Mason Mount has been sent a "make or break" warning as Manchester United legend, Dimitar Berbatov, urged the midfielder to start "taking risks".
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Mount under scrutiny after disappointing first seasonHad trouble with form & fitnessBerbatov backed Mount to shine this campaignWHAT HAPPENED?
Mount made the high-profile move from Chelsea to United in the summer of 2023, with a transfer fee of £60 million ($76 million). However, his first season at United was marred by injuries and inconsistency, leading to widespread disappointment.
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The former Chelsea star struggled to find his rhythm, with a persistent calf injury sidelining him for much of the campaign. Hence, his move to Manchester did not yield the immediate impact that many had hoped for, with his performances falling short of the high standards he had set during his time at Stamford Bridge.
WHAT BERBATOV SAID
Reflecting on Mount’s first season, Berbatov acknowledged the midfielder’s struggles but expressed confidence in his potential to bounce back.
In an interview with he said: "The first season was disappointing for him and something to forget. But he can learn from that and what he can learn is to get better. If you give him the opportunity he has to go out and give the best he can. He didn't manage to do that last season, unfortunately. But the talent and the quality are there. Everybody saw what he did at Chelsea, but he didn't produce it at Man United.”
The former striker also noted the competition Mount faces within the squad, particularly from Bruno Fernandes, who plays a similar role in the team. “Bruno Fernandes is a similar type of player, but it is a long season and there are a lot of games to be played, and they need competition. He can make a difference with the passes and his runs.”
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DID YOU KNOW?
One of Berbatov’s key messages to Mount was the importance of taking responsibility and being brave on the pitch. He urged the midfielder to shed any hesitation or self-doubt that might have held him back during his first season at United.
“My only wish for him is to get through the thought that he is new and that he doesn't want to take responsibility," he said. "It is his second season now and he needs to have a good season. This is the moment to make or break, so he has to go out there and be brave. Take some chances and risks. He has the quality, so don't be afraid, Mason.”
“I think potentially not having it (reviews) affects the spectacle of the game,” says Heather Knight
Matt Roller20-Sep-2020The Decision Review System (DRS) will be available in a women’s bilateral series in England for the first time during West Indies’ tour, with the five-match T20I series starting Monday.The technology was available throughout the last two T20 World Cups, and in the ten televised games in the 50-over World Cup in 2017, but has only occasionally been used outside of them in women’s cricket. New Zealand used the technology in their series against India at the start of 2019 and against South Africa in early 2020, with India captain Mithali Raj critical of the “irregular” use of the system in the women’s game and calling for its permanent introduction.Last summer, both teams in the women’s Ashes called for DRS to be introduced in bilateral internationals after England batter Fran Wilson was incorrectly given out lbw in the first ODI, with replays showing that the ball had hit her glove rather than her pad.ALSO READ: How can women’s cricket learn to use DRS better?”You always want the best as players, and DRS is the best,” Heather Knight, England’s captain, said. “I’d imagine the reason, as usual in women’s cricket, is money, as to why we don’t have it.”I think potentially not having it affects the spectacle of the game. Sometimes decisions go your way and it’s obviously the same for both sides but in an ideal world we would have DRS.”Matthew Mott, the Australia coach, said, “I must admit I think if you’ve got the technology there and you’ve got enough cameras, it should come in. It certainly makes sense for me to have it if we can.”Under the ICC’s playing conditions, the use of DRS in women’s internationals is at the discretion of the participating boards, as is the case in men’s internationals.England’s series against West Indies begins on Monday, with all five T20Is being played behind closed doors at Derby. Both sides will have two reviews available per innings, in all five matches.1140, September 21 – This story was updated to reflect the use of technology in New Zealand’s home series
Rob McElhenney has revealed his “hope” for Wrexham in 2024-25 after watching their League One opener alongside Ryan Reynolds and Eva Longoria.
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Hollywood co-owners calling the shotsOverseen meteoric rise in North WalesIntend to keep climbing EFL ladderGetty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?
The Red Dragons have enjoyed back-to-back promotions, lifting them out of the National League and into the third tier of English football. Hollywood co-owners have bankrolled that meteoric rise, with every headline-making moment being captured by the ‘Welcome to Wrexham’ documentary cameras.
AdvertisementWHAT MCELHENNEY SAID
There was more drama for A-list guests to enjoy at the start of a new season, as Phil Parkinson’s side claimed a 3-2 victory over Wycombe at SToK Racecourse, and McElhenney is daring to dream big once again. He told when asked what can be achieved over the next nine months: “What can we hope for? To win. Win and get promoted. That’s what you can hope for. Is that going to happen? Don’t know, that’s why we’ve got to win games.”
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McElhenney is a regular at Wrexham games, alongside fellow co-chairman Reynolds, and he is already planning a return to North Wales after heading back to the States to start writing the next series of ‘It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’. He said when asked when he will attend another game: “I’ll be back here some time in the fall.”
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WHAT NEXT FOR WREXHAM?
With a home win under their belt, Wrexham will now head out on the road for a couple of testing away dates. The first of those will see them face Sheffield United in the Carabao Cup first round, before then heading to Bolton for a meeting with fellow promotion hopefuls.
Arsenal's lack of a traditional, prolific, number nine was on full display at The Emirates on Sunday as they were beaten 2-0 by Aston Villa in the Premier League. Gabriel Jesus led the line for the Gunners, with Kai Havertz dropping back into central midfield, and failed to find the back of the net as Mikel Arteta's side scored zero goals from 1.64 xG (Expected Goals).
They are now two points behind reigning champions Manchester City in the race to secure the title, which means that their lack of firepower in the number nine position could ultimately cost them silverware.
Edu and Arteta are seemingly already hard at work to resolve that issue in the upcoming summer transfer window, though, as Arsenal have been linked with several strikers.
Arsenal's emerging interest in prolific marksman
According to CaughtOffside, an 'emerging' target for the Gunners ahead of the 2024/25 campaign is Feyenoord marksman Santiago Gimenez. The report claims that the Mexico international is well liked in North London as Arteta is eyeing up a possible swoop to add the impressive centre-forward to his squad in the summer.
However, it states that fellow Premier League side and rivals Tottenham Hotspur are long-time admirers of the attacker, and could, therefore, provide competition for his signature this year.
Santiago Gimenez scores for Feyenoord against Celtic.
CaughtOffside add that Sporting striker Viktor Gyokerers, who was playing in the Championship with Coventry City last season, is also under 'serious consideration' by the Gunners in their pursuit of a new number nine.
The report did not reveal how much it would take to sign Gimenez this summer but 90Min claimed, earlier this month, that Feyenoord are looking for a record Eredivisie fee within the region of €100m (£85m) – the fee that Manchester United paid Ajax to sign Antony in 2022 – for the talented attacker.
Santiago Gimenez's goalscoring record this season
The 22-year-old forward has been in prolific form throughout the 2023/24 campaign so far for the Dutch side and could be a fantastic signing for Arteta if the lethal whiz can adapt to English football. He has produced 24 goals and six assists in 39 appearances in all competitions for Feyenoord, which is more than one strike every other match on average.
Bukayo Saka
14
Kai Havertz
9
Leandro Trossard
8
Martin Odegaard
7
Declan Rice
6
As you can see in the table above, Arsenal have spread the goals out across their attack in the Premier League this season but do not have one outstanding option in the final third. Gimenez, meanwhile, has plundered an eye-catching 21 goals, to go along with five assists, in 29 Eredivisie games for his club so far this term.
The Mexican dynamo, who was hailed as a "bagsman" by analyst Ben Mattinson, has showcased his ability to find the back of the net on a consistent basis in the Netherlands, but is yet to prove himself in a major European league.
Arsenal can forget all about Toney by signing £64m "serious talent"
The incredibly prolific forward has been tearing it up this season, and is reportedly on the Gunners’ radar.
ByJack Salveson Holmes Apr 13, 2024
This means that it would be a gamble to bring him over to the Premier League, particularly for a staggering £85m fee, as there is no guarantee that his 24-goal season would be replicated in England.
Women's soccer's greatest player has never won a major international title, so will that change when Selecao faces the USWNT in the Paris 2024 final?
Back in 2004, women’s soccer was not in the place it is now. There was limited media coverage, a serious lack of broadcasting and few opportunities for its athletes to be full-time professionals. Opposition scouting, then, was far from easy – and yet, when Australia prepared to come up against Brazil at the Olympic Games, the Matildas’ staff had full knowledge of the big threat they needed to be aware of. That was an 18-year-old by the name of Marta.
Focusing on one player wasn’t something the team usually did before a match. “Why were we actually doing video on her and breaking down her game specifically? That was a bit unique,” Sacha Wainwright, the former Australia defender, recalls. “We didn’t usually focus on individual players as such, maybe a couple of the Americans and then there was Marta. I think she only had maybe 10 or 15 international caps at that stage.”
The reasons for such emphasis became apparent quickly. With just 34 minutes on the clock, Marta cut inside from the right and found the back of the net with her deadly left foot, just as the Australia staff had feared. “We were on our toes, mainly trying to counter her in that game, and it didn't work,” Wainwright laughs.
Over the last 20 years, Marta has rendered plenty more defenders’ efforts futile with otherworldly talent that leaves few questioning her status as the greatest player in the history of the women’s game. Now aged 38, she has the chance to win a first major international title at the final attempt when Brazil faces the United States women's national team in Saturday's Olympic gold medal match. Will it be the perfect send off for this icon of the game?
Selin Kuralay'Holy sh*t!'
While some players in Australia’s pre-match meeting back in 2004 might’ve been surprised by the focus that was being placed on this unpredictable teenager, Selin Kuralay knew first hand that it was necessary. Just two years prior, she was in the Australia squad for FIFA's first-ever women’s youth tournament, the Under-19 Women's Championship, at which Brazil was Australia's quarter-final opponent. It was there that she first encountered Marta.
“She was quite clearly the best player at that tournament. It was kind of the first opportunity for her to be showcasing to the world that her skills were that much better than the rest of us, I would say,” Kuralay, who scored in the eventual 4-3 defeat to Brazil, tells GOAL with a chuckle. “We were taking pictures with her. Any coach's pet hate is to have his players taking pictures with the other team's. I just remember that we were just all in awe at her technical ability, the way that she played the game and how amazing she was. It's not often that you come across players where you're like, 'Holy sh*t, they are that good!'”
AdvertisementGetty ImagesGreeting the world stage
It was a reputation that would be enhanced over the next two years. The first step in that sense came in 2003 when, aged 17, Marta showed the biggest stage in the sport glimpses of her talent for the first time, at that summer's World Cup.
In the group stages against Norway, she picked up the ball some 30 yards out, danced past four opponents and teed up Maycon, before eventually pouncing on the rebound of her team-mate's saved shot to put Brazil 3-1 up against the reigning Olympic champion. It was one of three goals she netted in a tournament that ended with Brazil beaten by eventual finalists Sweden in the quarters.
AFP via Getty Images'Galactico' of women's soccer
A few months later, another significant milestone in her young career came when she joined Swedish club Umea, “the Galacticos of women’s football” at that time. There was a lot of money in the Damallsvenskan, Sweden’s top-flight, throughout the 2000s and early 2010s and its teams thrived in Europe, with Marta able to help Umea win the UEFA Women’s Cup, now the Champions League, in her first season.
“Of course, I knew about her,” Andree Jeglertz, the club’s head coach at the time, told GOAL previously. “Our club director, Roland Arnqvist, always did things that people said he couldn't do. That gave him a little bit of a trigger. He took this as his biggest challenge to get Marta to Sweden and he managed [to do it]. They landed in half a meter snow in Umea. That was quite cool.
“You could see the technique, you could see how she solved things on the field, but as a coach, already then you were frustrated because she didn't do exactly as you said. She did things that us coaches would think, 'My God, we can never get her to understand how we want to play and what we want to do', but she solved every situation her way. That was something that I've learned in my coaching career, that not everybody can be exactly the same kind of player. It's the one that's breaking the pattern that will win the games and the trophies for you.”
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Getty ImagesMaking her mark
Marta would prove to be a game-changer at the 2004 Olympic Games, too, a tournament at which Rosana, her former Brazil team-mate, believes she really announced herself. “She was on everyone's lips after the first game against Australia, where she really turned up and showed the phenomenal player that she had become,” she told GOAL.
“I remember there was an aura around her already and that was her first Olympics,” Wainwright, Australia’s left-back that day, says. “She'd come near you and you were just like… 'Need to concentrate, need to keep her out wide, don't let her cut in'. She could be so dangerous. I guess it's the magic of the player she is. I can remember it. It's so memorable just who she was already, back then, and then she's gone and obviously had this massive career. At that time, and I was a more senior player, I felt like, 'This is a test of who you are as a player'. It was already that you'd be coming up against one of the best in the world.”
Going into that tournament, Brazil wasn't among the favorites to win gold, yet it came incredibly close. The South Americans faced the United States in the final and were left feeling aggrieved when a big penalty shout went by in extra-time, before Abby Wambach scored the gold medal-winning goal. “Even speaking to some Americans afterwards, they strongly believed that we deserved the gold, by the way we were playing and by the enthusiasm we had and the desire we had,” Rosana recalled.
Channel 7 CEO expressed frustration this week at the delay in confirming the season’s fixtures
ESPNcricinfo staff27-Aug-2020Cricket Australia is adamant it will not need to cut the value of its broadcast deal despite strong criticism from the boss of major rights holder Channel 7 over the delay in confirming the schedule for the home summer and suggestions that even a full slate of matches would not equate to delivering full value.Earlier this week, James Warburton, the CEO of Channel 7, used an investor call to take a swipe at CA for the fact they have still to lock in a reworked scheduled for the major events of the summer – significantly the India tour and the BBL.”It’s been frustrating with Cricket Australia, that’s for sure,” he said. “Ultimately…they need to look at what is possible to deliver, stop talking about international borders being closed, or borders being closed, and start to look at what really is the season we are going to deliver. We paid a massive price for the cricket – an Indian summer is as valuable as an Ashes summer.”ALSO READ: Afghanistan set to play December Test against Australia in PerthHowever, CA remains confident it will provide their full schedule which means delivering on their end of the billon-dollar broadcast deal that was made in 2018.”We’re absolutely committed to delivering our side of the bargain which is fantastic summer of cricket and I think work with all our partners to deliver the best possible summer, the best possible entertainment for all our fans and the public,” interim CEO Nick Hockley said on Wednesday. “So, that’s what we’re focused on and I think we’ve got a very clear agreement, that is fulfilling our part of the bargain and that’s entirely what we’re focused on.”Hockley, who took over from Kevin Roberts in June, said he had not spoken to Warburton since his comments earlier this week but said that Channel 7 are a “great partner””We are having lots of discussions about how Seven are going to bring to life cricket this summer,” he said. “We’ll continue to work through those. The discussion is very regular and there is lots of good dialogue. They’re a great partner. I’ve really enjoyed working with James and we’ve got so much to look forward to.”India and Australia are the top two sides on the World Test Championship table•Getty ImagesOne element which has got broadcasters nervous is the prospect of the BBL losing more big-name players because of the potential for larger international squads having to be named as it won’t be possible to fly players in and out due to quarantine restrictions. However, Hockley reiterated that the health and safety of everyone involve remained the overriding priority.”Biosecurity and health and safety of the players throughout the summer is absolutely the number one priority and creating hubs and concentrating content as the other sporting codes have done throughout the winter is something we’re likely to have to do, certainly in the early stages of the season,” he said. “We are hoping the situation improves, I think clearly it’s going to be a busy and full summer, both the international playing group and the domestic group and WBBL.”Australia’s home season is set to get underway at the end of September with the visit of the New Zealand Women’s team for three T20Is and three ODIs. Currently those matches are scheduled for Sydney and Queensland, but they are expected to be condensed into one hub venue.The WBBL will follow from mid-October with the expectation that the tournament may also be held in a single state. The men’s season could then start with white-ball cricket against India following post-IPL quarantine periods before a Test against Afghanistan in early December then four against India running until mid-January.The women are then due to play India in three ODIs in the middle of January – although they were being viewed as a lead-in to the now-postponed World Cup – with the New Zealand men’s side slated for a brief limited-overs tour at the end of January. The BBL final is currently due to be played on February 6.Of the state domestic competitions, the Marsh One-Day appears the most vulnerable to be cut this season and there remain questions over when the Women’s National Cricket League could be played.
Glasgow Rangers came back from the brink not once, but twice, to avoid defeat in the third Old Firm clash of the season at Ibrox on Sunday.
The first-half performance was as dismal a display that the Ibrox faithful have been witness to this term, offering absolutely nothing going forward, while looking shaky defensively.
Whatever Philippe Clement said at half-time clearly had the desired effect. Fabio Silva won a penalty which James Tavernier converted to make it 2-1, before Cyriel Dessers had a goal disallowed somewhat controversially.
Abdallah Sima did make it 2-2 with five minutes to go, yet Celtic went straight up the other end of the pitch and restored their advantage.
Enter Rabbi Matondo. The Welsh winger replicated his stunning strike against Hibs last weekend, but to a much greater magnitude, and it was worthy of winning any game, never mind securing a share of the spoils.
It was perhaps a missed opportunity, but considering how bad Rangers were in the first half, a point isn’t bad.
Several members of the starting XI delivered abysmal performances, however, most notably Scott Wright, who it was a surprise to see actually start the match.
Scott Wright’s game in numbers vs Celtic
The Scot had started only six Premiership matches prior to the Old Firm clash over the weekend. Considering Clement had Dujon Sterling, Ross McCausland, and a returning Sima ready to be deployed on the right wing, the decision was rather strange.
The former Aberdeen player had played just 20 minutes against Celtic this season, further evidence of his inclusion being peculiar, but Clement had obviously seen enough in training to warrant giving him a start.
Wright looked off the pace from the very first whistle, failing to contribute anything meaningful going forward as he and Tavernier struggled down the right flank, as you can see from the table below.
Goals
0
Assists
0
Key passes
0
Successful dribbles
0
Possession lost
4
The occasion clearly got to the winger as he completed just eight passes during the first half, taking 18 touches and losing possession four times.
In terms of providing Dessers with some service, Wright failed to deliver a single cross or attempt a dribble, while failing even to make a key pass throughout a dismal opening 45 minutes.
It was perhaps no surprise that he was hooked at half-time by Clement, with the manager unleashing Sima, who had a much greater impact.
Rangers winger Scott Wright.
This was the third occasion since the end of January that Wright had started a league match, before being subbed at half-time. It is clear he cant be trusted in games of this magnitude and with a title to fight for, he shouldn’t be in a Rangers' jersey again.
The 26-year-old was even given a dismal match rating of just 4/10 for his display in the match by the Scottish Sun, who said Greg Taylor ‘dealt with him comfortably’ throughout the first half.
Scott Wright’s statistics this season
It's fair to say Wright hasn’t had the desired impact since failing to secure a move to Turkish side Pendikspor last summer as he looked to fight for his place in the side under Michael Beale.
Since then, Wright has made a total of 28 appearances (18 from the bench) while scoring just two goals and registering zero assists, hardly the form of a player who deserves a start in the most important Old Firm clash in years.
Rangers winger Scott Wright.
When compared to his teammates, Wright currently ranks in a lowly 17th spot for shots per game (0.9) in the top flight, along with ranking 22nd for big chances created (one), 18th for key passes per game (0.6) and 16th for successful dribbles per game (0.4).
These are poor numbers across metrics which a winger should be excelling at, but Wright has been ordinary, not just this campaign, but his whole spell at the Ibrox side.
With seven Premiership games to go, plus a Scottish Cup semi-final clash (and potential final), every game is now a must-win if they are to win the league title this season.
Clement must make better choices with regard to who starts matches and, given his options on the wing are much better than they were due to injuries, Wright must be dropped for the subsequent games.
The players who can replace Scott Wright
McCausland is the obvious choice given how much he has played this season. Since making his first appearance of the 2023/24 campaign against Aris Limassol in October, the Northern Irishman has featured 30 times for the Light Blues, scoring twice and grabbing three assists in the process.
The youngster has also registered more successful dribbles per match (0.8) and more key passes per game (1.5) than Wright, showcasing how impressive he has been since becoming a first-team regular under Clement.
Rangers forward Ross McCausland.
While Sima has been typically deployed on the left wing this season, could he be an option on the right-hand side of the attack?
Matondo deserves some more game time after his heroics against Celtic, which could see him given a start against Dundee on Wednesday. Sima also had a wonderful impact when coming off the bench and certainly has earned a first start since recovering from his hamstring injury.
The on-loan Brighton and Hove Albion starlet has already scored 16 goals during his time at the club, offering a dangerous threat from the wide areas.
A wide duo of Matondo and Sima, combined with Dessers leading the line, could cause Dundee all sorts of problems, although they could be stifled by having to play on what resembles an Olympic swimming pool, judging by the state of their pitch.
At this stage of the season, performances simply don’t matter, securing three points is the main thing. Clement would quite happily see his side win the remaining seven games 1-0 if they were to go on and win the league title.
The Belgian will have found out a lot about his team following the 3-3 draw against Celtic. Starting Wright in any of the remaining fixtures shouldn’t even be considered, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see him depart Ibrox in the summer.
Mikel Arteta hints at signing more players as Arsenal close in on roping in Italian defender Riccardo Calafiori.
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Arsenal want to sign more playersClose to finalising Calafiori transfer Arteta keen on increasing squad strength WHAT HAPPENED?
Per The Athletic, the Gunners are on the verge of sealing the transfer of Bologna and Italy defender Calafiori in the ongoing summer transfer window as they have reportedly agreed to pay a fee of £42 million ($54.3m) to the Serie A club.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE
With the 22-year-old centre-back's transfer all but sealed, the North London giants will now look to add more players to their roster ahead of the upcoming 2024/25 campaign as hinted by Mikel Arteta. The Spanish coach claimed that the club still need more players to increase the squad strength so that they can compete for the Premier League title once again with holders Manchester City this season.
WHAT MIKEL ARTETA SAID
Speaking to reporters, the 42-year-old said, "We know there are certain positions that we want to improve and give the squad better resources, especially in terms of numbers where we are very short. We will try our best but the main thing is to focus on falling in love with the players we have and make them better."
He added, "Perfection in this league requires different standards to relate that word to winning the Premier League. That’s what we need to do, we need to upgrade everything we're doing and improve in every area. That’s what we're trying to do. We are so close. There are moments where we had really fine margins. We have earned to be there, and obviously, we want much more and we are going to try to get it.
"When you are so close, you really want to grab it. But I think you have to analyse the whole thing. “In the end, the outcome of this football club has to be to win major trophies, and we are in the process to achieve that – we are very close. The level that we are showing is extremely high, but it’s not been enough to win it. That’s the target. We’re certainly heading in the right direction and we are travelling at a really high speed with the things that we have transformed not only in the football side, but I think as a club as well. Now what is missing is to bring the big titles back home."
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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR ARSENAL?
The English giants have been linked with a move for Real Sociedad's Mikel Merino and Athletic Club's Nico Williams as they look to bolster their midfield and attack respectively. They will be next seen in action on Wednesday against Bournemouth in their first pre-season friendly in the United States.
Next court hearing tentatively scheduled for August 17
Nagraj Gollapudi22-Jul-2020The question of whether the BCCI’s top two officer bearers – president Sourav Ganguly and secretary Jay Shah – can carry on in their positions remains unanswered with the Supreme Court of India on Wednesday saying after a short hearing that it will take up the matter again in two weeks’ time. It has been listed “tentatively” for August 17.The BCCI has filed its plea – twice since last December – proposing several amendments to the board’s constitution, which, if adopted, could undo some of the most significant reforms recommended by the Lodha Committee. The case was listed to be heard on Wednesday by a two-judge bench comprising Chief Justice of India Sharad Bobde and Justice L Nageshwar Rao. During a short hearing, conducted virtually because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the court said it would sit again in a couple of weeks to discuss it.The questions now are: can Ganguly and Shah carry on as office bearers, and in case they do without the court’s nod, will it count as an offence? While Ganguly’s term reportedly comes to end on July 27, Shah’s term has ended in the past month or so, although an exact date could not be confirmed.Both Ganguly and Shah have been participating in all important BCCI meetings and have also been the board’s representatives at various ICC meetings since being elected last October. The next meeting where they could, potentially, make an appearance is the IPL Governing Council meeting this weekend.As per the BCCI constitution, an office bearer is allowed to serve for two consecutive terms spanning six years (at BCCI or state level or a combination of both) after which a cooling-off period of three years is mandatory. That rule was approved by the apex court in 2018, when it modified the clause concerning the cooling-off period to two terms (six years) instead of the just one (as stated in its 2016 order).In its second plea filed in April, the BCCI had requested the court to consider the amendments to the board’s constitution, including tweaking the cooling-off period of the board’s office bearers, modifying the disqualification criteria, giving unprecedented powers to the BCCI secretary, and stopping the court from having any say if the board wants to alter the constitution. The amendments were unanimously approved by the state associations that comprise the BCCI general body.
Despite Sunderland's dreadful run of form going into the away contest at Cardiff City on Good Friday, Mike Dodds' Black Cats managed to stroll to a surprise 2-0 victory in the Welsh capital.
The Wearside outfit were winless in their last seven Championship games before picking up a much-needed three points at the expense of the Bluebirds, with Adil Aouchiche and Jobe Bellingham sharing the goals.
It was a masterstroke of a decision from Dodds to play Bellingham in the lone striker role, but this ingenious switch working so effectively could consequently put a nail in one underwhelming Sunderland man's career as he continues to fire blanks up top.
Luis Semedo's season in numbers
Joining from the Benfica U21 ranks last year with a reputation for being prolific in his native Portugal (with 21 goals in total for Benfica in that age bracket), it's fair to say Luis Semedo's time in England has not gone to plan.
The 20-year-old striker is yet to find the back of the net for the Black Cats at senior or youth level, amassing 23 appearances in the process without a single strike to his name.
In stark contrast, Bellingham's goal away at Cardiff on Good Friday means the traditional attacking midfielder is on to seven strikes in his debut season.
Dodds' patience could, therefore, begin to run very thin regarding the ex-Benfica hot prospect with Bellingham starring in his role.
The former Birmingham City teenager notched up three key passes as a lively presence in attack on top of his all-important goal, winning ten duels as a figure constantly wanting to make things happen.
Semedo's hefty pay packet could also be a sticking point soon, with the misfiring youngster currently earning £1k more per week than Pierre Ekwah, according to Capology.
Luis Semedo's wage at Sunderland
Amazingly, despite Ekwah being present in every Sunderland clash since the end of November in the second tier, the Black Cats No 39 finds himself earning £3k per week to Semedo's £4k-per-week salary.
Ekwah has also been far more effective from midfield this campaign than Semedo, helping himself to four goals and two assists when his team have needed him to step up and be impactful.
Sunderland midfielder Pierre Ekwah.
Semedo also remarkably finds himself earning a healthier wage than regular first-team ace Trai Hume, with the Northern Irishman also coming in at a paltry £3k per week.
Even Chris Rigg earns just £1k per week in contrast to Semedo's bumped-up salary, with the electric Sunderland hotshot starring against Cardiff all whilst still only being 16 years of age.
The homegrown Black Cats product would miss one big chance from midfield in the 2-0 win, on top of making two tackles as an energetic option down the wing.
1. Jack Clarke
£16.9k per week
2. Daniel Ballard
£15k per week
3. Bradley Dack
£15k per week
4. Patrick Roberts
£12.5k per week
5. Anthony Patterson
£10k per week
Sourced by Capology
Semedo is some way off entering into the top five list of wage-earners at the Stadium of Light, but with his lack of goals still irking those with connections to the Wearside club, his salary is arguably burning a hole in Sunderland's pocket.
Dodds will hope he's cracked the conundrum over who should be the starting striker for Sunderland in Bellingham after his standout showing against Cardiff, with Semedo falling further down the pecking order as a result.