كشف مصدر بـ النادي الأهلي موقف صفقة محمد علي بن رمضان لاعب فريق فيرنسفاروش المجري الذي يرغب المارد الأحمر في ضمه خلال الانتقالات الصيفية الجارية.
ويحاول مسؤولو الأهلي التفاوض مع فيرنسفاروش منذ عدة أسابيع، للتعاقد مع اللاعب بسبب حاجة الفريق الأحمر لخدماته، ولكن مرت الصفقة بأكثر من عقبة مادية، سواء في قيمة مالية أو تمسك المدير الفني ببقاء اللاعب.
طالع | تقارير مجرية توضح حقيقة توصل الأهلي لاتفاق بشأن ضم بن رمضان
وقال المصدر في تصريحات خاصة لـ”بطولات”: “مازالت المفاوضات مستمرة مع نادي فيرنسفاروش المجرى بشأن ضم محمد بن رمضان”.
وتابع: “لم نتوصل لاتفاق نهائي بشأن الصفقة، ومازالت المفاوضات مستمرة، أمير توفيق يتواجد في القاهرة ولا صحة لرحيله للمجر كما يتردد”.
يذكر أن الأهلي أعلن تعاقده مع يوسف أيمن من الدحيل، ويحيى عطية الله من سوتشي الروسي على سبيل الإعارة مع أحقية شرائهما بنهاية الموسم المقبل.
Manchester United's ownership problems have been well-documented since the Glazer family bought the club back in 2005.
Despite spending a similar amount of money to the likes of Manchester City and Chelsea over the past decade, the Red Devils have just two EFL Cups, an FA Cup and a Europa League title to show for it.
Both City and Chelsea have splashed huge wads of cash on players over the years but have been able to recuperate funds to bring their net spend down by selling the likes of Cole Palmer for £40m and Mason Mount for £55m, making a profit on certain big-name players.
On the other hand, Man United have made a profit on just one player in the last three years and he is currently outperforming the team's second-most expensive player of all time.
Daniel James' stats at Manchester United
Daniel James arrived at Old Trafford in 2019 under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer for a fee of £15m from Championship outfit Swansea City, having never played a single minute of Premier League football before.
United's record appearance maker Ryan Giggs admitted that Solskjaer sought his advice before giving the green light to sign the rapid winger when he was the head coach of the Welsh national team.
The Wales international spent a little over three seasons at the Theatre of Dreams, making 74 appearances in all competitions and scoring nine goals while registering nine assists. However, by the beginning of the 2021/22 campaign, the Reds secured the signing of Jadon Sancho from Borussia Dortmund which was the catalyst behind James' eventual departure to bitter rivals Leeds United for £25m.
The English giants made a £10m profit on the Welshman but given Antony's recent performances in a red shirt on the right wing and Sancho's internal suspension from the first-team, Man United may have made a mistake allowing James to leave.
James vs Antony stats comparison
In 12 appearances this season for Manchester United, Antony has failed to register a single goal or assist, leading to a lot of criticism directed at him. The Athletic journalist Adam Crafton even claimed that James was "more useful than Antony", following United's heavy 3-0 defeat at home to Manchester City at the end of October.
antony-premier-league-man-united
While James is not the type of player to set the world alight, he has statistically had a better individual campaign at Elland Road than Antony at Old Trafford, with the Peacocks sitting pretty in third place and pushing for promotion back to the promised land of the Premier League.
The 26-year-old has played a vital role in what has been a solid campaign for the Yorkshire club so far, bagging four goals and four assists in 15 appearances.
James is currently averaging 0.75 goals and assists combined per 90 while Antony has yet to record one goal contribution. Additionally, James has been far more of a threat for Leeds, boasting 3.4 shots per 90 and 1.23 shots on target per 90 to Antony's 2.96 shots per 90 and lowly rate of 0.56 shots on target per 90, according to FBref.
Furthermore, James is attempting fewer take-ons in each game, totalling 2.83 per 90 to Antony's 4.44, yet has a 49.3% success rate to the Brazil international's 29.2%.
While Antony is playing at a higher level than James, there is not much difference between the duo's performances or statistics on the pitch, further highlighting United's flawed recruitment strategy under the Glazers.
Liverpool are "closely" monitoring a hugely exciting young player who is believed to be "more talented than Cristiano Ronaldo", according to a fresh talent update.
Liverpool transfer news
The Reds have been relatively quiet in the transfer market in recent years, with Jurgen Klopp generally happy with the squad at his disposal, but that changed during last summer's window, in order to alter their Premier League fortunes for the better after a poor 2022/23 campaign.
The Liverpool manager clearly saw that there were huge issues with his midfield, in terms of their ability to cover ground like they once did, so he made noticeable changes there. Not only did the likes of Fabinho, Jordan Henderson and Naby Keita move on, but four new players came in, with Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister making the biggest impression so far.
While a proper defensive midfielder could still be on the agenda moving forward – Mac Allister hasn't always shone in that role this season – it could be that Klopp begins to focus on bolster different areas of the pitch, including adding depth to his central defensive and attacking options.
A fresh transfer claim has now emerged regarding the Reds' pursuit of one massive prospect, as they look to seal further eye-catching business.
Liverpool want Kenan Yildiz
According to a new update from Calciomercato [via Sport Witness], Liverpool are keen on signing highly-rated Juventus youngster Kenan Yildiz, with the Reds thought to be "closely" watching him at the moment.
The 18-year-old is believed to have been scouted by numerous top clubs across Europe, but it is the Merseysiders who currently look to be showing the most interest.
Liverpool's sporting director Jorg Schmadtke has been monitoring the progress of Yildiz since his Bayern Munich days, with the teenage attacking midfielder moving to Juve from the Bundesliga giants last year.
The report also states that Yildiz "would be compatible" with fellow youngster Ben Doak at Anfield, suggesting both could be stars of the future at the club alongside each other. For now, there is only "preliminary interest" from the Reds, but a bid for him at this point "still cannot be ruled out".
This could be such a statement signing if Liverpool manage to pip other big clubs to the signature of Yildiz, considering how high his ceiling is, having been described as "more talented than Cristiano Ronaldo" by former coach Sokyan Baskar.
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At just 18 years of age, the Reds transfer target is already making waves at both club and international level, scoring once in three caps for Turkey, with his first strike for his country coming in a recent 3-2 victory over Germany. He has also made five appearances for Juventus' first team, despite still being so young, showing that he is already good enough to be featuring for one of Europe's biggest clubs.
Yildiz would be considered one for the future by Klopp, arriving as a squad player and slowly maturing into something more influential, and the sky looks to be the limit for the attacking maestro if he continues on his current trajectory.
As the January transfer window grows closer and closer, Arsenal will be eyeing suitable reinforcements to ensure Mikel Arteta’s squad can maintain their credentials as Premier League title challengers.
Injuries have tainted the manager’s options to field the Gunners’ best XI consistently, adding pressure to the club’s need to hire additional bodies in the winter window to rectify the quality available in the squad.
The strike department is one of the notable areas needing extra resources, with Gabriel Jesus’ injury record unreliable, and Eddie Nketiah’s conviction in front of goal also unreliable, leaving Arsenal short of inspiration in the final third.
Luckily for the north Londoners, the January transfer window is not far away, and the Gunners have already been linked to a host of players that could find sanctuary at the Emirates in the near future.
While Jesus leads the way as Arteta’s favoured number nine, the former Manchester City whiz isn’t what some would call a clinical forward, having never scored more than 14 Premier League goals in a season during his eight-year stay in the top flight.
The Brazil international’s lack of proficiency when it matters could be the difference between Arsenal and other title challengers, and as a result, a handful of targets have been tipped to replace the 26-year-old.
1 Dusan Vlahovic – Juventus
A report from Football Transfers earlier this month reinforced that Juventus forward Dusan Vlahovic, remains Arteta’s primary choice for a new number nine ahead of the January window.
The report adds that the Gunners were interested in the Serbian prior to his move to Juve in January 2022, when he made the move from Fiorentina to the Bianconeri after excelling with the Viola from the youth ranks.
At the age of 23, Vlahovic already has 99 domestic goals to his name, supporting his claim to being a strong asset for Arsenal to target in the bid to capture themselves a reliable source of goals in the winter.
While the 6 foot 3 dynamo stole the headlines for his 44 goals in 98 Serie A appearances for Fiorentina, he has failed to hit similar levels since making the move to Turin, where the Serbia international has only netted 21 goals in Serie A in almost two years.
Once lauded as being “everything you need” in a striker by Micah Richards, the €80m-rated (£70m) ace has been starved of the creative outlet he once received at Fiorentina, which has been detrimental to his form, as explained by Alessio Tacchinardi, via Football Italia.
Arsenal’s creative geniuses could unlock the past form of the forward, who is statistically comparable to Erling Haaland, and get the best out of the notoriously clinical forward.
2 Santiago Gimenez – Feyenoord
Feyenoord striker Santiago Gimenez.
Another sensation in Europe that is said to be capturing the Gunners' eye is Feyenoord hitman, Santiago Gimenez.
Back in September, a report via 90min relayed that Arsenal had sent scouts to watch the 22-year-old in action, with his goalscoring form since his move to the Eredivisie something hard to ignore.
In the summer of 2022, Feyenoord signed the Mexican striker from Cruz Azul after he’d shown high potential for his direct playing style and five goals in five games in the 2022/23 league campaign prior to his exit.
The Dutch outfit hit the jackpot in acquiring his signature, seeing him score 23 goals in all competitions last term, ending his first spell in the Eredivisie as the third-highest scorer in the league.
While last season was impressive, the Mexico international looks to be on an even higher trajectory this term, having already scored 15 goals in 15 games, 13 of which have come in just 12 Eredivisie appearances.
At the start of the season, Gimenez scored in eight consecutive matches following the opening day, explaining why Feyenoord are said to value their hero at €100m (£87m) ahead of the opening of the transfer window, via 90min.
Dubbed a “machine” by talent scout Jacek Kulig for his clinical streak, the 2001-born gem averages a goal every 74 minutes in the league this campaign, posing as the ideal upgrade on Jesus, whose scoring frequency sits at 372 minutes in the 2023/24 Premier League.
With two goals in two Champions League appearances so far, Gimenez has proven himself among Europe’s elite, suggesting that he could be a player who would flourish in playing at the level of the English top-flight.
3 Ivan Toney – Brentford
While both Vlahovic and Gimenez are clinical in their sides, fellow Arsenal target Ivan Toney could be the missing piece to Arteta’s puzzle in attack.
The Englishman has been mentioned with reference to the Gunners predominantly after his feature on the Diary of a CEO podcast, in which he named the north Londoners as a team he “liked” when asked about potential new clubs.
In January, the 27-year-old’s ban from football will expire, leaving Brentford braced to receive a wave of interest in their talisman, who is said to be valued at £100m by the Bees, as per The Mirror.
Arsenal were mentioned in that report as the side that Thomas Frank’s side will hope to ‘block’ interest from, with his presence an undeniably attractive force that would bolster Arteta’s options in the number nine role.
Toney would be the most suited striker to the Gunners due to his experience in the Premier League, an attribute that becomes a gamble when hiring players from abroad with little guarantee that they will adapt to the demands of the English game.
To put into perspective what the England international could offer to the Emirates, the Northampton-born talisman has scored 32 Premier League goals over the past two seasons, with Jesus only scoring 28 in the previous three.
In the top-flight last campaign, Brentford’s leading forward recorded a goal conversion rate of 21%, an upgrade on the Brazilian’s 14% conversion rate during his first season at Arsenal.
Arteta could thrive in adding the pace, power and Premier League-proven attributes of Toney to the squad, in a move that could bridge the gap between the Gunners and treble-winners Manchester City.
Arsenal have enjoyed a stellar start to the 2023/24 campaign, with the Gunners still undefeated in the Premier League, and sitting top of the group in the Champions League.
Mikel Arteta’s side have enjoyed some long overdue highs over the past 14 months, with the success of the 2022/23 season almost leading the north Londoners to their first Premier League title since 2004, missing out by just five points on the home straight to Manchester City.
From cultural improvements to on-pitch progression, the Emirates has played host to an array of development over the past year, with another exciting footballing calendar on the cards for Arteta’s superstars.
As West Ham United wait in the wings as the next challenge for the Gunners to face this week, there was some noise regarding some of the club’s best performers from 2022/23 last night, as the 2023 Ballon d’Or awards took place.
Arsenal boasted five nominees at the ceremony for various awards, with Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard in the shortlist for the men’s Ballon D’Or, while Katie McCabe and Amanda Ilestedt were nominees for the Women’s Ballon D’Or, and Aaron Ramsdale for the Yashin Trophy.
As Lionel Messi claimed his eighth copy of the prize, Saka placed 24th and Odegaard 28th, while McCabe placed 22nd in the Women’s prize, as Ilestedt took 15th spot.
For Ramsdale, the Englishman finished in 8th place for the Yashin Trophy, a prize that was claimed by former Gunner Emiliano Martinez for his 2022 World Cup heroics, however he wasn’t the only former Arsenal associate that attended the ceremony.
Arsenal let go of Harry Kane at academy level
For someone who was received with hostility at the Emirates for his success at Tottenham Hotspur, it’s hard to remember that Arsenal were once the proud owners of Harry Kane.
The Englishman, who played for his boyhood club as a youngster, was released by the Gunners at the age of 12, as former academy staff member Roy Massey told talkSPORT that the Londoner “didn’t have” what it took to progress through the ranks at Hale End.
Massey explained that he would’ve required a “crystal ball” to have predicted that the “quiet” and “shy” exterior of young Kane would evolve into the goalscoring marvel that he is known as today.
The Gunners made a tremendous misjudgement over their former academy hopeful, who went on to sign for Spurs at the age of 15, and later scored 14 senior goals against the club that released him to ultimately have the last laugh.
What Harry Kane did after leaving Arsenal
It wasn’t always straightforward for Kane, as loan spells at Leyton Orient, Millwall, Norwich City and Leicester City were all fairly lacklustre, with his highest scoring tally when on loan being his nine goals in all competitions at Millwall in the 2011/12 campaign.
It wasn’t until the 2013/14 season that the Englishman claimed his first Premier League goals, ending the term with ten appearances and three goals in the league for Spurs, and still, no one could have predicted what was about to happen next.
At 21 years old, the striker exploded in the 2014/15 campaign, scoring 21 goals in 34 Premier League appearances to announce himself to the world, proving to be the shining light that Spurs needed, but had all along.
That season opened doors for Kane and the Lilywhites to seek new successes, as the struggles of finding a way into the scene disappeared and the once out-of-favour talent became one of the most desired forwards in world football.
Harry Kane's statistics across his entire career
During his time in England, it was a difficult pill for Arsenal fans to swallow regarding what they could have had in Kane, more so because he blossomed as a top-class player on enemy territory.
Former Tottenham striker Harry Kane.
Once lauded as the “complete” forward by Gunners legend Thierry Henry, the talisman terrorised the Premier League during his time in England, leaving the league’s leading goalscorer Alan Shearer sweating at times as he chased his record.
After 320 appearances in the English top-flight, Kane bid farewell to his homeland this summer as the Premier League’s second-highest scorer of all time with 213 goals, just 47 goals shy of Shearer’s record, but how did he get there?
Following his 21 goals during the 2014/15 season, the former young Gunner didn’t look back, scoring prolifically year after year during his time in England, winning the Golden Boot on three occasions.
Harry Kane’s Premier League record
Season
Apps
Goals
Assists
2013/14
10
3
2
2014/15
34
21
5
2015/16
38
25
1
2016/17
30
29
7
2017/18
37
30
3
2018/19
28
17
4
2019/20
29
18
2
2020/21
35
23
14
2021/22
37
17
9
2022/23
38
30
3
Figures via Transfermarkt
What’s notable is the competitiveness of the goal-scoring threats in the English top flight, with neither of Kane’s 30-goal seasons ending with the accolade of being top scorer.
Speaking of the competitive streak of the Premier League, it was a common narrative that the formidable forward did not claim a single trophy while at Spurs, which arguably warranted his move to Bayern Munich in the summer as he bid to add silverware to his illustrious career.
What Harry Kane is doing now
At the age of 30, the former Spurs hitman resides in Bavaria as he continues his quest for trophies, as he currently has an empty cabinet when it comes to domestic and international prizes to show for his career in England.
The Englishman has started life at Bayern Munich in devastating fashion, recording 21 goal contributions in just 13 appearances in all competitions, scoring 14 and assisting seven to make himself feel at home at the Allianz Arena.
Last night, the England captain placed 19th in the running for the 2023 Ballon d’Or, finishing ahead of the likes of Saka and Odegaard to further reinforce just what Arsenal let go many years ago.
As highlighted in the graph below, there were only two occasions during Kane’s nine-season-long prolific scoring run that he was outscored by an Arsenal player in the Premier League, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang being the only player capable of competing with him over the years.
Harry Kane vs Arsenal Forwards – Premier League
Season
Goals
Arsenal’s top scorer + goal tally
2014/15
21
Alexis Sanchez – 16
2015/16
25
Olivier Giroud – 16
2016/17
29
Alexis Sanchez – 24
2017/18
30
Alexandre Lacazette – 14
2018/19
17
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang – 22
2019/20
18
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang – 22
2020/21
23
Alexandre Lacazette – 13
2021/22
17
Bukayo Saka – 11
2022/23
30
Martin Odegaard/Gabriel Martinelli – 15
Figures via Transfermarkt
The 12-year-old who left the scene at Hale End for nothing handed Spurs a profit of £86m in the summer, leaving with 280 goals and 64 assists to mark his name in the club’s folklore as their greatest-ever goalscorer.
Having made a phenomenal start to life in Germany, the sky once again seems to be the limit for Kane, who now seemingly in his prime, could finally embark on a trophy-laden journey to compliment his excellence over the years.
The ECB has moved quell mounting speculation around possible innovations for The Hundred by issuing a statement to say that “no final decisions have been made” about the new competition
ESPNcricinfo staff24-Jul-2018The ECB has moved to quell mounting speculation around possible innovations for The Hundred by issuing a statement to say that “no final decisions have been made” about the new competition planned for 2020.Following a string of reports last week suggesting that the idea for a ten-ball final over had been ditched, Tuesday saw two national newspapers carry stories about the number of players in a team: the proposed 12, while the suggested it could go up to 15. The concept was likened to that of the Super Sub used briefly in international cricket during the 2000s.With trial games for the 100-ball format scheduled for September, there has been increasing debate about the ECB’s plans – which could also encompass bringing 10-over cricket to the UK. In response, the ECB issued a statement to say discussions were ongoing.”No final decisions have been made on the playing conditions for the new competition, which will start in the summer of 2020. To develop the competition, there are a number of ongoing discussions, including within a high-performance group who are planning a series of pilot matches in September.The Hundred – the fans speak
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“Conversations with players, host venues and stakeholders across the game are vital to the development and inevitably lead to speculation on a range of matters. Ultimately, it is the board of the ECB which makes the final decisions on the format and playing conditions for the new competition and that is expected later this year.”The high-performance group, chaired by former England women’s captain Clare Connor, is expected to put its recommendations to the board in November.Meanwhile, Mark Wood, the England fast bowler, added to the sense of uncertainty around the new competition when talking on BBC Radio 5 Live. Saying he had discussed it with Dwayne Bravo, West Indies’ much-travelled T20 veteran, Wood questioned whether international stars would be interested in playing an untested format.”I’m not sure these big players would be necessarily open to it straight away anyway,” Wood said. “I spoke to Bravo, who I played with at the IPL, and he wasn’t interested in the 100-ball at all.”So if the big players already in the IPL, they can see that game’s working – the 100-ball thing, they’re unsure, who’s to say they’re going to come straight away? They might be apprehensive and then we can’t attract the big players.”
Liam Plunkett has admitted he lost confidence in his ability to such an extent he used to suffer nightmares over bowling wide deliveries in international cricket.Plunkett is now a fixture in England’s first-choice limited-overs sides. Of seamers with 100 wickets in ODI cricket, only Mitchell Starc, Trent Boult, Shane Bond and Brett Lee have a better strike-rate than Plunkett’s 30.40. None of his England colleagues have as many as his 110 ODI wickets.But at one stage he went more than four years without featuring in England’s ODI side. And, so chronic did his crisis of confidence become, he struggled to gain selection for Durham in 2011 and 2012.As a result, he said his period back in the England side feels like “bonus time”, ahead of an ODI series against India that will determine who is No. 1 in the ICC rankings.”I struggled a little bit trying to work out what kind of bowler I was,” Plunkett said. “As a youngster, I bowled quick and it swung.”But I lost that. I fought to get it back but it never really came. I never thought I wasn’t going to play [as a professional] again, but going from Test cricket back to county second team cricket was a bit demoralising.”I had dreams of bowling a ball to gully. This is before Test matches.”Key to his recovery was moving to Yorkshire ahead of the 2013 season. Emboldened by the support of Jason Gillespie – then the Yorkshire head coach – and the unfussy approach he took to bowling, Plunkett gradually recovered his confidence and form.”Yorkshire were so good to me,” Plunkett said. “One of the reasons they signed me, I think, is that I said I wanted to play for England again. I’m not sure how much I believed it then.”But Gillespie has always been good for me. He was just black and white in terms of saying what he wanted from me. ‘Obviously we back you,’ he said, ‘and we want you to bowl quick.'”In the net after joining the club, I hit the side netting with a ball. He was like ‘don’t stress about it, it’s only winter’. Then I had a winter in Adelaide and bowled some good overs playing for Adelaide Uni and just from then it came back.”It was just finding my way. And I did that by just playing a lot of cricket and speaking to people.”I remember Shaun Pollock when I played for the Dolphins said ‘sometimes picking the ball coming in is harder than when it’s going away’ especially for new batsmen. I took a lot of positives from speaking to him and taking stuff like that away from it.”I just thought about bowling quick. And from finding that pace, I found my line and length and wasn’t stressed about where this wrist was and where this arm was. I just looked at it going through to the keeper. And then I got confident and started working at different varieties of balls.”These days, at the top of my mark, I’m always thinking I can get a wicket. When I first came back in at the Lord’s Test [in June 2014] it was the best I’d slept in five years. It just felt nice to be back and I was confident in what I did.”Given his gratitude at Yorkshire’s influence on his career, he seems shocked at the club’s apparent reluctance to offer him a new contract. He is confident, however, that he can win a deal elsewhere if no offers have been forthcoming by the end of the season.”I went in to have a chat with Yorkshire. I thought I might have been offered a contract. But they said the way things are going in terms of playing for England and with T20 stuff around the world, they hadn’t seen too much of me so they couldn’t offer me anything right now. This is my last year and I have been chatting to other counties.”I get on with everyone at Yorkshire but I would have liked to think I would have got offered something even if the base might have dropped and then you play for incentives. I felt I could still offer stuff to that team.”I will see what they say, but lots of people are keen and there are lots of places I would like to go.”Royal London, proud sponsors of one-day cricket, is celebrating unconventional greatness in the game by championing the independent spirt of players and fans
Glasgow Rangers head coach Michael Beale appears to be walking on thin ice after two disappointing results ahead of the first international break of the 2023/24 campaign.
What's the latest on Michael Beale's future?
The Daily Record recently reported that chairman John Bennett will resist calls to sack the English manager before the Gers return to action against St. Johnstone this weekend.
It was stated that the Light Blues chief would like to offer Steven Gerrard's former assistant the chance to put things right over the coming weeks.
Rangers boss Michael Beale.
However, it was also written that Bennett's backing is unlikely to last too long if results do not improve after damaging defeats to PSV and Celtic in their last two outings, the former of which knocked the side out of this season's Champions League.
Who could replace Michael Beale at Rangers?
The Rangers chairman could find the club's own version of former Celtic head coach Ange Postecoglou in a swoop for Yokohama manager Kevin Muscat.
Amid uncertainty over Beale's future at Ibrox, the Scottish giants have been linked with an interest in Muscat, who is currently managing in Japan.
Ange Postecoglou
The Hoops snapped up Postecoglou from Yokohama after the experienced boss won one J1 League title in three-and-a-half years in charge of the club.
His spell in Japan came after the Greek-born mastermind, who typically deploys a 4-3-3 formation, failed to win a title in little over one season with Melbourne in his home country.
Celtic gambled on him being able to adapt to life in Scotland and it worked out brilliantly as the 58-year-old won five domestic trophies in two seasons, which included a treble during the 2022/23 campaign that led to a move to Premier League side Tottenham this summer.
Bennett could now repeat the masterclass that their Old Firm rivals played with Postecoglou by securing a move for his compatriot Muscat.
Yokohama F. Marinos manager Kevin Muscat.
Interestingly, the 50-year-old manager has followed a similar path to the former Bhoys chief as he has also managed Melbourne and Yokohama in his career to date.
Muscat lifted one A-League title in just under six years with Melbourne and endured a short stint with Sint-Truiden in Belgium before he made the move to Japan, where he has won one title in less than three years.
This shows that the former Rangers and Wolves defender is capable of leading a team to league success, as he has proven himself in multiple countries. On the other hand, Beale is yet to win a single trophy in any country in his short managerial career to date.
Analyst Petar Petrov described him as an "evolving" boss and suggested that the former Australia international's attacking style of play and coaching ability would make him a "perfect" hire for the Light Blues.
Muscat, who also prefers to use a 4-3-3 formation, could, therefore, be an excellent appointment for Rangers if they decide to part ways with Beale if results do not turn around.
He could be the Gers' own version of Postecoglou by coming into Ibrox to turn the tide in Glasgow and get the club back to winning titles and trophies whilst playing an attacking brand of football.
The former Australia captain, however, said he was shocked by the ball-tampering scandal in Cape Town, and that the penalties handed out by Cricket Australia were necessary
ESPNcricinfo staff05-Apr-2018The ball-tampering scandal in Cape Town is being seen as much more than just that. Australia’s team culture has come under the scanner, with suggestions that such a fall was inevitable in a win-at-all-costs side. Outgoing Australia coach Darren Lehmann even said New Zealand might be a good example to follow for on-field behaviour, and Cricket Australia ordered an independent review into the team culture.However, former Australia captain and a possible candidate for the role of coach, Ricky Ponting, believes the talk about the team culture is out of proportion.Ponting, currently in India as head coach of IPL franchise Delhi Daredevils, addressed the issue for the first time at a press conference on Thursday. Ponting expressed shock at the events in Cape Town, and said the reaction from Cricket Australia was befitting. However, he didn’t necessarily feel the team culture had deteriorated drastically.”The cultural issue for me is really an interesting thing because if we wind the clock back to just a couple of months, when Australia won the Ashes like they did, there was no talk about cultural problems or issues whatsoever,” Ponting said. “I honestly feel on this occasion the cultural stuff that’s been spoken about has probably been blown out of proportion to a certain degree.”Ponting, however, did not play down what a big disappointment the ball-tampering incident was for him and the rest of Australia. “As a past player and past captain, I was quite shocked to see what actually took place out on the field,” he said. “The pleasing thing for me is that now it seems the issue is starting to come to an end. We hear this morning that David Warner also accepted his sanction, means all three guys have accepted the sanctions before them.”Ponting said the country was jolted by what they saw. “Look, when I was back at home a week and half ago, if you think it was big news over here, it was astronomical how big the issue was in Australia, and rightly so,” he said. “As Australians, we like to play the game hard, we like to play the game fair. Our fans expect the Australian player to play that way. I think the reaction back in Australia was as big as it was because the Australian public felt the Australian players had not played the game in a fair way.”It seems it’s like coming to an end, it’s a good thing for the game’s sake, it’s a good thing for the player’s sake as well, that they can try and get away from it all now. As hard as that’s going to be for them, it’s also a good thing for cricket in Australia as well. Now that the Test series is over, the guys have got a few weeks to get away from it all and then start rebuilding what has sort of collapsed for them over the last couple of weeks.”When asked how he would have reacted to the incident if he had been in a position to act, Ponting said it would be unfair for him to say, but did acknowledge that Cricket Australia’s sanctions were pretty much necessary.”There’s a very big picture there for the world game’s sake, and Cricket Australia, I think, have reacted to what the world game pretty much demanded,” he said. “The world game and the Australian public demanded that these players were dealt with and treated in a certain way.”Now it would appear that 12-month bans would appear to be a very severe ban. If you go back to what the ICC sanction was: one-game ban for Smith and nothing for the other two. You can understand the gap is vast between what the ICC deemed fair [and what CA handed out]. I wouldn’t comment on what I would have done. It would be unfair.”