Tag Futebol

Wolverhampton Wanderers' midfield has seen quite a big transformation in recent seasons. Having had Joao Moutinho, Ruben Neves and Leander Dendoncker battling it out among the best players in the Premier League in the middle of the park, supporters now watch Mario Lemina, Jean-Ricner Bellegarde and Joao Gomes regularly.

Moutinho, in particular, was a symbol that Wolves meant business under the Fosun Group. Having played at clubs such as Porto, Monaco and Sporting CP, the acquisition of the experienced midfielder made a few clubs stand up and take notice, given Nuno Espirito Santo's side were just promoted to the top-flight when the Portugal international joined the club for merely £5m.

The Midlands club certainly got their money's worth as the veteran remained at Molineux for five seasons before departing on a free during the recent summer window. However, the club may currently possess the heir to Moutinho's throne.

Moutinho's stats at Wolves

Despite being on the wrong side of 30 when he joined from Monaco in 2018, Moutinho went on to make 212 appearances for Wolves throughout his five-year stint at the club which is more than he made at Porto. Interestingly, in all five Premier League campaigns, the Portuguese midfielder missed merely 15 games, playing all 38 league matches in his first two seasons.

Despite having three managers at Molineux, Moutinho maintained his place in the team right up until the very end.

2022/23

36

2,074

2021/22

39

3,206

2020/21

36

2,781

2019/20

57

4,598

2018/19

44

3,444

Stats via Transfermarkt

There was a slight drop in game-time towards the end of his spell with Wolves, but this is understandable given he was 36 when he left the club a few months back. Furthermore, at Wolves, Moutinho became a key creative outlet for the team, recording 25 assists for the club, including 21 in his first two seasons, according to Transfermarkt.

Wolves have tried to replicate Moutinho's quality on the pitch by purchasing Joao Gomes from Brazilian outfit Flamengo back in January for £15m but no player has quite managed to reach his standards just yet. However, there may be one youngster out on loan who is waiting to fill the Portuguese's boots.

Luke Cundle's stats this season

Having broken through the academy in 2019 to make his competitive debut, Luke Cundle featured seven times for the Old Gold overall before being handed the first loan spell of his infant career at Swansea City in the Championship. It was in Wales that the Swans' former head coach Russell Martin was left hugely wholly impressed with Cundle's ability, describing the player as "intelligent" and "technically gifted".

Upon returning, the 21-year-old wasn't in Wolves boss Gary O'Neil's plans for the forthcoming season and was sent back out on a temporary basis, this time to newly promoted second-tier outfit Plymouth Argyle. With the Pilgrims, Cundle has been excelling and has bagged four goals and five assists in 18 appearances in all competitions, which is more goal contributions than any other Wolves player.

Statistically, the Wolves loanee is performing better than Gomes this season and is keeping up with Moutinho's record from the previous campaign.

Goals

0.33

0

0

Expected Goals

0.16

0.03

0.07

Assists

0.55

0

0.1

Expected Assists

0.13

0.04

0.1

Progressive Passes

3.63

2.84

6.67

Progressive Carries

1.98

0.53

1.16

Progressive Passes Received

5.05

0.53

1.62

Key Passes

2.09

1.89

5.3

Passes To Penalty Area

0.44

0.63

1.16

Passes To Final 1/3

3.52

1.89

5.3

Pass Completion %

83.4

81.7

80.4

Stats via FBref

In possession, the 5 foot 7 Cundle is much closer to the diminutive Moutinho than Gomes and is a more similar player to the parted Portuguese than the Brazilian. Given his impressive displays for Plymouth, O'Neil should certainly look to bring Cundle back as soon as possible to be the rightful, yet perhaps surprise heir to the veteran's throne.

Everton are "monitoring" a hugely exciting player ahead of a potential move to Goodison Park, according to a new update from journalist Fabrizio Romano.

Everton transfer news

The January transfer window is continuing to edge closer all the time, at which point Sean Dyche could have the opportunity to boost his squad options. Much of that may depend on the takeover situation at Goodison, however, with the saga continuing to rumble on, and a "mystery Indian group" now in the mix to buy Everton, following a new update over the weekend.

There is also a chance that Dyche could be content with the options he currently has at his disposal, and while that may be unlikely, their recent form in the Premier League has been promising, with four points picked up from an away clash with West Ham and a home meeting with Brighton.

Manchester City midfielder Kalvin Phillips has been linked with a January move to Everton, however, as he looks to enjoy regular playing time ahead of Euro 2024 next summer, and someone of his ilk could be ideal for the Blues, giving them more quality and energy in the middle of the park.

Now, a fresh update suggests that the Merseysiders could be eyeing a move for a big young prospect, perhaps focusing more on the long-term than the here and now.

Everton want Anton Matkovic

Taking to X on Sunday, renowned journalist Romano said that Everton are keeping a close eye on Anton Matkovic, with the 17-year-old a big young talent at NK Osijek:

"Interest growing in 17 year old Croatian talent Anton Matkovic. NK Osijek striker, attracting important clubs from Europe – understand Everton are monitoring him. Also RB Salzburg and Sassuolo are interested, no time for decision yet but one to watch for sure."

Matkovic is clearly not a household name yet, but the striker is making waves in his homeland for Osijek, being seen as arguably one of Croatia's brightest young talents at the moment.

In fact, Matkovic's stats are pretty limited at the moment due to a lack of first-team minutes, but he is a two-time capped Croatia Under-17 international, and while he is still awaiting his debut for Osijek, he has appeared for their Under-19s regularly from a very young age.

While Everton fans will no doubt want signings who are ready to come straight in and hit the ground running for Dyche's team, immediately improving their chances of avoiding relegation this season, it is always exciting to see a top teenage talent being linked with the Blues.

1. James Vaughan

16 years, 8 months and 27 days

2. Wayne Rooney

16 years, 8 months and 27 days

3. Michael Ball

16 years, 8 months and 27 days

4. Bert Llewellyn

17 years, 8 months and 17 days

5. Jack Rodwell

17 years, 6 months and 17 days

They have had some outstanding young attackers in the past, from Wayne Rooney to Francis Jeffers, and the hope would be that Matkovic comes in and is eventually added to that list.

The lure of the Premier League could give Everton and advantage in the race to sign the 17-year-old, and there can be no harm in taking a punt on him, should those in charge of transfers at Goodison see something special.

There has been movement in regards to a Manchester United takeover, according to reliable reporter David Ornstein.

Who is taking over from the Glazers at Man Utd?

The Glazers remain in full control at Old Trafford, almost 12 months on after initially putting the club up for sale last year. Sheikh Jassim and Sir Jim Ratcliffe have been the main contenders to take control in Manchester, with both parties making final Man Utd takeover bids way back in April.

Despite talk going quiet over the summer, there have now been some fresh Man Utd takeover updates, with reports suggesting that Ratcliffe is looking to change his bid to initially take a minority stake of 25% from the Glazers. More recently, there were claims from Qatar that Jassim is very close to a Man Utd takeover. However, in another twist, Ornstein has shared what he’s heard from Old Trafford on any potential deal.

Talking in a Q&A for The Athletic, Ornstein provided a new Man Utd takeover update, saying that he’s heard Ratcliffe and INEOS are the frontrunners at this stage and not Jassim, although as he mentions, there have already been plenty of twists and turns.

“We’re getting question after question on this. I’m assured there has been movement and, contrary to reports that it going the way of Sheikh Jassim, I keep hearing that INEOS taking a minority stake and building from there remains more likely.

“That said, I was previously being told it’s going to Sheikh Jassim! This shows either the momentum keeps swinging or that none of us really know. Perhaps even the Glazers don’t know.”

How much do the Glazers want for Man Utd?

Earlier in the year, the Glazers’ asking price at Man Utd stood at around £6bn, with reports claiming they were not ready to budge from their valuation. However, more recently, it has been claimed that the Glazers could take Man Utd off the market and look to put the club back up for sale in 2025, looking to bring in between £7bn-£10bn.

A takeover will eventually happen, according to one of the first football agents Jon Smith, who has recently said that Jassim could eventually overpay to secure a deal.

“To be honest here, I’m not inside this deal, but I know quite a few of the funds who are close to the two bidders. It would appear vaguely intelligent for the Glazers to have looked again at the Gulf and said there’s a bigger game here, and we don’t want to sell ourselves short.

“They’ve got arguably the biggest entity on planet football, and if the Qataris are going to pay £5bn, maybe they’ll pay £10bn. Maybe it’s just a number, and they’ll settle on seven.

“These deals are notoriously complicated, and this is the biggest one of them all. I’m just of the belief that it’s a very heavy negotiation, and it’s ultimately all about the money, obviously, but also about the timing.” Smith added: “I think the takeover is going to complete in some shape or form. It’s just a question of when.”

However, by the looks of things, it is Ratcliffe who is currently leading the way, so Jassim may need to overpay as Smith mentions to push a deal through.

Both batsmen made half-centuries to lift India to 213 for 4 after which Ireland crumbled to wristspin, again

The Report by Sreshth Shah29-Jun-20182:09

Rahul makes strong case for inclusion in all formats – Chopra

If the first T20I showed a distinct gap in skills between India and Ireland, the second T20I displayed exactly how that gap was. In front of a 9000-strong crowd at the packed Malahide ground, Ireland capitulated at the hands of India’s bowling attack, all out for their second-lowest T20I score to lose the two-match series 2-0.It was the third-shortest innings in T20I history as India’s spin duo of Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal shared six wickets to cripple Ireland’s middle- and lower-order into submission. It set up India’s biggest margin of victory in the format, which was also the second-biggest margin of victory in all T20I cricket.The game, however, was won in the afternoon’s first innings, when incoming opener KL Rahul thumped a 36-ball 70 to give India a flying start. Suresh Raina then anchored the innings with a 45-ball 60 to set the base for a big total, after which Hardik Pandya’s nine-ball blitz of 32* ensured India crossed the 200-run mark in consecutive matches for the first time.With a target that big it was going to be a difficult chase, especially after how the first game turned out. But Ireland’s batsmen made the same mistakes that marred their loss on Wednesday, looking to play cross-batted shots to Chahal and Kuldeep, crashing and burning to the wristspinners’ guile. Eventually, the hosts were bowled out in 12.3 overs.Playing only his second T20I match – and his first after missing 65 games – Umesh Yadav was given the new ball. He struck off his second delivery when an outswinger found the outside edge of opener Paul Stirling. In his next over, Umesh was smashed for 12 off the first three balls, but a comeback delivery aimed at the base of middle stump sent William Porterfield back as well. Trying to play a ramp shot over short fine leg, Porterfield shuffled across way too much only to expose his middle stump. And when debutant Siddarth Kaul prised the wicket of James Shannon with a short ball that was sliced to cover, Ireland were reeling at 22 for 3 with eight overs of spin still to play.There was still work to do (or at least do enough to finish respectably) with Andy Balbirnie, Simi Singh and the captain Gary Wilson to follow, but when the spinners came on, Ireland’s middle order just wasn’t sure how to pick them.KL Rahul unleashes a slog sweep•PA PhotosIn his first over, Chahal bowled five straight deliveries, while the sixth turned just enough – away from Balbirnie – to sneak past the outside edge and crash into middle stump. Three balls later, Kevin O’Brien holed out to third man while trying to clobber a Pandya ball to cow corner and by the time Simi was trapped lbw in front of off stump, Ireland were 36 for 6 and staring at potentially their lowest-ever T20I total.That, however, did not happen. Wilson made 15 – helped by double-digit scores from No. 8 Stuart Thompson and No. 10 Boyd Rankin – to take Ireland past their lowest-ever T20I score of 68, but when Rankin skipped down the wicket to try and lift Kuldeep over his head in the 13th over, wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik came swooping down and whipped the bails off to seal India’s win with 35 balls to spare.Earlier in the day, Wilson put India in on what appeared to be a greenish surface. It was a fine batting track, with the ball coming easily onto the bat, and with a village-style ground to boot – India were always looking for a big score.Rahul, who was in rampaging form at the IPL – and brought in for the rested Shikhar Dhawan – smashed six sixes and three fours in his 36-ball knock of 70. He dominated a 106-run partnership for the second wicket with Raina, but the 57-ball partnership was halted by O’ Brien, after which India suffered a brief hiccup.Rohit Sharma, batting at No. 4, drove straight to point on his second ball, and Ireland pulled India’s run-rate down by frustrating the incoming Manish Pandey. Pandey hit only one boundary in his unbeaten 20-ball 21, and his struggle might have kept India from breaching 200. But when Hardik came in in the 18th over, he had other plans, smashing four sixes and a four off the final two overs to take India past the 200-run mark. He teed up to anything pitched full, and in classic Hardik style, smashed his boundaries in the arc between mid on and mid off.As Kohli had promised at the end of the first game, everyone in India’s squad played in the two-game series. Everyone except Washington Sundar, who suffered an ankle injury in training earlier in the week. With the confidence gathered in Ireland, Kohli’s men now make their way down to England for a full tour of ODIs, T20Is and Tests.

South Africa’s last four wickets added 189 to shore up an already strong total before Australia’s new look batting line-up went on a freefall

The Report by Brydon Coverdale31-Mar-2018
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details2:57

Voges: Nothing has gone right for Australia

It was a difficult day for Australia’s new-look batting order. Of course, not the kind of difficult day their old-look batting order has been having this week. But if much has changed since the Cape Town Test, South Africa’s dominance has remained the constant them. The only negative thing that could be said of South Africa on the second day was the inability of the lower order to help get Temba Bavuma his second Test ton. As low points go, that is stratospheric.The day began with South Africa on 313 for 6. They batted on, and on, and on, and posted 488, the highest total made in a Test at the Wanderers since 2003. The day finished with Australia on 110 for 6 in reply, after Vernon Philander led a strong bowling display with three wickets. Only two Australians had reached double figures and at stumps they were relying on new captain Tim Paine, who was on 5, and Pat Cummins, on 7, and avoiding the follow-on was still 179 runs away.Australia’s top order was almost unrecognisable from the corresponding group in Cape Town. Joe Burns and Matt Renshaw opened, the first time Australia had switched both openers from the previous Test since the start of the 2013 Ashes, when Chris Rogers and Shane Watson walked out first. The tour of India earlier that year had ended with David Warner and Ed Cowan as the opening pair, but Cowan had been demoted to No.3 and Warner had been suspended due to his pub fracas with Joe Root.Back then, neither Rogers nor Watson made it to 20 in the first innings; here, neither Burns nor Renshaw made double figures. On four, Burns prodded outside off to Kagiso Rabada and his edge was sharply snapped up at second slip by Faf du Plessis. Renshaw made eight before he wafted at Philander and edged behind. Both Burns and Renshaw had been batting in Brisbane on Tuesday, rushed to South Africa, and were in the Test team by Friday, and if that was perfect preparation for a Test then everyone would do it.The other batting inclusion, Peter Handscomb, has waited all series for a chance to face up in a Test, and when his opportunity finally arrived it ended quickly and with much frustration. Handscomb shaped to leave his first ball from Philander but could not get his bat out of the way, and the ball ricocheted off it and back onto his stumps for a golden duck. Handscomb simply shook his head in disbelief.Philander missed the chance of a hat-trick – Geoff Griffin in 1960 remains the only South African to have taken a Test hat-trick – but plenty more wickets were to fall. Only a 52-run stand between Usman Khawaja and Shaun Marsh looked like giving Australia any sort of platform. Khawaja, rounding out an all-Queensland top three, looked in good touch, but Marsh’s strokeplay seemed about as fluent as his Xhosa.Khawaja brought up his second fifty of the series from his 77th ball but lasted only a few more, brilliantly caught down the leg side by Quinton de Kock, standing up to the stumps to Philander. Marsh, who had played and missed and been struck on the pads numerous times, was put out of his misery when he edged Keshav Maharaj to slip on 16 from 74 balls. And in his final Test, Morne Morkel capped off the day by having Mitchell Marsh bowled, playing on, for four.Earlier, Morkel had been the last man out to leave Bavuma stranded on 95 as Cummins finished the South Africa innings with two wickets in two balls. Cummins ended up with 5 for 83, remarkably just his second five-wicket haul in first-class cricket, the other having also come at the Wanderers when he made his Test debut in 2011. Cummins wrapped up the innings by having Keshav Maharaj caught behind, slashing loosely for a career-best 45, and Morkel taken at slip for a golden duck.Bavuma and de Kock had started the day at the crease and put on 85 for the seventh wicket, moving the score along steadily for much of the morning. But on 39, de Kock tried to force one from Nathan Lyon through the leg side with a cross-bat stroke, checking his shot when the ball turned sharply, and he skied a catch to mid-on. Bavuma struck 13 boundaries and played all the shots, sweeping, reverse-sweeping, driving and cutting, and he showed his adventurous side by lofting Cummins over extra cover for a boundary.His 76-run ninth-wicket stand with Maharaj frustrated the Australians, though its end must have frustrated Bavuma. Maharaj’s innings was typically aggressive but ended in typically reckless style, and Bavuma was soon stranded. Still, compared to Australia’s long list of issues, it was a good problem to have.

Glasgow Rangers have not had the best of luck with regard to injuries during the current campaign as it appears Philippe Clement is having to deal with a fresh blow following every match.

During the tie against Hearts in October, Nico Raskin was substituted after suffering an injury. He was expected to be out for just a few weeks, yet his recovery hasn't been going quite to plan and he won't play until 2024 at the earliest.

Scott Wright and Tom Lawrence have also suffered injuries which will rule them out for an unspecified period of time, while Danilo is the latest player to suffer a season defining injury…

Danilo's injury blow is bad news for Rangers

The Brazilian had enjoyed a decent start to life under the Belgian tactician, scoring three times and grabbing four assists as he was staking his claim to be the main option in the number nine role.

Despite missing a few games after suffering a fractured cheekbone during a match against St Johnstone back in September, the former Feyenoord hitman had returned to full fitness, albeit wearing a mask to protect his face.

With Cyriel Dessers – who has netted just five league goals – struggling for any kind of form and Kemar Roofe going through his own fitness issues, there was a chance for Danilo to establish himself in the starting XI.

The 24-year-old started against Hearts last week and while he didn’t find the back of the net, the 1-0 win could prove crucial in the chase for the Premiership title.

Bad news was to follow after the match, however, with the 49-year-old providing an update on an injury suffered by the Brazilian.

He said: "Danilo has a problem with his knee because of a bad tackle in the game, an unlucky situation, part of football. Because of contact, he had a problem with his knee.

"The chances are he requires surgery so yes, it could be long term.”

It was confirmed that he needs surgery on the injury and will be out for around four months and this could force Clement into the transfer market for a potential replacement.

It remains to be seen how much of a budget he will have to work with next month, but the former Club Brugge coach simply cannot rely on Dessers and Roofe as his only centre-forward options for the remainder of the season.

Rangers transfer news – Lawrence Shankland

The links to the Scottish striker have stretched all the way back to January of this year, with Barry Ferguson claiming that the Light Blues would be keeping an eye on him after a solid start to his spell in Edinburgh.

In June, Michael Beale appeared to be taking a closer look at the player, yet no move ever materialised, and he ended up signing Dessers, Danilo, and Sam Lammers instead.

With the January transfer window fast approaching, Ferguson was once again suggesting Shankland would be an ideal fit for Rangers during the recent league clash between the two sides, even comparing him to a former Premier League legend, saying:

“Let’s start with Lawrence Shankland who catches my eye every time I see him play for Hearts.

“This guy has improved his game to such an extent over the last couple of years that I’m surprised he’s not been snapped up already but, watching him on Wednesday, I saw a ready made Rangers centre forward.

“I’m not exaggerating when I say his overall game reminds me of a young Teddy Sheringham. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying he’s at Sheringham’s level. But he does have similar attributes in terms of game intelligence and that natural ability to drop into dangerous areas and link up with his team mates.”

His statistics since joining the Gorgie outfit have demonstrated his ruthlessness in front of goal, and he could well be worth a punt next month.

Lawrence Shankland’s statistics at Hearts

The 28-year-old joined the Jambos last summer for a modest fee of around £500k and this soon proved to be one of the bargains of the season.

The former Dundee United marksman ended the 2022/23 campaign with a total of 28 goals across all competitions for Hearts, with 24 of these coming in the Premiership.

This tally saw him finish third in the top scorers list, while he contributed 38.1% of his team's goals during the whole term and it was hardly a wonder that Rangers were looking to add him to their squad.

Despite a barren spell a few months ago, Shankland has already found the back of the net on 12 occasions this season along with registering three assists and while it is a far cry from his sensational form last year, he is still scoring regularly.

The Scot currently ranks first among the Hearts squad for goals and assists in the top flight during 2023/24 (seven), while also ranking first for scoring frequency (a goal every 206 minutes), shots on target per game (1.2) and third for successful dribbles per game (1.1), underlining his importance to the team.

He may not be the marquee name that the Ibrox faithful expect to sign, but he has proven his worth in the Premiership and there is no doubt that, with better service, he could score a lot more goals leading the line at Rangers.

Domestic statistics this season	Danilo	Lawrence Shankland
Goals	4	7
Assists	1	0
Shots on target per game	1.5	1.2
Big chances missed	9	2
Successful dribbles per game	0.8	1.1

It remains to be seen what sort of price the Tynecastle outfit will place on their most prized asset, but he won’t come cheap, that’s for sure.

The onus is now for Clement to ship out some deadwood during the upcoming January transfer window in order to not only reduce the wage bill but also to raise funds for any potential new signings.

"Excellent" Rangers player facing months on sidelines with injury

The Light Blues have received some nightmare news.

By
Chloe Chadwick

Dec 14, 2023

The likes of Dessers and Lammers have failed to live up to their inflated transfer fees, and it is clear they don’t have a long-term future at Ibrox under the Belgian manager.

Moving them on for a decent fee could allow the club to go after a move for Shankland and this could certainly be a wise investment, especially considering Danilo will miss the most important part of the season.

da marjack bet： Liverpool are already focusing on their next set of transfer targets, but a reliable journalist has revealed that FSG chiefs seriously looked at a mega deal for a player who eventually joined Manchester United instead.

Who are Liverpool linked with for January?

da bet7： The Reds have most recently been linked with moves for Sporting CP centre-back Goncalo Inacio and Fulham defensive midfielder Joao Palhinha at the start of next year, and whilst incomings are the most important to focus on, there are also two senior stars who could be heading for the exit door.

Overseas, Saudi Pro League director Emenaldo has publicly admitted his love for Mohamed Salah and claimed that he is welcome to follow in the footsteps of his former teammates in Jordan Henderson, Roberto Firmino and Fabinho to move to that division, whilst Thiago Alcantara is reportedly being eyed by Barcelona.

In previous years, FSG and Jurgen Klopp will have considered deals for plenty of players that never actually ended up joining the club, and if the following update is to be believed, Premier League and Manchester United left-winger Jadon Sancho is one of those who was seriously on the radar at Anfield.

At Old Trafford, England’s former international has made zero starts and just three substitute appearances in the top-flight this season (WhoScored – Sancho statistics), after being placed on an individual training programme away from the group following comments towards Erik ten Hag on his social media channels, which resulted in disciplinary action.

Jadon Sancho transfer update

Writing in his column for CaughtOffside, Liverpool correspondent Neil Jones shared a transfer update on Jadon Sancho and revealed that he was someone of real interest to FSG when he was at Borussia Dortmund:

“It is easy to look at Jadon Sancho and wonder what might have been, isn’t it? I know that Liverpool, for example, had a good long look at him when he was ripping it up at Borussia Dortmund, but opted to go down a different route when recalibrating their attack, choosing less heralded (and cheaper) players such as Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz, both of whom have turned out to be successes.

“I, like many others I’m sure, expected Sancho to be a huge hit at Manchester United, and so it is a big surprise to see where he has ended up. It is hard to see a way back for him at Old Trafford, unless of course Erik ten Hag leaves.”

How many goals does Jadon Sancho have in his career?

Since first bursting onto the professional scene, Sancho has posted 167 direct goal contributions, 86 goals and 81 assists, in 263 outings (Transfermarkt – Sancho statistics), with this prolific form having seen him hailed as a “sharp” attacker by journalist Josh Bunting.

Sponsored by Nike, the 23-year-old also ranks well in his pass completion and key passes, which highlights his intricate footwork and the excellent link-up play he has with his teammates in and around the opposition’s penalty area.

Furthermore, Sancho, who pockets £250k-per-week (Manchester United salaries), is a versatile operator having been deployed in six different positions since the start of his career, including everywhere across the frontline and two roles in the midfield, so whilst he’s had his attitude problems, there’s no doubting the outstanding player he is on the pitch.

For one, they understand bowling, which is key for decision-makers on the field

Ian Chappell03-Jul-2022Much recent talk in cricket circles has centred around captaincy and retirement.No one should be shocked by the success of Ben Stokes as captain. He’s an allrounder who understands bowling. On the field his main priority is taking wickets, and despite Joe Root’s dazzling success as a batter, Stokes is the most inspirational England player on the field.The former cricketer and excellent captain Imran Khan declared that a good captain understands bowling. Stokes is such a player, and the team believing in his approach is a huge positive for the England side.When Eoin Morgan announced his retirement from the England limited-overs captaincy, the timing of it reaffirmed former Australia captain Richie Benaud’s thoughts on how to make the decision on when to step down. “You’ll know,” was his typically succinct and wise comment on the touchy subject. The best summary of it came from another former Australia allrounder, Keith Miller, who in reply to a question said, “I wanted to retire while people were asking why did you, rather than them saying why don’t you.”Related

• Ben Stokes on his new documentary: 'I said, I want everything in there – the good and the not-such-good stuff'

• Australia have eye on India as building blocks slot into place

• Pat Cummins is golden – for now at least

• Ben Stokes' England hurl themselves into riotous embrace of Baz-ball

• No fear: England have dared to dream under their new brains trust

Despite all the talk of consulting partners, grandmas, and other assorted gurus, retirement should be a selfish decision: it is made to satisfy only one person.When England coach Brendon McCullum discussed Morgan’s retirement with him, he said: “You’ll know. It will be a feeling that just comes and hits you. Just make sure you recognise it when it comes.” Morgan recognised the sign and made the correct decision.Perhaps looking to emulate the success of captains Pat Cummins and Stokes, India appointed fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah as captain for their current Test with England. This is a courageous appointment and speaks volumes for Bumrah’s on-field nous.Like with Stokes, no one should be surprised by Cummins’ success. He leads a varied attack that contains very good bowlers and he utilises them wisely. It also doesn’t hurt that Nathan Lyon is a very experienced and long-time spinner.

If a captain has a competitive team who believe in his methods, a lot of good things happen. The players tend to expect, and consequently produce, a good outcome

Part of Cummins’ success as captain comes from recognising Australia’s ability to handle an opposition assault, and how he maintains his composure. Australia also have enough good batters to mount a challenge, and their superiority helped them demolish a weak Sri Lankan side this week. Handling opposition assaults and not spreading fields senselessly is one sure way to gain an advantage in Test cricket.This is an area where Stokes scored over New Zealand captain Kane Williamson. Fast bowler Trent Boult was the only New Zealander who maintained a semblance of control under assault, especially from the destructive Jonny Bairstow. The fact that Williamson had a very inexperienced spinner in Michael Bracewell didn’t help.If a captain has a competitive team who believe in his methods, a lot of good things happen. The players tend to expect, and consequently produce, a good outcome.One of the main things a player has to deal with in cricket is the strain that develops when the opposition goes on the attack. England have performed brilliantly with the bat in this aspect, and Stokes’ own aggressive batting shouldn’t be underestimated. While he will have to slightly temper that aggression, it has rubbed off on the other players. As the best slip fielder, being in the slips is also Stokes’ best fielding position.England have also started gradually picking their best players for a position, with wicketkeeping being a priority. However, they have to ditch the nonsensical bouncer barrages, and they need a varied bowling attack rather than an all-right-arm-seam squad. They’ll also come to understand that Jack Leach is not the spinner to withstand an onslaught from the better batters.Nevertheless, they have improved immensely under Stokes’ positive guidance. While Root remains a top-class player, his captaincy, although afflicted with bad luck in regard to his faster bowlers, was going downhill fast and the team had lost faith in his tactics.Now it remains to be seen how much Stokes’ imagination and positivity can help England against a tested team. His leadership battle with Bumrah will be a fascinating sidelight to what will be an entertaining game.

وصل السويسري توماس جروتر مدرب حراس المرمى الجديد للفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي الزمالك إلى القاهرة، تمهيداً للتواجد في الجهاز الفني للفريق بقيادة السويسري كريستيان جروس.

وكان عماد المندوه المشرف على مدربي حراس مرمى قطاع الناشئين بالنادي تولى المسؤولية في الفترة الماضية بصورة مؤقتة لحين وصول جروتر إلى القاهرة.

ويستعد الزمالك لمواجهة بلاك بولز بطل موزمبيق، في السادسة مساء غد الأحد باستاد القاهرة الدولي، في الجولة الخامسة من دور مجموعات الكونفدرالية.

طالع أيضاً.. الزمالك يعلق على صور الـ”ميكروباص”.. ويعلن تطورات التجديد لـ زيزو

ويتواجد الزمالك في المجموعة الرابعة في كأس الكونفدرالية بجوار أندية المصري وإنيمبا النيجيري وبلاك بولز الموزمبيقي.

ويحتل الزمالك صدارة ترتيب المجموعة برصيد 8 نقاط، بينما يأتي المصري ثانيًا برصيد 5 نقاط وإنيمبا ثالثا بـ4 نقاط وبلاك بولز رابعًا بـ4 نقاط كذلك.

One country's technical director was "warned" that Tottenham could have a nation's future star who has the potential to be a "phenomenon".

Tottenham 1-4 Chelsea

During a chaotic Monday night, Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou suffered his first Premier League defeat as manager with former Lilywhites boss Mauricio Pochettino coming away from north London with a win upon his return. Their 4-1 defeat to Chelsea is a tough one to take, but they can take a lot of pride away from the result given Spurs' bravery in playing a high line with nine men and the fact it took Pochettino's side a long time to break through.

There is a case to be made that the four goals even flattered Chelsea, who actually endured a far tricker task at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium than their result would suggest. When asked about Spurs' decision to maintain a high press, rather than sit back in a low block, Postecoglou explained that his side will refuse to diverge away from their philosophy.

"It's just who we are mate," said Postecoglou on Tottenham's loss to Chelsea.

"And it's who we're going to be as long as I'm here. We go down to five men mate, we'll have a crack."

There is a far bigger worry for Postecoglou than simply not taking away any points. Injuries to both James Maddison and Micky van de Ven could seriously hamper Spurs in the coming weeks, with the latter star pulling his hamstring. Cristian Romero and Destiny Udogie will also be suspended following their red cards, bringing attention to Tottenham's severe lack of depth.

There is perhaps one silver lining, though, coming in the form of goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario's incredible performance. The Italian pulled off save after save over what was a Man of the Match performance for Spurs, with the summer signing looking like one of this league's most in-form keepers right now.

Guglielmo Vicario could become a "phenomenon"

Commenting on Vicario's potential, Kosovo technical director Sami Ujkani has revealed he was "warned" at Empoli that the 27-year-old could become a "phenomenon" and Italy's future star.

Speaking in an interview with TUTTOmercatoWEB, Ujkani praised Vicario and made comments over their time at Empoli together.

“When I made the choice to go to Empoli, Sicignano was there and he warned me that Vicario could become a phenomenon," said Ujkani.

"Guglielmo has grown a lot, we are all proud of him. Italy has the goalkeeper of the future. For me he could go anywhere; whoever took it would have done bingo. But the right choice was certainly to go to Tottenham".

The shot-stopper has also been hailed by ESPN pundit Janusz Michallik in recent weeks, who described Vicario as a truly "excellent" addition to Postecoglou's squad.

Shot-stopping

Long passes

"Defensively what he’s done is even more impressive," said Michallik last month.

"They’re the second-best defensive team, look at Vicario, Google probably went down when Vicario came to London because nobody paid attention to who he was, but, today, we’re talking about Sanchez, Onana and Raya, here you have Vicario who is excellent,”