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Real Madrid's heated clash against Getafe sparked complaints from La Liga regarding alleged racist chants as well as an insult from Jude Bellingham.

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Madrid played out heated game in GetafeHome fans allegedly abused Vinicius JrBellingham said to have insulted GreenwoodWHAT HAPPENED?

The clash was overshadowed by claims that Bellingham called Getafe player Mason Greenwood a "rapist", which is being investigated. La Liga is also looking into claims that Getafe fans made racist chants calling Madrid star Vinicius Junior a monkey, the league wrote in a complaint submitted to the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF). Footage posted on social media in the wake of the match allegedly shows fans racially abusing the Brazilian winger.

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Bellingham's reported insult to Greenwood is also being looked at and La Liga are even said to have brought in a lip reader to clarify what was said.

"It must also be reported that after the end of the match, messages were detected through social media regarding a possible incident in which visiting player Jude Bellingham allegedly insulted local player Mason Greenwood in English after a game action," La Liga's report said.

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Madrid midfielder Dani Ceballos was also said to be the victim of chants from Getafe fans. La Liga noted that Getafe reacted to the incidents by issuing a clear statement denouncing racism through the stadium's public address system.

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It is not yet known if Getafe or Bellingham will face sanctions for the racist chants from fans or the alleged slur directed at Greenwood. In the meantime, La Liga leaders Madrid will come up against nearest challengers Girona on Saturday, while Getafe will take on Celta on Sunday.

Australia captain Steven Smith will not play the fourth Test against South Africa in Johannesburg, after the ICC gave him the maximum penalty for tampering with the ball

Daniel Brettig in Cape Town25-Mar-2018Australia captain Steven Smith will not play the fourth Test against South Africa in Johannesburg, after the ICC gave him the maximum penalty for tampering with the ball on the third day of the Newlands Test. Fielder Cameron Bancroft, the player to actually tamper with the ball, was given three demerit points and fined 75% of his match fee after accepting the Level 2 charge.Earlier on Sunday, Smith was stood down as captain by Cricket Australia for the rest of the ongoing Cape Town Test, while David Warner was removed as vice-captain. Both players took the field under the temporary leadership of wicketkeeper Tim Paine.ICC chief executive David Richardson laid the charge against Smith under Article 2.2.1 of the ICC Code of Conduct which prohibits to ‘all types of conduct of a serious nature that is contrary to the spirit of the game’. Smith accepted the charge and the sanction of two suspension points, which equates to a ban for the next Test match, and the 100% fine of his match fee. He will have four demerit points added to his record.”The decision made by the leadership group of the Australian team to act in this way is clearly contrary to the spirit of the game, risks causing significant damage to the integrity of the match, the players and the sport itself and is therefore ‘serious’ in nature. As captain, Steve Smith must take full responsibility for the actions of his players and it is appropriate that he be suspended,” ICC CEO David Richardson said.”The game needs to have a hard look at itself. In recent weeks we have seen incidents of ugly sledging, send-offs, dissent against umpires’ decisions, a walk-off, ball tampering and some ordinary off-field behaviour. The ICC needs to do more to prevent poor behaviour and better police the spirit of the game, defining more clearly what is expected of players and enforcing the regulations in a consistent fashion. In addition and most importantly Member countries need to show more accountability for their teams’ conduct. Winning is important but not at the expense of the spirit of the game which is intrinsic and precious to the sport of cricket. We have to raise the bar across all areas.”The ICC confirmed that the umpires had been made aware of the possibility of ball tampering by television replays on the big screen at Newlands. The on-field umpires Richard Illingworth and Nigel Llong then spoke to Bancroft and Smith, before they the third umpire Ian Gould and fourth umpire Allahudien Palekar, laid the ball-tampering charges. They did not replace the ball nor award South Africa five penalty runs because they did not believe the ball’s condition had been changed.The match referee Andy Pycroft said he hoped Bancroft would learn from the episode. “To carry a foreign object on to the field of play with the intention of changing the condition of the ball to gain an unfair advantage over your opponent is against not only the Laws, but the Spirit of the game as well,” he said.”That said, I acknowledge that Cameron has accepted responsibility for his actions by pleading guilty to the charge and apologising publicly. As a young player starting out in international cricket, I hope the lessons learned from this episode will strongly influence the way he plays the game during the rest of his career.”

How England’s tendency to bowl short on the fourth day nearly cost them the match

On the Ball with S Rajesh and Arun Gopalakrishnan07-Aug-2005Throughout the first three days of the Edgbaston Test, Steve Harmison and Andrew Flintoff bowled with impeccable control on a slow pitch: they realised the futility of bowling short, and instead kept the ball up to the bat. With victory only sniffing distance away, though, they lost the plot completely, reverting to short-pitched bowling. It looked good on television, and occasionally caused the batsmen – particularly Brett Lee – physical discomfort, but it did little for England’s cause. As the graphic shows, the short ball is a great option when used as a surprise weapon, but when overdone, it becomes an excellent run-scoring opportunity for the batsmen – even Australia’s tailenders managed to get those 28 deliveries away for 30 runs, whereas on the third day their top order only eked out five from 15.Meanwhile, England’s win at Edgbaston means that the venue continues to be a lucky one for them – they’ve won 21 Tests and lost just seven here, while Australia’s win-loss record has gone down to 3-5.

An unbeaten 157 from opener Luis Reece – and an opening stand of 219 – was part of another dominant day against Middlesex

ECB Reporters Network22-Apr-2018
ScorecardDerbyshire are poised to end their long wait for a home Championship victory after they outplayed Middlesex for the third day running in the Division Two match at Derby.Luis Reece scored an unbeaten 157 and Ben Slater fell one short of a century before Derbyshire declared on 333 for 3, setting Middlesex a highly improbable target of 442 in a minimum of 129 overs.Their chances were even slimmer after Sam Robson, Rob White and Hilton Cartwright were dismissed leaving Middlesex on 86 for 3 at the close and Derbyshire scenting a first home win since they beat Leicestershire at Derby in September 2014.Derbyshire started the day in a strong position with a lead of 226 and they increased that by 53 in 17 overs before rain resulted in an early lunch.Middlesex were without injured pace bowlers Toby Roland-Jones and James Harris and although they did well to restrict Derbyshire’s run rate, it was always a question of when the home side pulled out.Reece and Slater passed Derbyshire’s previous highest opening stand against Middlesex of 181 and then eclipsed the best ever partnership against the county of 209 set in 1932.Both looked certain to reach three figures but after Reece completed his third Championship hundred for Derbyshire from 268 balls, Slater became becalmed on 99 and cut a long hop from Ollie Rayner to cover.Reece drove Rayner for six as he and Wayne Madsen added 101 before Paul Stirling had Madsen caught at short fine leg and Alex Hughes stumped before the declaration came leaving Middlesex to equal the highest winning fourth innings total against Derbyshire.But their first target was to get through 29 overs against an attack that bowled them out for 157 in the first innings and although conditions were good for batting, Middlesex’s chances suffered a big setback when Hardus Viljoen removed Robson.The Middlesex captain played across a full length ball and was lbw for 5 and there was another breakthrough when Duanne Olivier replaced Viljoen at the City End. White shuffled across and was only half forward when he was struck in front and Olivier was celebrating again when he switched ends.Hilton Cartwright pulled a short ball to the midwicket boundary but the next left him and took the outside edge to take Derbyshire a step closer to that elusive victory.

Gregg Berhalter has explained why the USMNT are “not panicking” when it comes to Gio Reyna and his bench duty at Nottingham Forest.

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Left Dortmund in winter transfer windowTaken on new challenge in the Premier LeagueBusy year ahead for the United StatesWHAT HAPPENED?

The 21-year-old playmaker is still considered to be one of the hottest prospects in world football, with injuries having prevented him from unlocking full potential. A move to England in the winter transfer window was supposed to provide him with an opportunity to catch the eye in the Premier League.

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Reyna has been restricted to just 29 minutes of game time since leaving Borussia Dortmund on a short-term loan, leading to questions being asked of whether he will be ready for a busy 2024 with his country that includes the CONCACAF Nations League finals, Copa America and Olympic Games in Paris.

WHAT BERHALTER SAID ABOUT REYNA

United States head coach Berhalter is not overly concerned by Reyna’s lack of game time at Forest, telling : “I think it’s important to realise that Gio is still a young player, still finding himself, still finding who he is as a player. Every player on our team has gone through times when they are not thriving or it’s not going the best way for them. For Gio, it’s no different. We’re not panicking. We know he has a ton of talent. We know that he can be a game-changer and we’re looking forward to the day when he’s in the team each and every week and really starting to thrive and grow. We know how much quality he has and what a good player he is.”

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There has never been any doubting Reyna’s natural ability, but Berhalter is eager to point out that players of his ilk require more than that in order to reach the very top. He added: “With a growth mindset, people change and people can improve. I don’t think it’s just about talent. You need the whole package if you want to be at a top, top level. There is a big difference between being at a good level and the absolute top. At the absolute top, you need the whole package – I’m talking about a handful of clubs across the globe, top five leagues, Champions League teams, that’s a really high level. You need everything. Soccer is so competitive, they are playing all over the world, so talent isn’t going to separate you from everybody else.”

Liverpool were interested in making a fifth midfield addition over the summer, but a reliable journalist has revealed that a deal wasn’t as advanced as has recently been reported.

What's the latest transfer news at Liverpool?

According to reports, FSG and Jurgen Klopp maintain a strong interest in Newcastle United’s Bruno Guimaraes despite him being about to sign a new long-term contract in the northeast, whilst club correspondent Neil Jones has confirmed that West Ham’s Jarrod Bowen is a player that chiefs have admired for quite some time.

The Merseyside outfit have additionally set their sights on Juventus’ Federico Chiesa should Mohamed Salah leave for Saudi Arabia next year, and they have also learned that it will take a huge offer to secure the services of Brentford’s Aaron Hickey should they want to prise him away from the Community Stadium.

At Anfield, another player of interest was Fiorentina’s Sofyan Amrabat who, before the transfer deadline, ended up joining Premier League rivals Manchester United on a season-long loan with an option to buy at the end of it, but an interesting claim emerged that he could have instead been on his way to L4.

The Daily Mail’s Confidential previously reported that the Moroccan defensive midfielder was just hours away from joining the Reds, but the deal supposedly ended up collapsing following talks being put on hold in a period that saw the board have a change of heart.

Did Liverpool almost sign Sofyan Amrabat?

In his Daily Briefing for CaughtOffside, however, Fabrizio Romano confirmed that Liverpool did initiate contact to ask about a swoop for Amrabat, but shut down rumours that it was ever close to completion. He said:

“Speaking of Amrabat, I’ve been asked about some reports of Liverpool coming very close to signing the Moroccan midfielder this summer. From what I know, there was just a call from Liverpool in the summer right after the Moises Caicedo story to ask for conditions of Amrabat deal and then nothing else.

“It was not even a negotiation, just a request and then they moved on [to] different targets. I think there’s no need to compare as in that position they preferred Wataru Endo, so their choice was clear.”

Is Sofyan Amrabat good?

During Man United’s 3-0 Carabao Cup victory over Crystal Palace on Tuesday, Amrabat made his full debut and was the star of the show, recording an outstanding 96.3% pass success rate, highlighting his excellent calmness and composure on the ball.

Sponsored by Nike, the 27-year-old also managed two tackles during the game so he loves to throw himself into challenges and win back possession for his team, with these qualities having previously seen him dubbed a “monster” by journalist Carlo Garganese.

Furthermore, Ten Hag’s £65k-per-week earner, who has secured four senior trophies throughout his career, is a versatile operator having been deployed in eight different positions since bursting onto the scene, including everywhere across the midfield and the defensive backline, so it's hard to deny he could have been a great addition for the Reds.

Andy Cannon gave Wrexham the lead in their fourth round FA Cup tie against Blackburn Rovers with a stunning strike.

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Cannon took aim from edge of box and scoredLeague Two side eyeing huge cup upsetTook early lead against Championship opponentsWHAT HAPPENED?

Wrexham needed just 18 minutes to take the lead in the FA Cup fourth round tie against Championship opponents Blackburn. The midfielder ran onto a Sam Dalby pass, took a touch, and rifled the ball into the bottom corner from just inside the box, to give the League Two side a shock lead.

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The winner of Wrexham's clash with Blackburn will take on Newcastle in a money-spinning fifth round tie. Of course, one may not view Phil Parkinson's side as complete underdogs given the investment of Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney but a win over Rovers would mark a major step forward in their journey.

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Once their FA Cup duties are finished, Wrexham will return to league action this weekend against Salford. They are currently second in the table.

Football is unquestionably the world's game, and with the 2026 World Cup on the horizon even the US is starting to succumb to the beautiful game. Nowhere is that more clear than with Major League Soccer seeming to go from strength to strength with every passing season.

With that in mind, we here at Football FanCast have decided to rank all of the stadiums in MLS' Western Conference.

14 Toyota Stadium – FC Dallas

Kicking off the list is the first of the three Texan stadiums in the Western Conference, FC Dallas' Toyota Stadium.

The main problem with this stadium is that, for some inexplicable reason, the designers opted not to put any overhangs or cover above the seats, so when games are played during the Texan summer, fans essentially evacuate the sunny side of the stadium to get away from the blinding heat.

The ground was at least designed specifically for football, but that and good sight lines are about the only things it has going for it. Although, with just the 20th-highest average attendance in the league, we don't think that's enough to bring in more fans.

13 Shell Energy Stadium – Houston Dynamo

Following close behind their Texan rivals, Houston Dynamo's Shell Energy Stadium ranks as the second-worst stadium in the West.

Unfortunately for Houston, this ground really isn't one to shout about, which becomes immediately apparent when you look at the attendance figures.

The ground can hold 22,039 fans, but the team only averaged 16,426 per game last year. That said, unlike their neighbours, they were at least smart enough to install covers above the seats so as not to fry their supporters during play.

12 America First Field – Real Salt Lake

Questionable name aside, there really isn't anything about Real Salt Lake's America First Field that makes it stand out, for good or bad, that is.

The design feels very by the numbers, with the two sides covered and the two ends left open, which can sometimes be an issue with Utah's hot summers.

The one thing it does have going for it is the view of the mountains in the distance, but we aren't sure if that's enough to place the ground any higher.

11 Dick’s Sporting Goods Park – Colorado Rapids

Colorado Rapids' Dicks Sporting Goods Park is a perfectly fine stadium for anywhere other than central Colorado. The state is famous for its extreme weather and, in particular, its snow storms, so to leave the ground open to the elements seems pretty short-sighted in our books.

Images of games being played in blizzard-like conditions aren't a rare occurrence, and for as cool as that might be once, we're sure it gets old pretty quick for the players and fans.

So, while some of the surroundings are nice, we can only really place it as high as 13th.

10 Citypark – St. Louis City SC

St. Louis City SC, are the newest team in the league, having joined this year, and from looking at their stadium, you'd probably be able to guess that.

Citypark, at least from a purely visual standpoint, is a lovely stadium. They didn't do anything particularly out there with the design, but it looks incredibly well done, and with its location downtown, it's ideally positioned for the fans as well.

The ground can hold up to 22,423 fans and has been a sell-out for every game this season, which makes sense given their current position atop the Western Conference.

This popularity and success have also helped to cultivate an impressive atmosphere at the ground.

9 BC Place – Vancouver Whitecaps

The only Canadian team in the Western Conference, Vancouver Whitecaps' BC Place is next on the list.

The design of the stadium is very, very cool. It is completely enclosed, and during MLS games, a 'secondary ceiling' is deployed to completely envelop the lower tier of seats to help create a better atmosphere for matches. While the stadium proper has a capacity of 54,500, the secondary ceiling brings that down to 22,120.

Unfortunately, the club didn't even get close to this number last season, averaging an attendance of just 16,399. So, without an atmosphere to match the unique design, we can't place the ground any higher than it is.

8 PayPal Park – San Jose Earthquakes

San Jose's PayPal Park is undoubtedly one of the league's most interesting stadiums. The ground is a large U shape, with the seats going around three sides of it and leaving one end completely open to the elements – think Oxford's Kassam Stadium.

What's more interesting is that there are only two tiers, with the first being tiny, which essentially means the pitch is surrounded by three huge stands, creating a unique look that we are big fans of.

The team could only average 15,260 fans a game last season, although, with a maximum capacity of just 18,000, that's not as poor as it first sounds.

7 Dignity Health Sports Park – LA Galaxy

As arguably the biggest team in the league's history, you'd probably expect LA Galaxy to place higher on our list, but for as nice as their stadium is – and it is nice -it's not the best in the league.

The ground has two issues. First of all, it isn't in downtown LA, meaning that getting to the games can be more complicated than it needs to be – especially when compared to their new neighbours.

The second issue is sightlines; some seats provide dreadful viewing angles for fans, which is a problem you see less with the league's newer grounds.

That said, with an average attendance of 22,841 last season, the atmosphere can be brilliant when it gets going.

6 Allianz Field – Minnesota United FC

Minnesota United's Allianz Field is one of the league's newer grounds, hosting its first MLS game in April 2019 as New York City FC came to town.

The stadium can hold 19,400 fans, and given that the club averaged an attendance of about 19,000 last year, we'd say it's been a success so far.

Visually, though, it might be a bit polarising. It's clearly modelled after Bayern Munich's Allianz Arena – led facade and all – which some might take issue with. That said, we'd argue that it's a great addition to the league and looks great both inside and outside.

5 Children’s Mercy Park – Sporting Kansas City

The Children's Mercy Park stadium opened in 2009 and has been the home of Sporting Kansas City ever since.

The ground itself doesn't particularly stand out, with a fairly standard design for the league, but it does stand out for the atmosphere you can find within it.

The fans often hold up a banner saying 'Welcome to Blue Hell,' and with the club regularly selling all 18,467 tickets, it's easy to see why.

Despite stalling late in their innings, Zimbabwe put up a total that proved to be well out of Hong Kong’s reach

The Report by Liam Brickhill10-Mar-2018Getty ImagesZimbabwe recorded their third win on the trot with an 89-run victory over Hong Kong at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo. Zimbabwe’s was an innings of two distinct halves. The tournament hosts raced to 137 for 2 in the first 20 overs, but then, as the pitch slowed and Hong Kong’s lines tightened, they failed to hit a single boundary after the 32nd over and finally limped to 263 for 9 despite Hamilton Masakadza’s 84. Hong Kong’s response never really got going, and though Anshuman Rath recorded his second consecutive fifty in the tournament, they were bowled out in the 47th over.”We knew today was going to be tough,” Zimbabwe captain Graeme Cremer said after the win. “They’ve beaten Afghanistan, and we didn’t want to be in the same boat. So the guys came out firing. The guys really wanted it, I could see it out in the field.”Solomon Mire and Cephas Zhuwao got Zimbabwe’s innings off to a flying start after they were, somewhat surprisingly, put in to bat. Dispensing with the need for singles, Zhuwao favoured all out attack and slog-swept the second ball over the match to the square-leg boundary. By the end of the third over, he had added two huge sixes and another boundary to race into the 20s.More carnage was to come. Against Afghanistan, offspinner Ehsan Khan bowled with both economy and guile, but in different conditions at Queens, Zhuwao smashed his first four deliveries to the boundary. At the other end, Solomon Mire had just a single to his name while Zhuwao rushed into the 40s. But the fun was not to last; shortly after raising Zimbabwe’s fifty, Zhuwao slogged at one too many and was well caught by Waqas Barkat on the ropes at square leg for 45.”I think those [top-order] runs cost us the game,” Hong Kong’s captain Babar Hayat said. “Although, the way we bowled in the middle overs and in the last overs was brilliant.”Masakadza soon picked up where he left off, and with Mire striking the ball with fierce power at the other end, Zimbabwe ended the opening Powerplay in the healthy position of 81 for 1.”I think life is quite easy for me at the moment,” Masakadza, who was named Man of the Match for his innings, said. “Coming in behind those two – Cephas and Solomon – is quite easy, because they really put the bowlers under pressure. They’re getting us off to fast starts, so it’s a lot easier for me to come in and take my time and get myself in.After Mire fell victim to Nadeem Ahmed’s left-arm spin, Brendan Taylor joined Masakadza at the crease for the definitive partnership of the match. Together they put on 98 in just over 18 overs, setting what should have been a commanding platform for the tournament hosts.Masakadza brought up his fifty, from 64 deliveries, with a push down the ground in the 25th over. Masakadza’s celebrations often have a relevance, either personal or popular, and today, upon reaching fifty he gave the Wakanda salute from the movie .ICCTaylor, meanwhile, had looked in particularly good touch through (or over) cover today, but an attacking offside shot eventually brought his dismissal. He drove hard at Nawaz and Ehsan Nawaz held a stinging catch inches from the turf at extra cover. The umpires conferred with the fielder to confirm that the catch was taken cleanly, and off Taylor went.Zimbabwe were 181 for 3 then, and Masakadza took them to the second drinks break in the relatively healthy position of 211 for 3. Just before the break, Masakadza had hit his one and only six, but that boundary – in the 32nd over – remarkably proved to be the last of Zimbabwe’s innings as Hong Kong’s bowlers staged a brave comeback. With Raza slicing a catch to the cover sweeper and Masakadza slashing a cut to short third man, Zimbabwe slipped to 216 for 5, and to their credit Hong Kong never let them back into the innings.”There was a period that I got a little ahead of myself, but I calmed down and I was looking to bat at least 45 overs,” Masakadza said. “So that [not batting through] was the most disappointing thing for me. It definitely did [slow up] and I got a little frustrated.”Wickets tumbled with some regularity as Zimbabwe tried to hit their way out of trouble, and when Craig Ervine pulled Nawaz to Nizakat Khan on the midwicket boundary, the bowler had his fourth wicket and Zimbabwe were nine down. Just 40 runs had come from the last 10 overs, with four wickets lost.”It might have had to do with the ball,” Cremer said. “Once it got a bit softer, it started sticking in the wicket. Even our guys that were in found it a bit harder to rotate the strike. But the wicket did slow up. When the ball was new, it would skid on and you could just hit through the line of the ball.”Hong Kong must have fancied their chances of pulling off a second upset in as many matches, but Zimbabwe’s new-ball bowlers immediately put them on the back foot. Jarvis and Chatara picked up a wicket apiece in their opening spells, and when Hayat failed to read a Cremer wrong ‘un, Hong Kong were 35 for 3.The response from Rath and Scott McKechnie was to cut out all risk from their batting, and they cobbled together a partnership that extended beyond 50 and was composed mainly of ones and twos. But once again it was Sikandar Raza’s golden arm that brought the breakthrough. Tired of nudging and pushing, McKechnie aimed an expansive sweep at a full delivery and was bowled for 18.”We did know it was going to spin a bit in the afternoon, and get a bit slower,” Cremer said. With Zimbabwe’s spinners constricting Hong Kong’s scoring options, their resolve seemed to evaporate. Sean Williams, returning from a broken spinning finger, showed there was no permanent damage with two quick wickets, and Hong Kong were 101 for 6. Raza struck again, spinning one past Barkat to pin him in front of his stumps and reduce them to 107 for 7; it seemed the match would finish in a hurry.Rath had other ideas. Just as he had done against Afghanistan two days earlier, he slowly built momentum in his own innings. Initially accumulating with correct, upright batting, he slowly came out of his shell and reached his fifty in the 35th over. But there was little support from the other end, and in an unwinnable position Rath eventually fell playing one shot too many.”The way we bowled, to restrict them to under 300, we knew that if we stayed in we could chase this target,” Hayat said. “But with the way they bowled, they didn’t give us any chance to get back in the game.”The victory left Zimbabwe assured of a Super-Six berth, though the result of their final match will determine how many points they take through to that stage (only points scored against the other teams that progress are carried through). Hong Kong are also still very much in with a chance of progressing, provided they can beat Nepal at Bulawayo Athletic Club on Monday.

Glasgow Rangers secured a confidence-boosting 2-1 win at Ibrox yesterday as Philippe Clement continued his solid start to life at the club.

Hearts led until the dying embers of the match but James Tavernier scored a penalty to equalise before he set up Danilo to score the winner in the 93rd minute.

It will feel like a smash-and-grab victory, but three points is all that matters and Clement will be happy with how the Gers fought until the final whistle.

Once again, however, there were a few lacklustre performances, most notably from Cyriel Dessers and Sam Lammers.

Michael Beale’s £7.5m duo now walking a tightrope

During the summer, Beale splashed the cash on the pair in order to freshen up his attacking options. Dessers cost £4.5m from Cremonese while Lammers arrived for a fee in the region of £3m and while £7.5m for two players could be seen as excessive, the nature of the transfer market meant Beale had to spend to secure players of high quality.

So far however, Dessers and Lammers have failed to live up to their transfer fees as they have struggled to settle in at the Light Blues.

The Nigeria international has scored four goals across 18 matches while he currently ranks first across the Ibrox squad for most big chances missed (nine) in the Premiership, a telling sign of just how poor he has been in front of goal.

The Dutchman has also been underwhelming and for someone who has such impressive technical ability, he has struggled with the nature of the Scottish game, and it is clear after Sunday's performance that Clement must now jettison the 26-year-old.

Sam Lammers' days may be numbered

The warning signs surrounding the former Feyenoord forward should have been apparent to Beale, as he has netted just six goals since the start of the 2020/21 season.

Lammers may have succeeded with 100% of his dribble attempts against Hearts, yet he missed a big chance (not for the first time this term) while failing to have a shot on target during the encounter.

The 6 foot 3 liability was dribbled past on two occasions along with losing possession 14 times and it is clear his defensive attributes also need some work if he is to make it at the Light Blues.

Clement may not offer the former Atalanta forward that luxury, however. The Belgian will be able to rely on several players returning from injury shortly, while youngster Ross McCausland made more key passes in 14 minutes than Lammers did in 83.

Perhaps it is time Clement places his trust in young gems such as McCausland instead of having to rely on Lammers time and time again, as it is clearly not working out for him in Glasgow.

A trip to Dundee on Wednesday could be the ideal opportunity for the manager to experiment with a few players and see what type of reaction he can get.

It may not even be Halloween yet, but the nightmare pairing of Lammers and Dessers could soon find themselves on the Ibrox scrap heap, and they have nobody else to blame but themselves.