Depois da vitória redentora sobre o Palmeiras na quinta-feira (23), era esperado que o técnico Rogério Ceni fosse poupar peças no duelo deste domingo (27) contra o Juventude. Mas após o empate sem gols contra o lanterna, em pleno Morumbi, a torcida do São Paulo tem uma convicção: o elenco curto do Tricolor é o maior adversário da equipe na luta para ao menos seguir viva nas três competições que disputa.
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ATUAÇÕES > Nestor incendeia a partida, mas não evita o empate do São Paulo
Para encarar os gaúchos, Ceni, enfim, cumpriu aquilo que vinha indicando há tempos e entrou em campo sem sete jogadores considerados titulares. O time não rendeu.
Ok, o torcedor mais crítico pode falar que o placar final reflete um dia para esquecer na história são-paulina… Juro, este escriba não está aqui para contrariar vocês. Mas é inegável que quando o treinador ao menos colocou em campo quatro nomes considerados essenciais, as coisas melhoraram. E muito.
A questão é: o São Paulo é um time com nove atletas no departamento médico. Ciente de que pelo menos quatro deles podem sequer atuar mais na temporada. E nesse contexto, de sobra de feira total, o Tricolor sabe que não pode pensar em coisas grandes na temporada sem ter Calleri, Nestor, Diego Costa e Igor Vinícius em campo.
Igor Vinícius! Garanto que muitos aí do outro lado tiveram esse tipo de reação. Mas convenhamos, o camisa 2 é um dos destaques. E, mais ainda, não tem reserva. Assim como Calleri. Assim como Diego Costa. Assim como Nestor.
Não precisamos citar nomes. Não precisamos criar polêmicas. Mas é inegável que o primeiro tempo no Morumbi evidenciou a falta de qualidade de algumas peças do plantel para defender o São Paulo. E o quanto algumas outras peças caíram de produção sem ter o quarteto fantástico ao seu lado.
Há necessidade do clube contratar na janela. Para o bem, para o mal. E para mostrar que luta por algo na temporada. Ou nenhuma retranca montada dentro do Morumbi como foi a do Juventude será furada. E mais atuações decepcionantes e vaias aparecerão.
TABELA > Confira jogos, classificação e simule resultados do Brasileirão-22 > Conheça o novo aplicativo de resultados do LANCE!
Turning their attention towards the summer transfer window, Tottenham Hotspur are now racing to sign an in-demand midfielder who Pape Matar Sarr already has experience playing alongside.
Tottenham transfer news
To say that Spurs need to get things right this summer would be an understatement. They’ve so far stuck by Ange Postecoglou and chosen to blame a frustrating list of injury concerns over the Australian’s tactical stubbornness in recent weeks. Now, they must back their manager in the summer transfer window with some much-needed reinforcements.
On that front, the Lilywhites have already been linked to a number of potential options. From Como star Nico Paz all the way to Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo, Spurs are seemingly preparing for a busy window.
Whether they can attract such talent is another question, of course. Languishing in the bottom half of the Premier League, it’s increasingly likely that Spurs will miss out on European football altogether this season unless they win the Europa League to secure a shock Champions League place.
By qualifying for the Champions League and rescuing their season as a result, those in North London would also put themselves in a stronger position to welcome one particular reinforcement this summer.
According to The Boot Room, Tottenham are now racing to sign Lamine Camara from AS Monaco after sending their scouts to watch the impressive 21-year-old midfielder.
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They’re not alone in their interest, however, with Liverpool, Chelsea, Aston Villa and other top European clubs forming quite the queue for Camara’s signature. In a tough battle, Champions League football would, of course, go a long way but Spurs may also have another way to convince the Monaco star this summer.
Lamine Camara for AS Monaco.
Those in North London could use the fact that Pape Matar Sarr already knows Camara well from their time together as part of the Senegal midfield and attempt to reunite the pair at club level.
"Excellent" Camara could partner Sarr at Tottenham
Following another season to forget for Yves Bissouma, both on and off the pitch, Camara could emerge to end his time in Postecoglou’s strongest side and take Senegal’s midfield partnership to club level.
Dubbed a “phenomenal ground dueller” by analyst Ben Mattinson, the Monaco man would add the discipline that Bissouma otherwise lacks.
From a struggling midfield trio in the current campaign, Spurs’ dream scenario could yet see Sarr, Archie Gray and Camara form quite the partnership at the heart of Postecoglou’s side. With a busy summer ahead, the 21-year-old’s arrival would be an impressive way for the Lilywhites to commence their transfer window.
أثارت الصحفية الكولومبية باولا أريناس جدلًا واسعًا بعدما زعمت وقوع شجار عنيف في غرفة ملابس منتخب كولومبيا، عقب التعادل السلبي المخيب مع بيرو في تصفيات كأس العالم 2026.
وادعت أريناس أن جون دوران دخل إلى غرفة الملابس وهو يصرخ ويوجه الإهانات لزملائه، مشيرة إلى أن المدرب نستور لورينزو حاول تهدئة الموقف، لكن المهاجم الشاب أمسكه من ياقة قميصه وهزه بعنف.
وأضافت: “تدخل خاميس رودريجيز لاحتواء الشجار، فيما تدخل جيفرسون ليرما لإيقاف دوران، لقد كانت فوضى حقيقية بعد المباراة”.
وعقب تداول هذه الرواية المثيرة، أصدر الاتحاد الكولومبي لكرة القدم بيانًا غير مباشر على لسان قائد المنتخب خاميس رودريجيز، نفى فيه بشكل قاطع صحة هذه المزاعم.
اقرأ أيضًا.. رسميًا | رغم الرغبة في الاستقلال.. نجل أنشيلوتي ينضم للجهاز الفني بـ منتخب البرازيل
وقال خاميس: “كل ما يُقال عبر الإعلام غير صحيح على الإطلاق، نحن مجموعة متماسكة، والنتائج الأخيرة لن تفرقنا، نواجه هذه التحديات معًا وبروح الفريق الواحد”.
بدوره، خرج جون دوران عن صمته بعد المباراة، مهاجمًا بقوة ما وصفه بالشائعات الكاذبة، ونفى تمامًا وقوع أي شجار.
وصرح قائلًا: “قولوا لمن نشر هذه القصة أن يتحلى بالشجاعة ويعترف بأنها غير صحيحة”.
وأضاف متحديًا: “أروني فيديو يُثبت أن هناك جدالًا أو اشتباكًا، لا شيء من هذا حدث، لكن دائمًا في الأوقات الصعبة تظهر هذه الأكاذيب”.
وتابع: “هي أمور تؤذي روح الفريق، وتُشعرنا بالسوء، نعم، نمر بفترة صعبة، لكن لا يجب أن يُسمح بتحويل الأمر إلى أزمة داخلية من لا شيء”.
ويستعد منتخب كولومبيا لخوض مواجهة من العيار الثقيل أمام الأرجنتين، الثلاثاء المقبل، في ملعب “مونومنتال”، ضمن الجولة المقبلة من التصفيات، وسط رغبة جامحة في الرد على الشائعات داخل الملعب.
Instead, the PCB plans to “revive junior series on a home and away basis” going forward
Umar Farooq31-Dec-2022
Bahawalpur Royals won the inaugural edition of the PJL•PCB
The Pakistan Junior League (PJL) has been scrapped by the PCB’s new administration, with new plans instead to “revive junior series on a home and away basis” going forward. The decision to scrap the league had been expected since Ramiz Raja was was removed as chairman of the PCB, and was taken at Saturday’s meeting of the PCB’s managing committee, the new leadership body led by Najam Sethi.The league was Ramiz’s brainchild but massive losses in the very first year meant its future was always uncertain. The two-week tournament, a T20 league for Under-19 players from around the world, had its inaugural edition from October 6 to 21, 2022.”The PCB Management Committee agreed to discontinue the Pakistan Junior League,” a PCB statement said. “However, to ensure there is a pathway for the high-performing teenagers and the country continues to produce talented cricketers across all age gaps, it was agreed to revive junior series on a home and away basis.”It was also agreed to hold discussions with the HBL Pakistan Super League franchises to include an Under-19 player under their Emerging Categories in the playing line-ups.”A board financial report meanwhile revealed the staggering losses incurred in staging the inaugural edition. As per the report, the two-week tournament came with expenses of approximately PKR 997 million, while the PCB got an income of only PKR 190 million out of it.A week before Ramiz was removed from office, he had signed an MoU with a company for the commercial and management rights of the PJL – the deal was for 20 years, and was worth PKR 55.5 million per year. Pakistan’s federal government removed Ramiz and his Board from office last week, and revoked the 2019 constitution that the PCB was operating under. Now, a Sethi-led 14-member management committee has been handed full executive powers and been asked to rework processes to meet the requirements of the 2014 version of the PCB constitution.This new management committee has since opened an internal audit of Ramiz’s 14-month term, with the PJL facing particular scrutiny given the weight of related expenses.Why did the PCB incurs such high costs over the PJL? When the PJL was announced, there were ambitious plans to have it based on a franchise model but turnout from bidders failed by some distance to match expectations of the board. That forced the PCB to bear the costs of putting together and running the teams itself, and later the title sponsorship and other commercial tenders also failed to bring in lucrative deals.Despite the lack of interest in the market, the PCB under Ramiz decided to go ahead with the league, calling it a strategic decision. ESPNcricinfo understands that the PCB’s commercial committee was reluctant to approve the expenses but the Board of Governors had given approval.What were the major expenses? While cricket remains the most popular sport in the country, realistically only the national set-up or the well-established PSL fetch lucrative sponsorship deals. For the PJL, the response to title sponsorships rights and digital streaming rights was lukewarm at best, far lower than expectations Ramiz had: four companies came forward for the title sponsorship rights and one broadcaster for the digital rights, though in both cases the bids were below expectations. For the TV production, the PCB spent PKR 286 million and failed to close a lucrative broadcast deal, ending up partnering with PTV, the state-owned broadcaster.Additionally, some of the match fees given out at the PJL – to “elite” players – were higher than what a senior Pakistan player would get for a T20I. The league had six teams featuring a mix of 15 local and overseas players between the ages of 15 and 19, picked through a draft process and classified under three categories – four elite players with a salary of USD 16,000, five premier players (USD 12,000) and six X-factor players (USD 6000).The PCB also roped in big names like Shahid Afridi, Javed Miandad, Daren Sammy, Colin Munro, Imran Tahir, Vivian Richards and Shoaib Malik as mentors for each team.Did Pakistan already have a junior cricket system in place? Ramiz’s rationale was that the league would identify and nurture talent, and close the gap between quality at the Under-19 level and the senior level.Pakistan already had a pathway in place for young cricketers, though, structured from the Under-15 to the Under-19 level. Historically, their junior players were only exposed to one-day and three-day formats, with a batch graduating to represent the country at the Under-19 World Cup every two years. Players like Babar Azam, Imam-ul-Haq and Shaheen Afridi have come up through the age-group ranks.Additionally, every year PSL teams picked two emerging players from the Under-19 circuit and were required to play one of them in the XI.How does the PJL bill compare to other domestic tournaments’? PKR 1 billion was the total domestic expenditure in 2017, the same year Pakistan won their last global tournament, the Champions Trophy.This year, the PCB’s six domestic associations spent just over PKR 1.5 billion on the full season, across all formats and levels.
A Fiel deu um verdadeiro show nas arquibancadas da Neo Química Arena na sexta-feira (8) durante o treino aberto do Corinthians e a apresentação de Yuri Alberto. No entanto, mesmo com 40 mil vouchers sendo vendidos antecipadamente para o evento, alguns setores da Arena não encheram, e muitos se questionaram porque a festa não teve o mesmo impacto em comparação com 2018.
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Naquela ocasião, o Timão também abriu as portas de sua casa para os torcedores corintianos, que protagonizam uma das maiores e mais bonitas festas da Arena durante o treino aberto antes da final do Paulistão, contra o Palmeiras. O espetáculo nas arquibancadas foi destacado pela presença de fumaça, bandeirões e sinalizadores.
A ausência desses instrumentos festivos foi o motivo que afastou as torcidas organizadas do Timão de apoiarem o time na Neo Química Arena após a classificação às quartas de final da Libertadores.
Os grupos organizados não concordaram com as exigências impostas pela Polícia Militar, desde revista pessoal na entrada ao estádio até ofício para entrar com materiais e faixa, dificultando a presença de bandeiras de mastro e sinalizadores. Dessa forma, decidiram boicotar o evento.
A PM entende que, mesmo sendo um treino, é um evento esportivo de grande magnitude. Dessa forma, é preciso respeitar o Artigo 13 do Estatuto do Torcedor, de 2003.
Nele, é informado que o torcedor deve consentir com a revista pessoal de prevenção e segurança, não portar ou ostentar cartazes, bandeiras, símbolos, sinais com mensagens ofensivas, fogos de artifício e bandeiras, com mastro de bambu ou similares.
– Independente se é jogo ou treino, é um evento esportivo e, sendo assim, deve-se seguir o Estatuto do Torcedor, de 2003 (L10671). É de responsabilidade do clube solicitar em um evento desta magnitude (+40 de mil presentes), o policiamento – afirmou um tenente do segundo batalhão do choque à Gazeta Esportiva.
+ TABELA – Simule os jogos do Corinthians no Brasileirão
O artigo 14 do Estatuto do Torcedor informa que é de responsabilidade dos dirigentes e da entidade detentora do mando do local solicitar ao poder público a presença de agentes públicos de segurança para assegurar a segurança aos torcedores no evento.
Para o treino aberto e a apresentação de Yuri Alberto, o Corinthians entendeu ser necessário a presença da Polícia Militar para que o evento ocorresse sem grandes problemas.
Mesmo aceitando as condições impostas pela PM, o presidente Duílio Monteiro Alves mostrou sua indignação com as restrições e disse que o clube trabalha com o poder público para dar ao torcedor mais liberdade de festejar nos estádiosem futuras ocasiões. Ele tambémse mostrou contrário à torcida única nos clássicos paulistas.
Apesar das limitações impostas pela lei, foi possível ver a presença de alguns sinalizadores durante a festa.
Em 2018, no entanto, a situação foi diferente, graças a uma queda de braço entre o ex-presidente do Corinthians, Andrés Sanchez, e o poder público.
O clube do Parque São Jorge queria fazer o treino aberto no sábado, mesmo dia em que o Palmeiras tinha marcado o seu treino com a torcida no Allianz Parque.
Tanto Ministério Público como a Polícia Militar alegaram que não havia condições de segurança para que os rivais enchessem seus estádios na mesma data. Após muita disputa, o Timão cedeu e decidiu antecipar o dia do seu treinamento para sexta-feira.
Porém, Andrés renunciou o auxílio da Polícia Militar,e sinalizadores e bandeiras foram liberados dentro da Arena.
– Nós já fizemos treino aberto três ou quatro vezes e nunca pedimos policiamento, pois a polícia tem mais o que fazer do que acompanhar um simples treino. Não chamamos e nem chamaremos – disse Andrés às vésperas do treino aberto.
Naquela ocasião, antes do treino aberto começar, o clube alvinegro estacionou o ônibus da equipe na avenida Radial Leste e fez com que os jogadores andassem no meio do público para chegar à Arena.
“When we came to know he would be around for the Australia series, there was a lot of positivity in the team”
S Sudarshanan08-Dec-20222:18
‘We are in the right hands’ – Harmanpreet not perturbed by changes in coaching set-up
India captain Harmanpreet Kaur has lauded newly appointed batting coach Hrishikesh Kanitkar for the calmness he brings to the side, and said there should be no problems for the team in adjusting with him. Kanitkar will oversee the side during the upcoming T20Is against Australia, having been given the job after the BCCI moved Ramesh Powar to the National Cricket Academy (NCA) as men’s spin-bowling coach as part of a “restructuring module”. That brought to an end Powar’s second stint as head coach with the women’s side.”I have always enjoyed working with Ramesh sir and we have grown as a team under him and learnt a lot,” Harmanpreet said in Mumbai, on the eve of the first T20I against Australia. “It’s a BCCI decision to move him to NCA and have him work as spin-bowling coach. Hrishi sir is there with us and we had a very good experience with him in Sri Lanka. He brings in a lot of experience and we are only looking forward. We are in right hands.Related
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“[Kanitkar] is calm and we needed someone who can give us the calmness on the field. We have seen in the past, sometimes in crucial situation, girls need support of some calm figure who can guide them through their thoughts. Having experienced it all in Sri Lanka, when we came to know he would be around for the Australia series, there was a lot of positivity in the team.”As a batting unit, he helped us achieve our targets. There were some games in Sri Lanka where we lost early wickets but still we were able to score 250. Everybody was happy with the way he was presenting things to us.”Kanitkar, who was recently with the India men’s side on their tour of New Zealand, worked in an interim capacity with the women in Sri Lanka as a batting consultant. India won that T20I series 2-1 and blanked the hosts 3-0 in the ODIs. In the third ODI, despite being in a spot at 124 for 6, India managed to get to 255 for 9 through a 97-run partnership between Harmanpreet and Pooja Vastrakar.Powar had previously been at the helm between July 2018 and November 2018, during which time India made the semi-final of the Women’s T20 World Cup 2018. In his latest stint, India had a group-stage exit at this year’s Women’s World Cup in New Zealand and finished runners-up at the Commonwealth Games before winning the Women’s T20 Asia Cup in October. The run also included a bilateral ODI series win in England and a victory in Australia, last year, which halted the hosts’ record 26-match winning streak.It is as yet unconfirmed when the BCCI will be appointing a full-time head coach to replace Powar, but with Kanitkar, who’s officially batting coach, having worked with the team before, Harmanpreet felt confident of the team preparing well in the lead up to the Women’s T20 World Cup, which is just over two months away.”If it would have been a new coach, it could have been difficult,” she said. “But we have already worked with Hrishi sir, so I don’t think there will be problems. With a new coach you have to explain about how we are working and how we want to move forward. But Hrishi sir already knows the type of work and that is not going to change much. We want to continue playing the way we have done in the last three months and I don’t think we’d be changing much in the way we play.”For the Australia T20Is, India opted to leave out seasoned allrounder Sneh Rana, and Dayalan Hemalatha and Kiran Navgire, both specifically in the wider set-up as finishers. Left-arm seamer Anjali Sarvani, who topped the bowling charts in the Senior Women’s T20 Trophy as well as the Senior Women’s Inter-Zonal T20 Trophy, got her maiden call-up, while legspinning allrounder Devika Vaidya returned to the T20I setup after eight years. Harmanpreet said that the door was not closed on Rana, but domestic performers have been rewarded.”If you talk about Anjali, she took highest wickets and the others have done well too,” she said. “Selection depends on your performances and those who have done well are in the team. Sneh Rana and all are good players; in the upcoming tournaments whenever they’ll do well, they’ll come back. We are having an eye on them. It’s not like if today they are not in the side, we are ignoring them. They are part of the system and when they perform, they will come back.”Harmanpreet also confirmed that Shafali Verma and Richa Ghosh, both part of the India squad for the inaugural Under-19 Women’s T20 World Cup next month, will not play all the matches against Australia. They will also miss the tri-series that follows, also featuring South Africa and West Indies, in the lead-up to the senior Women’s T20 World Cup.”Before [the India Under-19 camp] if they get a chance to play against Australia it will help their confidence,” she said. “Till the camp is announced, they will play and then they’ll join the Under-19 camp as Shafali is leading. When we will play the tri-series in South Africa, they are definitely not available because they will be playing the Under-19 World Cup.”
As the rain poured down at Old Trafford, the narratives already looked to be, quite literally, flooding in. A leaky Manchester United – down to ten men and level at the break – appeared destined for yet another dismal day in the Premier League. The headline writers were at the ready.
On a night in which rivals Liverpool moved one step closer to the title, the Red Devils trudged off at half-time fearing a new nadir in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era, amid the danger of slipping further into the mire.
Amorim
And yet…
It may not have been vintage – this team certainly isn’t – but it was difficult not to be emboldened by the manner of the second-half display, in particular, with the hosts fighting tooth and nail to cling onto the lead, following Harry Maguire’s brilliant bullet header just after the restart.
This was no Champions League knockout stage showdown, nor a league title shootout, yet the atmosphere suggested otherwise. At a time when the club and its team couldn’t appear more broken, a sense of unity crept in for 90 minutes in Manchester. The United faithful, and the tired bodies on the pitch, rallied together.
And so, with an FA Cup fifth-round tie to come this weekend, followed by the next step in the Red Devils’ Europa League adventure in midweek, could there be life in the old dog yet? Could this grim season still have time to spark into life?
If there is to be a positive finale to 2024/25, decisions may well need to be made for the upcoming games – not least on how to replace the suspended Patrick Dorgu.
Patrick Dorgu's chaotic first-half showing
Anyone not tuning in to witness Wednesday night’s clash may assume that United’s January arrival merely endured a car crash of an evening at the Theatre of Dreams, having gifted the away side the opener in the early exchanges, prior to seeing red on the stroke of half-time for a crunching high challenge on Omari Hutchinson.
Of course, those two moments of madness from the young Dane certainly made life far more difficult for Ruben Amorim’s men, but it does not tell the full story of the 20-year-old’s display.
Indeed, for much of the time in between Ipswich’s first goal and his dismissal, Dorgu – as he was against Everton last time out – was a real bright spark down the left flank, notably powering an effort at goalkeeper Alex Palmer after pouncing on a loose ball inside the area.
The former Lecce man’s power and speed were also on full display as he surged down the wing at one stage, only to be hauled down by the aforementioned Hutchinson, with it perhaps an act of retribution that saw the promising left-footer lunge in on the Tractor Boys’ number 20 soon after.
Dorgu
Those two mistakes should prove a learning curve for United’s new man, in what will hopefully be a long and fruitful career at the club. As for his far more senior colleague Andre Onana, however, this should well be the beginning of the end…
Andre Onana's dismal display in numbers vs Ipswich
Onana – signed from Inter Milan on a £47.2m deal back in the summer of 2023 – will no doubt be thankful that Amorim’s options in the goalkeeping department are limited at present, with both Altay Bayindir and Tom Heaton currently sidelined with injury.
Man Utd’s injury list
Player
Injury
Return date
Lisandro Martinez
Knee
2026
Amad
Ankle/Foot
Out for season
Luke Shaw
Calf/Shin/Heel
N/A
Kobbie Mainoo
Knock
N/A
Toby Collyer
Other
N/A
Mason Mount
Thigh
N/A
Altay Bayindir
Other
N/A
Jonny Evans
Lower Back
N/A
That said, on the evidence of Wednesday night’s showing, few supporters would likely object to the United boss handing a chance to one of his academy reserves instead ahead of Sunday’s meeting with Fulham, with Elyh Harrison and Hubert Graczyk both named on the bench once again against Kieran McKenna’s men.
For too long has Onana – who has made three errors leading to a goal in the Premier League this season – been a cause for concern at Old Trafford, with the 28-year-old again doing himself no favours against the division’s 18th-placed side.
For Jaden Philogene’s opener, the Cameroonian bizarrely raced out of his goal even though Dorgu appeared to have the situation under control, with both men no doubt at fault for the costly lack of communication.
As for Ipswich’s second of the night, the one-time Ajax man was again left red-faced as Philogene’s whipped cross evaded everyone to find the back of the net, with the United stopper having been duped by Liam Delap’s attempt to get on the end of it.
Pointing the finger at Onana for those key moments may appear somewhat harsh, but his all-round performance was also far from good enough, as he enjoyed a pass accuracy of just 35% from his 29 touches, having completed just four of his 20 attempted long balls.
As reporter Gaz Drinkwater stated, it is coming to a point now where the experienced figure simply “needs to go”, with the summer window looming, having too often let the side down over the last 18 months or so.
Andre Onana
And so, while Dorgu’s display will be the major headline from that chaotic first half, Onana was, it could be argued, quietly even worse between the sticks. How long can such performances be tolerated?
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There’s not a lot to be positive about at Manchester United at present, yet – as ever – the academy ranks certainly provide reason for optimism, with it looking as if the Red Devils still boast a blossoming youth set-up, even amid all the chaos at first-team level.
Following the success of last season’s FA Cup final heroes, Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho, the current campaign has already seen Toby Collyer force his way into Ruben Amorim’s reckoning, while Chido Obi – who United plucked from Arsenal over the summer – is the latest teenage sensation catching the eye.
While the 17-year-old striker is, quite frustratingly, ineligible to feature in the Europa League this season, the hope will be that he can earn regular Premier League minutes in the coming months, having come close to getting off the mark at Old Trafford against Fulham last time out.
Meanwhile, aside from the introduction of Obi – and 18-year-old January signing Ayden Heaven – there is also much to celebrate at Carrington due to the club’s FA Youth Cup run, with the U18 side seeing off the Gunners at the quarter-final stage on Friday evening.
That 3-2 win at the Emirates has showcased the wealth of talent that could be next up on the conveyor belt, with now perhaps the time to promote from within once again.
Man Utd's FA Youth Cup heroes
Back in May 2022, over 60,000 fans filed into Old Trafford to witness a young United side see off Nottingham Forest in the FA Youth Cup final, with a teenage Garnacho stealing the show with a brilliant brace to seal a 3-1 win. A star was born.
Just under three years on, the U18s moved a step closer to reaching another showpiece after narrowly defeating Arsenal on their own patch, despite having been without main man Obi.
The Danish youth international had scored seven goals in just three Youth Cup outings, yet with first-team hopes taking priority, the prolific marksman was left out for the trip to north London.
FA Youth Cup top scorers – 24/25
Player
Club
Goals
Chido Obi
Man Utd
7
Mason Cotcher
Aston Villa
5
Tom Wingate
Fulham
5
Amin Nabizada
Watford
5
Shumaira Mhueka
Chelsea
4
Finlay Gorman
Man City
4
Emmerson Sutton
QPR
4
Cruz Allen
Derby
4
Matty Warhurst
Man City
4
Stats via Transfermarkt
To their credit, the young Devils powered to victory regardless, with Jack Fletcher – son of Darren Fletcher – firing home a delightful curling effort to open the scoring, before Jayden Kamason thundered in to draw the visitors back level at 2-2, after goals from Louis Copley and the lively Max Dowman either side of the break.
With the game entering extra-time, it was United who clinched progression courtesy of 17-year-old Bendito Mantato, with the substitute tapping home after fine work from Samuel Lusale down the flanks.
Mantato – who was making his first appearance in the competition this season – was the headline maker, having perhaps taken a further step toward securing a regular first-team role.
Bendito Mantato's first-team hopes
If there is one area in desperate need of reinforcement for Amorim – aside from the centre-forward berths – it is at wing-back, with Sunday’s defeat seeing the Portuguese forced to deploy Diogo Dalot at left wing-back once again, in the absence of the suspended Patrick Dorgu.
While Dalot did supply the assist for Bruno Fernandes’ equaliser in the second half, it was another frustrating outing for the Portuguese defender, as he notably lost the ball on 25 occasions, having also attempted just a solitary dribble.
The former Porto man can point to the fact that he is not playing on his favoured side, yet whether he fits the brief as an attacking wing-back option in Amorim’s 3-4-3 set-up remains to be seen, having actually only provided seven goals and 13 assists in 198 games for the club in total. Aaron Wan-Bissaka, for context, was not far behind with two goals and 13 assists in 190 games for United.
With that in mind, looking to the academy to find a long-term replacement for Dalot could be a wise solution, with Friday’s hero, Mantato, a prime candidate for that role.
The teen “wonderkid”, as hailed by U23 scout Antonio Mango, has typically operated in a right-wing berth at youth level, yet he can also be deployed at full-back, making him a perfect fit on the flanks for Amorim.
A versatile left-footer – much in a similar mould to the aforementioned Dorgu – Mantato has scored seven goals in just 12 games this season, as per Transfermarkt, with data analyst Ben Mattinson earmarking him as a perfect internal solution for Amorim at wing-back.
As Mattinson has noted, the Bukayo Saka-esque sensation is “an explosive ball carrier who drives at defenders in 1v1’s”, thus ensuring he can replicate what Dorgu has already offered to United in his early showings since signing from Lecce.
Also likened to Geovany Quenda by Mattinson – a player who Amorim is believed to be looking to pluck from Sporting CP this summer – it certainly bodes well for the impact that Mantato can make in Amorim’s system.
Acting either as a rival for Dorgu, or as a colleague on the opposite flank, the academy starlet may well be just what the United head coach is in need of, particularly with the likes of Dalot continuing to toil.
In The Pipeline
Of course, the Portuguese tactician will no doubt be keen to dip into the market to acquire the likes of Quenda, yet having witnessed the rise of Mainoo, Garnacho, Collyer and Obi – to name just a few – in recent times, looking to the youth ranks once again would certainly be fruitful for this cash-strapped side.
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Connolly, Hobson add 41 off just 15 balls to seal unlikely chase for Scorchers’ fifth title
Tristan Lavalette04-Feb-2023
Perth Scorchers celebrate after the winning runs were hit•Cricket Australia/Getty Images
Teenager Cooper Connolly and Nick Hobson kept their cool in a nerve-jangling chase as Perth Scorchers ended Brisbane Heat’s remarkable revival with an epic five-wicket victory to win their fifth BBL title.Chasing 176, in a fitting end to a madcap BBL season, Scorchers endured a see-saw filled with two horrendous run-outs but also composed batting from skipper Ashton Turner then Cooper and Hobson at the end.It came down to Scorchers needing 10 off the final over with Hobson turning from villain to hero with a six then a boundary to trigger bedlam at a near-capacity Optus Stadium. The crowd of 53,886 was the largest for a cricket game at the Burswood venue and the fourth biggest BBL crowd in history.Connolly and Hobson, the unlikely heroesFor such a veteran team, Scorchers endured a somewhat tardy performance with bat and ball marked by Stephen Eskinazi’s run-out from a direct throw after casually attempting an easy single. He failed to have game awareness and barely made an attempt to stretch out to make his ground in an embarrassing dismissal.After losing in-form Cameron Bancroft and Aaron Hardie in quick succession, Scorchers were in trouble at 3 for 54 with the crowd muted.But in strode Turner, who has performed a slew of rescue acts this season in a bounce back season for him. Scorchers needed him to put on his cape again with run rate spiralling over 11 and he put the foot down with a six off Xavier Bartlett kick-starting him and sparking the home faithful.Turner dominated the strike from Josh Inglis, a power hitter in his own right, but who was content playing the support act. They put the foot down during the power surge overs in the 15th and 16th over as Turner notched his half-century with a six.But the match turned during a dramatic 17th over with Inglis holing out off Bartlett before Turner was run out in an awful mix-up with Hobson.ESPNcricinfo Ltd
Scorchers needed 39 off 19 runs but Connolly stepped up and smashed 18 runs off James Bazley in the 18th over to swing the match.Connolly, a former Australia Under-19 captain, rode his luck when he was dropped on 19 by Josh Brown in the deep before Hobson, an accountant in his day job, added to Scorchers’ lore with the winning blow.Johnson steps up but in vainHeat’s remarkable late season revival had been largely attributed to the returns of Test stars Usman Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne. But tearaway Spencer Johnson also gave Heat a jolt after debuting mid-season and he increasingly gained confidence through close mentoring from Khawaja.Dubbed the ‘Italian stallion’ due to his heritage, Johnson promised to be a handful on the traditionally pace-friendly Perth Stadium surface having claimed his first three-wicket BBL haul last start against Sydney Sixers. He didn’t disappoint. bowling at speeds near 150 kmph, and claimed the key wicket of Hardie, who had twice bludgeoned Heat this season.Johnson roared with delight as Heat increasingly believed, but they ultimately fell short in heart-breaking fashion. They will rue Brown’s dropped catch but will be mighty proud of almost claiming an unlikely second title against all the odds.Behrendorff musters his wealth of experienceIt felt like it was going to be a tough outing for veteran left-arm quick Jason Behrendorff after his superb opening over unluckily went for 13 after three inside edges to the boundary from Brown.But Behrendorff, the only player in the match who was part of the final between the teams a decade ago, was unruffled and continued to bowl a nagging line.Taking his lead, Scorchers did well to tie down Heat after an initial onslaught from Brown, including spinner Connolly who bowled shortly after the powerplay having only bowled one over in his short BBL career. He handled the pressure well to concede just four runs but Scorchers struggled to break a blossoming partnership between Nathan McSweeney and Sam Heazlett.Cooper Connolly came out all guns blazing with a 11-ball cameo•Getty Images
At 1 for 104, Heat took the power surge in the 13th over at a pivotal juncture with Behrendorff returning to bowl his final over.He struck immediately to dismiss Heazlett with a menacing short delivery that was caught at short fine leg then dismissed skipper Jimmy Peirson in almost identical fashion. Behrendorff finished with 2 for 26 to be the standout as his fellow seamers all proved expensive.Bryant rediscovers big-hitting bestPeirson bravely decided to bat even though Scorchers had almost mastered chasing this season with a 9-2 record when batting second, including twice cruising over the line against Heat.Perhaps he was swayed by the stifling temperatures, which hovered at 38 degrees when the game started forcing some fans to seek relief in the watering holes dotting the stadium.Peirson would have felt vindicated when Brown carved 25 off his first 10 balls before McSweeney and Heazlett steadied Heat with a 79-run partnership. But Heat were mostly tied down in the middle overs marked by a dire power surge yielding 2 for 8. They needed a lift in the backend and big-hitting Max Bryant responded with 31 off 14 balls, including a trio of sixes.Once part of a devastating opening partnership with Chris Lynn, Bryant had failed to carve out a regular spot before being recalled against Sydney Sixers last start. He wound back the clock and his momentum spilled over to a final ball six by Bartlett to lift Heat to a highly competitive total that ultimately proved not enough.