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The role and importance of a modern-day fullback is very much changing before our eyes, with quotes such as “no one wants to be a Gary Neville” beginning to lose their meaning.

Top sides and coaches, largely because of Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola, are beginning to use their full-backs in a variety of ways both on and off the ball, often becoming wingers, central midfielders or even attacking midfielders (number 10s) on the ball to aid their team.

Tactical flexibility is becoming more important, and with this, the importance of having high-quality and versatile fullbacks is becoming a key factor for elite sides to operate.

Guardiola has led the charge for using his fullbacks in midfield, and he could well be getting another special player this month with the skill set to do this.

Man City looking at their new Cancelo

According to reports from Football Insider, talks have been advancing in recent days between Manchester City and Juventus for their versatile defender, Andrea Cambiaso.

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The feeling is that an agreement for the 24-year-old will be reached either this month or in the summer.

The Italian can play a range of different positions, playing as a right and left fullback, inverting into midfield zones from this position, and even starting as a right-winger on a few occasions this season for Thiago Motta’s Juventus side.

Cambiaso has made 26 appearances for the Italian giants this season, scoring two goals, providing two assists, contributing to 12 clean sheets and totalling 1,859 minutes played.

Cambiaso vs Cancelo comparisons

One player Guardiola has had in his time at Manchester City who played a similar role to Cambiaso, is João Cancelo. The Portugal international signed for City in 2019, joining from Juventus for a fee of around £60m.

Cancelo made 154 appearances for City in his time at the club, scoring nine goals and providing 21 assists. Whether he started at left-back or right-back, the Portugal international offered Guardiola tactical versatility, tweaking his position on the ball in order to set his team up as he liked.

That’s exactly what he could now with Cambiaso, a player who has been compared to Cancelo by Peter Young of Football Italia.

Andrea Cambiaso vs João Cancelo (2020/21) comparison
Stats (per 90 mins)	Cambiaso	Cancelo
Goals + Assists	0.19	0.24
Progressive Carries	3.68	2.88
Progressive Passes	4.75	7.86
Pass Completion %	88.8%	85.7%
Key Passes	3.04	5.79
Passes into Pen Area	1.27	2.51
Crosses into Pen Area	0.39	0.37
Shot-Creating Actions	3.33	3.07
Tackles + Interceptions	2.60	4.34
Ball Recoveries	4.71	6.32
Stats taken from FBref

When analysing both players (Cancelo’s 2020/21 season at City) you can see both players ooze class on the ball, offering excellent progressive numbers, being key creators despite being fullbacks for their sides, and still making high numbers of defensive actions per game.

Cambiaso has been described as “uber-press resistant” by Ben Mattinson, due to his ambipedal qualities (two-footed) and small turning radius. This allows him to receive the ball in all zones of the pitch, playing line-splitting passes with both feet, having no angle bias and therefore making it hard for defenders to trap him to one side.

City could finally replace Cancelo with an extreme technician in the form of Cambiaso, who, alongside Rico Lewis, could give Guardiola the wide defensive pairing he wants in order to dominate games and make tactical tweaks at his own leisure.

Worth way more than Marmoush: Pep has struck gold on Man City "superstar"

Man City have a youngster in the squad who is worth more than Omar Marmoush

By
Ross Kilvington

Jan 18, 2025

خطف قائد منتخب مصر، محمد صلاح، الأنظار مجددًا خلال جولة ليفربول التحضيرية في هونج كونج، حيث يستعد الريدز من أجل الموسم الجديد 2025/2026.

ويأتي ذلك بعدما وقع محمد صلاح على قميص غريب حمل تواريخ الانتصارات الثقيلة التي حققها ليفربول ضد مانشستر يونايتد في السنوات الأخيرة، أبرزها الانتصار الشهير بسباعية نظيفة.

اقرأ أيضًا.. ليفربول يعلن قرارات استثنائية لتكريم الراحل جوتا

وخلال جلسة توقيع جماهيرية في هونج كونج قبل مباراة ميلان، سلّم أحد المشجعين القميص إلى محمد صلاح، الذي لم يتردد في التوقيع عليه وسط تفاعل الجماهير.

Salah signing a jersey of our results against united, he’s so petty 😭😭😭😭pic.twitter.com/x19Q2tQwc0 — ❧ (@showlfc) July 24, 2025

تصرف صلاح لم يمر مرور الكرام، حيث نشرت إحدى مشجعات ليفربول فيديو اللحظة على حسابها في منصة “إكس”، معلقة بسخرية:”صلاح يوقع على قميص نتائجنا أمام مانشستر يونايتد، مستفز جدًا”.

وأرفقت المشجعة التغريدة بوجوه ضاحكة، في إشارة إلى إعجابها بخفة دمه وحسه الكروي الانتقامي من الغريم التقليدي.

القميص حمل نتائج ليفربول والفوز على مانشستر يونايتد بنتائج 4-0، 5-0 و7-0 على مدار السنوات الماضية، مع العلم أن الشياطين الحمر أصبحوا الضحية المفضلة للفرعون المصري، محمد صلاح، حيث سجل ضدهم في جميع المسابقات 16 هدفًا.

If there is one thing Wolverhampton Wanderers need for their ongoing relegation battle, it is a sense of commitment to their fight for survival within their squad. That seems like something Vitor Pereira has looked to maintain during his short time at the club so far, and it was something former boss Gary O’Neil instilled.

In his first six games across all competitions, the Old Gold boss has overseen three wins, one draw and two losses. They were back-to-back defeats in the Premier League against Nottingham Forest and Newcastle United. It has been a solid start to his tenure at Molineux.

Almost all of the squad seems to be on board and ready to fight for survival. However, former club captain Mario Lemina seems destined to leave the West Midlands.

Lemina’s 2024/25 season

It has been a very strange season for Gabon international midfielder Lemina. He began the campaign as a key player for the Old Gold and has played 19 times across all competitions. At the beginning of the season, he was also club captain, although was stripped of that title.

During mid-December, O’Neil confirmed that the captaincy had been passed from Lemina to experienced full-back Nelson Semedo.

That came after a fight with West Ham United captain Jarrod Bowen after their game at the London Stadium. O’Neil confirmed that “sparked the conversation” for a change in the captaincy.

Now, the West Midlands outfit might lose the midfielder altogether, in a situation that has escalated fairly quickly. After their 3-0 defeat away to Newcastle United, which Lemina was not part of, Pereira confirmed he “wants to leave” Molineux this month.

The new man in the hot seat at Wolves explained “with this energy and this mentality, I don’t need him”. It seems certain that the former captain will leave Molineux just one month after being relieved of his duties as skipper.

Indeed, the Old Gold may well have their replacement in mind already and could make a move before the end of the January transfer window.

Wolves’ dream Lemina replacement

The player in question here is Chelsea youngster Renato Veiga, with reports earlier in the window suggesting that Wolves had enquired about a potential loan move, which was rebuffed by the Blues. Perhaps, however, going in for another approach would be a wise choice for the Old Gold.

The 21-year-old has been impressive for Enzo Maresca’s side so far this term, having made 18 appearances across all competitions for the Blues.

He has scored twice and grabbed one assist, registering a goal and assist against Gent in the Conference League.

He has clearly made a lasting impression on Blues fans so far, with Alex Goldberg full of praise for the Portuguese star. He explained that “anything he touches turns to gold”, a metaphor of course, but still something that shows just how well he has played.

One of the biggest advantages of signing Veiga would be the fact Wolves have something of a utility man in their squad. Described as a “Swiss army knife” by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, he can play in multiple positions in defence and midfield.

Indeed, this certainly rings true when looking at the positions he played for former club Basel, and, of course, Chelsea. The Portuguese starlet has been trusted across the defence, at full-back and centre-back, and in the midfield.

Position

Basel

Chelsea

Centre-back

4

2

Left-back

0

13

Defensive midfield

14

2

Centre midfield

6

2

Left midfield

0

1

This must be an appealing factor for Wolves, and one reason why Pereira might want to sign his countryman. Not only would they be bringing in a Lemina replacement in midfield, but also someone who can play at left centre-back in his back three system.

This certainly seems like the perfect deal for Wolves. It might be tough to convince Chelsea to part ways with their versatile star, but if it is possible, then it could be a fantastic piece of business for the Old Gold.

Imagine him & Larsen: Wolves can land their own Bowen by signing "monster"

Wolverhampton Wanderers remain interested in signing this attacking gem.

ByKelan Sarson Jan 15, 2025

After his match-winning return to the Test side, ESPNcricinfo charts the revival of Steven Finn’s England career

Andrew McGlashan03-Aug-2015January 2014: Rock bottomEven as the England team fell apart during the 2013-14 Ashes series, Steven Finn – a fast bowler with nearly 100 Test wickets to his name – did not come close to forcing his way into the team. He had lost his Test place during the previous series, following the Trent Bridge Test, although his slide really gathered pace in Australia. Shortly after the Test matches ended, Finn could be seen bowling in a vacant net at the MCG from a standing start. A few days later it was announced he would leave the tour, the phrase ‘unselectable’ became the buzzword after a press conference given by the one-day coach Ashley Giles. It was a decision taken with Finn’s best interests at heart and Giles’ comments needed to be viewed in their full context.Angus Fraser, Middlesex’s director of cricket, who the following month would become an England selector said: “Steven just needs to love bowling for the sake of bowling again – not to win selection for the next ODI or the first Test of the summer. We’ll work with England to get him back playing cricket and enjoying himself.”March 2014: The first stepsAfter some time away following his return from Australia, Finn returned to pre-season training with Middlesex where he started working alongside the county’s bowling coach, Richard Johnson, in a rebuilding process that included stripping his action right back and starting again. Towards the end of March he had his first bowl in the middle for four months.Fraser, who by now was an England selector, denied any rifts between Middlesex and the national set-up over the treatment of Finn, who had been persuaded to try a shortened run-up the previous year following the problems he had kicking the stumps in delivery stride. “There has been no battle or anything like that. Everybody involved takes responsibility. Everybody has been trying to help him but it’s not an exact science and you don’t get it right all the time,” Fraser said. “He is still an outstanding bowler who has struggled for a period of time. We are confident he will get back but it’s not about pressing a button.”April 2014: Early promiseFinn returned to first-class cricket for Middlesex’s opening Championship game of the English season and provided instant encouragement as he bagged 6 for 80. His captain in that match was Chris Rogers, who he had bowled against in his last Test outing, against Australia at Trent Bridge, and would subsequently face on his Test comeback two years later.”For me he would be in the best England team but he’s still only operating at 60-70% of what he is capable of,” Rogers said at the time. “He showed a huge amount of character to come back and take six wickets. He needs to keep producing these sorts of performances, but I think he’s heading in the right direction.”Nine wickets followed in the next Championship game against Nottinghamshire, plus eight more against Yorkshire, and after five matches he was the leading wicket-taker in the country with 29 scalps although there was the much-reported moment when he broke down in the Edgbaston dressing room.Midway through the season, Finn said: “Now that I’ve actually been able to spend six months quality time with just Johnno working with me it’s helped me move in the right direction much quicker than I have done over the last few years. Now – and I certainly feel like it and I hope it looks like it – I’m starting to get back to bowling naturally and how it was when I was younger. I think that I’d be ready if I was to get the call to play in a one-day international or a Test match.”A T20 match where he bowled quickly against a strong Surrey batting line-up was a key moment in Finn’s recovery•PA PhotosAugust 2014: Back in an England shirtFinn was called into the Test squad in August 2014 against India when Liam Plunkett picked up an ankle problem but was not brought back into the side. He played two one-day games for England Lions, conceding runs at well over six-an-over but collected five wickets. He was recalled to the full side to face India, playing three ODIs and a T20 with mixed success, but was a notable retention when England named their new batch of central contracts in September – a clear indication that the selectors were confident of his long-term position in the international fold.November 2014: The senior manJames Anderson was rested and Stuart Broad injured for the one-day tour of Sri Lanka, meaning Finn became a senior figure in an inexperienced pace attack. Early on in the tour he said: “Everyone goes through tricky times in their career. I don’t think there’s a player ever who hasn’t gone through a tricky time and I think you learn a lot about yourself. I was in a bad place at the time. I’m in a good place now. I don’t really want to dwell on the past, I want to look to the future.”He played five of the seven matches, claiming just five wickets, and there were still question marks as he prepared to head back to Australia for the triangular series which preceded the World Cup.Steven Finn walks off the Gabba having taken five wickets against India a year after leaving an England tour•Getty ImagesJanuary 2015: Return down underAlmost a year to the day since he left the Australia tour in Brisbane, Finn made a triumphant return to the Gabba (although it may have been a close-run selection if Chris Jordan had not fallen ill) and claimed 5 for 33 to help bowl India out for 153.”A lot has happened in last 12 months, and it’s probably pretty much to the day where I went home from that tour of Australia,” he said. “That corner has been turned. I felt like I turned it a while ago. All that stuff is in the past now, and I am just really looking forward. To take five wickets today was very pleasing for me after the work I have put in. I don’t want to look back now, I just want to look forward.”April 2015: West Indies setbackIt probably is not a statistic Finn will put on pedestal, but he finished England’s dismal World Cup as their leading wicket-taker – which included a hat-trick when Australia were slogging at the MCG. However, he was most remembered for being shredded by Brendon McCullum in Wellington where his two overs went for 49.Finn reacted with a strong degree of frustration to missing out on the Test series in West Indies, defending himself forcefully against claims he had lost pace. “If you’re taking wickets why does it matter if you bowl 87mph or 93? That to me is baffling and I find it stupid,” he said.”I had a good sulk on me for about four days after I was told I wasn’t in the Test squad. I thought I might be in with a shout…I’ve been told I’ve been doing nothing wrong but to be left out of the tour obviously I am doing something wrong. The selectors have just told me to go and take wickets and enjoy bowling for Middlesex and I’m very much in their thoughts.”May 2015: Conquering BrendonEngland had run up their first 400-plus total in an ODI, against New Zealand at Edgbaston, when Finn began the bowling reply to Brendon McCullum who immediately clobbered two boundaries. “I thought ‘sheesh, here we go again'”, Finn would later say. This time, though, the outcome was very different when McCullum missed a wild mow and lost his off stump. In a series dominated by the batsmen, Finn had impressive returns as he took eights at an economy rate of just a shade over six.July 2015: The ultimate recallFinn was included for the pre-Ashes training camp in Spain and then in the squad for the first Test, although as expected he did not make the starting XI. When asked, before the series, what the biggest change had been he said, with a smile: “I’m selectable again.” When Mark Wood was ruled out of the third Test, Finn’s chance had come and he took it with both hands. Six balls into his Ashes, he had Steven Smith caught at slip. Three days later he was Man of the Match.”There have been dark times along the way,” he said. “But it makes those good times all the more satisfying.”

From Colombo to Galle and back: a tale of wedding processions, rather large fish, and rickshaw roulette

Sharda Ugra19-Aug-2015August 10

Flights from Bangalore to Colombo appear to land in a time zone known around the world as TrST (Taxi rip-off Standard Time). If I was a taxi driver, 11pm to 7am is the only shift I’d work, welcoming passengers landing bewildered in a new city, disoriented, sleep-deprived, grumpy and ready to hand over their wallets.Colleague Arya Yuyutsu and I head to Galle, picking Andrew Fidel Fernando up from his home. Colombo is stirring awake, the light towers of the Premadasa go past, and on the walls of the mighty Welikada prison is this noble sign: “Prisoners are also human beings.” Maybe it is to remind the guards inside.August 11

Galle Fort is a world – a UNESCO-heritage-site, slightly Eurocentric, gentrified touristy world – by itself separate from what is outside its walls. We’re at the Secret Palace guest house in the Muslim quarter, which feels like a normal home. An early-morning walk is a reminder that while the tsunami wrecked much of the Sri Lankan coast, the walls of the Dutch Fort, built circa the 17th century, stayed intact. Astonishing. “Buses were being tossed around like matchsticks” says a fellow morning walker, a hairdresser and masseur by profession.One of the stalls in the fish market just outside the fort’s walls is offering what looks like a 100kg tuna. They shrug: that’s normal. India? Yes. Tourist? Cricket. The man grins and offers a familiar word of communication, leading to big grins all around among buyers, sellers and onlookers. The word is “Tendulkar”.A few kettles worth of fish, at the market in Galle•Sharda Ugra/ESPNcricinfo LtdAugust 12

The media have been divided by nationality and segregated, with the scorer sitting in the “right-wing media box”, meant for Sri Lankans. He will communicate with the Indian media via a PA system. The Indians are housed in the “left-wing media box”, a complete breakaway from the politics currently being tried out by Lanka’s jumbo neighbour.Near the left-wing media box is Galle cricket kingpin Jayananda Warnaweera’s office. Technically he is the secretary of the Southern Province Cricket Association, but he’s also the curator and general boss. His office is a visual feast: not like Paris but in its own way. It contains three fish tanks, two giant TV screens and a third, smaller one near his desk, 11 pairs of shoes – five black, one brown, one pair of cricket boots, and two pairs of loafers among them. On the walls are three pairs of cricket trousers, 11 cricket shirts and 14 kinds of hats (I counted). Three other hats with Oakley-type sunglasses sitting on their brims. Oh, and two tea sets: one Sri Lankan porcelain and one Pakistani onyx. You cannot fit it all into a single photo frame.August 13

Sri Lanka’s traffic policemen wear gloves and their motorists give pedestrians right of way at zebra crossings. Apparently you can get fined for jaywalking in parts of Colombo. Better to be fined than run over, say I. Water can be drunk from taps. These are civilisational high points.August 14

Watch an hour’s play from the ramparts of the fort. Sri Lankan wickets are falling, but at one point nearing lunch, an outburst of heightened drama. Arms are flung about, teapot poses are adopted, and a player resembling R Ashwin goes alarmingly close to an umpire. At lunch, the three umpiring bloopers are explained, replays watched. Then Dinesh Chandimal happens.The scenic route: Galle to Colombo by train•Sharda Ugra/ESPNcricinfo LtdAugust 15

The Galle scorer, Thushara Cooray, allows himself a bit of a joke every time he announces the fall of a wicket. He calls the time of dismissal “”, a word from Indian astrology that is meant to describe an “inauspicious” hour, when the rogue planet Rahu is not up to any good. As Indian wickets start to topple, Cooray’s voice calling out the sounds more and more upbeat. India’s batsmen stagger around directionless.August 16

It is Sunday morning, and Galle is awash in wedding parties freshly arrived for their photo shoots. First, a group with men dressed like the kings of Kandy on the fort wall. Half a kilometre ahead, two groups: men in army and naval uniforms, little boys carrying cardboard swords. In the court-house square, a vast population of the soon to be betrothed. Walkers and joggers are huffing past, sweating buckets, but in the wedding groups everyone holds their pose and looks gorgeous. From here they will go to wedding halls. Air-conditioned, no doubt.In the evening, Rathgama, and the home of Lasith Malinga’s unsuspecting parents. It is a two-street small town, not a village. The house is tucked away off a lane, single-storeyed, and surrounded by fruit trees – coconut, , jackfruit – reaching what seem like rainforest heights. The doors are open: Malinga’s mother, Swarna, is teaching a fifth-grade student preparing for her scholarship exams. She is tolerant of sudden intruders. She talks, Fidel translates. She calls that tinted hair, those tattoos, “”: nonsense. She asks if the guests would like some wood apples. Malinga senior is not at home when we call, but on our way out, Nama, the auto driver, recognises him walking up the road, dressed in and shirt. Rapid u-turn and journalistic ambush. He is happy to talk.August 17

Do not travel on election day, who knows what might happen. What happens is that people vote early and go about their business. We are on the Rajarata Regini inter-city express train, along with every single voter who needs to commute from Galle. A single seat is found in the absolute last carriage. Arya stands manfully by the door (and, I assume, sings songs) as he watches the countryside go by.Guess which Sri Lankan star is the subject of this portrait by a Rathgama schoolkid?•Sharda Ugra/ESPNcricinfo LtdIt must be one of the most gorgeous short train journeys of the world. Large stretches of beach and crashing ocean to the left, dense foliage and brightly painted homes on the right. Passengers in crowded aisles lean aside considerately so as not to block the camera of the tourist as she takes her photographs. A group of young men heading to their afternoon shifts as accountants somewhere, though, are unmoved by the scenic splendour; they watch a Tamil movie on their mobile phones. It has songs and a heroic-looking man falling out of his hospital bed to the alarm of a woman who must be his mother.August 18

Colombo. Become a substantial parcel, passed through four autorickshaws to get to the P Sara. The first is heading in another direction in the maze of one-ways that is Colombo and begins by transporting me to another for the minimum fare. No. 2 nods agreeably, calmly turns a corner and finds another comrade. Numero Dos is apparently out of fuel or his axle is about fall off. Or pigs are flying, who knows. No. 3 listens to the instructions regarding P Sara Oval – “Borella Junction” is a recognisable phrase for the now-tetchy passenger – and he races ahead, chattering to the driver of another tuk-tuk going at a good clip alongside. Directions? No, this is to be the Fourth Muskeeter, who will take this troublesome passenger to P Sara. Outraged passenger makes inchoate noises and driver explains: “Booking, 10:15, baby. Booking. Baby. So far.” A booking at 10.15am involving a baby cannot apparently be kept if he heads out to P Sara. Driver No. 4, D’Artagnan, is willing. It is the second day of the parliamentary elections, people have shut shop just in case, and the roads are empty. Forget the Muskeeters, this is Valentino Rossi on three wheels.

Action shifts to Mount Maunganui with the series now a two-match contest

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Nov-2022India’s white-ball tour of New Zealand began with the first T20I in Wellington being washed out without a toss.Both sides were consigned indoors due to continuous rain. Barring a very short dry spell, it was wet throughout.That was disappointing news for the fans in attendance at the Sky Stadium, which was set to host its first men’s T20I match in 20 months.Even while it was drizzling, on-field umpires Chris Brown and Wayne Knights seemed to be inspecting the outfield to gauge the earliest time a match could start once the rain stopped.However, that never happened, with the game called off at 8.52pm local time, roughly 54 minutes before the cut-off time for a five-over shootout.The T20I series now moves to Mount Maunganui for the second match on Sunday, after which the teams will move to Napier for the third T20I on Tuesday.A young India squad is being led by Hardik Pandya for the T20I series with many senior players rested. New Zealand are competing without Martin Guptill and Trent Boult with both sides looking to move on from their respective semi-final defeats at the T20 World Cup in Australia.

Earlier Naseem Shah’s five-wicket haul restricted New Zealand to 255

S Sudarshanan09-Jan-2023

Mohammad Rizwan and Agha Salman are all smiles after Pakistan got over the line by six wickets•AFP/Getty Images

The Pakistan ODI method was on show. Stymie the opposition to a par total. Make them, and everybody else, believe that they are struggling in the chase despite a good show from the top order and then overhaul the target rather comfortably.After Pakistan opted to bowl first, Naseem Shah picked up his second ODI five-for – in back-to-back games, having last played in August 2022 – to restrict New Zealand to 255 for 9. And then, Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan stroked fine half-centuries to help Pakistan go 1-0 up in the three-match series in Karachi. Rizwan stuttered his way at the start and then suffered from cramps towards the end, before unleashing an assault of innovative measures on New Zealand to take the side home to a six-wicket win.Chasing 256, Fakhar and Imam-ul-Haq got Pakistan off the blocks quickly. Imam hit his first ball through midwicket – aided by a misfield – for four as both batters feasted on debutant Henry Shipley’s erring lines and lengths. All this before Imam looked to take on Michael Bracewell by skipping down the track and only managed to miscue one to mid-on.Fakhar Zaman hit a well-paced half-century•Associated Press

Fakhar and Babar then added 78 off 103 balls for the second wicket to give Pakistan a strong base. While Fakhar looked at ease for most parts of his innings, Babar did have a tough time when Bracewell and Mitchell Santner were brought on after the first powerplay. Even though he slog-swept a six and pulled a four off successive deliveries off Santner, Babar was a tad unsure of the turn with Bracewell and Santner varying the flight, pace as well as the angle.Babar was ruled out lbw when he missed an arm ball from Santner on 24, but he was reprieved on review, with the tracker showing the ball would have missed leg stump. He also tried a few uncharacteristic reverse sweeps early against Bracewell. At the other end, though, Fakhar was milking the singles as well as using the sweep to good effect and got to his half-century. However, the partnership was broken when Bracewell sneaked one through Fakhar’s attempted slog to bowl him.Babar and Rizwan then added 60 off 82 balls. It was slow going, with the sluggish track not really aiding strokeplay. Kane Williamson then brought the part-time offspinner Glenn Phillips on to keep a leash on scoring. Babar soon got to another half-century – his tenth fifty-plus score in the last 11 ODI innings – even as Pakistan managed to keep abreast of the asking rate. But soon, Phillips managed to hoodwink Babar and have him stumped down leg to mount the pressure.Haris Sohail, who last played an ODI in 2020, then shifted the pressure back on to New Zealand with a 23-ball 32. Twice he thumped Tim Southee over deep midwicket to decisively shift the equation in Pakistan’s favour. After he fell, Rizwan saw them home and stayed unbeaten on 77.Naseem Shah picked up a five-for to stifle New Zealand•Associated Press

Naseem rattles New ZealandEarlier, Naseem struck on the last ball of the first over as Devon Conway’s back foot conspired to help the ball ricochet on to the stumps after he missed a flick. Williamson and Finn Allen were taking time to get the measure of the surface.But Allen finally started to get the ball to ping off the meat of his blade as New Zealand looked to put the slowish start behind them. He first hit Naseem for two fours in an over before smashing Haris Rauf for a troika of fours. But with aid from an athletic diving catch from Agha Salman off Mohammad Wasim, Pakistan managed to see the back of Allen for 29 off 27 balls.Meanwhile, Williamson had managed to get a fair measure of the surface and managed to hit some well-timed fours. However, a ripper from debutant legspinner Usama Mir ended his stay. Mir got one to drift and land on middle and leg before turning away to beat Williamson’s bat and knock the top of middle stump.Seeing the purchase – and turn – Mir managed to get, Babar pressed Mohammad Nawaz, and then the offspin of Salman, into service through the middle overs. New Zealand managed to score only 57 runs between overs 21 and 35, even though they lost just two wickets in the phase. Overall, the Pakistan spinners went for a combined 98 off 24 overs, picking up three wickets.While Daryl Mitchell and Tom Latham managed to hang around and hit the occasional boundary, they couldn’t really break free. They added 56 for the fourth wicket before Mitchell was done in by a Nawaz delivery that landed on middle and straightened enough to beat his outside edge and clatter into the stumps.Latham was among the most fluent of the New Zealand batters and it seemed as if he would up the ante, given his strength against spin. But he only managed to pull a half-tracker from Mir straight to deep midwicket.New Zealand were in a spot of bother after which Phillips and Bracewell added 66 off 75 balls. Despite not getting the big shots away regularly, the pair rotated the strike and helped the tourists get a base for a final-overs assault. So much so that in the face of mounting pressure, Phillips played out four dots before hitting Naseem for a massive six – the first of the game – in the 40th over.But Naseem had the final laugh as he managed to dismiss both Phillips (37 off 53 balls) and Bracewell (43 off 42 balls) to hamper New Zealand at the death. He cleaned up Bracewell and Shipley off successive balls only for Southee to deny him a hat-trick. But a quick hand from Santner and Southee managed to see New Zealand cross the 250-run mark. It wasn’t enough, eventually.

Leeds United had just been relegated from the Premier League in the summer of 2023 and they were on the lookout for a manager to get them back to the big time.

They ended up going for out-of-contract head coach Daniel Farke, who had been with Borussia Monchengladbach in the Bundesliga, and it appeared to be a terrific appointment on paper.

The German tactician came in with a fantastic record at Championship level during his time with Norwich City, winning the title in two of his three second tier seasons at Carrow Road.

He also arrived with a strong reputation for giving young players a chance and helping them to develop as players with his coaching and style of play.

During his spell with the Canaries, Farke helped to develop the likes of Max Aarons, Ben Godfrey, James Maddison, Emi Buendia – who was wanted by Leeds in the summer – and Jamal Lewis, who were sold for around £95.5m combined – per Transfermarkt – with Aarons and Lewis coming through the academy system.

In his relatively short time with Leeds so far, the German boss has already showcased his ability to help young players thrive and improve on the pitch, with Archie Gray perhaps the best example from last season.

Daniel Farke's Archie Gray masterclass

The English youngster had not made a single first-team appearance prior to the 2023/24 campaign and Farke brought him into the senior group for pre-season.

Gray had played all of his matches for the club at U21 level as a central or attacking midfield player, but the Leeds head coach saw his potential as a right-back in his 4-2-3-1 system.

The teenage starlet went on to play a whopping 52 times for the first-team last season and 30 of those outings came at right-back, which allowed the England U21 international to hone his skills in several positions.

As you can see in the table below, Gray featured in 44 of the club’s 46 regular season matches in the Championship and held his own out of possession, winning the majority of his battles.

The 18-year-old’s impressive form at such a young age for a team challenging for promotion to the Premier League, naturally, attracted interest from elsewhere, after Leeds lost 1-0 to Southampton in the play-off final at Wembley.

Appearances

44

Pass accuracy

84%

Tackles + interceptions per game

2.8

Dribbled past per game

0.7x

Duel success rate

55%

Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur swooped in to sign the versatile star, whose natural position is in the middle of the park, for a reported fee of £30m, with Joe Rodon heading the other way.

Farke, therefore, played a masterclass with the youngster by spotting his talent in training and finding a way to platform him at Championship level at such a young age, albeit by moving him away from his natural role to play at right-back mainly.

The German head coach could unearth his next teenage sensation at Elland Road by going down a different route and swooping to sign another team’s starlet next month.

Leeds United's interest in £5m starlet

The Boot Room reported last month that Leeds United are one of a number of clubs in the running to sign Lennon Miller from Motherwell when the January transfer window opens for business.

It was claimed that a host of teams across Scotland, England, and Italy are keeping tabs on the 18-year-old central midfielder ahead of next month, as they look to bolster their respective squads for the second half of the 2024/25 campaign.

Whilst Scottish giants Rangers and Celtic are keen to keep him in the Scottish Premiership, Serie A teams Atalanta and Bologna would like to tempt him to make the move across Europe.

Meanwhile, Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United, West Ham United, Newcastle United, and Tottenham Hotspur are said to be among the Premier League sides interested in signing the Scotland U21 international.

Leeds are the only Championship named among his potential suitors and the report claimed that the 49ers have sent scouts to watch the talented Scottish whiz in action in the Premiership this season.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

The Boot Room added that Motherwell are looking for a fee of at least £5m for the teenage sensation and the West Yorkshire outfit should attempt to win the race for his signature, as Miller could be Gray 2.0 for Farke.

Why Leeds should sign Lennon Miller

Firstly, a fee of £5m is not a significant fee to pay for a player who has attracted attention from some of the biggest clubs in the Premier League and teams from the Serie A.

This means that the Whites could land a bargain for the Scottish talent as they could bring him in to develop and increase in value during his time at Elland Road.

Farke helped a teenage midfielder, albeit whilst using him at right-back primarily, to turn into a £30m-rated player last season with Gray and could repeat that trick with Miller in Yorkshire.

The Motherwell star’s performances in the Premiership this season also suggest that the potential is there for him to come in and have an instant impact on the pitch for the Whites.

Miller, who was lauded as a “ridiculous” talent by pundit James McFadden, is a central midfielder with the ability to make things happen on a regular basis in the final third.

Appearances

15

19

16

Goals

2

0

0

Big chances created

7

2

0

Key passes per game

2.0

1.5

0.8

Tackles + interceptions per game

2.9

1.1

3.4

Duel success rate

53%

51%

56%

As you can see in the table above, the Motherwell ace has outperformed Farke’s current first-choice central midfield players as an attacking threat, with more goals and ‘big chances’ created in fewer league appearances.

He also holds himself well defensively and has similar numbers to Ao Tanaka out of possession, whilst winning far more tackles and interceptions per game than Joe Rothwell.

Therefore, Farke could unearth his next Archie Gray for Leeds by bringing in another 18-year-old with the quality to play regular football at Elland Road, whilst having the scope to improve and develop into a high-value asset in the future.

Fewer touches than Meslier: Farke must finally drop 15-pass Leeds star

The Leeds United attacker should be taken out of the starting line-up in the Championship.

1 ByDan Emery Dec 8, 2024

Ronaldo Nazario is not impressed with Cristiano Ronaldo's recent GOAT claim and has named a host of players who could be considered the greatest.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• CR7 has declared himself the GOAT
• Ronaldo Nazario disagrees with Al-Nassr star
• Names five players he thinks are ahead of Ronaldo

Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Ronaldo has recently declared himself the greatest player of all-time ahead of other legends to have graced the game such as Lionel Messi, Diego Maradona and Pele. The Portuguese superstar has won countless titles with Manchester United and Real Madrid as well as lifting a European Championship with Portugal. He's also banged in 925 goals during an incredibly prolific career and is still going strong at the age of 40 with Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr.

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• Getty
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Ronaldo's GOAT claim has, unsurprisingly, generated plenty of debate already. Inter Miami boss Javier Mascherano has disagreed along with Lionel Messi's Argentina team-mate Nahuel Molina. Former Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema has also shared his thoughts and feels Ronaldo Nazario is the best the world has seen. The Brazilian legend has now been asked what he thinks of Ronaldo's GOAT claim and named the players he thinks are the best in history.

• WHAT RONALDO SAID

  He told : "I don't really like to get into this, I think people have too much self-esteem. I prefer people to talk about what I did and who I was rather than talking about myself. Cristiano Ronaldo has a fantastic story, he won everything, scored goals in every possible way. He is definitely among the best in history. Now, I don't agree with the best. But I respect his opinion… I would say he is easily in the top 10.

  "Pelé number 1 without a doubt, Messi and Maradona tied together, Zico, Romário, Cristiano Ronaldo, [Marco] Van Basten, [Zinedine] Zidane, [Luis] Figo, Rivaldo, Ronaldinho Gaúcho, a series of players, there are many great players on this list, and I'm sure I'm forgetting some. Every time someone asks me about this ranking, I make a different list. Only these first three are definitive."

• Getty
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR RONALDO

  Ronaldo's comments are unlikely to go down too well with his Portuguese namesake, who continues to hunt for trophies in Saudi Arabia despite being in the twilight of his career. However, Ronaldo is yet to win silverware with Al-Nassr and a league title is looking difficult again this season. Ronaldo's team are currently eight points behind leaders Al-Ittihad and have played one game more.

Tottenham Hotspur face West Ham United in North London this afternoon looking to return to winning ways after their 3-2 defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion before the recent international break.

It was an evening to forget for Ange Postecoglou’s side, leading by two goals at the break, but they surrendered it all in just 20 minutes after goals from Yankuba Minteh, Georginio Rutter and Danny Welbeck.

As for the Hammers, Julen Lopetegui secured just his second Premier League win in charge of the club last time out, looking to build on their 4-1 demolition of newly promoted Ipswich Town.

Spurs will be out for revenge at home against West Ham, after losing last season’s meeting 2-1 following two second-half goals from Jarrod Bowen and James Ward-Prowse.

Spurs’ last five home Premier League meetings with West Ham
Date	Result	Outcome
07/12/2023	2-1	Loss
19/02/2023	2-0	Win
20/03/2022	3-1	Win
18/10/2020	3-3	Draw
23/06/2020	2-0	Win
Stats via 11v11

Postecoglou will be hoping for a reaction this afternoon, potentially having to drop one player if his side are to return to winning ways at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Why Bentancur could be dropped by Postecoglou

In the previous outing against Brighton, midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur was one of multiple outfield players who failed to cover themselves in glory throughout the defeat.

The 27-year-old featured for 79 minutes on the South Coast before being replaced, with his substitution deserved based on his figures from the encounter.

Uruguayan international Bentancur only managed 59 touches, and completed 39 passes at a completion rate of 85% – but he still conceded possession eight times during the defeat, often being careless with the ball at his feet.

Rodrigo Bentancur’s stats against Brighton
Statistics	Tally
Minutes played	79
Touches	59
Passes completed	39/46 (85%)
Dribbles completed	0/1
Duels won	4/8 (50%)
Possession lost	8x
Fouls committed	2
Stats via SofaScore

He also failed to complete any of the dribbles he attempted that day, winning just 50% of the duels that he entered – often coming out second best in midfield.

Given the derby meeting this afternoon, Postecoglou will want each one of his players on top form to secure three points but also bragging rights for the supporters.

As a result, he could deploy one player in the starting lineup, with the midfielder potentially keeping the opposition’s danger man quiet in the process.

The man who can keep Lucas Paqueta quiet for Spurs

Attacking midfielder Lucas Paqueta is a player who possesses a lot of quality, as demonstrated by his tally of two goals this season, whilst completing 71% of his attempted dribbles.

The Brazilian loves to create carnage in attacking areas, often being the main source of creativity for Lopetegui’s side this season, but Ange has a player who can keep the 27-year-old quiet in North London.

Pape Matar Sarr has been a player who’s found starts hard to come by this season, only being included from the off in two league matches so far this campaign.

The “frightening” talent, as described by talent scout Antonio Mango, could be deployed against the Hammers this afternoon, with his attributes undoubtedly restricting Paqueta’s chances in attacking areas.

Sarr starred on international duty this week, winning 17 duels in Senegal’s victory over Malawi, whilst also completing three tackles – with his physical nature undoubtedly intimidating to any opposition player – allowing him to get the better of Paqueta this weekend.

In the Premier League for Spurs this season, the 22-year-old has averaged 2.5 tackles won per game alongside 8.5 duels – making him the perfect player to try and mark someone out of the game.

It’s a huge game for Postecoglou and his side as they look to bounce back after the Brighton game, with his team selection vital if they are to return to winning ways.

It’s clear that Sarr has the talents needed to provide that bite in the centre of the park, whilst also having the ability to constantly pester the West Ham number 10 and mark him out of the game.

1 goal & 1 assist: Spurs ace dropped a perfect display for his country

The international break came to a close with one Spurs star shining on Tuesday evening.

By
Matt Dawson

Oct 16, 2024