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The Brazilian aleady appears to be approaching the end of his time at Old Trafford, but his Japanese counterpart is just getting started

Jurgen Klopp could not get his head around Endo Wataru's performance in the Carabao Cup final. Something just did not add up. The numbers made no sense. Despite Endo taking a heavy knock to his left ankle that resulted in him leaving Wembley on crutches, no Liverpool player won more tackles, duels or possession in the 1-0 win over Chelsea.

Endo was simply relentless. He never stopped running until the final whistle blew. Even then, he was still standing, while Moises Caicedo sat down, disconsolate, consigned to watching Klopp & Co celebrate a remarkable win with an injury-ravaged squad.

Klopp had claimed that Liverpool had been lucky to miss out on signing the Ecuadorian during the summer – and Wembley proved him right. Endo had outbattled and outclassed a player £100 million ($128m) more expensive than the Japanese – and nine years younger.

"He might be 30 or 31 on his passport but he's not!" Klopp quipped. "He's a machine!" One that Klopp claimed could easily end up signing another "long-term" contract with the club in "three or four years". That's how much the German feels Endo has left in the tank.

In that context, the contrast between one of the revelations of Liverpool's season and his next direct rival could not be starker. While Endo is enjoying the start of something special at Anfield, Casemiro appears to be approaching the end of his time at Old Trafford. The pair have similar profiles but things could not be going more differently for them ahead of Sunday's FA Cup clash between Liverpool and Manchester United.

GettyCasemiro's concerning decline

United will go into the quarter-final on the back of a morale-boosting 2-0 Premier League win over Everton, but it was a game that did little to ease concerns over Casemiro's form.

The Brazilian had more touches than any other player on the pitch but 17 of his 70 passes failed to find their target. Of United's outfield players, only Scott McTominay had a worse completion rate (73 percent) than Casemiro (76 percent).

The worrying thing is that such carelessness in possession came as a little surprise to United fans, who have grown increasingly frustrated with the £70m ($90m) signing from Real Madrid.

It's not even that he looks nothing like the combative colossus that collected five Champions League winners' medals in nine years at the Santiago Bernabeu. He's even just a shadow of the player that had such an instantaneous and transformative effect on Erik ten Hag's team after his arrival from Madrid in the summer of 2022.

AdvertisementGetty'Tell them I'll fix it'

Put quite simply, United would not have secured a return to the Champions League had it not been for Casemiro.

According to the , after watching the 4-0 drubbing by Brentford at the start of the 2022-23 season, he had sent a text to his agent saying: "Tell them I'll fix it." And he did.

Casemiro proved precisely why he was regarded as the most destructive midfielder in football for the previous decade by immediately laying waste to Premier League opponents. He was United's human wrecking ball, ranking first among his team-mates for possession won, tackles won, duels won, aerials won, blocks and interceptions. This season has been a very different story, though.

GettyA collective dip in form

Injury has obviously played a part in Casemiro's struggles, with the Selecao star sidelined from the middle of October to the turn of the year.

However, he was struggling horribly before then and some United supporters will tell you that the Brazilian was exhibiting signs of fatigue before the end of the 2022-23 campaign, in which he racked up more appearances (51) than he ever had over the course of a single season in Spain. Perhaps increasing injury issues and a dip in form were, thus, inevitable.

He's certainly not been helped by those around him, of course. Casemiro is not the only United player to underperform this season – far from it, in fact. Marcus Rashford and Bruno Fernandes have been nowhere near their best, while several key men have also been beset by fitness problems – as Ten Hag has been repeatedly at pains to point out.

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(C)Getty ImagesTen Hag's bizarre tactics

The Dutchman hasn't done Casemiro any favours, either.

Ten Hag may have dismissed Jamie Carragher's claim that United have found themselves caught between two stools this season by employing both a high press and low block – but there's no doubt that Casemiro has at times looked confused, and consequently, frustrated.

This has manifested itself in Casemiro making far too many challenges that look as desperate as they are wild. Against Everton, the 32-year-old even had to be told to calm down by his teenage team-mate Kobbie Mainoo.

But such shows of petulance are arguably unsurprising. Firstly, this is not a man used to losing. Secondly, he has perhaps realised that he is locked in one particular battle that he simply cannot win.

A significant update has dropped over the future of Everton ace Dele Alli, with negotiations reportedly taking place with Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur.

Everton transfer news

The Toffees have had an up-and-down 2023/24 season to date, having gone into the new campaign desperately looking to avoid a third successive relegation battle.

There have been times when that has looked likely, with some poor results coming Sean Dyche's way, but last weekend's 1-0 win away to West Ham and their recent respectable draw at home to Brighton & Hove Albion showed what they are capable of on their day.

So far, Everton's summer signings have been relatively quiet in terms of the impact they have made, but the hope is that the likes of Jack Harrison, Arnaut Danjuma and Beto grow into their respective roles the more this season goes on.

There is also the option of signing new players once the January transfer window rolls around should Dyche feel that he requires new signings. Manchester City midfielder Kalvin Phillips has been linked with a move to Everton and the England international could be a great addition to the midfield if his experience at the top level is anything to go by.

Away from incomings, however, an important update has recently dropped over a current Blues man.

Dele Alli's Everton future

According to an update from Football Insider, Everton are now in discussions with Tottenham over Dele Alli's future, with the report stating they want to renegotiate a clause in his contract with the north Londoners:

"Everton are offering Tottenham a seven-figure sum as they attempt to renegotiate the terms of Dele Alli’s transfer.

"The Merseysiders are currently obliged to pay £10m for Alli, 27, should he make seven more appearances for the club."

This makes complete sense from an Everton perspective with money already relatively tight at the club, and having to splash out big money to Spurs is something that can hopefully be avoided.

Alli's time as a Blues player has been forgettable to date, although the Englishman deserves huge credit for revealing his battle with mental health issues, which have clearly played a part in his struggles.

To sum up the 27-year-old's lack of impact since arriving at Goodison Park in recent years, Alli's statistics show that he has only made 13 appearances in total, failing to register a single goal or assist in that time.

It certainly looks up for debate over whether he will ever hit the 20-game mark for Everton that will trigger the existing clause given his off-field struggles and the fact that the Blues could simply choose not to retain his services, but either way, the hope is that they and Spurs can come to an agreement that suits all parties.

MK Dons

88

24

15

Tottenham

269

67

61

Everton

13

0

0

Besiktas

15

3

0

England

37

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7

In an ideal world, Alli would make a triumphant return to the Everton side in the near future and eventually find his best form again – it is easy to forget that he was once one of the best players in England, with Ryan Mason describing him as "excellent" at Spurs – but that looks a long way off at the moment.

Dyche has been impressive in showing his support for the 37-cap England international as his struggles continue, but the time may come soon when a decision needs to be made, with Alli out of contract at the end of this season.

When Lancashire were 63 for 4 they appeared set to be plunged closer to relegation, but they completed a magnificent chase that could yet save their Championship season

Paul Edwards31-Aug-2018
ScorecardEarly this morning, before any spectators had arrived, a Lancashire cricketer strolled out to the middle at Trafalgar Road. He assumed his batting stance at the Harrod Drive End, then at the Grosvenor Road. He played a few shots to imaginary balls and, one assumes, contemplated that which he would be called upon to do. His name was Dane Vilas.Now let us scroll forward some eight hours. Vilas is facing Josh Tongue and there are some two thousand pairs of eyes upon him. He clips the ball crisply to the square leg boundary to reach his third century of the season. The applause drowns out the rumble of a passing train, but even that cacophony is exceeded a few minutes later when Josh Bohannon hits Tongue for consecutive boundaries to seal the four-wicket victory over Worcestershire which administers the kiss of life to Lancashire’s chances of avoiding relegation.Perhaps just as significantly, the victory gives unbounded joy to most folk in the crowd at Trafalgar Road. They cheer and will not stop. The suited ones cheer in the marquee and men in daft shorts cheer on the popular side. The players in the dug-out cheer and shake hands with anyone they can find, fifty-year-old songs from a great age in Lancashire cricket are resurrected and belted out anew. Few have seen this coming. Vilas finishes on 107 not out while Bohannon, the deuteragonist in the great drama and a Boltonian battler to his marrow, ends unbeaten on 78. The pair have added an unbroken 139 for the seventh wicket and if you had told Lancashire supporters early this morning that their team would be bowled out for that many, they would have grunted an acceptance.Bohey’s maturity was incredible – Vilas

Dane Vilas, Lancashire matchwinner: “The team has some great players and guys who have scored runs over countless seasons. We know we have let ourselves down at times, we can’t hide from that. But when this team, when the questions are raised, the guys stand up. Most important for me was the guys who came in to help me out. In the way that Bohey [Josh Bohannon] came in in only his second game, the maturity was incredible.”
Kevin Sharp, Worcestershire head coach: “I don’t think we’ve done much wrong to be honest. The pitch has probably got a bit better to bat on. I thought we might win this but that innings from Vilas is a class innings, a match-winning innings. There’s lots to look forward to and important games to come against teams in the bottom half of the division. We will sulk for an hour, get on the bus and go home.”

It was impossible, of course. No one had ever chased down 314 to win at Trafalgar Road and the pitch was nipping around. But records are there to be eclipsed and the view that this wicket was a mere club surface on which centuries were impossible was exposed as utter bunkum. It turned out that all you needed was a tight technique and faith in your own ability. So Vilas anchored the innings and gave one difficult chance to slip on 84 while Bohannon stayed true to his pugnacious nature and took the game to Worcestershire. And Worcestershire’s bowlers did not like it up ’em.In his book Mike Brearley remembered Tony Greig’s first Test century, at Bombay in 1973. “He played calmly, from his own centre,” writes Brearley. Both Vilas and Bohannon played from their own centres. Dear God, they made it look almost easy.But surely it was impossible. That much had been clear when Lancashire had withered to 63 for 4 inside the first 75 minutes of play. People talked of an early afternoon finish. First to go was Haseeb Hameed who hit three sweet fours, two of them cover-drives, but then came forward a little woodenly to Ed Barnard and edged behind for 14. Two deliveries later Rob Jones attempted a similar stroke with the same result and collected an eight-ball pair. Any lunatic optimism felt by spectators on this blissful morning was then thoroughly doused twenty minutes later when Alex Davies tried to pull a ball but only skied a catch. “Mine” called Ben Cox loudly enough to petrify Formby’s red squirrels: 63 for 4 and some in the corporate hospitality marquee decided to make their early sharpener a large one.A memorable day for Dane Vilas•Getty Images/Action PlusAnd who could blame them on this last day of meteorological summer? “Gone, gone again, / May, June, July, / And August gone” wrote Edward Thomas in “Blenheim Oranges”. Soon we will be deep in the month when cricketers harvest their year’s work. September also brings other farewells. It was announced on Friday morning that this game would be the last in the 27-year career of Matt Procter, Lancashire’s PA announcer. Ever the loyalist, Procter attempted to destabilise Lancashire’s opponents by announcing that Hameed had been “caught Cox bowled ” Matt will be missed but the catch wasn’t.Steven Croft, another faithful servant, began to play himself in. The suited ones retired to the marquee, where they lunched well and either toasted Timothy Taylor or danced the optic tango. By the time they emerged again Croft had driven and cut half a dozen fours through the off side and Lancashire were well past three figures.All the same, it was surely still impossible so why wouldn’t Vilas be told? Worcestershire’s bowlers remained threatening and their fielders lively. Cox kept wicket with the brim of his sunhat tilted back and looked for all this precious world like an echo from the Golden Age: I Zingari, perhaps, or the Worcestershire Occasionals.Croft made 36 before he could do nothing with a fine ball from Tongue and edged behind. Jordan Clark made 31 but then lofted the slow left-armer Ben Twohig to Brett D’Oliveira at deep mid-off. Bohannon, bristling with “are you looking me”, strode out to join Vilas. Quite soon he had driven boundaries and the crowd warmed to him. Vilas, untroubled by anyone, continued to bat just as he had visualised early in the morning. Club members, who work for months to make this game a success, realised that dear old Trafalgar Road was singing more tunes of glory.It is nearly dark on the last day of August. The lights are bright on the tennis courts on the day when Lancashire mounted their highest run chase for 13 years. But the tunes of glory are heard still as out in the middle Dane Vilas plays shadow shots to the bowling of a ghost.

USWNT starlet Korbin Albert netted her first D1 Arkema goal for PSG against Montpellier on Sunday, smashing home a wicked effort from outside the box.

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Korbin Albert nets first D1 Arkema goalOutside the box effort for PSGUSWNT starlet fighting for Olympic spotWHAT HAPPENED?

Leading up to the halftime break, Albert won the ball just outside the 18-yard box, dribbling past a defender before firing a lofted ball into the back of the net over the Montpellier goalkeeper. It was the 20-year-old midfielder's second goal for the Parisian club.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesWATCH THE CLIPTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Albert truly announced herself as a starting XI contender under both interim boss Twila Kilgore and incoming USWNT coach Emma Hayes after a phenomenal W Gold Cup performance earlier this year. She started five out of six matches for the U.S. en-route to claiming the inaugural trophy of the tournament.

She's also become a regular for PSG in both the D1 Arkema and the UEFA Champions League, a competition where she netted her first-ever professional goal in last December. The Parisians are currently competing in the European competition, looking to advance to the semifinals of the tournament this coming week. They sit second in the league, trailing leaders Lyon by seven points.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR ALBERT AND PSG?

PSG are back in UWCL action this week, with their second-leg clash against BK Hacken scheduled for Thursday. Albert and Co won the first leg 2-1, and they're looking to hold on this week for a chance at a final-eight berth.

He smashed eight fours and seven sixes in the chase after Tasmania were restricted to under 300 after a solid opening stand

Alex Malcolm01-Oct-2018Getty ImagesA blistering display of power hitting from Marcus Stoinis helped Western Australia to a commanding win over Tasmania and ensured the Warriors remained undefeated heading in the JLT Cup finals. Stoinis had not scored when WA lost their fourth wicket, captain Ashton Turner, with 123 runs still needed from 25.1 overs. He took four deliveries to get off the mark and scored just 10 runs from his first 16 deliveries.But just as he did against Victoria last week, he unleashed a ball-striking masterclass that very few current Australian players can produce in the second half of limited-overs matches at present. He struck seven fours and as many sixes from his next 33 balls to finish on an unbeaten 93 from just 49 deliveries to ice the game with 9.3 overs to spare.He was superbly supported by Jhye Richardson (29*) in an unbeaten stand of 124 from just 88 balls. As good as Stoinis and Richardson were, the platform laid by in-form duo Josh Philippe and D’Arcy Short certainly aided the chase. Philippe continued his rare touch, making 50 from 33 deliveries with seven fours and three sixes in an exhilarating 11 overs against the new balls. Short backed up his record-breaking 257 at the same venue last Friday with 63 at better than a run a ball. Although he was fortunate to make that many as the Tigers gave him multiple reprieves in the field.Earlier, Tasmania set an underwhelming total, failing to capitalise on a rollicking opening stand. Ben McDermott (76) and Matthew Wade (33) made enterprising starts but would feel they left a lot of runs on the table as Jason Behrendorff forced mistakes from both of them.Legspinner Usman Qadir continued to bamboozle opponents taking 2 for 40 from 10 overs, on what has been a spin bowler’s graveyard, to grind the Tigers to a halt. George Bailey made a terrific 79 and was well supported by Tom Rogers and Clive Rose (32 each) to edge the total towards 300. But in the end, it was nowhere good enough to trouble Stoinis and the undefeated Warriors.However, their staggering 10-point advantage at the top of the table and incredible net run rate counts for only a semi-final berth at an away venue, as all six teams will still play finals under the new JLT Cup format.

Tottenham Hotspur fell to their first Premier League defeat of the season in exceptional circumstances against Chelsea on Monday night, but Ange Postecoglou's side only strengthened their title-challenging credentials.

Two red cards and two injuries made for a miserable night, losing 4-1 to the Blues, but Spurs now sit just one point off Manchester City in first place and have eclipsed expectations following last term's woes.

The club owes the entirety of its budding renaissance to Postecoglou's leadership, taking the reins and guiding Tottenham back to the path after wandering astray last year.

The free-spirited Australian has revived the existing withered crop and fertilised the home ground's grass with impactful additions, and while the emphasis will be on challenging for a spot at the top of the table, it's clear that fresh faces will be needed to fight against forces such as Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool.

Tottenham transfer news

According to TEAMtalk, Leicester City face a battle to rebuff interest from Tottenham and Newcastle United who are plotting a bid for tough-tackling midfielder Wilfred Ndidi, a player key to the Foxes' push for promotion this season.

The Championship table-toppers have been immense this season following relegation, and while Leicester are desperate to keep a hold on their star midfielder, the level of suitors will make this difficult.

Further Premier League outfits Aston Villa and Brentford have registered intrigue, while overseas Atletico Madrid and Barcelona monitor the Nigerian's situation in Spain.

The £11m-rated midfielder – as valued by Football Transfers – is out of contract at the end of the season and has so far not agreed to a renewal with Enzo Maresca's side.

Spurs might be tempted to offer a contract and snap him up on a free transfer, but given the throng of attentive parties, it might be prudent to tie up a move swiftly for a cut-price fee.

Wilfred Ndidi's style of play

Leicester signed Ndidi from Belgian side Genk for around £15m in 2017, and he has since made 252 appearances (192 in the Premier League), scoring 14 goals and providing 16 assists, winning the FA Cup and Community Shield under Brendan Rodgers' tutelage.

Typically a defensive midfielder, Ndidi has demonstrated a more creative side to his arsenal this year, ranking among the top 1% of positional peers across divisions similar to the Championship for assists, the top 17% for shot-creating actions, the top 14% for progressive carries and the top 1% for touches in the attacking box per 90, as per FBref.

This kind of multi-functionality would be the perfect commodity to strengthen the Tottenham centre, which already boasts exciting options in Yves Bissouma, Pape Matar Sarr and Rodrigo Bentancur.

Strengths

Weaknesses

Interceptions

Concentration

Blocking

Tackling

Short passing

Threat on the counter

*Sourced via WhoScored

A dynamic and energetic player, Ndidi could be a tailor-made arrival for Postecoglou's Tottenham, and while the 53-cap star has struggled with injury over the past few years, he would not be expected to play every minute in London, which actually works out well for all parties involved.

How Wilfred Ndidi would fit in at Tottenham

This season, Ndidi has played 15 times across all competitions for City, plundering three goals and four assists, having created 1.3 key passes per game, completed 79% of his passes in total, and also averaging 1.5 tackles and 3.5 ball recoveries per outing, as per Sofascore.

Such numbers are not the most robust, but that is not to say that he has been performing at a substandard level; far from it.

For example, Spurs' Sarr is averaging 5.6 ball recoveries and 1.1 key passes per game in the league this term, while also completing 90% of his passes in a similar role.

But Ndidi has failed to start more than 20 matches across both of his previous Premier League campaigns, and on an individual level is perhaps benefitting from Leicester's relegation, given that he can rebuild his former vigour against lesser opposition, thriving instead of floundering against the threat of relegation.

Postecoglou would be the perfect manager to bring the midfield "machine” – as he has been dubbed by BBC Sport analyst Raj Chohan – back to his peak, and the £51k-per-week star has more than proved his ability for City in the past.

Still only 26-years-old, Ndidi would also emulate his former teammate James Maddison in making the move to Tottenham, perhaps taking the next level in his development much like the England international, who is an early contender for the Premier League's Player of the Season.

James Maddison's season by numbers

Having lacked a creative midfielder despite scoring 70 goals in the Premier League last season – the fifth-highest total in the division – Tottenham moved swiftly in the summer transfer window to bypass Newcastle United's interest – who were "frontrunners" at one stage – and sign Maddison from Leicester City for £40m.

The Foxes had been relegated after a terrible campaign, but Maddison performed superlatively as his side's playmaker, scoring ten goals and supplying nine assists from just 29 starting appearances in the English top-flight.

Since his summer switch, Maddison has carried over his best attributes and developed them into something greater, homing his craft and now comfortably sitting as one of Europe's finest attacking midfielders, having posted three goals and five assists so far.

Having won the Premier League Player of the Month award for August and has been noted for being "on fire" by Sky Sports pundit Aaron Lennon

As per FBref, Maddison ranks among the top 2% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for assists, the top 1% for shot-creating actions and the top 5% for progressive passes per 90.

The £170k-per-week maestro has been immense under Postecoglou's management, and Ndidi could be the next to rise to prominence in north London by departing from the King Power Stadium.

In an industrious, deeper role, Ndidi would offer the requisite depth for Postecoglou's illustrious vision, and could rekindle a bond with Maddison that saw the pair glean the FA Cup and Community Shield, enhancing and shaping that pursuit of greener pastures.

AC Milan have been told to drop Christian Pulisic in favour of Samuel Chukwueze from next season, despite the USMNT star's stunning 2023-24 campaign.

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Pulisic enjoying stellar season at MilanPosted career-best numbers in debut campaignBut Rossoneri told to drop him for ChukwuezeWHAT HAPPENED?

Pulisic has been on fire for Milan since joining from Chelsea in the summer, finding a level of form he never reached throughout his four years at Stamford Bridge. But despite the United States forward's impressive exploits, there are some in Italy who still have their doubts. Pundit Sandro Sabatini has sensationally claimed that Nigerian winger Chukwueze should be starting ahead of the American next season, as he is a "technical player" boasting so much "quality".

AdvertisementGettyWHAT SABATINI SAID

Speaking to , the Italian pundit said: "For me Chukwueze has quality, he is a technical player who I like a lot. For next season I would prefer him to Pulisic as a prospect, in my opinion he is a guy who has some numbers. I know I'm saying something unpopular and I don't argue about the €28 million [£24m/$30m paid for Chukwueze to Villarreal last summer] because then you have to make comparisons."

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Sabatini's comments come after Chukwueze put in two impressive performances against Hellas Verona and Fiorentina in Milan's last two league outings. However, that goal against Verona remains his only effort in the league all campaign and one of four goal contributions all competitions (3G, 1A) in his debut season. Pulisic's start to life in Italy has, by comparison, gone far better, as he has racked up a career best 20 goal contributions (12G, 8A). The American's father recently put his success down to the "trust" of his team-mates and head coach Stefano Pioli, following four forgettable seasons at Chelsea.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR PULISIC?

Despite his own individual efforts, the Hershey-born forward has been helpless to improve Milan's league standing. They remain second behind rivals Inter, who have the Serie A title all-but wrapped up thanks to their 14-point advantage with eight games left. Piolo's side do have Europa League glory to play for, though, with their quarter-final first leg against Italian rivals Roma taking place next Thursday.

Since taking the Rangers job back in October, Philippe Clement has enjoyed a flawless start, avoiding defeat in his first seven games, which has included six wins in what has been an incredibly impressive run. And whilst the Scottish Premiership title race still has Celtic eight points clear having played an extra game, the Gers are still sticking around.

After settling into life at Ibrox seamlessly, Clement may well have his eye on potential reinforcements for the future, which could include the signing of one particular youngster.

Rangers transfer news

The Gers had a summer transfer window to forget under Michael Beale, who was made to pay the ultimate price for that failure when he was dismissed earlier this season. The likes of Cyriel Dessers and Sam Lammers never really got going under the former boss so their immediate focus could be to improve Clement's current options in January, but looking ahead to the future, those at Ibrox may soon welcome a Scottish Premiership gem.

According to TeamTalk, Rangers are eyeing a move for Motherwell teenager Lennon Miller, who has become an important part of Stuart Kettlewell's side. The 17-year-old has reportedly attracted interest from Rangers and Celtic, as well as Premier League sides Aston Villa, Tottenham Hotspur, Brentford, West Ham United, Newcastle United and Brighton & Hove Albion.

If Rangers want to secure the midfielder's signature, it looks like they may have to act quickly in a deal that could be worthwhile, given Miller's versatility and potential at such a young age. The Motherwell youngster can play both as a defensive and attacking midfielder, as well as on the right of midfield. He's already experienced the atmosphere of Ibrox, too, as he made his Scottish Premiership debut at Rangers last season.

Rangers eye move for "unbelievable" Miller

Miller could be a shrewd target for Rangers, as they look to get back to their best in the transfer market. The 17-year-old's best is likely yet to come, which is a frightening prospect when considering that he's already made 13 starts and attracted the interest of top clubs in both Scotland and England this season.

Motherwell captain Liam Kelly hasn't hesitated to sing the praises of Miller this season, either, even after his red card against Livingston. Kelly said:

"It will probably not be his last, these things are going to happen in his career. He has been unbelievable for us, and that’s not a thing that’s anything to do with his age, that could have happened to any of our players in that moment. He’s got a wise head on his shoulders, so he will be absolutely fine. We all love him, we’ve got so much faith in him as a player, and it’s going to happen in his career, this is just the first time it has.

"He was absolutely gutted, but he knows that’s part and parcel of football. We were hoping to bail him out, but we didn’t, and there were people who made mistakes for the goals after it, and we got punished. Lennon’s mistake wasn’t the only mistake we made in the game, we made loads, myself included.”

Suzie Bates briefly gave New Zealand hope in their chase, but defeat left them facing the exit

The Report by Alex Malcolm14-Nov-2018
Australia’s toughest test of the tournament to-date only proved to further entrench their favouritism for the title.Alyssa Healy continued her stunning form with the bat to help Australia cruise into the semi-finals. A third consecutive half-century and a sixth in eight T20Is underpinned Australia’s strong but slightly underwhelming total given the platform set by Healy and her opening partner Beth Mooney.NZ fined for slow over rate

New Zealand have been found to have fallen short of the targeted over rate in Guyana by one over, resulting in captain Amy Satterthwaite being fined 20% of her match fee, and her players 10% each.
The charge was levelled by the four on-field umpires and the penalty was handed by the match referee, Richie Richardson. Satterthwaite accepted the proposed sanction, so there was no need for a formal hearing.
As per the ICC Code of Conduct, players are fined 10% of their fee per unbowled over, with the captain fined double that.
According to the ICC statement, if there is a second minor over-rate offence committed by the New Zealand team in a T20I within 12 months with Satterthwaite as captain, she will face a one-match suspension.

But it proved too many for New Zealand, who without Suzie Bates’ lone hand of 48 may have fallen short by far more than they did.Both sides, however, may admit the margin was a little deceiving. New Zealand did expose some vulnerabilities in the powerful Australian line-up but failed to capitalise through some poor fielding. Amelia Kerr dropped Healy at point in the third over, letting a simple sliced sky ball slip through her fingers. Australia were just 16 runs from 16 balls at that stage.But a bevy of boundaries from Healy intertwined with a stack of wides from New Zealand’s bowlers saw the opening stand reach 71 in just 8.2 overs. It was the fourth consecutive 50-run opening stand between Healy and Mooney and the sixth in seven innings.Australia’s innings then stalled badly. Mooney holed out before Meg Lanning made a rare failure. Ash Gardner failed to rotate the strike adequately to leave Healy frustrated as she threw her wicket away on 53 from just 38 balls, bowled by Hannah Rowe stepping well outside her off stump trying to flick to leg.Alyssa Healy’s continued her hot streak in T20Is•ESPNcricinfo LtdLeigh Kasperek really put the brakes on Australia as skipper Amy Satterthwaite juggled her bowlers around with good effect. Kasperek removed the dangerous trio of Mooney, Gardner and Ellyse Perry in four overs that cost just 25.But New Zealand dropped two more catches in the last two overs of the innings, crucially both off Rachael Haynes who ended up making an unbeaten 29 from 18 balls to tick the total past 150.The chase got off to a horrendous start. Anna Peterson was trapped lbw by Megan Schutt in the first over and burnt New Zealand’s sole review in the process. After Sophie Devine was clean bowled next over by Perry the review haunted New Zealand when Satterthwaite was adjudged lbw to Sophie Molineux in the third over attempting a reverse sweep. Replays showed she was struck outside the line.It left New Zealand 13 for 3. Bates and Katie Martin mounted an excellent revival that put Australia under pressure. Bates got a reprieve when Healy dropped a sharp top edge off the bowling of Perry. The pair added 69 in 7.4 overs before Healy made amends with a silky stumping off the legspin of Georgia Wareham to remove Martin.Bates keep finding the rope reducing the equation to a manageable 61 from 42 balls before Delissa Kimmince took two wickets in the 14th over to tip the game in Australia’s favour, with Healy taking a stunning catch up the stumps to confirm her Player of the Match award.Bates was correctly adjudged lbw by Gardner an over later despite skipping down the track to effectively end the chase and all-but end New Zealand’s tournament with a second straight loss.

Gio Reyna provided a much-needed assist from a corner kick, helping Nottingham Forest level the score at 1-1 against Wolves.

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Reyna provides assistUSMNT star's first startForest need three pointsGettyWHAT HAPPENED?

Reyna was handed his first start since joining Nottingham Forest in the winter transfer window, and the American made sure to make his mark toward the end of the first half. Reyna's corner kick was headed home by Morgan Gibbs-White, who canceled out Matheus Cunha's opener to send the two teams into the locker room level at 1-1.

AdvertisementWATCH THE CLIPGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Reyna had played extremely sporadically since joining Forest, having signed on loan from Borussia Dortmund after a tough start to the season in Germany. He's fared no better in England so far, but Saturday's start was his first real chance to impress in extended minutes.

The American has seemingly seized the chance, providing an assist that may just be crucial for Forest's hopes of staying in the Premier League.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR REYNA?

Up next for Forest is a crucial match against Everton, another relegation contender. After that, Reyna and co. will face Manchester City on April 28.