was adding more arrows to his quiver.

When batsmen play a bowler with an unorthodox action, he feels a yard faster than he actually is, for the brain takes a fraction longer to make sense of the information it is processing

He started as a bowler who would bowl from the corner of the box and predominantly bring the ball back into the right-hand batsman. Playing those exaggerated angles is relatively easy – you mostly play inside the line without worrying about the ball going away. That’s when Bumrah began to straighten his wrist while delivering. That allowed him to deliver the ball with the seam titled towards third man, getting the ball to leave the right-hander. Also, he came a fraction closer to the stumps to cut the angle down.There’s a giveaway, in hindsight, with regard to which way the ball is going. For outswingers, his bowling arm finishes across his torso, and for inswingers it finishes in the region of his right hip. Of course, that’s not something that batsmen can spot and gain advantage from.You must have heard the commentators talk about Bumrah bowling a heavy ball. What exactly does that exactly mean?Some bowlers have the ability to hit the bat harder than the rest. These are the ones who hit the deck hard and manage to extract more from the surface than others, in terms of both pace and bounce. Generally it’s the extra bounce that gives an impression of a bowler hitting the bat harder, because the impact is a few inches higher than where the sweet spot is. In addition, if you impart enough backspin on the ball at the time of release – which not all hit-the-deck-hard bowlers manage – the ball skids off the surface as it would for the “release” bowlers, the ones who rely more on swing and lateral movement. So the combination makes Bumrah fall in a rare category.ALSO READ: The making of Jasprit Bumrah’s slow yorker to Shaun MarshSince his evolution into a top-flight bowler came about while playing white-ball cricket, he has managed to hold on to the qualities essential for succeeding in the shorter formats, while adding those needed to suit the requirements of Test cricket. Most bowlers follow a specific pattern of their own – the likes of, say, Josh Hazlewood, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mohammed Shami are quite similar in the way they operate, ball after ball, and as a batsman you align yourself to that pattern. But Bumrah, like a lot of other hit-the-deck bowlers, doesn’t follow a specific pattern. It’s not often that you will see him settle into a rhythm of bowling six balls in the same area; this is something he acquired playing white-ball cricket. He keeps varying without either bowling loose balls or overdoing the variations. And he does not get carried away and bowl a yard shorter either.The variety of skills, control in execution and the understanding of when to use them has made Bumrah the best bowler in the world across three formats.

da 888： Newcastle United are now planning to hold face-to-face talks over a summer deal for an “unbelievable” forward this week, according to a report.

Magpies eyeing new forwards with Wilson heading for exit

da 888casino： It would be fair to say Callum Wilson has been a fantastic servant to Newcastle, with the striker making 129 appearances for the club, but it looks as though his time at St. James’ Park is now set to come to an end when his contract expires this summer.

The Englishman has suffered with injuries throughout the campaign, while often being limited to appearances as a substitute, and he is now starting to attract attention from elsewhere, with Leeds United believed to be leading the race for his signature.

As such, Eddie Howe’s side have now started to run the rule over potential replacements, with the manager particularly keen on signing versatile Brentford forward Bryan Mbeumo, who is among the Premier League’s top scorers this season.

Player

Premier League goals

Mohamed Salah

28

Alexander Isak

23

Erling Haaland

21

Chris Wood

19

Bryan Mbeumo

19

Mbeumo is not the only Premier League forward of interest, however, with a report from talkSPORT revealing Newcastle are now planning to hold face-to-face talks over a deal for Ipswich Town striker Liam Delap this week.

Delap is planning to hold in-person discussions with all his potential suitors ahead of the summer window, and the Magpies are the latest English side to express an interest in triggering the £30m release clause in his contract.

Howe is keen on bringing in another striker to ease the goalscoring burden on Alexander Isak, with the manager looking to strengthen his squad in a number of different areas this summer.

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Posts ByJoe Nuttall May 20, 2025 "Unbelievable" Delap could push for Isak's starting spot

Understandably, Wilson’s game time has been very limited this season, given that Isak has enjoyed his best season to date in a Newcastle shirt, leading his side to EFL Cup glory and scoring 27 goals in all competitions.

However, the Ipswich star has also started to make a name for himself this season, finding the back of the net 12 times in the Premier League, with teammate Luke Woolfenden lauding him as “unbelievable”.

Howe has also been impressed by the start the 22-year-old has made to life in the Premier League, saying: “He’s a pivotal player for [Ipswich], there’s no denying that. I think he’s had a very good season. “He’s got big strengths, very strong, powerful runner.”

The only concern for Newcastle will be that Delap may not be tempted to move to St. James’ Park this summer if he doesn’t have guarantees of being a regular starter, and that is unlikely to be the case unless Isak decides to move on.

It is perhaps the worst-kept secret in football that Arsenal are trying to sign a new striker for Mikel Arteta this summer, following a 2024/2025 campaign marred by the struggle to break sides down as often as they should.

Arsenal search for new striker after disappointing 2024/2025

Arteta watched on from the sidelines as his Gunners side drew more Premier League games than any other side in the top half whilst scoring just 69 goals in the top flight, a far cry from the 91 and 88 they’d scored in the previous two seasons.

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Major factors at play were the long-term injuries sustained by Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus, who were both sidelined for extended periods midway through the campaign, prompting Arteta to deploy Mikel Merino in an emergency striker role.

19/20 – winter

£0

20/21 – summer

£81.5m

20/21 – winter

£900k

21/22 – summer

£156.8m

21/22 – winter

£1.8m

22/23 – summer

£121.5m

22/23 – winter

£59m

23/24 – summer

£208m

23/24 – winter

£0

24/25 – summer

£101.5m

24/25 – winter

£0

Arsenal’s lack of potency in the final third saw them surrender the Premier League title to Liverpool by a seismic 10 points, and sporting director Andrea Berta appears determined to ensure they don’t repeat that scenario next term.

According to reliable media sources, Berta’s two top striker targets for Arsenal are Sporting CP star Viktor Gyokeres and RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko.

Arsenal began “concrete” talks for Sesko last week, and some reports in Portugal claimed that Gyokeres received a contract offer from Arsenal. The north Londoners appear to be laying groundwork over both deals before they formally move towards their best option, and the two frontmen have very enticing credentials.

That being said, there are alternative options under consideration, and one of them was Botafogo striker Igor Jesus.

Last month, Arsenal were reported to have made contact over a deal for Jesus, who actually has an £84 million release clause in his contract.

Igor Jesus "set to join" Nottingham Forest with Arsenal snubbed

However, according to journalist Graeme Bailey in a piece for The Boot Room, Arsenal appear set to miss out on a move for the highly-rated Brazilian.

It is reported that Jesus is “now set to join” Nottingham Forest instead, with Nuno Espirito Santo’s side closing in on a £30 million deal for the 24-year-old after opening talks. The striker was also attracting interest from Brentford, Everton, Leeds United, Newcastle, and West Ham, but Forest are now far out in pole position to secure his signature.

Arsenal have one less option to turn towards in the event they cannot strike deals for Sesko or Gyokeres, which comes as a minor setback for Berta considering Jesus’ glowing reputation.

“Igor Jesus has had an incredible year,” said journalist Zach Lowy in late 2024. “Started 2024 off on fire in the UAE, went back home after four years abroad, made his Brazil debut, started in each of their last four matches, led Botafogo to the greatest year in their entire history.

“He’s only just getting started.”

MatériaMais Notícias

da betano casino： O Concórdia chega na última rodada da fase de grupos da Série D do Brasileirão na luta por uma vaga na próxima fase da competição. A goleada sobre o Caxias por 4 a 0, na última rodada, deu um gás a mais para o Galo do Oeste que visita o Brasil de Pelotas, na última rodada.

Nome que chamava atenção por suas apresentações no sub-20, o meio-campista Pedro Cella ganhou mais espaço na reta final da Série D (mais precisamente, desde o último mês de junho) e não decepcionou. Com ótimas atuações, ele vem ajudando o Concórdia a manter as esperanças por uma vaga na próxima fase.

– Estou muito feliz com o momento. É importante para um jogador jovem, como eu, esse tipo de sequência e em um torneio tão equilibrado como a Série D. Com muito trabalho e pés no chão, consegui buscar meu espaço e fico grato por ajudar o Concórdia – afirmou.

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Pedro Cella também analisou o confronto decisivo diante dos gaúchos onde, na visão do jogador, o importante é o Concórdia fazer a parte dele sem pensar nos demais resultados:

– É uma decisão. O Brasil de Pelotas está atrás da nossa equipe na tabela, mas ainda tem também chances de avançar. Precisamos ter foco total no jogo, sem ansiedade pelo o que acontece nos outros jogos. Um jogo onde precisamos de muita concentração e aproveitar as chances que tivermos. Estou preparado e o elenco também para buscarmos essa vaga.

Tendo atualmente 19 pontos e estando na quinta posição do Grupo 8, a equipe catarinense está atrás no saldo de gol de outro clube do estado, o Camboriú, última equipe da chave atualmente classificada.

Além disso, o CAC tem apenas um ponto a menos do que o terceiro (São Joseense) e o segundo colocado da chave, o Caxias, sendo que ambos se enfrentam na rodada derradeira da primeira fase. Com isso, basta vencer e o Concórdia estará, inevitavelmente, na próxima fase da Série D.

He said Bangladesh would have been in a better position had they not slipped to 40 for 5 on the second afternoon

Mohammad Isam22-Sep-20242:18

Manjrekar: Mushfiqur, Shakib must be mentally tougher in marquee series

After competing in phases through the first Test in Chennai, Bangladesh ultimately paid the price for their top-half collapsing in the first innings, according to captain Najmul Hossain Shanto. India beat the visitors by 280 runs with over five sessions to spare. Bangladesh were bowled out for 234 in their second innings, an improvement on their 149 all out in their first. They had slipped to 40 for 5 on the second afternoon, a phase of play that Shanto believes cost them the game.”We didn’t bat well in the first innings”, Shanto said. “It was a very important phase of the game. We could have been in a better position if we had at least one [big] top-order partnership. There will always be a challenge for the top order to do well, especially in the first innings. It is important to see how we are coping with it. We are working towards it but we are not getting the desired results.”The top order recovered slightly in the second attempt on the third day when openers Zakir Hasan and Shadman Islam added 62 runs, although in pursuit of a stiff 515.Related

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“It is important to spend the time in the wicket but it wasn’t enough [today],” Shanto said. “Still, it will help for the second Test. It was very important for the openers to put on 62 runs. That’s one thing we can look forward to in the next Test match.”Shanto scored his first Test fifty in 11 innings and finished with 82 which included eight fours and three sixes. While that will encourage the visitors, he believes he could have done much better.”That’s usually how I bat in these type of conditions. I was clear with my plan. I think everyone has a different plan. I hope they (India) will plan differently in the next match,” he said.Unlike his nervous start in the first innings, Shanto adjusted to the pace of the game quite well in the second. He attacked R Ashwin as the rough outside his off stump was relatively benign on the third afternoon. He quickly reached his half-century too, off 55 balls, while others like Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim and Shakib Al Hasan struggled to tackle the Indian bowling.Shanto’s scoring pattern in his Test career has been all or nothing. Out of his 57 innings, he has been dismissed 32 times between the scores of 0 and 19, and on 14 occasions in the twenties and thirties. He has also frequently converted fifties into centuries. Before this Test, every time crossed the seventies, he got to his century. His 82 in Chennai was the first time he got out in the eighties in a Test innings.1:25

India ‘stood out’ despite not playing on rank turner – Manjrekar

When Bangladesh resumed the fourth day on 158 for 4, Shanto found Mohammed Siraj tough to negotiate. He played out a couple of maiden overs, and only got Siraj away for a pulled four in the 46th over.”The morning session was tough today. The way Siraj was bowling. They were all bowling really well. Shakib also batted well. We tried to contribute for the team. We tried to bat as long as we could. Today’s morning session was one positive thing. We didn’t bat well after that,” Shanto said.When India captain Rohit Sharma brought on Ashwin, who had already taken three wickets on the third day, the stand between Shakib and Shanto was broken, which triggered the collapse of six wickets for 40 runs.”I think it was quite challenging to bat today. They were bowling in the rough. I don’t want to use it as an excuse. These are challenges we have to take,” said Shanto, who was the eighth wicket to fall but by then the writing was on the wall.Bangladesh’s openers had earlier bounced back with an encouraging effort on the third day. Similar to how they played in Rawalpindi in the second Test against Pakistan, both Zakir and Shadman offered a straighter bat to the ball, kept their cool in the initial exchanges and got off to a quick start. But just like it happened in Rawalpindi, both fell after building a solid platform.While Shanto said that he wants the openers to play their “natural game”, batting coach David Hemp said on the third day that the openers are still in the phase of working on their starts at the crease.”It goes without saying that you need to start well and once you have faced 20 or 30 balls, you get a bit of idea of what’s happening,” Hemp said. “You want to go on from that, especially when you scored 30 or 40 runs. You have done the hard work, so make sure you cash in. We did it in patches in Pakistan.”We will keep working on it in practice. We have to get ourselves in first, as that’s something we haven’t done well enough. If you go back to March [against Sri Lanka], we were not doing well enough. So we are doing that better now. But once you get to 40-60 balls, ideally you bat 120 balls. When you do that, you will walk away with a reasonable reward.”The openers’ mini-fightback and Shanto’s knock were the only two aspects of their batting that will give Bangladesh some confidence on their way to Kanpur. At the same time though, the top-half’s abject failure in the first innings will haunt them until they get it right. Several batters need to step up. Otherwise Bangladesh could be staring down the barrel again.

The Premier League is widely regarded as the most physical, intense and demanding league across the continent, so it’s always very impressive to see players performing well into their 30s.

Here, we’ve taken a look at the 10 oldest players in the Premier League, with their age taken from their last appearance. Without further ado, here is the list…

Rank

Player

Club

Age

Lukasz Fabianski

West Ham

Ashley Young

Everton

James Milner

Brighton

Jamie Vardy

Leicester

Jonny Evans

Man Utd

Adam Lallana

Southampton

Fraser Forster

Tottenham

Willian

Fulham

Seamus Coleman

Everton

Martin Dubravka

Newcastle

10 Martin Dubravka (Newcastle) 36 years, 1 month

Martin Dubravka has been in and out of Newcastle United team of late, primarily standing in for Nick Pope whenever the Toon No 1 is out injured.

Indeed, he was called upon over the Christmas period with Pope unavailable, with Newcastle securing a sixth consecutive win with the Slovakian between the sticks on his 36th birthday.

Dubravka’s last appearance came against Man City in February 2025.

9 Seamus Coleman (Everton) 36 years, 7 months

Seamus Coleman has been at Everton for 16 years now, though his season was derailed by injuries throughout.

It meant the Irishman only turned out five times for the Toffees in the 2024/25 Premier League, coming on most recently in the final game at Goodison Park against Southampton on 18th May.

8 Willian (Fulham) 36 years, 9 months, 1 day

Willian made his Premier League debut for Chelsea in October 2013 and has remained in the division ever since, aside from brief stints out at Corinthians and Olympiacos. The tricky winger returned to Fulham in January 2025.

His longevity is admirable, having made 327 appearances in England’s top flight with three different clubs as of the end of the 2024/25 campaign.

#

Player

Goals

1

Roberto Firmino

82

2

Gabriel Jesus

76

3

Richarlison

64

=4

Philippe Coutinho

47

=4

Willian

47

6

Gabriel Martinelli

40

=7

Matheus Cunha

29

=7

Juninho

29

=9

Joao Pedro

22

=9

Joelinton

22

7 Fraser Forster (Tottenham) 36 years, 9 months, 12 days

Fraser Forster was summoned to the Tottenham Hotspur first team when Guglielmo Vicario was struck by injury.

It handed the former Southampton and Celtic shot-stopper a brief run of games in December, though Spurs were only successful on one occasion – on a return to St Mary’s.

Now 37, it remains to be seen whether he will appear for Spurs in the new season, having lost his place in the matchday squad towards the end of the campaign.

6 Adam Lallana (Southampton) 36 years, 9 months, 26 days

Adam Lallana’s Premier League career may well be over following Southampton’s relegation in 2025, which isn’t a huge surprise given he may not be granted another move up the pyramid at 37 years of age.

Looking further ahead, Lallana joined up with the England Under-21s in September 2023 as a coach – perhaps indicating his future plans on the touchline.

Trophy

Year

FIFA Club World Cup

2020

Premier League

2020

UEFA Super Cup

2019

Champions League

2019

Johnstone’s Paint Trophy

2010

5 Jonny Evans (Man Utd) 37 years, 4 months

Eyebrows were raised when Manchester United re-signed free agent Jonny Evans in the summer of 2023, but the veteran certainly proved a few naysayers wrong.

The Northern Irishman called time on his second spell in 2025, ending the campaign as the fifth-oldest player in the league.

He would have to turn out for another top-flight club to climb the rankings, perhaps for a promoted club looking for an experienced head.

Trophy

Year

Community Shield

2009, 2011, 2012, 2021

FA Cup

2021, 2024

Premier League

2009, 2011, 2013

FIFA Club World Cup

2009

League Cup

2009, 2010

Johnstone’s Paint Trophy

2010

Champions League

2008

Championship

2007

4 Jamie Vardy (Leicester) 37 years, 4 months

Jamie Vardy bid a fond farewell to Leicester City this season, but despite the Foxes’ relegation, the 37-year-old backed himself to still do a job in the Premier League.

At the conclusion of the season, it was not clear where the striker was headed, but he certainly flew the flag for the veterans of the division, with only three older players appearing.

3 James Milner (Brighton) 39 years, 4 months

James Milner has amassed a remarkable 638 Premier League appearances – only Gareth Barry (653) has collected more.

The former England international has adapted his game to continue operating at the highest level, particularly at Liverpool, where he became an established left-back.

Now at Brighton, Milner has played at left-back, right-back and central midfield for the Seagulls.

He won Liverpool’s gruelling lactate test every pre-season he was at the club, evincing his astounding fitness levels, which no doubt have played a huge role in his longevity.

#

Player

Goals

1

Gareth Barry

653

2

James Milner

638

3

Ryan Giggs

632

4

Frank Lampard

609

5

David James

572

6

Gary Speed

535

7

Emile Heskey

516

8

Mark Schwarzer

514

9

Jamie Carragher

508

10

Phil Neville

505

2 Ashley Young (Everton) 39 years, 10 months

Ashley Young turns 40 in summer 2025, and has been a superb servant to Everton since his switch in 2023.

The former Manchester United winger has experienced a similar career development to Milner in the sense that he converted to full-back in order to continue playing at the highest level.

Young has continued to rack up appearances despite his advancing age, playing primarily at right-back.

Team

Appearances

Goals

Assists

Manchester United

261

19

33

Aston Villa

247

38

53

Watford

110

22

9

Everton

70

2

4

Inter

59

5

9

1 Lukasz Fabianski (West Ham) 40 years, 1 month

It seems crazy to think that Lukasz Fabianski is now in his 40s, having joined English football as a youngster with Arsenal in 2007.

He will be leaving West Ham United after seven years of service in east London, but not before topping the Premier League charts as the competition’s oldest player in 2024/25.

It’s hardly a badge of honour, but it speaks to the Pole’s enduring qualities that he could still hack it at the top level.

Aston Villa have opened direct transfer talks with one player over joining Unai Emery next season, according to reports, as the Premier League top five contenders attempt to build upon another impressive campaign.

Aston Villa seal vital win over Tottenham in Champions League race

Nerves were rife throughout Villa Park in their crunch encounter against Tottenham on Friday night, before their opening goal 30 minutes from full-time, with defender Ezri Konsa breaking the deadlock before Boubacar Kamara doubled their advantage.

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Villa eventually ran out 2-0 victors over Ange Postecoglou’s side and cemented a crucial win in their chase for Champions League qualification.

The result means Emery’s side are still right in the thick of it, as they contend for a top five finish heading into the Premier League final matchday, and it is shaping up to be a dramatic last game with six teams involved in the battle for Europe.

2. Arsenal

68

3. Newcastle United

66

4. Chelsea

66

5. Aston Villa

66

6. Man City

65

7. Nottingham Forest

62

Emery, speaking after their victory against struggling Spurs, heaped praise on his players for making their home ground a serious fortress.

“I’m very grateful for the supporters,” Emery said. “Here, we are feeling strong and we’re feeling comfortable. We only lost one match here in the Premier League, the first match against Arsenal. Progressively, we were getting better. Of course, we drew some matches in the way, and now we are missing some points from those moments, but we have to accept it.

“We have to accept the 37 matches we’ve played being consistent, more or less, and getting the moment we are in now, feeling good and in our best moment. We’re achieving the challenges we are facing. We enjoyed in the FA Cup and in Carabao Cup, but mostly our moment in the Champions League.

“The Premier League is the most important competition we are facing because through it we are getting again our main objective, and the objective is to be in Europe.

“We are in Europe next year, but we are in the running for the Champions League positions, and we can have chances in the last match in Manchester to get it.”

Aston Villa open talks with Axel Disasi over joining next season

The result of their Champions League chase will have direct effects on their recruitment plans off the field, but that hasn’t stopped NSWE and Monchi from making moves behind-the-scenes.

Chelsea loanee Axel Disasi could remain beyond 2024/2025, with the Frenchman very highly-rated by Emery, his coaching staff and Villa’s transfer chiefs.

That is according to Foot Mercato, who state that Villa have already opened talks with Disasi over joining them next season.

The 27-year-old cost Chelsea £39 million to sign from Monaco in 2023, and Fabrizio Romano recently claimed that they’re keen to sell him for profit this summer. It is unclear how much Villa would be willing to pay to keep Disasi in the Midlands, but he could be a significant addition.

The defender has been called a “leader” at times, and his experience at the top level could be invaluable for Emery.

تحدثت شبكة “ليفربول إيكو” الإنجليزية عن أداء نجم فريق ليفربول، محمد صلاح، في الوقت الحالي، وسط تعرضه للكثير من الانتقادات بسبب أدائه الضعيف ذلك الموسم رفقة كتيبة آرني سلوت.

وفقد ليفربول صدارة الدوري الإنجليزي يوم السبت الماضي بعدما خسر أمام تشيلسي، بهدفين لهدف، في الجولة السابعة على ملعب “ستامفورد بريدج”.

وقالت شبكة “ليفربول إيكو” الإنجليزية في تقرير لها:”لم تكن صيحات الاستهجان التي اُستقبل بها محمد صلاح خلال زيارته الأخيرة إلى ناديه السابق تشيلسي نهاية الأسبوع الماضي جديدة على جناح ليفربول، ولكن، ولأول مرة على الأرجح في مسيرته الحافلة مع الريدز، يواجه اللاعب المصري الآن تساؤلات حقيقية حول مكانه في التشكيلة الأساسية للفريق”.

وأضافت: “كان أداء محمد صلاح المخيب للآمال ضد تشيلسي يُعد آخر حلقة في سلسلة من العروض المخيبة له، والتي لم ترتق إلى مستوى التوقعات التي وضعها في طريقه ليصبح أفضل لاعب في إنجلترا ولاعب العام من رابطة اللاعبين المحترفين وبطل الدوري الإنجليزي الموسم الماضي”.

وواصلت: “ولكن هذا لا يعني أن محمد صلاح قد توقف عن تقديم أرقام معقولة، حيث سجل 3 وصنع 3 في 10 مباريات في مختلف المسابقات ذلك الموسم، مع العلم أنه لم يتفوق عليه في المساهمات التهديفية سوى 6 لاعبين فقط، ولكن مع التعمق والتركيز، نجد أننا أمام لاعب يعاني من أجل استعادة مستواه”.

اقرأ أيضًا | بعد إهداره هدف التعادل.. محمد صلاح يلفت الأنظار بتصرف مثير في مباراة ليفربول وتشيلسي

وأفادت: “لعل الإحصائية الأكثر إثارة للقلق خلال مباراة ليفربول وتشيلسي، هي أن محمد صلاح لم يتمكن من إحداث مراوغة ناجحة كاملة، ولم يتجاوز لاعبًا مرة واحدة، وكان صاحب أقل عدد من اللمسات بين جميع اللاعبين الذين لعبوا 90 دقيقة، حيث يبلغ معدل مراوغاته الناجحة حاليًا 12.5% ​​فقط، مقارنةً بـ 42.3% في الموسم الماضي”.

وأوضحت: “في حين قد انخفضت مقاييسه بشكل عام، حيث تراجع متوسط عدد تسديداته ولمساته في منطقة جزاء الخصم إلى النصف في الدوري الإنجليزي حتى الآن ذلك الموسم، بينما انخفض عدد مرات تقدمه بالكرة للأمام والفرص التي يصنعها، كما يحصل على عدد أقل من الركلات الحرة في المباراة الواحدة مقارنة بالموسم الماضي”.

وأشارت: “ولا يعني هذا أن ليفربول لا يركز على محمد صلاح بشكل كاف، حيث تلقى اللاعب تمريرات أكثر تطورًا بكثير من أي لاعب آخر في الدوري الإنجليزي هذا الموسم، ولكن تراجع مستواه لم يقتصر على الشهرين الماضيين فقط، ففي آخر 24 مباراة له في جميع المسابقات مع ليفربول، سجل 4 أهداف فقط من 52 تسديدة، بعيدًا عن ركلات الجزاء”.

واستكملت: “ليس من الصعب إيجاد أسباب لذلك، يأتي على رأسها رحيل ترينت ألكسند أرنولد، فقبل بداية الموسم، لعب محمد صلاح 316 مباراة من أصل 401 مباراة مع ليفربول، وكان أرنولد خلفه على الجهة اليمنى، وكان بمثابة المحور الإبداعي لفريق حصد ألقابًا مهمة بشكل منتظم، في حين شهد الموسم الحالي مشاركة كل من برادلي، فريمبونج، سوبوسلاي، واتارو إندو وجو جوميز في مركز الظهير الأيمن، ولا يزال سلوت يبحث عن لاعب أساسي في ذلك المركز”.

واسترسلت: “كما شهد خطالهجوم تجديدًا شاملًا بتكلفة باهظة، حيث انضم ألكسندر إيزاك (125 مليون جنيه إسترليني) وهوجو إيكتيكي (79 مليون جنيه إسترليني) إلى جانب لاعب الوسط المهاجم فلوريان فيرتز (116 مليون جنيه إسترليني)، هذا يعني أن الأنماط والإيقاعات المعتادة لم تعد موجودة في أسلوب لعب ليفربول حتى الآن، إذ يبحثون عن هيكل هجومي جديد”.

وأكدت: “هذا الأمر سمح لدفاعات الخصوم بالتركيز بشكل أكبر على إبطال خطورة محمد صلاح، ففي كثير من الأحيان يجد نفسه في مواجهة مدافعين أو ثلاثة دون أي منفذ واضح متاح بسهولة، مع العلم أن ذلك الجيل الجديد من اللاعبين يمثل مستقبل ليفربول، في حين يمر صلاح بمرحلة صعبة تتمثل في تسليم الراية ونقل خبراته إلى زملائه، محاولًا بناء علاقات ميدانية مع أولئك الذين سيحلون محله في نهاية المطاف، مع العلم أنه لن يُنظر إليه على أنه الرجل الرئيسي للريدز لفترة طويلة”.

واستأنفت: “كما أن هناك العامل البشري، فمثل العديد من اللاعبين المرموقين، يولي محمد صلاح أهمية كبرى للتقدير الفردي، وإن لم يكن يفضل ذلك على الجوائز الجماعية، وكان من المؤسف عدم فوزه بالكرة الذهبية الشهر الماضي نظرًا لأنها تمثل فرصته الأخيرة للتتويج بها”.

وشرحت: “إلى جانب ذلك، جاء رد فعل محمد صلاح العاطفي أمام جماهير ليفربول بعد الفوز على بورنموث، دليلًا على كيفية محاولته رفقة زملائه تجاوز وفاة ديوجو جوتا المأساوية في يوليو الماضي، وبخلاف ذلك، يجب ألا ننسى أنه رغم برنامجه التدريبي الدقيق، فإنه مع بلوغ سن 33 عامًا، بدأت سرعته ونشاطه في تراجع مستمر”.

ونوهت: “في آخر عامين من عقد من الخدمة الرائعة لـ ليفربول، يقع العبء الآن على عاتق كل من محمد صلاح وسلوت لإيجاد طريقة لمواصلة تقديم أفضل ما لديه، مع تقبل وجود تراجع تدريجي في بعض الجوانب، كما أن فترة التوقف الدولي الحالي، والتي يستطيع خلالها المصري التأهل إلى كأس العالم 2026 وكيفية تحسين ما حدث في نسخة 2018، قد تعطيه دفعة ثقة ضرورية”.

واختتمت:”في النهاية، يشير تطور محمد صلاح المستمر خلال مسيرته في أنفيلد إلى أنه لم ينتهِ بعد، مع ذلك فقد حان الوقت لنسخة أخرى من المصري، حيث لا يزال ليفربول بحاجة إليه”.

Paul Pogba has thrown his support behind his former team-mate Osmane Dembele as the Ballon d'Or race intensifies, backing him over Lamine Yamal.

Pogba openly declares Dembele the Ballon d'Or favouriteDembele posts 35 goals, 16 assists in PSG's successful seasonBallon d'Or winner to be announced in Paris on September 22Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The former Manchester United and Juventus midfielder publicly named Dembele as his pick for the 2025 Ballon d'Or during a Twitch stream with American YouTuber IShowSpeed. Pogba, now at Monaco believes Dembele's decisive performances and his crucial role in helping Paris Saint-Germain secure the Champions League, Ligue 1, and Coupe de France titles in the 2024-25 season make him the deserved winner.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Dembele registered 35 goals and 16 assists, playing a significant role in PSG's historic clean sweep of domestic and continental trophies, though they lost out on the Club World Cup by losing to Chelsea in the final. Pogba's comments add weight to a mounting narrative favouring Dembele over young rivals, especially Yamal, as the Ballon d'Or voting narrows before the September 22 ceremony in Paris.

WHAT POGBA SAID?

Pogba was vocal for the French international, saying: "The Ballon d'Or? For me, Dembele will always be ahead of Yamal! I support Dembele 100%. He won the Champions League, he was very important this season. If he doesn't win it this year, he'll never get it. Hakimi and Vitinha were very good too. But Dembele is the favourite for the Ballon d'Or."

Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR DEMBELE?

Dembele will await the Ballon d'Or nominee shortlist, set to be released on August 7, with the gala scheduled for September 22. However, he faces a big challenge from Barcelona teenager Yamal and Brazil attacker Raphinha, who both enjoyed sensational seasons as the Catalan side won La Liga and the Copa del Rey.

Shubman Gill’s first match as India captain did not go according to plan as a team full of players trying to make the step up from the IPL to international cricket was found wanting against Zimbabwe in a low-scoring thriller in Harare.Many of the players on this tour haven’t had a lot of recent cricket behind them, and Gill, at the post-match presentation, suggested that played a part in their downfall. “I think we bowled pretty well but I think we left ourselves down with the fielding. We weren’t up to our standards and I think everybody looked rusty.”Also a factor was the conditions. Harare offered sideways movement for the new ball and even once that stopped, the pitch was so slow that playing the kind of shots these batters were used to playing in the IPL – hitting through the line and over the top – didn’t always work. Five of India’s top six fell for single-digit scores and four of those fell trying to force the pace.Gill, who top-scored with 31 off 29 balls, said that his instruction to the team between innings was to bat normally. “Honestly, just take your time, enjoy the batting. Not too many runs on the board. So not much pressure but it wasn’t the way [the match] panned out.”Halfway down, we had lost five wickets and it would have been best for us if I had stayed there to the end but unfortunately that didn’t happen. Very disappointed with the way I got out and the way this whole match turned out.”A couple of hits from Avesh Khan kept India in with a chance right at the end, reducing the equation down to 18 off 12 balls. But by that time they only had two wickets in hand and Gill knew those were long odds.”Definitely there was a bit of hope for us,” he said. “But you know when you are chasing 115 and you want your No. 10 batter to stay out there, something has gone wrong.”India have a chance to quickly recover the ground they’ve lost with the second game of this five-match series coming up on Sunday.