Quando o Campeonato Carioca começou, logo após o fim do Brasileiro, um nome chamava a atenção entre os meninos do Flamengo: Michael. Contratação de R$ 34 milhões do clube, o atacante pediu para disputar o Estadual, apesar da folga dada ao grupo principal. O objetivo do jogador era recuperar seu espaço no elenco, e vem dando certo.
Neste sábado, o camisa 19 foi um dos destaques do time na vitória por 3 a 0 sobre o Volta Redonda, dando os passes para dois dos três gols de Pedro na partida. Michael agora tem seis assistências em apenas 11 jogos nesta temporada, sendo somente oito como titular. O volume já é superior ao do último ano, quando serviu seus companheiros quatro vezes em 43 atuações.
Principal garçom do Flamengo em 2021, o jogador lidera também o ranking geral do Carioca neste fundamento. Com os dois passes no primeiro jogo da semifinal, deixou para trás Nenê, do Fluminense, e Luã Lúcio, do Novo Iguaçu, ambos com quatro assistências.
JOGADORES COM MAIS ASSISTÊNCIAS NO CARIOCA 2021 – Dados do Footstats
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أشاد النجم المصري السابق طارق يحيى، بالعمل الذي يقوم به الجهاز الفني لـ منتخب مصر بقيادة حسام حسن، مؤكدًا على أهمية السياسة التي يتبعها المدير الفني في تجديد دماء المنتخب وإدخال عناصر جديدة.
وكان منتخب مصر قد حسم تأهله إلى نهائيات كأس أمم إفريقيا 2025، بعد الفوز على موريتانيا في الجولة الرابعة من التصفيات، بهدف عالمي للاعب إبراهيم عادل.
وقال طارق يحيى في تصريحات عبر إذاعة “أون سبورت إف إم”: “بداية موفقة للجهاز الفني بقيادة حسام حسن، عندهم سياسة وهي إحلال وتجديد المنتخب الذي لم يتغير من 7 أو 8 سنوات، هو يُحاول أن يُغير ويضم عناصر جديدة جيدة أثبتت وجودها بشكل كبير ولعبوا مباريات جيدة، وهذه السياسة ستأتي بالنفع على المنتخب مثلما كان كيروش يفعل”.
وتابع: “كيروش تعرض للانتقاد في البداية، والهجوم، وبعد أن رحل عن تدريب منتخب مصر قالوا أنه كان مُحقا، كيروش هو من اكتشف مرموش وعمر كمال عبد الواحد ومحمد عبد المنعم، حسام حسن له وجهة نظر محترمة، قدم بعض اللاعبين رغم أنهم لم يكونوا في الصورة كلاعبين دوليين”.
طالع أيضًا | ميدو: لاعبو منتخب مصر اكتسبوا شخصية حسام حسن.. وسترون نسخة مختلفة من محمد صلاح
وأضاف: “لا أعرف لماذا نكون دائمًا ضد المدرب المصري عندما يختار اللاعبين، يا جماعة اتركوه يعمل ونُحاسبه على الأهداف، هو تأهل إلى أمم إفريقيا، ومازال عنده هدفين الفوز بأمم إفريقيا والتأهل لكأس العالم، لو حقق هذين الهدفين نضرب له تعظيم سلام”.
وأردف: “اللاعبون صغار في السن، ولا بد أن يحصلوا على الدعم من الجماهير، ما المشكلة أن يدعو اتحاد الكرة النجوم السابقين لحضور مباريات منتخب مصر، حسن شحاتة وحسام البدري ومجدي عبد الغني، هذه الدعوات قد تستقطب بعض الجماهير”.
واختتم: “الجهاز الفني لمنتخب مصر لا بد ألا يهتم بأي أمور خارج إطار عمله، ويرفع الضغوط من عليه ولا يخلق عدوات، أنت تحتاج الأصوات التي ليست معك، هناك نوع من الذكاء الإجتماعي لا بد أن تتعامل به مع الإعلام، يجب أن يفرغ نفسه للملعب فقط ويدعو الجميع للتكاتف، وكفى تصريحات تخلق حساسية بينه وبين الناس”.
Rob Keogh and Adam Rossington partnership puts Northants in charge before late wickets fall
ECB Reporters Network11-Sep-2019
Rob Keogh gets down to slash the ball square•Getty Images
Northamptonshire 325 for 7 (Keogh 132, Rossington 63) lead Leicestershire 308 (Rhodes 61*) by 17 runs Three late wickets ensured Leicestershire remained in the game after a century from Rob Keogh had threatened to leave Northamptonshire firmly in control of the Specsavers Division Two Championship match at the Fischer County Ground.Adam Rossington, Luke Procter and then Keogh all fell in the final hour as Northants, having been 304 for 4, closed on 325 for 7, a lead of just 17 with three wickets in hand.Resuming on 276 for 8, the Foxes had George Rhodes and Will Davis to thank for picking up a third batting bonus point, Davis driving three boundaries through the off side before a misunderstanding with Rhodes saw him unable to regain his ground at the non-striker’s end in time to beat Keogh’s throw from midwicket.Alex Evans, making his Leicestershire debut, lasted only three balls before going leg before to an in-swinger from Brett Hutton, leaving Rhodes, also making his debut after moving from Worcestershire, unbeaten on a first-class career-best 61.After an expensive first over, Evans, a 19-year-old seam bowler at Loughborough University, bowled impressively, and was rewarded when Northants opener Rob Newton left a delivery which seamed back in and hit the top of off stump. Davis then struck in the first over after lunch, Ben Curran edging a flat-footed drive to wicketkeeper Harry Swindells.Keogh and Alex Wakely added 55 for the third wicket before Wakely was unfortunate to be caught behind the wicket down the leg side, flicking at a wide delivery from Evans.Richard Levi was bowled by a Chris Wright delivery that came back sharply, but Keogh continued to bat with impressive assurance and positivity, hitting ten boundaries in reaching his half-century off just 69 balls. He received solid support from Northants skipper Rossington in adding 148 for the fifth wicket, with Keogh hitting a further seven boundaries in going to his century off 134 deliveries.Rossington also passed 50, and the pair appeared in total control until Rossington walked down the wicket to Evans and lifted a full delivery high to deep backward square, giving Wright a simple catch. Offspinner Colin Ackermann then turned one out of the footholds to bowl Procter before Keogh played a weary shot at a wide delivery from Davis to give Rhodes a catch at point.
علّق تشابي ألونسو، المدير الفني لفريق باير ليفركوزن، على فوزهم الصعب في مباراة اليوم ضد آينتراخت فرانكفورت في بطولة الدوري الألماني.
وتلاقى الفريقان في خضم لقاءات الجولة السابعة من الدوري الألماني، حيث خسر آينتراخت فرانكفورت بهدفين لهدف.
تقدم آينتراخت فرانكفورت بهدف، سجله المحترف المصري عمر مرموش في الدقيقة 16 من عمر الشوط الأول، من ضربة جزاء.
جاءت ضربة جزاء مرموش بعد إهدار باير ليفركوزن لضربة جزاء، في الدقيقة التاسعة.
وقال ألونسو، في تصريحات نشرها الموقع الرسمي لنادي باير ليفركوزن: “لقد كانت مباراة رائعة بين فريقين جيدين، نحن سعداء للغاية بالنقاط الثلاث”.
اقرأ أيضًا.. إيكو: مرموش يوجه رسالة واضحة إلى ليفربول في مباراة فرانكفورت وباير ليفركوزن
وأضاف: “كنا ندرك جيدًا أن آينتراخت في مستوى جيد، كان من المهم بالنسبة لنا أن نظهر القوة مرة أخرى على أرضنا وقد نجحنا”.
وواصل: “لقد أظهرنا عقلية رائعة بالعودة بقوة بعد ركلة جزاء ضائعة من جانبنا، واسقبالنا هدف من ركلة جزاء ضدنا (هدف عمر مرموش)، لقد تماسكنا معًا بشكل جيد في النهاية، يمكننا البناء على ذلك”.
وأكد: “كان من المهم أن نظهر مدى قوتنا في ملعبنا، كنا بحاجة لهذا الشعور، لذلك يمكننا أن نكون راضين للغاية اليوم ونستغل الفوز في المهام المقبلة”.
Neste domingo, às 18h, o Botafogo estreia na Taça Rio de 2021, no estádio Nilton Santos, contra o Nova Iguaçu. O confronto de 180 minutos vale vaga na final da competição, mas também é importante para o Alvinegro defender a invencibilidade contra os times pequenos do Rio de Janeiro na temporada. O Glorioso encerrou aTaça Guanabara com três vitórias e seis empates. As duas únicas derrotas vieram para Flamengo e Fluminense.
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> Veja quem entrou em campo pelo Botafogo na temporada de 2021
Contra Boavista, Resende, Bangu, Madureira, Portuguesa, Volta Redonda, Macaé e o próprio Nova Iguaçu, o Glorioso sofreu cinco gols e marcou 13. Além disso, contra essas equipes, o Botafogo teve três vitórias e cinco empates. Isso mostra que, dos 24 pontos possíveis nesse espaço amostral, 14 foram conquistados.
Entre empates e vitórias, alguns jogos foram mais fáceis, porém outros foram mais difíceis. Contra Resende e Macaé, o Botafogo foi superior e conseguiu aplicar 3 a 0 e 4 a 0, respectivamente. No entanto, contra Portuguesa, Madureira e Volta Redonda, por exemplo, o empate foi suado.
> Veja a tabela do Campeonato Carioca
O adversário da vez, o Nova Iguaçu, foi o time que passou mais perto de encerrar essa invencibilidade do clube de General Severiano. As equipes se enfrentaram em Bacaxá na sexta rodada da Taça Guanabara, e otime da Baixada Fluminense vencia até os 45 do segundo tempo. Entretanto, em apenas cinco minutos, Ênio e o então estreante Marco Antônio deixaram o Botafogo em vantagem.
Essa partida, inclusive, foi especial para o camisa 70 do Botafogo. Marco Antônio entrou no lugar de Warley aos 15 minutos da etapa final e conseguiu contribuir com uma assistência e um gol. Em entrevista recente à Botafogo TV, ele projetou o duelo e destacou que, dessa vez, a Laranja Mecânica da Baixada fará um jogo mais difícil.
– Ótima lembrança, na minha estreia, contra o Nova Iguaçu, pude fazer um gol e dar um passe (assistência). Mas agora é outro campeonato, é um mata-mata, e o Nova Iguaçu vem mais preparado para esse jogo. Sabemos da dificuldade que vai ser, mas esperamos fazer um grande jogo e quem sabe eu possa fazer um gol e contribuindo com passe e a equipe saindo com a vitória.
Em tempo: as equipes voltam a campo no próximo domingo, às 18h, para o jogo da volta. O time que avançar encara o ganhador do confronto entre Madureira e Vasco, que estão na outra chave da semifinal.
Dan Ashworth wants to mastermind a huge double transfer swoop at Manchester United this summer, should he complete his move to Old Trafford.
Man Utd working on Dan Ashworth deal
Sir Jim Ratcliffe is looking to oversee huge changes at United in the coming months, bringing an end to what has been a poor spell since Sir Alex Ferguson moved on. Sunday's 3-1 defeat away to Manchester City highlighted the gulf in class between the two rivals, and there need to be major improvements both on and off the pitch.
One of Ratcliffe's primary aims currently is to secure the services of Dan Ashworth, who is currently on gardening leave after informing Newcastle United of his desire to leave the club and move to United. It is a complicated situation, however, with the Red Devils not willing to pay the Magpies £20m in compensation to bring him in this summer, meaning they could have to wait until 2026.
Dan Ashworth for England.
The Englishman is an extremely highly-rated figure in his field, excelling as the Magpies' sporting director, masterminding key transfers and working seamlessly alongside Eddie Howe. The Newcastle boss has called him "hugely important" and "really calming", and he could be a fantastic appointment by United.
The Red Devils haven't had a figure of Ashworth's calibre in place in recent years and it has shown in their recruitment, with huge sums of money spent on signings who have ultimately underwhelmed, including the likes of Jadon Sancho and Antony.
Antony
In comparison, rivals Liverpool have shown how it's done, with Michael Edwards a superb sporting director who brought in the likes of Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah for reasonable fees, proving the power of having a true specialist in the field.
Dan Ashworth eyes huge Man Utd double signing
According to an exciting update from Inter Live [via Sport Witness], Ashworth wants to bring both Gleison Bremer and Nicolo Barella to United in the summer, in a combined deal worth €140m (£120m).
The 52-year-old could oversee a "sensational transfer operation" at Old Trafford, as he looks to "plunder" two of Serie A's biggest club, snapping him up a couple of important players.
Bremer and Barella could be exactly what United need this summer, with defensive and midfield reinforcements required, in order to significantly improve the spine of Erik ten Hag's team.
The former has been a rock at the heart of Juventus' defence this season, winning an average of 2.7 aerial duels per game across 26 Serie A appearances this season, and at 26, he represents a younger alternative to Maguire, Raphael Varane and Jonny Evans.
Notable Dan Ashworth signings
Year
Cost
Alexander Isak (Real Sociedad to Newcastle)
2022
£63m
Anthony Gordon (Everton to Newcastle)
2023
£45m
Sven Botman (Lille to Newcastle)
2022
£31m
Nick Pope (Burnley to Newcastle)
2022
£10m
Tino Livramento (Southampton to Newcastle)
2023
£30m
Alexis Mac Allister (Argentinos Juniors to Brighton)
2019
£6.9m
Tariq Lamptey (Chelsea to Brighton)
2020
£5m
Moises Caicedo (Independiente del Valle to Brighton)
2021
£4m
Kaoru Mitoma (Kawasaki Frontale to Brighton)
2021
£2.5m
Leandro Trossard (Genk to Brighton)
2019
£13m
Meanwhile, Barella has been one of the best midfielders in Italy for some time now, winning 51 caps for his country and playing a key role in Inter Milan reaching the Champions League final last year. He could provide both the technical class and legs that are sorely lacking in the middle of the park at United currently, with only Bruno Fernandes (3.0) averaging more key passes per game in the league than him (1.1) this season.
Arsenal set to rival Man Utd in deal to sign "fantastic" star for Arteta
The Gunners are looking to add depth to their left-hand side.
ByTom Cunningham Mar 4, 2024
This may all be dependent on whether United are able to acquire Ashworth's services, of course, but he would be a significant capture if the club can snap him up, helping them slowly return to the top of English football.
Na manhã deste domingo, o Botafogo perdeu para o Vasco por 1 a 0, no estádio Nilton Santos, no jogo de ida da final da Taça Rio. Na partida, os times só conseguiram acertar cinco bolas na direção do gol adversário – uma pelo lado do Glorioso e quatro pelo lado do Cruzmaltino. Em entrevista coletiva, o técnico Marcelo Chamusca analisou o clássico e admitiu que sua equipe precisa melhorar nas finalizações.
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>Nova camisa lançada! Relembre os últimos uniformes II do Botafogo
– A gente tem tentando estabelecer um padrão ofensivo nas últimas semanas, colocar uma eficácia maior nos treinamentos. Falando em relação ao jogo, jogamos com um adversário direto na Série B e foi equilibrado. O Vasco não teve supremacia, até concordo que o Botafogo precisa melhorar nas finalizações. O Botafogo cresceu, principalmente na consistência defensiva. O Vasco teve muita dificuldade na nossa defesa, mas faltou força ofensiva, principalmente no segundo tempo depois do gol. Faltou qualidade e construção – disse Chamusca, que ainda completou.
-O jogo hoje foi de pouquíssimas finalizações dos dois lados, o Vasco até finalizou menos que o Botafogo, eles foram mais assertivos. Esses chutes que o Vasco criou no jogo foram de fora da área. Só teve uma finalização de dentro da área, que foi o gol. O jogo de muita marcação, truncado. Tecnicamente, foi muito abaixo da expectativa. O Botafogo tem muita dificuldade e a gente vem tentando trabalhando nesse aspecto durante a semana. Finalizamos mais mas só acertamos o alvo uma vez. O que dificulta um pouco é que são jogadores jovens, às vezes eles ficam ansiosos e a gente acaba pecando em um aspecto fundamental – finalizou.
O lance do gol vascaíno surgiu no começo do segundo tempo. Ainda no campo de defesa, perto da entrada da área, Sousa se enrolou com a bola e não conseguiu sair jogando. Como resultado, Léo Jabá recuperou a posse de bola para o Vasco e tocou para o artilheiro Germán Cano, que dentro da área, teve apenas o trabalho de concluir para o fundo das redes.
Na coletiva de imprensa, Chamusca recordou que esse foi o primeiro gol que o Botafogo sofre na saída de bola desde a sua chegada. Assim, ele acredita que esta não é uma dificuldade do Alvinegro e deu os méritos ao adversário por aproveitar a oportunidade.
– É o primeiro gol que o Botafogo toma aqui de saída de bola desde que eu cheguei aqui, então não é dificuldade. Nos outros jogos nós tivemos controle total das ações, mas hoje nós cometemos um erro. Esse erro foi decisivo porque o Vasco soube aproveitar, aí é o mérito do adversário. Mas eu não tenho a leitura que o Botafogo vem errando na saída de bola. A maioria dos gols que sofremos são com outras características. Isso não pode trazer uma preocupação exacerbada, vamos analisar com calma.
تحدث أحمد سالم المتحدث الرسمي باسم مجلس إدارة نادي الزمالك، عن تفاصيل الاجتماع الذي عقده مجلس الإدارة بشأن مناقشة أزمة الاعتداء على مسؤول الأمن في مباراة بيراميدز من قبل الثلاثي نبيل دونجا ومصطفى شلبي ومدير الكرة عبد الواحد السيد، كما أعلن عن الموقف النهائي من خوض المباراة النهائية أمام الأهلي.
وكان أحمد سالم المتحدث الرسمي قال عبر حسابه الرسمي بموقع التواصل الاجتماعي “فيس بوك”، إن مجلس الإدارة سوف يجتمع لمناقشة قرار الانسحاب من بطولة السوبر المصري بسبب ما وصفه بالتعنت والضغوط غير المحتملة التي تتعرض لها البعثة، في أزمة الاعتداء على مسؤول الأمن في مباراة بيراميدز.
وقال سالم خلال تصريحات عبر قناة “إم بي سي مصر” لبرنامج “الكورة مع فايق”: “تم بالاجماع بعد المناقشة أننا مستمرين وسنخوض المباراة النهائية يوم الخميس المقبل”.
وأضاف: “يوم الواقعة نفسها تم توجيه الاعتذار مرة واثنين وثلاثة وكان يوجد احترام شديد لأي قرار سيصدر”.
طالع | أول تحرك رسمي من الزمالك بعد أزمة ثلاثي الفريق ومسؤول أمن مباراة بيراميدز
وتابع: “حسين لبيب وحسام المندوه تواجدا في قسم الشرطة ثاني يوم المباراة، ولم يتم رفض الاعتذار، أي مخطىء يعتذر وسيعاقب، ولكن يجب اختيار توقيت العقاب، يوجد تحقيق من أول لحظة لعقاب كل مخطىء وسنعلن عن ذلك قريبًا جدًا”.
وأكمل: “جوميز واللاعبون لا أريد أقول أنهم كانوا في حالة انهيار، اليوم الأول كان صعبًا جدًا على البعثة بالكامل وكان يوجد ضغط نفسي وعصبي”.
وواصل: “أي قرار سيصدر يجب أن ينفذ ويحترم، معنا فريق محامين كبير جدًا، أكيد القضاء الإماراتي سينظر بروح القانون، لأنه لم يكن هناك أي تعمد ولكن سوء تصرف شديد في الملعب”.
واستمر: “ترددت أحاديث كثيرة جدًا، لا توجد أي روايات مؤكدة وكل ما يقال كلام سوشيال ميديا، وكل الأمور محل تحقيق”.
واستطرد: “(كلام وقح) ولا يليق ولم يحدث كله كلام فبركة مواقع، وغير صحيح أن عبد الواحد السيد قال إن الشخص المعتدي عليه كان يرتدي قميص أحمر وأهلاوي”.
وأتم: “كل التصريحات التي خرجت على لسان لبيب مفبركة وغير صحيحة، نتمنى انتهاء أزمة أحمد فتوح وعبد الواحد ودونجا وشلبي، فريق الزمالك قدها واللاعبون لديهم روح عالية جدًا، وسيعودون بالبطولة بإذن الله”.
ويلتقي الأهلي مع الزمالك، مساء الخميس المقبل، في المباراة النهائية لبطولة كأس السوبر المصري في الموسم الحالي 2024-2025.
Liverpool fielded a strong line-up against Sparta Prague on Thursday night, with a few eyebrows raised given Jurgen Klopp's side headed into the contest with a sizeable advantage after winning 5-1 in the first leg in the Czech Republic.
Still, a 6-1 drubbing over the hapless visitors issued an ominous statement of intent for Liverpool's Europa League opponents, with the Reds the clear bookmakers' favourites to secure the one major trophy that has evaded Klopp's tenure.
A dominant showing saw two goals from Cody Gakpo and more from Darwin Nunez, Mohamed Salah, Dominik Szoboszlai and Bobby Clark ending infinitesimal Czech hopes of a comeback with an unrelenting opening.
Liverpool now prepare for a trip to Old Trafford to face Manchester United in the FA Cup on Sunday, and while many supporters would have wished for greater rotation, further starts for the teenage talents that have been so impressive in recent weeks, this exercise in sharpness and fluency was clearly performed with sights set on prevailing against Erik ten Hag's side.
Some almost certain to start at the weekend were left out, with Virgil van Dijk introduced for the final half-hour and Luis Diaz and Alexis Mac Allister unused substitutes.
Mac Allister will partner up with Wataru Endo and Dominik Szoboszlai in the engine room in what means Clark must return to the bench, but what a breakthrough the dynamic midfielder has forged over recent fixtures.
Bobby Clark's game vs Sparta Prague in numbers
Liverpool's injury-hit squad has called upon the teenage ranks of late and they have certainly stepped up to the plate. Jarell Quansah and Conor Bradley were the seasonal trailblazers but Clark has since followed and cemented himself at the forefront of the academy hopefuls.
Liverpool player Bobby Clark warming up.
On Thursday night, the 19-year-old bagged a goal – his first as a professional – and assist apiece and received praise from reporter Keifer MacDonald for his "flawless" display, demonstrating his value in Klopp's first team once again.
The performance now takes Clark up to 11 senior appearances for the Reds in 2023/24 and there's more than a slight sense that there is so much still to come from this talented teenager, who joined from Newcastle United as a 16-year-old back in 2021.
Bobby Clark: Stats vs Sparta Prague
Stat
#
Minutes played
73'
Goals
1
Assists
1
Touches
64
Accurate passes
49/53 (92%)
Key passes
1
Duels won
4/5
Stats via Sofascore
While Clark grows with each passing game, a poor performance on Thursday night would have done little to dissuade Liverpool in their plan for the player, fashioned into an all-action midfielder after spending his early years further forward, out wide or as the ten.
More important was Gakpo's game, with the Dutch attacker struggling to perform across recent weeks as Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz, conversely, have achieved their finest form of the season.
Cody Gakpo's performance vs Sparta Prague
Gakpo started on the left wing against Sparta Prague but he roamed around the field and impressed with his dynamism and crispness, complementing his brace with 43 accurate passes from 46 attempts, making one key pass and taking 64 touches in total, as per Sofascore.
He did win just one of his nine contested duels on the evening, but this does not negate a promising performance and a return to goalscoring form, taking his 2023/24 tally to 13 goals from 41 appearances, with five assists too.
Writing in his post-match player ratings, the Liverpool Echo's Ian Doyle handed Gakpo an 8/10 score after his striking success, stating: 'Confidence-boosting showing down the left flank and did well to tuck away the fourth goal and clever flick for the sixth. Denied hat-trick by one wayward finish and a good save.'
Nunez opened the scoring in what has been a remarkable polishing, sharpening, of raw qualities over recent months and with Salah, who bagged a goal and supplied a hat-trick of assists, immovable in Klopp's frontline, Gakpo faces a fight to cement a regular starting berth.
Nonetheless, he has been good this season and it's easy to forget that he has been a victim of his own versatility, playing six or more fixtures across four different positions, including central midfield.
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He remains a valuable member of the squad but there's no question that he was in need of a boost, and his two-goal haul over Železná Sparta has proved that he is capable of overcoming bumps in the road.
Cody Gakpo's season in numbers
Gakpo, aged 24, joined Liverpool in testing condition over 14 months ago, signing from PSV Eindhoven for £35m in January 2023 after an impressive World Cup with the Netherlands, though he arrived at an Anfield side in crisis and struggled to make an impact initially.
That said, he's looked far more promising during his first full campaign and has been utilised across a wealth of different positions to plug gaps and aid Liverpool's fight for silverware across every front – a conquest yet to unravel across any one competition.
Cody Gakpo 23/24: Stats per Competition
Competition
Apps
Starts
Goals
Assists
Premier League
26
12
5
3
Europa League
6
5
4
2
Carabao Cup
6
5
4
0
FA Cup
3
3
0
0
Sourced via Transfermarkt
His total return is decent but his Premier League term is slightly modest, though just 12 of his 26 fixtures in the top-flight have come from the outset, regularly featuring in different roles.
He's played up front with the greatest regularity, and as per FBref, the £120k-per-week ace ranks among the top 20% of forwards across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for assists, the top 9% for pass completion, the top 5% for progressive passes, the top 17% for shot-creating actions, progressive carries and successful take-ons, the top 4% for tackles and the top 9% for interceptions per 90.
This noteworthy spread of metrics highlights Gakpo's protean footballing ability and also the elite technical skills that make him such an underrated member of the squad.
Liverpool's Cody Gakpo.
Admittedly, he hasn't been perfect this season but perhaps his influence goes under the radar sometimes; perhaps his skill set brings the best out of his teammates, making intelligent runs and flicking clever touches and crafting impactful passes.
Gakpo will hold himself accountable for some questionable recent form but he stepped up with a starring display against Sparta Prague and has reaffirmed his importance for Klopp as he chases down further silverware in his final season at Liverpool.
Ahead of the first T20I, he spoke of the need to protect players from ‘vultures that are out to take down their careers’
Deivarayan Muthu in Hyderabad05-Dec-20192:19
Need to protect young talent from ‘vultures’ – Pollard
Hyderabad. It’s where the Kieron Pollard story burst to life a decade ago, when he smashed an unbeaten 18-ball 54 for Trinidad & Tobago against New South Wales in the Champions League. That innings changed his life, and it changed T20 too, setting him on a trailblazing path towards becoming the format’s first globetrotting freelancer.Hyderabad was also the scene, more recently, of Pollard’s fourth IPL title win with Mumbai Indians, in May earlier this year.ALSO READ – The Cricket Monthly: Pollard, a mercenary and legendPollard is back at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium now, as the captain of a West Indies team that is preparing to defend its T20 World Cup title next year. He has fond memories of the ground, and hopes his vast experience of playing in India will benefit a revamped West Indies team that includes some new faces as well as old ones like Lendl Simmons.”It is common knowledge. We have played a lot of cricket around the world, we play a lot of cricket here in India,” Pollard said on the eve of the T20I series opener against India. “Fond memories of this ground, going all the way back to 2009, with Trinidad & Tobago. So, it’s just a matter of trying to use that experience and enlightening our group. Hopefully, that experience can hold us in good stead. We are here to play some good cricket and we are prepared well. Hopefully, come tomorrow, we will hit the ground running.”Getty Images
Opening batsman Brandon King and legspinner Hayden Walsh are among the new faces in the T20I and ODI sides. King torched the CPL with his blistering strokeplay, but his form cooled off against Afghanistan in Lucknow, where he managed a mere 17 runs in three T20I innings at an average of 5.66 and strike rate of 73.91.Walsh, who was the leading wicket-taker in the CPL despite playing only nine games for the champion team Barbados Tridents, hasn’t yet posed the same kind of threat in international cricket. Pollard has backed the newbies, urging the public to not be too critical of them after just one or two international series.”We’re excited to be here [in India] and represent the West Indies and yes, again, scores and wickets haven’t shown their ability yet,” Pollard said. “But, you can’t judge people on a couple of games and I think that’s the problem we have as individuals. We try to judge people too quickly. We need to give people time in everything we do.”In order for guys to invest in what they do, they need experience and we as the management team want to back these guys and see how far we can go because we have seen their talent and attitude and that’s some of the things we look at.”ALSO READ: Who will fill the Russell-sized hole for West Indies?Shimron Hetmyer and Nicholas Pooran have been around the set-up a little longer than King and Walsh, but though they were both part of West Indies’ 50-overs World Cup side, they’re still easing their way into international cricket. Pollard said the team management is focused on protecting West Indies’ bright, young talents from “vultures”.”There are a lot of young talents coming through,” he said. It’s just a matter of trying to reach them and ease them into the world of international cricket, which we know is a very, very tough place. Again, the most important thing for the management is to have patience and yes at the end of the day you want to have results but sometimes you need to be honest with yourself.”And that’s something we’re trying to do in every aspect of our game as well – just try to be honest, assess and improve. So, look forward to these talents to show the world what they can do. Sometimes, you need to have that umbrella over them and try and protect them from the vultures that are out to take down their careers pretty quickly.”Nicholas Pooran congratulates Kieron Pollard for his half-century•Associated Press
Pollard was also pleased with West Indies’ preparation in the lead-up to the limited-overs series against India. Pollard led West Indies to their first ODI series victory in five years, against Afghanistan, and although they lost the subsequent T20I series 2-1, they got a feel of Indian conditions.The likes of Pollard and Pooran – who is not available for the series opener against India because of his ball-tampering ban – then jetted to the UAE for the T10 league. In addition to these stints, some of West Indies’ players were part of a camp in Mumbai before heading to Hyderabad.”Couple of the guys had a couple of days off, couple of the guys went to T10, couple of the guys played in the Test matches against Afghanistan,” Pollard said. “We didn’t leave from this part of the world. Eleven of us were there in Mumbai for five-six days. We had good practice. Then we came here on the second [of December] and had three full days of good practice. So, for us it’s just a matter of getting acclimatised [to the conditions].”We’ve been here for a while now, since November. It’s about putting the pieces of the puzzle together. There are instances where we know we faltered, in that last series. We’ve spoken about it and hopefully come this series, we can put these things right.”Pollard’s aggression and in-your-face captaincy style has worked for him in the CPL, where he nearly carried Trinbago Knight Riders to the final in October. He hopes to lead by example for West Indies too, and set up victories for them. During the T10 league as well, Pollard had spoken of how his “will to win” drives his career.”Things have been going pretty decently for me and I just want to continue doing that, continue scoring runs for the team, and hopefully my contribution to the team is going to hold it in good stead and put us in a winning position.”