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“I didn’t imagine it sometime back that we would we playing Tests again with what was happening around us”

Sidharth Monga18-Dec-2020Leading wicket-taker, crucial runs with Cheteshwar Pujara, an economy rate of under two throughout the Test. That was R Ashwin the last time India played in Adelaide. Yet there were questions around whether he should be the spinner representing India in Adelaide this time, not least because by the end of the last tour his coach had openly said Kuldeep Yadav was his No. 1 choice in away Tests.You would expect the old Ashwin to follow up his four-for to put India in a dominant position in the Test with an equally aggressive verbal display in the press at the end of the day, but he is a changed man now. This has been an extremely tough year on everyone, and Ashwin says he is thankful to be able to be back on the park and wants to enjoy every minute he spends on it. The competitor on the field is still there but he is not smarting for a fight off the field.Virat Kohli leaps high while R Ashwin is all smiles after a key strike•Getty Images”I am so happy we are playing Test cricket again,” Ashwin said at the end of the second day. “I didn’t imagine it sometime back that we would we playing Test cricket again with what was happening around us. For me, being extremely mad about the sport and still doing a lot of work even during the lockdown, it just felt so refreshing to go there and have a bowl. The feeling was great. Pink-ball Test and all that. Just felt amazing to go out there. I felt like I was making my debut again. I enjoyed my bowling.”A lot has been spoken about the styles of the two offspinners in this Test, Ashwin and Nathan Lyon, especially the bounce Lyon gets and how it works in Australia. “I think every spinner is different,” Ashwin said. “I think sometimes things can get blown out of context when comparisons are made with how one approaches his trade in comparison with the other. Even in this Test, Nathan and I bowl very differently. We are both very different bowlers. Successful in our own way.Related

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“For me it is about trying to change it up and make it difficult for the batsman to be able to defend and also score at the same time. Sometimes when you are playing just four bowlers, especially away, my trade is just to hold one end up and rotate the fast bowlers at the other end and also go for wickets if I do get enough assistance or early wickets. For me it is extremely important to make it as difficult as possible for the batsman to defend.”2:04

R Ashwin: ‘Felt refreshing to go out there and have a bowl’

Ashwin did get testy for a brief while when asked if he considers trying to bowl a little like Lyon in Australia or Moeen Ali in England. “Sometimes I feel these comparisons and the way we look at things is skewed,” Ashwin said. “Nobody asks batsmen to go and watch how Smith bats and replicate it all the time when we tour Australia. Nobody asks them to bat like Alastair Cook or Joe Root when they play. I think we are all aware that everybody skins a cat differently.”There is no end to what you can learn, you can always learn all the finer things, how they go about their business, what fields they set, the passage of play. I have always maintained this, especially when you play away from India, the passages of play need to go your way as a spinner because you are doing a twin job and against the conditions. As far as I am concerned, I watch carefully to see if I can learn and also prepare thoroughly for the batsmen and put in an earnest effort. How people perceive it and how they compare it is for them to do.”Even when asked if this was the best he had bowled away from home, Ashwin said he didn’t want to compare, but also made it a point to say that he has been pretty good away from home last two years or so. “Look in the last two years if people might not reflect upon a couple of not-so-great situations or matches if you may call so, I have pretty much had decent outings every time I have gone out to play abroad over the last 18 months or so,” Ashwin said. “And things can get blown out of context. I have put those things behind me, and I only want to enjoy my trade and have all the fun I possibly can. I don’t want to sit back and think whether it is the best or not. For me there is an innings to go and I am looking forward to the entire series. It is a great opportunity for me to play the game I love.”The entire series is a crucial point because he has started three of his last four tours superbly only for an injury to sideline him. His numbers in the first Test of series are way better than the subsequent ones. Correcting that is his next challenge this tour.

The Norwegian toiled while the veteran full-back was destroyed by the electric Milos Kerkez as Andoni Iraola's side claimed a deserved win

Manchester City's long unbeaten run in the Premier League was finally broken by a rampant Bournemouth, who took advantage of the champions' injury crisis and earned a thoroughly deserved 2-1 win.

Pep Guardiola urged some players to play through the pain a day before the game and named a squad containing Savinho, Kevin De Bruyne and Jeremy Doku – and a line-up including Josko Gvardiol, Manuel Akanji and Kyle Walker, who were all previously doubtful due to various fitness issues.

Walker may as well have not played as he had a shocker, losing his feet on two occasions and his marker many times. He was nowhere to be seen when Milos Kerkez set up Antoine Semenyo to score in the ninth minute after an electric start from the Cherries. City had the ball but couldn't do anything with it, with Bournemouth looking like they wanted it far more. They doubled their lead when the livewire Kerkez raced past Walker after an end-to-end move and Evanilson slid in to divert the cross past Ederson.

A powerful header from Gvardiol with eight minutes remaining made for a frantic finish and City looked certain to strike late and rescue the game, as they had done against Arsenal and Wolves. But Erling Haaland hit the woodwork and Phil Foden also wasted an injury-time chance as Guardiola's side fell to a second consecutive defeat after exiting the Carabao Cup to Tottenham.

GOAL rates Man City's players from the Vitality Stadium…

Getty Images SportGoalkeeper & Defence

Ederson (6/10):

Made a wonderful double save to thwart Semenyo and Justin Kluivert. Couldn't really be faulted for the goals but his kicking was weak.

Kyle Walker (3/10):

In the team amid much surprise after Guardiola had said he would be out until after the international break. Looked awfully rusty, being destroyed by Kerkez.

Manuel Akanji (5/10):

Struggled to deal with Bournemouth's running in behind.

Nathan Ake (5/10):

Too slow to react for both goals. Got a standing ovation from his former club's supporters. Perhaps they were saying thanks for his passiveness.

Josko Gvardiol (6/10):

Poor for both Bournemouth goals, turned by Semenyo and then lost the race with Evanilson. Compensated at the other end by giving City hope with his thumping header.

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Mateo Kovacic (5/10):

Too cumbersome in possession.

Ilkay Gundogan (6/10):

Couldn't match Bournemouth's intensity but set up Gvardiol for the goal.

Bernardo Silva (7/10):

City's best attacker, responsible for their best moments.

Getty Images SportAttack

Matheus Nunes (5/10):

Created one chance in the first half.

Erling Haaland (4/10):

Struggled to break Marcos Senesi's resistance but should have equalised in added time when he was denied by Mark Travers from point-blank range.

Phil Foden (5/10):

Destroyed by Milos Kerkez down the flank for the first goal. Fired just wide early in the second half and also missed the target right before the end.

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Rico Lewis (5/10):

Should have come on much earlier, and for Walker rather than Ake.

Jeremy Doku (7/10):

Gave City a real chance in the 10 or so minutes he was on for.

Pep Guardiola (4/10):

Fielded too many players who were not fully fit, above all Walker when Lewis was able to play. Too slow to react, not making a sub until the 73rd minute.

Romelu Lukaku, John Stones and Anthony Gordon are just three players that Everton have made huge profits on in recent years, all either joining the club for a bargain fee or coming through as a product of the Toffees’ academy.

However, they’ve also had their fair share of blunders in the market, signing players who have failed to deliver and seeing them lose a lot of money, subsequently plunging the Toffees into financial difficulties.

As a result, the club have had to act sensibly when it comes to new additions, to prevent a repeat of the breach of PSR rules last season which saw Sean Dyche’s side hit with a combined deduction of eight points.

The 53-year-old boss has done an excellent job considering the circumstances since his appointment in January 2023, securing the club’s ever-present Premier League status and providing stability in a time of off-the-field turmoil.

He now has the opportunity to bolster his squad and build on last season’s 15th-placed finish, with Everton still pushing to sign one player despite constant interest from other top-flight clubs.

Everton’s attempts to sign Jaden Philogene

In recent days, The Athletic reported that Everton had submitted a £16m bid for Hull City forward Jaden Philogene, amid long-standing interest in the 22-year-old.

The forward produced some excellent stats for the Tigers last season under former boss Liam Rosenior, scoring 12 and registering six assists in his 32 appearances, during what was his first season at the MKM Stadium.

However, the transfer saga has taken a huge twist in the last 48 hours, with Ipswich Town attempting to complete their own deal for the player, with an £18m package agreed to beat Everton to the player's signature.

Despite the agreement, Aston Villa, the club where Philogene spent most of his academy days, have triggered the buy-back option in the deal that saw him leave for Hull, with the decision now up to the player as to where he moves ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.

However, despite the recent interest in the young attacker, the club already have one player at Goodison who is worth more than the in-demand Hull talent.

Dwight McNeil’s market value in 2024

After arriving on Merseyside for £20m from Burnley back in the summer of 2022, winger Dwight McNeil has become a hit with the supporters, playing a key role under Dyche in securing the club’s top-flight status.

He’s since featured 82 times for the Toffees, scoring ten goals, including a magnificent strike against Nottingham Forests towards the back end of last season, allowing the club to take a huge leap towards survival.

Games played

35

Goals

3

Assists

6

Chances created

69

Successful dribbles

30

Successful crosses

65

As a result, his market value has skyrocketed to £29m, as per Football Transfers, seeing him valued higher than current target Philogene, who’s only valued at £10m despite the recent interest at around the £18m mark.

The “special” McNeil, as dubbed by journalist Andy Jones, is still only 24, having huge potential to further improve his all-round game under Dyche, building on the excellent strides he’s made in recent years.

Missing out on Philogene may not be a bad thing for the Toffees, with his potential arrival halting the progression of McNeil, whilst also allowing the club to invest their funds elsewhere in a bid to pull further clear of the drop zone next season.

Everton preparing bid for Branthwaite 2.0 who's worth more than Philogene

He’s been a constant target for Sean Dyche’s side this summer.

ByEthan Lamb Jul 10, 2024

Hansi Flick reportedly forced Barcelona president Joan Laporta to follow a strict training policy during the club's pre-season in the United States.

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Flick laying down the gauntlet at BarcelonaHas a reputation for being a stickler for rulesRequested Laporta to also follow guidelinesFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

According to the German manager took initial steps to understand Barcelona’s culture by meeting with footballing figures across Europe, including former Blaugrana coach Pep Guardiola in Manchester and even had lunch with Domenec Torrent, Guardiola’s former assistant. After taking charge of the team he continues to demonstrate a deep commitment to the club as he attended Barcelona’s Champions League handball tournament in Cologne and participated in the Catalan National Day celebration in September.

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Inside the locker room, players appreciate his approachable demeanour and occasional humour, yet Flick is firm when it comes to discipline. In one significant shift, he replaced traditional fines for lateness with diminished game time, a change that has introduced heightened accountability among the players. The rules set down by the manager aren’t limited to players but also extend to the top officials including president Laporta.

During Barcelona’s preseason in the United States, Laporta and his team of directors attended training sessions dressed in their usual formal attire. On one of the early days, Flick made a candid request and encouraged him to adopt a more casual dress code, fitting the informal nature of training sessions. Respecting Flick, Laporta complied. At the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, where Barcelona held the majority of their preseason practices, the official started showing up in club tracksuits while he casually engaged with other directors and observed Flick’s strategies up close.

DID YOU KNOW?

Flick’s influence is evident not only in attire but also in training routines. He has implemented rigorous protocols for match days, including mandatory morning activation sessions and strategic pre-match meetings. Previously, under Xavi’s management, such sessions were held selectively, depending on the significance of the game. Flick’s consistency in scheduling has built a strong sense of routine, which he believes will improve both fitness and focus among the players.

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In a few months, Flick’s structured approach has brought about a transformation and they are reaping the rewards on the field. They are six points clear of rivals Real Madrid in the La Liga standings and could extend it to nine when they lock horns against Real Sociedad on Sunday evening at Anoeta.

Reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano has shared some transfer news out of Chelsea, as Enzo Maresca's side open talks with a £34 million player.

Maresca's rumoured transfer demands after busy Chelsea window

Tosin Adarabioyo (Fulham), Omari Kellyman (Aston Villa), Renato Veiga (FC Basel), Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall (Leicester City), Marc Guiu (Barcelona), Estevao Willian (Palmeiras) and Caleb Wiley (Atlanta United) are all of their confirmed signings of the window so far, with Argentine defender Aaron Anselmino also set to join Chelsea in a £17 million deal from Boca Juniors.

£25m Euro 2024 star is about to leave his club and could join Chelsea

The Blues could strike a cut-price deal.

ByEmilio Galantini Jul 23, 2024

These eight deals bring Todd Boehly and Blue Co's total expenditure to nearly £120 million, but the sales of Ian Maatsen, Lewis Hall, Omari Hutchinson and Michael Golding have brought in around £89 million to balance the books.

This has allowed Chelsea to register a net spend of just £31 million, with Maresca said to be targeting signings for a couple of key areas ahead of his debut season at Stamford Bridge.

Cole Palmer

7.48

Conor Gallagher

7.13

Nicolas Jackson

7.07

Moises Caicedo

6.85

Noni Madueke

6.84

Co-sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley are overseeing the club's recruitment drive and are primarily responsible for Chelsea's summer deals, but that hasn't stopped Maresca from having his say at Cobham behind-the-scenes.

Some reports have claimed that Maresca has made it clear he wants another striker at Chelsea and one who can compete with young Senegal forward Nicolas Jackson for a spot next term.

Jackson finished 2023/2024 with a very impressive 17 goals and six assists in all competitions, but some Chelsea critics have expressed their belief that the 23-year-old is still raw and not quite ready to lead their line (Nizaar Kinsella).

This has prompted a Chelsea bid for Atletico Madrid striker Samu Omorodion, while there are still reports that Victor Osimhen could join Maresca in west London.

Meanwhile, after his first week taking first-team training in pre-season, Maresca has now asked Chelsea to sign a new goalkeeper. The Italian is believed to be a real fan of current number one Robert Sanchez, but the tactician's now requested a shot-stopper be brought in to compete with him.

Maresca already has a backlog of keepers in his squad, with Sanchez, Kepa Arrizabalaga, Marcus Bettinelli and Lucas Bergstrom on their books – as well as Serbia international Djordje Petrovic.

Chelsea in direct contact with Jorgensen as Petrovic could leave

Romano, sharing news on his YouTube channel (via Chelsea News), has an update on their search for a new keeper.

The respected media source claims Chelsea are in direct contact with Villarreal goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen as Petrovic could now leave. The Dane started 37 games in all competitions as Villarreal's undisputed number one last season, and this has seemingly done enough to impress Blues chiefs.

“Petrović could be on the move as Chelsea look for a new keeper," said Romano.

"Contacts are ongoing between Chelsea and Filip Jörgensen. He’s one of the options out of 4 on the list, waiting to decide on the favourite.”

Jorgensen's contract also includes a £34 million release clause, meaning Chelsea could bypass talks with Villarreal if they opt to trigger it.

Pakistan head coach defends himself after coming under scrutiny over the past few months

Umar Farooq09-Feb-2021Misbah-ul-Haq believes the 2-0 series win over South Africa was like “a breath of fresh air” for a Pakistan team which had until then been low on confidence, and also hoped that it puts an end to questions about his own performance as head coach.Misbah still has one and half years left on his contract with the PCB, but as losses began piling up, his position came under scrutiny. He and his staff were the subject of a review by a board-appointed cricket committee after they returned from a dismal tour of New Zealand, where they lost the Tests 0-2 and the T20Is 1-2. They gave Misbah an ultimatum. The results in the home series against South Africa would decide his future as head coach.On Tuesday, having done what was demanded of him, Misbah faced reporters in Lahore opened up about what it has been like for him over the past few weeks.”Obviously with all the uncertainty, it definitely brought in pressure and I don’t want to go to the right or wrong side of it but sometimes you don’t really have to focus on end results,” Misbah said. “There are so many other factors, the circumstantial ones but people start making noise after a series of picking up only the defeats disregarding the work behind it. Playing away isn’t difficult .. there were performances and I am not saying that I am not taking responsibility for bad performances. If I am being appreciated after winning then definitely I am answerable to the defeats as well but you have to take the circumstances in account as well to judge someone.”Since Misbah’s appointment, the PCB has made several big decisions, such as removing Sarfaraz Ahmed as captain and dropping him from all three formats. Azhar Ali took charge of the Test side while Babar Azam was chosen to lead in limited-overs cricket. However, after an unsuccessful tour of England last year, Ali was stripped of the captaincy and Azam was made captain across formats.Misbah was facing trouble as well. It is understood that the board had come close to sacking him after the New Zealand tour, potentially replacing him with coaches from the High Performance Centre in Lahore.Pakistan captain Babar Azam and his team-mates pose with the series trophy•AFP via Getty Images”There should be continuity and if we are here for three years for instance then the assessment should be after the given time frame,” Misbah said. “Try to wait, sit back, there will be ups and downs. It will never be only victory or only defeats. Things need to be seen in perspective. It’s a process, with a new team and players you have to follow up on the development of the team and players. For results it takes time and sometimes it takes a little more time as well but taking abrupt decisions based on frustration and disappointment doesn’t help. Change is important but only if it’s for the sake of betterment.”Pakistan have now risen to No. 5 in the ICC Test rankings, their highest position since 2017. They were largely in control of both Test matches against South Africa, wrapping up the one in Karachi within four days and fighting back with great skill on the last day in Rawalpindi.”It’s like a breath of fresh air and it was important as the team was very low in confidence and overall people were angry,” Misbah said. “Playing at home plays a big part in giving boys enough confidence to do well. The series and matches were tough and performances came from difficult situations that showed the character of the team. Winning is one factor but the way an inexperienced team dealt with ups and downs made one hell of a difference. There were tough situations and there were stages when we could have lost hope but every time they showed determination and came out well. We had seen glimpses in New Zealand as well and all of it shows that team is moving in the right direction. Credit should be given to these players for winning against a top class team.”Pakistan’s dismantling of South Africa was so efficient that Misbah is confident this team can be successful no matter where they play. “We were hopeful of showing more fight in England but unfortunately the first defeat in Manchester which still hurts was a setback,” he said. “We should have won that Test match and the series. We weren’t able to have those finishing touches and even in New Zealand we were dropping crucial catches and something was always pulling us back. So these are the things we managed to rectify. I think we’ve also settled on a good team combination with Faheem (Ashraf) providing us with balance. There is still a need for improvement in certain departments but we are brimming confidence right now we are in a better position to win away series.”And finally, Misbah made it a point to praise Azam’s efforts in leading Pakistan and took pains to explain that it is the captain – and no one else – who is in charge of the team.”In cricket, the role of captain is very important and if he isn’t fully in-charge and has confidence in his playing XI then it will be difficult for him. Obviously when we make someone captain then we have to empower him and trust in him. We know that he makes a decision and we help him and at the end of the day you (as coaches) aren’t in the field for every ball or over but he is and as a captain he has to run the show. Babar is young and with such a big series he did well utilising the resources and that is what we want.”It isn’t like a war for power between a captain and management on who will make decisions. He is too young but handles everything nicely. It’s for the sake of betterment we let him grow and our job is limited but decisions we make are with consensus. We plan sitting together and he is the one taking the team to fight in the field. I am happy the way he is developing and with time and more cricket he will get the confidence and he will keep on growing bigger in his role.”

Fast bowler prioritised “good vibes” at the teams and leagues he chose this year

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Mar-2021Dale Steyn said he turned his back on the world’s most lucrative T20 league, the Indian Premier League, because he found the Pakistan Super League (PSL) and the Sri Lankan Premier League (LPL) were “slightly more rewarding”.The South African fast bowler, who is currently in Pakistan with the Quetta Gladiators franchise, said he believed the excessive emphasis on the financial aspect of the IPL meant “the cricket gets forgotten”. Talking to , he also revealed that the length of the IPL was a factor that further informed his decision to opt out this year, saying he wanted “a bit more time off”.”I wanted to take a bit more time off. I found that playing in those other leagues was slightly more rewarding as a player. I think when you go to the IPL there are such big squads and so many big names and so much emphasis on the amount of money that the players earn that somewhere along the line the cricket kind of gets forgotten. When you come to the PSL or the LPL, there’s an importance on the cricket.”I’ve only been here a couple of days and I’ve had people coming to my room asking where I played and how I went about it. In the IPL, that kind of gets forgotten and the main topic is how much money you went for this IPL. And that’s just me being brutally honest. I just wanted to stay away from that this year and put more emphasis on bringing good vibes to teams and tournaments I feel are worth it.”Steyn, whose career trajectory has coincided with the rise of the IPL, has often seen himself become one of the more prized assets for any IPL franchise, and has consistently seen heavy competition for his signature. The highest auction price for the fast bowler came in consecutive seasons in 2014 and 2015, when Sunrisers Hyderabad snapped him up for INR 9.5 crore (approx. USD 1.3 million today). He has taken 97 IPL wickets at 6.91, making him, by some distance, the most economical fast bowler among players with over 50 wickets in the league. His influence has diminished somewhat of late, playing for the Royal Challengers Bangalore as a replacement player in 2019, and a full time player last year.Steyn’s words will come as a shot in the arm for a league trying to maximise its burgeoning potential after years of playing away from Pakistan in the UAE. Last year, Steyn was one of the Platinum Category players when he made himself available for the league, though the side finished bottom of the table. While his only game with Quetta was a disappointing outing, where he conceded 20 runs off a decisive penultimate over, Steyn remains confident there is time enough to turn things around.”I’m not too perturbed but it would have been nice to get over the line against Peshawar Zalmi. Hopefully we can make a comeback in the upcoming games. Chris Gayle’s absence will hurt because he’s a T20 God, and a bit of a freak. But when you look at his replacement and the guys we have in the shed, they are incredible players. Faf du Plessis has flown in, Tom Banton has been around the past two years and has done well. I don’t think it comes down to one player to win you cricket games. Everyone has to pull their weight.”He paid rich tribute to the “breeding machine” of fast bowlers Pakistan had, as well as praising Babar Azam as “a wonderful player”. “There is a breeding machine of fast bowlers here in Pakistan, which is great to see because the wickets are not conducive to fast bowlers,” Steyn said. “I had a chat with Shaheen [Afridi] last year – I think he broke his thumb. He was down but he was amazing. At Melbourne Stars, I had Haris Rauf with me, and I was really impressed by him. Not long after that, he played for Pakistan.”Babar is a great player and it would be a great opportunity to get him out or bowl against him. But you never know, I might not get to bowl against him because it’s only four overs or he might get out for a duck. But he’s been fantastic the last couple of years.”

Celtic's wait to add a new outfield player to their squad goes on as they have just over a month left before the summer transfer window officially slams shut.

The Hoops have added two players to the group so far this summer but both of them have come in to compete for the number one shirt that was vacated by Joe Hart.

Danish titan Kasper Schmeichel has joined on a free transfer and young starlet Viljami Sinisalo has been snapped up from Aston Villa on a permanent deal to provide him with competition.

A new left-back appears to be on the agenda for Brendan Rodgers amid links to Wolves full-back Hugo Bueno, but the Spanish ace is not the only reported target in that position.

Celtic linked with Croatian gem

The Daily Record recently relayed reports that Celtic are interested in a potential swoop to sign Dinamo Zagreb left-back Mauro Perkovic this summer.

It also carried a claim from outlet 24Sata that that Croatian giants are looking for a fee within the region of £1.6m in order to cash in on the defender.

Meanwhile, teams from the Bundesliga and from Saudi Arabia are said to be eyeing up moves for the 21-year-old battler, which means that the Scottish giants could face plenty of competition for his signature.

If the Hoops do decide to act upon their interest in Perkovic and swoop to bring him to Parkhead then Rodgers could end up unearthing an upgrade on current first-choice Greg Taylor.

Why Celtic should sign Mauro Perkovic

The Croatian youngster is a fantastic talent who could come in and give the Scotland international a real run for his money, if he can translate his form from his home country over to the Scottish Premiership.

In the HNL last season, Perkovic showcased maturity and physicality beyond his years with dominant performances on the left side of the Zagreb defence.

Capable of playing at wing-back or on the left side of a back three, the Celtic target could either slot in as a centre-back or a left-back for the Hoops when needed.

Appearances

35

21

Pass accuracy

82%

86%

Assists

4

0

Tackles + interceptions per game

2.2

3.5

Ground duel success rate

57%

65%

Aerial duel success rate

46%

67%

As you can see in the table above, Perkovic could come in and immediately be an upgrade on Taylor due to his reliability in and out of possession.

The Scottish ace is more creative, with four more assists in the league last term, but the Zagreb whiz could offer more control on the ball with a higher pass accuracy.

Their respective defensive statistics suggest that Perkovic would be a huge upgrade on Taylor off the ball, as he can win possession back far more frequently whilst also winning a far higher percentage of his duels on the deck and in the air.

Imagine him & Carter-Vickers: Celtic targetting swoop for £20k-p/w "leader"

The Hoops are reportedly interested in a deal to sign the central defender this summer.

ByDan Emery Jul 27, 2024

Therefore, Rodgers must swoop to sign the 21-year-old starlet, who was dubbed "highly talented" by scout Jacek Kulig, to come in and provide his team with more defensive stability, which could be particularly key in Champions League matches against high quality opposition who will ask questions of the Celtic defence.

Ruben Amorim may have found a new Manchester United wonderkid after calling up a 16-year-old to his first training session with the first-team.

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Amorim takes first Man Utd training sessionInvites 16-year-old youth player to join inPreparing for first game against IpswichFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

According to the Evening Standard, teenage talent Godwill Kukonki took part in Amorim's first session as United's head coach on Monday. This was reportedly the first time the 6ft 5in defender has trained with the Red Devils' elite squad – with many tipping the youngster to have a bright future.

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Amorim swapped Sporting CP for United earlier this month and has been tasked with clearing up the mess that former manager Erik ten Hag left behind. The 39-year-old has a huge job on his hands but the fact that midfielder Kobbie Mainoo took part in the training session is a good sign after weeks out with a hamstring injury.

DID YOU KNOW?

Amorim, who signed a deal to stay at Old Trafford until 2027, took the training session with the likes of first-team players Casemiro and Marcus Rashford. The Portuguese has also had his visa application approved, along with the majority of his backroom staff.

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Amorim will get another couple of training sessions in before his first Premier League game in charge away to Ipswich Town on Saturday in a battle between 13th and 17th in the table.

The New Zealand batsman has now hit five consecutive 50-plus scores in T20 cricket

Andrew McGlashan22-Feb-2021Devon Conway is just trying to “ride the wave” of his spectacular T20 form after an innings in the series opener against Australia that those from both sides lauded as incredible.Conway finished unbeaten on 99 in Christchurch when he struck the final ball of the innings to deep cover and was unable to make it back for the second, having hit the previous two deliveries from Kane Richardson for six and four to bring the three-digit score within touching distance.He had already become the first New Zealand batsman to make five consecutive 50-plus scores in T20 cricket, having entered this series on the back of 50, 69*, 91* and 93* in the domestic Super Smash. He has now scored 352 T20 runs since last being dismissed and has three half-centuries in his first five T20I innings. That includes an impressive start to his T20I career, with promising knocks against Pakistan and West Indies earlier in the season.”You’ve just got to ride that wave as long as it lasts, but [I am] pretty happy; it’s a good start to the series and [we have] just got to keep the momentum going,” he said at the post-match presentation. “For me, the key to my batting is just playing strong shots and running hard between the wickets. [I’m] not looking too much into it and just enjoying the moment.”Naturally, [I am] a little disappointed [to miss the hundred] but good to get the win. Probably a little more disappointed for Ish [Sodhi] not getting his five-for but happy days. It’s pretty cool.”New Zealand captain Kane Williamson lauded Conway’s display which led a recovery from 19 for 3 after he had joined the fall of powerplay wickets against Daniel Sams and Jhye Richardson.”An incredible knock [it was],” he said. “It was obviously a really tough start for us with the bat and to see those partnerships through the middle order led by Devon with an unbelievable 99 on a surface that starting on wasn’t all that easy. We saw that with a bit of swing in our innings as well. An incredible knock and a great effort to get to that 180-mark.”Mitchell Marsh, who top-scored for Australia with a strong 33-ball 45, was equally fulsome in his praise of Conway, and suggested the visitors would need to do some more scouting on him ahead of the second match in Dunedin.”It was an incredible innings,” Marsh said. “He is obviously someone we’ll have to make sure we do a lot of homework over the next few days. Days like that you have to take your hat off and say well done. There’s no doubt all our bowling group were well planned; he just had a great day.”With Conway going unsold at his base price of INR 50 lakh at the recent IPL 2021 auction, allrounder James Neesham, who is also his team-mate at Wellington, believes that things would have been different if it had taken place in a couple of months.”Devon has not had a lot of exposure at international level until this point,” Neesham said on Tuesday. “So if the auction was a couple of months later it would have been a different story.”I think he’s shown quite evidently over the last month or so that he’s got what it takes to succeed at the international level. We’ve seen him churn out runs in the domestic circuit over the last four or five seasons that not a lot of people would have the ability to do. For him to come up at the international level earlier in the summer against West Indies and Pakistan and sort of take to it like a fish to water was pretty impressive. I just look forward to seeing him over the next few years to continue that run-scoring.”Related

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Devon Conway's unbeaten 99 sets up crushing opening victory for New Zealand

While New Zealand were able to recover from losing three early wickets, the game was all but decided when Australia clattered to 19 for 4 inside five overs with Tim Southee and Trent Boult finding movement under Hagley Oval’s lights that were being used for the first time in international cricket.”The way they swung the ball – they probably swung it for seven or eight overs which, in T20 cricket, is pretty rare but we know they are world-class swing bowlers,” Marsh said. “They have done it for the last 10 years those two. We’ll have to combat that in the next few games if it swings.”Williamson conceded he had been surprised by the amount of assistance his two leading bowlers found. “With the ball it was an outstanding effort. Dew came into play, the guys swung the ball nicely, we weren’t expecting it but was nice to have that asset.”