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Chairman Andrew Gaggin describes CA’s treatment of Paine as “appalling” and “the worst since Bill Lawry”

Alex Malcolm23-Nov-2021Cricket Tasmania chairman Andrew Gaggin has lashed out at Cricket Australia, describing their treatment of Tim Paine as “appalling” and “the worst” of any Australia captain in 50 years.Gaggin released the statement on behalf of the Cricket Tasmania board on Tuesday, launching a withering attack on Cricket Australia’s handling of Paine in the aftermath of a texting scandal becoming public on Friday.CA chairman Richard Freudenstein and CEO Nick Hockley admitted on Saturday they would have axed Paine as captain had they been in charge in 2018, despite Paine being investigated and cleared by CA’s integrity unit of wrongdoing regarding explicit and inappropriate text messages with a co-worker at Cricket Tasmania.Paine’s successor, expected to be Pat Cummins, could be confirmed this week. Cricket Australia announced a five-member panel who would oversee the process and send a name to the board for final approval. Freudenstein and Hockley will be joined by CA director Mel Jones plus selectors George Bailey and Tony Dodemaide.Gaggin launched at CA, saying the Cricket Tasmania board unanimously expressed condemnation at how Paine had been treated since the texting scandal became public.Related

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Paine quits as Australia Test captain after explicit messages to female co-worker emerge

“In conversations I have had in recent days, it is clear the anger amongst the Tasmanian cricket community and general public is palpable,” he said in the statement.”Tim Paine has been a beacon for Australian cricket over the past four years and instrumental in salvaging the reputation of the national team after the calamity of Cape Town. Yet, at a time when CA should have supported Tim, he was evidently regarded as dispensable. The treatment afforded to the Australian Test captain by CA has been appalling, and the worst since Bill Lawry 50 years ago.””The Cricket Tasmania Board reaffirmed its view that Paine should not have been put in a position where he felt the need to resign over an incident that was determined by an independent inquiry at the time to not be a breach of the Code of Conduct and was a consensual and private exchange that occurred between two mature adults and was not repeated.”Cricket Tasmania angry over Cricket Australia’s treatment of Tim Paine•Getty Images

The statement concluded by saying that Cricket Tasmania would continue to support Paine and was pleased to see him take six catches on his return from injury for Tasmania’s 2nd XI against South Australia. He missed out with the bat on day two of the four-day game, lasting just two balls as he was adjudged lbw to South Australia’s left-arm spinner Sam Kerber for 1.Gaggin’s statement echoed the words of former CA chairman David Peever who was equally critical of CA’s handling of Paine, saying he deserved loyalty at this time and not abandonment.Speaking earlier in the day Nick Cummins, the current Cricket Victoria chief executive who was in the same position with Tasmania at the time of the complaint against Paine, supported initial outcome.”The process that Cricket Australia used at the time was bulletproof. We were really satisfied that it was done the right way,” he told SEN radio.

Both teams have flaws that they need to fix to stay in the running for a semi-final spot

Alagappan Muthu30-Oct-20212:21

What makes New Zealand India’s bogey team at ICC events?

Big pictureVery quietly, India vs New Zealand has become a classic little rivalry. It fits the biggest stages and produces some heart-stopping moments. Martin Guptill’s throw to run MS Dhoni out. Ross Taylor’s pull to seal the title. Rohit Sharma producing the best batting ever seen in a Super Over. Having bubbled away for a while – especially this year when two of their last three T20Is have ended up as ties – this is where it’s all going to blow up.Related

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What do Pakistan's wins mean for the rest of Group 2?

Both teams come into this game knowing they haven’t been good enough. However, those early losses will also have provided valuable lessons. Virat Kohli and Kane Williamson will now know what to guard against to ensure the best chance of victory. For India, that’s making sure they don’t lose early wickets. It’s no easy task when Trent Boult is among the opposition, but, surviving the powerplay with minimal losses usually means they are set up to do maximum damage later on.New Zealand’s focus will be on the other end of the innings. The experiments with their batting order – Daryl Mitchell as opener, James Neesham at No. 4 – didn’t take against Pakistan and while that was another sign of their willingness to drop pre-set plans and do what the conditions dictate to win a match – it robbed them of a bit of stability. They did not have a recognised finisher at the crease when the death overs came around and they paid the price for it.Form guide (Last five completed matches, most recent first)India: LLLWW
New Zealand: LWLWLIn the spotlightHardik Pandya has started bowling in the nets again. And while it was only a 20-minute session, it has the potential to be game-changing for India’s prospects at this World Cup. Having their star allrounder back means they have more options, which in turn allows the captain to ration overs from his best bowlers better. Jasprit Bumrah, for example, can be used exclusively at the death. Varun Chakravarthy can bowl his mystery spin in the powerplay. The entire bowling plan changes if Hardik is in the mix.India and New Zealand have plenty of recent history with each other•AFPDevon Conway has enjoyed a stellar start to his career. He uprooted his life in South Africa and bet it all on New Zealand and the upshot of that was a world title within his first year of international cricket. He’s now on the hunt for another, and his ability to cope with most kinds of bowling mark him out as a key figure in this batting line-up.Team newsIndia tend not to be a team that makes too many changes, but they may yet be tempted to include Shardul Thakur, who has been in electric form ever since the tour of England, in place of Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who has been off-colour.India (probable): 1 Rohit Sharma, 2 KL Rahul, 3 Virat Kohli (capt), 4 Suryakumar Yadav, 5 Rishabh Pant (wk), 6 Hardik Pandya, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Shardul Thakur/Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 9 Mohammed Shami, 10 Varun Chakravarthy, 11 Jasprit BumrahMartin Guptill did not field in New Zealand’s last game after sustaining a blow to his left toe, but he has turned up well in training and is expected to make the XI. Adam Milne, who is now available for selection, may be a contender to take Tim Southee’s spot in the XINew Zealand (probable): 1 Martin Guptill, 2 Daryl Mitchell, 3 Kane Williamson (capt), 4 Devon Conway, 5 Glenn Phillips, 6 James Neesham, 7 Tim Seifert (wk), 8 Mitchell Santner, 9 Tim Southee/Adam Milne, 10 Ish Sodhi, 11 Trent BoultPitch and conditionsTeams batting second have won 14 of the 18 T20s played in Dubai this year. So don’t be surprised if the captain winning the toss tomorrow immediately opts to bowl.Stats and trivia Rohit Sharma has been dismissed thrice each by Trent Boult, Tim Southee and Mitchell Santner in T20s. Mohammed Shami has dismissed Kane Williamson four times in T20s, giving away 49 runs in 37 balls. Until 2016, New Zealand had never lost a T20I to India. Since then, they’ve lost 8 of 11.

Derby County will be hoping to make it four Championship wins from four on their own patch this season when Norwich City travel to Pride Park this Saturday lunchtime.

The Rams have lost all of their away games in the league worryingly, but it’s their form in Derbyshire that has caught the eye, with impressive wins over Middlesbrough and Bristol City sticking out.

It does feel unlikely that Paul Warne’s men will be eyeing up another go at promotion anytime soon, despite their early fantastic form at Pride Park, with this former midfielder once a part of a Rams side that knocked on the door of the Premier League numerous times.

Jeff Hendrick's time at Derby

Jeff Hendrick, who is now more well known for his recurring injury issues, was once a constant bright spark for Derby, with the 32-year-old a loyal servant to the Rams over many seasons.

The 79-time Republic of Ireland international would go on to amass 214 appearances in total for Derby during his celebrated time with the club, which saw two promotion near-misses happen in the play-offs, as Hendrick also notched up 26 goals and 19 assists.

Derby didn’t even have to fork out a penny to land Hendrick either, with the Irishman coming through the youth ranks at Pride Park, to then become a key first-teamer over many memorable years.

Hendrick would, however, walk away from his boyhood employers in 2016 when newly promoted Burnley came calling, as the Dublin-born midfielder finally got to live out his Premier League dream.

Derby wouldn’t wallow in the misery of their former star leaving for too long, however, with the Rams pocketing a healthy £10.5m, which was a then club record fee for the Clarets to pay up.

Unfortunately, after settling in well to top-flight life with Burnley initially, the ex-Derby “demon” – as he was once labelled by former manager Paul Ince for his hard-working ethic – has now seen his later career peter out…

Hendrick's value in 2024

Hendrick actually now finds himself unemployed after finally waving goodbye to Newcastle United this summer, after a torrid end to his time at St James’ Park.

Away from his occasional heroics at Turf Moor, which saw Hendrick live up to his price tag well in spells with ten goals and seven assists tallied up from 139 games in Lancashire, his late playing days have seen him very much lose his way.

Hendrick’s career after Derby
Club played for	Games played	Goals scored	Assists
Burnley	139	10	7
Newcastle United	27	3	1
Reading (loan)	46	4	1
Sheffield Wednesday (loan)	12	1	0
Queens Park Rangers (loan)	11	0	0
Sourced by Transfermarkt

The former Derby star would only go on to make 27 appearances for Newcastle across his cursed stay playing on Tyneside, whilst loan spells away from the Magpies were also rather mixed, with Hendrick struggling to ever get going with Sheffield Wednesday last season owing to injury issues and a general lack of form.

This has resulted in Hendrick’s transfer value in 2024 dropping all the way down to a low £250k – as per Football Transfers – as the experienced midfielder now searches for a new club to call home towards the back end of his career.

Derby now look very wise to have cashed in on their ex-number eight when they did, capitalising on Burnley taking a big risk on the Irishman, before his time in football then took a downward spiral.

Whilst Hendrick attempts to find a new club, the Rams will strive to stay put in the Championship past this campaign, with a positive result against Norwich this coming weekend very much helping Warne’s men in the long run to achieve that goal.

Derby released a "top class" talent for £0, now he's outscoring Jackson

This former Derby County striker has managed to find a new lease of life away from Pride Park.

By
Kelan Sarson

Sep 24, 2024

أعلن نادي المصري البورسعيدي تعيين المدرب التونسي أنيس بوجلبان مديرًا فنيًا للفريق الأول، خلفًا للجهاز الفني السابق، بقيادة علي ماهر وذلك في إطار سعي إدارة النادي لتعزيز المسيرة الفنية للفريق خلال المرحلة المقبلة من الدوري المصري الممتاز.

ونشر النادي بيانًا رسميًا عبر حسابه على “فيسبوك” رحّب فيه بالمدرب الجديد، جاء فيه: “اللي يعرف كيفاش يصنع الفارق، حاضر باش يرفع التحدي.. أنيس بوجلبان مديرًا فنيًا للنسور الخضُر، رحبوا معنا بقائد النسور”، في إشارة إلى التحدي الكبير الذي ينتظر المدرب التونسي مع الفريق.

خاص.. المصري يستقر على مدربه الجديد بعد رحيل علي ماهر

ويحتل المصري المركز الخامس في جدول ترتيب الدوري برصيد 24 نقطة، حصدهم من 6 انتصارات وست تعادلات، فيما نال 3 خسائر، وسجل لاعبوه 12 هدفًا واستقبلت شباكه تسعة أهداف فقط.

ويأتي تعيين بوجلبان في وقت يسعى فيه المصري لاستعادة توازنه في الدوري المصري، وتحقيق نتائج إيجابية تضمن له المنافسة بقوة على المراكز المتقدمة. ويملك بوجلبان خبرة كبيرة في الملاعب المصرية، حيث سبق له اللعب بقميص الأهلي المصري بين عامي 2007 و2009، وحقق معه عدة بطولات محلية وقارية، مما يمنحه دراية كافية بأجواء الكرة المصرية.

ويمثل هذا التعاقد تحديًا جديدًا للمدرب التونسي، الذي يسعى لترك بصمته في الدوري المصري كمدير فني، بعدما كانت له تجارب تدريبية سابقة في تونس مع فرق أبرزها النادي الصفاقسي، والترجي الرياضي الجرجيسي.

Celtic were busy on the deadline day of the summer transfer window last week with three new additions walking through the doors at Parkhead.

Brendan Rodgers moved to bolster his playing squad with the signings of Arne Engels, Auston Trusty, and Luke McCowan, from Augsburg, Sheffield United, and Dundee respectively.

The Northern Irish head coach signed two fresh central midfield options after attacking midfielder Matt O'Riley was sold to Brighton & Hove Albion.

Celtic raked in a club and Scottish transfer record fee of more than £25m for the Denmark international, who caught the eye with his performances last season.

Sofascore rating

7.91

1st

Goals

18

1st

Assists

13

1st

Big chances created

14

1st

Key passes per game

2.5

1st

As you can see in the table above, the former MK Dons man was instrumental in the team's attacking set-up during the 2023/24 Scottish Premiership campaign.

The Hoops lost a hugely talented player, who could contribute a great deal at the top end of the pitch, and that is why they swooped to sign Engels and McCowan, the former of whom has been signed for a significant sum of money.

How much Celtic paid for Arne Engels

The Scottish giants smashed their club record transfer fee with a swoop to sign the Austrian central midfielder from Augsburg for a reported fee of £11m.

Odsonne Edouard from Paris Saint-Germain for a fee of £9m in the summer of 2018 was the previous record, which means that Celtic have comfortably made Engels the most expensive signing in the team's history.

The 20-year-old starlet, who made his debut for Belgium against Israel this week, came off the bench in the 3-0 win over Rangers at Parkhead last time out for his Hoops bow, less than 48 hours after his move was made official.

Engels arrives in Glasgow with plenty of senior football under his belt after featuring in the Bundesliga in both the 2022/23 and 2023/24 campaigns.

In the 2022/23 season, the central midfielder showcased his creativity with four 'big chances' created and 1.3 key passes per game in 18 starts in the German top-flight.

The talented youngster could not break into the starting XI on a regular basis last season, however, but did contribute with moments in the final third.

Appearances

32

Starts

13

Goals

3

Assists

2

Ground duel success rate

52%

As you can see in the table above, Engels was directly involved in five goals in 13 starts in the Bundesliga, more than one every three starts on average, and held his own in physical duels on the deck.

Of course, it is now up to him to develop and adapt to Scottish football to emerge as a regular starter and justify his huge price at Parkhead under Rodgers.

One former Celtic midfielder, who went on to be worth more than what was just paid for Engels, the club struck gold with was colossus Victor Wanyama.

How much Celtic paid for Victor Wanyama

In the summer of 2011, Neil Lennon swooped to sign the young talent from Belgian outfit Beerschot AC for a reported fee of £900k to bolster his options in the middle of the park.

At the age of 20, the same age that Engels is now, Celtic snapped up a prospect who they wanted to develop and improve, whilst still getting quality performances on the pitch in the short term.

Wanyama already had 54 appearances for Beerschot under his belt, prior to his transfer to Scotland, and had contributed with two goals and one assist.

The Kenya international hit the ground running in Glasgow and immediately became an important player for Lennon, with 42 appearances in all competitions – including five starts in the Europa League.

In 22 outings as a defensive midfielder, the young enforcer caught the eye with four goals and four assists, which showed that he could push forward to join in with attacks to go along with his natural defensive instincts at the base of the midfield.

Premiership

32

6

3

SFA Cup

5

1

1

Champions League

7

1

0

League Cup

2

0

0

Champions League qualifiers

3

1

0

As you can see in the table above, Wanyama continued to prove his worth to Celtic in his second season with the Scottish giants, with nine goals and four assists in all competitions.

His displays were impressive enough for Lennon, his manager at Parkhead, to describe him as a "world class" player, which speaks to the level of his performances.

How much Celtic sold Victor Wanyama for

After winning two Premiership titles and securing a Scottish Cup trophy in two campaigns with the Hoops, the Kenyan star attracted interest from Premier League side Southampton.

The Saints swooped in to sign him for a reported fee of £12.5m in the summer of 2013, which was a Scottish record transfer fee at the time and showed that they hit gold with the superb gem.

That piece of business represented a masterclass from the Scottish giants, as Celtic raked in £12.5m for a player they paid £900k for just two years prior.

That fee was £2.5m more than the club have just paid for Engels to snap him up from Augsburg and, hopefully, Rodgers will end up looking back on that deal in the same way that Lennon does with Wanyama now.

It is now up to the Belgian youngster to, first, break into the midfield ahead of the likes of Callum McGregor, Reo Hatate, and Paulo Bernardo, and then shine in a Celtic shirt.

Wanyama hit the ground running and was an important player for the Hoops in both of his seasons with the club, but that does not mean that Engels has to go down the same path.

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The Hoops hit the jackpot with the signing of this impressive centre-forward.

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At the age of 20, there is plenty of time left for the central midfielder to grow and develop over the years to come, as a long-term project for Rodgers, and that means that there is no rush for him to make an immediate and big impact in the first-team, despite the transfer fee.

Wolverhampton Wanderers may have sold both Max Kilman and Pedro Neto during the summer transfer window, yet they received nearly £100m for the pair in the process, clearly signifying good business by Gary O’Neil.

Regardless of how well the duo perform at their new clubs, the Old Gold now have plenty of funds in the bank to strengthen, with both transfers clearly inevitable.

It hasn’t always been like this at Molineux, however, as the club have sold certain players for peanuts, only for them to shine elsewhere.

Thriving Portuguese playmaker Pedro Goncalves is a perfect example.

How much Wolves sold Pedro Goncalves for

After spending just two seasons at Wolves, making only one senior appearance in the process, the club sold Goncalves to Portuguese side Famalicao for a fee in the region of £1m.

On the surface, it looked as though it was easy money for the club to bring in considering his lack of opportunity in the starting XI, but the previous few years have shown that Wolves have messed up badly on the current Sporting Club star.

Pedro Goncalves’ market value in 2024

Due to his form for Sporting, plenty of clubs were keen on signing the attacking midfielder during the summer transfer window.

According to O Jogo (via Sport Witness), the Portuguese club were looking for offers of €80m (£67m) or more if any club stood a chance of signing him during the summer.

With Wolves selling him for just £1m, this represents a monumental failure by the Midlands side, especially considering how much they might have received should they have given him a chance.

Indeed, the price tag placed on his head by the club meant his value has risen by a staggering 6700% more over the course of five years.

Where Are They Now

Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast's Where Are They Now series.

How Pedro Goncalves now compares to Matheus Cunha

Since joining Sporting, Goncalves has registered a remarkable 135 goal contributions – 80 goals and 55 assists – in just 183 matches.

Last season saw the 26-year-old help power his club to another league title, scoring 18 goals while grabbing 17 assists. Compare this to Cunha, who scored 14 times and chipped in with eight assists, and it is clear who is better in front of goal.

Goncalves also created 18 big chances, averaged two key passes per game and 2.8 shots per game in the Portuguese top flight last term.

Cunha, on the other hand, created only seven big chances, averaged 0.9 key passes and 2.3 shots per game, yet more evidence of how much more effective Goncalves was in the final third.

Goals

11

12

Assists

12

7

Key passes per game

2

0.9

Successful dribbles per game

0.9

2

Shots per game

2.8

2.3

Big chances created

18

7

Hailed as an “astonishing” player by journalist Henry Winter in 2023, Goncalves has taken his game to the next level since joining Sporting, with the club winning two league titles over the previous four seasons.

There is no doubt that Wolves seriously fumbled with the sale of the 26-year-old, especially considering how much he is worth in the market today, something which they will rue for the foreseeable future.

Wolves must regret losing big-money star who's better than Gomes

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MatériaMais Notícias

Em clássico pelo Campeonato Carioca Feminino, o Flamengo venceu, nesta quarta-feira, o clássico contra o Fluminense e garantiu a classificação antecipada nas semifinais do Estadual. A vitória foi por 1 a 0, no Estádio da Gávea, com gol de Cida no primeiro tempo. As Meninas da Gávea seguem invictas e dependem de si para conquistar a Taça Guanabara na última rodada.

RelacionadasFlamengoCBF define data de jogo atrasado contra o Grêmio e detalha reta final do Flamengo no Brasileirão; confira!Flamengo10/11/2021Fora de CampoPelé lamenta ataques a menino torcedor do Santos: ‘Não precisa pedir desculpas por ser apaixonado por futebol’Fora de Campo10/11/2021FluminenseFluminense faz só três pontos contra equipes da parte de baixo e se complica na própria irregularidadeFluminense10/11/2021

São 28 pontos em 10 rodadas para o Flamengo, que lidera a Taça Guanabara. O Fluminense, com a derrota no clássico, segue com 24 pontos e na zona de classificação para as semifinais do Campeonato Estadual. A última rodada da primeira fase será no próximo domingo, dia 14. As Meninas da Gávea enfrentam o Pérolas Negras. Já o Tricolor receberá o Bangu nas Laranjeiras.

O Fla-Flu, disputado no Estádio da Gávea, foi acompanhado pela Pia Sundhage, treinadora da Seleção Brasileira, e por Jonas Urias, que comanda o Sub-20 do Brasil Feminino, que pôde acompanhar três atletas do Flamengo que foram convocadas para um período de preparação no fim de novembro. O técnico falou, ao canal oficial do clube, sobre a oportunidade de observar as atletas.

-Foi bem interessante e um privilégio ver as meninas convocadas e outras que estão em monitoramento. É bem legal observá-las em ambiente de jogo – afirmou Jonas Urias, que convocou as rubro-negrasPimenta, Núbia e Kaylane.

A atacante Pimentinha falou sobre a presença de Pia Sundhage, por sua vez.

-Eu fico com um pouco de nervoso, mas confio no meu trabalho. É importante para todas ela estar aqui. Dá uma gás a mais – disse a atacante à “FlaTV”.

Carlo Ancelotti's side made easy work of last year's title contenders, even if the manager now has further knocks to worry about

Real Madrid got back to winning ways as Jude Bellingham, Kylian Mbappe and Arda Guler provided the goals in a comfortable 3-0 win over Girona in La Liga on Saturday. A difficult first half gave way to an easy second, Bellingham bossing proceedings for an hour while Mbappe looked much improved ahead of a decisive Champions League match against Atalanta on Tuesday.

Los Blancos were on the back foot early on, with Girona enjoying a handful of chances, but the home side never capitalised and were made to pay. Bellingham provided the moment for Madrid, bashing one into the back of the net from the top of the box through a crowd of Girona legs.

The Englishman was crucial to the second, too, pivoting and feeding Arda Guler, who finished across the goalkeeper after darting in behind. Mbappe scored the third, slipping his man, taking a touch, and finding the bottom corner with a driven effort from a tight angle.

Madrid controlled the game thereafter, but it wasn't all smooth sailing. There are some injury worries as Bellingham was taken off on the hour mark after grabbing his thigh, and Ferland Mendy also required medical assistance. Still, this win was about as comfortable as they come after a prolonged difficult period for the reigning champions.

GOAL rates Real Madrid's players from Montilivi…

Getty Images SportGoalkeeper & Defence

Thibaut Courtois (7/10):

Called into action a few times in the early goings, and dealt with the pressure effectively. Will be relieved to register a clean sheet.

Lucas Vazquez (6/10):

Struggled to deal with Bryan Gil at times. His work rate can never be faulted, but the defensive quality simply isn't there.

Aurelien Tchouameni (6/10):

A surprise start, especially given his patchy form of late. Didn't do much to silence his critics, either, with a shaky showing.

Antonio Rudiger (8/10):

So, so comfortable throughout. Won his headers, kept the ball moving, and enjoyed a few forward runs.

Ferland Mendy (7/10):

Went about his defensive duties with aplomb, and didn't really take any risks on the ball. His knock is a concern, though.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportMidfield

Federico Valverde (7/10):

Ran loads, kept it tidy. No apparent impact from his mistake midweek.

Jude Bellingham (8/10):

Worked his socks off, bashed home Madrid's first goal. Has scored in five straight games. Produced a lovely assist for the second. Removed after an hour with an apparent leg injury. Will hope it's nothing serious.

Luka Modric (8/10):

Had some shaky moments early on, but rather turned it on in the second half. He was involved in the second goal and assisted the third with a lovely through ball.

Arda Guler (7/10):

Scored a wonderful second and danced around throughout. He looks a real talent.

Getty Images SportAttack

Kylian Mbappe (7/10):

Busy in the first half, and had a couple of half chances. Found the back of the net to seal the decisive third.

Brahim Diaz (5/10):

Another game in which he did a lot of interesting things, but didn't have a real material impact.

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AFPSubs & Manager

Dani Ceballos (5/10):

Replaced Bellingham, immediately almost conceded with a silly giveaway.

Endrick (N/A):

No time to make an impact.

Fran Garcia (N/A):

A late replacement for the injured Medy.

Raul Asencio (N/A):

Puzzling that he didn't start.

Daniel Yanez (N/A):

A debut for the youngster

Carlo Ancelotti (7/10):

Made a big call with Tchouameni at centre-back, and had Mbappe play in a more central position. At first, it looked like poor management. But Los Blancos' attacking quality shone through. He won't be happy with the mounting injury list, though.

Big picture

Sri Lanka’s tours over the past two months have a sense of haunting familiarity to them. Key players are absent due to various unfortunate reasons (on this tour, Lahiru Kumara couldn’t make it because he contracted Covid-19, Dasun Shanaka’s visa didn’t come through, and Angelo Mathews has had to return home for personal reasons). The players that remain have shown fight at times, putting together decent partnerships, occasionally stringing together some solid spells. But the series wins have eluded them. Since December, Sri Lanka have lost all matches apart from that one T20I last week.West Indies, meanwhile, have been propelled by their openers. In two matches, they’ve struck a century apiece, and the lowest score either has been dismissed for is 65. Hope’s quality has been obvious for some time, but Lewis has been particularly impressive this series, showcasing a more measured approach to his batting than we are used to seeing from him.Their success has also been down to the variety in their attack, and Jason Mohammed’s offspin in particular, has made a substantial impact. He’s taken 5 for 59 in the series so far, and on Friday was instrumental in keeping Sri Lanka pinned to the wall through the middle overs.

Form guide

(completed matches, most recent first)West Indies: WWLLL
Sri Lanka: : LLWWW

In the spotlight

Hope might be West Indies’ premier ODI batsman for now, but 24 innings in, Nicholas Pooran is putting together a mighty ODI record too. He needs 33 more runs to complete 1000 in ODIs (if he does it in the next two innings, he’ll be the third-fastest West Indian to the milestone, behind Viv Richards and Gordon Greenidge). On Friday, he was nerveless in the final over, which West Indies needed nine from, punishing even slight errors of length from Nuwan Pradeep. A batsman who is both adept at rotating the strike against spin, as well as blasting the quicks, Pooran seems set to be a middle-order force for West Indies for a while.Shai Hope and Evin Lewis have been on fire this series•AFP/Getty Images

Like many young Sri Lanka batsmen, Danushka Gunathilaka has had a long and at times difficult internship in the national team, but are there signs he is finally getting things together? He’s been easily Sri Lanka’s best batsman in the series so far, putting up scores of 55 off 61 and a run-a-ball 96. Part of his recent success has been because he has hit fours – along the ground – more frequently and proficiently than he ever has, and has put away some of the riskier aerial strokes. Sri Lanka desperately need Gunathilaka to become a consistent performer at the top of the order – something they haven’t had since TM Dilshan’s retirement.

Pitch and conditions

The pitch for the third ODI is likely to be batting-friendly, as the surfaces for the first two were. The weather is forecast to be good for the duration of the match.

Team news

West Indies may be tempted to give Kevin Sinclair or Kyle Mayers a game, though as ODI Super League points are on the line, there will also be the temptation to play their best XI even for this dead rubber. They’ve added pace bowler Anderson Phillip – who was the fourth highest wicket-taker, playing for Trinidad & Tobago, in the recently concluded regional 50-over tournament – to their squad for this match, so watch out for a potential debut.*West Indies (possible): 1 Shai Hope (wk), 2 Evin Lewis, 3 Darren Bravo, 4 Jason Mohammed, 5 Nicholas Pooran, 6 Kieron Pollard (capt.), 7 Jason Holder, 8 Romario Shepherd, 9 Fabian Allen, 10 Akeal Hosein/Kevin Sinclair, 11 Alzarri JosephDasun Shanaka becomes available for this game, so it is possible he comes in. Though as he’s fresh out of quarantine, that’s not a guarantee.Sri Lanka (possible): 1 Dimuth Karunaratne (capt.), 2 Danushka Gunathilaka, 3 Pathum Nissanka, 4 Dinesh Chandimal (wk), 5 Ashen Bandara, 6 Oshada Fernando/Dasun Shanaka 7 Thisara Perera, 8 Wanindu Hasaranga, 9 Lakshan Sandakan, 10 Dushmantha Chameera, 11 Nuwan Pradeep

Stats and trivia

• West Indies’ spinners have taken seven wickets in the series (Mohammed claiming five of those). Sri Lanka’s spinners only have a solitary breakthrough, to Lakshan Sandakan.
• Shai Hope (194 runs, average 97) and Evin Lewis (168 runs, average 84) are the two top-scorers of the series, both striking at around 80.
• Pooran has played five innings against Sri Lanka and averages 61.25 against them. This is his highest average against any nation.

*

Following on from the 2023/24 season where the Toffees secured survival, Everton will have another huge task next season to maintain their ever-present Premier League status.

Sean Dyche’s side have endured months of uncertainly off the field, from points deductions and failed takeover attempts – they really have been dragged through the mire, further highlighting the excellent job conducted by the 53-year-old.

However, whisper it quietly, the club appear to be heading in the right direction, with a takeover seemingly edging ever closer to completion, whilst the recruitment has been impressive, signing exciting talents such as Tim Iroegbunam and Iliman Ndiaye.

The Toffees have wasted no time in getting their business done early, but with six weeks remaining in the transfer window, there will undoubtedly be more additions as Dyche aims to secure a mid-table finish for the club this season.

His side still remain interested in one talent who would dramatically improve his options in the attacking third, as Everton aim to address their goalscoring issues from the 2023/24 campaign.

Everton preparing move for £33m talent this summer

According to Caught Offside, Everton are among a list of clubs who could be set to make a move for Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah this summer, with the 25-year-old allowed to leave the Emirates.

However, the Toffees aren’t alone in their pursuit of the forward, with fellow Premier League sides Brentford, Crystal Palace, West Ham and Wolves also battling for his signature – while Ligue 1 side Marseille are also preparing an opening offer.

The report claims that the Gunners value the striker at between £25m and £33m, as they look to offload Nketiah to fund a move for an elite-level frontman in their bid to win the Premier League in 2024/25.

He only managed to start ten Premier League matches last season, but he still managed to bag five Premier League goals in the 2023/24 season, including a hat-trick against Sheffield United, with his goalscoring exploits a huge benefit to the Toffees should he move to the club.

The Englishman would undoubtedly prove to be a better addition than another player who Dyche and the Everton hierarchy have been pursuing a move for during the off-season.

Why Nketiah would be a better option than Broja for Everton

In recent weeks, Chelsea striker Armando Broja has been strongly linked with a move to Goodison Park, despite his below-par campaign last time around.

The Albanian forward only managed one goal throughout the entire campaign, coming for his parent club against the side he would spend the second half of the campaign on loan at, Fulham.

However, given the current interest in Arsenal man Nketiah, Dyche and his team must put all of their efforts into winning the race for his signature, beating numerous other English sides in the process.

When comparing the pair on FBref, it’s evident that the Gunners' talisman would be the better option, potentially solving the Toffees’ ongoing goalscoring issue.

Over the course of last season, the “remarkable” Nketiah, as dubbed by journalist James Olley, contributed with five more goals or assists, finding the back of the net 0.42 times per game – more than double the tally Broja could muster.

How Nketiah & Broja compare in 2023/24
Statistics	Nketiah	Broja
Games	27	21
Goals + assists	7	2
Shot on target %	32%	15%
Progressive carries	22	13
Goals per 90	0.42	0.17
Aerial duels won	46%	30%
Stats via FBref

The Arsenal talent is also more accurate with his efforts on goal, managing to get 32% of his efforts on target, with the Chelsea frontman only able to produce a tally of 15%.

Everton’s system often relies on a target man to win aerial battles, as demonstrated by Dominic Calvert-Lewin, with any new addition needing to be comfortable in this department.

Nketiah has demonstrated his ability in the air, winning 46% of his aerial battles, a figure that is 16% higher than the Albanian despite his height advantage over the Englishman.

With Everton’s lack of goals last season undoubtedly a concern for boss Dyche, you can understand why he so desperately wants to sign a new centre-forward this summer.

Their efforts have been relentless, but it’s pivotal that they end up with the best possible forward to bolster their lowly tally from 2023/24, with Nketiah ticking all the boxes, making him a great option for the Toffees should they agree a deal with Arsenal for his services.

Everton have already struck gold on a star who's worth more than Philogene

He’s been an excellent addition for the Toffees since his move to Goodison Park.

By
Ethan Lamb

Jul 12, 2024