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It has been a slow start to the season for a number of the Pro League's foreign imports, but signs are that the biggest names are back to their best

It took three rounds of matches, but the Saudi Pro League's biggest stars finally began to make their mark on the 2023-24 season through Thursday and Friday, as Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema kickstarted their campaigns in style.

After back-to-back defeats to start the season, Ronaldo and Al-Nassr picked up their first points of the season with a dominant 5-0 win over Al-Fateh, with the five-time Ballon d'Or winner netting a hat-trick, while fellow big-name forward Sadio Mane struck twice.

Over at Al-Ittihad, meanwhile, Benzema put behind him an apparent row with manager Nuno Espirito Santo to score his first Pro League goal as the defending champions made it three wins from three with a 4-0 victory over Al-Riyadh.

Ittihad are joined at the top of the table by newly-promoted Al-Ahli, who needed a stoppage-time goal from Franck Kessie to sneak past Al-Akhdoud, while Al-Hilal got back to winning ways after a draw on matchday two as they beat Al-Raed 4-0.

With all that in mind, GOAL breaks down the winners & losers from the latest round of Saudi Pro League action…

• WINNER: Cristiano Ronaldo

  Not only was Ronaldo's hat-trick on Friday by far his best performance of the season so far following its disappointing beginning, it was arguably the best he has put in since moving to the Middle East in January.

  The Portugal superstar was back to his clinical best in front of goal, as gone was the complaining to referees of previous matches, while he also laid on the assist for Mane to open the scoring.

  That assist meant this was the first time that Ronaldo had both scored and assisted in the same game for Al-Nassr, and fans will be hopeful this is just the start of a hot streak for their leading man.

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  LOSER: Sergej Milinkovic-Savic

  Sergej Milinkovic-Savic's move to Al-Hilal was one of the most surprising arrivals into the Pro League of the summer, given the midfielder had just led Lazio back into the Champions League and has constantly been linked with top European clubs.

  Though Neymar has usurped the Serbia international as the biggest name in the squad, the Brazil forward's injury that will keep him out until mid-September means that Milinkovic-Savic is, for now, the player who many on the Al-Hilal team are looking to for a creative spark.

  That makes the red card he picked up against Al-Raed on Thursday particularly frustrating, as the 28-year-old lashed out at an opposing defender with headbutt that saw him rightfully dismissed.

  It's claimed that the referee's report described Milinkovic-Savic's actions as 'disgraceful behaviour', and he is set to be banned for two matches, meaning he will miss Monday's clash with Al-Ettifaq and, most notably, the 'Saudi Clasico' against defending champions Al-Ittihad on Friday, September 1.

  Al-Hilal have appealed their star man's suspension, but at this moment, they will go into the biggest game of the season so far without one of their key players thanks to a rush of blood to the head.

• WINNER: Karim Benzema

  Though Al-Ittihad had won their first two Pro League games of the season, that Benzema was yet to score was notable, particularly given his record against some of the best defences in Europe.

  Things started to make a bit more sense on Wednesday, however, when it was reported that manager Nuno wasn't particularly happy with having to select Benzema given his preferred system, while the striker himself was upset at not having been made captain upon his arrival from Real Madrid.

  By Thursday evening, though, everything had changed. Having been seen laughing with Nuno on the sidelines ahead of kick-off, Benzema emerged wearing the armband, while any concerns over his lack of goals was quickly allayed when he started and finished a flowing move early in the first half.

  Having got his goal, Benzema also looked to make amends with another man who has apparently taken issue with the Frenchman's arrival at the club: last season's top Pro-League scorer, Abderrazak Hamdallah.

  When Al-Ittihad were awarded a penalty midway through the first half, Benzema made sure to hand the ball to Hamdallah to take, and the Moroccan duly obliged to score the first of two goals on the night, taking his tally to four from the opening three games to again top the league's early scoring charts.

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  LOSER: Steven Gerrard

  Having won their opening two games of the season, including a surprise victory over Al-Nassr, Steven Gerrard's Al-Ettifaq were expected to make it three from three when they took on Al-Khaleej – regarded as one of the league's weakest teams – on Thursday.

  And despite their opponents only managing two shots on goal all game, Gerrard's side could only manage a 1-1 draw that ended their 100 percent start to the new season.

  Dropping points against lowly opposition never feels good, but with a game against presumed title-contenders Al-Hilal now coming up on Monday, that draw could yet be compounded if things don't go well for Gerrard and his players on matchday four.

The forward was electric as Sarina Wiegman's side broke the Matildas hearts to reach the tournament's final for the first time

England crushed the hopes of a nation on Wednesday as they beat co-hosts Australia to reach their first ever Women's World Cup final. Goals from Ella Toone, Lauren Hemp and Alessia Russo saw them emerge victorious at a packed and partisan Stadium Australia, despite Sam Kerr scoring an absolute stunner. The Lionesses will now face Spain on Sunday, with both teams bidding to become world champions for the first time.

After an even and entertaining first half, it was England that went in at the break with the lead after Toone thumped an effort past Mackenzie Arnold and into the top corner. Kerr's strike just past the hour was even more impressive, as she beat Mary Earps from 25 yards out to level things up, but the Lionesses' restored their lead just eight minutes later when Hemp capitalised on some poor defending. Russo then put the game beyond doubt late on, after two huge chances went begging for Kerr.

England will now take on Spain, another first-time finalist, on Sunday at the same venue for the chance to win the World Cup. Meanwhile, Australia will have to dust themselves off as they prepare to face Sweden in the third-place play-off.

GOAL rates England's players from Stadium Australia…

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  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Mary Earps (7/10):

  Didn't have too much to do but made a huge save to deny Vine late on.

  Jess Carter (7/10):

  Had some shaky moments when targeted by Australia's press but made an incredibly crucial intervention in the final minutes to stop Van Egmond scoring a tap in.

  Millie Bright (6/10):

  Was good on the ball and generally solid at the back, but should've pressed Kerr more for her goal.

  Alex Greenwood (7/10):

  Wonderful in possession, as always, and strong in defence.

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  Midfield

  Lucy Bronze (7/10):

  Had her work cut out for her defensively but stood firm. Put in a great block to deny Raso from a corner and linked up well going forward.

  Keira Walsh (6/10):

  Was able to have a little more influence on play in this game but not too much.

  Georgia Stanway (6/10):

  Had a huge chance early on but hit it straight at Arnold. Worked hard in midfield otherwise but wasn't as creative as usual.

  Ella Toone (7/10):

  Scored a wonderful goal to break the deadlock.

  Rachel Daly (7/10):

  Played some really nice passes in the final third and did her defensive work well, too.

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  Attack

  Alessia Russo (8/10):

  Took a wonderful touch before laying the ball off to Toone to score, and finished with confidence to kill the game off.

  Lauren Hemp (9/10):

  Was on her toes to capitalise on some hesitant Australia defending and score. Worked incredibly hard and did her best to stretch the defence on top of that, shown perfectly by her run and assist for Russo at the end.

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  Subs & Manager

  Chloe Kelly (N/A):

  Introduced for the final few minutes.

  Niamh Charles (N/A):

  Introduced for the final few minutes.

  Sarina Wiegman (8/10):

  Kept her faith in Toone in midfield despite some underwhelming performances and it paid off. Didn't have to make any substitutions to change the game, with the system and starting XI getting the job done.

A number of Manchester City fans are delighted with comments from defender Ruben Dias.

The Citizens completed the signing of the 24-year-old from Benfica last summer for the fee of £65m (BBC) and he has proven to be an outstanding capture for Pep Guardiola.

So far this season, he has made 47 appearances in all competitions for the club (Transfermarkt) and has been a rock at the heart of the back four. Such has been the level of his performances that he has even been tipped to be named the Premier League’s Player of the Season.

It seems that the £63m-valued centre-back (Transfermarkt) also doesn’t lack any confidence in himself, either. During a recent interview, he was asked for his view as to who is the best ever Portuguese defender. With little hesitation, he mentioned himself, even above the likes of the decorated Ricardo Carvalho.

Dias’ comments were shared on Twitter by @City_Chief and they attracted plenty of attention from the club’s supporters. These took to the social media platform to revel in the 24-year-old’s self-affirmation.

Let’s see what these fans had to say about the comments from Dias

“the arrogance”

Credit: @CaesarrKeene

“Elite”

Credit: @idc14D

“Love the mentality”

Credit: @fyehd2

“Guy’s got an arrogance to win. I love it…”

Credit: @padderr

“I love how he knows how good he is”

Credit: @ohzai17

“the ultimate hype man”

Credit: @radar2hz

In other news, numerous Man City fans slammed this man’s performance against Newcastle.

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, Steve Howey, who made 157 appearances for Newcastle United, has urged the Magpies to appoint an English manager if Steve Bruce leaves this summer.

Bruce was on talkSPORT earlier this week and he claimed that his future is for other people to decide and not himself, as speculation grows whether or not he will remain in the dugout at St James’ Park next season.

This comes after reports earlier in the year that Mike Ashley would be offering Bruce a new contract at the end of the season if he managed to keep Newcastle in the Premier League, which he has managed to do.

Speaking on why he would like Newcastle to appoint another English manager after Bruce and how there are a lot of good managers in this country, Howey exclusively told FFC:

“I think we’ve got some very good managers in this country but for some reason we always want to go foreign, and there are some very good foreign managers don’t get me wrong, but it puzzles me.

“For some reason clubs always want to go foreign first, and that’s their prerogative, but I would always look at home first.”

Bruce appeared to be in danger of losing his job after Newcastle’s 3-0 defeat away to Brighton earlier this season with even some players thinking he was about to be sacked, but he stayed in the hot-seat and has turned the club away from relegation.

A name that has been linked with taking over from Bruce if he was to depart this summer is Gennaro Gattuso, who has recently managed AC Milan and is currently in charge at Napoli.

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, Daniel Pinder, who is editor-in-chief at Get German Football News, has claimed that Emmanuel Dennis would offer a different way to attack if Leeds United signed the striker.

Dennis had previously been linked with a move to Leeds when he was at Club Brugge but since his loan move to FC Koln in January, the striker has played 10 games scoring just one goal in the DFB Pokal.

Leeds have relied on Patrick Bamford this season for goals and thankfully for Marcelo Bielsa, the striker has not missed a game this season through injury or suspension and his 14 goals have helped the Lilywhites to a solid debut Premier League campaign.

Speaking on what Dennis would bring to Leeds that Bamford doesn’t do and how he would fit into a Bielsa side, Pinder exclusively told FFC:

“He definitely offers something different to Bamford as he plays on the shoulder of defenders, and if the defence is playing a high line then he’ll happily make runs in behind them.

“Bielsa likes his strikers to press from the front and Dennis does this well and he’s shown some good finishes during his time with Club Brugge, so I think Leeds could be a decent fit for him.”

Bielsa has established a front three of Bamford, Raphinha and Jack Harrison at Leeds this season, a trio set to play Premier League football again next term.

It appears unlikely that FC Koln will make the 23-year old’s loan deal a permanent one considering he is yet to get off the mark in the Bundesliga.

Many Liverpool fans have been left to flock to an update from James Pearce on John Henry.

As per a tweet from The Athletic journalist, the American businessman and investor has apologised to Jurgen Klopp, Billy Hogan, the players and all of the staff involved with the Anfield faithful over his decision for the Reds to enter the proposed European Super League (ESL).

Pearce also shared a video of the full message and apology from Henry to the fans over the outrage that the news caused, as the Merseyside club have since pulled out of the ESL.

While an apology from Henry was welcome and much needed, the damage has already been done according to several LFC supporters, and that relationship may not be able to ever be built up again.

Liverpool fans on Henry apology

These Liverpool fans flocked to Pearce’s update on Twitter to voice their continued dismay at Henry for his willingness to enter their club in the ESL:

“Interesting that he refers to ‘your club’ not our club?!”

Credit: @MrJDeacon

“How many times can they get things so wrong? If someone learns from mistakes and improve as a result you can live with it but with these I’m just left thinking …..What next?”

Credit: @Simmo2411

“Crocodile tears”

Credit: @carllesliesport

“Better late than never”

Credit: @bunt711

“Mistake acknowledged, apologised now let’s move on”

Credit: @ShamiSi81462566

“Lies lies lies.”

Credit: @abz0902

In other news, find out what Klopp comments on his future have got Reds talking here!

Celtic may well be without a manager but that hasn’t stopped the transfer merry-go-round from rolling into Parkhead.

Roy Keane has been linked with the vacant manager’s job, but he is being rivalled by the likes of Lucien Favre and Thierry Henry.

On the chalkboard

One of the first things on the to-do list of any manager will be to improve the defence. Celtic’s backline has been shocking this season with individual errors plaguing their campaign.

They have shipped 14 more goals in the SPFL than Rangers and their issues in that position reared their ugly head again in the Old Firm derby.

This time there was a fresh culprit; Jonjoe Kenny. The Everton loanee was incredibly abject during that game and was the sole reason the score finished 1-1, rather than a Hoops win.

Kenny’s mind-boggling back pass led to the corner that Alfredo Morelos scored from, and the right-back didn’t particularly cover himself in much glory with his marking from that set-piece either.

The youngster has been inconsistent since being signed as Jeremie Frimpong’s replacement but fortunately, he’s only penned temporary terms in Scotland.

Keeping his departure in mind, the Bhoys will need some form of replacement.

The solution

Coincidentally, the answer to Celtic’s woes could also lie at Everton. Although Kenny is set to head back to Goodison Park, The Sun have suggested that Seamus Coleman could walk through the door and come to the Bhoys.

Discussing the potential signings that Keane may make if he becomes the new manager at Parkhead, they stated the defender could be tempted to reunite a partnership the pair developed in the Republic of Ireland set-up.

Coleman currently has a year left on his £70k-per-week deal at Everton so could move to Celtic on the cheap.

If they do sign him, not only will they be gaining an experienced international with 58 caps to his name, but they’ll be signing a leader and someone that’s perfect for their style of play.

Speaking about Coleman this season, Carlo Ancelotti waxed lyrical about his qualities, suggesting he was up there with some of the finest defensive captains we’ve ever seen: “I’ve had a lot of captains in my career but how Seamus expresses his love for the shirt is really top,” he began.

“He is a great captain, honestly. I don’t want to forget anyone [I have worked with] but he is up there as a captain with [Paolo] Maldini, John Terry and Sergio Ramos,” Ancelotti concluded.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/latest-celtic-manager-and-transfer-news-roy-keane-nicky-butt-jesse-marsch-scott-brown” title=”Latest Celtic manager and transfer news!”]

Appraisals don’t come much better than that but importantly he’d be an upgrade on Kenny.

Coleman is more vocal on the pitch and crucially, very rarely has a lapse in concentration, something that let Kenny down during his Old Firm induction.

The 32-year-old has won the same number of tackles per game this season (1.6) and has proven to be a prolific goal scorer and creator for someone in his position.

He helped to define the role of a modern-day full-back, registering 26 goals and 29 assists during his stay in Merseyside so far.

The Irishman has very often been involved in the goals, something Kenny is unfortunate enough not to bolster. He only has two senior strikes to his name at club level.

Coleman may be in the twilight of his career but judging by how this season has gone, they could do with some more leadership and experience.

AND in other news, Big twist emerges in Celtic manager hunt, Desmond is surely buzzing…

Ahmed Elmohamady is unlikely to be offered a new Aston Villa contract, with a Villa Park summer exit now looking likely.

The 33-year-old has started the last four Premier League fixtures due to Matty Cash’s hamstring injury, however, it seems as if his four-year stay in the Midlands will reach a conclusion at the end of the season.

According to the Birmingham Mail, Villa are unlikely to offer him a fresh deal, with his current contract set to expire in June.

Guilbert to return and replace Elmohamady

The report also adds that Frederic Guilbert, who was sent out on loan to Strasbourg in January, is set to return to challenge Cash during the 2021/22 campaign.

Guilbert, 26, has already scored and provided two assists in just 360 minutes of Ligue 1 action, with Strasbourg undefeated in league games the French right-back has started.

Transfer Tavern take

Although Elmohamady has been a terrific servant to the club, it feels as if the summer will be the correct time to part ways with the Egyptian.

Cash has made the right-back spot his own since joining from Nottingham Forest, and with Guilbert making an impact in his native country, the two could push each other on going forward with Guilbert serving as a natural replacement to the Egyptian.

Elmohamady reportedly picks up £25,000-a-week at Villa Park, so that wage could go towards a summer addition.

In other news: Collymore believes Grealish is ‘on a list’ of potential summer signings for one Premier League giant, find out more here. 

Sheffield Wednesday will begin a new era this evening as Darren Moore takes the helm for his first game in charge of the Owls, after Dejphon Chansiri brought him in as the club’s new manager.

The 46-year-old arrives from nearby League One promotion chasers Doncaster Rovers, where he had implemented a progressive attacking brand of football, something that will vastly different to his predecessor, Tony Pulis, at Hillsborough Stadium.

Indeed, he leaves behind the division’s third-highest goalscorers to take over at this sinking ship. There will surely be changes afoot, and as such, long-serving centre-back Tom Lees could be most in danger given the likely change in system.

On the Chalkboard

‘His teams are renowned for playing an attractive, entertaining style of play,’ wrote YorkshireLive reporter Dom Howson following Moore’s appointment on Monday morning.

As per WhoScored, we can see that his Rovers side set-up to play from the back with 73% of their possession coming from their own third, or the middle-third, of the pitch whilst 72% of their goals have been scored from open play, which reinforces that high-intensity build up.

They also manage 12.9 shots per game, compared to the Owls’ appalling 8.7 per outing, so clearly, they do something right in attack given the limited time they spend in the final third and off the ball.

This is where Wednesday’s centre-backs will prove crucial and certainly why the calamitous Lees could be at risk.

Aside from goalkeepers and those with fewer than ten starts, the former club captain ranks third-bottom for passing accuracy this season (66.2%) behind Liam Palmer (63.8%) and Callum Paterson (53.9%), via WhoScored.

The 30-year-old also averages 2.7 long balls per game, the most of any Owls defender, and that won’t be something that pleases Moore as only one of his former defenders matches this number, meaning he clearly would favour the easy ball to midfield rather than hoofing it up the pitch.

Lees, who is valued at £2.25m by Transfermarkt and reportedly earns a whopping £22k-per-week in Yorkshire, has come under fire from several sections of the Hillsborough faithful in recent months.

Reactions have ranged from the extreme – one dubbed him “brain dead” and another called him a “disgrace” – to the less-so with a further fan simply asking the club to get rid of him in the summer.

As outlined in the summer, Lees’ performances regressed last season, and evidently, not much has improved as he’s part of the starting XI that sees the Owls in the relegation zone, having leaked 38 goals this term.

The “true leader” is surely going to face a tough time of remaining in the line-up under Moore if he continues to be abysmal with the ball at his feet.

AND in other news, Sheffield Wednesday: Izzy Brown a big winner from Darren Moore appointment

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, former Premier League midfielder Carlton Palmer stated that he could imagine seeing either Thierry Henry or Roberto Martinez at Celtic.

After falling well off the pace in the title race this season, former manager Neil Lennon opted to resign from his post, making way for John Kennedy to step in on an interim basis.

As far as permanent appointments go, though, Palmer believes Henry or Martinez could be the way to go for the Glasgow club. Henry, who has managed at AS Monaco and coached in the Belgium national team set-up, recently stepped down as CF Montreal manager. Martinez, meanwhile, remains the head coach of Belgium, previously working alongside the Arsenal legend.

When asked if he could see the two as contenders for the job at Celtic Park, Palmer exclusively told FFC:

“Absolutely, absolutely. I mean, I’ve heard Thierry’s name mentioned, I’ve heard Roberto Martinez’s name mentioned. I mean, all the agents will be linking all their clients to the job because it’s a big, big job. But, you know, we will have to wait and see what their criteria is of the guy they want to bring in.”

One name, however, that Palmer cannot see heading to Celtic Park is Brendan Rodgers, who, of course, recently managed the club before heading to Leicester City.

“I don’t see Brendan Rodgers going back there because I don’t think you go back to something that you’ve left, especially when he’s doing so well at Leicester,” the ex-England international later added.

Whoever does end up as Celtic manager, undoubtedly, will have a lot of work to do next season. The Bhoys have fallen miles behind rivals Rangers in the SPFL while much improvement is also needed in Europe.

After being knocked out of the Champions League qualifying phase, Celtic endured a very disappointing Europa League campaign, finishing bottom in Group H.