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Batter looking forward to experiencing the ‘atmosphere’, with the IPL set to return to home-and-away format from 2023

Srinidhi Ramanujam30-Sep-2022

File pic: Ruturaj Gaikwad: ‘I was imagining the crowd and CSK entering the stadium. So actually, I am just waiting for the moment.•BCCI/IPL

Ruturaj Gaikwad is “waiting for the moment” that Chennai Super Kings return to Chepauk, which is the ground where “it all started” for him.Since Covid-19 hit, the IPL has had to adapt and make do without its usual home-and-away format. In 2020, it took place behind closed doors in the UAE. In 2021, it had to be suspended midway and then shifted overseas. In 2022, all 74 matches were held in Mumbai, Pune, Kolkata and Ahmedabad. Next year, the BCCI believes the tournament will go back to normal, which means the Super Kings will once again be back at their fortress.Related

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'Rushed' Gaikwad finds his red-ball rhythm to score a fine century

Gaikwad has been in Chennai over the last week or so, playing for India A against New Zealand A. While he has been part of the Super Kings side since 2019, he made his debut only in 2020 and has never had the experience of playing in front of the Chepauk crowd in the yellow jersey.”I had seen the atmosphere, I had seen the electrifying noise. I have experienced everything. So, obviously that was going on in mind when I would practise for two days [with India A in Chennai],” Gaikwad said in a video for the Super Kings website. “I was imagining the crowd and CSK entering the stadium. So actually, I am just waiting for the moment. But the first time when I played here was actually special because I feel this is the place where I started my journey. Coming to CSK and getting to learn a lot of things, getting to know the first experience of what it is at the higher level. So this is the place where it all started.”Beyond the fanfare that greets the Super Kings at Chepauk, the ground has played a significant role in the team becoming one of the best in the IPL. Super Kings sides over the years have been built to exploit the spin-friendly pitches here and they’ll be looking forward to that bit of home advantage when the league kicks off again. Plus there’s a small matter of a big farewell (potentially). In 2021, MS Dhoni said he hopes to finish his career at Chepauk.Shardul Thakur got four wickets in the first one-dayer•PTI

Shardul Thakur, who was also part of the India A series, was hit by nostalgia too. Having represented the Super Kings for four seasons, the fast bowler was picked up by Delhi Capitals in the 2022 auction. He was a vital cog in the CSK set-up and signed off his stint as their leading wicket-taker in IPL 2021.”It feels really great, I mean, the moment I entered the stadium, it felt all nostalgic,” Thakur said. “Yes, I have had my times with CSK, I have played a few games here, but even before that, I have played Ranji [Trophy] games. 2010 was my first game here in Chepauk. The stadium and the ground have changed a lot since then but I would say the weather is still the same. [It’s an] amazing experience, I would always look forward to playing in Chepauk whenever there is an opportunity.”The Chennai crowd really got behind the India A team too. If the first one-dayer had 200-odd spectators, it only grew, in both numbers and noise, until roughly 2,000 people were on hand to watch the home side produce a 3-0 sweep. They cheered especially loudly every time Thakur ran in and pick up a wicket. Chants of “CSK, CSK” rang around the stadium whenever Gaikwad produced a good piece of fielding or whenever he hit those pleasing cover drives.Both players have been in good nick recently with Thakur claiming a four-wicket haul in the first one-dayer against New Zealand A and Gaikwad racking up 108 and 94 against the same opponent in an unofficial Test.”Obviously, I have known him for quite a few years,” Thakur said of Gaikwad. “I actually remember someone telling me about him in 2017. Then, I saw him doing well in the domestic circuit and then India A, and then he came into the CSK set-up. Seeing him do so well, and when he got his real opportunity, I mean when he played a full season in the IPL, he straightaway made a mark [scoring 635 runs in 16 innings]. He had played a few games in 2020 but he played a couple of games in the middle order and opened in one of the games.”It was not a very kind stint towards him. But, in 2021, he made a mark from game one till the finals. He was the top performer of CSK, and he actually delivered to everyone’s expectations. It’s good to see when a youngster comes and delivers for the team and straightaway makes the mark in lifting the trophy I’d say – not only in the league phase or knockouts but to lift the trophy.”

da dobrowin： Everton have long been praised for their production line, but not all who cut their teeth on the blue ground of Merseyside actually made it onto the Goodison Park pitch.

da bet nacional： Leaving before their time, such stars that you will see below went on to forge impressive careers but ultimately recognised their talents away from Everton territory.

The best Everton talents who never played in the PL

Starting off this obscure blast from the past, we have Shkodran Mustafi, who played for Everton during his formative years and featured off the bench against BATE Borisov in 2009/20 – his first season as a professional. And that was all she wrote.

Mustafi cuts an infamous figure on the Premier League scene after several up-and-down years with Arsenal, who he played for 151 times but left having been branded a “horrendous” signing by journalist Charles Watts, even though he won two FA Cups.

Perhaps he wouldn’t have been all that for the Blues, though Arsenal signed the German from Valencia in a deal worth £35m. Thus, there was money to be made.

Antonee Robinson: Premier League Stats 2024/25

Statistics

Per 90

Percentile

Assists

0.27

Top 4%

Progressive carries

2.55

Top 21%

Successful take-ons

1.09

Top 12%

Progressive passes (rec)

7.00

Top 6%

Tackles

3.00

Top 11%

Interceptions

1.82

Top 9%

Clearances

3.55

Top 16%

Stats via FBref

More presently, Everton must rue the sale of Antonee Robinson, who is thriving for Fulham, hailed as “one of the best left-backs in the world” by Sky Sports’ Dougie Critchley. Given that Robinson left for just £2m in 2019, this must rankle some.

Another oft-forgotten one-timer is Eric Dier, who might have made the club a pretty penny had he stayed on the books way back when.

Everton let Eric Dier get away

Dier has enjoyed a comparatively successful career, having been a mainstay at Tottenham Hotspur for the most part of a decade before heading to Bayern Munich last year, where he resides still.

Last term, the 30-year-old England international was hailed by journalist Henry Winter for “intervening calmly, defending resolutely and ensuring a clean sheet” after defeating Arsenal in the Champions League quarter-finals.

Dier has been around the block and back again, but Everton sure must rue the fact that he never once plied his craft for the Toffees’ first team, despite cutting his teeth at the club, during an 18-month spell on loan at Finch Farm.

In 2011, Dier, who was a teenager fluent in Portuguese, returned to his homeland from Sporting Lisbon on a temporary basis for an initial six-month period, before extending that stint for a further year.

He notably captained the club’s U18s amid that promising spell, but returned to Portugal at the end of the 2012/13 campaign, albeit with Alan Stubbs subsequently revealing that David Moyes and co had targeted a permanent deal, only to be put off by his £1m price tag…

The Merseysiders must really regret not managing to ensnare him for good, for his value, as per Transfermarkt, rose to a peak of £34m after leaving. There was money to be made with this one.

Where Are They Now

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

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Moreover, former Tottenham boss Antonio Conte even tipped Dier to become “one of the best” central defenders in the world, a further illustration of the quality that was carried within.

It’s a frustrating one, to be sure.

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Posts ByRoss Kilvington Nov 12, 2024

MatériaMais Notícias

da poker： Em Curitiba, o Bahia abriu o placar diante do Athletico, mas levou a virada por 2 a 1 e se despediu da Copa do Brasil.

– VEJA A TABELA DA COPA DO BRASIL

Na avaliação do técnico Enderson Moreira, o Esquadrão de Aço foi melhor que o Furacão e merecia sorte melhor.

Sem a Copa do Brasil no calendário, o Esqudrão de Aço foca as atenções na Série B, onde está no G-4.

‘Acho que nosso time mereceu muito o resultado. Não só de um 1 a 0, mas nós tivemos chances de fazer dois ou três. Tivemos chances claras. Fico chateado, porque a gente merecia muito a classificação pelo jogo de hoje. Acho que fomos muito superiores, jogamos muito, criamos situações, controlamos o jogo. Acabamos sofrendo o gol de uma bola parada em que poderíamos estar um pouco mais concentrados. O último gol pouco representou o que a gente fez no jogo, precisávamos do resultado e saímos muito. Acho que controlamos uns 70% do jogo’, declarou.

Calendário

Na próxima rodada do torneio nacional, o Bahia mede forças com o Guarani, no Brinco de Ouro da Princesa.

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Says he will “fully cooperate in all stages of the investigation and will fight a legal battle to prove my innocence”

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Oct-2022

“I know I am facing a difficult time of conspiracy and wrongful allegation and the ramification of its effect is something unimaginable”•NurPhoto via Getty Images

Sandeep Lamichhane has been taken into custody by police in Kathmandu in response to the arrest warrant that had been issued in his name over an alleged case of coercion.Shortly before being arrested, Lamichhane wrote on Facebook that he would “fully cooperate in all stages of the investigation and will fight a legal battle to prove my innocence”.”I know I am facing a difficult time of conspiracy and wrongful allegation and the ramification of its effect is something unimaginable. I am sure there must be some mechanism of compensating to the accused who proven to be innocent in our legal system,” he wrote. “I will soon seek legal support against wrongful prosecution and allegation made against me and I am sure I will get the justice and will return to the cricket ground soon to make the name and fame of my beloved country and I pray for speedy trial.”When news of Lamichhane’s arrest warrant was made public, on September 8, he was in the West Indies, taking part in the Caribbean Premier League. Back then, he had said he would leave the CPL and return to home to face the “baseless allegations”.Lamichhane, 22, is by far Nepal’s most high-profile cricketer, and the only one to have played in T20 leagues in most parts of the world, including in the IPL, the BBL, the PSL, the BPL, and the CPL.He is also the world’s second-fastest bowler to 50 ODI wickets and third-fastest to 50 T20I wickets, and last played international cricket in August 2022, in the T20I series against Kenya. After that, he was set to represent Jamaica Tallawahs in the CPL but was unable to get involved in the action.Lamichhane was Nepal’s captain at the time of the arrest warrant, a position he has since lost, having been suspended by the board following the surfacing of the allegations. At the time, Cricket Association of Nepal’s acting secretary Prashant Vikram Malla had said that his suspension would remain in place pending a complete investigation.

India’s captain says his bowlers struggled to protect the short square boundaries in Adelaide

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Nov-20223:43

Moody’s advice to India – Set a brand of cricket, then pick players accordingly

India just didn’t turn up with the ball. This was Rohit Sharma’s immediate diagnosis after their ten-wicket defeat in the T20 World Cup semi-final against England in Adelaide. Chasing 169, England romped home with 24 balls left to play, as Alex Hales and Jos Buttler dominated India’s bowlers from start to finish.”I thought we still batted pretty well at the back end to get to that score, but we weren’t good enough with the ball,” Rohit said at the post-match presentation. “It was definitely not a wicket where a team could come and chase down [that target] in 16-17 overs. But yeah, these things happen. Like I said, with the ball we just didn’t turn up today.”Buttler set the tone for England in the first three balls, threading Bhuvneshwar for a pair of fours past the diving point fielder. It was the start of a bowling effort where India struggled to prevent England from accessing the short square boundaries at Adelaide Oval.Related

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India scored only 100 runs in their first 15 overs, before Hardik Pandya’s late fireworks powered them to a competitive total. In those first 15 overs, India only scored 64 runs square of the wicket (backward point, covers, forward square leg and backward square leg as per ESPNcricinfo’s ball-by-ball logs) from 46 balls. England, in their first 15 overs, smashed 98 off 54 balls square of the wicket.This could have meant either that India’s top-order batters failed to maximise the short square boundaries, or that India’s bowlers didn’t bowl the right lines and lengths, or both. Rohit suggested that the bowlers offered England too much width.”I thought when Bhuvi bowled his first over, it swung a little but not from the right areas,” Rohit said, when asked whether there was less swing than normal for Bhuvneshwar and Arshdeep Singh with the new ball. “We wanted to keep it tight, not give room, we looked at Adelaide pretty well, we know where the runs are scored. Square of the wicket is what we were quite aware of, and that’s where all the runs went today. Keeping it tight is something we spoke of but from there if the batsman plays a good shot we’ll take it. But that is something that didn’t happen today and that is a little disappointing.”This defeat meant India had lost the World Cup semi-final each of the last four times they had reached that stage – the 2015 and 2019 ODI World Cups and the 2016 T20 World Cup before this one. Rohit said India’s players had the experience to handle the pressure of a knockout game, but were “a little nervy” nonetheless on this occasion.”When it comes to the knockout stages, it’s about handling that pressure,” he said. “It depends on individuals as well. You can’t really go and teach how to handle pressure. All these guys have played enough cricket to understand that. Yeah, I mean, look, lot of these guys when they come out and play in the playoffs in the IPL and all of that, it’s a high-pressure game, some of these guys are able to handle that. When it comes to the knockout stages, it’s all about handling that pressure. Holding yourself a little bit and keeping calm. I thought the way we started off with the ball was not ideal. That shows we were a little nervy to start off with the ball, but again we’ve got to give credit to those openers as well, they played really well.”

MatériaMais Notícias

da bet7： A venda do volante Fausto Vera ao Corinthians foi oficializada na última segunda-feira (25) pelo Argentinos Juniors, clube que o atleta defendia.

continua após a publicidade

da heads bet： +Vera é o próximo! Relembre argentinos que já passaram pelo Timão

O Timão ainda não realizou o anúncio oficial. O valor, tempo de contrato e moldes da transação ainda não foram informados, até aqui.

Segundo apurado pelo LANCE!, a operação custou ao Time do Povo 6,5 milhões de dólares (R$ 34,9 mi, na cotação atual), podendo chegar a 8 milhões de dólares (R$ 43 mi) com bônus e premiações. O vínculo terá duração até o fim de 2026.

A equipe argentina receberá 4,5 milhões de dólares (R$ 24,1 mi, cotação atual) de forma parcelada. Os juros e encargos, além de comissão aos intermediários do negócio, custarão 2 milhões de dólares (R$ 10,7 mi).

No comunicado de venda, o Argentinos Juniors confirmou que repassará 70% dos direitos jogadores ao Corinthians, mantendo 30%.

+Veja datas e horários dos jogos da Copa do Brasil

NEGOCIAÇÃO PELO VALOR

Mas para chegar a esses números, a diretoria corintiana precisou de paciência na negociação, que durou cerca de duas semanas.

Inicialmente, o Corinthians ofereceu 7 milhões de dólares (R$ 37 mi, na cotação atual) na operação total, que já seria parcelada. O Argentinos Juniors receberia R$ 4 milhões de dólares (R$ 21,4 mi).

O clube portenho, no entanto, não gostou do preço. A ideia era ter em mãos 6,5 milhões de dólares (R$ 34,8 mi). E foi nesse ponto que as tratativas se intensificaram, como uma espécie de pechincha do Timão.

A possibilidade de bonificação por meta de jogos e títulos conquistados surgiu no decorrer das tratativas e agradou a diretoria do Argentinos Juniors.

A aposta nesse modelo de negócio foi para compensar a ausência financeira que o Corinthians tinha para pagar um valor tão alto no estágio inicial da negociação.

Além do parcelamento da quantia total, a ideia de bonificar também é de compensar o pagamento ao Argentinos Juniors durante a passagem de Vera pelo time do Parque São Jorge. Isso porque, no compasso que o Timão vai vencendo e se classificando em competições ele recebe premiações.

Para finalizar a negociação houve até mesmo uma conversa olho a olho entre os membros da direção corintiana e Cristian Malaspina, presidente do Argentinos Juniors, que veio ao Brasil no último fim de semana para selar o negócio.

Nesse momento, a situação já estava bem encaminhada, tanto que o advogado da equipe argentina também viajou.

CONCORRÊNCIA EUROPEIA E APOIO DE EMPRESÁRIOS

Em meio a negociação do Corinthians com o Argentinos Juniors, o Genk, da Bélgica, também procurou a equipe portenha por Fausto Vera.

Financeiramente, a proposta dos belgas não foi muito diferente ao que o Timão ofereceu inicialmente pelo volante. No entanto, a parte corintiana tinha como trunfo as tratativas com os representantes do jogador.

A ideia do estafe de Vera foi o potencial de vitrine do Corinthians para o mercado central da Europa, principalmente com o clube alvinegro estando nas quartas de final da Copa Libertadores da América.

Já no Genk, ainda que o meio-campista cumprisse o objetivo de chegar ao Velho Continente, ele atuaria em um mercado fora do grande centro e sem muita visibilidade.

MONITORAMENTO

Vera foi bem qualificado pela comissão técnica, que, desde a lesão de Paulinho, visava um atleta para a função. O camisa 15 rompeu o ligamento cruzado anterior do joelho esquerdo e não atuará mais nesta temporada.

Para chegar à contratação, o Corinthians contou com a ajuda dos representantes de Vera na América do Sul. Pessoas ligadas a Kristian Bereit, que é agente do meia, estiveram no Brasil e entraram em contato com o Timão.

O jogador, que inicialmente foi oferecido pelo Time do Povo, passou por um processo de monitoramento e agradou o clube.

A situação foi parecida com a do chileno Erick Pulgar, que teve o seu nome levado ao Corinthians por pessoas de fora, foi avaliado positivamente, mas não teve a negociação concluída por conta de uma acusação de violência sexual contra uma mulher, no Chile.

Outras equipes brasileiras chegaram a monitorar Fausto Vera, mas o Corinthians foi o único que avançou às negociações e, por fim, fechou com o jogador.

da marjack bet： Celtic moved to three points clear of the Scottish Premiership table on Saturday after they secured an emphatic 4-1 victory over Hearts away from Parkhead.

da gbg bet： The Hoops took advantage of Aberdeen’s 2-1 defeat to St Mirren to go clear at the top after being level on points with the Dons for the entire season so far, but sitting above them on goal difference.

Brendan Rodgers’ side now have a gap between them and second and will be hoping to extend that in the coming weeks to provide them with a healthy cushion to potentially rotate the squad and rest players for other competitions.

The Scottish giants struggled at times in the first half against Hearts, however, as the home side pushed to score the opening goal and tested Kasper Schmeichel with a few early efforts.

Celtic’s Danish colossus was equal to everything, though, and that allowed the Hoops to push on in the second half and secure all three points, thanks to goals from Kyogo Furuhashi, Nicolas Kuhn, and Adam Idah (x2).

It was a very impressive second half display and one that included a number of superb performances across the park from several players.

Celtic's top performers against Hearts

The man who opened the scoring, Kyogo, was a constant threat at the top end of the pitch with his movement in behind to create chances for himself.

He scored the first goal, rifling in after the ball dropped kindly to him, and had four shots on target in total, also missing two ‘big chances’, which shows that he was constantly testing Craig Gordon.

Cameron Carter-Vickers returned to the team at centre-back and produced a dominant display for the Hoops, as he won seven of his eight duels and made six clearances.

Kuhn, of course, was another player who excelled. As well as his thumping strike into the top corner, the German winger created one ‘big chance’ and completed all three of his attempted dribbles on the right flank, in another terrific showing in the Premiership.

Key stats – Hearts vs Celtic

Stat

Highest ranking (Celtic)

Interceptions

Auston Trusty (4)

Duels won

Cameron Carter-Vickers (7)

Pass accuracy

Kasper Schmeichel (100%)

Goals

Adam Idah (2)

Big chances created

Callum McGregor (2)

Dribbles completed

Nicolas Kuhn (3)

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, several other players also starred in various statistics, with Callum McGregor’s creativity and Auston Trusty’s defensive intelligence on show.

However, there were also some players for Celtic who struggled at times and did not showcase the best of their abilities in the win over Hearts on Saturday.

One Hoops whiz who did not give the best account of himself was central midfielder Reo Hatate, who started alongside the captain and Arne Engels.

Reo Hatate's performance against Hearts

The Japan international played the full 90 minutes of the 4-1 win and was unable to get in on the act with a goal or an assist to show for his efforts in the match.

He was involved, in part, in the third goal from Idah. It was his failed attempt to dribbled past a defender that, fortunately, allowed Paulo Bernardo to slip the Ireland international through on goal on the edge of the box.

The 27-year-old did, however, create one ‘big chance’ in that match and was not rewarded with an assist, which suggests that he was unfortunate not to record a goal involvement.

His work out of possession left a lot to be desired, though, as the central midfielder lost five of his six ground duels and both of his aerial contests, which shows that the Hearts players found it far too easy to get the better of him in physical battles.

24/25 Premiership

Reo Hatate

Appearances

12

Goals

3

Big chances created

5

Assists

0

Duel success rate

48%

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, creating high-quality opportunities for his teammates and not being rewarded with assists has become a theme for the midfielder, who has lost the majority of his duels in the division.

Hatate, despite being dominated by the Hearts players in his individual battles, was not the worst performer on the pitch for the Hoops, though, as Arne Engles was even worse in the middle of the park.

Why Rodgers must drop Arne Engels

The summer signing from Augsburg, who played twice for Belgium during the international break, has struggled for form in recent matches for the Hoops.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast's Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

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Rodgers must, now, finally bin the Belgian youngster from the starting XI to take him away from the spotlight and allow him to rest and come back with the motivation to win his place in the team back.

The 21-year-old lightweight started the 2-0 win over Kilmarnock before the break and struggled in that game, with one duel won and zero chances created in 63 minutes on the pitch.

Engels needed to bounce back with an improved display against Hearts from the start and was unable to do so, as the former Bundesliga starlet failed to impress for the second match running.

Meanwhile, Paulo Bernardo came off the bench and won 100% (2/2) of his duels, created a ‘big chance’, and provided an assist against the Jam Tarts.

Vs Hearts

Arne Engels

Minutes played

67

Pass accuracy

79%

Key passes

0

Duels won

1/7

Tackles + interceptions

0

Possession lost

12x

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Engels offered very little to the team in and out of possession throughout the game, with zero chances created and zero tackles and interceptions.

He was also a lightweight in midfield, losing 86% of his duels, and these statistics show that it is time for Rodgers to drop him down to the bench for the clash with Club Brugge on Wednesday night, as he was easily beaten by defenders in battles and did little to help the team in the final third.

Hatate was, at least, able to create a ‘big chance’ for the team and was partially involved in Idah’s goal, and that is why Engels should be dropped ahead of the Japanese gem, with Bernardo given a chance to impress from the start after his strong cameo.

Related £6.3m down the drain: Celtic messed up with flop who cost more than Kyogo

Neil Lennon got it all wrong for Celtic when he signed the centre-forward.

Posts ByDan Emery Nov 22, 2024

The ‘bold and brash’ players in the opposition camp will ‘bring out the best’ in his side, South Africa captain says

Firdose Moonda01-Dec-2022

Dean Elgar’s South Africa are currently No. 2 on the WTC table•ECB/Getty Images

“Bring it,” is South Africa’s message to Australia as they head Down Under in search of a fourth, successive away series win against the opponents.It’s been more than four years since they last played each other, in the series that became known for the sandpaper-gate scandal but also ranks as one of South Africa’s biggest successes in the last decade. It was the first time they claimed a series win against Australia at home since readmission. The residue from that series litters the entrance hall to this one and there’s every expectation that the action will take place as much off the field as on it.Related

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Malibongwe Maketa named South Africa interim head coach

South Africa quicks' lack of game-time remains a concern

“Because we are playing in their home conditions, it’s going to be pretty feisty,” Dean Elgar, South Africa’s Test captain, said ahead of their departure on Thursday. “The individuals they have within their squad are pretty brash and bold – in your face kind of characters and that can work in our favour. I think that plays into our hands. We enjoy that confrontation as a group and we manage it pretty well. We’ve got calm heads around that. If they want to be in your face, it’s fine. I definitely don’t shy away from that and I will be encouraging the players not to shy away from that, because I think that’s when South Africans bring out their best.”Elgar’s team, however, is not in the same state as Faf du Plessis’ was in 2018. Although they presently sit second on the World Test Championship (WTC) table, they are closer to the 2019 outfit that toured India with an interim team director at the helm, who was being sent on his first international assignment to one of the most difficult places to play Tests, and an impending administrative crisis looming. This 2022 side also has a temporary coach, who will make his debut. He too is taking South Africa to a tough place and there’s no indication of when permanent appointments will be made. But there is one difference. Elgar revealed that he requested Malibongwe Maketa to take over from Mark Boucher and that he and Enoch Nkwe (the team director from 2019 who is now director of cricket) are on the same page.”Mali is one of the coaches I asked our director (Nkwe) to try and get in to be interim. I’m glad I got that one right,” Elgar said. “It’s nice to have a DOC that has got cricket at heart and is backing his leadership that needs to be backed. Mali understands his role, which is going to be a supportive role, and he understands me as a cricketer, as a person and as a leader. Mali comes with quite a lot of experience. He has been around the block as long as I can remember.”Maketa worked as head coach for the Warriors franchise in South Africa’s domestic circuit from 2015 to 2017, as Ottis Gibson’s assistant for the national side between 2017 and 2019, and most recently as the South African A coach. He was also on the tour in England earlier this year and has worked with most of the squad members in some capacity over the last decade. He is one of the few consistent presences on the South African scene, which Elgar thinks they need more than anything as the Test team evolves.”The environment has changed drastically (since 2019) but in a good way. We’ve tried to keep our core players so the consistency has always been pretty stable. We have evolved immensely and really played good cricket in the Test arena but we are still trying to push for the consistency factor which is going to be key going into a big series,” he said.Arguably, this is the biggest test for South Africa for at least the next three years. It’s their last three-Test series until they host Australia in 2026, a must-win if they are to reach the WTC final and their first in Australia over the festive period since 2008. That means no-one in the current squad has played a Test at the MCG or the SCG or soaked in the atmosphere of such an occasion.”Growing up as a kid, you’d always wake up for these Boxing Day Test matches Down Under and you don’t mind losing a few hours’ sleep,” Elgar said. “Now we’ve got 16 players who are going to experience it first-hand. It’s a childhood dream of mine to experience this. Playing a Boxing Day and a New Year’s Test in Australia – I don’t think you get bigger than that.”

da winzada777： Leeds United have dropped down to second in the Championship table after Sheffield United picked up a point in their clash with West Bromwich Albion on Sunday.

da blaze casino： The Whites are now one point behind the Blades and have a superior goal difference to Chris Wilder’s side, which means that they are in a good position to retake the number one spot in the division in the coming weeks.

Burnley’s draw with Middlesbrough on Friday night provided the West Yorkshire outfit with an opportunity to move back into the automatic promotion places, which they took with a 2-0 win over Derby County at Elland Road on Saturday.

Joe Rodon and Max Wober both scored in the first half of the match to secure all three points for the hosts, in a difficult game against a team that came with a clear game plan to frustrate Leeds.

Daniel Farke’s side will be hoping to continue to pick up results like that, even when teams come to frustrate them, so that they can avoid the lottery of the play-offs this time around.

The German head coach could look to dip into the market in the January transfer window to bolster his squad ahead of their push for promotion in the second half of the season, subsequently signing an upgrade on Manor Solomon…

Manor Solomon's performances for Leeds this season

Farke swooped to sign the Israel international on a season-long loan from Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur in the summer transfer window, and the attacker has had a mixed start to life in West Yorkshire.

The former Fulham star was selected to start on the left wing against Derby on Saturday and ended the match with zero shots on target and zero ‘big chances’ created for the Whites.

He has only scored two goals for Leeds and both of those strikes were close range finishes in the dramatic 4-3 win over Swansea at the end of last month.

The 25-year-old forward has, so far, failed to offer a regular threat as either a scorer or a creator of goals for Leeds on the left flank this season.

Since his assist for Mateo Joseph on his debut against Hull, Solomon has registered two goals and zero assists in 11 Championship appearances for the club.

24/25 Championship

Manor Solomon

Appearances

12

Goals

2

Big chances created

2

Assists

1

Error led to goal

1

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the Spurs loanee has created as many goals for the opposition, with his error that led to a goal against Burnley, as he has for Leeds in the second tier.

Simply, Solomon has not provided regular quality at the top end of the pitch, failing to record a goal or an assist in ten of his 12 league outings, and that is why they could look towards the transfer window to sign a replacement.

Leeds United eyeing MLS starlet

According to the Mirror’s Ryan Taylor, Real Salt Lake forward Diego Luna has emerged as a target for Leeds United ahead of the upcoming transfer window, which officially opens for business next month.

The reporter claims that Farke and his recruitment team are exploring a potential swoop for the American youngster, although he adds that there is ‘nothing to suggest’ that a deal is imminent for the Championship side.

Taylor also reveals that there is competition from other clubs across Europe and this means that the Whites could have to move quickly to secure his services, to avoid another team coming in to beat them to the left winger’s signature.

The article from the Mirror claims that Leeds have been keeping tabs on his development and tracking his performances in the MLS for many months, which shows that this interest has been bubbling away in the background for a long time.

Luna, who won the MLS Young Player of the Year award for 2024, has a contract through to December 2026 and the report states that Real Salt Lake will demand a fee of more than £3m for his services.

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It remains to be seen whether or not Leeds will be able to seal a deal for the impressive young forward in the January transfer window.

Why Leeds should sign Diego Luna

Firstly, the MLS Young Player of the Year is only 21 and this means that he could come in as a talented prospect with the potential to improve and develop over the years to come.

Luna could, therefore, come in to make an instant impact whilst also having the scope to grow in value under Farke’s coaching, whilst also potentially having the ability to develop into a Premier League level player.

The USA international, who was hailed as a “complete” attacker by writer Jon Arnold, also caught the eye with his contributions as both a scorer and a creator of goals in the MLS throughout 2024, which shows that he can already make an impact at first-team level.

Luna, who scored 13 goals in 43 USL Championship games for El Paso, ended the year with nine goals and eight assists in 36 appearances in all competitions for the American side.

2024 MLS

Diego Luna

Appearances

33

Goals

8

xG

6.67

Big chances created

12

Assists

8

Key passes per game

1.7

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the right-footed left winger, who can also play as an attacking midfielder, provided a regular threat as a scorer and a creator.

His return of eight assists from 12 ‘big chances’ suggests that his teammates let him down at times with their wasteful finishing, whilst eight goals from 6.67 xG speaks to his effectiveness in front of goal.

He averaged a goal or a ‘big chance’ created every 1.65 matches in the MLS, whilst Solomon is currently averaging a goal or a ‘big chance’ created every three appearances in the Championship for Leeds.

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Therefore, Luna – who is four years younger than the Spurs loanee – has the potential to come in and be a big upgrade on Solomon by providing more quality as both a goalscorer and a creator from a left wing position in the second half of the season, whuch is why Leeds should sign him.

علقت جماهير ليفربول، على أداء الدولي المصري محمد صلاح، في مباراة كريستال بالاس، اليوم، بمنافسات الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

وشارك محمد صلاح أساسيًا، في مباراة ليفربول وكريستال بالاس، ضمن منافسات الجولة الثامنة والثلاثين من البريميرليج، والتي انتهت بالتعادل الإيجابي بهدف لكل فريق، في اللقاء الذي أقيم على ملعب “أنفيلد”.

وبهذه النتيجة، ارتفع رصيد ليفربول إلى النقطة 84 في المركز الأول في ترتيب الدوري الإنجليزي، بينما ارتقى رصيد كريستال بالاس عند النقطة 53 في المركز الثاني عشر.

اقرأ ايضاً.. فيديو | محمد صلاح يهدي ليفربول تعادلاً مثيراً أمام كريستال بالاس في ليلة الاحتفال بلقب الدوري الإنجليزي ملخص لمسات محمد صلاح في مباراة ليفربول وكريستال بالاس بالدوري الانجليزي 

هذا، واحتفل ليفربول بكأس الدوري الإنجليزي بشكل رسمي اليوم أمام جماهيره، كونها المباراة الأخيرة على ملعبه هذا الموسم.

وتمكن محمد صلاح من تسجيل هدف ليفربول الوحيد في مواجهة اليوم، عند الدقيقة 85 من عمر الشوط الثاني.

وحصد الدولي المصري، جائزتي هداف الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز وجائزة الأكثر صناعة للأهداف هذا الموسم في البطولة الإنجليزية.

وكالعادة، عبرت جماهير ليفربول عن آرائها في أداء النجم المصري، خلال مباراة كريستال بالاس، عبر مواقع التواصل الاجتماعي المختلفة. ردود أفعال جماهير ليفربول على أداء محمد صلاح أمام كريستال بالاس

“صلاح: 29 هدفًا و18 تمريرة حاسمة في 38 مباراة بالدوري الممتاز – موسم استثنائي!”.

Salah: 29 goals, 18 assists in 38 PL games—phenomenal season! — Mohammad Saleem Raza (@SaleemRazaNoori) May 25, 2025

“الملك المصري”.

The Egyptian king 🤴 — NK Kwaning (@nana_kwabina) May 25, 2025

“أفضل لاعب في العالم”.

Best in the world — Elvis⁶𓅓 (@mafia3O) May 25, 2025

“لقد فعلها الملك مرة أخرى”.

The King did it again — Imran Khan (@Imran_185) May 25, 2025

“بجدارة هذا العام. أفضل لاعب في أول 30 مباراة بالموسم حتى الآن”.

So well deserved this year. The best player for the first 30 games of the season by far. — vinny (@drummervince52) May 25, 2025

“الكرة الذهبية قادمة أيها الملك”.

Ballon d’Or is coming, King — Michael (@MikeMongie) May 25, 2025

“غير واقعي على الإطلاق! يستحق محمد صلاح كل جزء من هذا – الحذاء الذهبي، وصانع الألعاب، وبطل الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز! دعونا نرى الكرة الذهبية بعد ذلك!”.

Absolutely unreal! 🐐 Mo Salah deserves every bit of this—Golden Boot, Playmaker, and a Premier League champ! Let’s see that Ballon d’Or next! 👑🔴 #YNWA — Yogesh Aher (@Yogi_Aher) May 25, 2025

“يا له من موسم استثنائي!!!”.

What an exceptional season!!! — Ashley Preece (@PreeceAsh) May 25, 2025

“امنح هذا الرجل الكرة الذهبية”.

Give this man the Balon D’or — Luke Dutch (@LukeDutchh) May 25, 2025