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The Bangladesh Test and T20I captain feels the younger crop must be handed more responsibility over the next four-year cycle

ESPNcricinfo staff31-Aug-2019Shakib Al Hasan, Bangladesh’s Test and T20I captain, has made it clear that he is not “mentally prepared” or ready or interested in continuing to lead the team in any format, and would rather focus on his own game to be of greater value to the cause. He wants the younger crop of players be given more responsibility over the next four-year cycle, but understands that the team needs him to lead in what is a tricky phase.”I am not even mentally prepared to lead in Tests and T20s,” Shakib told the daily . “But the team is not in a good shape, so I understand that I have to lead to get it back on track. Otherwise, I am not really interested in leading in any format. I can focus on myself if I am not captaining, which would help the team.”I want to see the younger lot to take responsibility. We [Mushfiqur Rahim and he, in the main] got captaincy at a very young age, but they [the next bunch] have now turned 26-27. Unless you give them responsibility, you won’t know what they can do. The World Test Championship and T20 World Cup are up ahead, so we should plan for the next four years.”ALSO READ: Shakib calls for clear communication and rotation policyThe current captaincy stint is Shakib’s second in a full-time capacity in Tests and T20Is. He became captain of T20Is when Mashrafe Mortaza retired from the format in April 2017, and got the Test captaincy after the sacking of Mushfiqur Rahim in December that year.Shakib’s public expression of disinterest in the role – a first in his 13-year-long international career – stems from his earliest experiences as Bangladesh captain. After deputising for an injured Mashrafe from mid-2009, he was made the permanent captain in 2011, but eight months later, he lost his job in the aftermath of a drab World Cup campaign. He, however, has since been the most consistent performer in the team, and enjoyed a dream run in the World Cup earlier this year, finishing as the third-highest run-getter in the tournament. His consistency, not to mention his seniority, also puts him in line for the ODI captaincy once Mashrafe retires.Shakib pointed out that a captain, by default, is expected to perform consistently himself, so he doesn’t get too bogged down. He cited Mashrafe’s example from this year’s World Cup, where the captain took just one wicket in the eight matches Bangladesh played.”I had the belief that we could go further in this World Cup, and it may have been possible if we had contributions from everyone,” Shakib said. “When a player doesn’t perform, he thinks more about himself than the team, which creates the problem. I think it happened in Mashrafe ‘s case.”It was a big issue, for himself and the team, that the captain wasn’t performing. The captain has to perform, but we were behind in that aspect. It wasn’t impossible [to reach the semi-finals]; we made a good start to the World Cup, but we couldn’t hold on to it.”Bangladesh’s – and Shakib’s – next assignment is a one-off Test in Chattogram against Afghanistan starting September 5, followed by a T20I tri-series against Afghanistan and Zimbabwe.

Liverpool midfielder Fabinho is expected to win his battle to be fit for the Champions League final, The Daily Mirror’s David Maddock reports. 

The lowdown

Fabinho was forced off half an hour into Liverpool’s 2-1 Premier League victory over Aston Villa on Tuesday night with an apparent hamstring injury.

It’s since been confirmed that the 28-year-old will miss Saturday’s FA Cup final against Chelsea, as well as the Reds’ remaining league games against Southampton and Wolves.

That means that the no. 3 faces a race to be fit for the meeting with Real Madrid in Paris at the end of the month.

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The latest

Maddock, northern football correspondent for the paper, shared the ‘big news’ on Fabinho on Thursday evening.

The Brazilian ‘should be fit for the Champions League final’, he wrote, news which has now been confirmed by Jurgen Klopp himself.

The verdict

This would be a significant boost for Klopp and Liverpool. Fabinho is typically one of the first names on the team-sheet, starting 26 of the 30 Premier League games for which he’s been available.

What’s more, Klopp has previously hailed him as ‘the best’ defensive midfielder on the planet.

And with Fabinho on the pitch, Liverpool are outscoring the opposition by an average of 1.7 goals per 90 minutes.

Injury played a part last time Liverpool faced Real Madrid in the UCL showpiece, with top goalscorer Mohamed Salah forced off in the first half, and they won’t want it to be a factor this time around.

In other news, there’s been a ‘major development’ in the Aurelien Tchouameni race. 

Manchester United legend Eric Cantona believes Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his INEOS group can bring the glory days back at Old Trafford.

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• Cantona backs Ratcliffe to restore glory days
• INEOS upgrading Man Utd squad this summer
• Red Devils set to visit the US for pre-season

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The former United captain drew comparisons between his time at the club to the time under the Glazers when they saw an epic downfall. He pointed out that the feeling of being part of one big family played an important role in the success that Sir Alex Ferguson's sides achieved in over two decades.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Since Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his INEOS group took charge of the club as minority stakeholders, they have brought several changes to the day-to-day functioning of the organisation. One such reform was ending the work-from-home culture that prevailed at the club since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting lockdowns. As per Cantona, employees coming back to the club will help establish the old family feeling that was lacking till now.

• WHAT ERIC CANTONA SAID

  Speaking to The Athletic, the 58-year-old said: "I believe in energy moving between people and they want to take that back at Manchester United, which is very important. When you meet the people, you see someone, you meet another woman and you say: ‘Hello, good morning’. It’s like family. I remember my time (at the club), we say hello to everybody. It was a big family, and the energy was all between us. Not only the players, not only the manager, not only the chairman but all the people who work at the club.

  "Things changed since the Glazers arrived. Since Sir Alex Ferguson left. And it’s important to take that back. To have this energy. To have this feeling of: ‘We are part of the family, and we are here, I can speak to you, look in your eyes, I can shake your hand, looking in your eyes, I can feel you, I can get a sense of why you don’t really feel good, or why you did this or why you feel great today’. It’s important. It’s very important."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MANCHESTER UNITED?

  After playing two pre-season friendlies in Norway and Scotland, the Red Devils are all set to visit the United States where they will play three friendly matches against Arsenal, Liverpool and Real Betis.

England name 14-man squad to face Australia in the Ashes

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Jul-2019Jofra Archer is in line to make his Test debut against Australia during the Ashes after being named in England’s 14-man squad on the strength of his star turn for the World Cup champions.Ben Stokes has been re-appointed England vice-captain, while Olly Stone was named in the squad for the first Test starting at Edgbaston on August 1 as a fast-bowling option and Joe Denly was also included.Archer, who revealed he had bowled in “excruciating” pain with a side strain throughout the second half of the World Cup, is poised to make his Test debut as part of a whirlwind summer which saw him play his first international match in May. He went on to take 20 World Cup wickets, a record for an England bowler in the tournament, which also saw him bowling the dramatic tied Super Over that enabled the hosts to win the title on boundary countback.After the World Cup, there had been a suggestion he may be rested until the second Ashes Test at Lord’s, but the ECB said upon announcing the squad for the first Test, that “his readiness for five-day cricket will be assessed at Edgbaston”. Archer has played 28 First-class matches taking 131 wickets at 23.44.National Selector Ed Smith said while it was unusual to select a squad of 14 for a home Test, there were “compelling reasons” to do so in this case, given the demands of the recent World Cup campaign.”Several bowlers are recovering from injuries or niggles,” Smith said. “In addition, some bowlers who played in the World Cup are being closely monitored to assess their preparation for Test match cricket.”The wider circumstances – a successful home World Cup campaign followed so quickly by a home Ashes series – are unprecedented. It feels sensible to select an expanded squad and leave a number of bowling options open for the final team selection.”Archer was involved in another tied match on the eve of England’s Ashes squad announcement, taking 2 for 21 for Sussex against Surrey in the Vitality Blast on Friday night, his return to action after taking a short post-World Cup break.Also returning to the squad after resting from England’s one-off Test against Ireland are Jos Buttler and Stokes. Jack Leach, who made 92 as nightwatchman against Ireland, missed out on an Ashes place but will train with the Test squad in the lead-up to the opening match of the series.ECB Chairman Colin Graves approved Stokes’ reappointment as England vice-captain, the role he lost during investigations into the fight outside a Bristol night club in 2017, over which Stokes was ultimately found not guilty of affray. He will resume the vice-captaincy from Buttler.James Anderson, who missed the Ireland Test as he continues his recovery from a calf injury was expected to be fit to face the Australians in the Ashes opener. As expected, Chris Woakes and Stuart Broad, who claimed six and four wickets respectively as England skittled Ireland for just 38 in their second innings to win by 143 runs at Lord’s on Friday, were included in the Ashes squad, as was Sam Curran.Despite only making his Test debut against Ireland in the past week, Jason Roy’s selection was not a big surprise, given his form with the bat at the World Cup and in the lead-up series against Pakistan. Opening batsman Rory Burns was also named in the squad.Denly was called up after making his Test debut on England’s tour of West Indies in January but missing out on a World Cup place. Stone earned his place in the squad after taking three wickets on his Test debut against Ireland, having returned home early from the tour of the Caribbean with a stress fracture in his back.The squad will report for duty in Birmingham on Monday.England squad: Joe Root (capt), Moeen Ali, Jimmy Anderson, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Sam Curran, Joe Denly, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, Olly Stone, Chris Woakes.

Real Sociedad president, Jokin Aperribay, has addressed the transfers rumours linking Takefusa Kubo with a move to Liverpool.

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• Liverpool are hunting for a right-winger
• Have reportedly zeroed in on Kubo
• Real Sociedad want his release clause activated

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Japan international is a star at the Basque club and his consistent performances have grabbed the attention of the Merseyside club who are looking to strengthen their right wing. Egyptian forward, Mohamed Salah is the undisputed starter on thee right at Anfield but there are questions about his future as the 32-year-old has been regularly linked with a move to Saudi Arabia.

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  Liverpool seem to be preparing themselves for life without Salah and are analysing the market for a suitable replacement. They have reportedly zeroed in on Kubo, who has been impressive for Real Sociedad and boasts a record of seven goals and four assists in 30 league appearances in the previous campaign.

• WHAT APERRIBAY SAID

  However, Real Sociedad president, Aperribay, informed that the club have not received any enquiry about Kubo and insisted that they would like to hold on to their prized asset.

  “There is no issue. There are no negotiations with any club," he told

  "We’re in the market, anything can happen, but Take is very happy here and he’s going to continue. We love him very much, let’s hope he stays at La Real forever.”

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Kubo has a €60m (£50m/$65m) release clause in his contract and it's been reported any potential suitor will have to pay the amount in full to lure him away from the Liga outfit. Real Sociedad have been tipped to sell Robin Le Normand and Mikel Merino this summer and hence are resigned to losing a third superstar in the same window.

Former Premier League striker Kevin Campbell has given his reaction to the news that Liverpool forward Roberto Firmino has returned to fitness this week. 

The lowdown: Back in contention

The 30-year-old returned to the matchday squad for the first time in four Premier League games for the 2-1 victory over Aston Villa in midweek but remained an unused substitute.

Following a foot injury that kept the Brazilian forward out for six games, Firmino appears likely to now be in contention to feature in the FA Cup final showdown with Chelsea at Wembley on Saturday, unlike his compatriot Fabinho who is ruled out with a hamstring strain.

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Despite the firepower now at Jurgen Klopp’s disposal, such is the continued importance of Firmino that his comeback has been heralded by at least one invested onlooker…

The latest: ‘Absolutely massive’

Speaking to Football Insider, regular talkSPORT pundit Campbell explained why news of the false nine’s availability is so crucial.

He said: “It’s a massive boost. It is absolutely massive for them. They have the FA Cup final coming up. His experience will count for a lot during this run-in.

“Liverpool are going for the quadruple, even though the league is in City’s hands. I don’t think they’ll mess up. To get one of your mainstays back at this stage of the season is really important for Jurgen Klopp.

“Even though they only have a few games left they will need to rotate. There will be some tired legs in that dressing room. Let’s not forget, Firmino, [Mohamed] Salah and [Sadio] Mane are electric together.”

The verdict: Plenty left to offer…

Albeit the arrival and subsequent impact of both Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz has seen Firmino fall down the pecking order somewhat this season, there can be no underestimating the 55-cap ace’s continued importance in the eyes of Jurgen Klopp.

So often the man to turn to in order to change the pattern of a game – coming from the bench nine times in the league alone this term – the skilful Samba star who was hailed as ‘special’ by Klopp in 2020 has still managed 11 goals and four assists this term in just 31 outings across all competitions.

Overall, Firmino has earned a 6.96 Sofascore rating in the Premier League, winning 2.9 of his total duels, making 1.2 tackles and completing 80% of his passes on average per game.

Given the lack of recent game time, it seems unlikely that Klopp will turn to his trusted forward from the outset at Wembley, however, don’t rule out an influence from the bench or indeed a starting spot in Paris against Real Madrid.

In other news, French newspaper cites Liverpool interest in ‘unstoppable’ speedster. Read more here.

India captain keeps his cards close when asked if the team would play Kuldeep

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Jul-20252:28

Gill: A second spinner won’t be a bad option if pitch is similar to last Test

In the wake of two lower-order collapses in the first Test against England in Leeds, India’s captain Shubman Gill has put the onus on the batters, starting with himself, to not give away starts on these flat pitches in England. India were 430 for 3 and 340 for 4 before losing 7 for 41 and 6 for 31, failing on both occasions to bat England out of the game. Eventually they lost by five wickets on the final evening despite getting into positions from where a draw should have been the worst result for them.”When we were batting, I felt I could have, now looking back at it… the kind of shot I played, I felt I could have batted a little bit more, added another 50 runs with Rishabh [Pant],” Gill said when asked what lessons he learnt from his captaincy debut. “That was my learning from when I was batting.”Gill was on 147 when he tried to hit Shoaib Bashir in the air, and ended up dragging it to the deep fielder on the leg side. What followed was some extravagant shots from the lower order, which didn’t come off. Gill was asked if the lower order was spoken to regarding batting responsibly. He again shifted the spotlight more on himself and the batters. “Definitely [chats have been had],” Gill said. “It’s been one of the things that we always talk about, especially with our batting depth… the lower order sometimes isn’t able to contribute as much as the other teams.Related

• No more Mr Nice Guy, as Woakes shows his inner steel

• Death by a thousand cuts – how Stokes waited and baited Jaiswal

• Stokes removes half-centurion Jaiswal just before tea

• Jaiswal passes fifty, but Carse jolts India before lunch

• Selection in the spotlight as India search for spark at Edgbaston

“Having said that, you can also look at the other side as well. I was batting on 147 and the way I got out, maybe I could have scored 50 more in partnership with Rishabh. If you get a good ball and you get out, that’s fine, but once you are set and you know that you don’t really have that much depth in your batting order, maybe the top order could take a little bit more responsibility and bat the opposition completely out of the game. So I think these are different perspectives to look at the game, but definitely your lower order when your last five or six don’t contribute as much, then it becomes easier for the opposition to come back in the game.”The batting depth is what India seem to be grappling with Jasprit Bumrah available for Edgbaston but likely to be rested to manage his workload, which demands he play only three of these five Tests. The surface is dry underneath and Birmingham has been dry and warm in the lead-up to the match, which gives India an option to go with a second spinner. Indications are that the said spinner could be Washington Sundar to retain batting depth.”When we were bowling, there were learnings like once the ball is getting old and it’s getting soft, there isn’t much happening,” Gill said. “So how do you contain? How do you control the run flow, especially with the way they bat? Maybe having an extra spinner might help contain that run flow, especially in the third or in the fourth innings.”Gill was asked if Bumrah’s absence might encourage them to play a wicket-taking spinner in Kuldeep Yadav. “We will take that [final] call this evening, and I don’t think it will change the combination as such,” Gill said, suggesting a direct swap between Bumrah and a fast bowler, and a spinner for Shardul Thakur, whom India played as a “bowling allrounder”.”We did play an extra bowler, I would say a proper bowling allrounder in the last match,” Gill said. “And now having to look back at it, I think nobody really expects that your last six is going to get out in under 40 runs. Even if they play bad, you expect them to maybe score 100 runs or 80 runs. And these are things that you can’t really plan or you can’t really expect, but you can reflect on those things. And we have some things in mind if we are in this kind of situation again, how we can get better at it.”

Alexi Lalas has blasted the USMNT's 'inferiority complex' after their humiliating Copa America exit.

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• USMNT eliminated in group stages
• Lost to Panama and Uruguay
• Lalas savages culture in country

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The USMNT lost to Uruguay and Panama in the group stages of the Copa America, having opened their campaign with a 2-0 win over Bolivia. Their humiliating exit led to the departure of Gregg Berhalter as coach, and Lalas has now taken aim at the culture in the country, insisting an "inferiority complex" is to blame for their recent struggles, as fans "degrade" their best players.

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  The USMNT are ranked 11th in the world by FIFA; by comparison, Panama are 43rd and Uruguay are 14th. Although they won the CONCACAF Nations League in March, their most recent tournament showing may see them tumble down the standings.

• WHAT LALAS SAID

  Lalas wrote on X: "Our American soccer insecurity and inferiority complex is nothing new. We've long degraded/devalued our own American soccer players, coaches, and culture out of some misguided belief that our relative late entry into the world's game somehow makes us unworthy. We need to stop."

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  WHAT NEXT?

  The USMNT must find a new manager before their next fixture on September 8, when they play Canada in a friendly. They have already been turned down by ex-Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp after making contact with the German.

Baroda have made the title round despite missing three stalwarts – the Pandya brothers and Deepak Hooda

Shashank Kishore30-Jan-2021

Big picture

After a lot of uncertainty, the 2020-21 Indian domestic season approaches its first major milestone – the successful completion of the T20 tournament for the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy without any hiccups, after having to organise bio-bubbles for 38 teams, of which two are standing: Tamil Nadu and Baroda.Tamil Nadu have rewritten their batting template for white-ball cricket. Abhinav Mukund, one of their most prolific red-ball players, doesn’t feature in a young squad. M Vijay opted out of this season, allowing them to give two young openers in C Hari Nishanth and N Jagadeesan – both proven performers at the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) – an uninterrupted run.B Aparajith plays the role S Badrinath did so successfully: stem damage if wickets fall in clutches and keep the innings together, while Dinesh Karthik, KB Arun Karthik and Shahrukh Khan play the big roles in the second half of the innings. They have shown continuity with the bowling too, keeping faith in M Mohammed, M Ashwin, R Sai Kishore and Sonu Yadav. They have been so efficient that it’s hard to imagine this is a team without several first-choice players: Washington Sundar, Vijay Shankar, R Ashwin, and T Natarajan.Related

• N Jagadeesan steps up at the top for Tamil Nadu

• No Ranji Trophy in 2020-21, but BCCI to hold domestic 50-over games for men, women, and U-19 boys

Baroda have been growing as a domestic force over the years, their rise mirroring that of the progress of the Pandya brothers and Deepak Hooda. But those men, the ones who make the team as good as it is, are not around.Much of their build-up was chaotic. Hardik wasn’t available to start with. Then, their designated vice-captain Hooda left the camp after a tiff with Krunal. Then Krunal himself had to leave the camp after two games following the death of the Pandyas’ father. But the team devoid of any star power has punched well above its weight under the leadership of Kedar Devdhar, the third-highest run-getter so far this season with 333 runs in seven innings.Whenever they have had their backs to the wall, they have found ways to wriggle out. In the quarter-final, for example, they nearly miscalculated a straightforward chase and found themselves needing 15 off the last three balls, despite being only two down. They found a saviour in Vishnu Solanki, who went 6, 4, 6 to seal victory. In the semi-final, Devdhar made a plucky 64 on a tricky surface with variable bounce to set up a target for the bowlers to defend. They need one last hurrah from someone to cap off a dream season.

Form guide

Tamil Nadu: WWWWW
Baroda: WWWWWVishnu Solanki and Abhimanyusingh Rajput celebrate after Baroda’s thrilling quarter-final win over Haryana•BCCI

In the spotlight

R Sai Kishore is making it a habit of delivering frugal spells for Tamil Nadu with his left-arm spin. While he isn’t classical, he does have an excellent arm ball, gets bounce owing to his height of well over six feet, and uses the crease and angles tactfully. He can bowl tight overs with the new ball, hold one end up in the middle and keep a lid on runs overall. Last season, he picked 12 wickets in six games at an economy rate of 3.86 – the best among bowlers who bowled at least ten overs. This year, his eight wickets in seven games have come at an economy of just 5.86. The Chennai Super Kings, who didn’t play him in IPL 2020, have retained him. Performances like these could become hard to ignore for the team management.Kartik Kakade only made his T20 debut for Baroda this season at 25. A late bloomer then, but he has a bit of Sunil Narine in his bowling, something that is sure to have been noted by the IPL talent scouts. He hides the ball while running in and then uses his fingers to flick them across to turn it both ways. In the semi-final, he also showed off his batting ability in striking a maiden T20I fifty in his first outing with the bat. With the ball, he has got five wickets in five innings at an economy of 6.70

Stats and trivia

• Tamil Nadu won the inaugural edition of the tournament in 2006-07, in the pre-IPL era, before coming closest last season, when they were beaten by Karnataka in a last-ball finish in Surat. Dinesh Karthik, the only man standing from that triumph a decade-and-a-half ago, has been captain in each of the three final appearances.
• Baroda, in contrast, know how to get here, even though they may be the rank underdogs going into the final. They are two-time winners – in 2011-12 and 2013-14 – apart from having finished runners-up to Uttar Pradesh in 2015-16.
• The battle to be the highest run-getter of the season could decide who wins. Jagadeesan tops the tally with 350 runs, but Devdhar isn’t far behind with 333. Both are openers too, and will fancy a good crack at the top.
• Left-arm seamer Lukman Meriwala’s 5 for 8 against Chhattisgarh has been the best performance with the ball among all those who could potentially feature in Sunday’s final. With 14 wickets overall, he has got the most wickets among those who should turn out on Sunday too. Overall, he is the fourth-highest wicket-taker this season. Three more wickets will help him pip Bihar’s Ashutosh Aman for the top spot.

Quotes

“Heartening to see an understated team play with their heart. Baroda have played like caged tigers. Players, coaching staff – this is your win, be in the moment.”
“We’re missing out on a lot of names, but the same time we have a good bunch of [young] players. Everyone is very hungry and wants to do well. We’re all aspiring to become Indian cricketers one day and that’s something that drives us. And Dinesh Karthik is someone with tonnes of experience and he has managed the team really well.”

Celtic took on FC Midtjylland on Thursday evening. One of these clubs is a former European champion; a UEFA Cup finalist as recently as 2003. You wouldn’t have thought it was the team in green and white.

Yes, the trip to Denmark saw the Hoops’ season reach yet another low following a dismal 3-1 defeat in the Europa League, with a late Reo Hatate consolation doing little to help lift the mood among Martin O’Neill’s side.

It was men against boys stuff at the MCH Arena, in truth, evoking memories of last season’s humiliation at the hands of Borussia Dortmund, with the home side scoring three times in an eight-minute first-half blitz.

From the highs of Sunday’s extra-time triumph over rivals Rangers, the Parkhead outfit were very much brought crashing back down to earth, with such a display only heightening the need to wrap up this ongoing managerial search sooner rather than later.

It was a night in which anything that could go wrong did go wrong, a fact epitomised by the sight of Hampden hero Callum Osmand being stretchered off late on, cruelly cutting short what had been a lively cameo from the teenage striker.

Until that abrupt withdrawal, Osmand had been perhaps the only positive for O’Neill and co, coming amid a string of otherwise dour performances – including from a certain Anthony Ralston.

Ralston's game in numbers vs Midtjylland

The unfortunate blow of losing the ex-Fulham forward has further emphasised just how depleted Celtic are right now, with the Scottish champions faced with a raft of key absentees to add to their growing woes.

Indeed, there remains no Cameron Carter-Vickers, nor Jota. No Kelechi Iheanacho or Alistair Johnston. On the evidence of Ralston’s Danish display, the return of the latter man can’t come soon enough.

That may appear a harsh assessment for a player who has been a solid servant since his surprise rise under Ange Postecoglou, although the right-back’s shortcomings were brutally exposed amid the first-half onslaught last night.

The Scotland international was notably at fault for the home side’s second of the night, having almost watched as the impressive Mikel Gorgoza skipped past him, before curling a delightful effort into the far corner.

On the receiving end of an undoubtedly debatable handball call at the weekend, Ralston’s luck doesn’t seem to be in right now, with his woes also evident as he lost the ball on nine occasions from his 55 touches, while boasting a limp 79% pass accuracy, as per Sofascore.

While the typically committed full-back did win four of his five tackles, there was little in the way of any attacking impetus, having failed to even provide a single key pass or cross on the night, nor attempt a single dribble.

Limited would be the word to describe the 26-year-old, unfortunately, with the Glasgow giants desperately in need of Johnston’s return before too long.

That’s not to say Ralston was the only villain in Denmark, however, with issues cropping up all across the park.

How Celtic were let down by experienced faces

Scrutiny over the club’s new faces or emerging talents, be it Benjamin Nygren or Johnny Kenny, is no doubt justified following the limp showing of the pair in midweek, although much of the criticism should be centred around O’Neill’s core of experienced figures.

Indeed, while having had little chance with any of the three goals, Kasper Schmeichel was again somewhat erratic when playing out from the back, with that also the word to use for summer returnee, Kieran Tierney, as the struggling star notably lost the ball on 14 occasions from his left-back berth.

Long-serving hero, James Forrest, meanwhile, was hooked at the break having repeatedly run into trouble when cutting in from the right flank, albeit with perhaps the biggest frustration having been the performance of skipper Callum McGregor at the base of the midfield.

So often the shining light for Celtic, as he was at Hampden just a matter of days ago, McGregor at his best is central to everything good about the team, pulling the strings in metronomic fashion from his deep-lying berth.

Unfortunately, this latest outing was far from the captain in his pomp, with much of the away side’s woes stemming from the Scotsman’s inability to dictate proceedings, having been no match for the physicality of the towering opposition.

Up against the likes of ex-Bournemouth star Philip Billing, McGregor simply couldn’t get a foothold in the game, failing to make a single tackle or win any of his five attempted duels, while being dribbled past twice.

In an attacking sense too, the 32-year-old was also found wanting, having failed to successfully complete a single dribble or cross, while losing the ball on ten occasions from just 41 touches.

For a man who has averaged 81.8 touches per game in the Premiership this season, as per Sofascore, such a drop off only serves to emphasise his struggles, with the typically reliable midfielder enduring a real off night in truth.

At a time of so much chaos and uncertainty surrounding the club, O’Neill – or his permanent successor – are in need of figures like McGregor to step up to the plate.

As Thursday’s outing showcased, however, he is currently the captain of something of a sinking ship.

Postecoglou 2.0: Surprise target emerges to now replace Rodgers at Celtic

Celtic’s search for a new manager continues, with a new Ange Postecoglou figure under consideration…

By
Robbie Walls

Nov 6, 2025