Newcastle United have lift-off. In the space of a few days, Chelsea and Arsenal have been put to the sword across two competitions by Eddie Howe’s men.

It’s been a patchy start to the season, with issues leaking into the first team’s football after a summer transfer window that left plenty to be desired, but it’s important to never forget that the Magpies are one of the most dangerous sides in England – something that Arsenal know only too well.

Mikel Arteta’s Gunners desperately needed three points at St. James’ Park to turn their flagging title bid back on track, but failed to get going, lacking creativity and bite against the titanic Toon.

We’ll get to the rear end of the pitch in a moment, but first, let’s pay homage to the resurgent Alexander Isak, who’s been reminding just about everybody that he’s one of the best number nines in the business.

Alexander Isak has found his feet

Isak started the season slowly, to be sure. However, the 25-year-old sharpshooter netted in both recent fixtures against Chelsea and scored again today against Arsenal, taking his tally to four goals and one assist across ten matches.

Alexander Isak’s Performance vs Arsenal
Match Stats	#
Minutes played	90′
Goals	1
Touches	30
Shots (on target)	2 (2)
Accurate passes	14/20 (70%)
Key passes	0
Dribbles (completed)	3 (1)
Total duels (won)	10 (3)
Stats via Sofascore

In many ways, it was a typical performance from the centre forward, who wasn’t on the ball at every stage but showcased great movement and hold-up play throughout.

And the header. Wow. The Swede fired past the hapless David Raya with an almighty effort, served by Anthony Gordon, who was brilliant throughout.

He might have notched the match-winning moment, but Isak wasn’t the best player on the pitch. Arsenal might not have looked that great in attack, but this is largely due to the host defenders, with Tino Livramento deserving of special praise.

Tino Livramento was immense vs Arsenal

Martin Keown noted that Livramento was just as good as his alternate full-back, Lewis Hall, who was busier as he dealt with Bukayo Saka. Keown would be right: Livramento proved once again that he is one of England’s finest up-and-coming talents with an almighty display against Arsenal.

Arsenal are supposed to be one of the most combative and crunching teams in the Premier League. Arteta has cultivated a rich crop in north London, though is starting to reinforce his side with steel, stepping away from the flashiness that was on show at the earlier stage of the project.

Newcastle dispelled that notion, at least on the day. Livramento was brilliant, fundamental to the victory. As per Sofascore, he won all four of his ground duels, created two key passes and triumphed with his one attempted dribble.

Livramento’s performance was certainly noticed, with 90min writing: ‘Won his battle with the fleet-footed Gabriel Martinelli and was similarly imposing after Leandro Trossard moved into a wider role. A fantastic display from the young full-back on the big stage.’

The Three Lions star was even handed a 9/10 match rating, underscoring just how magnificent his effort was in negating Arsenal’s attack.

Newcastle are making headway after a slow start. With a brilliant couple of wins in the bag, it’s time to turn heads toward the top of the Premier League and a potential slice of cup silverware too.

Newcastle struck gold with star Shearer called "unbelievable"

Newcastle once played a blinder by cashing in on him for £35m.

By
Joe Nuttall

Nov 1, 2024

Manchester United’s transfer business over the past couple of years will have left much to be desired after the lack of impact made by those walking through the doors at Old Trafford.

£600m alone was spent over the last couple of years during Erik ten Hag’s reign as manager, with the Dutchman undoubtedly wasting a huge amount of money on players not up to the standard of the Premier League.

Casemiro and Joshua Zirkzee are just two of many who have failed to catch the eye after their respective £70m and £36m moves to join the Red Devils.

However, sides like Brighton have demonstrated that you don’t need huge transfer fees to become a competitive top-flight outfit, with their transfer business up there with some of the very best in Europe.

There’s no denying that a clear-out is needed during January, leaving new boss Ruben Amorim – and the INEOS hierarchy – with numerous big calls to make surrounding the future of some players.

Amorim’s transfer calls ahead of January

Following his appointment a couple of weeks ago, current boss Amorm has already tried to implement his 3-4-2-1 system during his opening two games in charge, looking to push United back towards the top of the table.

The 39-year-old has already spoken about how impressed he has been with Mason Mount, handing the former Chelsea ace his first start of his reign against Bodo/Glimt on Thursday night.

It will take time for the £60m man to settle following a tricky period with injuries, but given his time playing the system at Chelsea, he could be a very useful asset to the new United boss.

However, on the other hand, there are various players who could be edging closer to the exit door, with the aforementioned Casemiro just one player who could be moved on.

Harry Maguire is another name who could be offloaded during the upcoming window, as the club look to cut their losses on the centre-back who cost them a staggering £80m in the summer of 2019.

He’s previously been of interest from the likes of West Ham United, but given his recent injury and fitness issues, coupled with his contract which is set to expire in the summer, it may present the last opportunity to make any money back on their mammoth investment.

However, one player must be top of the departure list, potentially bringing his dismal time at Old Trafford to an end.

The player who needs to be sold from Old Trafford

Brazilian winger Antony certainly raised eyebrows when he followed in the footsteps of Ten Hag, swapping Ajax for Manchester, costing the Red Devils £86m – the second-highest fee paid in the club’s history.

Undoubtedly, such a fee would inject excitement into the fanbase, but his time at Old Trafford has been nothing short of a disaster, looking well below the level expected of such a big-money signing.

During his time in the North West, the 24-year-old has made 88 appearances, scoring just 12 times and costing the club £975k every time he’s made an appearance to date.

Amorim’s appointment has even seen him feature in a right wing-back role in Thursday’s Europa League clash, trying to prove football director John Murtough right, after he dubbed the Brazilian “one of the most exciting young talents” in European football, following his arrival in Manchester back in 2022.

Games played

88

Cost per game

£975k

Goals scored

12

Cost per goal

£7.1m

Assists

5

Cost per assist

£17.2m

However, he was unable to do so, losing possession 12 times and only winning 50% of his duels, before being replaced just an hour into the encounter in Manchester.

Antony has proven with his goalscoring record that he doesn’t have the ability to be a real threat in attacking areas, unlikely to dislodge the likes of Amad Diallo, Alejandro Garnacho and Marcus Rashford from the attacking roles behind the striker.

He also pockets a huge £200k-per-week wage at the club, with the hierarchy desperately needing to cut their losses in January and allow him to move on to try and reignite his once-promising career in Europe.

There’s no chance that United will be able to receive a fee close to what they paid for his services in the summer of 2022, but INEOS need to pull the trigger and allow him to leave before his value plummets further, having reportedly told the winger that he can depart in the New Year.

With January coming up and Amorim set to be handed the chance to improve his squad, the deal to sign the Brazilian must be used as a reminder that just because you spend big doesn’t guarantee success – needing to make smart moves to help the new boss make the progression he desires.

"Worse than Malacia": Amorim simply must drop "dreadful" Man Utd star

The Manchester United ace has failed to impress since the arrival of Ruben Amorim.

ByEthan Lamb Nov 29, 2024

The England midfielder is the driving force behind Carlo Ancelotti's side's success – they are a far weaker side without him

Jude Bellingham might have said "f*ck off." He might also have said "f*ck you." Neither is a particularly good thing to say to a referee. Anyone who has played competitive sport – at any level – might understand that these things happen in the heat of battle. There are limits – there should always be limits – but Bellingham's passion has been analysed, re-analysed and, frankly, over analysed.

And it is on that principle that it becomes necessary to analyse Bellingham's impact on Real Madrid – or, more accurately, what's missing when he's not on the pitch. it was assumed, for some time, that in Vinicius Jr and Kylian Mbappe, Los Blancos had pretty much all they needed to swat opponents aside. Midfielders come and go, but world-class, Ballon d'Or-contending, match-winning forwards are almost unique.

As it turns out, football is more complex than that. A look at the past couple of months has shown that Madrid can live with a suspended Vinicius, can cope with an injured Rodrygo, and can dip deep into their academy to cover in defence. What they cannot do, though, is figure out how to win when Bellingham is not on the pitch. And with him again suspended for the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie with Atletico Madrid – this time for accumulation of yellow cards, rather than abusing an official – they simply must snap that streak.

Getty Images SportVibes are off

The raw numbers don't look all that bad when analysing Madrid's results during Bellingham's La Liga suspension. Without Bellingham, Madrid beat Girona at home, before slipping to a defeat at Real Betis that leaves them three points off leaders Barcelona in the title race. While that loss is unlikely to be terminal to their championship hopes, the manner of their performances in both that game and the victory that preceded it will be of concern to Carlo Ancelotti. Very rarely are Madrid so outclassed as they were on Saturday.

For the second half of the Betis game, Madrid basically stood and watched as Isco pulled the strings for the home side. There was no pressure on the ball, and even an apparent disinterest when their opponents had it. This wasn't a tactical low-block as much as a general ambivalence with absolutely no bite to be found.

That's what they miss when Bellingham isn't there. For some time, the ex-Birmingham City trainee was considered an old-school English midfielder. The Steven Gerrard comparisons were a bit too easy and slightly inaccurate (he's more Zinedine Zidane than Stevie G), but he does have that kind of leadership to him. Bellingham runs, Bellingham shouts, and Bellingham tackles just a little bit too hard while getting away with it. There is a gravitas to the way he goes about the game with the ball, and a real snarl when he's without it.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportWhat they miss

Madrid don't really have another player like Bellingham in their squad. Luka Modric may wear the armband for Los Blancos, but he isn't really a leader in the same way. These days, he floats around, finding cute angles and the killer pass. His off-ball work is spent mostly determining how he can conserve energy until he regains possession.

Federico Valverde cannot be faulted for his energy, but he lacks Bellingham's rampant disregard for positional discipline – the chaos factor. Valverde is a diligent, workmanlike footballer, someone who will follow instructions, but seldom improvise around them. Dani Ceballos, meanwhile, moves left and right, and often mistimes his tackles, and both Aurelien Tchouameni and Eduardo Camavinga are best used to shield and break up play.

Ancelotti outlined Bellingham's influence in October when he said: "We're satisfied with his work, I'm very satisfied. He works a lot, he's always present, he competes, he fights, he sacrifices himself." Without him, Madrid just look a weaker team.

Getty Images SportDefensive due dilligence

The defensive numbers back all of that up. Bellingham may be, loosely, an attacking midfielder, best known for his contributions in the final third, but it is his defensive numbers that go underappreciated. In fact, they're in line the best in the world. Among attacking midfielders, Bellingham is in the 92nd percentile for tackles, 94th for interceptions and 91st for blocks, per . He wins headers, blocks passes and makes clearances at an above average rate.

And then, there's the eye test. Bellingham can regularly be seen running 30 yards to chase a lost cause, tackling a little bit too hard and snarling at an opponent after deflecting a pass into touch, or winning a throw in. There is a rare defensive inspiration about some midfielders; Bellingham has it in spades.

He seems to bring it out of others, too. Perhaps the defining image of Madrid's early season frustrations came in a Champions League loss to Lille. Los Blancos were losing late in the second half, and neither Vinicius nor Mbappe looked like they really cared, as both were strolling around while the opponents had the ball. Bellingham turned around from a midfield position and screamed at the attacking duo, and while they couldn't turn the game around, and it is admittedly hard to pin a whole season on one shout, but Mbappe and Vinicius weren't ever really caught walking about again.

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GettyGrowing attacking influence

Going the other way, there was some confusion earlier in the 2024-25 campaign as to why Bellingham had stopped scoring. After all, 12 months ago, he had been on pace bag 40 in his debut season for Madrid (23 in all competitions was a fine return, mind you).

There were a number of reasons for the drop-off. Bellingham was playing in a deeper role while Madrid weren't quite firing on all cylinders as a team. The main factor, however, was that Bellingham no longer needed to be man going forward. Vinicius and Mbappe were doing much of the heavy lifting, meaning there barely enough goals to go around for fellow elite forward Rodrygo, never mind Bellingham as well.

The Englishman has, of course, responded to those early concerns by rediscovering his scoring touch, and he now has 12 goals in all competitions for club and country this term. But perhaps more importantly for this Madrid side is that he has also begun showing his creative side far more.

Such was his goal-scoring prowess last season that Bellingham's assist numbers went undervalued, as he laid on 17 goals for others across games for Madrid and England. Right now, he is well on pace to smash that number this season. Thus far, he has 14 assists to his name, and given the number of games left this season, he should be targeting at least 20.

The best example of what Bellingham brings to the table came in the only game in this four-match run that Bellingham has been able to play amid his Liga and Champions League suspensions: the first leg of Madrid's Copa del Rey semi-final against Real Sociedad.

Early on, Ancelotti's side were losing badly on balance of play but just about holding their opponents at bay. And then the moment came: Bellingham picked up the ball in his own half, pivoted with his left foot, and without really looking up, pinged a 60-yard pass to Endrick. The Brazilian teenager took one touch to control, and a second to poke home. That was all Madrid needed for a 1-0 win, and it's those contributions that are missing when Bellingham is unavailable.

Oliver Glasner’s Crystal Palace have seen an uptick in form in the past few weeks, beating Tottenham 1-0 in the Premier League, beating Aston Villa 2-1 in the EFL Cup, and then drawing 2-2 with Wolves in the league.

Despite having less of the ball – 43% possession – the Eagles created four “big chances”, generating 2.51 xG from 19 shots.

Palace now sit 17th in the Premier League on seven points, as they are set to take on Fulham at Selhurst Park in their next game.

Whilst they have improved recently, there is still room for further improvement, and Glasner could make a certain change in order to bring more defensive solidity in the middle of the park.

Will Hughes' performance against Wolves

29-year-old midfielder, Will Hughes, has made 12 appearances for Palace so far this season, starting five Premier League games, and totalling 632 minutes played. After receiving his fifth yellow card of the season, he is now suspended for the Eagles’ game against Fulham.

Versus Wolves, Hughes had an 84% passing accuracy (making 26/31 passes), only managed one of his three long ball attempts, won just one of his nine ground duels, and failed with both of his dribble attempts.

Alongside these stats, the former Derby County star was also dribbled past twice, and, of course, received his yellow card for a foul committed.

Due to Hughes’ suspension, Glasner has the chance to reinstate one of Palace’s “combative” midfielders, as labelled by scout Jacek Kulig, who could add some extra steel and duelling ability in the middle of the park, especially with Adam Wharton also missing through injury.

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Football FanCast's Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

The answer to Will Hughes' absence

Cheikh Doucoure could be the answer for Glasner, with Hughes and Wharton out, allowing him to start Doucoure alongside Daichi Kamada in midfield.

The 24-year-old has only made five appearances this season, totalling 171 minutes, as he has struggled with some reoccurring injuries in recent months.

However, his reintroduction could bring the London side a better balance in the middle of the park, adding mobility to get around, win his duels, and sweep up danger for Palace.

Goals + Assists

0.00

0.00

Progressive Carries

0.88

1.76

Progressive Passes

4.80

5.10

Passes Attempted

41.4

45.5

Pass Completion %

87.0%

75.0%

Passes into Final Third

3.82

3.73

Tackles

3.33

3.33

Blocks

1.27

1.18

Interceptions

1.93

0.86

If you compare the 2023/24 season for Doucoure, where he played 12 games, and the start of this season for Hughes, where he has also played a dozen matches so far, you can see what each midfielder can bring to this Palace side.

Whilst Hughes brings more progression, bettering Doucoure for progressive carries + passes per 90, and attempting more passes per 90, the latter offers more in defensive actions, with that combative style, winning 3.33 tackles per 90, making 1.27 blocks, and making 1.93 interceptions.

By adding Doucoure alongside Kamada in midfield, you get a nice blend of the defensive abilities from the 24-year-old, and the ability to still make forward passes from deep areas (shown from his 3.82 passes into the final third per 90), but also the creative/progressive qualities of the Japan international alongside him.

This could definitely be a solution for Glasner, at the very least until Hughes and Wharton are available for selection again.

Crystal Palace loan star has seen his value soar by millions after leaving

The Crystal Palace loanee has enjoyed quite the rise after leaving Selhurst Park behind.

ByConnor Holden Nov 7, 2024

MatériaMais Notícias

Após títulos em 2021, a goleira Luana, agora atuando pelo Sub-20 do São Paulo, afirmou querer mais conquistas nesta nova categoria.

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Luana ergueu, em 2021,as taças do Paulista Sub-17 e do Brasileiro Sub-18 com o São Paulo. Neste ano, subiu para o Sub-20 e ressaltou que esperar novos feitos.

– A temporada este ano vai ser bem cheia. Estou focada em entregar o máximo de mim, aprender o máximo possível e evoluir cada dia mais. Pretendo junto com o grupo chegar nas finais e finalizar a temporada igual o ano passado ou até melhor chegando em todas as finais – projetou Luana.

+ Veja a tabela do Paulistão 2022 e simule os próximos jogos

Em pré-temporada com o Tricolor, a atleta já projeta a preparação parao Paulista e o Brasileiro Sub-20, que está previsto para o início de maio.

– A gente vem trabalhando muito, assimilando as ideias de jogo proposta pelo nosso treinador. Espero ter grandes desempenhos. Desejo fazer ótimos jogos e chegar nas finais, aproveitar bastante os campeonatos para ser uma evolução como atleta – finalizou.

Rashid Khan signed off from his BBL stint with career-best figures of 6 for 17 to lift Adelaide Strikers off the bottom of the table with a thumping win at the Gabba as Brisbane Heat produced another of their eye-watering collapses.Rashid’s figures, coming in his 300th T20 game, were the third best ever in the BBL behind Lasith Malinga’s 6 for 7 and Ish Sodhi’s 6 for 11. He will now depart for international duty with Afghanistan in a major loss for Strikers, but on his last night sparkled briefly with the bat then halted a promising Heat position with two wickets in two balls as part of a team hat-trick.From 2 for 62 Heat, welcoming back a host of their players who had been hit by Covid, lost for 8 for 28 in seven overs with five batters collecting ducks – equaling the most in a BBL innings – as they fell out of the fifth finals position with three games to play.Strikers had laboured with the bat after Matt Short fell for a brisk 27 but a late cameo from Thomas Kelly (24 off 16) balls lifted them over the 160 mark.Thornton’s BBL restartAnother player given an unexpected opportunity in the tournament, pace bowler Henry Thornton made his second BBL appearance four years after a debut for Sydney Sixers. With his second legal ball, clocked at 143kph, he removed Chris Lynn from a bottom edge into the stumps. There was also some eye-catching late movement as he pitched the ball with an interesting, slingy action. Overall he went for just 12 in his three overs including eight dot balls.Run out, Rashid derail HeatFrom 2 for 17, Heat had recovered nicely through Lachlan Pfeffer and Ben Duckett before the wheels came off. Out of nowhere, Pfeffer set off for a non-existent single to midwicket and had no chance of getting back. Next ball, Sam Heazlett edged a Rashid googly to the keeper and then Jake Lehmann went for a big sweep off his opening delivery and was cleaned up. Xavier Bartlett survived the hat-trick but the damage had been done leaving Rashid to slice through the lower order. If Strikers are to make a run to the finals, they have a big hole to fill.Do Strikers have enough power?They got the win they desperately needed, but it was not a batting performance to inspire confidence. Short was promising after copping a painful blow to the arm from a wild throw by Nathan McSweeney to dominate the powerplay worth 1 for 33. However, the trio of Henry Hunt – who only faced seven balls in the first five overs – Jake Weatherald and Jonathan Wells had a combined tally of 83 off 81 balls. Overs 11-14 brought just 22 runs when Weatherald briefly broke the shackles with a hooked six before finding deep square leg next ball.Mujeeb vs RashidIt is often a surprise that the various T20 sides Rashid plays for don’t make more use of him up the order. At last Strikers made that move, Rashid walking out at No. 5 – just the 12th time in 170 T20 innings he had batted so high – to try and give the innings some impetus. He couldn’t have started much better, top edging his first ball off Bartlett for six before depositing him straight down the ground for another. However, the stay came to end in unfortunate fashion against his Afghanistan team-mate Mujeeb ur Rahman when, moving well outside leg, the ball cannoned off the pads into leg stump. Mujeeb knew he had got lucky and directed a little smile Rashid’s way. However, when Mujeeb later became Rashid’s fifth wicket the smiles had swapped.

قدم نادي ماميلودي صن داونز المنافس في بطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا اعتذارًا لمنافسه الترجي بعد الأحداث المؤسفة التي وقعت في مباراتهما في ذهاب مرحلة ربع النهائي.

وأقيمت مباراة صن داونز والترجي يوم الثلاثاء الماضي على ملعب “لوفتوس فيرسفيلد” في جنوب إفريقيا وانتهت بفوز الأول بنتيجة 1-0.

اقرأ أيضًا.. خبيران قانونيان يكشفان لـ بطولات إمكانية تعرض بيراميدز لعقوبات بسبب تذاكر الجيش الملكي

على أن تكون مباراة الإياب بين الفريقين بالأسبوع المقبل في انتظار الحسم لمعرفة من سيتأهل إلى نصف النهائي.

ولكن كانت هناك حادثة مؤسفة في المدرجات بين جماهير صن داونز والترجي وصلت إلى اشتباكات عنيفة للغاية، كانت ستسفر عن مقتل أحد مشجعي الفريق التونسي لولا إنقاذه من طرف مشجع آخر لنادي صن داونز، مما كاد يسفر عن سقوطه من المدرجات.

MAMELODI SUNDOWNS SADDENED BY UNRULY BEHAVIOUR AT ITS MATCH AGAINST ESPÉRANCE

Mamelodi Sundowns is deeply saddened by the unruly behaviour that was displayed yesterday (01 April) at its CAF Champions League quarterfinal match against Espérance de Tunis at Loftus Versfeld… pic.twitter.com/sp3JnpG7cs — Mamelodi Sundowns FC (@Masandawana) April 2, 2025

بيان صن داونز بعد أحداث مباراة الترجي المؤسفة في دوري أبطال إفريقيا

“يعرب نادي ماميلودي صنداونز عن حزنه العميق بسبب التصرفات غير المنضبطة التي حدثت يوم 1 أبريل خلال مباراته في ربع نهائي دوري أبطال إفريقيا ضد الترجي على ملعب “لوفتوس فيرسفيلد”.

وأظهرت مقاطع الفيديو المنتشرة على وسائل التواصل الاجتماعي تضررًا متعمدًا للملعب، كما بينت انسحاب جماهير صن داونز من السلوك العنيف الذي بدأ ضدهم، بما في ذلك إطلاق الألعاب النارية ورش رذاذ الفلفل عندما بدأ الحادث.

يترقب صن داونز تقريرًا كاملًا من مراقب المباراة، وهو ملتزم بالتعاون مع الاتحاد الإفريقي لكرة القدم (CAF) لاستكمال التحقيقات قبل مباراة الإياب.

يُعتبر الترجي مؤسسة رياضية محترمة في إفريقيا، ونحن واثقون أنه بمجرد مراجعة كافة الأدلة، سيقوم إخواننا وأخواتنا في الترجي بإدانة هذا السلوك واتخاذ الإجراءات اللازمة لضمان أن تكون المواجهة القادمة مكانًا يشعر فيه جميع المشجعين بالأمان والترحيب.

نحن واثقون من أن التحقيق سيسلط الضوء على الظروف التي أدت إلى التصرفات غير المنضبطة.

ومع ذلك، وفقًا لثقافتنا الإفريقية التي تقوم على التعاطف والتضامن، نحن ملزمون بتقديم اعتذار للترجي وجماهيره، حيث وقعت التصرفات غير المنضبطة في ملعبنا، رغم أن الفيديوهات والحقائق تشير إلى أن جماهير صنداونز لم تبدأ هذه التصرفات”.

Total women’s matches cut from 34 to 26 as 2022 fixtures are announced

Matt Roller27-Jan-2022The ECB have cut eight women’s matches from the Hundred’s fixture list for 2022 in order to accommodate a clash with the Commonwealth Games (CWG).The 100-ball competition will be staged between August 3 and September 3, a slightly later window in the English summer than in its first summer, with the women’s T20 tournament at the CWG due to run from July 29 until August 7, played exclusively at Edgbaston.The first eight matchdays of the Hundred will be standalone men’s fixtures, starting with a round of designated local derbies. Southern Brave, the defending men’s champions, will play Welsh Fire at the Ageas Bowl in the opening game on August 3.Men’s teams will play eight fixtures – twice against their local rival, and once against every other team – but women’s teams will play six, meaning each team will have one side that they do not play against in the group stages.Superchargers interviewing for Lehmann replacement

Northern Superchargers have been interviewing candidates for their vacant role as men’s head coach after Darren Lehmann stepped down from his position.
Marcus North, Durham’s director of cricket, was recently appointed as the Superchargers’ head of cricket and has been charged with leading the search for a replacement.
Lehmann stepped down citing “uncertainty around Covid-19” though the reported this week that the second year of his contract had been paid in full by the ECB and that “sensitivity over his ban for racist language while playing for Australia” was a factor.

The women’s competition will start on August 11, when the inaugural winners Oval Invincibles are due to host Northern Superchargers. That matchday will be the only one in which the most common double-header model is inverted: the men’s match will take place at 3pm, followed by the women’s at 6.30pm.The group stage ends with two double-headers – Northern Superchargers vs Southern Brave and Manchester Originals vs Oval Invincibles – on August 31, with the knockout stages to follow in early September.The eliminators, played between the sides finishing second and third in the group stages, will be held at the Ageas Bowl on September 2, with the winners playing the first-placed teams in the finals at Lord’s the following day.Some England men’s Test players are expected to be made available for the first two or three rounds of fixtures before their series against South Africa, which starts on August 17, and could be released for the knockouts, which take place in the break between the second and third Tests. White-ball specialists will be available for the duration.The Hundred will run alongside the Royal London Cup, which starts on August 2, and some England players may be involved in a First-Class Counties Select XI fixture against South Africa from August 9 as red-ball preparation ahead of the Test series.Defending men’s champions Southern Brave will play the opening game•Getty ImagesIn 2021, several multi-format players including Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow and Jos Buttler played the first two games of the Hundred before being pulled out for the start of the Test series against India, while others including Mark Wood, Chris Woakes and Ollie Robinson were given dispensation to miss the competition by the ECB.Teams have been negotiating with men’s players who were contracted in 2021 across the past two months, with the retention window due to close in mid-February. Each team can retain up to 10 men’s players, and the draft will be staged towards the end of March so they can fill their squads.Australia and New Zealand players are expected to prove popular at the draft due to a break in their schedule, though some Australians may be required for a one-day series against Zimbabwe pencilled in for the end of August.Related

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Teams have been allowed to retain a maximum of two centrally-contracted England women’s players and unlimited other players from their 2021 squads, with their retention window due to shut next week. That will be followed by an open-market system in which teams can negotiate with other players in order to fill the rest of their squads.Salaries have been increased in both competitions for 2022. Men’s salary bands have been increased by 25%, while women’s have been more than doubled after the success of the competition’s first season.Tickets will go on general sale in April, with earlier windows for those who attended games last year or registered their interest in the competition.

It’s not been a straightforward season for Tottenham Hotspur this year.

Ange Postecoglou’s side have alternated from looking like one of the best teams in the country, to one that handed Crystal Palace and Ipswich Town their first wins of the Premier League campaign.

The Australian has been able to turn his team into great entertainers, but that is also down to the fact that it’s hard to know which team will turn up on any given day.

It could be argued that the forward-thinking coach could use one of the first players he sold when he took the reins last summer, a player who’s been touted for a return to the England set-up by Gary Neville.

Spurs' 2023 summer departures

Before getting to the in-form player in question, let’s examine a few other Spurs stars sold in Postecoglou’s first summer, starting with the big one, Harry Kane.

Yes, after years of speculation, the England captain finally left North London last summer, but instead of remaining in the country, he joined German behemoths Bayern Munich for a fee said to be £86.4m.

The Lilywhites legend left the club with an unreal haul of 280 goals and 61 assists in 435 games, and while he’s already scored 61 goals and provided 21 assists in 61 appearances for the Bavarians, he is still yet to win his first trophy as an invincible Bayer Leverkusen finally pipped FC Hollywood to the throne last year.

Now, someone who didn’t leave with as much fanfare was Lucas Moura, who rejoined boyhood side São Paulo on a free after making 221 appearances for the North Londoners over five and a half seasons, in which he scored 39 goals, provided 27 assists and gave the fans that night in Amsterdam.

Since returning to Brazil, the 32-year-old has been in fine form and currently has 13 goals and nine assists to his name in 43 games this season, and was recalled to the Brazil squad and played in the World Cup qualifiers against Ecuador and Paraguay in September.

However, he might not be the only Spurs ace sold last summer to be recalled to their national team in the near future.

The former Spurs star Postecoglou must regret selling

Many former and current Spurs stars have been or still are part of the England set-up, such as Eric Dier, Kane, James Maddison, and now Dominic Solanke.

However, the player Neville believes should be a part of the England squad, and Postecoglou could regret selling last summer, is Harry Winks.

The Australian and Daniel Levy opted to cash in on the 28-year-old midfielder when Leicester City came in with an offer worth £10m, and while that looked like good business at the time, it’s starting to look less so this season.

After playing a crucial role in securing immediate promotion back to the Premier League, the Hemel Hempstead-born “Rolls-Royce”, as dubbed by former professional Ian Baraclough, has continued his fine form into this one, so much so that there are reports that the Lilywhites may be interested in re-signing him in 2025.

If true, it’s not hard to see why, as not only has he already racked up three assists and one goal in just 11 appearances, primarily from defensive midfield, but his underlying numbers are seriously impressive when compared to the North Londoners’ defensive midfielders.

Winks vs Bentancur vs Bissouma

Statistics per 90

Winks

Bentancur

Bissouma

Non-Penalty xG+As

0.13

0.13

0.10

Actual Non-Penalty G+As

0.38

0.25

0.40

Assists

0.29

0.13

0.00

Shots on Target

0.29

0.25

0.40

Passing Accuracy

86.5%

91.0%

91.4%

Key Passes

1.37

0.34

0.68

Crosses into the Penalty Area

0.21

0.00

0.00

Shot-Creating Actions

2.74

2.52

1.80

Goal-Creating Actions

0.32

0.00

0.00

Tackles Won

0.67

1.77

1.80

Blocks

1.05

0.85

0.91

Dispossessed

0.32

0.68

0.91

Fouls

0.57

1.77

1.20

Ball Recoveries

5.79

7.12

3.64

All Stats via FBref for 24/25 EPL & EFL Cup

For example, while he comes out second or third best in some metrics against Yves Bissouma and Rodrigo Bentancur, he comes out ahead in others, including but not limited to assists, key passes, crosses into the penalty area, shot and goal-creating actions, blocks and more, all per 90.

Ultimately, it might not be a popular opinion, and Winks might not make it back into the Three Lions set-up under Thomas Tuchel, but he has shown this season that the Premier League is where he belongs.

Moreover, when looking at his raw output and underlying numbers, it certainly looks like he could be doing a job for Postecoglou and Spurs right about now.

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Posts 1 ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 19, 2024

Tamim Iqbal scored 52 but no other team-mate could build on that start

Mohammad Isam22-Jan-2022

Tamim Iqbal scored 52 but no other Dhaka batter reached 20•AFP/Getty Images

How the match played outChattogram Challengers brought down the very experienced Minister Group Dhaka by 30 runs to round off a thrilling second day in the BPL. Nasum Ahmed’s superb figures of 3 for 9 scripted Dhaka’s doom, including Andre Russell’s wicket, before he could get going in the chase of 162.Left-arm quick Shoriful Islam mopped up the lower order with career-best T20 figures of 4 for 34, as Dhaka were bowled out for 131 in 19.5 overs. Chattogram had put on a competitive 161 for 8 in 20 overs, with the English pair of Will Jacks and Benny Howell providing big hits at either ends of the innings.Dhaka were unable to take advantage of a good start provided by Tamim Iqbal’s 42nd and second straight T20 half-century. Instead, Shoriful and Nasum engineered a collapse by sharing seven wickets in their eight overs.Big hitTwo big overs helped Chattogram knock over Dhaka. Shoriful took out Tamim, for 52, and Jahurul Islam in the space of three balls in the 12th over. Nasum then removed Mohammad Naim and Dhaka captain Mahmudullah in the 14th over, and Dhaka had slipped from 73 for 1 to 83 for 5 in the space of three overs.Nasum then took out Russell in his last over. A big hit was palpable but when Russell mistimed a hoick, and Shamim Hossain stayed calm under the skier for his third catch.Chattogram got an early boost when Jacks struck 41 off 24 balls, with six fours and two sixes over midwicket and square leg, all within the first 7.4 overs. Howell added three sixes of his own, one over long-on and two high over square leg, towards the end of the innings, in his 19-ball 37. Rubel Hossain, meanwhile, made up for his poor figures in the first match, this time taking 3 for 26.Big missAfter being bizarrely run out on the tournament’s opening day, Russell had another day to forget. He conceded 17 runs in his only over, before getting out for 12. He also dropped two catches. The only saving grace for Russell was the two good catches he held on to.Chattogram captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz also went wicketless after taking a four-wicket haul in their game on Friday, but he would be more than happy to pick up the hard-fought win.