كشف روي كين، النجم السابق لفريق مانشستر يونايتد، عن رأيه تجاه مستقبل النجم المصري محمد صلاح بعد التصريحات المثيرة التي أدلى بها الأخير بعد مباراة الأمس.
وتلاقى ليفربول مع مانشستر يونايتد في ختام منافسات الجولة الثالثة من الدوري الإنجليزي، على ملعب “الأولد ترافورد”.
ونجح ليفربول في تحقيق الفوز بثلاثة أهداف دون رد، حيث تألق محمد صلاح بعدما صنع الأول والثاني وسجل الثالث.
وبعد المباراة، أكد محمد صلاح عدم وجود مفاوضات مع ليفربول بشأن تجديد عقده، مشيرًا إلى إنه حريص على الاستمتاع بعامه الأخير في النادي (لمطالعة التفاصيل من هنا).
وقال روي كين، في تصريحات نشرتها شبكة “onefootball” الإنجليزية، ردًا على تصريحات النجم المصري: “إنه (محمد صلاح) يتحكم في عقده”.
وأوضح: “أعلم أن الأندية لديها سياسات تجاه اللاعبين عندما يصلون إلى سن الـ31 أو 32 حيث تسمح له بالوصول إلى حد انتهاء عقودهم، ولكنه سيقرر ما يريده”.
وأضاف: “من الواضح أنهم سيضطرون إلى تقديم عقد له، فهو لاعبهم الرئيسي، ضع الأمر بهذه الطريقة: سيكون لديه الكثير من الخيارات”.
Christian Pulisic says he is "ready to give everything" when the United States take on Uruguay after their shock Panama loss in the Copa America.
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USA lose to Panama in Copa AmericaTournament hosts face in-form Uruguay nextPulisic to 'give everything' in that gameWHAT HAPPENED?
Panama upset the apple cart on Thursday when they came from behind to beat 10-man USA, as goals from Cesar Blackman and Jose Fajardo cancelled out Folarin Balogun's opener. AC Milan star Pulisic admitted Timothy Weah's 18th-minute red card proved costly – but now he wants to right the wrongs against Uruguay on Monday.
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The former Chelsea winger wrote in an Instagram story on Friday: "Tough game to take for us. But we are not done just yet. Ready to give everything on Monday," followed by an American flag emoji.
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Spirits were high in the US camp after their 2-0 win over Bolivia in their Copa America opener but now they face an uphill task to get out of the group after the Panama setback. Uruguay are arguably the most in-form team in the competition after scoring eight goals in two games against Panama and Bolivia. Now, Gregg Berhalter's side could be making an early exit from the tournament they are hosting.
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The United States – who sit second in their group – host Marcelo Bielsa's Uruguay on Monday night at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, hoping to come away with a result in their bid to reach the quarter-finals of the competition.
When Daniel Farke walked into Leeds United, they had just been relegated from the Premier League to the Championship, so it was natural that they lost a number of big names. A few players were snapped up by sides who remained in the top-flight, with Tyler Adams joining Bournemouth and Luis Sinisterra following him to the south coast on an initial loan that has just been made permanent. Jack Harrison may also end up signing for Everton long-term at the end of the campaign if a release clause is activated.
Everton's loan forward Jack Harrison.
Elsewhere, Robin Koch left to join Frankfurt (and has agreed pre-contract terms ahead of the end of his Leeds deal), while there were loans for Max Wober (Borussia Monchengladbach), Marc Roca (Real Betis) Brenden Aaronson (Union Berlin) and Rasmus Kristensen (Roma).
Leeds are fighting for an immediate return to the Premier League and are just a point shy of the automatic places right now after a six-game winning streak (albeit having played a game more than Southampton), but there's still a prospect of them losing one of their top talents this summer.
Ex Summerville team-mate hints at exit
In a recent Instagram post, Crysencio Summerville celebrated Leeds' 3-0 win over Rotherham at the weekend, sharing a photo of he and his team-mates celebrating one of his two second-half goals.
Underneath the post, Feyenoord right-back Lutsharel Geertruida commented "yes, leaving very quickly in the summer!", and this could be significant because of the pair's prior relationship. They were team-mates for the Netherlands' Under-21 side during qualification for last year's European Championships as well as playing together at Feyenoord's academy.
Summerville is too good for the Championship
As you can see in the table below, Summerville has by far the strongest case to be named the best player at Leeds this season. He leads the way for goals scored, overall goal involvements, chance creation and accurate crosses, terrorising Championship defences in a number of different ways.
Minutes played
2,249
6th
Goals
14
1st
Assists
7
2nd
Goal involvements
21
1st
Chances created per game
3
1st
Accurate crosses per game
1.7
1st
Dribbles per game
2.4
2nd
Where could he go if he does leave? Well, it's previously emerged that title-chasers Liverpool are showing an interest, while Champions League contenders Aston Villa regard him as a "long-term target" and Europa League outfit Brighton are keen too.
Farke could supercharge Gnonto by unleashing Leeds' £14k-p/w star
The exciting full-back made his debut for the club against Rotherham last time out.
ByDan Emery Feb 13, 2024
All of those clubs, especially Liverpool, could carry a real allure for Summerville regardless of whether Leeds are promoted, but it still seems like they need to go up to have any chance of keeping him. The 22-year-old has shown this season that he's quite frankly too good for the Championship, and he surely won't fancy spending another year playing second-tier football when he has the opportunity to launch his career elsewhere.
Summerville remains under contract until the summer of 2026, and Leeds may push for an extension to try and ward off his circling suitors.
Benfica presidential candidate Cristovao Carvalho has made a bold claim as he vows to replace Bruno Lage with Jurgen Klopp should he be elected.
Benfica in middle of a hotly contested presidential electionCandidate Carvalho promises to replace Bruno LageCarvalho's preferred choice is Jurgen KloppFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
The 2025 Benfica presidential election is heating up, with candidates making ambitious and often sensational promises to win over the club's supporters. The race has already seen candidates like Joao Noronha Lopes make big promises of bringing Bernardo Silva back from Manchester City. Now, another candidate, Carvalho, has made the most significant pledge yet, promising to dismiss current coach Bruno Lage at the end of the season and replace him with ex-Liverpool manager Klopp, a coach he believes can lead Benfica to a Champions League title.
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Candidates are not just vying for power but are presenting radically different visions for the club's strategic direction. While some candidates like Noronha Lopes focus on player recruitment, and Joao Diogo Manteigas on club values and governance, Carvalho has gone for a big-name managerial appointment. The move is a direct challenge to the current administration and a clear statement of Carvalho's intent to bring Benfica back to the elite level of European football.
WHAT CARVALHO SAID
Speaking with , Carvalho laid out his plan for the club's managerial future, insisting that a Champions League-winning coach is essential to his project.
He said: "With me, Bruno Lage won't stay beyond his contract [which ends at the end of the season]. I need a coach of the highest level, who has already won the Champions League and who wants to win a Champions League with Benfica. There's only one name that comes to mind: Jurgen Klopp. He even said that Benfica is a great club that he would like to coach one day. Someone who says this has something more than others to be at the club."
(C)Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR BENFICA?
Klopp joined RB Leipzig this January and is currently serving as the Head of Global Soccer and has a contract with the club that runs until 2029. The Benfica presidential election on October 25 is a battle for the club's future and Benfica supporter's will hope for the best man to win. However, it will be difficult to bring Klopp, who has already stated that he might never return to football management.
Mumbai will face Chhattisgarh in league game re-match; Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Punjab and Gujarat also make it
Saurabh Somani17-Oct-2019
Tamil Nadu’s players get together•PTI
The Vijay Hazare Trophy quarter-finals will have a star-studded line-up, with domestic heavyweights Karnataka, Mumbai, Delhi and Tamil Nadu all qualifying for the knockouts. All four quarter-final games will take place in Bengaluru on October 20 and 21.Karnataka, the Group A and B toppers, will come up against Puducherry, the Plate Group winners whose bowling attack is led by former Karnataka captain Vinay Kumar. Another quarter-final will pit defending champions Mumbai against Chhattisgarh, who had chased down a target of 318 against Mumbai in their league match.Vijay Hazare Trophy quarter-finals
Oct 20: Karnataka v Puducherry Oct 20: Delhi v Gujarat Oct 21: Punjab v Tamil Nadu Oct 21: Chhattisgarh v Mumbai
Delhi will face Gujarat, while Tamil Nadu – who have set a scorching pace in the league games with nine wins in as many games – will take on Punjab.The positions were finalised after an exciting day’s play on the last day of the league stages, with several teams in contention, and others standing by and hoping for results to go their way, particularly in Groups A and B.Tamil Nadu and Gujarat had already confirmed their spots by topping Group C, while Karnataka had also been assured of the top spot in Groups A and B.Group C was the only one unaffected by rain, and the BCCI had modified the original schedule to extend the league stage till October 17, with several spots up for grabs in Groups A and B, and the Plate Group.ALSO READ: Yashasvi Jaiswal: From selling pani puris to smashing List A double-tonDelhi needed to win against Himachal Pradesh to qualify, and they did it by three wickets, Shikhar Dhawan top-scoring with 31 in a chase of 177. Their win put took them to 22 points, the same as Punjab, but Delhi finished second by virtue of having won their head-to-head match against Punjab in the league phase, and thus earned the right to face the second-ranked team in Group C (Gujarat) with Punjab facing Tamil Nadu, the Group C toppers.Uttar Pradesh could have edged out Mumbai, but they needed to beat Haryana in their final league game to do that. However, they lost by 20 runs after Haryana had been bowled out for 208. That meant both UP and Mumbai finished level on points (20) but UP’s net run-rate fell below Mumbai’s.The Plate Group equation was more straightforward, with Puducherry assured qualification if they won their last league game, against Assam. They did that in some style, bowling out Assam for just 115 and knocking off the target in just 22 overs, albeit having lost five wickets.The results also mean that Puducherry will progress to Group C next season, while Bihar – who had topped the Plate Group in 2018-19 and earned a promotion – will be back in the Plate Group after having lost all nine matches in Group C this year.Tamil Nadu and Gujarat will be part of Groups A and B next year, while Haryana (bottom of Group B) and Andhra (bottom of Group A) will go to Group C.
After what must have felt like an incredibly long time away from football following their festive season collapse, Arsenal stormed to a 5-0 victory over Crystal Palace on Saturday.
Mikel Arteta's men looked like they were getting back to their best, with Gabriel Martinelli picking up a Thierry Henry-esque brace from the bench, although Bukayo Saka left the pitch without a goal or assist to his name.
The talismanic winger has seen his on-field impact dwindle somewhat over the last month or so – one goal in seven games – but with little in the way of genuine competition on the right wing, Arteta hasn't got much of a choice but to start him.
raphinha-bukayo-saka-liverpool-opinion
However, the latest player touted for a move to N5 could provide the challenge the Englishman needs, and with comparisons to Mohamed Salah, a challenge it would be.
Arsenal look to Germany for rightwing depth
According to reports from Spain, Arsenal are seriously interested in signing Bayern Munich's Leroy Sane in 2024, with Arteta seeing the German 'as the perfect signing to increase competition on the right wing'.
The report has also revealed that alongside the Gunners, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur are keen to land the winger's signature this year.
While the competition from their Premier League rivals is far from ideal for the north Londoners, the fact that Sane's current contract with Bayern is set to expire next summer is.
A potential transfer fee has yet to be reliably reported, but the CIES football observatory values the 28-year-old at around €100m – £86m – and while that is undeniably expensive, it might prove to be value for money if he can replicate his performances in the red of Bayern in N5.
Arsenal pushing hard to sign their next Xhaka in potential £100m move
Arsenal are keen on bolstering the central areas of their team in 2024.
ByMatt Dawson Jan 21, 2024 How Sane compares to Saka and Salah
Now, for a modern-day winger, there are few – if any – more flattering comparisons than Liverpool's Egyptian king, Salah. However, according to FBref, the outrageously talented wideman is the third most similar player to the German in Europe's top five leagues.
This conclusion is reached by comparing where players rank for specific important statistics to other players in the continent's top five leagues. Then, those who are in similar percentiles for multiple metrics are placed together.
For example, the "world-class" German, as described by talent scout Jacek Kulig, sits in the top 2% of wingers for assists per 90, as does Salah. Another example is non-penalty expected goals, with the Bayern star sitting in the top 3% of players and the Liverpool star ever so slightly ahead in the top 1%.
That said, with Arteta's initial interest in Sane stemming from a desire to give Saka more competition and improve his front line, how do the pair's underlying numbers compare?
Well, FC Hollywood's "level raiser", as data analyst Ben Mattinson dubbed him, might just help to raise the level at the Emirates as in every attacking metric bar aerial duels won, he emerges victorious.
While the margin of superiority is small in some areas, such as passing accuracy and progressive carries, it is vast for many others, like successful take-ons, shots on target and non-penalty expected goals and assists per 90.
1.11
0.60
0.49
0.21
0.61
0.31
4.70
3.61
5.37
4.85
1.52
0.87
80.3%
75.9%
6.65
5.81
4.09
1.60
2.56
2.06
2.01
1.75
3.78
4.85
0.12
0.82
In contrast, Saka is the clear winner when it comes to ball recoveries and the number of times each player is dispossessed or miscontrols the ball.
Moreover, if the Hale End star was placed into a team as domestically dominant as Bayern, he might also be able to produce offensive numbers as impressive as Sane. Still, as things stand, the German has him beaten in that regard.
Ultimately, if Arsenal can get a deal for the former Manchester City ace over the line – helped by Arteta's previous relationship with him – they absolutely should, as the potential competition between him and Saka can only make the team stronger.
Michael Beale hasn't quite been able to stamp his authority on Sunderland just yet, the ex-Rangers manager picking up just one win from his opening three games in charge of the Black Cats.
It's not as if the second-tier side have been humiliated in any match under their divisive new manager however, Beale only coming up short with one defeat so far from his opening trio of Championship contests.
He could well tinker with the lineup for Sunderland's lunchtime game on New Year's Day against Ryan Lowe's Preston North End in a bid to find the golden starting eleven that clicks everything into place, a team worthy of competing for promotion and going the distance instead of narrowly missing out on the playoffs.
Here's the Sunderland predicted XI for their showdown with the Lilywhites, with three potential changes from the 1-1 draw with Rotherham United last game present…
1 GK – Anthony Patterson
Sunderland goalkeeper Anthony Patterson.
Anthony Patterson will continue being Beale's first-choice goalkeeper, the Sunderland shot-stopper making three saves last game – as per Sofascore – to ensure the Black Cats came away from Rotherham with at least a point.
2 RB – Jenson Seelt
Playing in an unorthodox right-back position last match, Jenson Seelt still put in a competent display against the Millers.
Seelt's composure on the ball stood out in the game under the New York Stadium floodlights, misplacing just three of his 41 passes before being hauled off by Beale in the second half.
Timothee Pembele will give Seelt competition now however, the former Paris St.Germain defender fit enough for a cameo off the bench in place of Seelt against Rotherham.
Still, Beale should keep faith in his young Dutch defender who has barely put a foot wrong playing as a stand-in full-back to date.
3 CB – Daniel Ballard
Dom Ballard
Daniel Ballard makes up the next part of an unchanged back four, the ex-Arsenal centre-back resolute versus the Millers with 12 aerial duels won in total over the course of the 90 minutes.
Clearing the ball away seven times too, Ballard will hope his efforts against Preston are rewarded with a clean sheet.
4 CB – Luke O'Nien
Sunderland's captain was the standout performer from a resilient defence against Leam Richardson's hosts last game, winning an astounding 16 duels in total.
Luke O'Nien was also measured on the ball playing out from the back, misplacing just six passes as a calm but authoritative presence in the 1-1 draw.
5 LB – Trai Hume
Trai Hume
Trai Hume will also be retained at left-back for the test of the Lilywhites on Monday – switching over to the left-hand side to make up for Niall Huggins being sidelined – with the Northern Ireland international constantly involved in passages of play at the New York Stadium.
Hume would accumulate a staggering 120 touches in the draw, showing off his dominance in the air with four out of five aerial duels won.
6 CM – Pierre Ekwah
Sunderland midfielder Pierre Ekwah.
Pierre Ekwah will also start against Lowe's Lilywhites, the central midfielder focusing on his football still despite interest from Premier League suitors which is predicted to heat up this January.
Ekwah wasn't at his best in South Yorkshire last match however, only winning a solitary duel in the competitive clash.
7 CM – Dan Neil
Sunderland midfielder Dan Neil.
Dan Neil and Ekwah have formed a formidable partnership in recent weeks from holding midfield, with Neil the more creative and forward-thinking of the fixed duo.
That was apparent in the Rotherham game, with Neil attempting to test Victor Johanssen in the opposing goal with one off-target effort whilst notching up five accurate long balls in the clash to push his timid team further up the pitch.
8 RM – Abdoullah Ba
The first change Beale could make to his starting eleven would be dropping Patrick Roberts for Abdoullah Ba, gifting the 20-year-old a rare start owing to Roberts hobbling off the pitch last game.
Roberts came off with a suspected muscle issue, but Ba deserves to start regardless of the ex-Celtic man's ailment potentially ruling him out.
Ba impressed throughout the 75 minutes he was on the field versus Rotherham when replacing Roberts, 100% successful with all of his dribble attempts in the contest with the French winger regularly twisting and turning Millers defenders for fun.
The young French attacker will see this as the perfect opportunity to kickstart his faltering campaign again, proving to his manager that he's a useful weapon within the Black Cats ranks to rely upon.
9 CAM – Alex Pritchard
Alex Pritchard
The second change could well see Jobe Bellingham drop out of the starting lineup for the more experienced Alex Pritchard, Bellingham nowhere near his electric best against Rotherham.
Bellingham could well be experiencing lethargy, the teenager rarely given a breather this campaign in an unforgiving league – the 18-year-old midfielder failing to register a single shot on the Rotherham goal, whilst successfully completing just two of his six dribbles on the night.
Pritchard deserves another run-out in Bellingham's place, the former Huddersfield Town man still able to conjure up moments of magic for the Tyne and Wear side despite reaching the twilight of his career now at 30 years of age.
The ex-Terriers man has received glowing praise throughout his Black Cats career for his obvious pedigree and ability on the ball, described in the past as having "incredible technique" by Not the Top 20 Podcast host Ali Maxwell in set-piece situations.
10 LM – Jack Clarke
Jack Clarke
Jack Clarke also possesses dazzling ability at this moment in time for Sunderland, showcased throughout this second-tier season to date.
Clarke's equalising goal against Rotherham was his 12th strike of the season already, the Tyne and Wear outfit heavily reliant on the former Leeds United man to lead from the front and secure results off his own back.
Not fazed by this pressure on his shoulders whatsoever, Clarke will no doubt want to be the hero again versus Preston tomorrow lunchtime.
Initiative to recognise prominent grassroots campaigners for efforts during pandemic
ESPNcricinfo staff15-Dec-2020The Kia Oval has been renamed for 24 hours as the Kia Shahidul Alam Ratan Oval, in honour of a former Bangladesh cricketer who is now the leader of a London cricket charity which has been helping to keep children active during lockdown.The Oval was one of a number of prominent sports venues in London to join an initiative to honour grassroots sport community workers and volunteers who, with the support of National Lottery funding, have gone above and beyond during the Covid-19 pandemic.Ratan, a wicketkeeper in Bangladesh’s pre-Test days in the 1980s and 1990s, is chief executive of Capital Kids Cricket, a charity which uses cricket as tool to change the lives of disadvantaged children.During lockdown, Capital Kids Cricket created a digital activity zone to keep kids active, learning and keep in touch with each other socially. Ratan oversaw all their activity, including running virtual sessions with vulnerable kids such as refugees. The charity also arranged regular quiz evenings and family consultations via Zoom to ask about challenges they might face and offer support.”It is brilliant news to be recognised with this honour and it means a lot,” Ratan said. “This may bring some light to the charity and people like me who want to make a change, who want to go the extra mile to help people who need it.”To have a prestigious stadium like The Kia Oval named after me is a huge honour in the cricketing world, not only here in the UK. I would like to thank Surrey Cricket as well.”Without funding, we can’t do anything. The National Lottery are a very generous funder,” he added.”We work across London but we do a lot of coaching in Newham, Waltham Forest, Tower Hamlets, Hackney, Westminster and Camden – then some bits in Hammersmith & Fulham and Ealing.”As soon as we found out about going into lockdown, I had a call with our coaches and said we must make sure we keep things going.”We have three or four clubs we look after and we told our coaches to set up activities within a home environment. Show the kids what they can do with batting, bowling and fielding within their home – in living rooms, small backyards or alleyways between houses.”After two weeks, we decided to introduce a virtual challenge and competitive element. It was very simple challenges like keepie-uppies with the bat and ball, seeing how many times they could keep the ball up in the air, or juggling with two or three cricket balls.”Once we finished that competition, we’d started to establish a connection with clubs around the world. We then wanted to do something simple to connect with those clubs and even more people.”The charity initiated a virtual ball-passing game globally. Hundreds of people joined from the USA to Australia, South Africa to Sweden, including Syrian refugee camps from Lebanon, ending with a virtual celebration with 130 people and families from across the globe joining via zoom.They have now started women and girl’s activities online, running aerobics exercises and boxing classes, and they also ran summer cricket camps in three locations, while constantly supporting parents over the phone who are facing loneliness or suffering from mental health challenges.Other venues to change names this week will be Twickenham rugby stadium, The Redgrave Pinsent Rowing Lake, The Paula Radcliffe Athletics Track, The Geraint Thomas Velodrome in Wales and The National Outdoor Centre in Wales.Dame Katherine Grainger, UK Sport Chair said, “It’s fantastic that sports across the nations have been able to come together to celebrate grassroots champions who have gone above and beyond this year. Around £30m a week is raised for good causes across the UK by people playing The National Lottery, and has helped sport at all levels, from the smallest rowing club to helping athletes prepare for the Tokyo Olympics next year.”Tim Hollingsworth, CEO of Sport England, said: “With the help of The National Lottery’s players, thousands of grassroots sports workers and volunteers from local clubs and organisations across the UK have been be able to continue to help people and communities to remain active, connected and motivated during the COVID-19 pandemic. Grassroots sport also has a fundamental role to play in providing much needed physical and mental wellbeing in these difficult times.”
da dobrowin： Wolverhampton Wanderers defender Max Kilman has been ruled out for the rest of the season with an ankle injury.
What’s the latest?
da esport bet： That’s according to the Express and Star, who reported that the centre-back’s season is expected to be cut short after he suffered an ankle injury in training ahead of their clash against Brighton at Molineux this afternoon.
The 24-year-old had missed the trip to Burnley last weekend but it has now been confirmed that the injury will keep him out for Wolves’ five remaining Premier League matches of the current campaign.
It’s a gutting blow for the defender, who has been a colossus at the back for the West Midlands outfit this term, making 34 appearances across all competitions whilst contributing to ten league clean sheets.
Lage will be fuming
Wolves manager Bruno Lage has fully unleashed the centre-back this term after his predecessor Nuno Espirito Santo handed Kilman 18 league appearances last term and just a combined four in the two top-flight seasons prior to 2020/21.
The Englishman has been a major contributor to his team’s excellent defensive record, with only Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea conceding fewer league goals than their 29 in the Premier League.
To illustrate Kilman’s importance at Molineux, he ranks in the top four in Lage’s squad for minutes played, interceptions per match and aerial duels won, as per WhoScored.
Moreover, the defender’s form has seen him tipped for an England call-up, although Gareth Southgate left the 24-year-old out of his last Three Lions squad.
Kilman was missed last weekend as his side lost 1-0 to Burnley and there may be concerns going into today’s match against the Seagulls as to whether or not Willy Boly can deputise efficiently.
Securing European football is still very much a possibility for Lage’s team, who sit just three points behind seventh-placed West Ham whilst also having a game in hand.
With Liverpool winning the Carabao Cup and the Reds set to face Chelsea in the FA Cup final, with both of those teams set to finish in the top four, seventh place will be enough for a passage to the Europa Conference League.
Therefore, the loss of one of Wolves’ most trusted players will be a tremendous blow for Lage, who will surely be fuming over this stroke of bad luck.
AND in other news – Lage axes £35m “hindrance” and starts £39k-p/w “superstar”: Predicted Wolves XI to face Brighton
As he announces his retirement from Test cricket, we chart Moeen’s many ups and downs over the past four years
Matt Roller09-Aug-2019 • Updated on 26-Sep-2021Ashes 2017-18Moeen went into the 2017-18 Ashes on the back of a brilliant 2017 home summer, which included a haul of 10 for 112 at Lord’s and a hat-trick at The Oval in the South Africa series, and a swashbuckling hundred against the West Indies in Bristol.But after spending weeks in the nets and with Mark Ramprakash preparing for a barrage of bumpers from Australia’s quicks, he endured an awful run against Nathan Lyon: he was dismissed seven times in nine innings by him, and his struggles spilled over into his bowling, as he returned five wickets at 115.New Zealand 2017-18Moeen Ali is cleaned up•Getty ImagesWith Jack Leach in the squad as a possible replacement, Moeen needed to prove he was England’s best spinner, and that he could contribute with the bat, in the pink-ball Test at Auckland.Instead, he made 0 and 28, and took 0 for 59 in 17 overs, as England slumped to an innings defeat. By the time the Christchurch Test had come around, Leach was in for his debut.Pakistan 2018While England stumbled at Lord’s and then bounced back emphatically at Headingley, Moeen was playing for Worcestershire in the One-Day Cup, his Test career at a crossroads.With Leach injured, England plumped for Dom Bess as their first-choice spinner, who made one half-century and a 49, as well as taking three wickets in Leeds. The path back to the Test side for Moeen was far from clear.India 2018After controversially selecting Adil Rashid, who hadn’t played a first-class game in 11 months, England raced into a 2-0 lead before capitulating at Trent Bridge, and then found themselves facing a turning pitch at the Ageas Bowl.Step forward Moeen, to come into the side alongside Rashid, and take nine wickets at Southampton to propel England to victory. He was even promoted to No. 3 to allow Joe Root to return to his favoured number four, digging in for a 170-ball 50 at The Oval. Following six months in the wilderness, all seemed well with the world.Sri Lanka 2018-19Jack Leach, Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid shared 19 of Sri Lanka’s 20 wickets•Getty ImagesPushed back down the order after two failures in the first Test, Moeen didn’t allow his loss of form with the bat to affect his bowling, as his 18 wickets at 24.50 underpinned England’s stellar efforts with the ball.With Leach (18 wickets) and Rashid (12) to keep him company, he formed part of a spin triumvirate that led England to an improbable 3-0 whitewash.West Indies 2018-19Despite 14 wickets in the series, including seven in the win in St Lucia, Moeen was outbowled by West Indies’ allrounder Roston Chase, and managed only 77 runs in his five innings.Following two brilliant series, this was a note of warning, and after an underwhelming World Cup and no red-ball cricket before the Ireland Test, Moeen was under pressure.Ireland and Ashes 2019Moeen Ali lost his off stump not playing a shot•Getty ImagesScores of 0 and 9 at Lord’s against Ireland, including a particularly soft dismissal to Boyd Rankin’s predictable short stuff, and only 4.2 overs in the match meant Moeen went into the Edgbaston Test sweating.And after an embarrassing duck in the first innings – bowled by, you guessed it, Lyon again, without playing a shot – Moeen found himself on a spinning pitch in Australia’s second innings, and needing to make a match-turning contribution.Instead, he returned 2 for 130 in his 29 overs, figures that were shown up horribly by Lyon’s 6 for 49, and not those of a man who leads the world for Test wickets since the beginning of August 2018. To make matters worse, he made only 4 when trying to save the game, prodding his opposite number to David Warner in the gully.By the time Lord’s rolled around, the selectors decided it was time up.Post-Ashes 2019Moeen declared he would take a break from Test cricket, citing a desire to “refresh my batteries” on the day it was announced he had been omitted from England’s list of centrally contracted Test players. It means missing England’s two Tests in New Zealand in November, and possibly the red-ball leg of the South Africa tour in December and January.While he retained his white-ball contract, and will be a central part of England’s plans for the World T20 in Australia next year, this was the first time since 2014-15, the year of his England debut, that Moeen had been overlooked for the top tier of ECB contracts.England’s director of cricket, Ashley Giles stressed that Moeen’s decision did not spell the end of his 60-Test career and revealed he had “encouraged him to leave that option open to come back” to the longer format in the future.Moeen Ali celebrates one of his four second-innings strikes•BCCIIndia 2020-21Moeen’s recall, for what would prove to be his final tour as an England Test cricketer, was doomed from the outset. He was diagnosed with Covid-19 on arrival in Sri Lanka in January, and so spent ten days in quarantine, wrecking any chance of playing in either Test at Galle, or the opening match of the subsequent India series – a famous England win, as it turned out.His comeback for the second Test was a success in isolation. Moeen claimed eight wickets for the match, four in either innings, although his economy-rate, pushing four an over, was too leaky to compete with the parsimony of his India rivals, Axar Patel and R Ashwin. His most arresting moment came with the bat, as he slammed 43 from 18 balls from No.9 in the dying moments of the match – a volley of strokeplay that may well have played a part in his subsequent £700,000 pay-day at the IPL auction.By that stage, however, Moeen had already departed from England’s Test tour, his pre-arranged downtime, as part of the ECB’s rest-and-rotation policy, courting controversy when Joe Root erroneously claimed he had “chosen” to fly home from the tour. Though he returned in the summer for three final Tests, the writing for his Test career was already on the wall.