Arsenal fans have reacted with frustration to the news that the Gunners are pursuing Chelsea's Noni Madueke rather than more highly-rated wingers.
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Gunners bid £50m for Madueke
Linked with Rodrygo, Gordon & Nico Williams
Chelsea talks ongoing
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WHAT HAPPENED?
Arsenal have made an opening bid of £50 million ($68m) for the 23-year-old, a fee which includes add-ons, but while Chelsea are open to negotiation, they believe the England international is worth more and are holding out for a higher fee. Meanwhile, some Gunners fans are baffled by the amount of money their club is willing to spend on a relatively unproven Premier League player, leading to the hashtag '#NoToMadueke' trending on social media.
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WHAT ARSENAL FANS ARE SAYING
Writing on X, AfcGabeast said: "You have to ask yourself if Madueke was at Arsenal do u think we could sell him for 50m? yeah I thought so, that how insane this business is"
EGTVEgal added: "Nobody wants or needs Noni Madueke at Arsenal stop. £50M for Madueke? Arsenal are shooting themselves in the foot. Sort out Eze or Rodrygo first"
Criticising boss Mikel Arteta, clinicalkai asked how "£50m for Madueke can be easily completed yet £70m for Gyokeres of £60m for Eze somehow cannot".
White_Yardie added: "I don’t believe all these transfer rumours but if Arsenal spend £55m on Madueke and don’t get Eze & Gyokeres then BERTA IS A FRAUD"
Some fans saw it differently, with akarsenalnews writing: "If Madueke was coming from PSG, everyone would see it so differently. Madueke isn't the issue, the fact he's coming from Chelsea is."
THE EXPLANATION
Arsenal's summer search for a left winger has been well documented, with other rumoured options including Real Madrid’s Rodrygo, Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers, Newcastle’s Anthony Gordon and Athletic’s Nico Williams. However, according to , the north Londoners believe all these players would cost more than Madueke, who they are aiming to acquire for roughly £50m. Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta is determined not to overspend on transfer fees or wages despite pressure from fans, and he still firmly believes that there are good players available for around £65m ($88m).
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DID YOU KNOW?
Berta is still doing plenty behind the scenes to secure the number one priority for Arsenal this summer: an elite-level striker. The club's pursuit of Viktor Gyokeres has been clear to see, but Berta appeared to make genuine strides earlier this week by flying out to Lisbon to hammer out an agreement with Sporting CP.
England indebted to rookie as Sri Lanka’s bowlers probe away on rain-truncated day
Andrew Miller22-Aug-2024
Asitha Fernando ripped into England’s top-order after a morning rain delay•Getty Images
England 259 for 6 (Smith 72*) lead Sri Lanka 236 by 23 runsAsitha Fernando produced a compelling display of all-purpose seam and swing bowling, while Prabath Jayasuriya chipped in with two bewilderingly brilliant deliveries in an otherwise steady display of left-arm spin, as Sri Lanka fought gamely to stay in touch on a gloomy second day of the first Test at Emirates Old Trafford.By the close, England were indebted to their rookie keeper, Jamie Smith, who justified his promotion to No. 6 with a hard-earned 72 not out, his third half-century in five innings since taking over from his Surrey team-mate Ben Foakes at the start of the summer. Harry Brook added another fifty of his own as England recovered from a dicey 125 for 4 to close on 259 for 6, with a slender lead of 23 in the bank.As had been the case throughout the West Indies series earlier in the summer, the impression after two days of action is that England should yet close out this contest with some ease, but the quality and spirit of the visitors’ bowling has forced them to graft with rather more diligence than might have been the case in previous incarnations of the Bazball era. Asitha in particular was superb throughout his 14 overs, spread across three key spells, including an incisive mid-innings bout of reverse-swing that belied the dank conditions.After sweating under the covers for several hour during a rainy morning in Manchester, the Old Trafford pitch was ripe for seam bowling when play finally got underway at 1.15pm, and Asitha was primed to cash in. With his bustling approach and a commitment to a full length, he posed problems from the outset, under still-dense cloud cover and with the floodlights in full beam.His performance went into overdrive from the first ball of his second over, when Dan Lawrence was pinned on the pad and given out lbw by umpire Paul Reiffel. Although that decision was successfully overturned, with the ball shown to be skimming over the bails, the information was stored away and perfectly processed by the bowler.Two balls later, and now with Ben Duckett on strike, Asitha fired the ball in a good two feet fuller, and was this time the successful reviewee, with the ball shown to be both pitching on and hitting leg stump as Duckett was turned inside-out on his attempted flick across the line.And in his very next over, Asitha served up the piece de resistance of his new-ball spell, an exceptional wobble-seam delivery, pitching half a foot fuller than the Lawrence ball, and straightening off the pitch to smash into the top of Ollie Pope’s off stump. England’s captain was gone for 6, and at 40 for 2 in the ninth over, England had a bit of a rebuild to undertake.Root is no stranger to skinny top-order scorelines, of course, and as he bedded in for the long haul, it was Lawrence who initiated England’s counterattack, with a brace of forceful whips through the leg side as Asitha strayed in length. But, having scored just four of his 30 runs through the off side, his vulnerability in the channel was superbly exploited by Vishwa Fernando, who nicked him off after a change of ends, using the breeze from the James Anderson End to push a lifter across his bows from his left-arm angle.Jamie Smith gets on top of a pull•Getty Images
Despite the conditions, Sri Lanka were able to find some appreciable reverse-swing off a typically abrasive Old Trafford pitch, meaning that Root and Brook had to be on their mettle even as their 58-run stand clipped along at more than five an over. Milan Rathnayake, Sri Lanka’s first-day hero, was picked off for three fours in an over as he strained for that swinging full length, but it was Asitha’s return to the attack that would prise the most vital wicket of the day.Root had reached 42 from 56 balls in another understated display of touch and timing when he was undone in expert fashion, climbing into a wider line from Asitha while still playing for the inswing that had been the feature of his over to that point. This ball, however, held its line and skidded straight on, and Dinesh Chandimal scooped up the low edge to leave England wobbling at 125 for 4.Brook, however, kept the foot down in his familiarly forceful manner, driving with heavy timing whenever the ball was over-pitched, and working the gaps well, with Sri Lanka’s field still veering towards the defensive given England’s reputation for boundary-hunting. He duly rattled along to a 59-ball half-century, his 14th in just 25 Test innings, and if it was beginning to feel as though something special would be needed to dislodge him, then Jayasuriya obliged shortly after tea.Sri Lanka’s left-arm spinner had been diligent without being threatening for much of his day’s work, when out of the blue, he served up something unplayable: a perfectly pitched ripper that gripped and bounced on middle and leg to clip the top of off. Brook could only blink in astonishment – as, indeed, would Chris Woakes, some 18 overs later, when he fell in near-identical fashion, to almost the only other spinning delivery to deviate from the straight all day.Between those two moments, however, there was Smith, with the third fifty of his fledgling career, and unquestionably the hardest-earned yet. He was forced to graft against the swinging ball early in his innings, although one massive straight six off Jayasuriya signalled his refusal to be cowed, but it was the mid-point of his innings that displayed his savvy – in particular a relative grind through the 40s, after Rathnayake had induced two inside-edges in the space of three deliveries with his probing fourth-stump line outside the rookie’s eyeline.Woakes was the ideal ally for a defensively minded rebuild, as England – a batter light in Ben Stokes’ absence – focused on batting long, rather than rushing into a lead. Sri Lanka’s tactics arguably failed to adapt to the dominance that their bowlers were exerting in this period, although in reducing the pair to a run-rate of less than three an over in their 52-run stand, they succeeded in keeping themselves in the game.And when the light began to fail, only minutes after Woakes’ extraction, there was never any thought of Sri Lanka bowling spin in the gloom for the sake of filling out the overs, as had been England’s approach at the same stage on day one. Dhananjaya de Silva marched his players straight off for the pavilion, with six wickets in the bank, and the prospect of a night’s rest for his quicks before they continue their quest to stay in touch with a quietly engrossing contest.
The incident took place during the third over of the Nepal innings in their game against Bangladesh on June 16
ESPNcricinfo staff18-Jun-2024
Tanzim Hasan Sakib accepted the sanction, and so there was no need for a formal hearing•Getty Images
Bangladesh fast bowler Tanzim Hasan Sakib has been fined 15% of his match fee for breaching Level 1 of the ICC Code of Conduct after an altercation with Nepal captain Rohit Paudel during the teams’ meeting in Kingstown on June 16.The incident took place just after the end of the third over of Nepal’s innings, when Tanzim, after bowling a delivery, “walked towards Nepal batter Rohit Paudel in an aggressive manner and made inappropriate physical contact”, according to an ICC release.There were a few words exchanged between the two players followed by plenty of hand gesturing, with the on-field umpire Sam Nogajski having to separate the two. The umpires were also seen having a word with Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto after the incident.Tanzim was found to have breached Article 2.12 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to “inappropriate physical contact with a Player, Player Support Personnel, Umpire, Match Referee or any other person (including a spectator) during an International Match”.
In addition, one demerit point was added to Tanzim’s disciplinary record. This was his first offence in a 24-month period. When a player reaches four or more demerit points within a 24-month period, they are converted into suspension points and the player is banned. Two suspension points equate to a ban from one Test or two ODIs or two T20Is, whatever comes first for the player.There was no need for a formal hearing as Tanzim accepted the sanction, which was proposed by match referee Richie Richardson. The charges were levelled by on-field umpires Ahsan Raza and Nogajski, along with third umpire Jayaraman Madanagopal and fourth umpire Kumar Dharmasena.Paudel had downplayed the incident after the game. “There’s nothing between us. Just he came and he told me to hit. And I said, go and bowl. Nothing else,” he said.Tanzim, with his spell of 4 for 7, derailed Nepal in the chase of 106; they eventually fell short by 21 runs. It was the lowest total any team had defended successfully at the T20 World Cup. Tanzim is currently the joint second-highest wicket-taker in this World Cup, with nine wickets in four games, at an economy of only 4.80. Having progressed to the Super Eight at the World Cup, Bangladesh next play Australia on June 21.
Manchester City are believed to be “very interested” in completing the signing of a player who has been described as a “superstar in the making” this summer, sending scouts to watch him in action.
Man City preparing for big Nottingham Forest clash
Pep Guardiola’s side’s season has been a big disappointment by their incredibly high standards, with the defence of their Premier League crown petering out relatively early in the campaign. Meanwhile, they were sent packing from the Champions League before the knockout stages.
There is still plenty to play for in the coming weeks, however, not least Sunday’s FA Cup semi-final showdown with Nottingham Forest at Wembley, and then ensuring they secure a top-five finish in the league.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s side have been one of the revelations of the season, sitting third in the Premier League table, so this will be a big test for City, who are looking to go one better than last term, when they were beaten by rivals Manchester United in the final.
Regardless of what happens this weekend, significant reinforcements are required at the Etihad ahead of the 2025/26 campaign, and a hugely exciting player has now been linked with a move there.
Man City very interested in PSG star Desire Doue
According to a fresh update from journalist Rudy Galetti TEAMtalk, Manchester City are “very interested” signing Paris Saint-Germain teenager Desire Doue this summer. Scouts have been sent to watch the gifted 19-year-old attacker in action, while Guardiola is believed to be a big admirer. PSG will only listen to offers of at least £85m, though.
Doue is a player who could have a massive future in the game, with journalist Julien Laurens recently waxing lyrical over his long-term potential.
“The key was that Luis Enrique and sporting director Luis Campos were both convinced they were getting a superstar in the making. Doue is so talented, strong mentally and physically. At PSG, they say he’s got rugby players’ legs because the bottom half of his body is so strong. They knew in Paris it would take time but they were ready. Luis Enrique was so happy to sign him. He was the player he wanted.”
Doue already has 13 goals and 12 assists in just 45 appearances for PSG, highlighting his end product at such a young age, so the idea of him in a City shirt is mouthwatering for supporters.
Capable of excelling on either wing and also in an attacking midfield role, the Frenchman could provide Guardiola with the extra depth that he craves next season and beyond.
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If Doue continues on his current trajectory, he will likely mature into a world-class footballer over time, and he is exactly the type of player City should be looking to sign, as they look to return to the top of the English and European game.
Those who appeared late into the IPL have been given a short time at home before heading to West Indies
Andrew McGlashan27-May-2024Australia will be significantly shorthanded for their two T20 World Cup matches with players who were involved late into the IPL given the chance for a short break at home before heading to the Caribbean.They are set to have just nine players available for the match against Namibia on Tuesday (Wednesday morning Australia time) with their resources further stretched by captain Mitchell Marsh not yet ready to bowl following the hamstring injury which ended his IPL. They also play co-hosts West Indies on Thursday.Related
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Pat Cummins, Travis Head and Mitchell Starc were involved in the IPL final on Sunday and will briefly return to Australia before joining the World Cup squad. Glenn Maxwell and Cameron Green, who were part of Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s run to the playoffs, are also spending time at home. Those five are due to arrive when the Australia squad reaches Barbados ahead of their first group match against Oman on June 5. Marcus Stoinis has also yet to arrive in the Caribbean.”It’s important to be flexible,” Marsh told cricket.com.au. “Guys have been at the IPL. They’ve been playing a lot of cricket so we’ve prioritized giving them a couple of days at home, see their family, refresh and play the long game for this tournament. We’ll get to our 15 eventually but it’s really important that we give them a break, even if it’s [just] a couple of days at home.”It means that Australia will likely need to call on members of the coaching staff to field during the warm-up matches if they want a full complement. Brad Hodge has joined the support staff for this tournament while head coach Andrew McDonald, national selector George Bailey and assistant coach Andre Borovec could also be called in.Mitchell Marsh is set to play just as a batter during the warm-up period•AFP/Getty Images
Daniel Vettori, another assistant coach, will also be part of the group after the IPL where he has been head coach of Sunrisers Hyderabad but would not be eligible to field in warm-up matches with those used having to come from the country involved.Marsh, who will captain Australia in a global event for the first time, was confident of being able to play both warm-up matches as a batter despite a slower than expected recovery from the hamstring injury he picked up playing for Delhi Capitals.”I’m just ticking off the last few things I need to tick off to be fit and available,” he said. “All went well today. It’s been progressively slow but finally getting there now and looking forward to getting stuck into the tournament.”Initially we thought it was a three-weeker but with tendons they can take a little bit longer and you sort of have to go on feel. Once I was ruled out of the IPL we’ve certainly taken our time to get it right and I feel lucky I’ve had that bit of extra time, a little bit of time at home to refresh and like all the others who have arrived today I’m raring to go.”Some teams have opted out of practice matches altogether but Australia’s two warm-ups will carry significance for those players coming from the off-season – Adam Zampa, Josh Inglis, Josh Hazlewood and Ashton Agar – and those like Matthew Wade and Nathan Ellis who did not feature much for their IPL sides. David Warner, whose international career will come to a close at the World Cup, is also coming into the tournament after a lean IPL and having suffered a hand injury.”He [Warner] didn’t really hit scores, and then he got a nasty hit on his hand. Basically, had the worst bone bruising and his contusion on the back of his hand that he’s ever seen,” Ricky Ponting, Delhi Capitals’ head coach, told the . “He’s a feisty little competitor that once the World Cup comes around, he hits the Australian colours back on again, then I’ve got no real concerns about him.”
Celtic could wrap up the Scottish Premiership title this week as they prepare to travel away from Parkhead to face off against Dundee United on Saturday.
The Hoops head into the game off the back of a thumping 5-0 win over St. Johnstone in the semi-finals of the SFA Cup at Hampden Park on Sunday, securing their place in the final against Aberdeen.
Brendan Rodgers knows that a win against Dundee United this weekend will secure the league title for the second time in as many seasons under his leadership, and for the fourth time in as many seasons as a club.
This means that there is still a chance for Celtic to win the domestic treble this term, after they failed to do so last season, if they can win the title and go on to beat Aberdeen at Hampden Park in the final of the SFA Cup.
Brendan Rodgers
Focus will then turn to the summer transfer window and how the Hoops can make changes to their squad in order to continue their success next season.
Celtic are already, reportedly, fighting to keep hold of one of their players ahead of the summer, as they are attempting to tie Greg Taylor down to a new deal.
The latest on Greg Taylor's Celtic future
The Daily Record reported last week that the club are in talks with the Scotland international over the possibility of a contract extension for the full-back.
It was claimed that the Scottish giants want to tie him down to a new three-year contract to extend his stay in Glasgow, with his current deal due to expire at the end of this season.
The outlet added that the three-year deal that has been tabled for the defender would see his wages significantly increased. They currently sit at £15k-per-week, but it is not revealed what they would be increased to if he put pen to paper on this three-year extension.
Despite this, there remains uncertainty over Taylor’s future at Celtic because the report outlined that he would still have to play second-fiddle to the returning Kieran Tierney next season.
Wage Burners
Football FanCast’s Wage Burners series explores the salaries of the modern-day game.
The Daily Record also outlined the level of interest in the left-footed star’s services. He has an offer on the table from Dinamo Zagreb and has interest from unnamed clubs in the MLS, in Italy, and in England, which suggests that he has plenty of options to pick from and would not be left without a club by leaving the Hoops.
It now remains to be seen whether or not Taylor would be happy to remain at the club to be behind Tierney in the pecking order, with the carrot of a wage increase that could see him move further up in the club’s top ten earners.
Celtic's top ten wage earners
The Scottish defender’s £15k-per-week wages at the moment place him tenth in the wage bill, as per Salary Sport, although they are yet to add Jota’s wages to their data since his move from Rennes in January.
Cameron Carter-Vickers and Callum McGregor are supposedly the joint-highest earners in the squad with wages of £37k-per-week, over £20k more per week than Taylor earns.
Cameron Carter-Vickers
£37k
Callum McGregor
£37k
James Forrest
£19k
Daizen Maeda
£18k
Alistair Johnston
£16k
Reo Hatate
£16k
Arne Engels
£16k
Adam Idah
£16k
Luis Palma
£16k
Greg Taylor
£15k
As you can see in the table above, most of the top earners in the team are the regular starters in Rodgers’ team who have earned their place in the top ten earners, including the likes of Daizen Maeda, Reo Hatate, and Arne Engels.
Luis Palma, who earns more than Taylor, however, does not fall into that category. In fact, his lack of impact in the first-team led to him joining Olympiacos on loan in the January transfer window.
Why Celtic must finally sell Luis Palma
The Hoops must finally cash in on the Honduras international when the summer transfer window opens for business because he is clearly not a part of the manager’s plans and is, therefore, bleeding the club dry with his high wages.
Olympiacos reportedly have an option to sign him permanently for £3.4m, but it has been claimed that they are not going to exercise that option. This means that Palma is due to return to Parkhead in the summer, as it stands.
Dynamo Kyiv are reportedly interested in a deal to snap up the forward ahead of next season, though, and Celtic must push to do a deal with them in the coming weeks and months, in order to finally part ways with the flop.
Appearances (starts)
28 (18)
8 (1)
Goals
7
0
Big chances created
14
1
Assists
9
0
Key passes per game
2.4
1.5
As you can see in the table above, his game time and his performances regressed from the 2023/24 campaign to the current season, which suggests that Rodgers lost faith in the attacker – culminating in his loan exit to Olympiacos in January.
Palma has had some good moments in a Celtic shirt, including the spectacular goal in the clip above, but his lack of minutes and goal contributions this season suggests that the club are wasting significant wages on him.
Earlier this term, former Hoops striker John Hartson was not afraid to be scathing in his assessment of the winger. The Daily Record quoted him as saying: “For me I am watching him thinking ‘go, make something happen’ and it just comes to nothing. For me as a winger Palma doesn’t do enough. He is just too wasteful.”
Celtic's Matt O'Riley celebrates scoring their fourth goal withLuisPalma
Palma has, therefore, not impressed pundits, not impressed Rodgers, and not impressed his loan club enough to seal a permanent move to Olympiacos, with zero goals and zero assists in six Super League matches for his temporary team.
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It is now down to the board to find a suitor, whether that is Dynamo Kyiv or another club, to finally part ways with the £16k-per-week dud ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.
Leeds United want to sign an international forward in the summer who has been likened to former Newcastle United and Fulham star Aleksandar Mitrovic, according to a new report.
Leeds latest transfer news
Despite a recent drop-off in form, Leeds United are still well in the race for a return to the Premier League, two seasons after they dropped out of the division.
With just eight games to play, Daniel Farke’s side lead the Championship table, ahead of second-placed Sheffield United only on goal difference and two points clear of Burnley in third.
Leeds United manager DanielFarkeapplauds fans
Whether that’s in the Premier League or the Championship, the Whites seem to already be preparing for next season, with a number of transfer targets reportedly already on their radar.
Among those are Southampton striker Cameron Archer, who was a target for the club in January, while, according to reports from Africa Foot, the Yorkshire club are also keen on signing Almeria forward Ibrahima Kone in the summer.
The most talked-about of Leeds’ potential summer transfers, however, is the proposed return of Kalvin Phillips. A recent report from TEAMtalk revealed that Leeds already have a verbal agreement with Phillips, who is currently on loan at Ipswich Town from Manchester City, to return to Elland Road if Farke’s side secures promotion back to the Premier League.
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Phillips himself is also said to be keen on returning to his boyhood club and is pushing for a move, which he hopes will be able to help him revive his stalling career.
Leeds want new 23 y/o forward likened to Mitrovic
Another player reportedly on Leeds and the 49ers Enterprises radar ahead of the summer is Dynamo Kyiv striker Vladyslav Vanat. The 23-year-old, who has been capped 10 times by Ukraine, has scored 16 goals in 34 appearances this term, helping put Kyiv in pole position to land the Ukrainian Premier League title.
According to TBR Football’s chief correspondent Graeme Bailey, Leeds are one of a number of clubs, alongside West Ham United and Fulham, who are now keeping tabs ahead of a potential swoop in a few months’ time.
Vanat has been described by Football Talent Scout’s Jacek Kulig as a “complete forward” who boasts excellent “pace, finishing, shot power, movement, link-up play, ambidexterity”.
According to Football Transfers, Vanat has a similar style of play to former Fulham star Mitrovic, who now plays in Saudi Arabia for Al-Hilal.
Leeds know all too well about the Serbian striker’s talents, with him having netted five goals and produced three assists in nine games against the Whites during his career, including twice in a thrilling Premier League game in September 2020, which Leeds won 4-3, and by the looks of things, a move for Vanat could be one to watch.
England captain seeks positives after 4-1 loss as he backs team to stick to positive style
ESPNcricinfo staff09-Mar-20242:42
Did England run out of steam in Dharamsala?
England were outplayed by the better team since winning the first Test against India – that was Ben Stokes’ assessment of his side’s 4-1 series defeat, delivered well inside three days of the final match in Dharamsala.Faced with a first-innings defict of 259, England were bowled out for 195 in their second as India won by an innings and 64 runs. Stokes’ response immediately after the match was measured in the face of R Ashwin’s five-wicket haul – he took nine for the match in his 100th Test – which sealed the result. Centuries to Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma helped India to an imposing 477 after Kuldeep Yadav’s five-for helped restrict England to 218 in their first innings.”Now that the series has come to an end – I don’t give too much away, obviously, whilst the series is going on – but since the first Test match of the series, we’re man enough and we’re big enough to say that we’ve been outplayed by the better team in the series,” Stokes said at the post-match presentation. “But we’ve got so much cricket coming up in our summer, and then Pakistan and New Zealand. Taking the positives that we’ve got from the series is something that I’m really looking forward to. I’m excited to be a part of driving this team even further forward.”Speaking to broadcaster TNT afterwards, Stokes added that the tour result had done nothing to dent England’s Bazball ethos, saying “we ain’t gonna let the last two years go to waste over this series in isolation”, having said during the presentation that he wasn’t troubled by a lack of batting consistency.”When you look at the game as a whole, and the series as a whole, there’s been really small moments throughout every Test match where we wrestled a bit of momentum back towards us, but we’ve not just been able to maintain and keep that going,” Stokes said. “And in Test-match cricket, especially out here where the game can turn really fast on you, it’s about understanding that and trying to understand those moments and being a bit more relentless with it. How that looks, I’m not sure, but we’re all here at the highest level playing cricket. I think we all know as individuals that that’s probably where it’s gone wrong for us, on more than one occasion.Related
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“When India get on top, especially with the ball, you see a lot of men come around the bat, and when you’ve got the quality bowlers that they do – Ashwin, [Ravindra] Jadeja, Kuldeep – you’ve got to find ways of getting the guys around the bat out of there. Sometimes that comes with risk. Risk doesn’t always pay off, but you get a couple of sweeps away and then you find you’ve only got one man around the bat. You’ve just got to be positive enough to be able to take that risk, and know that sometimes it can be your downfall.”You can look and say, ‘could I have done something better?’ But when the intent and the application is there, with the real reason as to why you’re playing that shot, then you can’t really say too much else.”In spite of the margin of England’s defeat, Stokes reiterated that there were positives to take from the match and series. Young spinner Shoaib Bashir overcame illness on the eve of the match to take his second five-wicket haul in as many Tests (just the second and third of his career). Tom Hartley stepped in as lead spinner in the absence of an injured Jack Leach, while Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett continued to develop their partnership at the top of the batting line-up with seven 45-plus stands in the series.Some of the senior players had their moments at the end of the series, too, with Joe Root coming into form with a century in the fourth Test and 84 in the second innings of the fifth, while at the age of 41, James Anderson took the 700th wicket of a Test career spanning nearly 21 years.”I’ve been lucky enough to be on the field with some of the lads there, the milestones that Jimmy’s got to, but being there for 700 wickets as a seamer, it is quite phenomenal,” Stokes added.”I’ve said many a time that he’s someone who every young kid, if he wants to be a fast bowler, should look up to and try and emulate,” he continued. “Everything that he has done from the day he first started being a cricketer, let alone international cricketer, to where he is now … 41 years old, he’s as fit as I’ve ever seen him, and I honestly just don’t know when he’s going to stop, because the desire to commit is still there. It’s great to watch.”
Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr have won their appeal against Al-Orouba for fielding an ineligible player in their 2-1 Saudi Pro League loss.
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Al-Nassr win appeal against Al-OroubaHanded a win by default and three points Back in the race for Champions League EliteFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Saudi Pro League relegation battlers, Al-Orouba, managed to stun Al-Nassr in the first week of March with a surprise 2-1 win. Stefano Pioli's side then launched an appeal against Al-Orouba for allegedly fielding an ineligible player in the form of their goalkeeper Rafi Al-Ruwaili, who was the Man of the Match in that clash. Al-Nassr contested that the goalkeeper was not eligible to play against their side as he was a government employee, and the league demanded full-time professional players.
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The Saudi Sports Arbitration Centre (SSC) announced on Sunday evening that it had accepted Al-Nassr's appeal against Al-Orouba after Faris Najd had provided documented proof that Al-Ruwaili continued government work. The decision has now handed Al-Nassr an automatic win and a vital extra three points that puts them back in the hunt for AFC Champions League Elite qualification.
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Two weeks ago, Al-Nassr were mathematically ruled out of the race to achieve AFC Champions League Elite qualification after their 1-1 draw with Al-Taawoun, as second-placed Al-Hilal gained a seven-point lead with two games left. However, Al-Nassr's win by default has now put them on 70 points, just two points off the last place for AFC Champions League Elite qualification.
Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR AL-NASSR?
Ronaldo and Co will be in action for the last time this season when they take on Al-Fateh on Monday, May 26. To achieve AFC Champions League Elite qualification, Pioli's side will have to get a win and hope that Al-Hilal will lose, as a draw for Mohammad Al-Shalhoub's side would be enough to secure second place via goal difference.
Despite the long tour, the Australia captain says he is in a better condition heading into The Oval this time compared to in 2019
Andrew McGlashan26-Jul-2023The Ashes is secured, but there is a huge amount at stake for Australia at The Oval. Return home with a 3-1 series win, to go alongside the World Test Championship title, and legacies will be secured. Draw the series, from being 2-0 up, and it will be mission incomplete.Many of this Australian squad featured in the 2019 Ashes series, which ended 2-2 when England won at The Oval. That has gnawed away at them, particularly after they had responded impressively from the Ben Stokes miracle at Headingley to win at Old Trafford.Pat Cummins remembers the final game of that series as the only occasion he worried he would miss a Test through fatigue, although he still ended with five wickets and bowled the most of Australia’s quicks, having also played the ODI World Cup earlier. This time, he is under scrutiny both as bowler and as captain, having endured a tough few days in Manchester. But he insists he has the gas in the tank for one final push. You wouldn’t expect him to say anything different.Related
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“I remember turning up here in 2019 for the fifth Test and I was wrecked,” he said. “It’s probably the only time in my career where I thought I genuinely might not be able to play. But I still did a decent job then. And I feel in a much better position now.”So, for the second time in four years, Australia reach The Oval 2-1 up but via different routes and aiming to achieve what they have been unable to do since 2001. This time, they were perhaps two good sessions of cricket away from securing this series outright in Leeds. England were 142 for 7 at lunch on the second day, still 121 behind, and for all their love for a run chase there is a good chance that, had they conceded a hefty lead, the game would have gone.Instead, largely through Ben Stokes and Mark Wood, England cracked 95 off ten overs to draw almost level and then, later in the day with Australia’s lead approaching 100, Steven Smith and Marnus Labuschagne handed their wickets to Moeen Ali. There were a few twists to come but that’s where the mood of this series shifted.At Old Trafford, Australia were outplayed in a manner that has rarely been seen in recent years – over an extended period, rather than a single crazy session such as the one that cost them in Delhi earlier this year. In Manchester, a lazy first-day batting display then became a rudderless performance in the field as Zak Crawley, Joe Root and latterly Jonny Bairstow made merry.
“There are some people who are close to the end of their career. That means we’ll have to find some new guys, who I think it won’t be very hard to find, but no doubt the team’s going to change over time. Maybe it’s this moment, I don’t know”Pat Cummins on the inevitable changing of guard, which doesn’t look too far away
Australia admitted how poor they were, but have also tried to play it down somewhat by saying they always expected it would come given how England play. When it did come, they did not have any answers. Labuschagne and Mitchell Marsh ensured a touch of equilibrium was resorted on the fourth day, but only the rain saved them.It all means they come back to London, where this tour started at the beginning of last month with the World Test Championship final, needing a victory (or at least be in a strong position for one should weather intervene again) to honestly be able to leave knowing they were the better team.”It’s a big one,” Cummins said. “If we win this one and you look back, it’s been an incredible tour over here really. We’ve played five games, we’ve won three and only lost one. It’s already a fantastic tour. But to go home winning the urn would be phenomenal. It’s a final thing to tick off the list of titles to win for a few of the guys, who you never [know] if you’ll get another chance at it. We’ve said the whole time, our aim is to come here and win the Ashes and that’s the opportunity ahead of us.”As Cummins alluded to, it will be the last Ashes Test in England for a lot of this side. In fact, it probably marks the start of a transition for both teams: the youngest member of the England attack at Old Trafford was Wood at 33.”They’ve got world class bowlers in their attack,” David Warner said. “They’re all mid-30s, like myself, so it’s just great to see them keep coming. They probably don’t have much cricket left in them and it will be sad to see a lot of those guys leave and we have to applaud the way that they’ve kept coming year after year.”Pat Cummins and Alex Carey could be borderline names when Australia pick the team for their next Ashes series in England•Associated PressFor Australia, of those who have featured in the series, you can only say confidently, as much as is possible with the uncertainties of professional sport, that Labuschagne, Travis Head, Cameron Green and Todd Murphy will have the chance of returning in four years’ time. Marsh and Alex Carey (35 by then) are perhaps borderline names, as is Cummins himself who will be 34. The team will start disbanding as soon as the next home summer with Warner the first to depart, at the SCG against Pakistan in early January if he makes it that far.”We know we are an experienced team,” Cummins said. “But that means there are some people who are close to the end of their career. That means we’ll have to find some new guys, who I think it won’t be very hard to find, but no doubt the team’s going to change over time. Maybe it’s this moment, I don’t know.”While some are questioning how long Cummins will be able to marry the role of lead fast bowler and captain, he sees the upcoming changing of the guard as something exciting.”We’re very individualised in how we let everyone be themselves and do it their way,” he said. “Some of that’s down to the fact that we’ve got guys that have played 100 Test matches [and] 15 years of first-class cricket. If there’s new guys [coming] in maybe you need to shift that a little bit more. It’s exciting – that’s what I like about the job.”But before the future, comes the immediate challenge. Being crowned Test world champions was deserving reward for two years of excellent Test cricket, but coupling that with an Ashes series win in England – something that has passed by a number of very fine Australian players – is needed to ensure that this group of players has its place in history.