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Tom Latham is expected to captain the side should Williamson be forced to sit out

Andrew McGlashan02-Jan-2020Glenn Phillips has been summoned as last-minute batting cover after illness hit the New Zealand camp ahead of the final Test in Sydney, forcing Kane Williamson and Henry Nicholls to sit out training for the second day running.Mitchell Santner, whose position in the side was under scrutiny after two poor outings, has also come down with the bug, leaving the possibility that New Zealand’s resources will be stretched very thin as they aim to avoid a whitewash. Jeet Raval, who was dropped after the Perth Test, is currently the one spare batsman in the squad and the decision has been taken to fly in the uncapped Phillips on the eve of the game.Phillips averages 42.54 from 23 first-class matches – with four hundreds – and struck a century for New Zealand A against England late last year.”We’ve obviously got a few balls up in the air at the moment and we want to be on the safe side and have options,” New Zealand coach Gary Stead said. “Glenn has been in terrific form this season and has good versatility with where he can bat and the roles he can play.”He’s been around the T20 team for the past couple of years so should feel comfortable in the environment. We’re still hopeful Henry and Kane will pull through and we will give them every chance to prove their fitness. If one or both are ruled out then we will consider our options and most importantly how they balance the side for this final Test.”ALSO READ: Preview – New Zealand seek pick-me-up in hazy SydneyShould Williamson be unavailable – and it would take a very severe illness to sideline him – Tom Latham would be the likely replacement as captain, although last year, when Williamson was ruled out of the Christchurch Test against Bangladesh that was subsequently cancelled following the terror attack , Tim Southee was in line to lead the side.Latham took on the official duties at a reception with the Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Wednesday and also did the pre-match press conference.Kane Williamson walks off after his dismissal•Getty Images and Cricket Australia”[Kane] is obviously a great leader amongst this group and he’s passionate about this group, so I’m sure if there’s any chance of him playing, even if it is a small chance, he’ll certainly be playing,” Latham said. “It’s gone around the team a little bit which obviously isn’t ideal but fingers crossed, they’re resting up today and hopefully they’ll wake up and be good to go.”If we lost those guys it would be disappointing but we’ve got a squad of 15 who are passionate about this team, and whatever side we do play has the backing of the whole group that it’s the right team for the job.England’s preparations for the first Test against South Africa last week were severely impacted by illness which swept through the majority of the squad in the first few weeks of the tour and continued to strike players while the Test was in progress.ALSO READ: Somerville’s SCG journey – tears in the car park to Test cricketIt leaves New Zealand’s planning up in the air although if everyone is available for selection there is the potential for two changes to the bowling attack with Matt Henry replacing the injured Trent Boult and Will Somerville coming in for Santner. While the surface is expected to turn, it is thought unlikely they will field two spinners, particularly after the workloads Southee and Neil Wagner have had during the first two Tests.The series has been a chastening experience for New Zealand after they arrived with the hope of competing with Australia having risen to No. 2 in the Test rankings. They failed to cross 200 in the first three innings before Tom Blundell’s defiant century in Melbourne, in his first Test as an opener, provided belated resistance.”We haven’t played our best brand of cricket and I know the guys are excited about getting out there over the next five days and trying to put a good performance on the board,” Latham said. “Yes, the series is lost but it’s the Test Championship and points are up for grabs. We’ll be doing our best to put a good performance out there.”Tim Paine was expecting Williamson to be standing with him for the toss and was focused on Australia not letting up in their intensity after a dominant Test season which has seen them win all four matches, including two against Pakistan, so far by huge margins. In the Ashes series last year, Australia produced a poor performance at The Oval after they had retained the urn with a match to spare but Paine was confident his team had learned from the experience.”I wouldn’t say we took our foot off the pedal [at The Oval], but we’ve certainly learned how to handle that experience of having the emotional high of the win then switching back on really quickly,” he said. “We spoke this morning about making sure that we turn up tomorrow with the same energy and focus that we turned up at the Gabba. All I’ve asked tomorrow is we turn up expecting New Zealand to come out hard and expecting it to be another fight for five days. We feel if we can match them in that area that eventually we’ll be able to wear them down.”GMT 0800 The story was updated to include the news of Phillips’ call-up.

As this summer represents the first full window with Sir Jim Ratcliffe at the helm at Manchester United, it is expected that the new part owner will oversee large-scale changes at Old Trafford.

Man Utd target attacking reinforcements

With the arrival of Ratcliffe suggesting that the chequebook may be open this summer, it is safe to assume that Old Trafford could see its fair share of action during the transfer window.

Related Man United and Sir Jim Ratcliffe planning to move for “important player”

The update comes courtesy of journalist Fabrizio Romano.

Posts ByHenry Jackson Mar 10, 2024

The most immediate area of concern for United is in attack with the Red Devils struggling for consistency in this part of the pitch. No player has scored more than seven goals this season whilst last summer's marquee signing Antony is yet to provide a league goal this campaign.

Man United Attacker Premier League Stats 2023/24

Games Played

Goals

Rasmus Hojlund

20

7

Marcus Rashford

27

7

Antony

22

0

Anthony Martial

13

1

Alejandro Garnacho

26

5

If United are to get back on track and return to the top four of the Premier League, this summer may have to see vast improvements made to their forward line.

Man Utd interested in swap deal for star

As reported on X by German journalist Christian Falk, Man Utd could be interested in arranging a swap deal with Borussia Dortmund. The deal touted could see Jadon Sancho make his deal in Germany permanent whilst Donyell Malen would move to Old Trafford.

The Red Devils have previously expressed an interest in the Dutchman however, this latest development could see the deal completed without United needing to spend a penny.

Since arriving at Dortmund in 2021, the 25-year-old has yielded 50 goal contributions in 105 games. Malen's stats for this season have seen him score on 11 occasions, including an overhead kick against Weder Bremen this month.

Malen's previous spell with PSV saw him arrive at Dortmund full of acclaim. The former Dortmund star and teammate in Holland, Mario Gotze spoke highly of Malen saying of the forward:

"Donyell is extremely fast and very dangerous. If he has a chance, it's usually a goal, too. He's still young, but has really good abilities."

Dortmund may be open to getting the deal done with Sancho enjoying a slight resurgence upon his return to Germany. Providing two goals and two assists already, the winger could want to make the deal permanent and bring an end to his torrid time at Old Trafford.

If Malen, on around £100,000-a-week, is to bring his form in Germany to Old Trafford, the swap deal could be a major coup for United. With Sancho taking home £250,000 a week, shifting the winger off the books whilst bringing in an arguably superior replacement may well be a clever bit of business from Ratcliffe and co.

Arsenal could be offered a cut-price striker solution this summer after it emerged that they could snag a previous target for just £43m thanks to a release clause that activates at the end of the season.

Arteta gunning for the title

After falling at the final hurdle last season, Arsenal and Mikel Arteta look better prepared for a title challenge despite being part of the chasing pack, rather than the frontrunners, this time around.

More resilient at the back and more comfortable dealing with absentees (the likes of Thomas Partey, Jurrien Timber, Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko), they are keeping pace with Manchester City and have already beaten both them and Liverpool in style in the Premier League this season.

There is still plenty of room for improvement though, and for that they are likely to turn to the transfer market.

Arsenal on the hunt for a new number nine

It is no secret that Arsenal are set to be in the market for a striker this summer. After watching their performances over the 2023/24 season, many would agree with former Gunners legend Ian Wright, who has called out for the club to sign a 'killer'. But who they will end up remains unclear.

They have previously been linked with moves for Victor Osimhen and Ivan Toney, but the Nigerian striker appears to be set on a switch to PSG while Toney would be an expensive addition given his Premier League and English background.

A cheaper option could present itself in the form of Benjamin Sesko, who both Arsenal and Chelsea were linked to during his time at RB Salzburg, only for him to make the switch to sister club RB Leipzig instead.

Once compared to a "young Zlatan Ibrahimovic", he has already hit double figures in all competitions for the Bulls and has six Bundesliga goals despite starting just eight games in the German top flight.

He would certainly offer a different prospect to current Arsenal options, and is closer to the mould of the likes of Erling Haaland and Rasmus Hojlund. Standing at 6 foot 4, he has been clocked at a mega 36.1 km/hr top speed in the past, making him something of a physical freak. Given that the only Premier League players to ever clock beyond 37 km/ph are Tottenham's Micky Van de Ven and Manchester City fullback Kyle Walker, he could prove a nightmare for defenders, and it's no surprise fans have said he has the "speed of Mbappe and the size of Haaland".

Then there is his ability in front of goal. As it stands, he has scored six Bundesliga goals from an expected goals of just 3.6. Though a very small sample size, it shows his finishing ability. On the other side, a recent study showed that Arsenal trio Eddie Nketiah, Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz are among the worst under-performers of their expected goals in the Premier League, with all three ranking in the top five last season.

It means that often games are closer than they should be for Mikel Arteta's side, while the likes of Mohamed Salah and Erling Haaland are able to carry their rivals through encounters with ease.

With a summer release clause set at just £43m, the 20-year-old could well be a cheap alternative to some of the astonishingly expensive players already looking set to be on the market this summer, but the Gunners are unlikely to be alone in their admiration of the star, with Manchester City, Liverpool and Barcelona all reportedly joining Mikel Arteta's side in showing an interest in the talent.

Tottenham Hotspur have been simply fantastic this campaign, with Ange Postecoglou’s approach even entertaining the neutral.

Spurs are currently fifth in the Premier League after 26 games, with the race for Champions League football firmly hotting up.

The squad has the perfect balance of youth and experience, with the average age of the squad against Crystal Palace at the weekend being 26.2.

However, there’s one young prospect in particular who has the potential to become a superstar, following in Harry Kane's foot steps.

Harry Kane’s early Spurs career

Today, everyone regards Kane as arguably the best number nine in world football, due to his insane goal-scoring ability and technical class, but what was his early Spurs career like?

In August 2011, England’s all-time leading goalscorer made his Tottenham debut, but it would be years later that he would begin to make an impact in the first-team setup. Numerous loan spells at EFL clubs such as Norwich and Leicester City handed Kane vital experience, and he’s not looked back since.

During the 2013/14 season, Kane began to make a name for himself in the Premier League, scoring three times in six starts. However, his development a year later was sublime.

Where are they now: The starting XI when Harry Kane made his Spurs debut

The England captain has come a long way since making his senior bow for the Lilywhites…

ByRobbie Walls Feb 18, 2024

In the England captain's first full season as the first-choice centre forward, Kane netted an incredible 21 goals and provided three assists, and since then, he’s just gone from strength to strength.

Kane left Spurs in the summer of 2023 for a new challenge, but he will always be remembered as the club's all-time leading scorer with 278 goals and the best player to have ever played for the Lilywhites.

Tottenham's next Harry Kane

In August, Argentinian wonderkid Alejo Veliz joined Spurs for a fee of £13m, with the view of him becoming the long-term replacement for Kane.

The 20-year-old has been handed a few opportunities by Postecoglou since joining, often coming off the bench with minutes to go. This has seen Veliz tally up eight Premier League appearances, and he already has a goal to his name, scoring against Brighton & Hove Albion in the 4-2 defeat.

However, just like Kane during his early days, a loan move was deemed the best choice for his development, as he joined Sevilla in January until the end of the campaign.

His time in Spain hasn’t quite gone to plan, with the Argentine playing just 36 minutes in total so far, but the striker has already proven to be a pure finisher in Argentina, as shown by the table below, which highlights his statistics from the 22/23 Argentinian top-flight.

Games

23

xG

8.38

Goals

11

Big chances missed

5

Shots per game

2.7

Duels won per game

7.1

It’s clear that Veliz is a clinical finisher, with his actual goals being higher than his expected output, but Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig described the 6-foot-1 attacker as “complete” due to his “finishing, movement, link-up play, and technique.” That certainly sounds a lot like Kane, doesn't it? A player with immense link-up play and remarkable shooting technique.

In short, Veliz has all the attributes to become Spurs’ number nine for the foreseeable future, and based on his showing in his home country, he could be the Lilywhites’ biggest prospect since Kane. All he needs is an opportunity to shine.

GOAL rates all of the Portugal players on show as Roberto Martinez's substitutes combined to secure a dramatic late win in Leipzig

For a long, long time, this didn't look like it was going to be Portugal's night – or Cristiano Ronaldo's for that matter. The Selecao skipper had squandered two gilt-edged first-half opportunities before Czech Republic took the lead completely against the run of play courtesy of Lukas Provod's sweet shot from outside the area.

Then, after Portugal had been gifted an equaliser by a farcical and wholly avoidable own goal from Robin Hrnac (his goalkeeper Jindrich Stanek had inexplicably pushed a weak downward header into a crowded six-yard box), Ronaldo then had the misfortune to stray every so slightly offside before hitting the post with a header that Diogo Jota nodded home.

However, as the game entered injury time, two subs combined to score the winner, with Francisco Conceicao slotting home Pedro Neto's deflected cross to give an unimpressive Portugal and a misfiring Ronaldo a 2-1 victory they did not deserve.

Below, GOAL rates all of the Selecao players on show in Leipzig…

Getty Goalkeeper & Defence

Diogo Costa (6/10):

Given absolutely nothing to do before having to pick the ball out of the net after being beaten by Provod's fine strike.

Ruben Dias (6/10):

So untroubled by the Czech attack that he just focused on attacking. He even put over a great cross at one point.

Pepe (6/10):

Age not really an issue for the 41-year-old as he was given an armchair ride by Dias and Mendes but he did win plenty of possession for Portugal.

Nuno Mendes (7/10):

One of Portugal's few impressive performers. The versatile Paris Saint-Germain defender was heavily involved even before he forced the equaliser with his back-post header.

AdvertisementGetty Midfield

Diogo Dalot (4/10):

Finished the season strongly for Manchester United but just didn't offer enough penetration down the right flank. Unsurprisingly hauled off just after the hour mark.

Bruno Fernandes (7/10):

Not at his very best but still displayed far more vision and creativity than many of his team-mates. The pass he played through to Ronaldo during the first half demanded a successful finish.

Vitinha (7/10):

Provided the platform that allowed Portugal to dominate possession, while also creating a couple of good chances and testing Stanek with a decent long-range effort.

Joao Cancelo (5/10):

The wing-back role in such an offensive team enjoying so much possession should have suited his attributes down to the ground, but he contributed little from the left-hand side.

Getty Attack

Bernardo Silva (5/10):

Buzzed about the box in typically menacing fashion but his final ball wasn't great for once. Portugal needed more from such a gifted player.

Cristiano Ronaldo (5/10):

He might not do much work but his job is to be the focal point of the attack and the 39-year-old was unquestionably his side's biggest threat throughout. However, he made a mess of one early header you would have expected him to bury before wasting Bruno's glorious through-ball.

Rafael Leao (4/10):

A real livewire during the first quarter of the game, causing all sorts of problems with his pace and dribbling skills, but he did little thereafter – other than getting booked before being hooked in the 63rd minute.

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Getty Subs & Goalkeeper

Diogo Jota (5/10):

Came on for Leao as soon as the Czechs scored and thought he'd scored the winner only to see his header chalked off because Ronaldo was offside.

Goncalo Inacio (5/10):

Replaced Dalot in the 63rd minute but failed to impact the game.

Nelson Semedo (N/A):

Introduced late on.

Pedro Neto (7/10):

Only came on in the final minute of normal time but made an immediate impact, with his break down the left wing leading to the winner.

Francisco Conceicao (6/10):

Won the game for Portugal with his injury-time tap-in.

Roberto Martinez (6/10):

The Spaniard deserves great credit for reacting to the concession of a goal by making a series of positive substitutions – one of which decided the game in his side's favour. But the late drama will not disguise the fact that Portugal performed poorly for an hour. Nor will it put an end to people wondering if the former Belgium boss is really the right manager to get the best out of this great group of players.

MatériaMais Notícias

Na infância, quando se preparava para se tornar um jogador profissional, o reforço do Confiança, Gilberto Jr. jogou parte da sua base no antigo clube formador, Real Salvador, e de acordo com o volante, sua naturalidade e início de carreira justificam sua escolha e identificação com o futebol nordestino.

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– Eu não consigo me recordar o ano exatamente, acredito que era 2003, eu ainda pirralho, me preparando para ser um jogador profissional, disputamos o que a gente chamava de Copa do Nordeste Infantil, e ganhamos, foi o meu primeiro título da vida. Daí vem minha sintonia com o futebol nordestino, além de eu ter nascido na Bahia, e ter me formado no nordeste, inclusive, passei também pela base do Vitória, eu me identifico demais com a cultura, com o povo e a receptividade – comenta o baiano de Serrinha-BA

Pela região nordeste, além de Real Salvador e Vitória, enquanto atuava na base, o camisa cinco do Dragão já defendeu, profissionalmente, as cores do CRB, quando foi emprestado para a fase final da série B do Campeonato Brasileiro de 2012.

– Eu atuei em poucas partidas com o CRB, fui emprestado para a reta final da série B, e logo na sequência fui para o Alético de Sorocaba, então digo que agora, aqui no Confiança, é a primeira oportunidade de fato que tenho de atuar na minha região, disputar uma copa do nordeste e estadual, perto do meu povo – argumenta o jogador.

A próxima partida do Confiança no sábado (27), pela Copa Nordeste, diante do Vitória-BA, time em que Gilberto atuou nas categorias de base.

– Acredito na crescente do nosso time, a vitória sobre o Sport nos deu um pouco mais de gás para continuarmos buscando a ascensão nas competições. Assim como nós, a equipe do Vitória também é forte e altamente qualificada, acredito que será um duelo difícil, e nós vamos em busca dessa sequência de vitórias – finaliza.