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Cutting arrested a middle-order slide to take his team home comfortably

The Report by Tristan Lavalette09-Jan-2020Ben Cutting and Jimmy Peirson calmly steered Brisbane Heat past a gallant Hobart Hurricanes in a low-scoring contest at the Gabba.Chasing just 127, the Heat were cruising at 1 for 52 before losing four quick wickets triggered by inspired bowling from Hurricanes quick Scott Boland.Cutting and Pierson, however, came to the rescue in a match-winning 60-run partnership, as the Heat won in the penultimate over. A disciplined Heat attack had earlier shackled the D’Arcy Short-less Hurricanes lineup that struggled after winning the toss.Matthew Wade played a lone hand in his return to the BBL with a fluent half-century but lacked support. The in-form Heat (4-3) have won three in a row, including twice over the Hurricanes (3-4) in the past week.Hurricanes crumble around WadeThere were question marks over whether Hurricanes’ top-order could function without BBL dynamo Short, who was a late call-up for Australia’s ODI tour of India. The pain of losing their talisman was at least alleviated by the return of Matthew Wade from Test duty, but the Hurricanes’ batting fell apart.They suffered an early blow when opener Caleb Jewell fell in just the second over to Matt Renshaw, whose part-time spin has proved surprisingly effective this season.The Heat took advantage of a rattled Hurricanes top-order with George Bailey trapped lbw by a relentlessly accurate Zahir Khan. It was the first time the veteran endured a golden duck in his 72-game BBL career, as the Hurricanes botched the Powerplay and things turned worse when out of form David Miller chopped on to Ben Laughlin.Wade had no trouble adjusting formats as he sweetly timed the ball to make a mockery of his teammates’ struggles. Captain Ben McDermott surprisingly came out at No.6 but the horror show continued when he was run out after Wade bewilderingly ran for a kamikaze single, leaving the Hurricanes in ruins at 5 for 59 near the midpoint.Wade falls in confusing fashionWith Zahir bowled out, Mitchell Swepson continued to strangle the Hurricanes with probing googlies but Wade finally found a willing ally in Tom Rogers, whose primary aim was to rotate the strike.Wade reached fifty in the 14th over when he clubbed Swepson for six and then smashed another boundary to signal his intent. The left-hander then fell in confusing fashion when he skied to long-on where Renshaw took the catch inside the rope, tossed it up as he stepped out of bounds and knocked it mid-air to Tom Banton inside the boundary.Third umpire Simon Lightbody initially gave it not out on the broadcast before reversing his decision, which was correct under Law 19.5.2. Previously, before the rule change, Wade would have been awarded a six because Renshaw tapped it over the boundary without stepping back in.Wade’s dismissal triggered a swift Hurricanes demise highlighted by Laughlin dismissing Clive Rose with a superb return catch to cap off an almost flawless display from the Heat.Heat wobble after Boland’s strikesAll eyes were on Banton, who was fresh off the second fastest ever BBL half-century during his 19-ball 56 against the Sydney Thunder. Banton, instead, maturely shelved the big shots and smartly worked the ball around in a sedate opening stand. He made his move in the fifth over by whacking Qais Ahmad for a straight six only to hole out on the next delivery much to the chagrin of the Heat faithful.Max Bryant took over the pyrotechnics but was shaken after being hit in the helmet by a short delivery from Boland, before falling next over to a brilliant outfield catch from Clive Rose, who narrowly avoided a collision with Jewell.Boland then turned the match in the ninth over when he claimed a loose Renshaw and Joe Burns, who was playing his first BBL match of the season, in quick succession to leave the Heat stuttering at 4 for 63 after nine overs.Ben Cutting goes big•Getty ImagesCutting powers Heat to victoryThe Heat’s slide continued in the 11th over when skipper Chris Lynn was run out in a horrible mix up with Peirson, as the Hurricanes suddenly held the edge. The pressure was on Peirson and Cutting, the Heat’s last two main hopes, and the pair were intent to stop the bleeding.They batted watchfully until Cutting changed the momentum with consecutive sixes off Rogers in the 16th over. He was well supported by Peirson, who made amends for his part in Lynn’s wicket, and Cutting had a reprieve when he was dropped by Miller in the 18th over with the Heat still needing 11 runs.Cutting made him pay and sealed the deal shortly after in style with a six.

Kumar Sangakkara labels Kane Williamson’s side ‘worthy winners’

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Dec-2019New Zealand have been awarded the Christopher Martin-Jenkins Spirit of Cricket award for their “sporting conduct” in the aftermath of the World Cup final at Lord’s.Kane Williamson’s side were beaten to the trophy after a tied super over in the final by virtue of having scored fewer boundaries, and were praised by the judging panel for their “sportsmanship, humility and selflessness in defeat” following Jos Buttler’s run-out of Martin Guptill.The award, created in 2013 by the MCC and the BBC in memory of the broadcasting great, is presented annually to the player or team that has “best epitomised the principles of playing hard but fair”.Kumar Sangakkara, the MCC president, said New Zealand were “worthy winners” of the award.”In the heat of battle they displayed a level of sportsmanship that was fitting for such a fantastic final, and indeed tournament.”It is a testament to their squad that even after a match that will live long in the memory for the cricket that was played, we are still talking about the Spirit of Cricket. Their actions deserve this recognition.”Williamson was presented with the award during the drawn Test in Hamilton this week.

Bacher mediated talks between CEO Moroe and Graeme Smith, which could have led to Smith becoming director of cricket

Firdose Moonda05-Dec-2019

No one’s quite sure who will select the South Africa side for the home series against England•BCCI

Ali Bacher, the former South African Test captain and managing director of the United Cricket Board of South Africa (now CSA), has called on CSA’s current administration to take responsibility for recent events which has seen the game teetering on the brink of crisis.Bacher called on the board to be held accountable and CEO Thabang Moroe to consider stepping down after initially mediating talks between Moroe and former captain Graeme Smith, which could have led to Smith taking on the director of cricket role on October 1.Smith and Moroe met at Bacher’s Johannesburg home on August 28, where Smith’s deal was all but finalised, but 11 weeks later Smith withdrew interest in the role citing lack of confidence in the administration. Now, with CSA putting out fires with the players’ association, sponsors, the media and facing collapse in their own board, Bacher has decided to speak out.”I have been involved in cricket administration at varying levels from 1981 to 2003. In 2003, after the Cricket World Cup, I decided to call it a day. It was my call. I decided I would not interfere in the future running of South African cricket and I kept my word. However recent developments have made it obligatory for me to go public and express my most serious concern about the current administration in South African cricket,” Bacher told ESPNcricinfo.While Bacher was not involved in the Gerald Majola or Haroon Lorgat era, he has been sought after for counsel under Moroe’s administration in recent months. Bacher oversaw the meeting between Smith and Moroe, and was thrilled with Smith’s interest. “Graeme is a legend not only in South Africa but around the world and I was excited to see him consider going into administration in South Africa full-time,” Bacher said.Bacher was optimistic Smith would be able to start rebuilding of the national side that had just been whitewashed in a Test series in India, under a revamped management. The tour was the first since CSA announced a structure that did away with a head coach and installed a team director in his place. The job was given to Enoch Nkwe, who had a successful run with the Lions and Jozi Stars in the 2018-19 summer, winning three of the four trophies available in his first season as a franchise coach. Vincent Barnes travelled as the bowling coach and Amol Muzumdar from India was hired on a short-term deal as a batting consultant.Though CSA put the poor results down to a transition period following the retirements of Hashim Amla and Dale Steyn, there were deeper problems than personnel. “It is a well-known fact that the current highly respected captain of South Africa, Faf du Plessis, was not consulted over the appointment of the coach or three assistants for the tour to India. South Africa got a 3-nil drubbing. Are you surprised?” Bacher asked.Few were, including Smith, who used much of his on-air commentary time to explain where South Africa were tactically erring. While CSA continues to attempt to draw Smith into the tent – and discussions between him and president Chris Nenzani are ongoing – Smith has admitted to having “real concerns,” with the way cricket is being run. Smith did not go into detail but an obvious issue is lack of communication. More than two months after Smith and Moroe met at Bacher’s home Smith “had still not received a contract for consideration”, Bacher said.Similarly, now, with little more than three weeks to go before South Africa host England for four Tests, three ODIs and three T20s, the director of cricket appointment has been delayed, there is no selection panel in place and no coaching staff have been confirmed. CSA’s board will hold a special sitting on Saturday in an attempt to resolve these issues but Bacher believes it is too late for them to seek redemption: “The current CEO is out of his depth and I strongly suggest that he resigns imminently in the best interests of South Africa cricket.”

Even as the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) made history by electing a woman president, a first for Indian state associations, the Committee of Administrators (CoA) has ruled that the TNCA’s constitution does not comply with the one the BCCI registered last August.Without a certificate of compliance from the CoA, no state association can send a representative to the BCCI elections, scheduled for October 23. The TNCA is one of only two state associations out of the BCCI’s 37 members, along with the Haryana Cricket Association, to not comply with the BCCI constitution.In May, the CoA had laid out a timeline for the state associations to put the nuts and bolts in place in order to carry out elections as per the new BCCI constitution. This week, the CoA revised the deadline for a second time, to October 4, for state associations to wrap up their elections. This was necessitated after several state associations, including the TNCA, expressed their reluctance to comply with some of the structural reforms that were approved by the Supreme Court based on the recommendations of the RM Lodha Committee.However, last Friday, the court ruled that the TNCA should go ahead with its elections and its results would be subject to the final order it would pass before the BCCI elections. Accordingly, the TNCA conducted its elections, where Rupa – N Srinivasan’s daughter – was elected unopposed along with other office bearers.Around the same time, the CoA sent out a non-compliance notice. “The TNCA submitted its constitution on Wednesday. But our legal team has pointed out areas it is not compliant in,” Vinod Rai, the CoA chairman, told ESPNcricinfo. “Only compliant state associations can nominate representatives to the BCCI general body. And the person they nominate should not be disqualified [as per the eligibility criteria].”One of the key reforms as recommended by the Lodha Committee, which is part of the BCCI constitution, concerns former international players finding two seats on the Apex Council. Currently, the new TNCA administration has no cricketer in its team.RS Ramasaamy, the newly elected TNCA secretary, said the necessary amendments to the state association’s constitution, as desired by the CoA, were being looked after by the TNCA’s legal team. “We submitted the amended constitution with the Registrar of Societies after which we sent it to the BCCI. But the CoA has said some minor amendments need to be carried out,” Ramasaamy said. “That has been sent to the TNCA legal team. But to our knowledge we have complied with almost everything, but there may be one or two minor aberrations which the legal team will advise us on.”Ramasaamy said he was confident the TNCA would be able to send an eligible representative to the BCCI elections.

قال مجدي عبد الغني عضو اتحاد الكرة المصري السابق، إنه كان يعتبر أن الانتقال من الأهلي إلى الزمالك خيانة في الماضي، لكن الآن ليس كذلك.

وأضاف عبد الغني خلال تصريحات عبر برنامج “الكورة مع فايق” المذاع على قناة mbc masr 2: “يوجد اتهام ضدي أنني أهاجم الأهلي، وهذا غير صحيح”.

وأضاف: “أنا لا أبحث عن أي دور لي داخل النادي الأهلي، لكن أتحدث للمصلحة العامة للنادي فقط، أنا بفضل الله نجم الأهلي وسأظل نجم الأهلي، أنا أعطيت للأهلي مجهودًا ودعمًا وبطولات، والأهلي له فضل علينا كلنا”.

وتابع: “عندما عدت من الاحتراف اتعرض علي الانضمام للزمالك، ولكن رفضت لأنني كنت أعتبرها خيانة، لكن اكتشفت أنه ليس كذلك، لأنه يوجد لاعبون انتقلوا للزمالك وحاليًا يعملون داخل النادي الأهلي”.

طالع | مجدي عبد الغني يرد على أنباء تدخله في سحر لـ مؤمن زكريا.. وفعل غير إخلاقي بـ اتحاد الكرة

وواصل: “هل عندما أقول رأيي في لاعب لا يقدم المستوى الذي يستحق التواجد به في الأهلي، أصبح مهاجمًا للنادي؟، أنا كنت أنتقد ميكيسوني وبرونو سافيو وموديست، هل هم كانوا لاعبين جيدين؟َ!”.

وأكمل: “صفقت لمحمود الخطيب على الهواء عندما وضع حجر الأساس لاستاد الأهلي”.

واستمر: “اختلفت مع محمود الخطيب في الرأي لأنني كنت مقتنعًا بـ محمود طاهر كرئيس للنادي الأهلي، وما زلت عند رأيي، لأنه (رجل مش عايز حاجة وشبعان)، هو يستطيع إدارة أي مؤسسة رياضية، هذا لا يمنع أن ما حققه الخطيب من إنجازات يدعو للفخر ونحييه على ما فعله”.

واستكمل: “عدلي القيعي أخذ مكافأة نهاية الخدمة من الأهلي 3 مرات، كان مديرا للنادي و(طلع على المعاش) وأخذ المكافأة، وعاد من جديد، هو موجود في النادي من الستينيات”.

ووجه مجدي عبد الغني رسالة لـ الخطيب، قائلًا: “حقق إنجازات وعمل تاريخ إداري بجانب تاريخه الكروي”.

وإلى عامر حسين رئيس لجنة المسابقات باتحاد الكرة: “هو سوبر مان الكرة المصرية، (هذا انتقاد له)، هو ظلم نفسه وظلمنا معه، يصرح أن الدوري سينتهي في معاده ولم ينتهي، أصبح العالم كله يتحدث عنا، كان يريد أن يؤهل فريق إلى دوري ممتاز من الدرجة الثالثة، هل هذا يحدث!”.

واستطرد: “لم أقم بتهريب سيجار كما تردد مع لاعبي منتخب الشباب 2011 بعد العودة من كولومبيا، كان أحد اللاعبين وجدني أحمل حقيبة فحملها عني، كان لا يوجد بها شيء، من قام بتسريب هذه الأخبار لا يفقه أي شيء”.

وعن موقفه من الترشح لـ انتخابات اتحاد الكرة القادمة، أجاب: “لم أحسم موقفي الآن”.

The Barcelona winger may only be 16, but after a breakout season in La Liga, he has the ability to take this summer's tournament by storm

Lamine Yamal has described himself as "mischievous." It is perhaps the perfect word for this nuisance of a footballer. A tricky winger, compared often to Lionel Messi, but stylistically similar to Bukayo Saka, the teenager has established himself as one of the best talents in Europe over the course of the past 12 months.

Everyone has seen it. Former Barcelona manager Xavi said Yamal could "define an era" in Catalunya. David Villa earmarked him as a top talent, while Dani Carvajal remarked that he is almost impossible to defend. There was a sense all throughout the 2023-24 season, as Barcelona struggled their way through a torrid campaign, that Yamal was special. At times, the 16-year-old starlet was the only reason to tune in and watch the Blaugrana – such was the lack of quality in their play.

Attention now turns to the stage where the youngster could make his biggest impact yet. Luis de la Fuente has made it clear that Yamal will be an important player for Spain this summer, and he will certainly be in the XI when La Roja play Croatia to open their Euro 2024 campaign on Saturday.

As long as Yamal is on the pitch, Spain, a footballing nation in dire need of an attacking talent to get behind, will feel like they have a chance.

• Getty
  

  Barca beginnings

  Yamal's promise isn't hard to trace. The winger was marked out as a top talent early on within La Masia, and he was training with the first team at 15 before making his debut at the same age. In an ideal world, the teenager probably wouldn't have played much for Barca during the past season, but a Messi-esque cameo in the Joan Gamper Trophy in early August forced him into the picture. By November, Yamal was a regular, and by January, he was indispensable.

  His stats – seven goals and 10 assists in all competitions – make for encouraging reading, but his impact expands further than that. Yamal spent most of his time in isolation, running at defenders and carving out opportunities for others. Indeed, his impact is best encapsulated in his three successful take-ons per 90 minutes (among the top 10 percent in Europe), and three carries into the final third per 90 (among the top 15%).

  Yamal is a player who is judged best by the eye test, taking in the directness and incisiveness of his dribbling, and the way in which he creates angles and passing lanes for others. He popped up with some crucial goals, too, but given his age, it would be harsh for a team to pin too much on him too early.

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• (C)Getty Images
  

  Defining a generation

  For a Barca side that has struggled immensely over the last 10 months, Yamal could be the key to them re-establishing themselves among Europe's elite. Hansi Flick has taken over a squad that is almost split in two between ageing veterans and uber-talented youngsters. Only a handful of his projected starters for next season are in what many would describe as their prime years.

  But it is that growing young core which offers hope for the future. In midfield, Gavi and Pedri are both 21 or younger, despite their immense experience at the top level already, while 21-year-old Fermin Lopez broke into the first team last season and has been rewarded with a place in the Spain squad this summer. At centre-back, meanwhile, 17-year-old Pau Cubarsi showed for stretches that he can be the player Barca – and Spain – build their next great defence around.

  Yamal, though, is the best of them all. The Messi comparisons are both stylistically inaccurate and entirely unfair, but this is a footballer that Barca can truly rest their hopes on. The talent is there, but Yamal has shown that he is mature enough, despite his age, to carry his 'star power'.

  He is a La Masia product, a Barcelona native who throws up his Catalan area code whenever he scores, but one who also has a massive shoe deal with adidas. Yamal doesn't just play football – he entertains while he does it.

• Getty
  

  Starring for Spain

  It was no surprise that Spain came knocking for Yamal as soon as they possibly could. This is a country who has shown little care in recent years for protecting its youth, and thus the youngster was thrust into action for La Roja in September 2023 as they looked to book their place at the Euros.

  Yamal wasted little time in making his mark on the international game, as he netted on his debut against Georgia to add Spain's youngest goal-scorer to his ever-growing list of records. He then turned in an eye-catching hour against Cyprus in the 6-0 win that followed a few days later.

  Manager Luis de la Fuente made little effort to hide his excitement about Yamal, saying: "Do you remember when Messi or [Diego] Maradona were 16 years old? We should not put limits on these good footballers. We must let them develop all their potential. That's what we're trying to do with this player here and at his club."

  Yamal has since followed that up with a superb showing against Brazil in a friendly in March, and will be the youngest player at the Euros, with the next-oldest player (France's Warren Zaire-Emery) 16 months his senior. It's easy to forget watching him play that Yamal is still just a child, though he offered a stark reminder of his age when speaking to ahead of the tournament.

  "I've brought my homework because I'm in the fourth year of ESO (the last year of compulsory school study), I have classes on the web and I'm doing well; I hope the teacher doesn't get mad at me!" he revealed.

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• Tiki-taka troubles

  Spain arrive at this tournament at an intriguing juncture, too. Though they reached the semi-finals of the last Euros, that was sandwiched between two World Cup exits at the last-16 stage where they passed Russia and Morocco, respectively, to death, but lacked the cutting edge required to win the game. In the end, they lost both times on penalties

  This current Spain team has a lot to live up to, too. That 'tiki-taka' generation that won three straight international tournaments from 2008-2012 is still in the public's consciousness. But those teams had strikers of the quality of Villa and Fernando Torres; Spain have too often been reliant upon the forlorn figure of Alvaro Morata to put the ball in the net in more recent times.

  And so while they remain the world-leaders in producing confident midfielders who can receive the ball in tight spaces, turn away from their markers and produce defence-splitting passes, La Roja need more up front if they are to once again challenge for trophies. That is where Yamal comes in…

Much like 2022/23, the 2023/24 season has been a disaster for Chelsea, as, despite the appointment of Mauricio Pochettino and the influx of promising youngsters in the summer, the Blues currently find themselves ninth in the Premier League and facing the realistic chance of a second successive campaign without European football.

However, three league wins on the bounce have seen the Pensioners narrow the gap on the top four, and perhaps with the right signings this month, they could make a late charge for the Champions League places.

That seems to be the thinking of the club themselves, anyway, as the latest player touted for a move to Stamford Bridge has been scoring for fun on the continent and could supercharge Cole Palmer's creative numbers – and the Blues have just made an offer.

Chelsea table bid for one of the continent's most in-form strikers

According to reports from Portugal (via Sport Witness), Chelsea have acted on their interest in Sporting CP's free-scoring number nine, Viktor Gyokeres, and have tabled a bid said to be in the region of €85m, which comes to about £73m.

However, Chelsea fans should not get too excited just yet as the report has also revealed that the Portuguese club have rejected the offer, reaffirming their stance that he is not for sale this month unless a club pays his massive €100m – £86m – release clause.

That said, given how close the Blues' offer was to the release clause, there is an expectation that they will come back with a second offer in the coming days.

While this deal will cost the club an arm and a leg to complete, getting a player of his quality through the door would be worth it, and his clinical finishing could do wonders for Palmer's creative numbers.

Viktor Gyokeres could supercharge Cole Palmer

Now, one of the biggest problems for Chelsea this season has been their striker's inability to finish the chances they are given in front of goal. According to Understat's expected goals model, the Blues have scored nine fewer than they should have by now, and while they sit eighth for goals scored, they are fourth for expected goals.

While this problem can be laid at the feet of several players at the club, one man has been particularly guilty of fluffing his lines: Nicolas Jackson.

The Senegalese forward may have a fairly respectable seven league goals to his name this season – granted, three of them came against a nine-man Tottenham Hotspur side – but according to his expected goals figure, he should have at least four more to his name, which is a rather shocking underperformance for the starting striker of a top six side.

In comparison, Gyokeres has 11 league goals from an expected goals figure of 7.9, meaning he is overperforming by over three goals, which, while likely unsustainable in the Premier League, is the sign of a clinical finisher – and he has scored some crackers in his career as well.

With the Swedish "powerhouse" up front, as he was described by data analyst Ben Mattinson, Chelsea's best summer signing, Palmer can expect to see his already impressive creative numbers skyrocket.

Currently, the former Manchester City prospect has four league assists to his name from an expected assists figure of 5.4, meaning that with his current teammates, he is losing out on at least one more assist to his record.

Expected Assists

0.39

Assists

0.29

Progressive Passes

7.32

Progressive Carries

3.33

Shot-Creating Actions

4.86

All Stats via FBref for the 2023/24 Domestic Season

However, were he to have Gyokeres ahead of him, not only would he likely get that extra assist, but he could get another couple, given the rate at which the former Coventry City star overperforms.

Ultimately, while it will cost the club an enormous sum of money to get over the line, if Chelsea are serious about fighting their way back up the table, they should be making a second offer for the "unplayable" Swede, as former teammate Maxime Biamou described him, as Jackson is just too profligate in front of goal.

تحدث كارلو أنشيلوتي مدرب ريال مدريد في مؤتمر صحفي عقب فوز الفريق أمام شتوتجارت بدوري أبطال أوروبا.

وتغلب ريال مدريد على شتوتجارت بثلاثة أهداف مقابل هدف في افتتاحية مشواره بدوري أبطال أوروبا، وسجل له كيليان مبابي وأنطونيو روديجر وأندريك.

وفي بداية المؤتمر، سُئل أنشيلوتي: “هل سيكون العنوان كورتوا ينقذ مدريد؟”، ورد: “يمكن أن يكون العنوان ريال مدريد يفوز بالمباراة الأولى في دوري أبطال أوروبا”.

وأستطرد بشأن كورتوا وإذا كان رأى حارس مرمى أفضل منه: “يمكنني تقديم قائمة، الآن هو الأفضل في العالم، لكن لدي حراس مرمى على مستوى عالٍ، في الوقت الحالي، تيبو هو الأفضل على الإطلاق”.

وأضاف: “نحاول العثور على أفضل نسخة لدينا، في بعض الأحيان حققنا ذلك، بعد 20 دقيقة سيطرنا على المباراة حتى الدقيقة 60، بعد التعادل كانت لدينا القوة للتضحية والفوز”.

وأسترسل: “مباراة مهمة، وإذا كان أي شخص يعتقد أن الفوز بمباراة في دوري أبطال أوروبا أمر سهل… لا أتذكر مباراة يتم الفوز بها دون معاناة، نحن نعرف جيدًا كيف يعني الفوز بدوري أبطال أوروبا مع المعاناة”.

وعن لاعبه إندريك، أردف: “أنا قلق دائمًا قبل وأثناء المباراة لأنه عليك التفكير في أشياء كثيرة، كان لدى إندريك الشجاعة لأنها كانت الكرة الأخيرة في المباراة”.

وتابع: “وكان الحل الأفضل هو الاستفادة من المرتدة التي كانت ثلاثة مقابل واحد، لقد فعل ذلك بشكل جيد للغاية لأن الهدف كان تسجيل هدف، ربما وجد الحل الأكثر تعقيدًا”.

وأكمل مدرب ريال مدريد: “إندريك قادر على القيام بشيء لا يمكن لأحد أن يفكر فيه، لم أستطع أن أعتقد أنه يستطيع التسديد في المرمى، فهو يمتلك تلك الموهبة، لديه ضربة قوية للغاية وهو سريع جدًا”. 

وبشأن حفل زفاف إندريك وهو يبلغ من العمر 18 عامًا، وإذا كان أكثر شجاعة بالزواج في هذا العمر، أو بعدم منح الكرة لفينيسيوس أو مبابي وتسديدها، رد: “لقد أثبت أنه شجاع جدًا في اليومين الأخيرين في كل شيء (يضحك)”.

وأستطرد: “عليك أن تختار، أن تبني كرة القدم أو تلعب بشكل عمودي، المسؤولية تقع في بعض الأحيان على عاتق المدرب، لولا البناء اليوم لم نكن لنسجل الهدف الأول، هناك لحظات يتعين عليك فيها البناء والإدارة و الآخرون يلعبون بشكل مباشر لأننا نمتلك مهاجمين سريعين جدًا”.

وبشأن الاختلافات عن الموسم الماضي، أوضح أنشيلوتي: “إذا كنت أتذكر بشكل صحيح، في المباراة الأولى في دوري أبطال أوروبا، فزنا على يونيون برلين 1-0 في الوقت المحتسب بدلاً من الضائع، معاناة، لم يتغير شيء، للفوز عليك أن تقاتل وتنافس وتعاني”.

وحول أنطونيو روديجر، علّق: “إنه رائع، قوي للغاية في كلا المنطقتين، إنه مهم للغاية، نحن نعمل كثيرًا على الركلات الثابتة، الأمر يسير بشكل جيد بالنسبة لنا”.

وفيما يتعلق بالاعتماد على روديجر وميليتاو، أتم: “كارفاخال قدم أداءً جيدًا، كما قدم لوكاس أداءً جيدًا في الدفاع، هجوميًا، كان بإمكانهم تقديم أداء أفضل من الخلف”.

Manchester United's nightmare streak on the transfer front has been illuminated in all its horrific glory this season.

Rasmus Hojlund hasn't exactly been a poor signing. The Norwegian does have five Champions League goals to show for his efforts but the lack of a goal in the Premier League is hugely concerning.

What makes matters worse is that no forward in United's ranks has scored more than two league goals all campaign. Scott McTominay is their top scorer with five league strikes for context.

As a result, signing some additional firepower in the January window should be of utmost importance.

Man United's January striker hunt

Well, if you thought we might have some positive news for you, think again. Will United sign an exciting new striker in January? Possibly. Stuttgart sensation Serhou Guirassy has been linked.

However, in more recent days some questionable targets have emerged. Mauro Icardi – scorer of a goal in Europe against the Red Devils this term – is an alleged name the club could sign on loan.

Another option is Sevilla's bullish forward Youssef En-Nesyri. That's according to reports from The Sun who suggest that with Guirassy unappealed by the project in Manchester, they have turned their attention to the Moroccan instead.

Under contract until 2025, it's thought a bargain fee of £16m could be enough to see him move to England. Unfortunately, this could be another disastrous repeat of the Wout Weghorst deal last January.

Wout Weghorst's record at Man United

After Cristiano Ronaldo departed the Theatre of Dreams last winter for Saudi Arabia, a replacement was needed.

Did Erik ten Hag splash the cash on a fancy new recruit? Far from it. Burnley striker Weghorst arrived on a short-term loan deal until the end of the season.

Unsurprisingly this didn't go according to plan at all. The Dutchman failed to score in 17 Premier League outings for the Red Devils and only found the net twice in all competitions.

Weghorst can't be accused of a lack of trying but the fact of the matter is he wasn't of the quality needed to thrive as a striker in a club like United.

It led to a vast amount of criticism, notably from his fellow countryman Ruud Gullit who stated that the tall forward simply was "not good enough."

So why would En-Nesyri be good enough? Well, the issue is he probably wouldn't be.

Youssef En-Nesyri's goal record

Like the aforementioned Icardi, En-Nesyri has found the net against United in Europe in recent times.

When Ten Hag's men took on Sevilla in the Europa League, he scored twice in the second leg of their quarter-final clash, notably cashing in on a "horror show" from United and former goalkeeper David De Gea.

The Morocco star was actually rather prolific last term, scoring 18 goals in all competitions but his record beyond that is hardly much to shout about.

Nine goals have followed this term but he has largely been met with bouts of inconsistency throughout his career. Indeed, the 26-year-old bagged just five times in 29 outings for the Spanish side in 2021/22.

Worryingly, he also ranks rather poorly in some important metrics. Compared to positionally similar players in Europe's top five leagues, as per FBRef, En-Nesyri sits inside the worst 1% for shot-creating actions, passes attempted and progressive passes

The 6 foot 2 attacker also ranks in the worst 5% for successful take-ons and worst 12% for progressive carries. He is in the top 25% for aerials won which only goes to showcase the similarities between him and Weghorst.

If Ten Hag has ambitions of keeping his job and taking United back to the top level, this is simply a signing they should avoid at all costs.

The 35-year old is believed to have knocked back a one-year contract with Scorchers in order to pursue greater security and a fresh environment in Melbourne

Daniel Brettig13-Mar-2019

Shaun Marsh laces the ball through the off side•Getty Images

A three-year deal for Shaun Marsh with Melbourne Renegades was made to look like a shrewd bit of business on the very day it was announced, after the left-hander’s dropping from the ODI team suggested he was likely to be available to the defending champions for virtually the whole of the Big Bash League next summer.Having been a part of the Perth Scorchers squad, closely linked to the Western Australian state set-up of which he is also a part, ever since the BBL’s inception in 2011, 35-year-old Marsh is believed to have knocked back a one-year contract with the team of his hometown in order to pursue greater security and a fresh environment in Melbourne.Having done so, he will be moving from the team that bottomed out after a long run of success by finishing last on the tournament table in 2018-19, to the side that under the leadership of captain Aaron Finch and coach Andrew McDonald have been able to lift the BBL trophy for the first time.The Renegades’ desire to follow up their success has been underlined by winning Marsh’s signature, in a move that will raise further questions over the future of the uncontracted Cameron White. At the same time, the Docklands Stadium-based team can expect to see plenty of Finch in 2019-20 given his unsuccessful foray into Test cricket in the absence of the banned David Warner and Steven Smith this season.”I’d like to thank everyone at the Scorchers who have supported me over the years – it was a very successful period for the club,” Marsh said. “But I’m ready for a new challenge and the opportunity to join the Renegades on the back of such a successful season is very exciting. I’ve spent a lot of time with Finchy and know the other guys well, so I’m looking forward to it.”Marsh’s declining international fortunes – he started the season as one of the first players picked in the Test and ODI teams – were likely a factor in his decision to accept the long-term contract with the Renegades.However, a slim sequence of scores in the long form against Pakistan and India saw him dropped before the end of the Test season, and another run of outs in India resulted in Marsh losing his place for the deciding ODI in Delhi, after Ashton Turner’s match-winning effort in Mohali forced the selectors to retain him once Marcus Stoinis was fit again after a thumb injury.These circumstances have meant that Marsh’s potential BBL value has increased, leaving the Scorchers vulnerable after they could only offer him a one-year deal.”Shaun is one of the most experienced players in the country and excels in white-ball cricket,” McDonald said. “His BBL record speaks for itself and he’ll give us even greater flexibility at the top of our batting order. We’ve been on the end of a few of Shaun’s big performances over the years so it’s nice to have him as a team-mate instead.”