JJ Watt has explained what will cure his “imposter syndrome” at Burnley, with the NFL legend already getting his hands on one trophy.
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American football icon is Clarets investorSavoured promotion to the Premier LeagueBurnley now battling to beat the dropWHAT HAPPENED?
Shortly after it was announced that Watt and his former USWNT star wife Kealia had acquired a stake in the Clarets, Vincent Kompany oversaw promotion to the Premier League as Championship title winners. A piece of silverware was secured as a result, with said honour paraded at Turf Moor and throughout the town.
AdvertisementGetty/GOALWHAT JJ WATT SAID
Watt formed part of those celebrations, but admits to feeling a little out of place and hopes to have more tangible success to savour in the future. He has told the : “We were at the parade, we had the trophy in our hands and all that, and I felt imposter syndrome, because I was like, we're the kid that showed up to the group project, didn't do anything, but still got an A. So it was fun. It was a blast. I had a great time. But I don't feel like I properly earned that. Now if we go on and we win some sort of silverware moving forward in the future – I do feel like I will have been a part of that.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Collective focus at Burnley is currently narrowed on a Premier League basement battle, with Watt still clinging to the hope that the Clarets can bridge a five-point gap to safety and preserve their top-flight status. He added on that challenge: “As an owner, you have to be optimistic, you have to have that hope. And I think that's the beauty of this game, and that's the beauty of also having promotion [and] relegation. There's always something to be fighting for. There's always some adrenaline rush, there's always something exciting. So I think – I always talk to English football fans and they say it's the hope that kills you. But somehow, every single week, you find a way every single week – doesn't matter who we're playing, we can be playing Man City, we can be playing anybody. I've convinced myself in my head like, there's a way we pull this one out. So I still got that optimism in my head.”
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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT?
Burnley have nine games left to take in this season, with the first of those set to see them head to Chelsea on March 30. They also have meetings with Everton, Sheffield United and Nottingham Forest to come, which could go a long way towards determining their fate.
Glasgow Rangers boss Philippe Clement faces his biggest test at Hampden on Sunday as a place in the League Cup final is up for grabs.
Hearts stand in his way and the Belgian will surely take some confidence from the fact the Gers scored twice in injury time in their Premiership clash with the same opposition just last week to secure an unlikely victory.
The Light Blues have not won the League Cup since 2011, losing two finals since – both to Celtic – and it represents an ideal chance for Clement to bag a trophy within just a couple of months of taking charge at the club.
Glasgow Rangers managerPhilippe Clement.
All eyes are on the semi-final however and the 49-year-old faces a tough task in who he will pick for his starting XI given their stunning 5-0 away win over Dundee in midweek.
The squad depth is poor and the former Club Brugge boss has had to put up with a mini-injury crisis, with the likes of Kemar Roofe, Tom Lawrence, Rabbi Matondo and John Souttar all on the sidelines.
The January transfer window is fast approaching, and could Clement bring in another player or two to add some much-needed depth to the squad, while also building for the future?
Rangers transfer news
With this in mind, it appears as though the Gers are showing interest in Nathaniel Adjei, a 21-year-old centre-back who plays for Swedish side Hammarby.
That’s according to Sky Sports, who also claim that Celtic are monitoring his progress, while there are also teams in Italy and Belgium who are keeping tabs on the youngster ahead of a potential swoop.
The Swedish league season finishes in the middle of November, and it looks as though he could assess his options over the coming weeks, giving the Light Blues a perfect chance to make their pitch and bring him to Glasgow.
The report states that Rangers have sent a representative to watch him in recent weeks and Clement has outlined that he could turn to the transfer window in order to make a few signings.
Speaking last month, he said: “I am here to build the team and make them stronger – that is where my focus lies and not on any external noise.
“We need to work hard in the coming weeks and months to see what we need to do in January. With injuries, you need to find solutions but we had players who were able to step in and that is what I expect.”
This suggests he could be targeting January as a time to strengthen and this will give the Ibrox faithful a big boost knowing that there could be some more additions arriving.
Adjei could become a long-term heir for Connor Goldson, and he could certainly learn a thing or two from the Englishman, who has been a mainstay in the team this season.
Connor Goldson’s season in numbers
Since joining Rangers back in the summer of 2018 under former manager Steven Gerrard, Goldson is arguably one of the most experienced players in the current squad.
He has made 280 appearances for the club and has started all but one match this season, registering one assist in the process.
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0
38
3
61
4
56
8
52
4
54
4
Goldson currently ranks second across the squad for accurate passes per game in the league (72.4), along with ranking third for tackles (1.6) and fourth for clearances (2.5) per game while the defender has won a staggering 70% of his total duels this term – which works out as 5.7 every single match – and his defensive performances have been solid of late.
Unfortunately, he won't be at Rangers forever and Clement will be eyeing up players who can come into the team and be a long-term successor for the 30-year-old and Adjei looks like he would be an ideal signing.
Nathaniel Adjei’s career statistics
Sky Sports journalist David Reed dubbed the youngster as “one to watch” when giving a recent update surrounding Rangers’ interest in the player.
The 21-year-old has made just 29 appearances for the Swedish side since making his debut in 2022, but his performances obviously caught the eye of the Ghana U23 side, as he has secured two caps for his country at youth level, and he will be looking to make the break through onto the senior stage.
A move to a club like Rangers, where he will receive greater exposure alongside playing in a stronger league would certainly help his ambitions in the long run and this could be an advantage for Clement in his chase for the young starlet.
During the 2023 Allsvenskan season, Adjei currently ranks fifth for accurate passes per game (40.1) across the Hammarby squad while also ranking third for accurate long balls per game (3.6) and third for clearances per game (2.9), indicating that despite his tender years, he has still had a positive influence on the team.
Like Goldson, the youngster is also impressive with regard to one-on-one duels as the Ghanaian has won 3.8 total duels per game – a success rate of 64% – while he has only been dribbled past on 0.2 occasions per game.
These statistics demonstrate that Adjei is a strong, capable defender who can also be relied on to play the ball out from the back with ease and these qualities are exactly what Clement is looking for in his centre-backs.
The Gers have conceded just one goal in four matches under the new manager, and it looks as though he has done wonders with the current defence.
The January window has been kind to Rangers in recent seasons. Under Beale last term, Todd Cantwell and Nico Raskin arrived, while players such as Ianis Hagi and Glen Kamara both signed for the club midway through the season and if Clement manages to repeat these past success stories, he will be praised.
First and foremost however is securing a win against Hearts on Sunday in order to progress to their third League Cup final in the previous five seasons.
With Celtic out of the equation, there is no excuse for failure now and winning the competition for the 28th time could be the catalyst for future success.
A "fantastic" Sunderland player could be set for a spell out of the team after picking up an injury, according to an update from reliable journalist James Hunter.
Impressive Sunderland beat Birmingham
The Black Cats were back in Championship action on Saturday lunchtime, as they took on Wayne Rooney's Birmingham City at the Stadium of Light. It has been a good start to the season for Tony Mowbray's men and that continued against their Midlands opponents, as the hosts strode to a 3-1 victory.
Jobe Bellingham's opener set Sunderland on their way to a routine three points, and even though they were pegged back before half-time, an own goal from Dion Sanderson was then added to by a close-range effort from Adil Aouchiche, as Mowbray's side ran out comfortable winners in the end.
The victory means that Sunderland have snuck into the playoff positions by virtue of West Brom losing 2-1 away to Southampton later in the day, with the Black Cats sixth in the table and once again looking like they could be genuine promotion contenders in 2023/24.
While there is plenty to be positive about at the moment, an injury concern has emerged after the weekend triumph – one that could leave supporters worried.
Dennis Cirkin injury blow
Taking to X after Saturday's win over Birmingham, Hunter confirmed that Sunderland ace Dennis Cirkin is "set for a scan" to find out the severity of the injury he suffered in the warm-up, ruling him out of the game. Mowbray also provided a similar update in his post-match press conference, saying:
Sunderland left-back Dennis Cirkin.
"Ultimately, it was his hamstring. He trained yesterday and said he felt it after training, but then woke up this morning and said he felt fine, good. We pushed on and then in the warm-up he said he could feel it and didn't want to risk it. He'll go for a scan tomorrow and we'll see what it is."
The hope is that Cirkin's injury setback is not a serious one, but hamstring issues can be awkward ones to overcome, with even a slight tweak potentially taking a few weeks to heal.
While not necessarily a guaranteed starter so far this season, the 21-year-old has still been an important squad player, with Cirkin's statistics highlighting that he has made eight Championship appearances to date, averaging 1.3 tackles per game and registering one assist in that time.
Sunderland
77
England Under-20s
2
England Under-18s
2
England Under-17s
6
England Under-16s
5
In the past, former Sunderland manager Lee Johnson has lauded the youngster as a "fantastic" player who could have a "top career" ahead of him, and he is going to be a key figure in the Black Cats' promotion push.
Squad depth is something that is so vital for any team with aspirations of making it into the Premier League, and Cirkin is the type of player that can be invaluable in that respect, not always starting but proving to be a strong option in defence, whether that be in a central or left-sided role.
After setting up South Africa’s victory in the first T20I, the 29-year old batsman spoke of the experience gained from T20 leagues, and wanting to replicate his debut success
Liam Brickhill10-Oct-2018Rassie van der Dussen revelled in a “dream come true” after setting up South Africa’s 34-run win over Zimbabwe in East London with a fifty on T20I debut.”It was pretty close to perfect – a fifty on debut, and to top it off the team winning, which is obviously the most important thing,” he said. “It’s a dream come true for me. Couldn’t be happier.”Van der Dussen arrived at the crease with South Africa teetering at 11 for 2, but shrugged off the pressure applied by Zimbabwe with stands of 41 with captain Faf du Plessis and 87 with David Miller. He eventually fell for a 44-ball 56, but he had helped set up a defendable total of 160 for 6.The 29-year-old has worked hard to make his dream a reality. He was the leading run-scorer in last season’s four-day competition, helped the Vancouver Knights to the 2018 Global T20 Canada title, and secured a contract with St Kitts and Nevis Patriots in the Caribbean Premier League. In between, he was also called up for South Africa A’s trip to India in August.”It has definitely helped my game,” van der Dussen said of playing in the various T20 leagues around the world. “You come up against some of the best teams in the world in these tournaments. Doing well there gave me the confidence to know that I can perform at that level. This is international cricket. It is a new stage with extra pressure but also with a lot of privilege. It gave me confidence to come out and play my game.”Van der Dussen is highly likely to have another crack in the second T20 in Potchefstroom on Friday, and is hoping he can continue to build on his strong start as he gains experience of the Zimbabwe attack. “As a player, you always have to try to learn and adapt,” he said. “You want to get better every day. I came up against Zimbabwe’s bowlers for the first time, so going into the next few games I will reassess and see where I went wrong and where I can do better. Hopefully, I can emulate what I did here in the last two games.”Senwes Park is a former home ground for van der Dussen, who played for North West before moving to the Lions, and with his local knowledge, he expects the Highveld conditions to produce high-scoring pitches.”Spin won’t be as effective on the Highveld,” he said. “We might have some high-scoring games if the wickets are like they usually are in Potch and Benoni. As a batter, your scoring areas and tactics change a bit, especially against spin. I can see some big totals if we get good wickets.”
Cole Palmer slammed "poor" Chelsea after the Blues were forced to share the spoils with 10-man Burnley despite the England star's brace.
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Chelsea held to a 2-2 drawPalmer scored both goalsWarns his team-mates they must improveWHAT HAPPENED?
Despite playing with a man advantage for more than half of the game due to Lorenz Assignon's red card, Chelsea failed to capitalize and were held to a 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge on Saturday. Palmer put in an impressive shift by netting two goals against the Clarets but was furious with his team-mates and didn't mince his words in expressing his disappointment after the match.
AdvertisementGettyWHAT PALMER SAID
Speaking to after the match, Palmer said: "It’s poor, it can’t happen. Especially when they go down to ten men. The changing room is really down. When we went down to ten men, we were 1-0 up and just got too comfortable. Same story, we kill ourselves every week. It’s got to improve from us as players.
"We had many chances and then that time we defended soppy. It’s very disappointing. On a personal level, it’s good to score two, but if you don’t get the three points they count for nothing. I think it’s our consistency all around the pitch, being alive and not switching off like we did today. We seriously have to do some consistency if we want to do something."
THE BIGGER PICTURE
The draw against relegation-threatened Burnley epitomized Chelsea's struggles duringr Pochettino's reign, sinking the Blues to a new low. Burnley, displaying resilience and determination, twice came from behind with 10 men, courtesy of goals from Josh Cullen and Dara O'Shea, to snatch a vital point in their battle against relegation.
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After the draw, Chelsea find themselves languishing in the bottom half of the Premier League table with 40 points from 28 matches. The result intensified the pressure on Pochettino, with disgruntled fans voicing their discontent by booing the players at Stamford Bridge at the final whistle. The Blues return to action in a prestige clash with Manchester United on Thursday.
Manchester United winger Amad Diallo has posted a cryptic message on social media in the wake of his team's 2-2 draw against Bournemouth on Saturday.
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Man Utd suffer disappointing drawAmad posted odd social media messageFollows unusual Garnacho activityWHAT HAPPENED?
The Ivory Coast international took to Instagram after his team twice came from behind to rescue a point against the Cherries at Vitality Stadium in the Premier League. He posted a picture of himself with a zipped mouth emoji.
The 21-year-old's post comes after the Instagram account of team-mate Alejandro Garnacho liked two posts that were critical of coach Erik ten Hag. Pressure is mounting on the Dutch coach amid United's dismal season and he stormed out of a press conference after it was pointed out that his side could slump to their worst ever Premier League finish.
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United are now seventh in the Premier League and 10 points behind Aston Villa and Tottenham, who sit fourth and fifth respectively. The Red Devils' only hope of securing silverware this season is via the FA Cup, having reached the semi-finals of the competition.
Arsenal are reportedly already eyeing a move in the summer 2024 transfer window, with a player currently impressing in the Premier League speculated to be a target.
Mikel Arteta’s side are still lacking in squad depth, despite signing over £200m worth of talent in the summer, with the need for additional reinforcements imperative in the January market and beyond.
From midfielders to forwards, the Gunners are said to be on the prowl for improvements ahead of the opening of the January window, with one name targeted for later in 2024.
Arsenal transfer targets – Ansu Fati
According to a recent report from Football Transfers, Arsenal are interested in signing Barcelona starlet Ansu Fati at the expiration of his loan with Brighton and Hove Albion in the summer.
The report names the Gunners, Manchester United and Liverpool as those that have ‘expressed an interest’ in the winger, who could leave his boyhood club on a permanent basis in the summer, despite his wishes to prove himself in Catalonia.
With a CIES Football Observatory market value of €80m (£70m), the Spanish champions could consider offloading their academy graduate to raise much-needed funds, as the club battles significant debt.
The potential availability of the 21-year-old could hand Arsenal the chance to add the highly-rated La Masia product to Arteta’s squad, with his recent Premier League experience being a huge plus.
How Ansu Fati could fit in at Arsenal
Once lauded as “magic” by Barcelona teammate Eric Garcia, Fati's breakthrough from La Masia came extremely early into his career, bursting into the first team at Camp Nou at the mere age of 16.
Ansu Fati
Despite showcasing his innate ability on the left flank, the Spaniard was unable to prove his claim to the starting XI under Xavi, who sent the 2002-born maestro on loan to Brighton to develop his game and gain valuable minutes in the Premier League.
On the south coast, the Spain international has secured five goal contributions in 13 appearances in all competitions, suggesting that his talents in La Liga are transferable to the demands of the English top-flight.
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As touched upon, it’s imperative that Arsenal add to their depth in future transfer markets, with the frailties in the squad already exposed this season due to injury woes.
Signing Fati could open the door to an added option at left-wing and additional competition for Gabriel Martinelli, in a move that could benefit more than just that area in particular.
The Gunners’ other left-wing option behind the Brazilian maestro is Leandro Trossard, who has been selected to play in a more central role of late to cover for the injury of Gabriel Jesus – having done so on three occasions this season.
In fact, even when Martinelli was absent with a hamstring injury, the Belgian was utilised in the central role rather than in his more familiar left-wing berth, telling that the manager prefers to deploy the former Seagulls star to lead the line.
That tactic notably worked to great effect last time out as Trossard scored and assisted in the comfortable win over a struggling Burnley side, indicating that the one-time Genk man could be a solution through the middle.
By signing Fati, Arsenal could then have a genuine backup and competitor for Martinelli, allowing Trossard to permanently occupy the central role and hand the north Londoners a much-needed clinical outlet in front of goal.
Karnataka set for Mumbai clash without blockbuster batting line-up of Rahul, Agarwal, Samarth, Pandey and Nair
ESPNcricinfo staff19-Nov-2018BCCI asks Ashwin, Ishant to rest Mindful of player workloads, the Indian team management has asked R Ashwin and Ishant Sharma to sit out of the third round of Ranji Trophy matches starting on November 20.The goal is to have them fresh and ready for the team’s only four-day fixture in Australia ahead of the Test series. The Test specialists are due to fly out on November 24, with the match slated to begin four days later. The first Test is slated for December 6 in Adelaide.Among the bowlers, only Mohammed Shami has been permitted to play, that too with a rider that he should bowl no more than 15 overs, with the possibility of a “few extra overs” if needed.Ishant has recovered from an ankle injury and featured for Delhi in their opening fixture against Himachal. In all, he bowled 28.3 overs across both innings for match haul of 4 for 82.Meanwhile, Ashwin, no more a limited-overs regular, hasn’t had much cricket since the West Indies Tests finished on October 14. He played two List A Deodhar Trophy matches and Tamil Nadu’s Ranji opener against Madhya Pradesh, where he took 4 for 85 in 38.4 overs in the first week of November.Karnataka depleted further without Karun Nair Part of the state’s batting core not too long ago, KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal, R Samarth, Manish Pandey and Karun Nair won’t turn out for Karnataka for their second fixture against Mumbai in Belagavi.Nair, the designated vice-captain, is set to lead India A in New Zealand for the second and third four-day fixtures, of which Samarth and Agarwal are a part. Rahul and Pandey, meanwhile, are in Australia with India’s T20I squad. While Rahul is set to miss out on the entire season, Pandey will be available for the second half, when he is free of national commitments.Mumbai too will be without Prithvi Shaw and Shreyas Iyer. Shaw is currently with India A in New Zealand, while Iyer is part of the T20I squad in Australia.Cricket returns to Jammu and Kashmir Cricket will return to Jammu and Kashmir after almost three years, when the state’s team hosts Tripura at the Sher-i-Kashmir Stadium in Srinagar. So far, both teams have played two matches, losing one and drawing the other. Tripura however, managed to grab the first-innings lead in their draw, while J&K didn’t, leaving Tripura with three points to J&K’s one.The last time J&K played a match at home was in December 2015. They were beaten by Saurashtra, by an innings and 63 runs, on that occasion.
Liverpool star Trent Alexander-Arnold scored a stunning 25-yard free-kick away at Fulham – before Timothy Castagne cancelled out his opener.
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Liverpool take lead away at FulhamAlexander-Arnold scores stunning free-kickCastagne equalises before half timeWHAT HAPPENED?
England international Alexander-Arnold scored a goal of the season contender with a terrific curling free-kick past a helpless Bernd Leno to give the Reds a 32nd minute lead. But the Premier League title-chasing side were pegged back in first-half stoppage time when Castagne's deflected effort found its way into the bottom corner to level proceedings at Craven Cottage on Sunday.
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Liverpool were hoping to end Jurgen Klopp's Anfield spell on a high, especially after winning the Carabao Cup in February, but crashed out of the FA Cup and Europa League in recent weeks. Plus, they have been knocked off their perch at the top of the Premier League as their form has nosedived.
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WHAT NEXT?
After this match, Klopp's Liverpool side are away to Merseyside rivals Everton at Goodison Park on Wednesday whereas Fulham host Crystal Palace at Craven Cottage next Saturday.
He is yet to be a 100%, but he continues to stay with the team in hope that he is fit for the Sydney Test where spin might play a bigger role
Sidharth Monga in Melbourne25-Dec-2018In a year of near misses, in their own words, India enter their last big Test without their No. 1 spinner, R Ashwin. He injured himself on the fourth evening of the Adelaide Test, aggravated it on the fifth, and was not fit for the Perth Test. He is yet to be a 100%, but he continues to stay with the team in hope that he is fit for the Sydney Test where spin might play a bigger role.This is the fourth Test Ashwin is missing out of the 11 India have played away from home this year. It points both to India’s horses-for-courses policy, and Ashwin’s issues with injuries. He was left out of the Johannesburg Test because India wanted to go with four quicks, then played in Southampton when not fully fit and was subsequently left out of The Oval Test, a dead rubber, with a groin strain. Here in Australia, he wouldn’t have played in Perth even if he had been fit because captain Virat Kohli said he wanted to play four quicks anyway.In away Tests this year, Ashwin has averaged over 30 and has gone at 2.38 runs an over. He is one of the three bowlers to have bowled over 300 overs in away matches this year. Overall, Ashwin has been the biggest match-winner in this XI; in conditions outside Asia and the West Indies, he slots just behind Kohli and the fast bowlers. He is especially effective against Australia considering the number of left-hand batsmen in their batting line-up. It is not just the overs he has put in, but runs down the order too that India will miss. His partnership with Cheteshwar Pujara was crucial to the win in Adelaide.India began the year with anticipation built around a pace attack that promised much and was bolstered further by the introduction of Jasprit Bumrah into the mix. Ashwin was also expected to play a big part in keeping them fresh and chipping in whenever the pitch gave him an opening. It is a job he has done more or less, except in Southampton when India risked him despite lack of full fitness.India have lost the two other big series this year. If they lose the next Test, they will not be able to win this one either. They go into this match with two new openers – one of them makeshift – and without their main spinner. In the absence of KL Rahul, they will also have to rejig their slip cordon, with Kohli possibly moving to the gun position, second slip, and Rohit Sharma slotting into the third. Pujara should continue at first slip.