Ex-Chelsea boss Ruud Gullit says his old side is still an "enigma" and he doesn't get what the club stands for.

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Gullit has scathing Chelsea takeCalls Chelsea an "enigma"Criticises approach to managersFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Gullit was sacked by Chelsea in 1998 and 27 years on, and nearly 20 full-time managers later, the Dutchman says some of the issues they had back then have not gone away. He questioned their identity, philosophy and preponderance for sacking managers.

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Writing in The Sun, Gullit – who guided the Blues to the 1997 FA Cup – mused: "Chelsea to me, still, is a little bit of an enigma. I don't know really how good they are or how bad they are. They are looking for their identity a little bit. They are trying to creep up the table and maybe in the long term they will be contenders for the title. But I don't know yet where they are exactly. People tell me that one of the problems with Chelsea is that they change the manager all the time – so tell me something new! I don't get it. I don't get what they really, really want. Even if they are successful, they still sack you as a coach. So I don't know. That's why I say Chelsea's still an enigma. I try to find out what they stand for, what is their philosophy and what is the football they want us to watch?"

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Chelsea looked to be heading in the right direction towards the end of 2024 as they were seemingly in the title race. Since then, though, they have slipped down the table, are in for a real fight to qualify for the Champions League, and questions are being asked over head coach Enzo Maresca's long-term future. They could be back to square one in not all that long.

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Chelsea will hope to get back on track when they host London rivals Tottenham at Stamford Bridge on Thursday night.

MatériaMais Notícias

Na tarde do último sábado, o torcedor do Ceará compareceu em peso a Arena Castelão e viu o seu time perder do Red Bull Bragantino por 1 a 0.

– VEJA A TABELA DO BRASILEIRÃO

O marcador negativo impôs ao Vozão a sua segunda derrota como mandante no torneio nacional e impede a equipe de subir na tabela.

Antes de ser derrotado pelo Massa Bruta, o Ceará havia perdido do Botafogo por 3 a 1, em jogo que ficou marcado de maneira negativa para o torcedor e elenco.

Agora, o próximo jogo do Vozão em casa pelo Brasileirão é no dia 14 de maio, quando encara o Flamengo.

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Manchester United have now been offered the chance to sign an “absolute monster” in a swap deal, with the player believed to be keen on the move, according to a report.

Man Utd pursuing a striker

Man United are now pushing to bring in a new striker this month, with Napoli’s Victor Osimhen now on their list of targets, and there has recently been a positive update on their pursuit of the Nigerian, as he is said to be determined to move to Old Trafford.

FC Porto’s Samu Omorodion is also under consideration, having sent scouts to watch the striker in action against Boavista, and he is likely to have caught the eye, netting twice in a 4-0 victory to help continue his side’s title charge.

Just a few days ago, it emerged that United could look to make a move for Juventus’ Dusan Vlahovic this month, with journalist Enrico Camelio explaining that a deal could be possible, should Joshua Zirkzee be sent in the opposite direction.

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Now, the Red Devils have been handed the opportunity to make that deal a reality, with TEAMtalk reporting that Juventus have now made an official cash-plus-player offer.

There are signs that a deal could have a good chance of coming to fruition, too, as both players have given the green light to moving, with Zirkzee struggling to adapt to life in the Premier League since arriving from Bologna in the summer.

TEAMtalk relay a previous valuation of the Juventus striker from CaughtOffside, which suggests he could be worth €65m (£54m), with United required to pay a fee to bring the combined value of their player and the money to a suitable amount.

Vlahovic is an upgrade on Zirkzee

Members of the Italian media have lauded the Serbian as an “absolute monster”, and for good reason, given that his record in front of goal in the Serie A is very impressive, with his most prolific season coming in 2020-21 for Fiorentina, netting 21 times.

Statistic (per 90)

Joshua Zirkzee

Dusan Vlahovic

Non-penalty goals

0.26

0.61

Assists

0.17

0.12

Shot-creating actions

3.26

2.27

Successful take-ons

1.55

0.44

As shown, the Juventus star has a better eye for goal than the Dutchman, scoring more than double the number of non-penalty goals per 90 over the past year, but his all-round game isn’t as strong.

As such, if Ruben Amorim wants a proven goalscorer, who does not offer much else to the team, it is worth considering Juventus’ proposal of a swap deal, but Zirkzee is likely to help the team in different ways. Osimhen should be United’s priority target, given that his all-round game is a lot better than Vlahovic’s, while also averaging more non-penalty goals over the past year.

Although Zirkzee has failed to deliver so far, it seems a little premature to let him leave this winter, especially considering Vlahovic is not the best striker United are currently linked with, meaning there is no pressing need to accept a swap deal.

New Zealand’s Daryl Mitchell and Tom Blundell have achieved career-best Test rankings of 12 and 20 respectively, following their record showing against England. On the bowling front, England left-arm spinner Jack Leach also bettered his previous best to sit at No. 25.Leach’s England team-mate Jonny Bairstow also rushed up 20 places in the rankings to No. 21 following his series of blistering knocks in the recently concluded series, which England swept 3-0 with three incredible chases.Mitchell gained four spots, having cracked a century in each of the three Tests. He finished the series as the highest run-getter by far with 538 runs – a record aggregate for New Zealand in a three-Test series. Blundell, having scored 383 runs, rose 11 places. The pair was a constant thorn in England’s side, scoring 724 runs in partnership – the record for any New Zealand duo in a Test series. They were also the first pair to put together four century partnerships for New Zealand in one series.Leach climbed 13 spots, having grabbed his first ten-wicket maul haul with figures of 10 for 166 in the third Test at Headingley.Bairstow registered scores of 136, 162 and 71 not out in consecutive innings across the Trent Bridge and Headingley Tests. On the way, he notched up England’s second-fastest Test hundred, 150 and fifty, respectively.The Test rankings continue to be led by Joe Root (batting), Pat Cummins (bowling) and Ravindra Jadeja (allrounders).

The January transfer window officially opens for business on Wednesday and it could be a busy month of business for the underperforming Glasgow Rangers.

Philippe Clement’s side have won one of their last five matches in all competitions, losing the League Cup final to Celtic at Hampden Park in that time, and recently lost 2-1 to St Mirren.

The Light Blues are now 14 points behind Celtic in the Scottish Premiership table and look set to miss out on the title for a fourth straight season.

Clement and Nils Koppen could, now, look to make some changes to the underperforming squad in January in an attempt to enjoy an improved second half of the campaign, and Cyriel Dessers moving on from Ibrox is one objective that they should have on their to-do-list.

Why Cyriel Dessers should be sold

Earlier this month, it was reported that Ligue 1 side Saint-Etienne have an interest in signing the Nigeria international from the Gers in the winter window.

Rangers must take advantage of that and ruthlessly cash in on the centre-forward, who has not proven to be a reliable option for Clement at the top end of the pitch this season.

Appearances

6

17

Goals

1

6

Big chances missed

7

8

Pass accuracy

66%

73%

Duel success rate

33%

34%

As you can see in the table above, Dessers has been incredibly wasteful in front of goal throughout the campaign, with 15 ‘big chances’ missed across the Premiership and the Europa League.

The 30-year-old dud, who has also been a lightweight in duels, should now be moved on when the January transfer window opens up, to free space in the squad for a new forward to come in.

The player who should replace Cyriel Dessers

Clement, however, may not need to dip into the market to find a replacement for Dessers because he could save the club a fortune by, simply, unleashing B team starlet Zak Lovelace.

The 18-year-old whiz, who finally returned to action in September after 320 days out with a hamstring injury, recently showcased his quality for the youth side by scoring the winner in the Glasgow Cup against Celtic, as shown below.

Lovelace has been a terrific player for the academy since his initial move from Millwall in the summer of 2022 at the age of 16, at which point he was described as an “exciting” young talent by former sporting director Ross Wilson.

The teenage dynamo enjoyed a sensational debut campaign with the youth sides, scoring 18 goals and providing ten assists in 35 appearances across all competitions.

His form was impressive enough to earn him two first-team appearances at the age of 17 in the second half of that term, before playing twice in the Premiership at the start of the 2023/24 campaign before his long-term hamstring injury.

Lovelace’s goal against Celtic recently shows that he is now back on track and could be ready to step back into the first-team set-up to offer Clement another option at the top end of the pitch.

The 18-year-old starlet’s form for the academy suggests that there is a forward there with the potential to provide quality as both a scorer and a creator of goals, which could make him an exciting replacement for Dessers – saving the club from splashing out millions on a replacement in the process.

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اتخذت محكمة التحكيم الرياضي، اليوم الثلاثاء، قرارها بشأن موقف نادي كلوب ليون المكسيكي من المشاركة في بطولة كأس العالم للأندية، بنسختها الجديدة، في أمريكا الصيف المقبل.

كانت لجنة الاستئناف التابعة لـ فيفا قد أقرت، في مارس الماضي، بأن ناديي باتشوكا وكلوب ليون انتهكا لوائح كأس العالم للأندية فيما يخص الملكية المشتركة لأكثر من نادِ.

ونتيجة لذلك، قرر الأمين العام للاتحاد الدولي استبعاد نادي كلوب ليون من المسابقة.

وتقدم باتشوكا وكلوب ليون باستئناف احتجاجًا على موقف فيفا ولضمان المشاركة لكليهما بشكل طبيعي في المونديال.

في حين تقدم كلوب ليون باستئناف إضافي ضد قرار استبعاده من البطولة، بينما تقدم نادي ألاخويلينسي الكوستاريكي باستئناف آخر من أجل قبول مشاركته كبديل.

اقرأ أيضًا.. كأس العالم للأندية يدفع ريال مدريد للتفاوض مع ليفربول لفسخ عقد لاعبه

وحسبما ذكرت صحيفة “ماركا” الإسبانية، رفضت هيئة محكمة التحكيم الرياضي (كاس) جميع الطعون الثلاثة وحكمت بأن باتشوكا وليون انتهكا معايير لوائح كأس العالم للأندية 2025 فيما يتعلق بملكية الأندية المتعددة.

وتم دمج جميع الطعون في قضية واحدة أمام محكمة التحكيم الرياضي، والتي تم الاستماع إليها في مقر محكمة التحكيم الرياضي في لوزان بسويسرا أمس.

ووجد المسؤولون في الهيئة أن فيفا لديها حجج قوية في قرارها، وقد راجعت اللجنة الأدلة، بما في ذلك صندوق نادي كلوب ليون (نقل الأصول إلى طرف ثالث) الذي أنشأه مالكو النادي.

وخلصت اللجنة إلى أن ما حدث غير كافٍ للامتثال للوائح، وبناءً على ذلك ظل نادي ليون مستبعدًا من المنافسة، في حين حافظ باتشوكا على تأهله.

في حين رفضت محكمة التحكيم الرياضي، في أبريل الماضي، رغبة نادي ألاخويلينسي في المشاركة في البطولة كبديل لـ كلوب ليون.

وقد تقرر أن يتنافس فريقي كلوب أمريكا ولوس أنجلوس على البطاقة المتبقية في كأس العالم للأندية في مباراة فاصلة.

وتم اختيار فريق كلوب أمريكا بالنظر إلى وجوده في المركز الثالث في التصنيف العام، في حين أن لوس أنجلوس هو وصيف بطولة كونكاكاف التي حسمها كلوب ليون في 2023.

كان كلوب ليون يتواجد في المجموعة الرابعة رفقة كل من الترجي التونسي، تشيلسي الإنجليزي وفلامينجو البرازيلي. 

Wrexham boss Phil Parkinson revealed that the referee served an apology for a controversial penalty that saw them draw against Cambridge United.

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• Wrexham shared the spoils with Cambridge
• A penalty decision saw the hosts take the lead
• Referee Parsons admitted his mistake after the match

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The incident in question occurred when Cambridge forward Ryan Loft went to the ground inside the area following a challenge from Wrexham defender Lewis Brunt. Without hesitation, Parsons pointed to the spot, a decision that raised eyebrows. Josh Stokes stepped up to calmly slot home the penalty to put the hosts in front.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Speaking after the game, Parkinson did not mince his words regarding the decision. He described the penalty as “one of the worst” he had ever witnessed. However, the Wrexham boss later received communication from English Football League referees’ chief Mike Jones, who relayed that the referee had acknowledged his error after reviewing the footage.

• WHAT PARKINSON SAID

  "The referee has accepted there was no contact and has apologised," Parkinson told . "You've got to respect his honesty for that. He can't go back and change his decision but at least he's reflected, looked at it from the angles I was able to do straight after the game. We move on. Sometimes certain situations are out of our control but I was pleased with the way we responded to that."

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  Although the late penalty decision denied them all three points, Wrexham still managed to take something from the game thanks to Sam Smith’s goal. The result kept the Red Dragons in second place in League One, preserving a three-point cushion over third-placed Wycombe Wanderers, who have a match in hand.

Patel falls for 99, but Ackerman, Mulder and Kimber all reach three figures

ECB Reporters Network13-Jul-2022Leicestershire 529 for 4 (Ackermann 167, Mulder 129, Kimber 104, Patel 99) trail Sussex 588 (Alsop 150, Orr 70, Carter 75, Rawlins 75, Coles 59, Parkinson 5-128) by 59 runsLouis Kimber, Colin Ackermann and Wiaan Mulder all made centuries as Leicestershire’s batters enjoyed a placid Hove pitch as much as Sussex’s had on the third day of their LV= Insurance County Championship match at Hove.There should have been a fourth hundred to celebrate for the Foxes but Rishi Patel was out for 99 as Leicestershire responded to Sussex’s 588 with 529 for four, Ackermann (167) and Mulder (129) having added 250 for the fifth wicket so far.Sussex’s bowlers plugged away but only 13 wickets have fallen in three days and the contest, between the bottom two sides in the second division, is destined for a draw, although Leicestershire may feel they could apply pressure if they can score quickly and get a decent lead on the final day.There were a couple of moments during a soporific day when Sussex might have taken the initiative. They were certainly left to rue not running out Ackermann on 71 when he would have been well short had Delray Rawlins thrown more accurately from short mid-wicket to the non-striker’s end.Mulder was dropped on 107 but it was a day of unrelenting toil in the heat for a Sussex attack weakened by the absence of skipper Tom Haines, who has a broken hand, and the lack of a front-line spinner. Haines’ deputy Steven Finn bowled impressively to take two of three wickets to fall but Leicestershire’s batters were in punishing mood.At the start of the day Kimber, who is playing only his 12th first-class match at the age of 25, reached his century with a lovely extra-cover drive to the boundary off Finn in the fourth over of the day. But Finn pinned Kimber lbw in his next over for 104, which included 11 fours and three sixes.Kimber had added 174 for the second wicket with Patel, who resumed on 67 and looked certain to follow his team-mate to a first Championship hundred. Then, with a single needed and with three balls to go before lunch, he inexplicably charged down the pitch to off-spinner James Coles and feathered a thin edge behind, having struck 17 fours and a six in nearly five hours of patient accumulation.Finn struck in the fourth over with the new ball when he took a low return catch in his follow-through to remove Lewis Hill for 10, but after that Ackermann and Mulder shaped the rest of the day.Ackermann, who gave up the Championship captaincy in May, followed up his hundred against Nottinghamshire in his previous Championship appearance by reaching the 20th of his career shortly after tea. South African all-rounder Mulder followed him by driving Sean Hunt to the long-on boundary to bring up his sixth first-class century, but he was badly missed by wicketkeeper Oli Carter shortly afterwards off Henry Crocombe.As Sussex searched for a breakthrough, Cheteshwar Pujara came on to bowl his very occasional leg breaks but by then Ackermann and Mulder were in full control. They posted a new record for Leicestershire’s fifth wicket against Sussex – beating John Sadler and David Masters’ 208 at Hove in 2003 in the game when Sussex clinched the Championship title for the first time – with power to add.

Everton could be about to lose one of their key men in January, with the player’s representatives having reportedly opened talks with a new club.

Everton transfer news

Despite a recent upturn in form that has seen them thrash Wolverhampton Wanderers 4-0 and secure a well-deserved point against high-flying Chelsea, Everton’s season so far can still be considered disappointing, with Sean Dyche’s side currently hovering dangerously above the drop zone.

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To try and keep them in the division next season, Dyche is expected to prioritise reinforcements during the January transfer window as he looks to revitalise the squad.

Among the potential targets is Fenerbahce winger Oguz Aydin, who Everton recently sent scouts to watch, as well as Botafogo forward Igor Jesus, who is viewed as a possible replacement for the outbound Beto.

Lyon winger Ernest Nuamah is also a target. The 21-year-old had agreed terms to move to Goodison Park in the summer, but the deal stalled. According to Foot Mercato, however, the Toffees remain keen, and Lyon are now ready to let him leave for the right offer.

Calvert-Lewin in talks with Sevilla

One man Dyche could be without for the second half of the season, however, is striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

The English striker has previously been linked with a number of clubs, including Juventus and Fiorentina, but a new report from Vamos Mi Sevilla FC, per Sport Witness, claims that it is now Sevilla who are leading the race to sign him.

The publication claims that the La Liga side are in the race to sign Calvert-Lewin and are talking to his representatives. Sevilla’s sporting director Victor Orta sees Calvert-Lewin as an exciting player who can help the club turn their season around, with Garcia Pimienta’s side currently stuck in 14th place in the Spanish top flight.

Calvert-Lewin, meanwhile, intends to leave Everton “soon,” possibly as soon as January, and he would reportedly be “excited” to play in Spain if given the chance, making a switch to Sevilla one to watch.

Calvert-Lewin, who earns £100,000-per-week at Goodison Park, has been a key figure for the Toffees since they signed him from Sheffield United in 2016, hitting 70 goals in 263 games. His most fruitful season came in 2020/21 when he hit 21 goals in all competitions, though this term, he’s managed just two goals in 15 games.

The 27-year-old is out of contract at Everton next summer, meaning the club will likely need to sell him on after the New Year to avoid losing him on a free later down the line. Speaking about the striker’s future, former Everton captain Alan Stubbs told BBC Sport that he expects him to move on in January.

“That decision comes from Dominic. But for me, it looks like his head is elsewhere. We are at a crossroads for the next chapter of Dominic’s career and for Everton to move on.”

Newcastle could now lose one of their recent signings as one club have entered talks over landing him this January, according to a shock report.

Newcastle pushing for top four

Five Premier League wins on the bounce have propelled Newcastle up the table and back into contention for the top four come the end of the campaign, which would bring with it a return to Champions League action.

Currently fifth, the Magpies are two points behind Chelsea heading into their game against Wolves, while draws from both Manchester City and Bournemouth have given Eddie Howe’s side the chance to open up a gap over both teams in the coming days.

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With the January transfer window open though, the Magpies will need to strengthen, with the sides around them already doing so and Manchester City likely to improve with a mammoth spend this winter.

As it stands, Newcastle may have to sell players before they can buy though. Miguel Almiron is one who could leave, with the Paraguay international having made just seven Premier League appearances this campaign and starting just once. He is reportedly in advanced talks over an exit, which could net Newcastle a decent fee.

However, one player who could yet stay is Newcastle shot-stopper Martin Dubravka, despite the Slovakian veteran having already agreed a deal to leave for Saudi Arabia. His departure would force the Magpies into the market for a second-choice goalkeeper, which would waste a significant chunk of any available budget.

That budget could yet be added to with a new departure though, with one club in talks to land another Newcastle man.

Fenerbahce in talks with Newcastle over defender

That comes as Fenerbahçe have confirmed that they are “in talks” with Newcastle over a move to sign defender Lloyd Kelly just six months after his arrival on Tyneside.

The English defender, who worked with Howe at Bournemouth, joined the club as a free agent over the summer but has yet to nail down a first team spot at St James’ Park. So far, the 26-year-old has started just four top flight games for the Magpies, and with Sven Botman now returning from injury, his chances of being asked to step in are only decreasing.

Appearances

9

Starts

4

Yellow Cards

2

% of minutes played

17%

Though dubbed “incredible” by Gary O’Neil when the pair worked together at Bournemouth, he has had little opportunity to show that.

Now he could depart, with Fenerbahce vice-president Acun Ilıcalı explaining that “We are in talks for a Lloyd Kelly transfer. He’s a player we’re interested in. If we can reach an agreement, we will transfer this player”, with Jose Mourinho on the hunt for a left-sided defender.

As per the Telegraph, while “Newcastle were willing to listen to Fenerbahce’s proposal”, the Turkish side’s “opening offer was considerably below their valuation of the player”.

As a result, “talks have not progressed and the Turkish club would have to significantly raise their offer for the 26-year-old if they are going to resume”, though their remains the prospect of an agreement.

With Kelly believed to be on £150,000 a week on Tyneside, his sale could free up some much needed funds for Howe’s side as they look to remain the right side of the Premier League’s financial regulations while also building a squad capable of competing for major honours, but they would need Fenerbahce to seriously up their offer.