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Liverpool enjoyed a successful first leg of the League Cup semi-finals as they came from behind to secure a 2-1 win over Fulham at Anfield on Wednesday night.

Willian's first-half goal gave the visitors the advantage at half time but substitutes Darwin Nunez and Cody Gakpo changed the game with key contributions off the bench.

The former set up Curtis Jones for the goal to make it 1-1 and then provided the assist for Gakpo to put the Reds 2-1 in front and in charge of the tie ahead of their trip to Craven Cottage later this month.

Despite the win, Jurgen Klopp may not be too impressed with some of the individual performances on display from players who were supposed to be fighting to show the boss that they deserve more game time in the Premier League.

Harvey Elliott did not fully grasp his opportunity on the right wing in the absence of Mohamed Salah but it was Ryan Gravenberch who truly flopped with a poor performance.

Harvey Elliott's performance against Fulham in numbers

The England U21 international started out on the right and did not influence the game at the top end of the pitch, with Liverpool losing 1-0 when he was substituted in the 56th minute.

Elliott failed to register a single shot on or off target throughout his time on the pitch, with one blocked effort, and did not create any 'big chances' for his teammates.

The young whiz did, however, complete two of his three attempted dribbles and 85% (46/54) of his attempted passes, which suggests that he was solid but unspectacular on the wing.

Whereas, Gravenberch was noticeably poor in the middle of the park and Klopp may have second thoughts about naming him in the starting line up moving forward.

Gravenberch's performance against Fulham in numbers

The summer signing from Bayern Munich left a lot to be desired with his display in midfield as he failed to impress alongside Alexis Mac Allister and Jones.

Gravenberch recorded a Sofascore rating of 6.3, which was the lowest rating in the Liverpool squad, and that was because of his struggles in and out of possession.

Minutes played

56

Duels contested

12

Duels won

Two

Tackles won

One

Interceptions

Zero

Blocks

Zero

Clearances

Zero

As you can see in the table above, Klopp's lightweight did not do enough in his physical contests to assert control in the middle of the park.

Fulham players found it far too easy to get the better of him in 50/50 duels and the Dutch midfielder must do far better in the future to retain the ball and provide a strong defensive presence.

Klopp hooked him, alongside Elliott, in the 56th minute but he still lost possession a whopping 16 times in less than an hour on the pitch. For a point of reference, Jones only lost possession 11 times in 90 minutes on the pitch, which illustrates how poor Gravenberch was on the ball.

Overall, the 21-year-old dud failed to take his opportunity to impress and flopped badly against Fulham, and this could hinder and limit his opportunities moving forward until he is able to prove himself as a reliable option for the boss.

The match against Bangladesh is shaping up as a crucial one, but Eoin Morgan said there was no panic in the ranks

George Dobell in Cardiff07-Jun-2019A glance at the fixtures list for this World Cup will tell you the knock-out section of the tournament does not start for another month. But England, at least, could be forgiven for feeling it starts on Saturday.If that sounds like hyperbole, it’s worth musing on likely scenarios. It looks, at this stage, as if teams with up to three losses will probably qualify for the semi-finals. And, with England having won one and lost one of their two games to date, defeat in Cardiff on Saturday would leave them going into their final six group matches with little margin for error. Especially as they face a tough final three games against India, New Zealand and Australia.But the weather has added something of a wildcard element to that equation. Washouts – especially washouts in games involving Afghanistan and Sri Lanka – could prove definitive, as Australia (who were eliminated from the 2017 Champions Trophy having managed to play only one game to completion) could testify. In short, defeat at the hands of Bangladesh could leave England facing an uphill challenge to qualify.They will not, therefore, require any reminders about the importance of this match or the quality of their opposition. Not only did Bangladesh defeat England in the previous two World Cups – the loss in Adelaide in 2015 sealed England’s early departure from the tournament – but Cardiff was the scene of the defeat that ended England’s Champions Trophy run in 2017. “Bangladesh are a side with a huge amount of potential,” Eoin Morgan, the England captain, said. “It is going to be a difficult game because they’re a good side. I think people under-estimate them.”All of which could leave the England environment just a little tense. So it is hardly surprising that the last few days have seen the management focus on attempting to alleviate that pressure and focus on the qualities – the joy and fearlessness – which sparked such a resurgence after the debacle of the 2015 World Cup. There have been no extra fielding sessions, no talk of the importance of this game and no thought of changing tactics.”The last couple of days for us has been a case of getting away from the game,” Morgan said. “I watch a lot of horse racing and speak to friends and family.”No, there have been no extra fielding drills. Absolutely not. Fielding for us has been an extremely strong point. We proved that in the first game. We had a bad day in the field at Trent Bridge. That can happen. I wouldn’t say we were more anxious than normal.”As a team, all we’ve talked about is sticking to what we do well and looking to our strengths. Before the tournament started we talked about losing games and how we would. Everything goes back to focusing on our strengths and how to get the best out of ourselves.”There’s no panic. We’re very realistic about performances whether we win or lose. If it doesn’t go our way next game or the game after, there’s no panic. It’s all about sticking to the process.”At such moments, Morgan sounds increasingly like a motivational speaker. And if it’s a temptation to lampoon his positivity – defeat against Pakistan is described as a “huge opportunity to learn more” while Jofra Archer’s struggles at Trent Bridge are interpreted as a positive: “If he doesn’t get hit, he won’t learn,” – but England are surely fortunate to have such a calm figure leading them. While previous campaigns have seen panic-driven changes of strategy at the last minute – dropping the captain just before the 2015 tournament, for example – Morgan is steadfast in his plans, equable in his temperament, and confident in the team he has assembled.His reaction to Archer’s outing at Trent Bridge is a decent example. Rather than seeing Archer’s figures – he conceded 79 from his 10 overs – and his fine for dissent as grounds for concern, he sees it as an inevitable step in the young player’s journey. Next time, he reasons, Archer will be better.”Jofra had never been hit before,” Morgan said. “He just didn’t go for any runs and eventually he went for runs. If he doesn’t get hit, he won’t learn. He has very rarely failed but when he does, he is quite chilled. After the game he was very relaxed. He is at the point in his career where he is picking up everything very quickly.”Yes, learning in a World Cup brings pressure. But he has played in the IPL, which is as good as you can replicate in the World Cup.”Morgan is not convinced that the 2015 defeat in Adelaide was especially traumatic, either. While it sealed England’s fate, he feels it was the loss in Wellington – where New Zealand won with almost 38 overs remaining – that was more reflective of how far off the pace England had fallen and more relevant in proving a catalyst for change.”We were knocked out after that Bangladesh match,” he said, “but I wouldn’t say it was a watershed moment. The big contributor to changing the way we played was the New Zealand game in Wellington. That made a big contribution to us making steps forward and good decisions.”We weren’t humiliated by Bangladesh. We were beaten again by a better team who deserved to win on the night. The humiliating games were the ones that happened previously. Ones where we were blown away.”It remains likely England will recall Liam Plunkett in place of one of the spinners – probably Adil Rashid – on Saturday. While the wicket has not played quite as green as it has looked here in recent games, those short boundaries are a nightmare for spinners, so England’s attack may be more seam heavy than usual. And that might present a challenge to Morgan in ensuring his side bowl their overs within the three-and-a-half hour window allowed.”There’s a chance we might go to four seamers,” Morgan said. “The wicket that we saw on Thursday looked similar to the wickets that have been played on here previously. There’s a bit of extra green grass. And it’s been under the covers for another day. So yes, there’s a chance we will change the team.”Sides have struggled with the over-rates so far, it’s not just us that has to keep an eye on it. I certainly don’t want to get suspended. Hopefully we can stay on top of it.”

Unai Emery has signed a new long-term contract at Aston Villa following their fourth place finish in the Premier League.

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Emery joined Villa in 2022Secures fourth and UCLSigns new long-term contractWHAT HAPPENED?

Emery, 52, has put pen to paper on a new five-year-deal at Villa Park after securing a spot in next season's Champions League. The deal commits him to the West Midlands club until 2029, after initially arriving in the Second City back in 2022 as Steven Gerrard's successor.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesWHAT EMERY SAID

Speaking in a statement released by the club, Emery said: “I am very happy to take this step and the responsibility of leading this club. Since I came to Villa with Wes and Nassef we found always the best environment and structure to develop a project with the highest ambition. All the football structure with Monchi and Damian and the owners, we share the same vision and same goals. There’s a great chemistry in Aston Villa. And the element of the fans’ support also makes the difference to feel like home. We are really excited to continue this journey with no limits to our dreams.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Villa announced an initial contract extension for the Spaniard in April, which was set to run until 2027. However, with his success at the club not going unnoticed by teams across Europe, such as Bayern Munich and Manchester United, Villa have now tied Emery down to a long-term deal.

Owners Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens are eager to build on the successes from the season, with the former adding: “We are building something special here at Aston Villa with Unai at its core and we are delighted that he has signed a new deal with the club until 2029.

“As we move into our historic, 150th anniversary year, there is a lot to look forward to with Unai at the helm.”

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR EMERY?

The Villa boss will now enjoy some well-deserved time off before prepping for the 2024-25 season. In the coming weeks, Emery and his recruitment team will discuss possible incomings and outgoings to prepare the team for their Champions League adventure in the next campaign.

Since arriving in December, Nuno Espirito Santo has identified the striker role as a position to upgrade on at Nottingham Forest, but he is now also on the lookout for a new defender.

However, their search could be put on hold after the club has been charged with a breach of the Premier League’s Profitability and Sustainability Rules.

Nevertheless, let’s take a look at the defender who could become the perfect partner for Murillo.

Forest’s search for a centre-back

According to reports from TEAMtalk earlier this week, Forest are interested in signing Trevoh Chalobah this month.

The Chelsea defender rejected a move to the Tricky Trees in the summer, but it is believed he could make the switch due to his desire to remain in England.

The Blues will reportedly accept a bid of £25m for the defender, but Forest will face competition from a couple of Italian clubs, notably Napoli.

How Chalobah would fit in the Forest team

Since moving to Forest in the summer for around £15m, Murillo has been a rock at the heart of the backline. The left-footed star has featured as the left centre-back in 15 Premier League matches this season, and since entering the starting XI, he has yet to be displaced.

Nottingham Forest Location Nottingham, EnglandOwner Evangelos MarinakisStadium The City GroundEstablished 1865Manager Sean Dyche

Nottingham Forest FC is a professional football club based in Nottingham, England. Forest are one of six English clubs to win the European Cup (Champions League). Forest play matches in the Premier League, the top tier of the English Football league system.

Nottingham Forest Standings| Nottingham Forest on TV| Transfer News

Furthermore, before this weekend, the Brazilian ranked first for the most clearances per ninety minutes (6) for players aged 21 or less throughout the entirety of Europe's top five leagues.

However, for the side to really develop into a top-half team, they must sign a right centre-back to partner Murillo, and Chalobah would be perfect for the role.

The Chelsea defender hasn’t played a single game of football all season, with the club’s never-ending recruitment and Chalobah’s need for minutes pushing him further down the pecking order. However, prior to the arrival of Mauricio Pochettino, the 24-year-old was a frequent starter for the Blues, playing 25 times in the Premier League last season.

Nonetheless, the table below shows a handful of Chalobah’s statistics from the last year across the top European leagues.

Tackles

2.05

Top 15%

Dribblers tackled

1.73

Top 1%

Touches

81.57

Top 14%

Passes completed

62.67

Top 16%

Successful take-ons

0.65

Top 6%

Passes into final third

4.65

Top 19%

Chalobah has been described as a “monster” by Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig for his ability to dominate both with and without the ball, with the ex-Huddersfield loanee extremely comfortable dealing with attackers who are direct, due to his athletic frame That makes him dynamic, as shown by his impressive tackling numbers.

The Chelsea star’s biggest attribute is his ability on the ball and confidence to receive it under any circumstance, highlighted by his high touches, successful take-ons, and passes completed. However, he also has the bravery to progress the ball quickly, which is vital when playing for a side that operates on the break.

Therefore, Chalobah would add a nice balance next to Murillo, who tends to progress play via dribbling, as shown by the fact he is in the top 1% for successful take-ons in the Premier League, as per FBref.

Overall, Chalobah is an extremely talented defender who needs the right environment to flourish, and he could do just that next to Murillo at Forest.

Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have been taught a “more difficult” transfer lesson at Wrexham, but an early snub is not considered to be “an issue”.

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Red Dragons had hoped to land HourihaneBig offer was knocked back by midfielderWelsh outfit now exploring other optionsWHAT HAPPENED?

The Red Dragons had been hoping to welcome more experience onto their books in the summer window, with a move made to snap up former Republic of Ireland international Conor Hourihane as a free agent. A lucrative contract offer was put to the 33-year-old midfielder, but he has taken on a player-coaching role at League One rivals Barnsley.

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Reynolds and McElhenney have grown accustomed to getting their own way while overseeing back-to-back promotions, but are now discovering that life in the third tier of English football is slightly more competitive and that Hollywood finances do not stretch quite as far.

WHAT PALMER SAID

Former EFL star Carlton Palmer sees no cause for concern in North Wales, but has told of Wrexham learning the hard way that recruitment business will not be easy to complete: “I don't think you can read too much into Conor Hourihane signing for Barnsley on a free transfer. A lot of people are reading into the fact that Wrexham offered him a very lucrative contract, he was available on a free after leaving Derby County, and the fact that he turned them down, I don't see this being an issue. The situation with Conor is that he was offered a player-coaches role, he's 33, and he's got Barnsley connections. So I would think all of those things factor into his decision not to go to Wrexham.

“Wrexham are on the up and up, and are doing really, really well – back-to-back promotions. They are going to face competition from other clubs, now that they've got up to League One, whereas they were down there, the Wrexham owners were throwing money at the job and paying people a lot of money. I think they will still be a very, very good project for some players to go to, but obviously in League One now competing with other big clubs who can pay those salaries, obviously it's going to be more difficult for Wrexham to get signings over the line. But this one, I wouldn't make too much of an issue of Wrexham missing out on his signature, despite the big offer reported to have been offered by Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney. I don't think too much can be read into that. The fact that he'd been offered a player-coaches role is more I think to do with his signature going to Barnsley, and his connection with the football club.”

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR WREXHAM?

Having missed out on Hourihane, Wrexham are now turning their attention elsewhere. McElhenney has admitted that further rounds of transfer talks are set to be held with Phil Parkinson in a bid to ensure that the right additions are made ahead of the 2024-25 campaign.

Whilst Newcastle United endured a January transfer window to forget, those at St James' Park can at least turn their attention towards the summer window in an attempt to make up for a disappointing month. In need of reinforcements, the Magpies are now looking at a future gem for Eddie Howe.

Newcastle transfer news

Much of Newcastle's focus during the January window was seemingly on keeping hold of players after the likes of Callum Wilson, Miguel Almiron and Kieran Trippier all linked with moves away, albeit without completing departures in the end. Since deadline day, however, the focus has been able to switch to potential summer targets.

Names such as Amadou Onana, Anton Stach and Matias Soule have already been mentioned as potential summer targets, as PIF look to splash the cash once again at St James' Park.

The rich owners will be hoping to get things right this time, having failed to invest wisely last summer, welcoming the since-banned Sandro Tonali, injury-prone Harvey Barnes, Lewis Hall, who is now out-of-favour, and the young Tino Livramento, the sole success story to this point. And when June arrives, they could get off to the perfect start by hijacking Arsenal's deal.

According to Fabrizio Romano, Newcastle are eyeing a move for Amario Cozier-Duberry if Arsenal's new contract with the youngster collapses. It will be a tight race for Cozier-Duberry's signature if he doesn't extend his stay in North London, however, with Wolverhampton Wanderers, Ajax, Borussia Dortmund and Anderlecht all in the same position as Newcastle. Romano posted the news of the potential "free transfer" on X.

Although Arsenal remain in control of the situation, when June arrives it will be interesting to see just where Cozier-Dubbery lines up, with plenty of clubs interested.

Cozier-Duberry can follow in Miley's footsteps

It speaks volumes that Cozier-Duberry is attracting interest from around European football at just 18-years-old. The right-winger will be hoping to follow the path of Bukayo Saka by breaking into the first team, but given that Saka is still only 22-years-old himself, the question must be asked whether or not Cozier-Duberry will ever gain a starting place in the current Arsenal side.

With that said, the teenager's attention could instead turn towards Newcastle and following academy graduates such as Lewis Miley, who has starred on the biggest stages already this season, despite being just 17-years-old. Cozier-Duberry can look at the chance that Howe has given Miley as a major encouragement, which could give him an interesting decision to make.

Game time and a pathway into the first team should be at the heart of the winger's decision, and if that's not guaranteed at The Emirates, then it would be wise to look towards Newcastle and Howe ahead of this summer.

England could end a 44-year wait for the World Cup on Sunday. Here we rate their failed attempts from least-worst to the absolute pits…

Andrew Miller12-Jul-20191992: Lost to Pakistan, FinalHow can you legislate against genius? Wasim Akram’s two-ball demolition job on Allan Lamb and Chris Lewis remains one of the most iconic passages of play of all time. Pakistan did what Pakistan do, and nothing and no-one was going to stand in their way – not even an England team that had spent the preceding weeks making a virtue of their bits and pieces, long before Sanjay Manjrekar turned their methods into a slur. Plus, there was that not-out lbw from Derek Pringle to Javed Miandad – he’d have been Sir Derek by now, had umpire Bucknor done the needful.1979: Lost to West Indies, FinalHow can you legislate against genius, part two? No, not Viv – his century was just run-of-the-mill brilliant that day – but rather Collis King, whose madcap 86 from 66 was so ahead of its time, it might as well have rocked up in a DeLorean, direct from 2009, announcing that something had to be done about the kids. By contrast, England’s reply had more in common with Sunil Gavaskar’s iconic 36 not out from the 1975 event. Boycott and Brearley (honestly, Boycott and Brearley!) opened the innings with 129 in an eternity before the young guns (Gooch! Gower! Botham!) ran out of road. Alas, where England were going that day, they didn’t need roads…1975: Lost to Australia, Semi-FinalScher-wing! Gary Gilmour had played just two ODIs in his life, and none for more than a year. But, faced with slate-grey skies at a forbiddingly grim Headingley, Australia knew a horse for a course when they saw one. Much like Bob Massie’s 16-wicket match at Lord’s in 1972, England had braced for a very different sort of a threat, namely Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thomson hurling the ball at their heads. Instead Gilmour zipped and slithered on a good length, bowling 12 overs unchanged to claim 6 for 14 with five massive inswingers and one that went away to Tony Greig. Even then his work wasn’t done, as Australia, chasing 94, slumped to 39 for 6. Cue a run-a-ball 28, because when it’s your day, it’s your day.Andy Bichel had the game of his life against England in 2003•Getty Images2003: Lost to Australia, Group StageCircumstances, circumstances … amid the miserabilia of England’s coloured-clothing World Cup era, the 2003 tournament deserves an asterisk at the very least. They had a side, lest we forget, with a bit of ticker about them – Trescothick, Knight, Stewart, Hussain et al – and they would surely have reached the Super Sixes but for their hanging-out-to-dry over the Zimbabwe issue. As for their eventual exit, well, it was brutal, but there’s a certain poignant what-iffery about Australia’s great escape in Port Elizabeth. Andy Bichel, Jimmy Anderson, that six into the scoreboard … ho hum …1987: Lost to Australia, FinalOkay, so England reached the final in Calcutta and did jolly well along the way – Graham Gooch’s sweep-laden century to break India’s hearts in the semi-final remains one of the great individual feats in the tournament’s history. But of course, England’s memories of this final are tarnished for myriad reasons. Mike Gatting’s reverse sweep with the match at his mercy foremost among them (though England, post-KP, would simply claim “that’s the way I play” and move on from it). But more unforgivably, that shot let Australia off the hook after their most miserable decade of all time, and allowed Allan Border to don his jackboots and embark on a decades-long campaign of Ashes subjugation.England’s 2007 campaign was forgettable other than for Andrew Flintoff falling off a pedalo•Getty Images2011: lost to Sri Lanka, Quarter-FinalA ten-wicket marmalisation at the hands of Upul Tharanga and Tillakaratne Dilshan. Not a lot to write home about, right? Well, yes … except the manner of England’s parting was, for once, not the story of their tournament. In scenes not dissimilar to their wild ride to this year’s semis, Andrew Strauss’s knackered band of erratics kept the 2011 tournament interesting, thanks to their extraordinary ability to raise and lower their standards to meet the perceived calibre of their opponents. Cue thrilling defeats to Ireland and Bangladesh, thrilling wins over South Africa and West Indies and an extraordinary tie against India. Oh, and they had just won the Ashes in Australia, so they get a pass for that as well (because no-one cared about 50-over cricket back then, did they?)1983: Lost to India, semi-finalIf West Indies had been paying even a smidgen more attention, rather than presuming their third title in as many tournaments was already in the bag, then India’s performance in their semi-final win over the hosts at Old Trafford might have given them a little insight into what to expect. Batting first, England stumbled to 213 all out on a deck that favoured the sort of accurate, nibbly bowlers of which India had an abundance. England’s quicks, by contrast, came onto the bat rather nicely for the likes Yashpal Sharma and Mohinder Amarnath. India’s comprehensive six-wicket win took them one step closer to that game-changing triumph.2007: Lost without trace, Super EightsMeh… 2007. Did it actually happen? Someone fell off a pedalo, and Paul Nixon played a nifty reverse-sweep against Sri Lanka (but England still lost, of course). Beyond that, Michael Vaughan’s men were so anodyne that it is not actually possible to pinpoint when and where they eventually dribbled out of contention.Rubel Hossain bowls last man James Anderson for a duck to wrap up the game•BCB2015: Lost to Bangladesh, Group StageAbject, abject, abject. The pits, the nadir, the data that was late (err?)… The only saving grace of 2015 – and to be fair, it gets some serious brownie points for this – is that Eoin Morgan, England’s belatedly appointed one-day skipper, was able to say “never again” after a clutch of GOAT humiliations, and someone in authority (Team Director Strauss, in fact, the man who had probably said similar to no-one in particular four years earlier) was in a sufficient position of authority to formulate a plan for world domination …1996: Lost to Sri Lanka, Quarter-FinalWhen your pinch-hitter being sick on the pitch is more memorable than any of his actual pinch-hitting (sorry, Neil Smith, but really…) you know you’ve hit a bum note on the world stage. All things being equal, the 1996 campaign was in fact England’s most abject of all time, in that they had no idea how far off the pace they had slipped – the world had turned on its axis since 1992, and England’s reliance on three Texaco Trophy matches a season (always in May, always 55 overs, always 3-0 to the home team) was a denial of the sport’s new realities. When Sanath Jayasuriya tore them a new one with his 82 from 44 in that legendary quarter-final in Faisalabad, England at least knew what sort of a corner they’d backed themselves into, even if they had no idea where or how to turn …1999:Lost to India, Group Stage… and if 1996 was hubris, then 1999 was nemesis. As we all know, it’s been 20 long years since England last hosted the Men’s Cricket World Cup, and that’s an awfully long time to have to sit and stew and wonder what might have been. The lack of planning, the lack of preparation, the lack of recognition that a tournament that had cut its apron-strings in 1983 and had grown beyond all recognition on its trips to India (1987), Australia (1992) and back to Asia (1996) was suddenly rather A Big Deal. And the manner of England’s exit was especially miserable. A rain-delayed defeat on a sparsely attended second day against India at Edgbaston, set against the gnawing dread caused by Zimbabwe’s shock defeat of South Africa. Fittingly, England didn’t even see the threat of elimination (or the opportunity of progression) until it was gone. And the less said about the World Cup anthem, the better.

Glasgow Rangers secured all three points against Ross County at Ibrox last night, but truth be told, the evening should have been a lot more comfortable than it was made to be.

The Light Blues took a total of 43 shots, of which 23 were on target, yet only won the game 3-1. A truly remarkable statistic and it proves exactly what area of the team Philippe Clement needs to invest in during the summer.

Cyriel Dessers may have scored a brace, but he also missed three big chances during the clash, and he continues to be a conundrum.

Aside from the missed chances, the vast majority of the starting XI were excellent, notably Todd Cantwell.

Todd Cantwell’s game in numbers vs Ross County

The Englishman was once again deployed in his preferred number ten role, and he excelled during the match, despite not scoring or providing an assist.

He did create two big chances and made four key passes, however, as the attacking midfielder looked to get things going right from the first whistle and his close control was sublime, jinxing through opponents like a knife through butter.

Cantwell also completed 89% of his passes and took 89 touches during the match, showing a desire to be involved constantly, and he came so close to scoring during the second half and a goal would have rounded up his performance nicely.

Rangers TV awarded the former Norwich City ace their Man of the Match award and given how dominant he was at times, there could be no arguments.

James Tavernier was the only player who was better from a statistical point of view, as the captain received an incredible perfect 10 rating from Sofascore for his display.

James Tavernier was excellent vs Ross County

With Dessers opening the scoring in the first five minutes, it looked as though it was going to be a relatively straightforward evening.

The Staggies equalising was not part of the script, but Tavernier kept pushing his men on, and he proved to be the catalyst for the Gers claiming all three points.

Not only did he take 139 touches, but the right-back assisted all three goals, created three big chances, and managed to take six total shots – albeit he failed to get on the scoresheet.

Tavernier also made eight (yes eight) key passes during the whole match as he continued to create chance after chance for the Light Blues on what was becoming a nervy evening in Glasgow.

John Souttar scored in the dying minutes to round off a win and while the captain lost possession a staggering 32 times, it was only because he was intent on bringing the ball deep into opposition territory to generate another barrage on the County backline.

Three points is all that matters, but on an evening where the Ibrox side could have scored ten goals, it will be looked upon as a major missed opportunity for Clement and his side.

The result sees Rangers move level on points with Celtic at the top of the Premiership table and if they keep on winning, they have an excellent chance of winning league title number 56.

Plus Chris Green’s jet-setting T20 career continues, and how Bermuda’s call could prove costly for Sussex

Matt Roller12-Aug-2019The Blast has enjoyed a considerable uplift from England’s World Cup-winning campaign with the competition poised to reach 1 million spectators for the first time (David Hopps writes).Hopes that the 1 million mark could be breached have been dashed before, but with nearly 900,000 sales achieved heading into last weekend’s games, it appears that only a continuation of recent bad weather could stop the target being reached.With the ECB’s emphasis increasingly turning to the launch of The Hundred in 2020, there were fears that the Blast could suffer as a result – and until England won the World Cup for the first time in mid-July the tournament had been matching, but not exceeding, comparable sales in 2018. All that has changed, leaving total ground sales now 14% ahead of the same time last year.London remains the main engine of Blast ticket sales with Surrey and Middlesex responsible for more than 20% of purchases. But the attraction of the Blast is growing in Hove, where Sussex, who went into the weekend games top of South Group, are packing them in with comparable success to two other non-Test grounds, Somerset and Essex.Lancashire, who head the table in the North, are also enjoying their most successful Blast season ever as they have become the best-attended county outside London.***Tom Abell is down on one knee to drive•Getty ImagesIn the excitement at Taunton on Saturday over Tom Banton’s maiden T20 hundred – another eye-catching innings that will surely propel him into England’s T20 side sooner rather than later – another crucial component in Somerset’s attempts to win the Blast, and with it keep their hopes of a treble alive, gained less attention.Tom Abell’s 63 from 33 balls, including a series of street-smart deflections past the wicketkeeper was another plucky innings from Somerset’s captain, but it was a surprise to discover that the innings put him into the top three in this season’s Blast strike rates.Abell awoke on Sunday morning to the news that he is scoring at 172.2 runs per hundred balls with only AB de Villiers (191.7) and Cameron Delport (180.6) above him (with a minimum of 200 runs scored). A little bloke who packs quite a punch, clearly.***Colin Ackermann could be forgiven a slightly bemused expression as he claimed the most successful global analysis in Twenty20 history.Ackermann, appointed Leicestershire’s Blast captain this season, exploited rare turn in the pitch at Grace Road to return 7 for 18 from his four overs of offspin, figures made all the more astounding for the fact he is primarily a batsman.Searching for an explanation for his success, he offered the thought that he had worked hard on his bowling over the English winter, which he spent playing for Warriors in his native South Africa, and had taken full advantage of the advice of former Test offspinner Simon Harmer, a team-mate at Warriors.That improvement was signalled when he picked up a maiden five-wicket return in first-class cricket in Leicestershire’s first Championship match of this season, a win against Sussex at Hove.But it’s fair to say that Warriors did not recognise they might be on to a good thing. Search his record in all competitions between October and March for the Warriors between October 2018 and March 2019 and there is not a wicket in sight.***Chris Green was handed the captaincy of Guyana Amazon Warriors in the CPL•Randy Brooks – CPL T20 / GettyBirmingham Bears swooped quickly to sign Chris Green to replace the injured Ashton Agar, with Paul Farbrace telling Sky he had been working night and day to find a last-minute replacement (Matt Roller writes).Green is a traditionalist’s worst nightmare of a cricketer. At 25, he is yet to make his first-class debut, though counts Lahore Qalandars, Guyana Amazon Warriors, and Toronto Nationals among his clubs.And he took the freelance lifestyle to the next level last week. After losing the Global T20 eliminator to Winnipeg Hawks on Thursday afternoon in controversial circumstances – the game was called off early due to bad light, and Green’s side lost on DLS – he got a lift to the airport to get on the 11.19pm flight from Toronto to Heathrow.That meant he arrived at 11.05am in the UK, and drove up to Birmingham just in time to meet his new team-mates and have a quick warm-up before Friday night’s game against Nottinghamshire, which started around 18 hours after his previous game – on a different continent, remember – had finished.After seven games for Birmingham, Green will fly straight to the Caribbean Premier League to make his Guyana return. In a blow for fans of nominative determinism, his carbon footprint is racking up.***On the subject of Birmingham, it was unthinkable last year that Ed Pollock – then a world-record holder for his pinch-hitting exploits – would be kept out of the team due to anything other than injury, but he found himself dropped four games into the Blast after a slow start to the competition.While his side was capitulating against Ackermann, Pollock was sat at home after hitting a 39-ball 100 for Warwickshire’s 2nd XI against Durham, and would have been forgiven for wondering why he had been omitted.His situation demonstrates the difficulties of the role he was given – to score at a 200 strike rate from the word go. It is one that comes with a high floor and a low ceiling, and one which requires a team which will stick with you during the rough times. But as long as cricketing orthodoxy – which comes down hard on those who get out playing attacking shots – prevails ahead of new-age T20 thinking, the Pollocks of the world will be up against it.***Delray Rawlins gets low to sweep•Getty ImagesSussex are expected to be without Delray Rawlins for four of their remaining games after the explosive middle-order batsman was picked in Bermuda’s squad for the ICC Americas T20 World Cup Qualifier.While the club is yet to comment publicly, the Bermudian reported that after much wrangling and negotiation, the national team have secured Rawlins’ service for the tournament.Rawlins’ opportunities with the bat have been limited this season – largely due to Sussex’s imposing top order facing so many balls between them – but he is striking at 160.97, and hit a vital 35 not out off 17 balls to see off Gloucestershire at Bristol: he may yet be a big miss.***Any disappointment Kent officials may have felt after their mauling by Somerset on Saturday evening will fade rapidly should their county qualify for Finals Day on September 21 (Paul Edwards writes).The likelihood of that happening has been increased by the return to fitness of skipper Sam Billings, who dislocated his shoulder 80 minutes into his first appearance for his team in April but played a full part in Saturday’s game, albeit he will not be keeping wicket this season.Many of Kent’s performances have already mocked the predictions made about the county in March but the addition of Billings’ clean hitting to a batting line-up which already includes Mohammad Nabi and Alex Blake increases Kent’s chances of making the last eight and even securing a home semi-final.”Sam has come back quicker than we thought he would and he’s worked very hard to get himself in the frame,” the Kent coach, Matt Walker, said. “We’re bringing back a very fine international T20 cricketer but also one of the best one-day captains in the country. It is almost like signing an overseas player.”We’ve coped very well to win six games without him but his return gives a real lift to the dressing room.”

Manchester United legend Roy Keane was spotted hiding from selfie-hunters in a shopping mall in Berlin.

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Keane hilariously hid from selfie-huntersWas on a shopping trip with WrightWorking as a pundit for ITV in Euro 2024WHAT HAPPENED?

Keane went on a shopping trip in a mall in Berling along with ex-Arsenal star and ITV co-pundit Ian Wright when a bunch of fans came to click photographs with the former football stars. While Wright happily obliged, Keane was spotted hiding from the fans as he jokingly entered a store to get away from getting clicked.

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Euro 2024 kicked off in style on Friday with the hosts Germany thrashing Scotland 5-1 in the opening encounter at Allianz Arena in Munich. Florian Wirtz, Jamal Musiala and Kai Havertz handed the hosts a convincing 3-0 lead at halftime before Niclas Fullkrug and Emre Can found the back of the net in the second half to seal a statement win for the Germans.

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On Saturday, 2008 and 2012 winners Spain will begin their journey in the competition as they take on 2018 World Cup runners-up Croatia in Berlin.