All posts by n8rngtd.top

Kolo Muani upgrade: Spurs prepare move for “one of the best CFs in the PL”

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Tottenham Hotspur centre-forward Richarlison added to his impressive Premier League season so far with a goal against Brentford on Saturday.

The Brazilian marksman scored his sixth league goal of the campaign, in his ninth start, by tapping the ball into an empty net from Xavi Simons’ ball to the back post.

Richarlison, signed from Everton for £60m in 2022, is starting to show that he can be relied upon in the final third, but the same cannot be said of Randal Kolo Muani.

Spurs eyeing new move for striker target

Now, the club are reportedly looking at a deal for another number nine who could come in as an instant upgrade on the PSG loanee next month.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

According to Football Insider, Tottenham Hotspur are readying a new move to sign Crystal Palace centre-forward Jean-Philippe Mateta in the January transfer window.

The report claims that the Lilywhites are looking to take advantage of his stalling contract talks with the Eagles to swoop for him ahead of the second half of the season.

It adds that Spurs made a “cheeky” offer to sign the France international to bolster their squad in the summer, and now they are lining up another attempt to bring him to North London.

Football Insider reveals that his contract discussions with Palace have reached a deadlock, which has opened the door for Thomas Frank and Fabio Paratici to swoop.

Why Spurs should sign Mateta

Spurs should push to sign Mateta from the Eagles because he would come in as an upgrade on Kolo Muani, who has been disappointing this season.

The Lilywhites signed the France international on a season-long loan from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer transfer window, with no option or obligation to buy included.

Tottenham may be glad that they did not include an obligation to make the deal permanent because his form in the Premier League so far this season has not been good enough.

Kolo Muani has scored no goals, missed three ‘big chances’, and failed to assist any goals in eight appearances and six starts in the top-flight, per Sofascore, for Spurs, which shows that he has not offered enough in the final third.

Meanwhile, Mateta has scored nine goals in all competitions for Crystal Palace, per Sofascore, including a return of seven goals in 14 outings in the Premier League.

As well as offering more of a threat in front of goal than Kolo Muani, his international teammate also offers more to the team as a physical presence in the centre-forward position.

25/26 Premier League

Mateta

Kolo Muani

Appearances

15

8

Shots on target per game

1.5

0.1

Goals

7

0

Assists

0

0

Ground duel success rate

41%

34%

Aerial duel success rate

40%

37%

Duels won per game

4.1

3.2

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Mateta is better in his physical duels, holding the ball up for the team and scrapping to keep possession, whilst also being a superior goalscorer.

Journalist Rory Smith said the striker is “like original Ronaldo” last year, as he started tucking in his shirt to give himself the classic centre-forward look, which is still the case in the present day, and his goalscoring record backs up such a comparison.

The 28-year-old marksman scored 17 goals in all competitions in the 2024/25 campaign and 19 goals in the 2023/24 season, per Sofascore, proving why, in the words of Como scout Ben Mattinson, he is “one of the best strikers in the Premier League.”

He is a prolific scorer, like the legendary Brazilian who scored 318 club career goals (Transfermarkt), who rocks the classic tucked-in shirt with style and substance, which could make him a real fan favourite in North London.

With Kolo Muani struggling for form in the Premier League and due to return to PSG at the end of the season, signing a proven Premier League star in the prime of his career could be a brilliant move by Paratici to provide Richarlison with competition in the number nine position.

So, if a January deal is viable, Spurs should push to get a deal done for the French powerhouse, who has the quality to be a difference-maker with the goal threat that he can offer in the second half of the season and beyond.

Spurs star now a doubt for Prague after limping out of the stadium on Saturday

Spurs have been handed an injury blow.

By
Matt Dawson

5 days ago

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Points to Simple Evidence for How '25 Blue Jays Are Different

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

The Toronto Blue Jays are off to a dream start to their postseason run, jumping out to a 2–0 series lead over the New York Yankees to open the American League Division Series.

Starring for the Blue Jays is slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who has six hits in nine at-bats so far in the series, and a home run in each game, including a grand slam that sent the Toronto crowd into absolute elation on Sunday.

The Blue Jays are no strangers to the postseason, having played playoff baseball in three of the past five seasons, but this is already their first trip past the wild-card round since 2016, and if they can make a run to the World Series, it will be their first appearance since taking back-to-back titles in 1992 and ‘93.

Guerrero, who has spent the entirety of his career in Toronto, was asked if he felt there was something different about this year’s team compared to others. Through a translator, he provided a succinct answer.

"Today was optional for everyone here,” Guerrero said. “And we're all here."

The Blue Jays will have the chance to put away the Yankees in Game 3 of the ALDS on Tuesday night. If Guerrero can keep up his astounding run at the plate, they should have a good shot at finishing the job.

The magician's wrist: how Bumrah does what he does

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

The snap he imparts produces large amounts of backspin – which makes the ball to do things other bowlers can’t make it do

Himanish Ganjoo21-Jul-2025Just 47 Tests and 89 ODIs to go along with 245 T20 games, and Jasprit Bumrah is already in the conversation to be one of the greatest all-format bowlers ever. He has displayed mastery over a wide oeuvre of skills across situations and conditions, with the red ball and white, especially after his return from injury in 2023.Much has been said about Bumrah’s unique action, heavy with hyperextension in his bowling arm, and his abnormal release point, about 50 centimetres closer to the batter than other top bowler’s releases. In all this, his wizardry with the seam is seldom discussed. Bumrah puts more revs on his backspinning pace-on deliveries than most fast bowlers do, and this has a multitude of effects. Yes, he bowls at a good pace, hits the good length like a machine, and plans and delivers his multiple variations almost perfectly. But the action his wrist imparts on the seam, almost imperceptibly, adds layers of difficulty on top of his extremely strong fundamentals.Because of his hyperextended front arm, Bumrah has to give the ball an almighty whip at release to keep his wrist upright and propel the ball forward. This whip bestows the ball with high backspin. This backspin causes the ball to feel an extra upward force before landing. This phenomenon, called the Magnus effect, is what causes dip when spinners bowl overspin. For seam-up deliveries, it happens in the opposite direction.

The plot above shows the distribution of vertical acceleration for pace-on balls (130-plus kph) from the IPL seasons of 2022 to 2024. Since the ball is accelerating downwards while falling, the numbers on the X axis are negative. Here, a number closer to zero indicates more upward force on the ball. Notice how Bumrah’s distribution peaks significantly to the right of the distribution for all other fast bowlers – indicating that he generates significantly more upward force than others. He is much likelier than others to deliver a ball with high upward force. This extra upward force is the direct result of the amount of backspin on the ball.The higher upward force makes the trajectories of his deliveries slightly flatter than those of others before pitching, which possibly has a direct effect on the efficacy of his fuller balls. The plot below shows the batter’s strike rates for full tosses, well-executed yorkers, and slot balls in the last five overs in the IPLs of 2022-2024. While the average bowler goes for plenty when they miss the yorker, Bumrah concedes runs at a batting strike rate of lower than 120 even when he overpitches or underpitches.

Some of this is due to his reputation – batters look to play him out. Some of it is due to his anomalous release: his release point varies almost negligibly between full and good-length balls, and some of it is due to the “lift” he gets from the Magnus force, making his full deliveries scoot through the air flatter, messing up the contact points of a batter looking to hit him.This heavy backspin also contributes indirectly to swing by helping the seam stay upright in one plane. Much like with a bicycle wheel, the faster the backspin, the more stable the seam. With the new ball, Bumrah can angle the seam slightly either way to get the ball to swing in the direction he wants it to. Owing to the revs on it, the seam seldom wobbles, creating perfect conditions for swing. Of course it is a testament to his powers that Bumrah can land the ball perfectly on a good length and line while switching the direction of swing mid-over. With the old ball, Bumrah relies on the difference in the roughness of the two halves of the ball, keeping the seam upright and switching the shiny side.The plot below shows the distributions of how much Bumrah swings the new and old balls, considering data from Tests in India from 2023 through 2024. With the new ball (first 20 overs), you see two bumps either side of the “no-swing axis” at around 3 and -3 degrees, showing a small proportion of high-inswing and outswing deliveries. Compare that to the distribution with the old ball. The amount of swing is lower – the peaks are at about 1.5 degrees on both sides (old-ball swing is less in magnitude than new ball swing). But the peaks are much higher than the new ball peaks. Which means he bowls swinging deliveries much more often with the old ball than the new. With both, he manages to swing them both ways. It’s the skill of his hands and fingers, coupled with the extremely stable seam, that enables this kind of swing profile.

Bumrah’s backspin causes a flatter trajectory than is usual for other bowlers, as we have seen. In addition, his release heights are somewhere close to the average for fast bowlers (around 2 metres). These two things together mean that the vertical speeds of his deliveries before pitching are lower than those of the average bowler. The higher your vertical speed is, the harder you hit the pitch, and the greater the misbehaviour you can extract. And yet, Bumrah bowls more high-seaming balls than other bowlers. This is a result of his impeccable seam presentation, hitting the seam almost every time he bowls. But it also results from his high backspin rates.The plot below shows the percentage of balls in different ranges of seam movement by Bumrah and other fast bowlers in Tests played in India from 2023 through 2024, only considering fast balls (130-plus kph). Balls seaming more than half a degree are usually troublesome for batters, with little time to adjust the path of the bat to cover the lateral movement. In every seam range for 0.5 degrees or higher, Bumrah has a higher percentage of balls than other fast bowlers. This is a direct result of the extreme backspin on the ball.

Flatter trajectories, high seam, perfect swing – Bumrah’s high backspin already imbues his deliveries with lethal characteristics, but it also gives them anomalous bounce. This aspect is almost never talked about, perhaps due to the difficulty of gauging it without data. Despite the flatter path and lower release point, Bumrah’s deliveries bounce more than the average bowler’s. The plot below shows the median height when the ball reaches the plane of the stumps, using the same Test data set as above.

In the 5-9 metre lengths, which are the good and “hard” lengths, Bumrah’s deliveries reach the stumps about 5 centimetres higher than the average pacer’s deliveries. This might look like a minor difference but it is what makes him bowl the “heavy ball”, which hits the bat a smidgen higher than expected. His unusual late, low release already throws the batter off instincts developed over years of training; that and the slightly higher bounce makes it tough to make ideal contact. Since changing the vertical motion of the bat involves working against gravity, adjusting to even small changes in bounce are the toughest skill for a batter to develop, after adjusting for high seam movement.But what is happening here? If you hit the pitch flatter, like Bumrah does, you should get lower bounce than others. That is what convention says. But Bumrah upends conventional logic here too. The backspin on his balls is so high that it overpowers the effect of the flat path and low release.Consider a slow tennis shot hit with backspin. Tennis players and fans know that slow backspinning shots bounce higher. The spin on the ball causes friction with the surface, zapping the ball of its low forward speed. The vertical speed, however, does not get cut too much in comparison. What we call “steep bounce” is actually a measure of how much vertical speed the ball has compared to forward speed. A ball that loses relatively more of its forward speed on bouncing will appear to stop and bounce more (hence the term “tennis-ball bounce”). Upon contact with the surface, the high backspin, paired with the relatively low speed, reduces the forward speed much more than it does the vertical speed. (Thanks to Aaron Briggs, aerodynamicist and analyst with the ECB, for this insight.)The reduction of forward speed happens for all bowlers’ deliveries, but in Bumrah’s case, his extreme backspin dominates the interaction with the pitch. Consequently, despite his low vertical speeds before pitching, he gets more bounce than average. The backspin makes such a violent impact that it takes away more of the forward speed, making the ball rise steeper than with the average bowler.It is important to clear up a common misconception here. In cricket, spinners bowling with overspin obtain more bounce. This is because overspin makes the ball dip and land harder into the pitch. The opposite happens with pacers, who generate : their deliveries land flatter on the pitch. In this regard, in terms of what backspin and overspin do to the ball , the former lowers the bounce and the latter enhances it. However, the phenomenon seen with Bumrah here results from the interaction of the ball with the pitch. When the ball makes contact with the surface, backspin adds to bounce, while overspin reduces it. This pitch interaction effect is too minute to see for most deliveries, but it is the relevant effect here.In the air, before pitching, backspin does make Bumrah’s deliveries flatter. The plot below shows the average angle that the ball makes with the ground before pitching for different lengths, comparing Bumrah with other bowlers (same Test match data as above). For all lengths from 2 to 8 metres, Bumrah has a lower angle than the average bowler, which means his deliveries land flatter than the average bowler’s deliveries.

The next plot shows the ratio of the post-bounce angle to the pre-bounce angle. This effectively measures not only the steepness of the ball after pitching, it also tells us how the vertical and forward speeds of the ball relate to each other before and after pitching. A higher ratio means that the ball gets steeper on account of losing more forward velocity than vertical velocity, all relative to the velocities before pitching. Here, Bumrah is higher than the average pacer in all lengths from 3 to 9 metres. This is strong evidence supporting the “tennis ball bounce” explanation for why Bumrah gets higher bounce than average despite his pre-bounce trajectories.

Cricket is a game of “usualness”. Batters train for thousands of hours, tuning their internal prediction systems to react to deliveries from an usual distribution of angles, with usual distributions of movement, release, and bounce. Any aberration disturbs this training. Bumrah is a unique confluence of anomalies in addition to rare cricketing nous and almost superhuman skill, making him the almost perfect bowler. While his late release is discussed ad infinitum, it is his extreme whippage on the seam of the cricket ball that unleashes a torrent of little anomalies – in the air, off the pitch, laterally and vertically, overcoming the limitations of conditions or format, at nearly 90 miles per hour. Everything, everywhere, all at once.

Not just Eze: £27m star just had his best game for Arsenal

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

If you are of an Arsenal persuasion, then it’s likely you’re sitting very happy right now. The Gunners are top of the table, and Mikel Arteta’s side have just dispatched their fierce rivals. Life doesn’t get much better, right?

The sequence of events that played out at the Emirates made their 4-1 victory all the more sweeter.

Speaking in the build-up to the game, Thomas Frank jokingly replied to a reporter’s question about Eberechi Eze by saying, “Who’s Eze?”

The England international infamously rejected a move to Tottenham in the summer despite everything looking as though it was agreed. He joined their rivals instead, heading to his boyhood club, the club of his dreams. The club that rejected him when he was just a boy in the academy.

Well, let it all work out. Frank certainly knows who Eze is now. Draped in Arsenal red, following a few slow months to start the season, he is now a hero.

Arteta’s men strengthened their grip at the top of the Premier League table by recording a remarkable win and much to Frank’s dismay, Eze was the man of the moment, scoring a quite breathtaking hat-trick.

How Eberechi Eze downed Spurs

Wow, just wow. What a moment this was. A few years ago Eze revealed that he cried in his room when he was rejected by Arsenal.

It was always his dream to play for the club and well, that dream became a reality in the summer. Never in his wildest dreams, however, did he expect what played out on Sunday, even if he did pray for such a moment to occur.

This was one of the finest individual performances from an Arsenal player that we can remember. To recount more recent memories, it’s up there with Declan Rice’s performance against Real Madrid last term, with Andrey Arshavin’s four-goal haul at Anfield. Sometimes a player delivers a performance that is so perfect it gets talked about for years to come. This was that moment.

Eze has had to work hard to find form this term, playing a mixture of games on the left flank and in the middle. With skipper Martin Odegaard out injured, he’s had a chance to showcase why he was purchased for £67.5m in the summer.

Yet, before that clash with Spurs, the former Crystal Palace man had scored just once in the league. How quickly things change in football.

Each goal Eze scored just seemed to get better. The first was supplied by Declan Rice and perhaps rather fortuitously, he managed to get a shot away amidst a bunch of Spurs players. It rifled past the goalkeeper to make it 2-0 after Leandro Trossard had opened the scoring.

Eze’s night got better in the second half when, minutes after the half-time interval, he darted onto Jurrien Timber’s pass and found the corner of the goal with his left foot.

His third and final goal came late on when Spurs had thrown players forward. Trossard was at the centre of things again, playing the ball into Eze, who was standing inside the area. He took a touch to set himself and then lashed it home. It capped off an incredible performance, one that will live long not just in his memory, but in the memory of supporters.

Still, he’s not the only one in red and white who had their best game in Arsenal colours.

Not just Eze: Another Arsenal star had his best game for the club

There was a primary reason Arsenal signed Eze in the summer. They needed more depth and they needed more quality on the left flank.

Noni Madueke had already been signed from Chelsea but in Gabriel Martinelli and the aforementioned Trossard, they lacked spice. Between them, they scored eight goals each in Premier League action last term.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

The Belgian was perhaps questionably handed a summer pay rise to keep him at the club but when Eze signed, his career at the Emirates Stadium looked as good as done.

Well, how wrong were we? Trossard, in the words of Arsenal writer Connor Humm, has “arguably been the best winger in the Premier League this season.”

Always a man for the big occasion, the 30-year-old rose to the mark again and put in a performance that was equally effective as Eze’s.

Trossard opened the scoring in the first half in brilliant fashion. It was a run from out to in, one that was said to be “like Robert Pires” by Gary Neville on Sky Sports commentary, that made the goal.

Mikel Merino still had plenty to do, however, but he clipped a pass beautifully into the path of Trossard. He took the ball down, spun and then found the net on his left foot. Advantage Arsenal.

Trossard’s work was not done there. The £27m man registered two key passes, one of which proved decisive as he supplied Eze’s goal that sealed his hat-trick.

As The Standard’s Simon Collings noted when the Belgium winger was substituted late on, it was “probably one of his best games in an Arsenal shirt.” Quite.

Trossard vs Spurs

Minutes played

78

Goals

1

Touches

39

Accurate passes

11/23 (48%)

Key passes

2

Assists

1

Shots on target

1

Accurate crosses

1/1

Successful dribbles

0/4

Duels won

4/10

Stats via Sofascore.

It was a tireless performance and one that epitomised the former Brighton forward’s time in London.

In the 32 matches in which Trossard has scored for Arsenal, they have never lost. The games he’s scored the most goals of his career against? Liverpool (6), Chelsea (4) and Spurs (4).

The winger is no Usain Bolt, he’s not the quickest player in the world. He’s no Bukayo Saka either, he lacks the same explosiveness. However, what he lacks in that regard, he makes up for in technical ability and mental fortitude. He is a mental giant and one of the hardest-working players in this team.

Eze certainly stole the show at the Emirates but Trossard deserves his flowers too.

Chris Green handed code of conduct breach after dismissal reversal

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

CA have backed the process the umpires went through although say ideally it would have happened more quickly

Andrew McGlashan07-Oct-2025Chris Green has been handed a code of conduct breach for dissent after being involved in the unusual situation of being given out and then recalled to the crease during New South Wales’ Sheffield Shield match against Western Australia at the WACA.Green was initially given out caught behind by umpire Gerard Abood as he ducked a bouncer and made it clear he was unhappy with the decision. After a lengthy period where Abood consulted with the square-leg umpire, the decision was changed.Cricket Australia has acknowledged the correct decision was ultimately made but said it should have happened more promptly. However, they said that Green’s reaction played no part in the process and that the umpires had no knowledge of replay footage which had been shown on the broadcast.”Under CA playing conditions clause 31.6, umpires are permitted to consult the other umpire to clarify points of fact so they can arrive at the correct decision,” a CA spokesperson told ESPNcricinfo. “Whilst CA doesn’t encourage this in the ordinary course, there are rare occasions where it is appropriate for umpires to clarify points of fact so they can arrive at the correct decision.”CA acknowledge that the correct decision was ultimately made in this case, but would have preferred this to have occurred more promptly.”It should be noted that under no circumstances did the batter’s actions contribute to the umpire reviewing or overturning the decision and the umpire did not see a replay before the decision was reversed.”While Sheffield Shield matches are streamed in high quality, there is no third umpire for matches except in the final and replays aren’t used in making decisions.CA also said that the second time Abood raised his finger was to confirm to a player that the initial decision was out. “Further, the umpire did not give Green out twice. His second signal of out was to clarify the original decision to a participating player,” the spokesperson said. “CA also wishes to advise that Chris Green was issued a code of conduct breach for showing dissent at an umpire’s decision during a match.”Green was dismissed eight runs later on the third day when he toe-ended a pull to second slip.Speaking after the match, which NSW won by 74 runs, WA coach Adam Voges said the way Green had reacted to the initial dismissal was not good for the game.”I think the umpires make make incorrect decisions and that’s part of the game. I understand that,” he said. “I guess probably it’s just not a great look when a player remonstrates with an umpire for a period of time and then that gets overturned, and I guess the message that that sends is probably not a good one.”So if he’s been done for dissent, so be it. But I don’t have much more else because I’m not out there and don’t hear the conversations. We’ll leave it at that.”

Man Utd set to push for AFCON delay with Bryan Mbeumo and Amad Diallo among key stars set to miss hectic festive fixtures

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Head coach Ruben Amorim says Manchester United will attempt to delay the departures of Bryan Mbeumo, Amad Diallo and Noussair Mazraoui to the Africa Cup of Nations. The Portuguese is keen to keep hold of the trio for as long as possible as the Red Devils prepare for a hectic festive schedule which will see them play six Premier League games in December.

  • Mbeumo, Amad and Mazraoui set for Africa Cup of Nations

    United forwards Mbeumo and Amad and defender Mazraoui are all expected to play for their respective countries at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), which gets under way on Sunday, 21 December.

    Fit-again Mazraoui is in line to feature for tournament hosts Morocco against Comoros on the opening day, while Mbeumo and Amad are slated to be involved when Cameroon and Ivory Coast play their first matches on 24 December respectively.

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  • AFP

    United will try to retain trio until at least after Bournemouth clash

    However, United boss Amorim has confirmed the club are planning to talk to all three federations as he looks to boost his options ahead of a busy festive period. With the AFCON final taking place on Sunday, 18 January, there is a possibility that Mbeumo, Amad and Mazraoui could miss eight league games and an FA Cup third-round tie.

    Due to tournament regulations, United should release Mbeumo, Amad and Mazraoui two weeks before the respective first games of Cameroon, Ivory Coast and Morocco. In that scenario, the Old Trafford club would see the three players depart near their league fixture against struggling Wolves at Molineux on Monday, 8 December.

    But according to United are seeking to push that back until at least after their home game against Bournemouth on Monday, 15 December. Amorim’s side also travel to Aston Villa on Sunday, 21 December, before hosting Newcastle and Wolves on Friday, 26 December and Tuesday, 30 December respectively. United kick start December with a home game against West Ham on the fourth.

  • Amorim confirms United will speak to Cameroon, Ivory Coast & Morocco

    Speaking ahead of United’s home clash with Everton on Monday evening, Amorim said: “We have the rules for when we have to release the players [but] we are trying to have the players a bit longer.

    “It is not just in our hands. We will see. We will try to arrange something with the federations.”

    United were successful in keeping hold of goalkeeper Andre Onana until the day before Cameroon's first game in the competition two years ago. The shot-stopper subsequently missed just one match – the 4-2 FA Cup victory over Newport County on 28 January 2024.

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  • In-form forward Mbeumo has been key to Red Devils' upturn in form

    United’s fixture with Everton is their first game back following the conclusion of the international break. Amorim’s men were in fine form before the recent run of World Cup qualifiers, putting together a five-game unbeaten league streak which saw them rise to seventh in the Premier League table.

    Mbeumo has been key to United’s upturn in form, scoring four goals across fixtures against Liverpool, Brighton and Tottenham, while team-mate Amad also netted in the 2-2 draw with Nottingham Forest on 1 November.

The Greatest 20 Midfielders in Football History

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Being a midfielder at the top level is extremely difficult, with every attribute arguably required to be considered world-class in today’s era. Whether it be shielding the defence, controlling the game or scoring goals, we have seen some iconic midfielders over time.

A number of midfielders have won the Ballon d’Or, most recently Rodri and Luka Modric, and, right now, Barcelona’s Pedri and Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham are currently seen as the best in world football. But who is the midfield GOAT?

The Best 15 Midfielders in World Football Ranked (2025)

Some of the best players in the world do their stuff in the middle of the park, but who’s number one?

5

By
Charlie Smith

Nov 20, 2025

Here is a list of 20 midfield legends football has ever seen, factoring in their longevity and consistency at the highest level, while also looking at their team and personal accolades.

20 Greatest Midfielders of All Time

Rank

Name

Country

1

Diego Maradona

Argentina

2

Johan Cruyff

Netherlands

3

Zinedine Zidane

France

4

Michel Platini

France

5

Andres Iniesta

Spain

6

Zico

Brazil

7

Ruud Gullit

Netherlands

8

Lothar Matthaus

Germany

9

Bobby Charlton

England

10

Steven Gerrard

England

11

Luka Modric

Croatia

12

Paul Scholes

England

13

Andrea Pirlo

Italy

14

Toni Kroos

Germany

15

Xavi

Spain

16

Clarence Seedorf

Netherlands

17

​Kaka

Brazil

18

Socrates

Brazil

19

Patrick Vieira

France

20

Frank Lampard

England

20

Frank Lampard

If a goalscoring midfielder is what you need, then Frank Lampard is certainly one of the best. A Chelsea legend, the Englishman is actually the Blues’ all-time leading scorer, netting 211 times at Stamford Bridge across 13 years.

Lampard won three Premier League titles, four FA Cups, two League Cups, a Champions League and a Europa League, deservedly being inducted into the Premier League Hall of Fame in 2021.

19

Patrick Vieira

Continuing the trend of Premier League icons, Patrick Vieira is best known for his time as Arsenal captain under Arsene Wenger and is also a member of the Premier League Hall of Fame.

The Frenchman only cost the Gunners £3.5m back in 1996 and was worth every penny, being named in the PFA Team of the Year in six successive seasons.

Vieira, a World Cup and Euros winner, could help protect the defence by breaking up play, driving his team forward with his power and popping up with a goal from time to time.

18

Socrates

Recognisable during his playing days for his beard and headband, Socrates was an extremely elegant and intelligent midfielder in his peak, combing power with touch.

A skilful inspiration for the next generation of Brazilian stars, Socrates saw football as an art, and that truly came across during his career, with the 6ft 4 midfielder starring for Corinthians.

17

Kaka

Another Brazilian who would’ve grown up learning all about Socrates was Kaka, and he’d go on to become an icon himself after starring for AC Milan and Real Madrid.

Kaka was quick, skilful, strong and had plenty of end product and is among a small select group of players to win the World Cup, the Champions League and the Ballon d’Or.

He may not have had the longevity and consistency as some of the others on the list, but at his peak, there was no stopping Kaka.

16

Clarence Seedorf

Still the only player in football history to have won the Champions League with three different clubs, Clarence Seedorf was influential for the likes of Ajax, Real Madrid and AC Milan.

The Dutchman was an iconic box-to-box midfielder and could ping 60 yard passes, make last ditch tackles and score all in the same game.

Named the Dutch Footballer of the Year in 1993 and 1994, Seedorf was also named UEFA’s best midfielder in 2007, showing how goof he was over time.

15

Xavi

A product of Barcelona’s famous La Masia academy, Xavi would go on to play more than 750 games for the Catalan giants and formed one of the most iconic midfield trios at the Nou Camp alongside Andres Iniesta and Sergio Busquets.

A passing genius, Xavi was an unbelievable leader of one of the best teams in history, winning eight La Liga titles and four Champions Leagues.

The Spaniard also lifted two European Championships and one World Cup, and the fact he was a regular across his career in dominant sides shows how good he was.

14

Toni Kroos

Toni Kroos has rightly gone down as a Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, and Germany icon after a glittering 17-year career at the highest level.

Winning six Champions Leagues, six league titles and the World Cup, Kroos was known for his unbelievable passing range and registered more than 100 assists in the Bundesliga and La Liga over his career.

13

Andrea Pirlo

Arguably the coolest midfielder in history, Andrea Pirlo ran games of football with ease and never looked like he was breaking a sweat.

A deep-lying playmaker, the Italian won six Serie A titles, two Champions Leagues and the World Cup, Pirlo starred for AC Milan and Juventus, finishing in the top 10 on three occasions at the Ballon d’Or.

12

Paul Scholes

Like Kroos and Pirlo, Paul Scholes’ passing range was off the charts during his Man Utd career which saw him win 11 Premier League titles.

Although his England career didn’t match his club honours, Scholes was called a “teacher” by Lionel Messi, the “best” teammate by Cristiano Ronaldo and Zinedine Zidane’s “toughest opponent”, and the praise from the iconic trio goes to show how good he was.

11

Luka Modric

Not many would have predicted Luka Modric to become one of the best midfielders in hostly when he signed for Tottenham in 2008.

However, the Croatian icon starred in the Premier League and was then a Real Madrid regular for 13 years, winning the Ballon d’Or in 2018. A six-time Champions League winner, Modric’s passing range and ability to dictate any game sees him stand out from the rest.

Rahane steps down as Mumbai's Ranji Trophy captain

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

“I remain fully committed to giving my best as a player and will continue my journey with MCA to help us win more trophies,” Ajinkya Rahane says

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Aug-2025Ajinkya Rahane has given up the captaincy of the Mumbai Ranji Trophy team ahead of the 2025-26 domestic season, saying he believes “it’s the right time to groom a new leader”. In a communication to the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA), Rahane, now 37, said he wants to continue as a player for the team.”Captaining and winning championships with the Mumbai team has been an absolute honour,” Rahane wrote in a social media post. “With a new domestic season ahead, I believe it’s the right time to groom a new leader. And hence I’ve decided not to continue in the captaincy role. I remain fully committed to giving my best as a player and will continue my journey with MCA to help us win more trophies. Looking forward to the season.”Rahane helped Mumbai break a nine-year drought by leading them to their 42nd Ranji Trophy title in 2023-24. While his red-ball form over the past two years has been patchy (467 runs in 27 innings with just one century), he was more fluent in the shorter formats. At the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in December last year, when he played under Shreyas Iyer, Rahane was the Player of the Tournament for his chart-topping 469 runs in a title-winning season.Related

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Rahane was most recently in charge of Kolkata Knight Riders at IPL 2025, for whom he was the highest scorer with 390 runs in 14 innings at a strike rate of 147.27. The team had a mediocre season, though, finishing eighth with just five wins.In July, Rahane said he still possessed the “hunger and passion” for the game and for red-ball cricket, stating he even carried his trainers and cricket gear while on holiday in London to begin preparations for the upcoming domestic season.”I still want to play Test cricket,” Rahane had told Nasser Hussain and Michael Atherton in an interview with . “I’m really passionate about playing Test cricket. I’m enjoying my cricket at the moment. For me, it’s all about focusing on the controllable things. Frankly, I tried to have conversations with the selectors, but [there are] things as a player I cannot control. I got no response.”As a player, all I can do is keep playing cricket, keep enjoying the game, and give my best each and every time. I love playing Test cricket, love playing red-ball [cricket], it’s a passion. The love for the game keeps me going.”Mumbai are currently preparing for the upcoming season by playing the Buchi Babu Invitational Tournament in Chennai, with a young squad led by 18-year-old Ayush Mhatre. Mumbai allrounder Shardul Thakur, a key member of their 2024-25 Ranji campaign, was named captain of West Zone for the season-opening Duleep Trophy.

Ireland, South Africa seek fresh start in T20Is in Abu Dhabi heat

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Mining the talent pool is top of mind for both teams with an eye out for the T20 World Cup in 2026

Firdose Moonda26-Sep-2024It’s time for a fresh start in the shortest format for both Ireland and South Africa after they experienced contrasting fortunes at this year’s T20 World Cup. While Ireland (admittedly in a tough pool) lost all three matches they played – including one to Canada, South Africa went where they have never gone before and reached the final, only to fall agonisingly short of the trophy.Their snatching-victories-from-the-jaws-of-defeat run lasted eight matches and proved they can step up when the moment calls for it, but maybe not always otherwise. They were blanked 3-nil by West Indies either side of the tournament and while those defeats could be explained by South Africa not having their first-choice squads available, they also pose worrying questions about their depth.Mining the talent pool is top of mind for both teams as they look ahead to the 2026 edition of the T20 World Cup, which means there are certain boxes they’ll hope to tick in this two-match series.Related

  • Balbirnie dropped for SA T20Is as Ireland seek 'new dynamic' at top of the order

  • Ireland to host South Africa in Abu Dhabi

By the way, if you’re wondering why these matches are taking place in the UAE, and not in either of the two countries playing, it is because Ireland were due to host this series and had to come up with what their CEO Warren Deutrom called a “creative way to overcome infrastructure constraints,” which is another way of saying it’s more affordable to play in the UAE. If that sounds difficult to believe, consider that Ireland do not have a permanent home stadium and have to pay rent and bring in temporary facilities every time they play at home, and it’ll all add up. While Ireland are building a new stadium that will be functioning by 2028, the fact that Abu Dhabi is more economical as a venue currently tells you something.Will conditions be the great leveller?The almost-40 degree heat and slow, dry surfaces are foreign to both South Africa and Ireland, and could bring the sides closer together. As things stand, they are as far apart as two teams could on the T20I competitive scale as South Africa have won all five of the games they’ve played against each other. They also have the advantage of having been in the UAE for an extra week so the heat feels “a little bit more normal,” according to captain Aiden Markram.For their part, Ireland are not complaining about the lack of home comforts, as they see the importance of experience in conditions they will come across at the next T20 World Cup, hosted by Sri Lanka and India, in particular.”It helps for a number of reasons. We play a lot away from home now, so it’s getting used to new conditions again and we’re playing a lot on the subcontinent where huge competitions are going to happen in the future, and the next T20 World Cup is the main one,” Paul Stirling, Ireland’s captain said. “It has its advantages and I think as an organisation we need to get that balance right. You want to play in front of your home supporters and your home crowd but I think it’s okay if you occasionally play the odd away game, which is your home series.”Ireland exploring top-order options – and South Africa should tooAndy Balbirnie is Ireland’s leading run-scorer in T20 cricket this year, with 298 runs from 12 matches, but has been left out of these matches as Ireland focus on “introducing a new dynamic,” according to national selector Andrew White. Balbirnie’s strike rate of 113.74 from his 12 matches in 2024 suggests Ireland want more firepower upfront. Heinrich Malan confirmed that Lorcan Tucker, with a T20I strike rate of 123.32, will open the batting for the first time with Harry Tector, Curtis Campher and Neil Rock to come in at No.3, 4 and 5.Likewise, South Africa may find themselves at a crossroads with Reeza Hendricks, who has struggled through much of this year. He has only gone past 20 five times in fifteen T20Is and faces competition from Matthew Breetzke and Ryan Rickelton. The problem is neither Breetzke nor Rickelton, who have dominated run-charts at domestic level, have made the most of his international opportunities. Breetzke has a top score of 19 from six T20Is and Rickelton a top score of 27 from six T20Is. This is the series for at least two of three to make the opening spot their own.Some relief from spin for South Africa (or maybe not) Just last week, South Africa registered their second-worst performance against spin in any bilateral series where at least 40 overs of spin were bowled at them. Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan, AM Ghazanfar, Nangeyalia Kharote and Mohammad Nabi took 16 South African wickets between them in three ODIs. What was clear from the way the South African batters were dismissed was their struggles in reading the turn, especially against Ghazanfar, a mystery offspinner, who coach Rob Walter said they had not seen before.They won’t want to use the same excuse against Ireland and to a large extent, they can’t. South Africa have played against George Dockrell and Ben White and the other spinner Gareth Delaney, has not made the trip after suffering what captain Stirling called an “unfortunate accident,” in the last week. That leaves left-arm spinner Matthew Humphreys, who has one T20I cap, and Gavin Hoey, who has flown in for the T20Is, as an unknown. And, no disrespect to Ireland, but this quartet is not expected to pose quite the same challenge as Afghanistan, even in what could be favourable conditions. This may be South Africa’s opportunity to re-find their confidence against spin and show that things are not quite as bad as they seemed against Afghanistan.Who’s got the variations?Seamers have been seen to suffer on surfaces in the UAE unless they have an adequate number of variations, and it will be interesting to see how they approach things in this series. Lungi Ngidi set the tone in the series against Afghanistan, in Sharjah, where he delivered a selection of offcutters and proved difficult to get away. South Africa didn’t use either of Ottneil Baartman or Lizaad Williams in those matches, but both are capable of doing the same and should be given a run in these games.Ireland are without left-armer Josh Little, who is at the CPL, and will lean on Craig Young and Fionn Hand, both swing bowlers who may be able to make things happen under lights but all eyes will be on Mark Adair. He enjoys the challenge of the death overs, has a wide range of deliveries in his arsenal and is a genuine wicket-taker, who last year became the sixth-fastest to 100 in T20Is. Expect some fireworks.

Vijay Shankar makes last-minute move away from Tamil Nadu

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

TN are facing a tough build-up to the start of the new season with their main spinners Sai Kishore and Ajith Ram injured

Deivarayan Muthu27-Aug-2025 • Updated on 30-Aug-2025Allrounder Vijay Shankar has made a last-minute decision to move out of his home state Tamil Nadu ahead of the 2025-26 domestic season. Vijay, 34, has been granted a No-Objection Certificate (NOC) by the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) and *will be joining Tripura to play alongside Hanuma Vihara and his TNPL team-mate Swapnil Singh as professionals.Vijay had turned out for the TNCA President’s XI in the opening round of the pre-season Buchi Babu Tournament in Chennai against Himachal Pradesh but ESPNcricinfo has learnt that he decided to switch states, after he was left out of the second round against Maharashtra, in search of more consistent opportunities across formats.In the 2024-25 domestic season, Vijay sat out Tamil Nadu’s first two Ranji Trophy matches and also spent a chunk of the 20-overs Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy on the bench.Related

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This brings the curtains down on Vijay’s 13-year stint with Tamil Nadu during which he had captained the state to the Vijay Hazare, Deodhar and Syed Mushtaq Ali titles. After making his Ranji Trophy debut in December 2012, he stepped into S Badrinath’s shoes and led Tamil Nadu’s middle order in the Ranji Trophy along with B Indrajith.Vijay leaves Tamil Nadu with 3142 runs in 81 Ranji innings at an average of 44.25, including 11 centuries and 16 fifties. He also picked up 43 Ranji wickets with his medium-fast bowling, at an average of 53.93. His breakout Ranji season came in 2014-15, when he scored 577 runs in 11 innings at an average of 57.70. He then emerged on the India A radar and made India’s 2019 ODI World Cup side as a wildcard.

More recently in the 2024-25 Ranji season, he hit a career-best 150 not out off 171 balls against Chandigarh in Tamil Nadu’s 209-run win in Salem. At the TNPL, Vijay reinvented himself by bowling mystery spin, which he has honed by working with Varun Chakravarthy. He darted carrom balls and wrong’uns, variations which could now benefit his new team.Vijay is the second senior player to move out of Tamil Nadu in recent times after his Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) captain B Aparajith switched to Kerala ahead of the 2024-25 season.In place of Vijay, Tamil Nadu have a like-for-like replacement in RS Ambrish, who recently enjoyed success with both ball and bat with India Under-19s in England. Ambrish, 18, is an emerging finisher and can hit hard lengths with the ball. He was also reportedly called up to bowl to Ruturaj Gaikwad at the CSK academy in Chennai ahead of the Buchi Babu Tournament.Tamil Nadu are facing a tough build-up to the start of the new season. While R Sai Kishore is recovering from a hand injury, fellow left-arm fingerspinner S Ajith Ram, who was the third-highest wicket-taker in the 2023-24 Ranji Trophy, faces a longer spell out with injury.Tamil Nadu have a new head coach this season, with M Senthilnathan, a former Ranji Trophy winner, taking over from L Balaji. T Kumaran, the former India and Tamil Nadu seamer, has been appointed bowling coach. After coaching in the USA, Kumaran has returned to his roots for the upcoming Indian domestic season.

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