Latest news with #Damsgaard
CNBC
23-06-2025
- Business
- CNBC
Tankers reversing course from Strait of Hormuz following U.S. attack on Iran nuclear sites
More tankers are reversing course away from the Strait of Hormuz as concerns rise on the possible closure of the vital chokepoint of trade. Yui Torikata, senior liquid market analyst at industry data firm Kpler, said the situation is fluid. The firm's data is showing a notable event occurred between early Sunday and early Monday, when at least six vessels — two very large crude carriers, three chemical tankers, and one refined products carrier—diverted their courses away from the Strait of Hormuz. The specific vessels identified are: All vessels are in ballast, meaning they either are empty or carrying light loads. "However, the situation has already evolved," Torikata said. "As of this morning, three of those six vessels —the South Loyalty, Coswisdom Lake, and Damsgaard — have again changed direction and are now heading back towards the Strait of Hormuz. The other three vessels are currently idling off the coasts of Khor Fakkan and Muscat." "This specific weekend event should be seen in a broader context," said. "In the immediate wake of the Israel-Iran conflict, the number of available empty [ballast] crude carriers within the Middle East Gulf zone fell to a record low, indicating significant reluctance from shipowners to enter the area. However, that trend has since reversed. "The count of available tankers recovered toward the weekend, and the number of crude carriers in the Gulf of Oman signaling their intent to enter the Mideast Gulf has also recovered from the low seen on June 16," she added. "This suggests that, for now, the overall flow of vessels into the region is being sustained despite the recent, specific diversion event." The moves follow a U.S. attack Saturday on what have been identified as three major nuclear enrichment facilities in Iran. Andy Lipow, president of Lipow Oil Associates, said the reports by the UK Maritime Trade Operations on widespread electronic interference and GPS jamming and location spoofing are adding to vessel owners' worries. "Combined with increasing insurance costs, some owners will simply avoid the area — like Frontline. This causes a de facto partial supply disruption if there is a lack of tankers to carry the oil that needs to be exported," Lipow said. Frontline tanker Front Eagle and dark fleet tanker Adalynn collided last week near the Strait of Hormuz. Following the collision, a fire on the deck of the Front Eagle erupted and was extinguished. "Some tanker owners may feel that China, who buys 90% of Iranian crude oil along with significant quantities of oil from the Middle East, is pressuring Iran not to disrupt shipping," Lipow said. "While oil exports are Iran's economic lifeline and it would not be in Iran's interest to halt its own exports, if cornered, Iran might decide to inflict as much economic pain as it can on the rest of the world." Lipow added this attack could spark additional geopolitical instability. "While China has condemned the United States attack on Iran, we have not seen China provide Iran with any kind of support other than words," Lipow said. "Russian attacks Ukraine, the United States attacks Iran, now China may feel emboldened to attack Taiwan." Jakob Larsen, head of security at Bimco, the world's largest direct-membership organization for shipowners, charterers, shipbrokers, and agents, warned Iran could attempt a wider disruption of commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz through attacks on merchant ships. Anti-ship missiles or drones of both airborne and surface types could be used in these attacks, he said. "The laying of sea mines would constitute another dangerous development, but Iran's intent to do so is questionable due to the risk to Iran-affiliated commercial ships and the risk of environmental disaster in case a ship is damaged," Larsen said. The Strait of Hormuz, which connects the Persian Gulf to the Arabian Sea, is recognized as one of the world's most important oil chokepoints. The inability of oil to traverse through, even temporarily, can ratchet up global energy prices, raise shipping costs and create significant supply delays. In 2023, oil flows through the waterway averaged 20.9 million barrels per day, accounting for about 20% of global petroleum liquids consumption, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Hormuz handles less than 4% of global container trade, but the ports of Jebel Ali and Khor Fakkan are critical intermediary points for global shipping networks in the region. The majority of cargo volumes from those ports are destined for Dubai, which has become a hub for the movement of freight with feeder services in the Persian Gulf, South Asia, and East Africa.
New York Times
12-06-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Thomas Frank is the new Spurs manager. So how do his teams play?
Tottenham Hotspur's switch from Ange Postecoglou to Thomas Frank is a move towards the pragmatic end of the coaching scale. In his four Premier League seasons as Brentford's head coach, Frank has demonstrated his ability to have teams play in different styles depending on the composition of their squad and who the opponents are. Advertisement The first two seasons after Brentford's 2021 promotion are generally remembered for defensive organisation, innovative set pieces, and long balls to striker Ivan Toney. However, that is a reductive summation: Frank's side also pressed aggressively and knew how to attack in wide areas. It wasn't all 5-3-2, deep blocks and hitting it long, but the intention was to establish Brentford as a Premier League team before adding layers to their game. Frank started the process of introducing that greater variety at the beginning of 2023-24, but injuries hindered their evolution. 'We talked about Brentford 2.0,' Frank told The Athletic last year. 'We wanted to add layers to our style. We wanted more control and to be more dominant on the ball, to create chances. I didn't want a thousand passes before we scored a goal. 'All of our offensive statistics went up from the beginning of the season until the 12th game — possession, passes, crosses, number of players in the box, xG (expected goals), goals… and then the injuries hit us. We tried to still go down that route for the next couple of games but we had too many players out.' So the evolution didn't really kick into gear until last season, with Frank still playing to the strengths of Brentford's individuals, especially Mikkel Damsgaard, Yoane Wissa and Bryan Mbeumo (they sold Toney to Saudi Arabia's Al Ahli at the end of August). 'I always wanted to play offensive football, (but) it's a combination of what is best for the players we got,' Frank told the BBC in January. 'We have this style, but what kind of players, because I can't pick all the best players in the world.' Frank mainly used a back four last season, and Brentford's shape in possession changed depending on what they wanted to achieve, who was available and how their opponents set up. Brentford played in different variations of 4-2-3-1 and 4-3-3. From Wissa dropping in the half-space to form a 4-2-2-2 shape on the ball… … to Damsgaard starting as a left-winger but roaming infield to play as a second attacking midfielder, with Keane Lewis-Potter providing the width. Using Lewis-Potter as a left-back empowered their wing-play because of his attacking profile. His ability to occupy the width on his own and knowledge of how to attack the space offered more solutions down the Brentford left, where he can momentarily exchange positions with Kevin Schade or allow their German left-winger to be closer to the goal. Advertisement In this example, against Leicester City in November, Damsgaard's positioning drags Wout Faes up the pitch, with James Justin and Conor Coady marking Lewis-Potter and Schade respectively. As Damsgaard plays the ball to left-side centre-back Ethan Pinnock… … Lewis-Potter and Schade start swapping positions and Damsgaard drops deeper still, with Faes unsure whether to follow him all that way. By taking Faes out of the equation, Lewis-Potter and Schade are left in a two-on-two scenario. Damsgaard is under no pressure. Lewis-Potter starts his run first to move Coady away from the touchline and isolate Schade against Justin, where the pace of the German gives him the upper hand. Damsgaard manages to find Schade's run behind the defence… … and the latter plays the ball across goal for Wissa, who scores. Those wide combinations were a staple of Brentford's possession game last season, and an important tool to help them play through the opponent's press. Mbeumo's first goal in their 4-2 win against Brighton & Hove Albion in April is one example of how Frank's side constantly wanted to tempt their opponents up the pitch, before cutting through them with quick passing. Brentford's passing combinations in wide areas were a variation on the swift build-ups which have been on the rise across the Premier League. These are defined as short goal-kick sequences that reach the height of the opponent's penalty area, or end in a shot, within 30 seconds. Looking at the rate of quick build-ups per 100 goal kicks in the Premier League, Brentford's rate of 4.6 last season was double that of their first year after promotion, showing how Frank has integrated this into the team after establishing them in the top flight. Another feature of Frank's team was their focus on shot location and 'making each chance bigger'. Across their four seasons in the Premier League, Brentford's average shot distance of 14.5 metres was the lowest in the division, while the average quality of their shots was its highest. Last season, Brentford's xG per non-penalty shot (0.13) was the best in the Premier League, leading to a conversion rate of 14 per cent. Wide combinations from quick-build-up situations was one way of regularly creating high-quality chances. But against deeper blocks, Frank's side focused on crosses and passing combinations to find third-man runs. In this example below, against Wolverhampton Wanderers in October, Christian Norgaard attacks the space vacated by Rayan Ait-Nouri and Mario Lemina, who are attracted to Mbeumo, and the Danish midfielder's off-ball movement allows Brentford to combine through the defence, before he slots a finish into the bottom corner. In another example, from the 4-3 victory against Manchester United in May, Brentford are attacking down the right side when Mbeumo dribbles infield in an attempt to break down the opponent's block. This movement creates space for Brentford's right-back, Michael Kayode, to attack, with the position Damsgaard takes up pinning United's left centre-back, Leny Yoro. Meanwhile, Wissa is positioned between United's right wing-back and centre-back, and Mathias Jensen is looking to attack the space behind midfielders Christian Eriksen and Manuel Ugarte… … who move up towards Mbeumo. The Cameroon forward then finds Jensen between the lines… … which forces Tyler Fredricson to move and leave Amad in a one-versus-two situation against Wissa and Lewis-Potter, who is playing as a left-winger here and arcs his run to attack the space created in United's defence. In an attempt to defend this move, Harry Maguire takes a couple of steps to the right to cover Wissa, but Jensen plays the ball through the gap between him and Yoro. Kayode's initial movement puts him in a position to run into the space behind the United defence from the blindside, and he connects with Jensen's pass… … before playing the ball across goal… … for Wissa to score into an empty net. It's details like Wissa's initial position between United's right wing-back and right centre-back that have distinguished Brentford under Frank. The centre-forward's awareness was the main driver in that example, but Brentford forwards positioning themselves in the correct spaces when attacking the opponents' defensive line has been a common trait. Advertisement 'We work a lot on making the chance big, but also work a lot on crosses and having enough players in the box,' Frank told Sky Sports in October. 'In the last four or five years, I have been big and big on crosses. I think that's such an important thing and we work on different ways to work it. 'We either create one-v-ones (down the wing) — classic (winger) going on the outside or inside cut and the in-swinging (cross) — give and go, or runs in the half-space (and) ball is played under. 'In the box, we need to hit the gaps — that's the biggest thing for me on the last line.' Schade's second goal of that victory against United is an example of how focused Brentford were on attacking crosses from the right positions and with the correct movement. Kayode's position puts Mbeumo in a one-versus-one against Harry Amass and moves Yoro away from defensive colleagues Maguire and Fredricson. Meanwhile, Wissa occupies United's right centre-back and enables the overload at the far post with Lewis-Potter supporting Schade. As Mbeumo crosses the ball towards the far post, Wissa fakes a run to that zone before attacking the near post. His movement prevents Fredricson from committing to the far post, which allows Schade and Lewis-Potter to attack that space freely, with Amad being late to arrive. Schade connects with the cross and puts the ball into the net, but note Brentford's left-back, Lewis-Potter, is also there to be a secondary option. In another example, from the 2-2 draw at home against Manchester City in January, Lewis-Potter is in a right-back role towards the end of the match and crosses the ball into the penalty area, where there's a four-versus-three situation with Rico Henry arriving late to the far post. Henry doesn't impact this attack, but it's the movement of Wissa and Schade in the centre which isolates Norgaard against Manuel Akanji. Wissa attacks the near post and Schade the far, attracting Nathan Ake and Matheus Nunes respectively… … and creating a bigger space in the middle of the penalty area, where Norgaard is in a one-v-one. The Denmark midfielder beats Akanji to the ball and heads it in for a stoppage-time equaliser. The ability to attack crosses in open play was complemented by Brentford's set-piece skill. The club had focused on set pieces long before Frank's arrival, when they were in the second-tier Championship in 2016, but the Danish head coach is an advocate of the dead balls and knows their importance. In 2024-25, Brentford's effectiveness from attacking corners took a hit — scoring only five times — but their clever throw-ins maintained their set-piece reputation, with six goals from long throws. Advertisement Looking at the rate of goals for and against per 100 set pieces — which creates a fair and level playing field across all 20 Premier League clubs, as one team might face or have more set-piece opportunities than another — Brentford's 4.0 goals per 100 sits in the middle of pack, but their xG-per-100-set-pieces rate (4.8) was fourth-best in the division last season. Defensively, Frank's team were by far the best set-piece side in the 2024-25 Premier League, conceding both its lowest xG (3.1) and goals (1.0) per 100 set pieces. Adding new layers didn't mean that Brentford neglected the strengths that had kept them in the Premier League in the first place. They were still able to set up in a strong defensive block, defending mainly in a 4-4-2 with Norgaard or Vitaly Janelt dropping to fill the gaps or make it a back five if needed. In terms of their high press, Brentford continued their approach of locking on man-to-man with their opponents, with initial positions and angles of the press differing from one match to another. In addition, there were instances last season when Frank's side took a more hybrid approach to their pressing. Brentford's aggressive nature without the ball meant that they won possession in the attacking third 190 times in the Premier League — behind only Manchester United and Bournemouth. The important question for new employers Tottenham is whether these ideas can translate to their squad and how the club want to play post-Postecoglou. Another issue is how Frank will adapt to a tighter schedule with less time on the training pitch, having not coached in a European competition apart from the preliminary qualifying rounds of the Europa League when he was with Brondby in his homeland more than a decade ago. On top of all that, the pressure to deliver at Spurs is much different from Brentford. These are valid concerns, but as Frank himself says: 'If you don't take a risk, you also take a risk.' There is no doubt about the 51-year-old's coaching ability, and his adaptability will be an important asset at Tottenham.
BBC News
03-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Will Brentford decide time is right to cash in?
After another positive season for Brentford, I don't expect - or want - to see much change this that depends on what bids come in for our Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa will inevitably attract interest, and I've said here before that Mbeumo will probably be sold. He has played a massive part in our rise and is is an interesting one, though. Every Bees player has his price, and if a bid comes in at a suitable level, the club would discuss a sale. He has had the best season of his career and is 29 in September, so, given our working model, Brentford could decide we should cash in while he is at maximum Wissa's importance is not just his goals but also his personality. His infectious on-pitch smile and character, for example, in pushing newer players forward to receive post-match applause from us fans, is invaluable, and he would also be a huge loss.I have always thought we wouldn't let both players go in the same transfer window, but the club may feel it is right. I'd love to see them both get new contracts, though!If Wissa does leave and Igor Thiago becomes the main striker, then I think we would revert to playing two up front, as when we had Ivan Toney. Thiago appears to be a target man like Toney, so we may adjust our style to suit him.I don't see any other key players going - with the likes of Mikkel Damsgaard, Keane Lewis-Potter and Nathan Collins all on long are well covered in all positions - and making Michael Kayode's loan move permanent further strengthened us - and with a good mix of youth and experience in the squad, I don't think we need many other new Thomas Frank may interest other clubs, I believe - and hope - he will stay with more from Ian Westbrook at Beesotted podcast, external
USA Today
25-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Mikkel Damsgaard vs. Wolverhampton Wanderers – Player props & odds to score a goal on May 25
Mikkel Damsgaard vs. Wolverhampton Wanderers – Player props & odds to score a goal on May 25 [gambcom-standard rankid="4130" ] Will Mikkel Damsgaard score a goal when Brentford FC goes up against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Sunday, May 25 at 11:00 AM ET? For updated stats and anytime goalscorer odds, continue reading. Brentford picked up a loss in its last matchup by a score of 3-2 against Fulham at home on May 18. Fulham outshot Brentford by a margin of 15 to 12. Keep up with Premier League action this season on Fubo! Mikkel Damsgaard's Odds to Score a Goal vs. Wolverhampton Wanderers Odds to score a goal next game: +1000 Soccer player prop odds courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook. Odds updated Saturday at 6:40 PM ET. For a full list of sports betting odds, access USA TODAY Sports Betting Scores Odds Hub. [gambcom-standard rankid="4142" ] Mikkel Damsgaard's 2024-25 Stats This season, he has found the back of the net in two of the 37 matches he has appeared in. Comparing Damsgaard's expected goals total (0.3) to his actual total (two), you see an overperformance of 1.7. In 37 games this season, he has picked up an assist in seven of them. Thus far in the 2024-25 season, he has attempted 23 total shots. That's an average of 0.6 shots per match. Brentford FC vs. Wolverhampton Wanderers Scoring Insights In the Premier League, Brentford has put up 65 goals in 37 matches (fifth in league), and Wolverhampton has allowed 68 in 37 matches (17th). Offensively, Wolverhampton is 13th in the Premier League (53 goals, 1.4 per match). And defensively, Brentford is 13th (56 goals conceded, 1.5 per match). In terms of goal differential, Brentford is eighth in the Premier League at +9. With 53 goals scored and 68 conceded, Wolverhampton is 16th in the Premier League in goal differential. Brentford FC vs. Wolverhampton Wanderers Match Info Matchup: Brentford at Wolverhampton Brentford at Wolverhampton Time: 11:00 AM ET 11:00 AM ET Date: May 25, 2025 May 25, 2025 Venue: Molineux Stadium Molineux Stadium Live stream: Watch this game on Peacock Premium Watch Brentford FC vs. Wolverhampton Wanderers on Peacock Premium More Player Props: [gambcom-standard rankid="4338" ]
Daily Mirror
18-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Thomas Frank pinpoints key to Brentford star's 'instrumental' breakout season
Thomas Frank has hailed Mikkel Damsgaard, who has provided 10 assists in his first full season without injury or illness since joining the club, as Brentford chase a record eighth-place finish Brentford's thrilling front three may be hogging the acclaim. But Thomas Frank believes 'instrumental' Mikkel Damsgaard has been the central cog to his team's charge towards a record eighth-place finish. Only Mohamed Salah and Jacob Murphy have provided more assists than the Dane's 10 this season. But putting the ball on a platter for Bryan Mbeumo, Yoane Wissa and Kevin Schade only tells part of the story with Frank hailing Damsgaard for reaching a level of physicality where he can finally handle the rigours of English football. He was signed from Sampdoria in 2022 but struggled with illness and injury and the slender creator admitted earlier this season he has had to work really hard to get stronger. It is finally paying off as Brentford also eye a record points total. 'Damagaard is definitely a key reason,' Frank said ahead of today's final home game against neighbours Fulham. 'The three front players, Bryan, Wissa and Kevin – they have been very good this season and all praise to them, they deserve that. 'But I think he has been instrumental, a big part of our offensive success, but also the way he links the game makes everything better. 'The big thing has been his fitness, not only not having injuries but him being able to play with a consistent intensity throughout the season. And I think he will come back even stronger next season because this has been his first full season for five years.' No ground has seen more goals than the Gtech this campaign, with Frank saying some staff have started calling the ground the Goal Tech. And of the 38 they have scored at home, a particular move involving Damsgaard stands out. 'It's not only his assists, it's his second assists or his third assists,' Frank adds. 'One of my favourite goals this season is at home to Leicester where Damsgaard got the ball, played a perfect through ball to Kevin Schade and he played it on to Wissa, 1-0. He doesn't get the assist but without the first pass it's never a goal. 'He's not the most outspoken or a player you notice. But if you look at what he's involved in and how he makes the team tick, how he makes things happen, it's fantastic. Give the ball to the best player, give it to Damsgaard, something will happen.' Frank went to yesterday's Cup final with a friend from home who happens to be a Crystal Palace fan. And while their seats were in a neutral zone, the Brentford boss admits it was unusual knowing his team needed Manchester City to win if they were to have a chance of qualifying for Europe for the first time. Yet Frank, as ever, would much rather focus on the process than the outcome. 'We always want to aim as high as possible,' he says. 'Eighth is the highest possible so we try to go for that. The key strength of ours has been a laser focus on the next game, then the next game and don't get carried away too much. 'Our highest points total would be nice but we need to win the remaining two. If we lose the next one we can't talk about that. We need laser focus.' Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
