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Louis van Gaal and co. have had a busy few days. Manchester United recently snagged the signatures of right-back Matteo Darmian, midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger, and Morgan Schneiderlin, following the early summer deal for Memphis Depay, to truly get their transfer plans going.

Red Devils fans are understandably excited that Van Gaal is finally getting more aggressive in obtaining his transfer targets and beginning to rebuild after a 2014/15 capaign which, although finished with the desired result, was a little underwhelming. To help see how big of an impact each player will have on the squad this season, here are Manchester United’s summer signings so far, ordered from least to most impressive according to Football FanCast:

4. Bastian Schweinsteiger

The German captain has an impressive CV, with eight Bundesliga championships and over 100 assists in 500 appearances for Bayern Munich. There’s no doubt he knows how to win. However, he is approaching his 31st birthday and has been slowed by injury recently, making him a short-term signing instead of the long-term investment United need.

3. Matteo Darmian 

The 25-year-old right-back arrives at Old Trafford on a four-year contract ready to contest Antonio Valencia for a starting spot. Darmian registered a career-best five goals and four assists for Torino last season, and was also in Italy’s World Cup squad last summer. Despite his slim frame, he led Torino with 2.6 tackles per game, and hopefully he will be able to compete physically in the Premier League.

2. Memphis Depay

United’s first summer signing fulfilled a major need: goalscoring. As a winger, Depay has impressive speed and dribbling skills, as well as long-range shooting (57 percent of his shots were from outside the box last season). But the 28-goal PSV star also played as a striker for the Netherlands, scoring three goals in 17 international showings, and Van Gaal plans to test him up top alongside Wayne Rooney.

1. Morgan Schneiderlin 

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Schneiderlin enjoyed a stunning 2014/15 season in which he started 28 out of the 30 games he played for Southampton and maintained an 89.3% pass success rate, while leading the Saints midfielders in interceptions. The Frenchman scored a career-best five goals and notched one assist, but had a stellar defensive contribution as well with 3.7 tackles per Premier League game, more than any United player.

Let’s chalk this one off as pure speculation, because if it were true, Real Madrid need to take a long walk and think about what they’re doing. Actually, that can be applied to Tottenham, too. Daniel Levy has maintained that Gareth Bale is not for sale at any price, even the reported £85 million – a figure that sprung up this past weekend. At that price, Tottenham would be insane to turn it down.

I get it, Tottenham are trying to maintain a reputation against the ‘bullies’ in European football. Levy wouldn’t want to shake from his position, even when it’s Real Madrid at the other end of the line. But in what world could any club turn down £85 million and come off looking like the lesser of two teams?

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The biggest point from all this is that Gareth Bale isn’t worth £85million. To Tottenham, yes, he’s worth probably double that. But a club’s own value and need for a player doesn’t always translate to the market. Is it worth bringing up the discussion as to whether Bale is an equal to Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi? It’s been done to death at this point.

A big team from the Premier League could call Swansea this summer and demand to know their value of Michu. “£30 million,” they’d probably reply. Ok, fair enough. He scored bags of goals and helped them win the League Cup. On the open market, however, and in terms of everyone else’s value, he’s simply not worth that.

Gareth Bale has more than carried Tottenham this season, only enhancing his reputation in England and further promoting his talent as either a rising star or a readymade superstar, depending on who you ask. This isn’t to debunk his qualities, as even regular English pundits have him down as the complete package in world football, with some even daring to suggest that he’s better than Ronaldo. There’s something about Bale doing in it a lesser team that seems to legitimise that argument.

It shouldn’t matter what Tottenham’s plans are for the immediate future with Bale, because if Real Madrid or any other team offer a figure in or around £85 million, you tear their hand off and take it. Does that mean Tottenham will have lost the war? No, in fact they’ve probably won it. Because at no other point will another bid close to that number come in, largely because, as I’m suggesting, he isn’t worth it.

So where do Tottenham go from there? Actually maybe it should be where do Real Madrid go from here.

A bid of £40million could reportedly get you Luis Suarez. Depending on what your stance is, some would say Suarez had the better season, regardless of personal awards. What about players in the mould of Mesut Ozil? In that title-winning season with Madrid, Ozil bagged 20 assists in all competitions and set himself up as one of the team’s most important players. He arrived for £15million from Werder Bremen; his contract situation is irrelevant. Marco Reus joined Dortmund for €17million last summer and contributed in 22 goals this season to Bale’s 25 (goals and assists). Then there are names like Edinson Cavani, Robert Lewandowski, Mario Gotze, James Rodriguez, who have either gone or could go for far less than £85million. Again, depending on who you ask, some of those names are better than Bale.

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So about Tottenham. With numbers so ridiculous that there can be only one answer, the matter is open as to whether Spurs want to be a team who rely heavily on one player or a team who have three or four game changers who could comfortably replace and outdo the contributions of Bale. The argument about Champions League football could come up, but James Rodriguez, Cavani and Radamel Falcao won’t or haven’t be involved in the Champions League this season or next season. With that sort of money, this Tottenham team can be transformed in the way some of the bigger teams in Europe have been, but obviously with a calculated approach and the knowledge that there isn’t a bottomless pit of cash.

Throwing around transfer figures like that, as they have been in the Spanish press, just reaffirms Real Madrid’s absolute desire in capturing Bale. It was much easier to assume that the La Liga club would never reach a fee so lofty for Bale, as other than Ronaldo, there is enough evidence to show that the selling club doesn’t always get what they want. But if this is what it’s come to – and you really have to hope football hasn’t gone this mad – then Tottenham simply need to cut ties and accept what is a once-in-a-lifetime offer.

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Liverpool are potentially interested in German goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen, and will make a move for him in January according to Mirror Football.

Reds no.1 Pepe Reina has made a number of high-profile errors in the first three games of the new Premier League season, and as such Brendan Rodgers is thought to be considering bolstering his options in goal.

The young stopper has impressed for Borussia Monchengladbach, and was unlucky not to be included in Germany’s Euro 2012 squad after making his international debut earlier in the year.

Tottenham and Manchester United have also been linked with a move for the youngster in the past, and Liverpool are said to be considering selling Reina and investing in the Monchengladbach prospect.

Rodgers is believed to have also considered a move for Birmingham’s Jack Butland, but views the England international as too expensive given his lack of first-team experience at the highest level.

By Gareth McKnight

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Everton fans are mercilessly bashing Yannick Bolasie, after the winger put in yet another woeful performance against Southampton on Saturday.

Yannick Bolasie’s Everton career has been pretty miserable so far, and it’s probably best he stay off social media for a while after Saturday’s showing.

The 28 year-old winger was an exciting addition when he joined the Toffees, but he has barely had a chance to showcase his dazzling skill set due to a lengthy injury layoff.

Since returning to the side this year, the DR Congo international has made virtually no impact in the final third, not something fans expect from a £25million signing.

Bolasie’s only goal of the season was a consolation strike in the 3-1 loss to Manchester City, and he struggled massively in Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Southampton.

The 28 year-old was hauled off after 45 minutes, having managed just 19 touches in the first half, completing zero dribbles, one cross, and just five passes.

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If fans were annoyed by his lack of end product before, they certainly aren’t pulling any punches about a £25m winger completed just five passes in 45 minutes, and some of the best Twitter reactions can be found below…

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One deal is done and dusted, with plenty more action to occur for Manchester United over the coming weeks and months. But there could be as many players going out as there is coming in. Without realising it, have we seen some Manchester United players play their final game at Old Trafford?

There is a massive air of uncertainty surrounding David De Gea’s future at Manchester United. Rumours have been rife for months that Real Madrid are interested, and De Gea is willing to go. Team mate Juan Mata is unsure over de Gea’s future, as is the boss.

Louis Van Gaal addressed the situation: “He is Spanish and his girlfriend is Spanish and he can go to another great club, so it is difficult for him to decide.

“David De Gea shall not leave us so easily because we are a great club and he wants to participate.”

This is the first real indication Van Gaal has given that De Gea’s time as a Manchester United player is up. When Real come calling, it is hard to turn down. But could De Gea handle the pressure? Or will he even get the minutes ahead of Iker Casillas?

Radamel Falcao looks more certain to leave Manchester United. Based on the fact his contract is a season long loan deal with the option to buy, but the price tag is up in the air. At the beginning of the season, it was thought to be around £43million, but with Monaco in a financial situation with Financial Fair Play, it could be dropped.

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Even if his fee came at a cut price, it would not be enough to justify his season. Just four goals to his name is not enough for a world class striker, and you cannot just throw money at a player who will not deliver.

Or else, you take the risk and hope it pays off. As they share the same agent, it had been said that Falcao’s United future had to be linked with De Gea’s. Falcao waved off fans, presumably for the last time, as he was subbed off for another player who could be leaving.

That player being Robin Van Persie. He walked into the team in the first half of the season, despite suffering from a ‘World Cup hangover’ – seeing as he played under Van Gaal then, you can see why he was chosen. But with injuries, and an improved team performance since he hadn’t been able to play, things haven’t looked so good in the second half.

Louis Van Gaal also needs to be realistic. Van Persie, while he is still a good forward, and should be commended for his season despite his hardships, is at an age where the clock is ticking on his career. Rumour has it Juventus are interested in the Dutchman.

It just hasn’t been Angel Di Maria’s season, but the dream isn’t over just yet. He may not have many goals, but he has plenty of assists (second behind Fabregas for the season), and his recent comments suggest he is determined to prove himself at his new club. He has admitted he has struggled to adapt to English football, but he wants to become “part of the history of Manchester United.”

With a hefty price tag – the most expensive in English football – it’s easy to see why he wants to stick it out and prove himself. Fleeing off to PSG would put di Maria in the history books as a huge waste of money.

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He didn’t feature in the game, nor did he even make the bench, which gives a pretty clear indication that Jonny Evans will be playing elsewhere come August. The six match ban brought an incredible run of form for Manchester United, and highlighted how weak a link Evans is at the back. V

an Gaal has given more opportunities to younger players who have shown potential, while helping to push Evans out the door.

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Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini is set to axe at least 12 players from his squad this summer as he looks to rebuild for next season according to The Times.

Mancini is not happy with a number of players’ effort levels this season as the Citizens surrendered their Premier League crown to their nearest and dearest without so much as a fight.

Equally poor performances and results in the Champions League has taught the Italian boss a thing or two about a number of his players and he won’t be pulling any punches when it comes to letting players go.

Samir Nasri, Edin Dzeko, Scott Sinclair, Jack Rodwell and Alexander Kolarov are among the dozen players that Mancini is looking to move on in order to bring in fresh blood to make a fist of success next season.

Uruguayan Edinson Cavani is top of City’s wish list to replace the departing players and reports suggest a deal could be on the verge of completion.

The new FFP rules will prevent City from a 2011-esque spending spree but an overhaul of the squad is just the start of the Etihad club’s long term plans.

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Joey Barton has revealed that he only wants to play for Marseille, as The Daily Mail state that the midfielder has offered to tear up his contract at Loftus Road.

The controversial battler is serving a 12-match ban after being dismissed for violent conduct in the R’s final game of last season against his former club Manchester City, and as such Mark Hughes is thought to want to sell him.

After training with Fleetwood Town, Barton has expressed his desire to move to the Ligue 1 side, who have been accredited with an interest in a loan move for the midfielder.

Barton has told his Twitter followers that he wants a switch to the Stade Velodrome side to be wrapped-up before the close of the transfer window.

“Marseille won again as well. Allez les Marseillais. Maybe I’ll see you all this week?” he stated on the social networking site.

“I am hopeful that things will be sorted out soon. Other clubs are in but I only want to play in Marseille. This is the place for me.

“Hopefully QPR and Marseille can finalise the deal in the next few days. My heart is already in the Velodrome,” he expressed.

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By Gareth McKnight

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Nissanka’s ton got Sri Lanka within sight of victory but the remaining batters couldn’t quite get them across the line

Andrew Fidel Fernando26-Sep-20252:05

Is captaincy affecting SKY’s form?

India won the Super OverIn regular play, Pathum Nissanka’s 107 off 58 balls and Kusal Perera’s 58 off 32, cancelled out a rapid 61 from Abhishek Sharma, and a 49 not out off 34 from Tilak Varma. India hit 202 for 5. So did Sri Lanka.In the Super Over though, Sri Lanka were very clearly out of steam on all fronts. First, they didn’t send Nissanka out to bat, choosing Kusal Perera (who sliced one to deep backward point first ball), Dasun Shanaka (who struggled with Arshdeep Singh’s wide yorkers), and Kamindu Mendis (who has never been an explosive T20I batter) out instead.Between these three, they managed a total of two runs. Suryakumar Yadav would almost laughingly put the first ball of their Super Over – bowled by Wanindu Hasaranga – through cover, to claim three first ball. This meant India went through to the Asia Cup final undefeated, and were really only tested in this match, in which they rested Jasprit Bumrah and Shivam Dube.Perhaps their aura had lost a little of its shine, but India pushing through to a victory even when Sri Lanka’s top order was batting beautifully, will be something India will take heart from ahead of the final against Pakistan.India’s innings, meanwhile, had gone smoothly. Abhishek produced another spectacular start, striking up a 59-run partnership with Suryakumar who contributed only 12 off 13 to that stand. Later, Tilak and Sanju Samson would put on 66 together.Pathum Nissanka celebrates his maiden T20I century•AFP/Getty Images

Nissanka’s 127-run partnership off 70 balls, however, was the biggest of the tournament. It got Sri Lanka within sight of victory. But the remaining batters couldn’t quite get them across the line.What happened in the Super Over

• Sri Lanka are required to bat first in this Super Over, but Nissanka, their best batter of the tournament, is not picked to come out straight away. (We’re sure, at this stage, that he will come in if a wicket falls, though.)
• Perera and Shanaka are sent in instead, with Arshdeep tasked with bowling this over, in the absence of Bumrah.
• Perera slices the first ball, a wide yorker, to deep point, where substitute fielder Rinku Singh takes a good running catch.
• Kamindu Mendis, who does not have a track record of scoring quickly against high-quality opposition comes out next, even though Nissanka is just sitting there in the dugout. Predictably Kamindu struggles to get more than an edge to the next Arshdeep ball, and they scramble a single.
• Shanaka can’t really hit Arshdeep’s wide yorkers either, and attempts a bye off the fourth ball.
• Arshdeep appeals for the caught behind while wicketkeeper Sanju Samson runs Dasun Shanaka out at the striker’s end.
• But because Arshdeep has appealed for the catch, the umpire gives Shanaka out. (The umpire’s finger is raised only after the run out is completed, but according to the rules, the out decision effectively overturns the run out.) Shanaka awake to this loophole, immediately asks the umpire: “It’s a dead ball, right?”, just after he reviews the caught behind decision.
• It turns out Shanaka is correct as per the laws. Because he had been wrongly been given out caught behind, he is exonerated from the run out, even though the stumps were broken before the umpire’s finger was raised.
• Shanaka gets to live another ball and perhaps propel Sri Lanka to a competitive Super Over score.
• Shanaka top edges one to deep third very next ball, ending Sri Lanka’s Super Over.
• India score three first ball and win.

Abhishek Sharma rocks the powerplayAlthough opening partner Shubman Gill was dismissed off the ninth ball of the innings, the tournament’s best batter still scythed his way through the powerplay. His best powerplay over came against Dushmantha Chamera. Abhishek came down the track and crashed him over long off off thifd ball, before raising the fifth ball over short fine leg’s head, then slicing the next one over short third.Abhishek Sharma brought up his third successive fifty•Getty Images

It only took Abhishek 22 balls to get to fifty. By the end of the powerplay, India were 71 for 1. Abhishek eventually miscued a Charith Asalanka half-tracker to deep midwicket, in the ninth over. His 61 came off 31 balls.Nissanka’s sublime inningsNissanka had scored heavily in the group stage, but had been quiet in the first two Super Four games. In this match, he exploded. He hit Hardik Pandya through point for four first ball, lifted other seamers over deep midwicket, and hooked others over backward square leg. He hit his fifty off 25 balls, and just continued to attack through the middle overs, as Perera also scored rapidly.Nissanka became Sri Lanka’s fourth T20I centurion (among men) at the end of the 17th over, when he thumped Arshdeep into the sightscreen. He got there of 52 balls. His eventual 108 off 58 is Sri Lanka’s highest individual T20I score.

Having missed the second half of IPL 2023 with injury, Rahul was happy to start the new season with a half-century

PTI and ESPNcricinfo staff24-Mar-20242:37

Did RR get their Impact Sub tactic right? Should Rahul have batted faster?

Lucknow Super Giants captain KL Rahul didn’t want to read too much into his team’s 20-run defeat at the hands of Rajasthan Royals in their opening game of IPL 2024, but has said that none of the teams have been able to crack the powerplay code in the first week of the season so far.The two-bouncer-per-over rule has been introduced in IPL from this season and LSG were bounced out in the first six overs of their chase of 194, falling to 47 for 3. In comparison, Rajasthan Royals had scored 54 for 2 in their first six overs.Both Devdutt Padikkal and Rahul needed to undergo concussion protocols after being hit on the helmet by Trent Boult.Related

• Powerplay swinger to death-overs specialist: the reinvention of Sandeep Sharma

• Report – Samson, Boult star as Royals overpower LSG

“It is just the first game and I am not going to make too much out of it or over-analyse,” Rahul said at the post-match presentation.”[The] Powerplay is crucial for every team, and I don’t think any team has cracked it yet. Mohsin [Khan] was our powerplay bowler in the first season, but he wasn’t fully fit last season. Good to see him back. Naveen [ul-Haq] has been crucial for us since he has come in.”Rahul felt that 194 was a chaseable target in Jaipur. “I don’t think the target was a lot. It was just 10 over-par,” he said. “We bowled well in patches. Just made a few mistakes.”We will learn from the small mistakes we made. When we are three [down] for nothing, and we gave ourselves a chance of chasing 194 speaks of our line-up. But we need to find ways to win games of cricket. We’ll try to build from here, and see where we can get stronger.”Having missed the better part of the last season with a hamstring injury, Rahul was happy to start the current edition of the IPL with a half-century.”When you get runs, you always feel good,” he said. “But it’s important for us to end up on the winning side. That gives more satisfaction.”Super Giants’ vice-captain Nicholas Pooran felt that the bowlers squandered the early advantage after making inroads in the powerplay. Royals captain Sanju Samson and Riyan Parag, who batted at No.4, forged a 93-run partnership off only 59 balls for the third wicket to propel their side to 193. In response, Super Giants managed 173.”I felt like with the ball we were a bit undisciplined,” Pooran said at his post-match press conference. “We got off to a really nice start in the powerplay, and the game was in the balance there. I felt that from overs seven to 12 we bowled poorly, we gave away some easy boundaries there. I felt they scored 15-20 runs too many on that wicket. But in saying that it’s only the first game of the tournament and obviously we fell short but we got an opportunity to understand what we have to do from a bowling perspective.”

It took India just 11.2 overs on the fifth morning to take the final four Bangladesh wickets and go 1-0 up

Hemant Brar18-Dec-20221:20

Jaffer: Bangladesh batters need to be consistent if they are to win against good teams

It took India only 11.2 overs on the final morning of the Chattogram Test to pick up the last four Bangladesh wickets and take a 1-0 lead in the two-match series. Their 188-run win and South Africa’s six-wicket loss to Australia shortly afterwards meant India are now second on the World Test Championship points table. They have another five Tests in this cycle, and if they win four of those, they will guarantee themselves another appearance in the final.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Bangladesh were bowled out for a mere 150 in their first innings. But, set a target of 513 in a bit over two days, they showed great resistance the second time around and finished the fourth day on 272 for 6.Shakib Al Hasan and Mehidy Hasan Miraz, the two overnight batters, started positively on the fifth morning, with Mehidy driving Mohammed Siraj on the up through covers in the first over of the day. From the other end, Shakib slog-swept Axar Patel for a six.India struck back when Mehidy, once again trying to hit Siraj on the up, sliced one to backward point.With India into the tail now, Shakib started farming the strike. He either skipped down the track against Axar or used the slog sweep to pick up the boundaries. Against Siraj, he opened up his stance and used the pull and flat-bat shots to keep going. Along with Taijul Islam, he added 37 for the eighth wicket; all 37 runs came from Shakib’s bat.Shakib hit six fours and as many sixes in his entertaining 84 before being bowled by Kuldeep Yadav. The Bangladesh innings didn’t last long after that, with Axar finishing with four wickets in the innings and Kuldeep three.