Manager in pole position to replace Hodgson as Crystal Palace search begins

Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish has decided he wants to replace Roy Hodgson now, coming after a string of poor results and protests surrounding the club's direction.

Palace pressure mounts after Brighton humiliation

The Eagles are facing a real danger of being relegated from the Premier League for the first time since their ascent 10 years ago, and Hodgson has been under mounting pressure despite his service to the club in past seasons.

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Palace find themselves just four points above the drop zone, with only Burnley and Sheffield United, the division's bottom two sides, having scored fewer goals than Hodgson's often toothless side.

Their humiliating 4-1 derby defeat away to Brighton last Saturday has only ramped up calls for Hodgson to be given the sack, with supporters often pictured hoisting up banners in protest of the club's ownership and the manager.

Crystal Palace's worst-performing Premier League players on average per 90 (over 10 appearances)

Match Rating (via WhoScored)

Nathaniel Clyne

6.37

Chris Richards

6.41

Sam Johnstone

6.44

Will Hughes

6.47

Joel Ward

6.48

Reliable media sources, like journalist Ed Aarons of The Guardian, have backed that Parish has strongly considered sacking Hodgson – and especially after their humbling on the south coast.

“It was a bad start. That’s the last thing you really want – to be a goal down against Brighton, who are a very good team at home – but I thought in the first-half they outplayed us. We didn’t really get to grips with them in that half, and they were pretty much in control for that half," said Hodgson on Palace's loss to Brighton.

“The two goals which came in quick succession really made life almost impossible for us at half-time – how are we going to get back from this? – but I thought in the second-half the team did make a good effort to try and get back from it."

Despite Hodgson's praise for his team's efforts, it is clear fortunes need to take an upturn and very soon. There are rumours that Palace have eyes on possible replacements for their manager, with former Nottingham Forest boss Steve Cooper strongly entering contention in recent months.

Nottingham Forest manager Steve Cooper.

The Welshman was shown his marching orders by Forest but his free agent status, coupled with the fact he steered Forest to safety last season, is apparently enticing Parish.

Cooper in pole position to replace Hodgson at Palace

According to HITC and journalist Graeme Bailey this week, the Palace chairman wants to replace Hodgson now, and is actively searching for his heir.

Cooper is also a "firm favourite" to take the potentially vacant Palace job as things stand, even if they're also considering other candidates. The 44-year-old, despite his end at Forest, was praised as a "10/10" manager by their former midfielder and ex-England international Steve Hodge.

“I can’t applaud him highly enough. I can’t praise him highly enough and I can’t praise the owner highly enough. Steve Cooper, two years on, it’s 10/10 for me," said Hodge.

Chamusca revela que o Botafogo não está na busca por lateral-esquerdo: 'Temos quatro jogadores'

MatériaMais Notícias

Após uma boa atuação de PV na vitória do Botafogo sobre o Macaé por 4 a 0, neste domingo, a lateral-esquerda foi um dos temas da entrevista coletiva do técnico Marcelo Chamusca. Para a posição, o Alvinegro conta hoje com o próprio Paulo Victor, Guilherme Santos, Rafael Carioca e Hugo, que se recuperou nesta última semana de lesão. O treinador destacou que está servido e, desta maneira, o clube precisa ir atrás de necessidades.

> Veja quem entrou em campo pelo Botafogo na temporada 2021

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– O PV vem evoluindo, vem maturando, é um jogador jovem, que tem está tendo suas primeiras oportunidades na equipe profissional. A gente não tem nesse momento, nenhuma intenção de ir ao mercado buscar lateral-esquerdo. A gente tem, na posição, quatro jogadores. Além do que foi citado, temos o Guilherme, o Rafael Carioca e o Hugo, que está voltando de lesão.

– Então, a gente está muito bem servido na posição e, nesse momento, a ideia nossa é pontuar. A gente precisa pontuar, a gente não tem uma munição muito grande, então não vamos atacar posições que a gente não tem uma necessidade. Vamos priorizar as posições em que vamos atacar.

No entanto, a situação na lateral-direita é diferente. Para a posição, o Botafogo conta hoje apenas com Jonathan e com Warley, que começou a carreira como lateral, mas hoje atua mais como atacante. Assim, Chamusca revelou que está no mercado, mas a situação não é simples.

– A gente também tem a intenção, independentemente da utilização do Warley ou não, de trazer um jogador para a posição, para poder disputar posição com o Jonathan ali. É só uma questão de tempo de acharmos no mercado que está muito difícil, nesse momento, um jogador coma caraterística que a gente entenda que vai nos ajudar na montagem do elenco para a Série B.

-O Warley é lateral de origem, então não é nenhuma improvisação, é um lateral que acabou virando um extrema, por ter muita força física. Conseguiu fazer bem ali o corredor principalmente na recomposição defensiva, mas ele pode ser usado tranquilamente.

Arsenal leading race to sign "prolific" striker for £38.5m "bargain"

While their quest for the Premier League title continues, Arsenal are already looking to the summer and could be in line to get their hands on an elite talent at an absolute steal.

Arsenal's search for a striker

Despite their recent success on the pitch, it has been a long-running trope that Arsenal cannot find consistency up front. Since the departures of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette, it has been a rotating cast of strikers who have led the line for the Gunners, often with very little to show for it.

This season has seen Mikel Arteta experiment with his number nine, giving the responsibility to a range of players in the hope that one will excel. Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah have taken turns up top, whilst more abstract approaches have seen Kai Havertz and Leandro Trossard have a go. This near constant rotation of strikers means that Arsenal are once again relying on their wingers and midfielders to provide goals.

Bukayo Saka

12

Leandro Trossard

7

Martin Ødegaard

5

Gabriel Martinelli

5

Kai Havertz

5

Eddie Nketiah

5

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This summer could see this quest for a number nine come to an end with Arsenal leading the race to sign one of Europe's hottest prospects.

Gunners leading Zirkzee chase

After an up and down start to his professional career, Joshua Zirkzee finally looks set to meet the expectations set when he joined Bayern Munich as a teenager back in 2017. Struggling for minutes at the German giants, the Dutchman still managed to grab headlines from the bench, leading to scout and analyst, Jacek Kulig, hailing the striker as prolific back in June 2020.

Now 22, the Dutchman is plying his trade at Serie A outfit, Bologna, and has exploded into life in Italy, scoring ten goals in all competitions this season, including a winner at Lazio on Sunday. This goalscoring prowess has put Zirkzee on the radar of some of Europe's top clubs and, according to Sport Witness, reports out of Italy suggest that it is Arsenal who are leading the race to secure his services. The Italian outlet reported that the striker is valued at £38.5million, and is likley to be on the move this summer.

Manchester United transfer target Joshua Zirkzee in action in Serie A.

His exploits in northern Italy have seen Zirkzee earn admirers from across the game. Owing to Bolgona's modest asking price, there is no wonder top clubs are circling for the youngster's signature, with journalist Zack Lowy suggesting that whichever team ends up with the striker will be getting "one hell of a bargain".

One potential stumbling block for Arsenal is that Zirkzee's former club, Bayern, have a buyback clause for the striker, meaning they can pick up their former player for less than what other teams would have to pay. Despite this, the Bavarian side may be more inclined to let Zirkzee move elsewhere, with the club entitled to 50% of any future fees for the Dutchman.

In Zirkzee, Arsenal are buying a high-ceiling striker that can make an instant impact. With elite strikers now costing almost double the Dutchman's fee, the Gunners would be foolish to decline the services of the 22-year-old.

Arsenal could already have Odegaard 2.0 in Hale End "diamond"

Aside from Wednesday night, the last month of football has been a joy to watch for the Arsenal faithful.

Mikel Arteta's men have been imperious in the Premier League, and five wins in a row have seen them reaffirm their title credentials.

While it's difficult to pick a stand-out player from those games, it's hard to look past club captain Martin Odegaard, who has been masterful in midfield for the Gunners in recent weeks – he's the sort of player who doesn't come around very often.

That said, the talent factory that is Hale End might've just produced a gem who could get pretty close.

Martin Odegaard's time at Arsenal

Odegaard first joined Arsenal in a surprise loan move from European juggernauts Real Madrid in January 2021, and while he was far from poor, a return of just two goals and two assists in 20 appearances left some wondering whether it was worth signing him on a permanent in the summer.

However, Arteta and Edu were sure and opted to spend £34m on the Norwegian international in the August and to say that it was money well spent would be a vast understatement.

In his first full season as a Gunner, the mercurial midfielder scored seven goals and provided five assists in 40 appearances before being named club captain in July 2022, reflecting the impact he was having on the club outside his raw numbers.

With this renewed responsibility, the former Madrid man scored 15 goals and provided eight assists in 45 games during the 2022/23 season as he came agonisingly close to ending Arsenal's two-decade title drought in his first campaign as captain.

Martin Odegaard's Arsenal Record

Season

Appearances

Goals

Assists

2020/21

20

2

2

2021/22

40

7

5

2022/23

45

15

8

2023/24

32

8

7

All Stats via Transfermarkt

While the "pure talent", as talent scout Jacek Kulig dubbed him, took longer to kick into gear this season than last year, he's still amassed an impressive eight goals and seven assists in 32 games.

The 25-year-old has become an essential cog in Arteta's Arsenal machine, and the Spaniard has made his feelings about the star no secret: "You notice him around the building all the time because he's doing all the right things that he needs. I think he's quite funny and a really likable person, so committed, and I'm really, really happy to have him as a captain."

Nothing guarantees success in football, but having a player like Odegaard as captain can only help the Gunners get closer to the promised land.

The rise of Ethan Nwaneri

The Hale End gem that could duke it out for Odegaard's place in the years to come is 16-year-old Ethan Nwaneri.

Now, generally, fans aren't aware of the 16-year-old prospects in their academies because, well, those prospects don't tend to warrant people knowing about them at such a young age, but Nwaneri is different.

The "special player", as described by U23 scout Antonio Mango, caught the attention of the footballing world last season as he became the youngest Premier League player in history when coming on against Brentford in September 2022 at just 15 years and 181 days old.

He's since made it onto the first-team bench on multiple occasions and finally got his second run out with the team earlier this month when he came on for the last 13 minutes against West Ham United.

However, while his minor cameos with the first team have caught the attention of the media, it's his performances with the junior sides that should leave Gooners the most excited.

Ethan Nwaneri's youth record

Described as an "absolute diamond" by Kulig, Nwaneri has made 42 appearances for Arsenal's various youth sides, scoring 20 goals and providing nine assists in the process, meaning that he currently averages a goal involvement every 1.44 games, which is frankly remarkable for a 16-year-old.

Ethan Nwaneri's Youth Record

Team

U21

U18

UEFA Youth League

Appearances

18

23

1

Goals

4

15

1

Assists

4

5

0

Goal Involvements per Match

0.44

0.86

1

All Stats via Transfermarkt

However, while his effectiveness in front of goal is a brilliant attribute for a player so young, it's not his only one.

Arteta is known to appreciate positional versatility in his players – just look at Ben White and Leandro Trossard – and this is something that the Hale End gem has in spades.

In his short time with the junior sides, Nwaneri has already played as an attacking midfielder, a right-winger, a left-winger, and a centre-forward. Data analyst Ben Mattinson has also claimed that the youngster could "play in many" different positions when he becomes a first-teamer.

However, Mattinson also claims that the 5 foot 9 dynamo's best position could mirror "where Odegaard played last season," which was as a hybrid between a second striker and a traditional ten.

He credits the prospect's "creativity, vision, finishing, spatial awareness" and "dribbling" as his strongest qualities, which, combined with his "tight turn radius", could make him the perfect understudy to the Arsenal captain.

Finally, while Nwaneri has shown his positional versatility in the academy, his ability to play in attacking midfield and right-wing is most important if he is the long-term Odegaard successor, as this is the space that the Norwegian likes to operate in, as demonstrated with heatmaps from this season and last season.

Arsenal were once a "real option" for £171m-rated Martinelli upgrade

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ByJack Salveson Holmes Feb 23, 2024

Ultimately, the Gunners are lucky to have a captain as talented as Odegaard, and while he's irreplaceable at the moment, Hale End is set to gift them a gem who could carry the Norwegian's mantle a few years down the line.

Italy player ratings vs Croatia: What a finish! Mattia Zaccagni's last-second stunner sends Italy into the last 16 of Euro 2024 and effectively ends Luka Modric's Croatia career

The Lazio winger came off the bench to score a last-gasp goal that keeps Italy's title defence alive – but almost certainly eliminates Croatia.

What a finish! Seriously, what a finish! In every possible way. On an incredibly dramatic night in Leipzig, we saw the end of a glorious era of Croatian football, with Luka Modric's men knocked out of Euro 2024 thanks to the most sublime finish from Mattia Zaccagni with the last kick of the game.

The goal cancelled out Modric's opener, which had come just seconds after the legendary No.10 had seen a penalty saved by the brilliant Gigi Donnarumma, and means Italy progress to the last 16 at the expense of the Croats, who, with just two points to their name after this 1-1 draw, have next-to-no hope of progress as one of the third-place finishers.

Below, GOAL rates all of the Italy players on show as the defending champions kept their title defence alive with a stunning strike in the eight minute of injury time that sets up a meeting with Switzerland in Berlin on Saturday evening…

  • Getty

    Goalkeeper & Defence

    Gianluigi Donnarumma (8/10):

    It looked like the goalkeeper's heroics were going to go to waste, which would have been so harsh on Donnarumma, who made some fantastic stops, the pick of which was his penalty save from Modric.

    Matteo Darmian (6/10):

    Brought into the team to form a back three that looked so comfortable until the penalty sparked chaos. Darmian, though, was decent for the most part.

    Alessandro Bastoni (6/10):

    Rather damningly, Italy's most dangerous weapon, but twice failed to put away two great chances. Hoovered up possession for Italy but also appeared to duck out of the way of the cross that led to Modric's goal.

    Riccardo Calafiori (8/10):

    The benefits of playing the versatile Bologna defender on the left-hand side of the back three were there for all to see, as he created two chances in the first half alone before creating the equaliser with a characteristically brilliant break into enemy territory.

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  • Getty

    Midfield

    Giovanni Di Lorenzo (5/10):

    Credit where it's due, he recovered well from being torn to shreds by Nico Williams, winning plenty of duels. His passing wasn't great, though, and he was too slow to react on Croatia's goal.

    Nicolo Barella (6/10):

    Caused Croatia problems with his precise and progressive passing in the first half but his influence faded in the second half – when Italy needed their best midfielder most. Still, he kept running – and perhaps more importantly – keeping the ball moving right until the end.

    Jorginho (6/10):

    A much, much better display from the Arsenal man (which wasn't hard after his shocker against Spain!). He helped Italy take control of the game after a sluggish start, but he was sacrificed in the dying stages as Italy pressed for an equaliser as he was offering nothing offensively.

    Lorenzo Pellegrini (4/10):

    The only midfielder to really get into dangerous areas in the first half, while he also made a couple of timely interceptions, but he was withdrawn at the break after giving the ball away nine times in 45 minutes.

    Federico Dimarco (3/10):

    A shockingly ineffective display from the highly-rated Inter wing-back, who contributed little defensively and absolutely nothing going forward before being hauled off before the hour mark.

  • Getty

    Attack

    Mateo Retegui (6/10):

    Seriously lively in the first half, going close with a fine header from an inviting Calafiori cross, but Josko Gvardiol's head deflected the strike wide. Still, probably did enough to hold onto his starting spot.

    Giacomo Raspadori (6/10):

    A surprise starter and he justified his inclusion by creating four chances in total and working his socks off until he was taken off late on.

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    Subs & Manager

    Davide Frattesti (3/10):

    Replaced Pellegrini during the interval and almost immediately gave away a penalty with a stray arm.

    Fedierico Chiesa (5/10):

    Brought on right after Croatia broke the deadlock and was full of intent but only created one decent chance.

    Gianluca Scamacca (N/A):

    Thrown on for the last 20 minutes after being dropped for this game, but couldn't get on the end of Chiesa's cross.

    Nicolo Fagioli (N/A):

    Not enough time to impress himself on the game after taking over in midfield from Jorginho.

    Mattia Zaccagni (7/10):

    Only came on with just over five minutes of normal time remaining but he earned Italy a 1-1 draw – and qualification for the last 16 – with a Del Piero-esque finish right at the death.

    Luciano Spalletti (7/10):

    The personnel and formation changes worked. Italy played impressively for nearly an hour, looking comfortable at the back and menacing going forward. A minute of madness turned the game on its head but the Azzurri recovered and deservedly got a draw thanks to one of Spalletti's subs, Zaccagni, who also impressed off the bench against Spain.

Strikers add Salt to spice up their top order

Sussex batsman joins coach Jason Gillespie in signing with the Adelaide Strikers for the upcoming BBL season

Alex Malcolm10-Sep-2019Adelaide Strikers have signed Sussex opener Phil Salt for the upcoming BBL season.Salt, 23, joins Rashid Khan as the Strikers’ overseas players after South African Colin Ingram left the team at the end of last season.The right-handed opener has had an outstanding T20 Blast season for Sussex under the guidance of Jason Gillespie, the coach at Sussex and Strikers. He has scored 406 runs in 13 innings, including four half-centuries, at a phenomenal strike rate of 161.11.Salt has been playing alongside Strikers keeper Alex Carey at Sussex this year and has also played with Rashid.The Strikers’ top-order batting struggled big time last season after being the cornerstone of their title win in BBL 07, and Gillespie was delighted to add a dynamic right-hander to compliment the bevy of left-handers in the top order. “We are incredibly excited to have signed Phil who has showed real signs of promise and has performed well for the Sharks in the Blast,” Gillespie said.”He’s beyond excited to get started, obviously we have Carey over here in England and Phil has been chatting to him non-stop about how it’s going to work, when he can come out to Adelaide and meet everyone and get stuck in.”Salt has experience playing premier cricket in Adelaide with Adelaide University in 2017-18. He played nine matches across the summer while doing a stint at the Darren Lehmann Academy.”I had a stint in Adelaide playing for Adelaide University and loved it, I made some really good friends who I’m looking forward to seeing again,” he said. “I love working with Dizz (Gillespie), Rash and Alex, it’s so key when you’re trying to build a great environment to have guys who you know are going to put 100% in at all times and give everything they’ve got to the cause.”I’ve worked really well with Dizz over the course of my career so far and hope that we can be even more successful here at the Strikers.”The Strikers have also signed South Australia wicketkeeper Harry Nielsen to the roster. Nielsen played last season in Carey’s absence and will likely be required again when the Australia ODI side tours India for a week in January midway through the BBL.

Improved West Indies set out to show their mettle against full-strength India

The hosts will be called on to maintain their discipline and intensity for longer periods, and solve puzzles that other teams haven’t posed them

The Preview by Karthik Krishnaswamy21-Aug-20196:33

Dasgupta: Going to be a massive series for Rahane

Big pictureIn 2016, India came to the West Indies and won a four-match Test series 2-0. Had rain not washed away an entire day’s play in Jamaica, and all but 22 overs in Trinidad, they might very well have won 4-0.Despite the one-sidedness of the result, there were signs that West Indies was putting together a new crop of bankable players. The lower-middle-order trio of Roston Chase, Shane Dowrich and Jason Holder came together to deny India a win at Sabina Park, and in the next Test in St Lucia, a pace-oriented bowling attack containing a new face in Alzarri Joseph reduced India to 126 for 5 on day one.Some of the players who made their debuts or first major impressions in that series have gone on to become mainstays, and others, new and old, have joined them to form what is now a fairly settled Test line-up. The results have followed; since that series, West Indies have won six out of 11 Tests at home – most recently beating England 2-1 – and have also picked up away wins against Pakistan and England.When India begin the Test leg of their West Indies tour on Thursday, they’ll know they’re facing a better team than the one they beat in 2016 – particularly in the Caribbean, where their fast bowlers are backed up by the Dukes ball and seaming tracks with steep or inconsistent bounce. Where Tests in the West Indies not too long ago were attritional contests on slow pitches, they are now short, bruising duels featuring regular collapses.But if this template has brought West Indies Test wins at home in the last three years, it’s also brought them losses – to Pakistan, Sri Lanka and England. India – who have just emerged from a grueling run of away tours that culminated in a first-ever Test series win in Australia – are a better team than any of those three.When England toured the West Indies earlier this year, for instance, they had three clear weaknesses – top-order batting, spin bowling, and – until Mark Wood came in for the third and final Test – genuinely quick bowling. India are more or less covered in all those areas, and in pretty much every other area.Where India have rested key players on previous tours of the West Indies – 2011, most notably – they’ve brought a full-strength squad this time. This, after all, is their first appearance in the World Test Championship.This, therefore, will be West Indies’ biggest test in a while. Their batsmen and bowlers will be called on to maintain their discipline and intensity for longer periods, and solve puzzles that other teams haven’t posed them. We know West Indies are a better team than they were in 2016; this series will show us how good they are.Form guideWest Indies: LWWLL (last five Tests, most recent first)
India: DWLWWJason Holder celebrates a wicket•Associated Press

In the spotlightWhen India were here last, Jason Holder showed promise on every front, but his Test averages – 27.12 and 48.09, the wrong way around – made it plain that he wasn’t yet a good enough batsman to command a top-six slot, or a good enough bowler to take the new ball or bowl first-change. Since then, he’s transformed himself into one of the world’s top allrounders, with the numbers to match. In his last 20 Tests, he has averaged 39.46 with the bat, and 21.38 with the ball, and captaincy has rested so a whole lot easier on his shoulders. If the pitches in this Test series produce low-scoring cricket, Holder could make the same kind of impact against India that Sam Curran did in England last year.Seventeen wickets at 23.17, two five-wicket hauls, 235 runs at 58.75, two hundreds. R Ashwin had the series of his life when he toured the West Indies in 2016, but he has lately struggled with injury, and has had to miss four of India’s last five away Tests. India’s other spin options aren’t too bad either, and so, incredibly, Ashwin might not be an automatic starter. He’s come through plenty of challenges in the past; how will he handle this one?Team newsKeemo Paul, the 21-year-old seam-bowling allrounder, has been ruled out of the first Test due to an injury to his left ankle. Fast bowler Miguel Cummins, who made his Test debut against India three years ago in Jamaica, has replaced Paul.The pitch could well determine whether West Indies play four fast bowlers – in which case they pick Cummins – or three, and hand the offspin-bowling allrounder Rahkeem Cornwall a Test debut.West Indies: 1 Kraigg Brathwaite, 2 John Campbell, 3 Shai Hope, 4 Darren Bravo, 5 Shimron Hetmyer, 6 Roston Chase, 7 Shane Dowrich, 8 Jason Holder (capt), 9 Rahkeem Cornwall/Miguel Cummins, 10 Kemar Roach, 11 Shannon GabrielOn the eve of the match, Virat Kohli said India would take a decision on their bowling attack after having a look at the pitch. “It’s more or less a choice between three quicks and a spinner, and two quicks and two spinners,” he said, perhaps ruling out the possibility that India could play three quicks and two spinners, and only five specialist batsmen.India: 1 KL Rahul, 2 Mayank Agarwal, 3 Cheteshwar Pujara, 4 Virat Kohli, 5 Ajinkya Rahane, 6 Rohit Sharma/Hanuma Vihari, 7 Rishabh Pant (wk), 8 R Ashwin/Ravindra Jadeja, 9 Ishant Sharma, 10 Mohammed Shami, 11 Jasprit BumrahPitch and conditionsWest Indies’ fast bowlers have enjoyed themselves at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium over the last couple of years, Kemar Roach in particular. He picked up five wickets when West Indies blasted out Bangladesh for 43 here in 2018, and four in each innings when they dismissed England for 187 and 132 earlier this year.On the eve of the India Test, the pitch had a scattering of grassy patches on the good-length areas as well as a few damp-looking spots. Jason Holder called it a “bowl-first wicket”. Exactly how much help there is for the quicks remains to be seen, given that the pitch received a demerit point and a “below average” rating after the England Test. The weather in Antigua is expected to be cloudy, with showers forecast on day three.Stats and trivia Should Ravindra Jadeja be India’s first-choice spinner? Maybe. Since India’s last tour of the West Indies, he’s been the world’s best allrounder in terms of difference between batting and bowling averages (21.15). He’s taken his wickets at a slightly better average (23.84) than R Ashwin (25.74) and scored his runs at a far better average (45.00 vs 23.64). Among bowlers with a minimum of 50 wickets in the same period, Kemar Roach (42.8) and Shannon Gabriel (46.6) are among the top six in terms of strike rate, with Jason Holder (50.0) not far behind. Holder is seven wickets away from 100 in Test cricket, while Mohammed Shami needs six wickets to reach 150, and Jasprit Bumrah one to reach 50.Quotes”When you have points to gain, when you’re working towards something, then every match becomes that much more important. It’s going to bring in more competition, more requirement of concentration, precise cricket, a lot of discipline as well. I think the Test Championship and the format that it brings with it is going to take the standard of Test cricket higher.”
GMT 0334 The article was updated with the news of Cummins replacing Paul.

"ضربة قوية لـ سلوت".. الكشف عن التشخيص النهائي لإصابة أليسون ومدة غيابه

رغم النتائج الجيدة للفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي ليفربول وتصدرهم لجدول ترتيب الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز قبل التوقف الدولي الحالي.

إلا أن الإصابات قد تقلب الأمور رأسًا على عقب خاصة عندما تتعلق بمركز مهم مثل حراسة المرمى واللاعب، أليسون بيكر، الذي أجبر على الخروج من مباراة كريستال بالاس الماضية.

وبحسب شبكة “ليفربول إيكو” البريطانية أن ليفربول يواجه احتمال عدم مشاركة أليسون حتى نهاية نوفمبر المقبل بعد أن خضع لفحوصات طبية ونتج عنها التأكد من إصابة الحارس في أوتار الركبة.

يحتاج أليسون بيكر إلى الراحة والدخول في برنامج علاجي وهو ما قد يجعله يغيب عن 9 مباريات مقبلة أهمها أمام تشيلسي، آرسنال ومواجهتين ضد برايتون.

وبالطبع، سيكون غياب الحارس البرازيلي الدولي ضربة قوية للمدرب، آرني سلوت، الذي سيضطر للدفع بالبديل، كاويمين كيليهير.

اقرأ أيضًا | بتمويل مصري.. نادِ أمريكي يصارع الدوري السعودي على ضم محمد صلاح

المباريات التي سيغيب عنها أليسون مع ليفربول

تشيلسي – الدوري الإنجليزي – 20 أكتوبر.

لايبزيج – دوري أبطال أوروبا – 23 أكتوبر.

آرسنال – الدوري الإنجليزي – 27 أكتوبر.

برايتون – كأس الرابطة – 30 أكتوبر.

برايتون – الدوري الإنجليزي – 2 نوفمبر.

باير ليفركوزن – دوري أبطال أوروبا – 5 نوفمبر.

أستون فيلا – الدوري الإنجليزي – 9 نوفمبر.

ساوثهامبتون – الدوري الإنجليزي – 24 نوفمبر.

ريال مدريد – دوري أبطال أوروبا – 27 نوفمبر (غير مؤكد)

Nick Webb top contender to be India's strength and conditioning coach

Nick Webb has emerged as the frontrunner to take over from Shankar Basu as India’s strength and conditioning coach. Luke Woodhouse and S Rajnikanth are the other two shortlisted by a BCCI panel comprising the senior selection committee and fitness trainer and former Bengal batsman Ranadeep Moitra.The shortlists were made after a total of 12 candidates were put through theory and practical assessments – the latter at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru over the weekend. From 12, the number came down to five, before the final three were named, Webb on top followed by Woodhouse and Rajnikanth. A final decision will be taken by Rahul Johri, the BCCI chief executive.”We had 12 names to look at, five of them were foreigners, and then we brought the list down to five people,” Moitra told ESPNcricinfo of the screening process. “We had discussed the science and theory part of it earlier, and then, once we met at the NCA, we had a more practical test, with some of the junior cricketers there. At the end of it, we decided on the top three.”Webb’s prior experience and him being “sensitive to the needs of the subcontinent” went in his favour, Moitra explained. He has previously worked with the New Zealand women’s team and domestic side Central Districts. Prior to his involvement in cricket, he had held similar positions with Warriors, the Auckland-based rugby league outfit.”See, all of them have experience, and all of them have their plus points. All of them, obviously, were strong contenders,” said Moitra, who turned to fitness and conditioning after his cricket career was cut short by injury, even working as assistant to Gregory Allen King with the Indian team in 2004, apart from being involved with football and golf.”Some of them came with experience of working with international cricket teams. But we felt Nick was more sensitive to the needs of the subcontinent. Not that the others were not, but we felt Nick was firm but easy-going, more open, not too rigid.”Woodhouse is currently the national lead for strength and conditioning for the England women’s rugby team, while Rajnikanth is contracted with Delhi Capitals in the IPL.The BCCI was forced to look for new candidates after Basu decided against a contract extension following a four-year stint with the Indian team. The 2019 World Cup was his last assignment.

Spurs readying transfer offer for £26m talent who broke out under Mourinho

After signing Radu Dragusin to boost their centre-back options during the January transfer window, Tottenham Hotspur have already reportedly turned their attention towards the summer transfer window and another defensive reinforcement for Ange Postecoglou.

Tottenham transfer news

By the end of the winter window, Spurs had secured the signatures of Timo Werner on loan, Dragusin and young talent Lucas Bergvall, who will arrive in the summer. Those in North London will hope that Werner and Dragusin are enough to push the Lilywhites into the Premier League's top four in Postecoglou's first season in charge.

Currently fifth and two points adrift of surprise contenders Aston Villa, Spurs' January business could yet prove to make all the difference.

Postecoglou's progress will not stop with Champions League qualification this season, however, with Spurs' transfer rumours showing signs of intent this summer already. Reports have already linked the North London club with moves for Fulham centre-back Tosin Adarabioyo and Atalanta midfielder Teun Koopmeiners in two deals that would only boost the current squad.

Tottenham in advanced talks to sign "incredible" versatile defender for Ange

The Lilywhites are already thinking about the summer…

ByTom Cunningham Feb 9, 2024

It certainly seems as though Daniel Levy trusts his new manager, having backed him in the summer with arrivals such as James Maddison and Micky van de Ven, before then backing him again in January and seemingly preparing to do the same again in a few months. And that could see a future star complete a move.

According to TuttoJuve, Spurs are ready to make an offer for Dean Huijsen from Juventus. The 18-year-old defender, who is currently on loan at AS Roma, has also attracted the interest of Manchester United after breaking into the team before former Spurs boss Jose Mourinho was sacked.

The Red Devils and Spurs are reportedly prepared to bid €30m (£26m) to secure the teenager's signature this summer. Juventus, however, are unlikely to sanction a departure at this point. Rebuilding the Spurs backline with Dragusin and Van de Ven, Postecoglou could add the icing on the cake by welcoming a player for the future in Huijsen… if Levy can change their minds.

"Great" Huijsen is one for the future

A player who's already made his Juventus debut and enjoyed minutes on loan at Roma this season, Huijsen looks increasingly like a star in the making at just 18-years-old. It would be some coup if Spurs managed to secure his signature, with Postecoglou likely to deploy the Dutchman next to his countryman in Van de Ven to form what could finally be the centre-back partnership to one day end Spurs' wait for silverware.

Spurs repeat Van de Ven blinder with “incredibly fast” £31k-p/w titan

Huijsen is a player who's already earned plenty of deserved praise, including from Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri, who told DAZN, via JuventusNews24, after the defender's debut: "Huijsen came in serene and calm in playing, he never played difficult balls and never put his teammate in difficulty. He read like a great player, he did something like Ciro Ferrara.

"Gatti was booked, I said maybe he escapes once (Leao ed) and then Huijsen came on very well. We had three 2005s, two 2003s, one 2000. Fortunately, I found the 2005 players again, thanks to the work that went into it in the youth sector. He worked with the tranquillity and serenity of a thirty-year-old."

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