標籤: lack

nottingham forest Still waiting to see a real return on their investment in Jair Cunha, the young defender has yet to establish himself since arriving from Brazil.

20 year old Signed after a strong run in Brazilwhere he quickly became a starter and showed promise as a right-sided centre-back.

At the time, Nottingham Forest were adding depth and future options to their defence. However, his first months in England have been more about adaptation than impact.

He has struggled to break into the rotation and has often been left out of match day squads.

Limited nottingham one minute but solid production

Jair Cunha’s statistics help explain why clubs continue to keep an eye on him. He has played eight matches this season, spending 447 minutes on the field. It’s limited performance, but his defensive output stands out.

He has recorded 28 clearances, nine tackles and six interceptions. More importantly, he hasn’t missed a beat in those performances. For a young defender adjusting to the demands of the Premier League, these figures suggest control and good positioning.

That profile explains why interest in the Brazilian remains active even without regular minutes at Nottingham Forest.

A new Brazilian side enters the picture

after approach from before Flemish And even a possible return to his former club botafogo Failing to make progress, a new contender has emerged.

According to local insider cruise 365Cruzeiro has identified Jair Cunha as a strong option. Their scouting department rates the Nottingham Forest player highly and have already presented his name to manager Artur George and his staff.

At this stage, there is no formal proposal. However, the move follows a clear pattern. The Brazilian club see an opportunity in a young player who is not getting enough time in England but still has strong potential.

Details and next steps

Jair Cunha’s stance has been consistent. He wants to stay in England and make his home in Nottingham Forest. Despite Brazil’s growing interest, this remains their priority.

Nevertheless, if the situation does not change then Forest may have to take a decision. A loan can provide regular minutes and help his development. Cruzeiro now joins the list of clubs ready to make a move when the door opens.

Furthermore, Cruzeiro is no stranger to Premier League clubs, as he signed a deal to loan Luis Sinister from Bournemouth last summer – Even if it didn’t work out perfectly.

But as of now, nothing has moved forward. But the story continues to develop, and Nottingham Forest will need to decide how long they can make him wait for opportunities.

There were some ups and downs in Cesare Casadei’s life. chelsea He has now been criticized for his behavior towards Italians.

The midfielder joined the Blues in 2022 and had successive loan spells at Leicester City and Reading.

Despite playing under Enzo Maresca at Leicester, he did not fare well under the Italian for the Blues.

This led to his departure from Chelsea in January 2025, as he joined Torino on a permanent deal. Things have been better for him in Serie A and he has scored four goals this season.

sports witness Casadei could be in line to return to England, with interest from West Ham and Everton.

However, there is still an Italian perception that he moved to England – and especially Chelsea – too early.

D’Aversa targets Chelsea

Torino manager Roberto D’Aversa spoke to Sky Italia about the midfielder, who played against Pisa on Sunday.

The Italian pointed out that Casadei is still inconsistent and his Chelsea spell is one reason.

He said- Via fcinter1908: : “Cesare Casadei is a strong midfielder, he can get all the headers, but he is also someone who knows how to play football.

“He needs to find continuity first of all. He paid for an important move, to Chelsea, where he did not play, and he missed playing in a team where you can grow.”

D’Aversa used this argument to say that Italian football should be able to retain youth. Failure to do so hinders their development.

“Until the culture changes, coaches who develop young players won’t be highlighted, but coaches who win will be questioned if they don’t. Young players need time.

“They should be allowed to grow and make mistakes.

“I was lucky enough to train Kulusevski, who was coming out of Atalanta Primavera, and I was lucky enough to train Bastoni.

“They are young but they are strong. But if we don’t change the culture in Italy, it is difficult to muster the courage to let young players play.”

Chelsea isn’t the only problem

It’s fair to say that the Blues probably never had any concrete plans for Casadei.

was signed for €15m but never burst onto the scene despite impressing at the U20s World Cup in 2023.

At the same time, Italian football has its own problems. That’s why Casadei saw Stamford Bridge as a good idea for his development.

Serie A clubs generally do not have a reliable youth setup. Due to the financial situation of the game in Italy, they are more than happy to sell those players for capital gains.

That’s what Inter Milan did to Casadei, hindering his development.

That’s why D’Aversa is probably right in his judgment that the problem in this case goes beyond Chelsea.

Nathan Ake has won trophy after trophy at Manchester City, but this season he has been put to a test he did not expect.

This is something he is willing to accept An interview with De Telegraaf this week. The 31-year-old revealed he has spoken to Pep Guardiola about his situation at the Etihad.

Reduced role at Manchester City

Nathan Ake has started only six of Manchester City’s 40 games in the Premier League and Champions League this season.

Instead he featured more regularly in the League Cup, even playing the full 90 minutes in a 2–0 win over Arsenal at Wembley in March. it was 15^th Major trophy of his career, yet his club role has diminished compared to previous seasons.

Ake is not hiding from this fact. He has already indicated that he will leave in the summer. And he admits that it is difficult to deal with, especially on a mental level.

“Honestly, it’s hard to deal with sometimes,” He said.

“Also, because I was in the starting lineup more in recent years than this season. I have also talked to the manager (Pep Guardiola) about this. He also indicated that things are a little different this year.

“Mentally, it demands a little more sometimes. You always have to be prepared when you have to play suddenly, like last weekend. Then people also expect you to be at your best.”

Ronald Koeman remains confident

While his minutes have decreased at Manchester City, his place in the Netherlands team has not. Ronald Koeman sees him as a reliable pillar for the World Cup.

After sitting on the bench in a 2–1 win over Norway, he was seen playing 77 minutes in a 1–1 draw with Ecuador. He is grateful for the support of his national team.

“I’m very grateful for it in any case,” He added.

“We have a good relationship (him and Koeman). We have known each other for how many years now? Quite a long time. I always try to repay the trust I receive by being ready.

“We still have a few months at the club. I think the coach knows me quite well, and I know the coach quite well too. I’ll just keep going, and we’ll see what happens.”

captain’s armband

Another League Cup win wasn’t Nathan Ake’s only success in the last few weeks. He was allowed to wear the captain’s armband for the Netherlands for more than 20 minutes in the second half.

This is something he has been trying to fight against Virgil van Dijk for some time.

“It was a great moment. It had never happened before. I often asked Virgil (who is the first captain), ‘Just give me five minutes,’ but the guy wants to play everything,” the Hague native said with a laugh.

Nathan Ake will have one year left on his Manchester City contract in the summer. Given his earlier words and his frustration within minutes, it’s highly unlikely he’ll be able to get that deal done.

🇧🇷Bruninho Hugo Viana leads race for €50m-rated wonderkid

➡️ Manchester City is tracking the 17 year oldhttps://t.co/atQ6hKmTRV #mcfc

– Sports Witness (@Sport_Witness) 31 March 2026

Birmingham City’s Christoph Klerer says not receiving a call from Austria is not a big shock for him.

The 25-year-old player has represented Austria at various youth levels from U15 to U21 at the start of his career.

However, the Birmingham City captain has yet to receive a call-up to the senior team and Austria manager Ralf Rangnick has not considered him again for this international break.

The centre-back joined the championship team from Darmstadt 98 in July 2024. The move allowed him to return to England, where he spent four years at Southampton between 2016 and 2020.

He made 39 appearances for Chris Davis’ side this season and this included 36 starts in the Championship. The Austrian’s statistics per game in the league are as follows.

• Interception: 1.3
• Tackle: 1.0
• Clearance: 7.2
• Duel won: 7.2
• Ball recovered: 3.9
• Dribbled past: 0.3
• Blocked Shots: 0.5

Despite his overall impressive form for the Blues, he has yet to fully convince Rangnick.

No contact from Birmingham City Star

Sky Interviewed Christoph Klerer to hear his thoughts on not getting a call up to the national team in Austria.

“I’m not disappointed. I’m trying to make the best of it. I give my all for Birmingham City. It’s quite a challenging job.” He said.

When asked if he would be happy if Rangnick added him to his team, Klerer explained: “If it ever happens, of course I’ll be very happy.”

“If it doesn’t happen, it doesn’t matter. For me, it’s not a big shock. I do what I can control. The coach decides what happens in the end.”

On the possibility of making it to the World Cup this summer, he said: “I haven’t ruled out anything. But of course, I’m realistic as well. There are other players in that position who perform well and play in good leagues. I’m just trying to impress as best I can.”

The Blues defender clarified that no contact has been made with the Austrian Football Association regarding the lack of recognition.

“I enjoyed playing for Austria very much, I am very proud to be an Austrian. But there has been no contact with the Austrian Football Association (OFB) regarding the national team.” The player said.

Austria fixtures and squads for the March international break

The national team has already qualified for the World Cup and has two friendly matches this month.

• vs Ghana on 27 March
• vs South Korea on 31 March

Ralf Rangnick’s full squad for these matches:

Goalkeepers: Patrick Pentz, Alexander Schlager, Tobias Laul, Florian Wigele

Defenders: David Alaba, Kevin Denzo, Philipp Lienhart, Stefan Posch, Maximilian Wobber, Marco Friedel, Michael Svoboda, David Effengruber

Midfielders: Konrad Leimer, Marcel Sabitzer, Nikolaus Seewald, Romano Schmidt, Florian Grilitz, Alexander Prais, Alessandro Schöpf, Xaver Schlager, Christoph Baumgartner, Paul Wanner

Forwards: Marko Arnautovic, Michael Gregoritsch, Sasa Kalajdzic, Patrick Wimmer, Philippe Mwene, Carney Chukwuemeka

🇩🇪Marvin Daksh | The Birmingham City player is attracting interest from Real Sociedad, AEK Athens and MLShttps://t.co/y4J8qJ8fJY #bcfc

– Sports Witness (@Sport_Witness) 16 March 2026

Auston Matthews’ condition is in the hands of doctors. Radko Gudas’ status is in the hands of the NHL’s Player Safety Department after a nasty knee strike on the Toronto Maple Leafs captain. But what’s not in the air is the reaction – or rather, the complete lack of it – that Matthews’ teammates had to seeing their best player lying on the ice in pain.

On a night when we saw Connor McDavid drop the gloves after seeing a questionable throw on his teammate, none of the Leafs on the ice at the time of their captain’s brutal Gudas take-down did anything. And the reaction from the hockey world is one of disbelief.

It was shocking to see…it was impossible not to pay attention. There were players on the ice who saw the hit and did nothing about it. It certainly seems that this year has broken the morale of that hockey team. ——Elliot Friedman, 32 thoughts

Disappointing for the group. This will be disappointing for many players. ‘What if it were me?… Who would step up for me?’ ——Former NHLer Cameron Guence, TSN analyst

You see your captain getting demolished on home ground by one of the most notorious players in Radko Gudas, and you do nothing… It says a lot about that team in that moment. There is no greater indictment than his behavior in not defending his captain on the ice. This said a lot about the sad state of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Lack of care, lack of competition… ——Frank Seravalli, Frankly Hockey

Whether it’s pee-wee hockey or, in this case, the best players on the planet, the undercurrent of accountability and doing what’s right is always present. It is part of your DNA. it is comfortable. And I think that was the most disturbing thing about it. Whether you witnessed the incident or not… you can see your captain clutching his knees and writhing in pain. That, in itself, should have been an immediate reaction. And not just from one guy, but from all four guys on the ice. ——Darren Dreger, TSN First Up

A quick look at the QEW highway will give Leafs players an idea of ​​how it’s done. Just a few days ago the first place Buffalo Sabers showed what a real ‘team’ does when they see their captain go down by a terrible blow.

Sheffield United are currently 13th in the Championship, but still have a chance of reaching the playoffs. Having finished third last season they would have expected better.

Missing out on promotion was a major blow to the Yorkshire club, especially in the manner in which it happened. The contrast in the latter’s fortunes with Sunderland, who sit 11th in the Premier League, is stark.

That 2025 effort will be led in part by players identified by Steven VanHaaren, who worked in transfers for Sheffield United until 2023. That was as part of the United World Group.

He is currently the sporting director at Hungarian club György ETO FC and is leading a project to keep them at the top of the table.

Sheffield United’s goal wasn’t high enough

Vanharen was at Sheffield United when they were last promoted to the Premier League. He then left the club, stating that he did so because he saw no way forward.

Speaking to a Belgian newspaper antwerp gazetteOld people got: “Promotion to the Premier League with Sheffield was a highlight. In 2023, I resigned because I didn’t feel supported enough and didn’t see any upward trend. Yes, it was quite a journey. I’ve done all sorts of things in football, which means I can now speak to many members of the coaching staff at a high level.”

As part of the interview, the director repeatedly made it clear that money is not everything, and a strong plan is more important.

On his general view, Vanharen described choosing a manager as an important aspect.

“Success doesn’t always cost money.” He said. “It’s a matter of approach, structures, people’s qualities and developing and using them adequately. First of all, you ask yourself: ‘What kind of football do I want to see my team playing?’ So that a club has an identity, a recognizable style of football. Then you think about how you want to develop it. Which method do you apply?

“The most important transfer in this regard is your head coach, who must develop players within the club’s philosophy. The next step is to determine what player profile you need. Then you ask yourself how you want to develop the scouting around him and link that to data. Of course, it is more complex than it seems. But many clubs do not work according to those four simple steps.”

Something about that process clearly didn’t make him happy at Sheffield United.

Phoenix Suns owner Matt Ishbia added his voice to the conversation about tanking in the NBA. Ishbia issued a bold statement against the practice on his X account, citing an article by Yahoo Sports writer Tom Haberstroh.

He described the tanking tactics as “ridiculous” and said, “It’s a loser’s behavior by losers.”

“This is ridiculous! Tanking is losing behavior done by losers. Intentionally losing is something no one should be associated with. Shameful for leagues and organizations. And talking about it as a ‘strategy’ is ridiculous. If you’re a bad team, you get a good pick. It’s understandable. But intentionally tanking players and losing games on purpose is a disgrace and affects the integrity of the entire league.”

He also says it is worse than the prop betting scam, equating it to a strategically thrown game.

“This is far worse than any prop betting scandal. It’s throwing games strategically. Terrible for the fans who pay to watch and cheer on their team. And terrible for all the real teams that are competing for playoff spots.”

Ishbia’s comments are noteworthy, as he joins a growing group of NBA executives, media members and fans who believe something should be done about the practice. Ishbia’s comments, in particular, ring true, as his team is going through a renaissance after missing the playoffs last year. When Ishbia took over the Suns following the firing of Robert Sarver, he orchestrated the trade of Kevin Durant from the Brooklyn Nets to the Phoenix Suns. They then pushed for a trade that sent Chris Paul to the Wizards in exchange for Bradley Beal.

In both the Beal and Durant trades, the Suns gave up several first-round picks. Now winning is a double whammy. And even as the team’s ability to put together a Big Three with Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal faltered, Ishbia and the Suns remained focused.

Rather than looking for first-round capital to strengthen and rebuild the team, the Suns built around margin, acquiring Dillon Brooks and Jalen Green from the Rockets in exchange for Kevin Durant, as well as gaining more size in the front court by trading for Mark Williams.

The Suns are now 32-23 and in seventh place in the Western Conference; They are just two games behind the Timberwolves for sixth place and three games behind the third-seeded Nuggets. Perhaps Ishbia sees the Suns’ quick roster retooling as the benchmark for rebuilding a team.

The Suns head to San Antonio to face Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs tonight at 8:30 PM Eastern.

Just when Donyal Malen was enjoying life at Roma after leaving Aston Villa, Antonio Cassano arrives to throw cold water on the fire.

Forza Roma covered the comments from the Italian mouthpiece today. While everyone is celebrating Malene, predictably, she has a very different take on the situation.

For those who don’t know, Malen is shining at Roma at the moment. The 27-year-old joined them on loan from Aston Villa in mid-January. That loan includes an obligation for the summer transfer window.

Roma would be delighted if this happens, as he has been performing brilliantly in Serie A. To date, he has scored five goals in five matches for Gian Piero Gasperini’s side, including two doubles in his last two matches.

rapid improvement

He has improved rapidly in his short tenure at Aston Villa, where he scored 10 goals and two assists in 46 games after joining for €25m in January last year.

The reaction in Italy has been nothing but positive. Sport Witness has covered this reaction extensively Comparison with Gianluca Vialli As for the comments of the striker himself.

Malen took a bit of a dig at Aston Villa by labeling Roma an “ambitious club”.

aston villa one level up

However, like rain on a picnic, Cassano wants to put a damper on things. According to him, Malen is flourishing only because Serie A is not as good as the Premier League.

He said, “Malen is an excellent player, but Serie A is five steps below the Premier League.”

“People who come to Italy from England make the difference. He was also a bench player at Borussia Dortmund.

Gasperini really likes him, and he’s found the right player; Roma did well to sign him. Malen is perfect for this type of football. Emery is one of the best coaches in the world, in England perhaps he was not at his level.”