The MET office has delivered an update amid fears Liverpool's Champions League clash with Atletico Madrid could be postponed due to extreme weather. A yellow weather warning was issued ahead of the match warning of gusty winds that could disrupt travel and cause power outages.
Despite playing in Lucknow for the first time, the Afghanistan coach is fancying his team’s chances
Saurabh Somani in Lucknow 26-Nov-2019″Six months back I could have told you about Afghanistan. Now I am with West Indies.” – Phil Simmons.Whatever insights West Indies’ coach had about the team he had coached from December 2017 till the end of the 2019 World Cup was clearly not meant for publication. If you had asked him about the insights he had into the opposition in December 2017, he could have given the same answer with the team names inter-changed.Simmons’ record as coach has been excellent, but in spite of that, his first stint with West Indies had not ended well. Not due to the lack of results – they won the T20 World Cup under him – but due to what the WICB termed ‘differences in culture and strategic approach’, and what the rest of the world called a colossal management blunder.With a new management in place at the board, Simmons’ expertise was sought again, and he gladly accepted the role. While he stopped short of saying he had ‘unfinished business’ with West Indies, he does want to stop the wheel turning the way it has. The occasional peaks notwithstanding, the story that was written most often in the last two decades on Caribbean cricket was of West Indies’ decline.On Wednesday, there is the opportunity to take another step towards that when West Indies face Afghanistan in a one-off Test at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow.Technically, this is an ‘away’ game for West Indies and ‘home’ for Afghanistan. But it’s not as simple as that. Afghanistan have moved to this ground just a month ago from Dehradun, their erstwhile home ground, and are as (un)familiar with it as West Indies are. The only time Lucknow has hosted a Test before this one was 25 years back, when the Ekana Stadium wasn’t even a concept, and Afghanistan had as much chance of playing Test cricket as Belgium.”I was very happy when they moved from Dehradun to here for this series,” Simmons said. “Because they would have known everything about Dehradun. And now, it’s (like a) neutral venue, so it makes it even for us.”Afghanistan have in their corner the knowledge that they turned around the last series played at this venue, albeit in a vastly different format. Down 1-0 in the T20Is after having lost 3-0 in the ODIs, they stormed back to win 2-1. Simmons acknowledged that Afghanistan were a “difficult” opponent, but felt that at three-Tests old only, inexperience would be a factor.”Their format is T20, they’ve done well over the last two-three years in T20 cricket, so they were always going to fight back in that one,” Simmons said. “They’ve had three Tests, and did well to win in Bangladesh, but it’s still a learning phase for them and hopefully we can capitalise on that.”The Afghanistan players walk off the field•BCB
For Afghanistan coach Lance Klusener, the Test was all about focussing on his team’s strengths and not worrying too much about what West Indies would throw at them.”There’s no hiding the fact that our strength is spin. We’ve got three of the best spin bowlers in the world,” Klusener said, adding that the pitches were “receptive to spin”.”We’ll just have small goals and plans as to how we want to go about things. It’s a learning process as well. But in saying that, we want to be as positive as we can,” Klusener said. “Batting is about scoring runs – whether it’s Test cricket, one-day cricket or T20 cricket. It’s just how you go about. That’s the challenge for us, finding the balance between attacking an defending.”We can take a lot of confidence out of the way we played in the practice game. And they’re coming off a Test win in Bangladesh. So there’s a lot of good things to look forward to. I guess our challenge is runs. If we can put enough runs on the board over the course of the Test match, we’re going to be difficult to beat.”There appears to a widening gap between those at the top of the Test tree and those below it, according to Klusener, but as he pointed out, both teams in this contest fell on the same side of that divide.”We just saw that there’s quite a big rift between the lower teams that are not getting enough Test cricket to your Indias, Australias and Englands,” Klusener said. “There’s quite a big gap but it’s a learning curve for us. We’re going to have to toughen up a little bit, get stuck in and front up. We’re certainly looking forward to this Test match, there’s a lot of history playing against the West Indies as well.”There was a hint of a challenge in the way Klusener spoke of ‘history’ between the two teams. They’ve played seven T20Is, with West Indies winning four to Afghanistan’s three. West Indies are ahead 5-3 in ODIs, but before the one-dayers on this tour, they were 2-3.Test cricket though, is a a sporting animal unlike any other and Afghanistan’s inexperience will be a factor. It could have been offset to some extent with home advantage. But the surface aside – which could still play a decisive role – there’s not much ‘home’ advantage in playing at a new venue, facing a team whose coach knows you inside out.
When Granit Xhaka left Arsenal in the summer of 2023, Mikel Arteta and Edu knew they needed to go to great lengths to replace his extraordinary output last season.
A £105m move for Declan Rice was signed, sealed and delivered while Kai Havertz, certainly to less fanfare, arrived from another part of London in Chelsea.
The £65m addition hasn't quite made the grade after moving to the north of the capital, with it taking until November for the German to finally score a goal in Arsenal colours from open play.
Perhaps realising the error of their ways, the Gunners have been looking at signing another midfielder according to reports.
Two names on the club's shortlist for 2024 reside in the Premier League with Amadou Onana, touted at £60m, interesting Arsenal, while Joao Palhinha of Fulham is another to be tipped with a move to join the ranks at the Emirates Stadium.
A wildcard option could well be that of Joao Neves, Benfica's next hot property in the middle of the park after Enzo Fernandez.
The teenage sensation has been strongly linked with Manchester United in recent months but Arsenal are another casting their eyes towards Neves. Reports in the build-up to the January window suggested that the Gunners were tracking the 19-year-old but with a release clause of £103m and no intention of selling, any move is incredibly unlikely, at least for now.
All confirmed Premier League done deals: January transfer window 2024
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By
Luke Randall
Feb 1, 2024
Yet, if the Kroenke's were to dip their hands into their pockets again for another mega midfield signing, Neves would offer some extreme quality to Arteta's side. Does anyone fancy another round of Santi Cazorla?
Who is Neves we hear you ask? Well, a quick look at his FBref scouting profile indicates what a fine young individual this budding teen is.
Compared to positionally similar players across Europe's top five leagues and the top continental competitions, he ranks among the best 11% for passes into the final third (via FBref), indicating his progressive nature in possession of the ball.
Further sitting inside the top 17% for passes attempted, it's clear Neves is a player who offers plenty of protection and composure on the ball. However, he's more than just about passing play. Neves happens to be adept in the defensive and offensive phases of play.
Indeed, the Benfica starlet is in the top 1% of midfielders in Europe for goal-creating actions per 90 minutes, the best 1% for tackles won (3.95) and the finest 13% for interceptions (1.58 per 90). To put that into context, Rice makes 2.01 tackles per 90 and 1.73 interceptions.
Can you imagine the thought of the two playing together, therefore? Yeah, it's a dreamy picture to envisage. The progressive and classy nature of the two is a tantalising prospect.
Already we're getting a sense of why Neves is similar to Cazorla though. He's intricate with his passing play, progressive and capable of doing his fair share of the dirty work. The comparison is supplemented by analyst Ben Mattinson.
Cazorla was one of the most gifted players in the Emirates Stadium era and is remembered particularly fondly by those of an Arsenal persuasion. He played a key hand in ending the club's trophy drought in 2014, scoring a scorching free-kick in the FA Cup final versus Hull City but overall, he was just marvellously gifted at football.
The Spaniard left in 2018 after a period of sustained injury hell that nearly ended his career but he did so with a mighty fine record in Arsenal colours, scoring 29 goals and supplying 45 assists in 180 outings.
With such a creative marvel in mind, let's dive a little deeper into how he compares to Neves.
|
Joao Neves vs Santi Cazorla |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Stat (per 90) |
Neves (23/24) |
Cazorla (18/19) |
|
Shots |
0.89 |
0.95 |
|
Pass Success |
88% |
81% |
|
Key Passes |
0.74 |
2.41 |
|
Progressive Passes |
6.52 |
8.67 |
|
Shot-creating Actions |
2.89 |
4.63 |
|
Tackles Won |
2.44 |
1.16 |
|
Interceptions |
1.48 |
0.95 |
|
Carries |
51.7 |
41.9 |
|
Progressive Carries |
1.78 |
2.35 |
|
Stats via FBref. |
||
Despite there being some differences in the volume of each stat, you can see how their playstyles are alike. Both registered a high number of progressive passes and shot-creating actions, showcasing a preference for getting on the ball and creating openings for teammates.
Cazorla was one of the finest in the Premier League era at such a quality and thus, signing Neves would be truly exciting for supporters. With such a huge asking price, however, we might never see him in Arsenal colours.
Despite Head’s century New South Wales ended the second day on top at Adelaide Oval
ESPNcricinfo staff02-Nov-2019South Australia 7 for 222 (Head 109) trail New South Wales 289 (Solway 133*, Nevill 53, Sayers 8-64)With the decision looming on Australia’s Test batting line-up, Travis Head made a timely century against a strong New South Wales attack to shore up South Australia’s first innings at Adelaide Oval although the visitors ended the second day with the advantage.Head, who was left out of the final Ashes Test when Australia rebalanced their side with Mitchell Marsh, had made an unconvincing start to the first-class season with a scratchy half-century on a flat pitch at Junction Oval before scores of 0 and 12 against Queensland.However, he was named in the Australia A side to face Pakistan in Perth later this month in what is billed as a showdown for probably two batting spots with Head vying for a middle-order role. He will now enter that game with confidence having brought up his 11th first-class hundred from 200 deliveries with a boundary off Australia team-mate Josh Hazlewood, but he could not reach the close as Hazlewood hit back during an impressive spell with the second new ball.There was less from the rest of the batting order than he would have liked. Trent Copeland struck early to trap Jake Weatherald lbw although the batsman indicated he got an inside edge and Callum Ferguson edged to gully. Copeland struck again when a Henry Hunt got into a tangle against a short ball to leave South Australia 3 for 68.Tom Cooper helped Head added 73 for the fourth wicket only to send a top edge to fine leg where Hazlewood took a well-judged catch. Another 50-run partnership followed before Nathan Lyon earned reward for a probing spell by having Harry Nielsen caught at slip, the batsman happy to take the word of Copeland that the ball had carried.When Tom Andrews was caught behind off Moises Henriques shortly before the second new ball New South Wales were firmly on top and the removal of Head left them sensing a handy lead.The day had started with New South Wales seven down in their first innings and Chadd Sayers claimed two of the remaining wickets to finish with a career-best 8 for 64. Debutant Daniel Solway, who marked the opening day with a century, finished unbeaten on 133.
Tensions boiled over during Argentina’s World Cup qualifier against Ecuador as Liverpool midfielder Alexis Mac Allister clashed with new Arsenal signing Piero Hincapie. The pair exchanged heated words after a late incident in stoppage time, sparking headlines both in South America and the Premier League. After the fiery exchange, Mac Allister later sent a message to his rival.
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It could be said that the 2022/223 campaign was one to forget for Liverpool, but then Jurgen Klopp will be keen for his squad to remember the suffering after years of success.
The esteemed manager has rectified the problems with sweeping changes to the midfield last summer and Liverpool are now fighting for silverware once again, topping the Premier League table after 20 matches and into the latter stage of both the Carabao Cup (semi-finals) and the Europa League (round-of-16).
Liverpool eyeing £78m "Rolls-Royce" who could be the next Saliba
Jurgen Klopp would make a clear statement of intent by completing this transfer in 2024.
By
Angus Sinclair
Jan 5, 2024
Liverpool have multiple options across each area of the pitch but it would be naive and short-sighted to assume that reinforcements would not benefit the pursuit of a grand finish to the 'rebuilding' campaign.
Klopp's side, it would seem, are ahead of schedule, and while this may be the case, the current transfer window must surely then be used to preserve this pleasing position at the front of the pack.
According to a report from the Liverpool Echo's Paul Gorst at the start of the month, Klopp is looking for a new operator at No. 6 and has identified Genoa midfielder Morten Frendrup for transfer.
However, with Tutto Juve since revealing that Liverpool could be joined in their interest by London clubs Crystal Palace and West Ham United, who are seemingly enticed by the bargain €10m (£9m) price tag, this deal must be tied up swiftly if he is indeed deemed worthy of a move to Merseyside.
Ideally, scouts and the club's technical director Jorg Schmadtke would continue to assess the player's development until the summer but with rival competition and a low value, plans may well be accelerated over the coming weeks.
Described as a midfield "destroyer" by talent scout Jacek Kulig – who also dubbed him a "superb talent" – Frendrup is noted for his pace, passing, athleticism, positioning, tenacity and tackling.
Having chalked up 70 appearances for Genoa since moving from his homeland in 2021, and after guiding them back into Serie A before the summer, he has been immense over the past months, starting all 18 league matches in 2023/24 and racking up four assists.
While Frendrup might appear amiable and unassertive, he is a veritable monster on the pitch and has been the life force for his club, with his no-nonsense defensive work and unwavering protection of the backline striking fear into opponents.
While he is comparatively inexperienced on the major stage, the 22-year-old is unquestionably talented and could be an astute addition to a team already boasting options in the No. 6 role.
As a holding midfielder, he is diametrically opposed to Alexis Mac Allister, who is not the cleanest defensively but is technically brilliant and offers a range of passing that allows him to pull the strings from the heart of the field.
|
Morten Frendrup: Key Characteristics |
|
|---|---|
|
Strengths |
Weaknesses |
|
Tackling |
Ball retention |
|
Aerial duels |
Passing |
|
Intercepting |
|
|
Blocking |
|
|
*Sourced via WhoScored |
|
As per FBref, Frendrup ranks among the top 1% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for tackles, the top 7% for assists and the top 11% for blocks per 90, showcasing his blend of creativity and defensive ability.
The 5 foot 10 ace is without a doubt one of the toughest-tackling players in Italian football and has averaged 4.0 tackles and 6.7 ball recoveries per game this term, as per Sofascore, also succeeding with 66% of his duels.
Whether such prowess would translate to life on English shores remains to be seen, and while his passing is not the crispest – he ranks among the bottom 27% of midfielders for pass completion – this could be improved over the coming years.
With Mac Allister and summer signing Wataru Endo, aged 30, Liverpool's options in the deep-lying midfield right now, it's understandable that another player is being targetted.
The former is naturally played in a more creative role, while Endo was a surprise summer signing from German Bundesliga side Stuttgart for £16m in August, after the Reds' high-profile transfer battle with Chelsea for Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia leaving Klopp empty-handed and hot under the collar.
But having won the club's Player of the Month for December, Liverpool have proved themselves in the market once again with a shrewd purchase, and Frendrup could repeat the feat.
Earlier, it was highlighted that Frendrup's passing is one of the weaker facets to his game, but then the same could have been said for Endo last season.
Last year in Germany, Endo only completed 80% of his passes from defensive midfield; in the Premier League this season, he boasts an 87% pass success rate – with the right coaching and tools, Frendrup could emulate this.
Schmadtke pulled something of a blinder with this one, and under Klopp's guidance and among a crop of players challenging for a place at the forefront of European football, the Japan captain has developed and deepened his skill set despite his 30 years of age.
Klopp likes fluidity and he demands his players to have a combination of skills to effectively contribute to the system, while Endo is a bit more straightforward in his craft than say, Mac Allister or Bayern Munich's Joshua Kimmich (who has recently been linked with Liverpool), he has showcased his best qualities tremendously over the past few months.
In a world dominated by extravagant expenditure and high-profile rumours leading the discourse throughout the transfer window, Liverpool have often delved down the less-trodden path to secure players to improve Klopp's squad.
Admittedly, Endo was not the German manager's first choice, but with Caicedo yet to live up to the price tag and Lavia ravaged by injury in west London, the former Stuttgart star has shone.
The Kimmich's of the world would boost the Reds, there is no doubt about that, but Frendrup could be shaped into a true world-beater, and the Anfield side would not be foolhardy to repeat the feat with Frendrup, who has the trappings of a midfield machine in the making.
The South Africa women head coach says playing Bangladesh in the emerging series was important because the team will face similar bowlers in India
Liam Brickhill13-Sep-2019After a gruelling few months of preparation, South Africa women’s head coach Hilton Moreeng feels his team has given itself “a good chance” ahead of the trip to India for five T20Is and three ODIs.”The preparation building up to the India tour has been very good,” Moreeng said. “Playing Bangladesh [in the emerging series] was important because we will face similar bowlers in India.”The South Africa emerging side went down 2-1 to Bangladesh Emerging Players in the one-dayers, but won the three-match T20 series 2-0, with the third match tied. Trisha Chetty topped the batting charts with 153 runs at 51.00 in the one-dayers, while medium-pacer Tumi Sekhukhune shone in the T20s, taking seven wickets at just 9 and an economy of 5.25. Both have been included in South Africa’s touring party.Several members of the national squad took part in the emerging series, as well as spending time at the National Academy in Pretoria. More recently, they came together for a ten-day training camp in Pietermaritzburg to firm up plans ahead of the tour.”In Maritzburg, we also practised in slow and low conditions,” Moreeng explained. “The planning has been spot on, now it’s about execution in those tough conditions. But we have given ourselves a good chance.”The trip to India forms an important part of South Africa’s preparations for next year’s T20 World Cup in Australia, while the three ODIs will provide valuable game time ahead of crunch fixtures in the ICC Women’s Championship (IWC), away against New Zealand and at home against Australia.Allrounder Sune Luus will be captaining both ODI and T20I sides during the India tour, with regular captain Dane van Niekerk having suffered a recurrence of the foot injury – that had kept her out of much of the home summer – during a recent stint in the Kia Super League in England.Trisha Chetty looks to drill one off the backfoot•ICC
“It will be very exciting to see how things go in India where we are playing against one of the top teams and in their conditions,” Moreeng said. “If we can do well, I think it can set us up nicely for the season ahead, including our IWC series against New Zealand in January.”Maritzburg was very good for us. It was sort of a pre-season for us as a team. A lot of the focus was on skill work, not just at the camp but throughout the pre-season at all the different levels. It’s very important for us to improve. We want to have a better season ahead, thus the camps and all the planning.”The South Africans endured a poor 2018 T20 World Cup in the West Indies, where they failed to progress to the knockouts. This time around, they will be aiming for much better and the trip to India will aid those preparations.”The bigger picture is always the World Cup,” Moreeng said. “Knowing what is coming, how you’re going to test yourself there against a very good team that knows the conditions well. This tour to India will also be about giving youngsters an opportunity knowing that you want to continue growing the team because we know that World Cups are going to come thick and fast now. The IWC is also crucial. It’s two-fold for us.”Moreeng believes his squad is now in a much better space in terms of depth compared to 12 months ago. The touring party was named on Monday with unfamiliar faces like Anneke Bosch – who last played for her country nearly three years ago – and the uncapped Nonkululeko Mlaba included. There was also a return for senior players Ayabonga Khaka and Chetty after injuries.”The youngsters are coming through and I think we can safely say that we have three players per position that are competing,” Moreeng said. “This puts us in a better position compared to where we were 12 months ago.”We also have to look at 2021 when there’s another 50 overs World Cup, so have to be thinking long-term. The youngsters coming through also have a great opportunity to play alongside the experienced girls in the squad. Remember some of these girls are playing in T20 leagues and lining up alongside these players is of huge benefit. It’s a really exciting time for young girls to be involved in cricket.”T20I squad: Sune Luus (capt), Anneke Bosch, Tasmin Brits, Nadine de Klerk, Shabnim Ismail, Sinalo Jafta, Ayabonga Khaka, Lara Goodall, Lizelle Lee, Nonkululeko Mlaba, Tumi Sekhukhune, Nondumiso Shangase, Mignon du Preez, Lara WolvaardtODI squad: Sune Luus (capt), Anneke Bosch, Trisha Chetty, Nadine de Klerk, Shabnim Ismail, Ayabonga Khaka, Lara Goodall, Marizanne Kapp, Lizelle Lee, Nonkululeko Mlaba, Tumi Sekhukhune, Nondumiso Shangase, Mignon du Preez, Lara Wolvaardt
Lyon's Malick Fofana says he considered a summer move to the Premier League but decided to prioritise playing time with the Ligue 1 side.
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Everton are eyeing up a move for Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher in the summer transfer window as Frank Lampard looks to utilise his connections at the west London club.
According to talkSPORT journalist Alex Crook, the Toffees are looking at signing the 22-year-old ahead of next season, having excelled whilst on loan at Crystal Palace during the 2021/22 campaign.
Valued at £22.5m by Transfermarkt, Thomas Tuchel will reportedly look to include Gallagher in his pre-season plans at Chelsea, although this might not translate to a first-team berth, with Lampard remaining on red alert for news of any opportunity to bring the midfielder to Everton.
Everton retained their Premier League status with a stunning comeback win over Gallagher’s Palace on Thursday night, but this still won’t be enough to satiate the frustration of supporters after a dreadful campaign.
Lampard will seriously need to re-evaluate the playing squad and look to improve the spine of the team ahead of the 2022/23 season.
Signing Gallagher would be a bold but wise move, as Lampard could build the Everton side around the England international given his tender years and burgeoning talent.
In all competitions this term, the 22-year-old has scored eight times (including a wonder strike against the Toffees in December) and provided five assists as Palace have had a solid start to life under Patrick Vieira.
Gallagher’s stats for this season on loan at Selhurst Park are excellent. Compared with positional peers in the big five European leagues, he ranks in the 96th percentile for touches in the opposition penalty area (3.06 per 90), the 97th percentile for non-penalty goals (0.25), and the 91st percentile for pressures (24.51).
These figures clearly show that, despite his young age, he is performing at an incredible level across several aspects of his game, and his presence in the Everton midfield could only be a good thing for the Toffees.
Having been dubbed “outrageous” earlier in the season, it’s no wonder the midfielder has gone on to make his England debut over the past six months.
With only Richarlison at Everton scoring more goals this season (10) than Gallagher, Lampard should be planning to make the Chelsea man his first signing of the summer.
Indeed, with the 22-year-old citing the current Toffees manager as his boyhood idol, and with the 43-year-old knowing what the youngster can do from his own time in charge at Stamford Bridge, Lampard might love to reunite with Gallagher at Goodison Park if at all possible.
Louis van Gaal has revealed that his former employers Bayern Munich attempted to reappoint him in the summer before hiring Vincent Kompany.
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