علقت جماهير آينتراخت فرانكفورت على أداء الدولي المصري، عمر مرموش، في مباراة بوخوم اليوم بمنافسات الدوري الألماني “بوندسليجا”.

وفاز فرانكفورت على نظيره بوخوم بنتيجة 7/2، خلال المباراة التي جمعت الفريقين في منافسات الجولة التاسعة من الدوري الألماني على ملعب “دويتشه بانك بارك”.

اقرأ ايضاً.. عمر مرموش يدخل تاريخ آينتراخت فرانكفورت بعد هدفه أمام بوخوم في الدوري الألماني ملخص لمسات عمر مرموش في مباراة فرانكفورت وبوخوم بالدوري الالماني

وتمكن عمر مرموش من تسجيل هدف فرانكفورت الثاني في مباراة اليوم، عند الدقيقة 18، وقام بصناعة هدفي فرانكفورت الأول والسادس.

وكالعادة عبرت جماهير فرانكفورت عن آرائها في أداء النجم المصري، خلال مباراة فرانكفورت وبوخوم عبر مواقع التواصل الاجتماعي المختلفة.  ردود أفعال جماهير فرانكفورت على أداء عمر مرموش أمام بوخوم

“نسخة ميسي بقميص آينتراخت فرانكفورت”.

Prime Messi einfach im Team — Juschku🇩🇪 (@Juschku22) November 2, 2024

“أي نوع من الآلة هذا اللاعب”.

Digga was ist das für eine Maschine — M💫🖤🤍💙 (@M27212721) November 2, 2024

“يقوم مهاجم الدوري الألماني بعمل جيد في ألمانيا حتى ينضم إلى الدوري الإنجليزي. لم أفهم أبدًا السبب”.

Bundesliga striker do well in Germany until they join EPL…I have never understood why — KOT OCS👮👮 (@WaruiJohn2) November 2, 2024

“أرقام مثيرة للإعجاب! مرموش هو بالتأكيد لاعب يستحق المشاهدة. الأندية الكبرى سوف تصطف من أجله!”.

Impressive numbers! Marmoush is definitely a player to watch. Top clubs will be lining up for him! 🔥 — badsha (@badsha0311) November 2, 2024

“لقد كان مثيرا هذا الموسم. يجب أن يأتي إلى أرسنال”.

He’s been sensational this season. He should come to Arsenal😍😍 — SAqib KAshmiri (@saqibkashmiri65) November 2, 2024

“لدينا أفضل لاعب في العالم”.

Wir haben den besten Spieler der Welt pic.twitter.com/zX2dFlP6MF — Violência (@ViolenciaSGE) November 2, 2024

“الملك المصري الجديد”.

The new Egyptian king man — Rel (@FCB_Rel) November 2, 2024

“يجب على ليفربول التعاقد معه بدل من نونيز”.

LFC swap deal with Nuñez — Richy (@bossmanrichy) November 2, 2024

Kylian Mbappe's mother Fayza Lamari has revealed when the Frenchman revealed his 'dream' to become a Real Madrid player.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Joining Real Madrid was Mbappe's dream
• Forward's mother on when he declared ambition
• Had been speaking of the move for decades

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Mbappe joined Madrid after years of speculation as the club signed the Frenchman on a five-year deal as a free agent following the end of his contract with Paris Saint-Germain. Even while playing with the Ligue 1 side, Mbappe had maintained that playing with Los Blancos was his childhood dream.

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  WHAT LAMARI SAID

  When asked by when the first time the forward talked about his dream of playing for Madrid, she replied: "He was five years old, I thought he was crazy (laughs). All his idols were there and he wanted to imitate them. At five years old he had dreams. And what I find beautiful about him is that at 25, he still dreams.

  "You could say that he is jaded, that he already has everything he wants. That is not the case. I am not going to say that he is putting himself in danger by going to Madrid, but he is getting out of his comfort zone. I think he also needed another challenge."

• Getty
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  During his presentation at Santiago Bernabeu in front of 80,000 fans, Mbappe admitted that joining the Spanish giants was his only dream since his childhood before declaring his ambition to "live up to the history of this club, the best in the world". Pressure will be on the attacker to help fire them to a second consecutive Champions League crown after completing the highly-anticipated move.

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• WHAT NEXT FOR MBAPPE?

  Mbappe will not travel with Real Madrid for the preseason tour to the United States due to the nose injury that saw him have to wear a face mask during Euro 2024. During the presentation, he said: "We'll see with the coach and the club. If the club says yes, I'll go. I'm at the club's disposal. I hope I'll play in the Super Cup match, it's up to the coach to decide. I'm going to get to work to play the first match.

  "I am in contact with the medical staff, I am listening to what is recommended to me and I will resume playing when possible. I want to be able to contribute as much as possible to the team as soon as possible."

Glasgow Rangers finally return to Premiership action following a 16-day break as they take on Hibernian at Ibrox on Saturday afternoon.

The Gers were due to face Dundee in the league just three days after their 1-0 defeat to Benfica in the Europa League, but a waterlogged pitch meant the game was postponed, giving Philipp Clement and his men an unlikely day off.

The Belgian will have spent the international break working on bringing back some of his injured players ahead of the title run-in, as the likes of Danilo and Abdallah Sima could potentially make all the difference for the Light Blues.

One game at a time will surely be the mantra Clement preaches to his side, starting with the clash against the Easter Road outfit on Saturday.

A win for Rangers would see them leapfrog Celtic and return to the summit of the Premiership, which could be crucial in terms of applying pressure on their Old Firm rivals.

With this in mind, here's a look at the that Clement could choose for the league tie at Ibrox, as a few players may come into the team having started on the bench against Benfica…

1 GK – Jack Butland

There is no doubt Butland will have been disappointed to have missed out on a call-up to the England side for their recent friendlies, yet this could motivate him over the next few weeks.

In 29 Premiership games this term, the former Crystal Palace goalkeeper has conceded just 16 goals, which is the best defensive record in the top flight.

A 24th clean sheet of the campaign would go a long way to seeing the Gers claim all three points against Hibs.

2 RB – James Tavernier

The long-serving skipper has enjoyed playing against Hibs throughout his spell in Glasgow, scoring eight goals and grabbing five assists since his first meeting way back in 2015.

The experienced defender has been on the losing side against Hibs on just six occasions, aiming to secure his 19th victory against the Edinburgh side on Saturday.

With plenty at stake between now and May, Tavernier will surely be up to the task of containing them on Saturday.

3 CB – Connor Goldson

With over 300 appearances for the Light Blues, Goldson knows what it takes to win a league title, although this is the first time he has really been involved in a proper title race.

The centre-back has missed just four matches throughout 2023/24, proving to be a pillar of consistency under Clement.

4 CB – John Souttar

The Scot will continue his fine partnership alongside Goldson on Saturday afternoon, with the duo shining together over the previous few months.

Souttar endured an injury-ravaged debut season at Ibrox, yet he has missed only 15 matches this term, with the majority of them due to injury.

The defender played just 22 minutes for Scotland during the recent international break, thus he should be fresh and ready to go.

5 LB – Borna Barisic

Ridvan Yilmaz was injured on international duty for Turkey, meaning he will miss the Hibs clash at least.

This gives Clement a selection headache, however. Dujon Sterling suffered a hamstring injury against Hibs in the Scottish Cup clash at the start of the month, with his return unlikely for Saturday’s match.

This means Clement could be forced to unleash Borna Barisic, yet the Croatian has started just three league matches in 2024 and has proven to be a liability when unleashed in the starting XI.

6 CM – John Lundstram

The midfielder is one of the first names on Clement’s team sheet – missing just one match under the Belgian thus far – and his performances have been excellent.

His contract is due to expire at the end of the season, but his displays recently should ensure he is offered an extension to his current deal.

7 CM – Mohamed Diomande

The January signing has hit the ground running at Ibrox, scoring twice across his opening ten matches, while chipping in with an assist too.

The Ivorian could be at the heart of the midfield for the foreseeable future, with the Gers surely looking to make a major profit on the starlet who will join permanently in the summer for a fee of £4.3m.

8 RW – Scott Wright

Wright hasn’t exactly enjoyed the most productive of seasons, scoring just twice in all competitions, yet his display against Benfica was lively and may have secured him a place in the starting XI on Saturday.

Against the Portuguese side, he completed one key pass along with succeeding with three of his five dribble attempts, proving to be a threat on the right wing.

9 AM – Todd Cantwell

The attacking midfielder – who cost just £1.5m from Norwich City a year ago – returned from injury against Benfica, coming on for the final 17 minutes to get some much-needed game time.

He will take the place of Tom Lawrence in the starting XI, as the Englishman – whom Brian Laudrup lauded as "wonderful to watch" – has scored six goals and grabbed four assists this term, showcasing his talents in the number ten role.

10 LW – Rabbi Matondo

The winger, like Cantwell, also came off the bench against Benfica for the final 20 minutes as he stepped up his progress towards a full start.

This could come against Hibs, especially as Clement could move Fabio Silva into a more central position, leaving the left-wing slot available for the Welshman.

Four goals and four assists this season indicate that he has been productive, and he will be keen for more on Saturday.

Leeds United play host to Stoke City in the Championship at Elland Road on Tuesday as they go in search of a first win in three competitive matches.

The Whites were held to a 1-1 draw by Huddersfield away from home last time out in the second tier, which came after a 3-2 defeat to Chelsea in the FA Cup. The weekend's result allowed Ipswich Town to move above them in the table and into second place, but despite dropping out of the automatic promotion places, for now, the 49ers are reportedly keen to tie down one of their vital figures to a new deal.

Daniel Farke contract update

According to Football Insider, the club will make giving head coach Daniel Farke an improved contract a priority move at the end of the 2023/24 campaign. Reporter Wayne Veysey claims that the former Norwich City tactician has made a top impression on the board, who are now plotting a major summer agreement.

He is set for a "huge" pay rise as the 49ers will present him with a bumper new contract should Leeds be promoted back to the Premier League at the first time of asking.

However, the outlet adds that the Yorkshire-based outfit could offer Farke, whose current deal expires in the summer of 2027, fresh terms even if they fail to go up, which shows how impressive he has been to those running the club this term.

How good has Farke been this season?

Having been relegated from the top-flight last term, Leeds gutted their squad of high-earners as the likes of Marc Roca, Tyler Adams, Rodrigo, Rasmus Kristensen, Jack Harrison, and Robin Koch, among others, moved on either permanently or on loan.

Despite the huge turnover in the squad and the switch from Premier League to Championship football, Farke quickly put together a winning machine at Elland Road. Leeds have won 22 of their 35 league matches during the 2023/24 campaign to date, and sit two points off the automatic promotion places as it stands.

This shows that the German head coach, who won two Championship titles with Norwich, has been effective in deploying a side that can consistently win games at that level.

Farke has also showcased his ability to bring through and develop young talent as both Archie Gray and Mateo Joseph have emerged as first-team options, with perhaps the only criticism fans have to do with his use of substitutions.

As you can see in the table above, 17-year-old Gray has nailed down a place as a regular starter for Leeds in a promotion-push season, despite his age and inexperience heading into the campaign.

He has been linked with Premier League giants Liverpool and is reportedly valued at up to £50m, which is thanks to Farke's faith in the young whiz, who may not have been given an opportunity under other managers who favour experience.

Overall, tying the head coach down to a new contract would be a shrewd move as his results on the pitch and development of young talent suggest that he could be a fantastic manager for the club for many more years to come, regardless of what division they find themselves in this summer.

After such a positive season last time around, Manchester United’s 2023/24 campaign has been rather disappointing.

As of right now, the race for Champions League football next term is an uphill battle, with the Red Devils sitting sixth in the Premier League.

However, in fairness to Erik ten Hag, he’s struggled to name a consistent starting side due to injuries, which is a key reason as to why the side hasn’t continued to progress.

One of those who has endured somewhat of a nightmare period both on the sidelines and in the squad is Danish midfielder Christian Eriksen.

Christian Eriksen’s current worth

At the start of last season, Eriksen joined Man United on a free transfer, following an impressive stint at Brentford, where he registered five goal contributions in ten games.

During his first campaign as a Red Devil, the signing of the Dane seemed like a bargain, with the experienced midfielder proving to be an important player for Ten Hag, as highlighted by the fact that he was United’s joint-top assister last season in the Premier League.

Despite starting 25 Premier League games in 2022/23 with only injuries preventing him from playing more, the 32-year-old has struggled to cement himself a spot this campaign, starting just nine matches.

This decrease in minutes has seen Eriksen’s estimated value drop all the way down to £8.6m as per Transfermarkt.

That's a considerable drop from the £22m he was valued at during the opening months of his time at Old Trafford. A series of underwhelming displays, coupled with injury and a dwindling value may beg the question, why did United get rid of Fred?

Fred’s transfer value in 2024

In 2018, Brazilian gem Fred joined Jose Mourinho’s United from Shakhtar Donetsk for a huge fee of £52.5m, which at the time was the club’s third-most expensive signing of all time.

The number 17 made over 200 appearances for the Red Devils, but he was a player that often split opinions, with football content creator Liam Canning labelling Fred both “outrageous” and “infuriating.”

However, last summer, the 31-year-old departed Old Trafford for a fee of £12.9m, moving to Turkish side Fenerbahce, where he has thrived in a team that’s lost just once in 30 league games.

Although the midfielder left the Premier League, he has still held his value, and he’s now estimated to be worth £16.3m according to Transfermarkt.

Scott McTominay

£27m

Casemiro

£26m

Sofyan Amrabat

£19m

Fred

£16.3m

Christian Eriksen

£8.6m

This would still make him one of the least valuable midfielders in the current United crop, but Ten Hag may have been better off keeping the Brazilian instead of keeping Eriksen and signing Sofyan Amrabat.

Fred is known for his ability to be an excellent squad player who has proven to step up when needed. This was particularly on display when United faced tougher opposition last season, with the tenacious tackler showing his influence against Barcelona in the Europa League, for example, when he scored and assisted across both legs.

Over the two games, Fred also made ten tackles, which highlights his defensive security; however, the aspects that Fred thrives in are where Eriksen struggles the most, in regards to energy, tackling, and out-of-possession tenacity, as shown by the former Spurs players 0.9 tackles per game in the Premier League this season.

Overall, it’s quite clear that letting Fred go in order to keep a declining Eriksen may have been a mistake, with the profile of the former missing in the United squad for Ten Hag this season.

So many new heroes at Elland Road this campaign have been unearthed by Daniel Farke, with faces such as Georginio Rutter and Daniel James – who were once scapegoats when Leeds United were struggling – dazzling in the Championship this season.

It's resulted in Leeds looking like hot favourites to bounce straight back up to the Premier League at the first time of asking, fending off Ipswich Town and Southampton on their tails for the time being to keep their grip firmly on that coveted second automatic promotion spot.

Yet, although everything is currently rosey at an initial scan, Farke will have to soon embrace some awkward conversations with those whose contracts are running out in West Yorkshire.

Leeds could wave goodbye to this once highly regarded young gem in the process, allowing the midfielder in question – who was tipped to be a successor to Kalvin Phillips – to walk out of the door as a free agent.

What was first said when Lewis Bate signed for Leeds

Lewis Bate would join the Leeds ranks as a wide-eyed youngster from the illustrious Chelsea youth set-up, with Bate even going on to make the bench for the Blues a number of times before moving on.

Still, in 2021, the hot prospect would decide to leave the comforts of Stamford Bridge behind for a new challenge in Leeds.

It wasn't going to be a cheap deal to get over the line from a Whites perspective however, with the reported fee to win Bate's services coming in at a substantial £1.5m which looked hefty at the time considering his lack of real minutes in the senior game.

The media would instantly hype Bate up as being a potential natural long-term successor to Phillips' throne at Elland Road, an unrealistic tag for a young gem to live up to off the back of making 58 Chelsea youth appearances before relocating.

Reporting on the initial move, Leeds Live's Joe Donnohue described him as the "truest Kalvin Phillips successor" out there.

Making the jump up in quality would prove to be a difficult one for Bate, however. To date, he has only made five Leeds first-team appearances with many of his minutes reserved to featuring for the U21s.

For a player once described as being able to "thread it through the needle" with his passing range by ex-Leeds icon Marcelo Bielsa when the Argentine boss still occupied the dug-out, Bate has never been able to live up to the lofty expectations on his shoulders from the minute he entered the fray.

The now 21-year-old midfielder has been able to show glimpses of his quality at Leeds here and there, coming away from a 45-minute cameo against Arsenal in 2022 with 16 accurate passes managed, but the door now looks very much open for Bate to permanently exit Elland Road at the end of this current campaign.

He's not been helped by the electric form of Ilia Gruev and Glen Kamara bossing proceedings in the Championship this season, filling the void left behind by Phillips in their stride more confidently than the forgotten 5 foot 8 man has ever managed.

First Impressions

What did pundits and fans alike think about their new star signing when they arrived? Football FanCast's 'First Impressions' series has everything you need.

Lewis Bate's time out on loan away from Leeds

Stating in a revealing interview recently that Farke's emergence as the new Leeds manager made things even more "tough" for his first-team minutes, Bate has had to drop down to League Two with Milton Keynes Dons this season on loan to try and excel away from the shackles of Elland Road.

Matches played

13

Minutes played per game

71

Assists

1

Successful passes per game

52.5 (90%)

Tackles per game

1.5

Balls recovered per game

5.2

Bate has shown his class for MK Dons as Mike Williamson's men aim to win promotion up to League One, coming away from a recent big 2-1 win against automatic promotion rivals Mansfield Town with three key passes notched up, but it just doesn't look as if it will be enough for the former £1.5m buy to be kept around at Leeds past the summer.

With Bate staggeringly revealing that the Whites boss doesn't "like him" in that same tell-all interview, it would not be a surprise to see Bate allowed to exit the Championship giants for nothing now this summer when his contract expires.

It would be a disappointing end to the former Chelsea wonderkid's time with the West Yorkshire titans after so much was expected of him on his arrival three years ago.

Lewis Bate's future at Leeds

Bate isn't the only presence on the fringes at Leeds who has their future hanging in the balance, with more experienced faces such as Sam Byram and Liam Cooper also fearing what will happen when their contracts come to an abrupt end this June alongside the 21-year-old.

Ian Poveda has already been revealed as one Whites man on the periphery who won't be kept on past this season, with Bate's fate of being homeless almost expected at this point alongside other forgotten faces in Brenden Aaronson, Diego Llorente and more.

Bate will take some comfort in the fact he has become a fan's favourite at Stadium MK, but there must be some bitterness on his end that he never was able to make the grade at Leeds.

Farke and Co will more than be able to cope when Bate is moved on, knowing that both Gruev and Kamara are dependable anchors in the Whites first team alongside Archie Gray and Ethan Ampadu being able to fill in here when necessary.

Whilst Gray has flourished beyond anyone's wildest expectations in Leeds quarters as another starlet tipped for big things, with Gareth Southgate even talking up his chances in the England senior ranks, it looks as if Bate will be chucked to the scrap heap when this season is up as a youngster who was never able to live up to his wild hype.

Farke could well live to rue getting rid of their fringe man who once cost them £1.5m for free if he goes on to prove those wrong, but it feels the kindest thing to do now to let him leave instead of drawing out the failed move for any longer.

The international captain talks about passing on his experience to the youngsters and the potential comeback of Dwayne Bravo

Barny Read23-Nov-2019

West Indies white-ball captain Kieron Pollard says it is his will to win that helps drive his franchise cricket career which continues to be littered with success.The 32-year-old allrounder stands on the brink of Abu Dhabi T10 glory after his team Deccan Gladiators made it to Sunday’s final. Pollard is also a multiple IPL champion, has a T20 World Cup winner’s medal on his mantlepiece, is one of the most experienced T20 players in the world.He has taken in franchise tournaments the world over, from his native Caribbean islands to England, Australia, Bangladesh, the UAE and Canada. For Pollard, each stop has been a learning experience and he hopes to feed his gained knowledge back into both West Indian cricket and across the ever-expanding footprint of T20 leagues across the globe.”I think the will to win is what makes you as an individual sometimes successful because you want to pass on the knowledge that you’ve learnt [from] playing international cricket [and] playing franchise cricket on to the players that you have presently and try to educate them. So when you go onto that field, they have that cricketing knowledge to go out and try to execute and be one step ahead of the opposition,” Pollard told ESPNcricinfo.”We play a lot of cricket around the world but it’s about being successful and about winning and that’s my mantra no matter who I play for at that point in time I give my all to win and my will to win is very, very strong.”Pollard proved as much on his latest assignment in the T10, where he helped the Gladiators set up a showdown with the Maratha Arabians for the trophy courtesy of back-to-back victories over the Bangla Tigers and the Qalandars on Saturday night. And for the likes of 22-year-olds Dan Lawrence and Mason Crane, as well as 24-year-old Migael Pretorious in an otherwise experienced-looking Gladiators outfit, Pollard is a great resource to tap into.”With that you can broaden their mindset as to how they go about it because in certain cultures, certain things are embedded in them but when you come out in the wider world it’s not only about that,” Pollard said of his advice for emerging players.”You get a different perspective from different people and that makes you learn and get better as a cricketer. I’ve played all over the world, in different competitions, so I have a fair idea of how to go about it and I’ve been successful as well. So however that conversation goes at that time you share that knowledge of it and what you think. Your opinion might not be right but it might give them a different perspective of how you are thinking about certain aspects.”Once you’re good enough to be here, you’re good enough to go out and perform. All you need to do when you sit in a franchise or in a team where there’s a lot of internationals you try to pick their brains and try to understand different aspects of cricket, different scenarios of what they would have done in certain situations.”Pollard came into the T10 on the back of his first assignment since being named captain of West Indies’ T20I and ODI formats, a tour against Afghanistan that ended in a 2-1 defeat in the former and 3-0 whitewash in the latter.They were his first ODI matches in over three years and now that Pollard is back in the fold, he will do everything in his power, he says, to ensure that when he eventually leaves the international scene, he does so having given back to Caribbean cricket.”The same experiences I’ve learned around the world, the same experiences I can share in the dressing room,” Pollard said.”In our dressing room there are a lot of young guys and they need the experienced guys to try and guide them along and that’s basically my job in terms of trying to guide them, try to set them in the right direction and also trying to lead from the front in terms of performing as well.”I’m pretty excited because I know what the guys can learn from the experienced guys. We have Dwayne Bravo who can come back in potentially, you have Chris Gayle who is still playing T20 cricket around the world and has a wealth of knowledge and experience in the T20 arena, in 50-over, in Test cricket, so he can share a lot.”As a staff and management, we look forward to that, trying to build for something in the future. Obviously, we’re not going to be around for too long but whatever I can do in the little space of time to help is going to make me a lot more satisfied than leaving the international side and not being able to help.”

West Bromwich Albion go into this coming Good Friday's Championship clash brimming with confidence, having seen off Bristol City and Huddersfield Town with relative ease 2-0 and 4-1 before the international break kicked in.

Carlos Corberan's men look secure in their playoff spot in the division subsequently, sitting pretty in fifth spot with a sizeable eight-point gap opening up between the Baggies and their nearest playoff rival in Hull City in seventh, as a result of West Brom's recent positive form.

Alex Palmer has been a key cog in the Baggies machine this season in between the sticks to help his team dream big about promotion aspirations, keeping 16 clean sheets with the last of those coming in the rather routine Robins victory.

Yet, there's a hero from West Brom yesteryear who's idolised even more than Palmer when recollecting about dependable goalkeepers, having cost the West Midlands outfit just £4.5m back in 2012.

Ben Foster's transfer to West Brom

Ben Foster would leave Manchester United behind for pastures new initially at Birmingham City, never looking back after walking out of Sir Alex Ferguson's Theatre of Dreams.

It's not as if the revered manager didn't utilise Foster during his Red Devils days, amassing 23 appearances for the Man United first team over two seasons before moving on for more regular minutes first with the Blues and then further down the line with the Baggies.

After one season at St. Andrew's, Foster would pack his bags for nearby West Brom with the ex-Man United shot-stopper going down as an icon over time in his new surroundings.

That £4.5m fee forked out by the current Championship club – after his short stint at the Blues – would end up looking like an absolute bargain, with Foster becoming a celebrated servant for the Baggies who was a reliable goalkeeper over many years when the club were a solid Premier League side.

What Ben Foster would be worth in 2024 money

The 6 foot 4 goalkeeper would go on to make 223 appearances for West Brom over seven impactful seasons, becoming very much a part of the furniture at the West Midlands club by the time of his exit.

West Brom lineup for Ben Foster's Premier League debut

West Brom 0-2 Man United, August 2011

1. GK – Ben Foster

2. RB – Steven Reid

3. CB – Gabriel Tamas

4. CB – Jonas Olsson

5. LB – Nicky Shorey

6. RM – Chris Brunt

7. CM – Youssouf Mulumbu

8. CM – Paul Scharner

9. LM – James Morrison

10. ST – Somen Tchoyi

11. ST – Shane Long

Sourced by Transfermarkt

Foster would end up keeping 57 clean sheets for the Baggies over these games, with his best personal season coming during the 2014-15 campaign where he would register 12 shut-outs from just 28 contests played.

That season would coincide with West Brom finishing 13th in the division with the likes of one-time hotshot Saido Berahino firing in 20 goals, Foster's team never really anxious about their top-flight status and sinking down to where Corberan now manages his Baggies troops in the second tier.

Foster would eventually endear himself to a new set of supporters in Watford, where he managed to break into the 200 game threshold also in Hertfordshire before a notable move to moneybags Wrexham AFC came to fruition, but West Brom fans will still view the eight-time England international as a Baggies icon first and foremost.

When looking at TotallyFootball's Transfer Index, which takes into account modern-day inflation involving past transfer deals, the £4.5m move is made to look even more of a masterstroke from those at the Hawthorns with his value – if that move took place today – coming in at £12m.

How Ben Foster's value compares to the West Brom squad

Using the Transfer Index, Foster would now be worth three times more than the Baggies most valuable asset currently in Jed Wallace when first joining the club – the ex-Millwall man coming in as being worth €4.1M (£3.5m) according to Football Transfers.

That's even with Wallace being as key as Palmer has been in patches for the promotion chasers this campaign so far, with the ageing midfielder helping himself to nine goals and assists across 35 appearances in all competitions.

West Brom's most valuable players – 2023/24

1. Jed Wallace

€4.1m (£3.5m)

2. Okay Yokuslu

€3.5m (£2.99m)

3. Brandon Thomas-Asante

€3.4m (£2.91m)

4. Conor Townsend

€3.4m (£2.91m)

5. Darnell Furlong

€3.4m (£2.91m)

Sourced by Football Transfers

Scanning the table above, Foster would be way out in front as the most valuable player compared to the likes of Okay Yokuslu and Brandon Thomas-Asante who are all aiming as a collective to return back to the level the goalkeeper succeeded at with West Brom.

After Watford, Foster's career would end with a whimper rather than a notable rebirth with the ex-Baggies man hanging up his boots at the Red Dragons after leaking 13 goals in just four games playing in the lower depths of League Two.

Palmer will strive to be remembered in the same vain as Foster with the Baggies gunning for promotion up to the top-flight, the current West Brom number one of the first names on his manager's teamsheet by being an everpresent in every XI fielded in the league to date.

Now at 40 years of age, Foster is becoming known more as an internet personality than an excellent shot-stopper. But, to those with connections to the West Midlands club, the 6 foot 4 goalkeeper is very much still known for being a West Brom legend.

The homegrown defender looks set to depart Stamford Bridge despite starring in the second half of last season

Back in August 2021, Thomas Tuchel sprinkled a major surprise into his Chelsea line up for the Blues' Premier League opener against Crystal Palace. Sitting at the heart of his back three was not Thiago Silva, nor was it Kurt Zouma, who both had to settle for a place on the bench.

Instead, Trevoh Chalobah, flanked on either side by Andreas Christensen and Antonio Rudiger, was given the nod. His selection represented the realisation of a lifelong dream. Moving to London from Sierra Leone as a toddler, Chalobah was picked up by Chelsea before his ninth birthday and progressed through the youth ranks, forming part of the young Blues sides that won the 2015-16 UEFA Youth League and FA Youth Cup on two occasions.

How much this debut meant to the centre back became abundantly clear in the second half against the Eagles. Latching onto a crossfield pass from Mateo Kovacic 25 yards out, Chalobah inched forward gingerly before unleashing a rasping drive into the far corner. Vicente Guaita got a hand to it, but it wasn't enough, as the ball nestled into the back of the net.

The enormity of this storybook moment proved too much for Chalobah. After raising his hands to thank the heavens, he covered his face to hide the tears beginning to form and disappeared into Cesar Azpilicueta's embrace, before being ecstatically mobbed by his team-mates.

"I couldn't believe it when the ball went in. I didn't know what to do and I dropped to my knees," he told the after the game. "I was over the moon. I didn't know the ball went in until the crowd cheered. It's a surreal moment."

Debuts simply do not get better than that, and it should have been the start of Chalobah forging his legend at Stamford Bridge. However, the Cobham graduate's Blues career now looks set to end in the most depressing way imaginable.

• Omitted

  On Monday, it emerged that Chalobah had been omitted from Chelsea's travelling squad for their pre-season tour of the United States. This was not a fitness issue either. Reports confirmed that Chalobah had been told to stay at home as other centre-backs are ahead of him in the pecking order.

  Manager Enzo Maresca was quizzed on this snub during his first press conference since taking over in west London and did his best to explain. "The Trevoh situation for me is quite clear, we have Axel [Disasi] there, we have Tosin [Adarabioyo] there, we have Wes [Fofana] who in these two weeks has worked very good and is finally back, we have some very young profiles like Josh Acheampong who is doing fantastic. It’s a sad decision but we have to take the decision," he said.

  Chalobah has interpreted his omission as proof that the club are trying to force him out. This will be difficult to take, considering how strongly he finished the 2023-24 season.

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  Scintillating end to the campaign

  After missing a sizeable chunk of the season through injury, Chalobah's return in the middle of February coincided with Chelsea's best run of results under Mauricio Pochettino. Indeed, of the 13 Premier League games he featured in last season, Chelsea only lost one. And that was the 5-0 hammering at Arsenal, during which Chalobah only appeared as a second-half substitute when the game was already over.

  His standout display came against another of Chelsea's London rivals: Tottenham. Ange Postecoglou's side simply could not find a way through at the Bridge, with Chalobah helping to marshall inexperienced right-back Alfie Gilchrist through proceedings en route to a rare clean sheet. He netted the breakthrough goal as well, with his unstoppable header from a deep Conor Gallagher free-kick leaving Guglielmo Vicario with no chance.

  Towards the end of the campaign he also showed his versatility. With Malo Gusto and Reece James both sidelined, Chalobah was forced to play right-back. He did not miss a beat in this unfamiliar role either, helping Chelsea secure victories over West Ham, Nottingham Forest and Bournemouth, which confirmed their return to European football.

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  Surplus to requirements

  That extended spell in the first team is likely to be Chalobah's final act as a Chelsea player, though. Since then, the centre-back picture has changed pretty drastically, but in purely footballing terms, it's difficult to understand why the 25-year-old is starting the campaign bottom of the pile.

  As new boss Marseca alluded to in his press conference, Fofana is finally back from the serious knee injury he suffered 12 months ago, with his last appearance coming all the way back in May 2023. At this stage, the Frenchman has missed a combined 140 games due to various knocks over the past three seasons, meaning he comes into the new campaign as somewhat of an unknown quantity. Although he still may be able to rediscover the form he showed at Leicester City that made him one of the most coveted defenders in the world, it's a big ask for his battered body.

  Then there's Tosin, a player who was dropped by mid-table Fulham at various points during his time at Craven Cottage. The shrug-of-the-shoulders reaction that most Cottagers fan had when it was reported he was leaving on a free transfer speaks volumes of how much he has to prove to be considered an elite defender.

  Disasi, meanwhile, had a mixed debut season punctuated by errors. At best he is a rough diamond who is best served when playing alongside a more assured presence at the back.

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  Hand forced by terrible management

  However, like most personnel decisions made by Chelsea since Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital completed their takeover, Chalobah's snub has nothing to do with how he has been performing on the pitch. Instead, the Blues' hand has been forced by financial pressure.

  We all know the story by now. Homegrown players count as 'pure profit' on the club's books and Chelsea desperately need exactly that as the Premier League's Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) tighten around their neck, thanks solely to the ludicrous spending that began under Boehly and has continued under the reign of seemingly infallible sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley.

  In a different reality, Chalobah's performances would surely make him first-choice right-centre-back heading into Marseca's maiden season. But selling the rivals for his spot will not be anywhere near as financially lucrative.

  He is far from the first Cobham alum to be discarded in the name of financial necessity, of course. If Chelsea had adopted a different transfer model, one where youth teamers stuck around, they could now be boasting the most 'homegrown' team in the Premier League. Instead, the squad is oversaturated with expensive – and in many cases, underperforming – imports, tied to never-ending contracts.

‘He is tactically very knowledgeable. We all know what qualities he has as a man as well’

Firdose Moonda14-Dec-2019Graeme Smith, South Africa’s acting director of cricket, has chosen “hardened, experienced” former team-mate Mark Boucher as coach of the men’s national side until the 2023 World Cup. Enoch Nkwe, the interim team director (a term that has now been scrapped), has been appointed Boucher’s assistant for the same period while former convenor of selectors Linda Zondi has been brought back until April 2020 and Ashwell Prince will coach the South African A side.Boucher, Zondi, Nkwe and Test captain Faf du Plessis make up the selection panel for now, whose first task is to choose the squad that will face England in a home series starting on Boxing Day. The squad for the first two Tests will be announced on Monday, before the Mzansi Super League final. A batting and bowling consultant will also be finalised in the coming week.The radical changes to the South African national structure were made in the last four days after Smith accepted the director of cricket position in a temporary capacity on Wednesday. Smith has signed a three-month contract after which he has a commentary stint at the Indian Premier League and confirmed to ESPNcricinfo that he would then consider a more permanent deal with CSA.Smith’s appointment comes after more than three months of negotiation, during which time he withdrew his interest before being re-engaged following the suspension of CSA CEO Thabang Moroe. While Smith confirmed he still has “no relationship,” with the under-pressure CSA Board, he explained that the changes in the CSA executive administration played a major part in his accepting the role.”I didn’t have a lot of confidence in the leadership of CSA,” Smith said. “With such an extensive job description, I didn’t feel I could achieve in the role with the leadership that was there at the time. You need a robust CSA to be able to challenge each other, you need trust and you need to have an environment that was ready for that, and I didn’t feel the environment was ready before I took this job.”If I am going to come in, I want to be able to do the best that I can do. I feel that is slightly better now. The opportunity is there. I have got a lot of confidence in Jacques [Faul] as the CEO.”

“I am very aware of transformation. I led my the country for 11 years and I had to be very much a part of managing those processes.”Graeme Smith

Faul has also been appointed in an interim capacity for the next six months while Moroe undergoes a disciplinary process. With Smith making clear his allegiance, it would appear his future involvement with CSA is tied to Faul’s and will be decided as the summer ends. Similarly, the position of Zondi, whose short-term contract was a result of what Smith called “a budget thing”, will also be up for discussion when the 2019-20 season is over.However, the positions of Boucher and Nkwe are confirmed until after the 2023 World Cup, a decision that aims to provide both expertise and continuity for the national side. “I felt at this stage, the Proteas needed a really hardened, experienced international guy,” Smith said. “I feel that Mark, from a cricket perspective, is very knowledgeable. He is tactically very knowledgeable. We all know what qualities he has as a man as well. I felt those were the decisions best needed for the current Proteas set up.”Smith indicated the long-term plan would be to prepare Nkwe to take over from Boucher in the future. “We have had a couple of chats with Enoch in terms of his pathway going forward and developing him as a high-standing international coach. We feel he has got a lot of qualities that will be very useful to Mark and that will help him progress in international cricket.”Asked whether the demotion of Nkwe, South Africa’s first black African coach, and the appointment of Boucher above him could be seen as a whitewash, Smith disagreed. “My job is to create cricket excellence. I feel I have made the right decision for the Proteas. I think for Enoch’s future as well it is the right appointment. We need to think about managing people sometimes and not just a number,” Smith said. “I am very aware of transformation. I led my the country for 11 years and I had to be very much a part of managing those processes. A number of discussions need to happen behind the scenes but I disagree with the statement [that it’s a whitewash].”Ashwell Prince ‘is full of opinions which we love’ – Graeme Smith•Getty ImagesSmith is also still in discussions with CSA around the transformation targets and the policy going forward but for now wants to focus on getting the South Africa team back on stable ground following a rocky 2019. South Africa lost five successive Tests, including a home series in Sri Lanka and a 0-3 defeat in India, where Smith indicated off-field problems appeared to bleed onto the field. “The disappointing thing has been how South African cricket has been run of late. That has been the most challenging aspect. That’s filtered into the environment and made life difficult for the guys that have been in that position. Hopefully in the short term we can turn it around.”For Smith, it is key to “bring leadership back into the game”, which can be provided by former internationals. Smith singled out Prince’s involvement with the A side as particularly important. “I am very happy that we have Ashwell involved. He has got a lot of international experience, he is a hardened international cricketer. He is full of opinions which we love,” Smith said. “The A side needs to be the second-best men’s team in the country.”If Smith takes on the role post the IPL next year, his job will include developing a strategy that will include the A side, looking at the domestic structures, the Under-19 side, the women’s game, and even cricket at grassroots level. For now, Smith’s sole focus is the national men’s team and the England series and creating the blueprint that will put South Africa on a path to success.”We want the Proteas to play well and start winning again. Faf is happy that there is a bit of leadership around. Both him and Enoch have had very frustrating times over the last period. There has been almost no communication with them [from CSA] for a lengthy period of time. I’m glad we were able to come in and provide some direction for them,” Smith said. “Hopefully we can take away some of the drama from them and Faf and the team that is selected can focus on playing cricket and doing the job well. That’s what’s expected of them. It’s going to be our responsibility to clean up the rest.”